a glance over my shoulder

Ok, it wasn’t the best thing since sliced bread. It had a very slow start. Something about it hooked me. The “it” is this blog.

Things add up after a few years. You don’t notice when the increments are slow and small like inches on my waist (actually I’m trying to think of another word than waist because my waist is wasted). So I thought I would pause, review, and share a few historical bits of my blog history. Ok you, falling asleep over there. You are free to click out of here. I’m not trying to compare this to anything. People on youtube, twitter and other blogs get bigger numbers in a week than I have in years.

Just a quick glance over my shoulder.

take a glance you might spy a butterfly

Now at the end of my 10th BLOG year (what you don’t keep track of things in blog years?) I’m a bit amazed I’m still posting. Looking behind me, I don’t see many butterflies but I do notice a few followers. My posting frequency now is much lower than during the peak blog years around 2011 and 2012.

The first post was just a gif that a co-worker found. She had the nickname of DreamweaverDiva. The gif she found inspired the name of the blog. Back in 2006 our small (relative to others in the industry) group of 150 or so were planning big. Maybe too big? Events unfavorable to our big plans hit us hard. Our whole endeavor would be shut down. (much of this is covered in my “short background” page)

I came up with the idea of a blog for common support to help each other get through this lay-off. A few used it and many of that select group would meet for lunch. Before a year had passed I believe those few had stopped visiting the blog. I started exploring blogland and couldn’t decide if I was on the yellow brick road or chasing a rabbit down a hole. I probably should have just stopped and asked Alice.






Over the years I’ve enjoyed comments left by readers from Malaysia, Honduras, Canada, UK, Australia, Namibia, South Africa and California (really it should be it’s own country). The comments keep me going. Besides the important laugh or two, I’ve actually learned a few things while blogging. New words, new places and how common we can be with others in far away places.

On the topic of new words, I small note to myself. Too late (at least I think so) but now after I learned this new word, I want to grow up and become a tribologist because they are smooth and slick.

Oh and feed your blog.

birds of a feather, what the flock

Hanging out with the flock is good and educational but we need to explore too. Diversity has benefits too if you have an open mind. Different thoughts, ideas and views of this world can open your mind if you let it. Often those strange birds ruffle others feathers. If no one is being harmed or hurt what is the big deal?

I'm going to make my move

You can uncover plenty of diversity in blogland. I don’t care for all of it. I don’t understand much of it. I still click around and will even drop a comment on some of it.

I don’t believe progress was ever a smooth and gentle process. I abhor violence. Yet I can understand how some passionate people can go over the top in their protesting. Understand but not agree. I watched a rebroadcast of this eco-terrorism documentary the other day. It won an award in 2011 at the Sundance Film Festival.




 The destruction of private property by this group was wrong. Firebombing is not a solution for anyone’s cause. Fires become uncontrollable. Complete destruction of our environment is also wrong. There should be a balance between these extremes.

I find a large spectrum between the extremes. It’s unfortunate that rating seeking news media emphasized the extremes. We don’t need to do the bird thing. We can mix it up with other flocks and still progress.

To add a bit of diversity to this post, I offer you below, two links to completely unrelated posts that I read recently. Two bloggers that I discovered awhile ago, Anita and Jene, posted about love. Love - very different than firebombing and more effective. Too bad it doesn’t get noticed by as many people. Very touching words - check them out.

15 Minutes Can Form a Lifelong Bond
Blink

save a blog - read this

Thanks for being here.

We gather here today to pay homage to an often read and beloved blog.

Wait wait don’t bury me!

 
I’m breathing. I’m writing. I’m posting. Lisleman is still here. Don’t click away. Stop the sad music, put on some funky music, open the bar, let’s party. Alright you’ll need to play your own background music because I dislike those autoplay gadgets and you’ll stay a constant sober at the virtual bar, but exercise your imagination. Imagination and blogging are wondrous things.

When I get mentioned on another blog then I take that as a recommendation. Social media is all about sharing recommendations right? Actually I guess it’s not. Although, I know FB would love you to “like” you way through their shopping ads.  Don't you think offering your readers a link means so much more than a "like"?

Remember save the whales? I do but I never did save one.

Raise your hand if you remember what Steve Case did for the internet?

Oh never mind I can’t see your hands anyway and you’ll need them to write a comment later. Steve has been forgotten. Internet time seems to break the speed limit for time. I guess Steve just had his internet time and now it’s over.

(If you seriously don’t remember or know Steve Case was the CEO of AOL. If you don’t remember AOL then you might be too young to read my blog.)

Will our blogs meet the same fate as AOL? Are we doomed to be push aside by social juggernauts FB and twitter? Will a blog become the dialtone of yesterday? (BTW what exactly does a juggernaut jugger?)

We must post our way back to social influence. Read a post, comment an opinion, express yourself. Recommend this post to all your virtual and real friends. I just ask for a bit of your time and a link.

Here's example of the linky feeling.  I really enjoyed this recent post by Mrs. 4444.

(Just a short tangent on Steve Case - Steve attended the same high school as President Obama. Steve was a few years ahead of Barack.)

Depending on the response, next up might be “I fought the spam and the WTF, I’m not sure who won”. Because not only to bloggers face extinction by FB and twitter consuming time, we must overcome slimy comment spam. Here’s another post about losing that linky feeling.

Remember bloggers, stay strong, post-up, comment and be forever linky.

Update. Thanks to a suggestion left in the comments by Scarlet Blue please enjoy the following inspirational song:

 

 

 

 

 

(proofreading provided by C. F. Eyecare)

serious hope

A Chicago Tribune columnist, Mary Schmich, wrote in Sunday’s newspaper:

“Targeted mass violence — bombs at a marathon — is more frightening than any other kind of violence.”

Boston bombing, ricin letters, Chicago shootings, Canadian train plot, and the list can go on for much too long. These tragedies not only frighten but harden your view of mankind. Is mankind kind?

I struggle at times like this to hold on to the idea that the vast majority of the world’s population are good, decent, and would rather help than hurt. Even in the chaos of violence you can find the accidental hero rescuing and helping. (remember the 1992 movie “Hero”) The common person who becomes courageous without realizing it as they run toward danger to help strangers in need.

If you can clear yourself of the fear and anger generated by these senseless horrors, you can still find people helping people around the world. Some dedicate their whole lives to charities. Some leave their careers and begin second ones as volunteers. Over the years I’ve done a little volunteer work and donated money to many causes. One of my favorites is Habitat for Humanity.

All this goodness convinces me we have a bright future. I have serious hope for the world improving. I suspect we will have more tragedies. I hope they become few and far between.

Here in Chicagoland two brothers displayed a courageous example of caring for fellow strangers. Ken and Dan were driving home from their restaurant when a horrible expressway accident exploded in front of them. It involved a semi-truck, two cars and large flames. The two brothers managed to pull three people from the burning wreckage. You can read the story and watch a video here.

These caring people didn’t wake up that day and decide to be a hero. They reacted to the situation by helping. I guess adrenaline helps too.

My blog visiting today had two posts by bloggers that I don’t think know each other. Hopefully, they will get connected better now. One, Peggy, living in Australia informed me that Thursday, April 25 is Pay It Forward Day. A wonderful idea for making our world better. The second, Laurie, wrote about the poor children she helps everyday in Honduras.
 
Could it be that there are many bridges over troubled water throughout the world?

I'm on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can't be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

blogging low notes

Life must have high and low notes otherwise it would be monotone.  I like a nice melody at times.  Other times I find the screaming riff of a guitar a listening joy.

Back in April I posted the question:

Is blogging an escape or do you need to escape blogging?

Blogging is kinda cool because you can pose a question like that and possibly get feedback from others.  Feedback is a form of sharing and sharing is good.

I think it was sometime in 2010 that I came across Jene's blog, The Original Bean.  During 2011, she ran a fun music challenge to which I added my two cents.

Jene has been a little bit of a blog slacker this year.  I say this without knowing much about what filled her time.  I do know she has a little boy so that alone could fill any mother's time.  She recently posted that she is jumping back into blogging.  Browse over to her blog and share some feedback with her. 

maybe you know her

My latest blog follower sent me a picture of herself reading my blog. You might consider doing the same since you are already reading it - just saying.

I know I have seen her somewhere. I think Missouri. Lovely looking lady. I noticed she has a MacBook. I’ve found Macs are better machines since my first one back in the 90’s. Since people tend to conceal their identity on this open public internet, I not sure if her initials are really SC but those are the initials with the photo. She says she enjoys soaking up the sun and thinks everyday is a winding road.

Do any of you know her? 

I didn't notice (thanks BearmanCartoons) that the picture has a small copyright text block in the right corner.  It appears to be:

www.chrishudsonphotography.net

(note - last post question - the answer is Peel Ferry landing)


another circus 

fun interaction

Not all blog readers are bloggers, but most of the comments I receive here are from fellow bloggers. I continue the interaction by commenting on their blogs. I find it a fun interaction.

But wait! There are interactions beyond comments. Trading links, guest posts, shout-outs, and playing along in the many blog games (some like to call them memes) add to the blog interaction digital fun.

Today, I tried yet another interaction. Do you know Pearl? (sounds more like a song title than question)

Pearl has a great blog called (not the most creative title IMHO) “Pearl, Why you little”. She writes one of the funniest blogs I know. Her dialog is great.

Because of her funny dialog, I thought using it for a script in creating a xtranormal clip would be perfect. I wrote to her about the idea and she accepted.

Maybe this will be a new way to interact with other bloggers.

Here’s a cartoon derived from a blog post of hers.

The link to the original post - link.

these are a few of my favorite

• raindrops on roses - nice
• whiskers on kittens - I don’t care for cats
• woolen mittens - reminds of winter which I would NOT miss

So maybe I’ll find another list of favorites.  Would you like a list of my favorite posts from 2010?

• have any tea leaves handy
• its on the way to nowhere
• on an Einstein roll 
• help the list is wrong 

If you have the time and are so inclined I would love to know which one of the above you think is the best.  If you remember any of them then that would also be interesting to know.  

But my top favorite post from 2010 is the following and I’m just going to repeat below.  (BTW - they is really no update on this story.  My MIL still doesn’t know what happened.  Well I getting ahead of myself.  Best you read it first.)

Here it is:

--=#=#=--

It's a fun pastime to tell and listen to stories. I guess it's how legends are started. Often the stories are simple funny stories. What becomes funny now wasn't at the time it occurred.

Those were the days

At many gatherings I heard the story of my older sister being accidentally left behind at a gas station during a road trip. I'm guessing she was 5 or 6 and my brother about 2+ (if I was around I would have been an infant).

Typical road trip stop - Get gas, take care of nature, stretch, and get back on the road. I think it was gas station but maybe a gas station restaurant combination. Everyone needs to stretch and take care of nature calls. Apparently oldest sister was the last one on the nature call.

Dad and Mom jump back into the car along with older brother who was in the back seat. But now he had the back seat all to himself and must of been enjoying it because he didn't bother to mention that older sister was missing. Who? What I have a sister?

What a treasure it would be to have a recording of the conversation when Dad and Mom discovered they were one daughter short. In the story I remember many miles had been traveled before the discovery. (oh she was recovered OK)

---

Maybe this new one will be told a few times in years to come.

Early this year we took a short trip to enjoy sometime in FL with my wonderful mother-in-law. Really she is nice but of course she has a few idiosyncrasies that - oh let's move on to the story.

Her stay along the gulf coast was weeks long and we were in and out in days. So I had some space in my luggage and having packed for a longer stay, she had some extra that she rather not drag back.

I willingly offer to carry some of MIL's extra clothes home in my bag (thanks for all those what a nice SIL comments). My wife (M-P) knew this at the time. MIL was flying back days later.

I unpacked and put her stuff wrapped up in various plastic bags off to the side. OK, I left them on the floor. I didn't know where to put them and figure M-P will know the best place for them.

Day after Easter (more than a month later), MIL calls me.

"Where those clothes you carried back for me?"

"Ah? (pause) Oh yeah those shoes and stuff. M-P probably knows where they are. Sorry we should have given them back to you at Easter."

...

"No rush, but it's starting to warm up. Just good to know you didn't give them away."

Later that same day M-P calls me.

"Did my mom call?"

"Oh yeah, so where are those clothes of hers?"

"You don't know? You carried them back. OH SH-;% I think I donated them!"

(failing to hold back my laugh) "She actually said something about not giving them away."

"Go right now and look in the garage. Call me back."

Well I did find MIL's shoes in a pile that was being collected for the next donation run. 

M-P had found the clothes, forgot about my good deed, and couldn't figure out where the clothes came from. She concluded they might be from our daughter's spring cleaning and were dropped off to be given away.

M-P had donated some of her mom's clothes in exchange for some coupons at a women's clothing store.

The end of the story can not be written because M-P still needs to tell her mom. She hoping after getting the shoes back, her mom will forget about the clothes. I doubt it.

Have a story/legend to tell - let me know in the comments.

star wars crossed lovers

A picture like this stimulates your imagination to create a good storyline.

Maybe I should offer some explanation before you jump to wrong conclusions.  I don’t know the imaginative couple in this picture.  All I know about the picture is where I found it.

As I crawl the web for interesting stuff, I collect my finds (very easy to do) in my digital treasure chest over on tumblr.com.  Then I’ll go back and dig through those digital treasures and post something about them.  You can just use the free tumblr service as your blog and many do, but I don't.

Today while looking through my collection of digital stuff this photo came up on the tumblr radar app.

Here’s the link to the source page - redandjonny

Please share what your imagination tells you about this picture in the comments.


(My first thought - at least he covered his light saber)

another circus         solar info link

   

an idea is born

We are gathered here today to honor ...

Wait, wait, where is everyone?

Doesn't matter you are here.

A brain cell just fired and now I have this idea. A one post blog. If you were to write a one post blog what would it say?

Actually the post content is not the idea.  It's the comment section.  Do any of you know of Sick Days? It’s a fossilized blog. The last post (dated Sept. 25, 2009) has close to 600 comments (might be over that by the time I post this). So there’s a good chance that some of you know of the blog.

I created a new blog titled ‘I can’t blog’.

Bloggers all hit a brick wall once in awhile. But don’t keep banging against it.   Jump over to ‘I can’t blog’ and leave a comment.  After you do, I or another blogger might come along and help you out or not.   No promises, you might not get any respect or empathy but most bloggers are helpful and kind.  I know I’ve interacted with a few of them.

So this new blog will only have ONE post. (I feel a little pressure here to make it good)

BUT the post is not that important, I’m hoping it will have a string of many sharing interactions - otherwise known as comments. With comments you can interact and not even need to create a post.

Hey now hey now what’s the matter with ya ... get yourself over there and join in the fun.

‘I can’t blog’

I added a button (bladge is what I call them) on the sidebar.   Please take one they are free.

<a href="http://blogicant.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="I can’t blog" src=" https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGn1GdtbybY_FKg_C0Ov8ZtpT1vTr8SKU4n7Nf9cVoBET-pbNAyj8ZfcN7XUIr6_cG_DjJI8jCNRyCIhqKD6MN52Py010we1t_iKK1XQc5nkT-ZU3adRZt_NggiIG7-hxZ7ADmrw/s144/DSCN8693.JPG" /></a>

many just don't get it

Because I'm easy come, easy go, Little high, little low,
Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me.

Blogs - some people don't understand why we do it.  I know there are many answers/reasons for blogs but most bloggers have the common goals of expression and sharing.

It really makes my day if I realize that I connected with someone and especially if that connection was a laugh or smile.

This is what makes the comments so important.

Unknown Mami features a weekly post on browsing the blogs and her comments.  You get to learn of new blogs and more about Umami's (that's what I call her) ideas and favorites.







A week or so ago she posted her request for an excuse from this regular feature.  I offered this comment:

Dear Umami,

It's been called to our attention that you deserve a break today, but since McDonalds ending that campaign years ago - sorry you are (as they say) a day late and a dollar short.

Please do not despair because you have built a large support network willing to pass along well wishes.

So hoping that only rainbows fill your view (oh that pot of gold was taken long ago) and music fill your ears.

the management.

----

Go ahead, make my day.

another circus         solar info link

   

we don't need - no more trouble

There was a time I should of sang this to the kids. Now that I think of it - my legendary bad singing could have used as a good threat to get their cooperation.

All together now - 

we don't need - no more trouble

The sharing that comes through blogging has not only introduced me to new people and places but new ideas and movements. For example:

I just learned today over at the Professor B. Worm blog about this great movement called Playing For Change.

This is not the only video clip they have done.  Go to their site and enjoy the other ones too.

I find the technique of editing all this different musicians singing in different parts of the world enjoyable and interesting.  Give it a listen and check out more on those links.

tech fake fraud or fun

Over at Lilly's Life is a post about picture technology and how it can be misused.

Well I consider this a technology story because about 15 years ago the technology for it to happened didn't exist. Actually the story involves a number of technologies that are converging to create both new options and new problems.

So here's the brief summary of the story. Lady from St. Louis posts a nice photo of her family (herself, husband, two kids) on some social community sites (believe it was facebook). Somebody thought it was a great picture and the picture ends up in a big store ad in the CZECH REPUBLIC. A college friend noticed it and alerted her.

If you check the story further, you'll learn that the family got interviewed on a morning TV show because of it. (not such a bad outcome)

The photo wasn't even modified much. Now modifying photos is a fun thing that I've played around with. I've made some special birthday cards with photos. I don't use the expensive photoshop just shareware and tools that came with the digital camera. I'm no expert in this.

This slideshow shows two things I did NOT do.
There a picture of me NOT hosting a TV show and another picture of me NOT at a red carpet event.



That last picture - the one of me, Cyndi Lauper and Freddie Mercury hanging out. They are wax. But is that much different than if I doctored a photo? What about those cardboard cut-outs stick their heads in? It's just easier to do it digitally.

On his blog, CJ also shows some altered photos that may have had a political impact.

One interesting aspect of this is how society starts using new technology without thinking about possible downsides. Don't misunderstand - I love digital photography, social sites (I'm blogger duh) internet communications and most technology. I'm suggesting people think a little more before acting.

Technology users benefit from giving some thought to how the technology might have negative impacts before they jump in. Sharing is great but often your control of who you share with is very limited. I posted about some great Chicago pictures. In this case the photographer wanted good control so he paid to join a photo site. Remember that saying - get what you pay for.

Technology keeps advancing (good) but the bad guys always find an unintended harmful use for it.

rainy day time

We been having some rainy days this weekend but it's much better than snow.

So what do you do on a rainy day?

Read blogs - watch DVDs

I came across this ecard site (really I just found it on a blog and I'm not getting paid to promote it) that has some funny ecards. This first one fits the economy.

The second one - well maybe it's a warning not to clown around too much.






Oh the DVD watching - I picked up some short film collections from the library.

If you ever get the chance to rent/borrow "Paper Clips" do it. It's a great heart warming story for a cold rainy day.

act of kindness

Amazing picture of sharing worth sharing. From the Chicago Tribune site's photos in the news. Here's the caption:

Helping hand
(AP photo by Mark Pardew / February 10, 2009)
Firefighter David Tree shares his water with an injured Australian Koala at Mirboo North after wildfires swept through the region. Suspicions that the worst wildfires ever to strike Australia were deliberately set led police to declare crime scenes Monday in towns incinerated by blazes, while investigators moving into the charred landscape discovered more bodies. 181 people have died in the fires.