Last week I introduced you to Friday Five and how I was looking to offer a diversion into the weekend. So, without further ado, here are five random offerings for you. Cheers guys, have a great weekend! Blogger Corner. One of the blogs that has been springing up on my radar recently is that of Jackie Adkins. In the words of Jackie himself, it’s “a street corner where you can… talk about marketing, the business world, social media and life in general.” Jackie’s not afraid to call out BS when he sees it either, and for that (as well as his easy style) he gets my…
Selected by johnhaydon
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danny brown
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Friday Five
20 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am -
Listening Posts
18 Nov 2009 | 7:37 pmWhen was the last time someone asked you what you want? What you’d prefer to have, over what their perception thinks you’d like to have? Are you looked after by the services you use on a regular basis? If not, why not – isn’t it about time you were? I’m a business owner, but I’m also a consumer and a customer. So why am I told what I need instead of being asked what I need, as a customer? When I go to a store to buy goods or services, I’m offered AirMiles as an incentive. But if I don’t fly often, what good is that to me? When I receive an email to fill out a business survey… -
Blogging, Transformer Gloves and Integrated Solutions
17 Nov 2009 | 6:58 pmIn preparation for the upcoming winter fest, my wife bought me some Thinsulate gloves. These things are the coolest ever – transforming gloves! Basically they’re fingerless and have a strip of velcro attached to the back of each glove. Attached to the velcro (and sewn to the glove itself) are mitten tops. So, I get the best of both worlds. I have driving gloves if I want them, or simply fingerless gloves if the weather’s cool but not too cold for full-on gloves. Yet when the cold snap comes in, I just flip a (velcro) switch and pull the mitten part over, and I have full… -
Navigation Made Easy with Headway 1.5 WordPress Theme
14 Nov 2009 | 7:17 amMost people know by now that I love the new Headway 1.5 premium WordPress theme. If anyone asks what theme they should go with on their blog or website, I always recommend Clay Griffiths’ theme. Now that Headway 1.5 has been officially released, however, the real power behind it will start to show as more people start exploring its engine room. This goes for normal bloggers like me as well as hardcore developers and coders. For example, one of the features that some WordPress theme developers are talking about is the drop-down navigation menu. This is a really useful option to let you… -
You’re Not That Big a Deal
13 Nov 2009 | 1:36 pmSo you’re on a couple of thousand Twitter lists. So you write for on online social media news portal. So you got a couple of hundred Diggs of your latest blog post. So what? In the grand scheme of things, you’re not that big a deal. If I share your name with Joe Public, they raise eyebrows and look puzzled. If I compare your “claims to fame” with those that are really famous, there’s a huge difference in perception. You may own a little piece of the Internet, but the Internet’s a pretty big place and your little piece is swallowed up by it. So… get…
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All Facebook
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Facebook Sends Cease And Desist To USocial
20 Nov 2009 | 8:28 amUSocial, a company which sells Facebook friends and fans, has received a cease and desist from Facebook for violating the company’s terms of service. The BBC claims that the issue at hand is that the company is “letting people profit from their profile”, which is strictly forbidden within Facebook’s terms. We’ve reached out to Facebook for clarification on the issue, to see if there were any issues with the company selling fans. In early October we highlighted the growth in the pay per fan business model, and since then we’ve heard an increasing amount of… -
3 Facebook Stories We Didn’t Cover Yesterday
20 Nov 2009 | 7:42 amOn any given day we receive 5 to 50 stories to post on AllFacebook, however there’s no way for us to currently cover everything that goes on. Determining which stories to publish is part art and part science, however that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be aware of all the things going on related to Facebook. That’s why we’ve decided to post occasional updates on the stories that we couldn’t get to the day before. Today we have 3 stories from yesterday that you should be aware of. Initial Class Action Complaint Filed Against Facebook and Zynga Last week we wrote… -
Google Chrome OS Is What Facebook Wanted To Be
19 Nov 2009 | 11:24 amThis afternoon I’ve been watching the Google OS announcement and all I can say is that this is what Mark Zuckerberg first announced when they released Platform, two and a half years ago. Many assumed that the acquisition of Parakey was a step toward truly building the web operating system of the future. Blake Ross, the developer of Firefox and Parakey, has been working on Facebook Lite though. Joe Hewitt, the other Parakey developer, had been working on the Facebook iPhone application until recently. So where is Facebook OS? Mark Zuckerberg proclaimed Facebook as the “social… -
American Music Awards Pre-Show Streaming Live On Facebook
19 Nov 2009 | 10:05 amWant to get your questions answered by Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, Rhianna, or Taylor Swift? I don’t, but if you are one of the millions of people who follow celebrities, you can watch the American Music Awards pre-show live on Facebook this Sunday. The “Official AMA Pre-Show” will feature hosts Julie Moran, Jenni Pulos, Jai Rodriguez, Taryn Southern. Don’t forget Facebook’s own Randi Zuckerberg and Communications Director Brandee Barker, who will also be featured hosts of the event. Just like Shakira’s recent music video debut on Facebook, the event will be… -
Zynga Rocketing Past 200 Million Users
19 Nov 2009 | 8:34 amJust one month ago at Web 2.0 Summit, Mark Pincus, the CEO of Zynga, told the audience that the company had surpassed 150 monthly active users. One month later, the company’s user base has grown by a third, rocketing it past 200 million users. Monthly active users are a relatively broad metric when analyzing a company though, as daily active users are a more effective metric for measuring a company’s ability to monetize. During the same period when Zynga’s monthly active users grew by 50 percent, daily active users grew approximately 27 percent from 47.8 million to…
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Liz Strauss at Successful Blog
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The Story Behind the Story….of SOBCon
21 Nov 2009 | 5:40 amToday’s guest post is from Terry Starbucker Terry Starbucker is a service company executive and a founder of SOBCon who writes about leadership, personal development, and social media in his blog, Ramblings From a Glass Half Full. He also shares his love of music and learning on Twitter as @starbucker Let me tell you a story…… In May 2007, there was a gathering at a Chicago hotel. 75 people hung out together for a weekend, and talked about their craft, their passions, and their lives. It turned out to be magical. Trust was high. Candor was abundant. Egos were checked at the door. There… -
My ass just tapped me on the shoulder.
20 Nov 2009 | 1:00 amTodays guest post is from Julie Roads. Julie Roads of Writing Roads is a professional copywriter (specializing in blog, social media and web writing) and a book & blog ghostwriter. You can find her at Writing Roads (her writing blog), Soc Media 101 (how-tos and tips for beginners) and The Daily Norm (a collection of interviews with abnormally magnificent people about their normal, daily lives). I’m standing on the other side of the abyss, the good side. And I wanted to let you all know that the ground here is high and dry, nearly heady. Because I read your comments carefully - and… -
Why Stuck?
19 Nov 2009 | 4:45 amTodays guest post is from Kneale Mann. Kneale Mann is a writer, a coach and a strategist. With 26 years experience, he consultants on communications, marketing and social media strategy in the private, hi-tech and public sectors. He is also an associate with CEPSM and a member of the TEDxOttawa organization team. We All Have Choices Recently, a friend sent me a copy of Rick Butts’ book “7 Choices”. In it, Rick talks about the time we work on us verses the time we work on what we do or getting customers or what we can offer. In the age of social networking, we can all create profiles and… -
Blogging Your Way Into The Real World
18 Nov 2009 | 5:59 amTodays guest post is from David Spinks. David Spinks is the Community Manager for Scribnia, where the world’s bloggers and columnists are reviewed by their readers. He also blogs at The Spinks Blog about business, young professionals and social media.” Starting a blog takes a lot of guts. Making that leap into the public eye isn’t easy! Even after you get started, maintaining a blog that doesn’t get much traffic or comments right away can be discouraging. It was right here on Liz Strauss’ blog where I got my first dose of confidence in my blogging career. Back in… -
Reaching through the Screen
17 Nov 2009 | 5:45 amThanks to Richard Reeve for supplying today’s guest post. Richard Reeve is an administrator at the Family Foundation School, a candidate for Analytical training at the C. G. Jung Institute of New York. He blogs at Catskill Cottage Seed. “And the Master said unto the silence, “In the path of our happiness shall we find the learning for which we have chosen this lifetime. So it is that I have learned this day, and choose to leave you now to walk your own path as you please.” Richard Bach, Illusions, pg.23 Liz recommended Bach’s book to me last month when we shared…
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TwiTip
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How to Squeeze Every Last Drop of SEO Juice from Your Twitter Page
20 Nov 2009 | 7:25 amBy Sherice Jacob – web designer, copywriter and author of Get Niche Quick! Follow her @sherice Did you know that your Twitter tweets are ripe with search engine juice that you can put to use to get more marketing exposure? Of course, links you post on Twitter, including links in your bio, are automatically no-follow, meaning the search engines will follow them, but “link juice” (like Google PageRank) isn’t carried over. That doesn’t mean the party’s over for optimizing your Twitter page though. Search engines do index Twitter tweets (through “statuses” – which look like… -
14 Ways To Fight Twitter Burnout
19 Nov 2009 | 6:31 amBy Karl Staib of Work Happy Now! Follow him @workhappynow. Twitter only allows 140 characters. There is an infinite amount of things you can say, but only so many ideas to pull from. It’s hard to keep people entertained with your tweets. The best way to keep from burning out and giving up is to have a brilliant plan that will allow you to reach your goals and meet amazing people. 1. Stay Creative Tweeting looks so easy, but we all know it’s not. There is a lot of thought that goes into each tweet. Penelope Trunk of Brazen Careerist (@penelopetrunk) has each tweet reviewed by an editor… -
Ad.ly on Twitter
18 Nov 2009 | 5:41 amAd.ly, is a brand new advertising network only very recently launched that inserts ads once a day on your twitter account. The ad network seeks your approval first so you would basically be “indirectly” tweeting the ad. Its almost as if you’d be “endorsing by approving” their ad. Interesting… This sort of control is great to have on advertising right? As the publisher so you’re technically deciding very directly what your followers see. This is great in comparison to something like Adsense where the ads are more based on bids than on the content and… -
Spam, Phishing, and Hacks – How to Shore Up Your Defenses
17 Nov 2009 | 6:22 amTwitter spam and phishing attacks are on the rise, which is unfortunate because it’s causing a lot of people to lose friends, often times unknowingly. For instance, last night I received nearly 25 spammy DM’s, all of which were from people that I don’t talk with on a regular basis. It left me in an awkward position because I didn’t have time to DM them all back to give them an update, but I knew that most of them were probably losing followers by the hour. It all started with auto DM’s and Mafia Wars games. People would sign up, give access to the application,… -
Tweet Your Way to Press Row
16 Nov 2009 | 7:05 amBy Peter Robert Casey – Follow him @Peter_R_Casey I’ll be frank. I never intended to leverage my personal Twitter account as a passport to sit courtside at Carnesecca Arena or Madison Square Garden with media credentials. It just happened that way. Thanks to St. John’s University and the progressive vision of Associate AD, Mark Fratto, your Twitter feed can now be considered a legitimate media outlet for covering college basketball, or any sport for that matter. This is only the beginning. Since St. John’s validated Twitter in early August, I’ve corresponded with the executive…
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Ted is Preposterous
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The new Trailer Park motto
19 Nov 2009 | 2:53 pmPermalink | Leave a comment » -
The best argument for atheism I’ve seen yet. - PBH3
18 Nov 2009 | 9:41 amvia pbh3.tumblr.com mmm, bacon. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Bonfire at Shop.
16 Nov 2009 | 6:17 pmPermalink | Leave a comment » -
Bringing the big boy to the Shop.
15 Nov 2009 | 12:29 pmGotta get the Mog running! See and download the full gallery on posterous Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Thrashers are slayin! 6-0.
13 Nov 2009 | 6:55 pmPermalink | Leave a comment »
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Facebook Blog
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The Mass Animation of a Hollywood Short
20 Nov 2009 | 10:10 amYair Landau is the former president of Sony Pictures Digital and the director of a new animated short opening today called "Live Music." We asked Landau to share the story behind Live Music's creation as the first production from Mass Animation, a worldwide crowdsourcing of animation on Facebook done in partnership with Intel, Dell, Autodesk and Reel FX Entertainment. When moviegoers sit down in select theaters tonight to see the opening of the new animated feature "Planet 51," they first will be greeted with a 5-minute, computer-animated short that resulted from the collaboration on Facebook… -
New Privacy Policy Adopted
17 Nov 2009 | 5:21 pmOn Nov. 5, we wrapped up a week-long notice and comment period for a proposed revision to our privacy policy. This was a continuation of our ongoing effort to run Facebook in an open and transparent way. The goals of the revised policy were to make it more accessible and easier to understand. We've spent the last week reviewing each and every one of your comments. While a lot of people participated, the total number of people commenting did not reach the threshold of 7,000 that makes a vote necessary according to our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. Because of this — and the fact… -
Xbox Connects with Facebook
17 Nov 2009 | 11:54 amGames are more fun when played with friends, which is why they are among the most popular activities on Facebook. We're excited that beginning today the social game experience is coming to Xbox Live, so now you can play Xbox games with your Facebook friends. More and more services are integrating with Facebook to make it easy for you to connect with friends wherever you are — including websites like Digg, devices like the iPhone and desktop applications like iPhoto. The Xbox Facebook integration allows you to take part in some of the most popular activities on Facebook directly from your… -
How to Bullyproof Yourself on Facebook
16 Nov 2009 | 11:40 amIn October, we called attention to National Crime Prevention Month in the United States to raise awareness about cyberbullying. This week is National Anti-Bullying Week in the United Kingdom, and we've teamed up with media outlets BBC Radio 1, BBC 1Xtra, and other sites like Bebo, Habbo, MSN, MySpace and YouTube to address this important issue again. While only a small fraction of people will ever experience abusive behavior on Facebook, we're committed to promoting an environment where everyone can connect and share comfortably. For more information on how to handle bullies, check out the… -
Parents Have Rules to Follow Online, Too
12 Nov 2009 | 2:30 pmLiz Perle is the Editor-in-Chief of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to improving the media and entertainment lives of kids and families. The organization believes that parents should have a choice and a voice about the media their kids consume. We've asked Liz to share some common sense tips for parents as they navigate technology and the web with their kids. Where do kids learn about good online behavior? From each other, perhaps. Maybe from a teacher. But parents have a big role to play in making sure their kids use the incredible technologies at their…
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Dosh Dosh
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11 Ways to Influence People Online and Make Them Take Action
11 Nov 2009 | 10:41 amInfluence can be defined as the power exerted over the minds and behavior of others. A power that can affect, persuade and cause changes to someone or something. In order to influence people, you first need to discover what is already influencing them. What makes them tick? What do they care about? We need some leverage to work with when we’re trying to change how people think and behave. But there’s a problem. You won’t be able to meet and get to know everyone. You won’t have the luxury of learning their life history and what they hate or love. In the online… -
How to Achieve Your Goals by Changing the Way You Surf the Web
5 Nov 2009 | 8:38 amEveryone has their favorite way of using the internet. Many of us search to find what we want, click in to a specific website, read what’s available and click out. That’s not necessarily a bad thing because it’s efficient. We learn to tune out things we don’t need and go straight for what’s essential. This goal-oriented way of surfing the web is largely based on short-term results. For example, finding facts to write a blog post, doing a comparison before making a purchase and reading a news site to find out what’s happening right now. If you do all… -
An Essential Marketing Principle: Give Before You Try to Get
18 May 2009 | 12:31 pmExperts have talked about this before. How many times have you read about the importance of ‘adding value’ for your audience? How many times have you read about ‘building trust’ with your readers/prospects? Many, many times. You know it well. Every marketing guru has spoken about this topic. I’m sick of hearing it. But it STILL bears repeating. Because some people still don’t get it. What’s the underlying principle for successful online marketing, selling or networking? The art of giving before you try to get. Before you get something from… -
Twitter Marketing: Why You Don’t Need to Mass Follow Users
22 Apr 2009 | 10:34 amA few days ago Twitter announced on their status blog that all Twitter users are only allowed to follow a maximum of 1000 people a day. This rule was designed to cut down on ‘follow spam’, the act of following many Twitter users in order to get them to follow you back or click on your links. When combined with the already existing limit based on follow ratios, this means that it will be more difficult for marketers or self-promoters to rapidly increase their Twitter follower count by following many people. The old days of following thousands of users a day to… -
Ad Swaps: A Smart and Easy Way to Get Free Traffic
15 Apr 2009 | 4:48 pmAfter yesterday’s post on marketing without search engines, I decided to follow up with a strategy you can use to get quality free traffic. One of the easiest ways to get visitors to your web site is to spend money. Nothing is more effortless then paying for traffic. But if you can’t afford it or don’t want to pay, there’s an equally simple but free way to get traffic: ad swaps. An advertisement swap or ad swap is simply an arrangement where you agree to put up someone else’s ad on your site or email newsletter in exchange for them doing the same. The goal of an…
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NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network
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2009 Member Appreciation: Mission Video Webinar Contest Winners!
29 Nov 2009 | 1:31 pmFor those of you who missed it, last week we held a Member Appreciation Webinar with Basho Mosko from the Flip Video Spotlight Program and Michael Hoffman from See3 Communications about how to create an introductory video for your organization. Those who attended the webinar had a chance to show the community what they learned. They posted a wide variety of inspirational, funny, and just plain well made videos as examples of what they learned. You can check them out on our Facebook page. We're not going to lie -- they weren't just doing it for extra credit. We've selected two commentators… -
Does Your Organization Value IT?
20 Nov 2009 | 1:06 pmFlickr Photo: eszter I think we can safely call it tradition now: it's time for the 4th Annual IT Staffing Survey, brought to you by NTEN and The Nonprofit Times. Your generosity of time has allowed us to create reports on the state of IT staffing in the sector that have been read thousands of times. But, as with most things involving data, the real value of these reports will come over time, as we map the trends. We need you to share your experiences again this year. When you have time to take a 15-minute break, we hope you'll take our survey. (From where we sit, you're still working. If… -
2009 Member Appreciation: Daily Member Prize Winner for 11/20
20 Nov 2009 | 7:12 amHappy Friday! We're getting close to the end of our NTEN Member Appreciation month, when I'm giving out prizes every work day up to Thanksgiving Day. Be sure to tune in next week when the prizes get really big (including 2010 membership and an NTC registration!). For today, however, I am glad to end the week with a gift of NTEN Gear for one of our current members (randomly selected): Jenny Hezel, from the NY-NJ Trail Conference Thank you, Jenny, for being a member of NTEN and using technology to help your cause! -
2009 Member Appreciation: Daily Member Prize Winner for 11/19
19 Nov 2009 | 7:49 amOne thing we're really proud of here at NTEN is the knowledge of the community and the generosity within the community to share that knowledge with each other so that we can all do our work better, which in turn, we believe, makes the world better. This last year we were able to harness that community wisdom and generosity and produce the first NTEN book: Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission: A Strategic Guide for Nonprofit Leaders. I am happy to be able to give a copy of this book as one of our Member Appreciation daily prizes to: Annika Billqvist, from Hands On Bay Area And you are… -
2009 NTEN Community Report -- And 2010 NTC Winner
18 Nov 2009 | 11:08 amEvery year we survey the nonprofit technology community (via our members, program participants, and other like-communities) to learn two main things: How are WE doing, as an organization, to make your work easier, and your mission a little closer? How are YOU doing, as someone who works with technology and/or the nonprofit sector, in terms of your job role, tech-adoption, and organizational challenges? Earlier this spring, we collected responses from 1000 folks and have analyzed and reported back that data for you in this report. > Download the report (free) Key Findings Satisfaction with…
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Zyozy Foundation Blog
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Offbeat - Ideas for Development
19 Nov 2009 | 6:58 amOffbeat Volume1 issue1 Oct- Dec 2009 [pdf] Offbeat is a theme-based e-zine focusing on issues central to India’s development. It is published by ‘The Alternative’, an online social change portal http://thealternative.in/offbeat.html -
Millions Fed: Pathways to Prosperity
18 Nov 2009 | 6:23 amInvestments in agriculture provide a path for small farmers to prosper; improved seeds, new tools and training, and access to markets can lead to better, healthier lives. Learn about two successful projects—one in Uganda, one in India—that are having a significant impact on farmer productivity and are helping millions lift themselves out of hunger and poverty. Agricultural Development Overview Approximately 1 billion people live in chronic hunger and more than 1 billion live in extreme poverty. Many are small farmers in the developing world. Their success or failure determines whether… -
A Thousand Suns
15 Nov 2009 | 6:50 pmA Thousand Suns tells the story of the Gamo Highlands of the African Rift Valley and the unique worldview held by the people of the region. This isolated area has remained remarkably intact both biologically and culturally. It is one of the most densely populated rural regions of Africa yet its people have been farming sustainably for 10,000 years. Shot in Ethiopia, New York and Kenya, the film explores the modern world’s untenable sense of separation from and superiority over nature and how the interconnected worldview of the Gamo people is fundamental in achieving long-term… -
Definitions and manifestations of “hunger.”
14 Nov 2009 | 1:23 pmHunger Facts & Figures A Global Crisis Hunger kills. It is the number one contributor to high mortality rates around the world. The human toll is staggering: each year, more people die from hunger and related diseases than from AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined, according to the World Food Programme. Every five seconds a child dies because of hunger and related causes. (The State of Food Insecurity in the World, FAO) What is Hunger? To alleviate the impact of the global food crisis we must understand and address the different definitions and manifestations of “hunger.” Physical… -
See the Future; Feed the Future; Change the Future
14 Nov 2009 | 11:57 amEvery 5 seconds, a child dies of hunger. Each year, we’re losing 6 million children. That’s more than the population of Manhattan and Paris combined. Today, some of wake up to a full meal, while others wake up to nothing. We may live in different worlds, but we share the planet. And what affects some of us now, may affect all of us tomorrow. Without action, climate change will cause widespread decreases in crop yields. For every one degree rise in temperature, we get a 10% decline in agriculture production. As oil becomes more expensive, the cost of food will soar. Water shortages…
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THE DAILY BLONDE
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Threads
20 Nov 2009 | 10:22 pmI’m so behind on my emails and attempting to catch up on Twitter. Sounds like a really ridiculous issue to have. However, today when I finally got through some of my week’s emails I vowed to get better at staying up to date on what’s going on around the social media world that I’ve come [...] -
How Well Do You Nomee?
18 Nov 2009 | 5:47 pmYou might think you know me, but do you really Nomee know me? I’m not talking nonsense here….in fact, I’m really excited about something that will help me get a grip on my social media connections. For all the times that someone told me to “Get a Grip”, here it comes. Tomorrow morning, I’ll have [...] -
Fresh Balls Anyone?
9 Nov 2009 | 3:59 pmIt’s been yet another stellar Monday. I had to stand within 5 feet of my ex of 9 years and the only thought that crossed my mind was “what was I thinking?” Oh, wait, great children came from that spineless, child support dodging doucher who can’t look anyone in the eye. More than likely [...] -
Repurpose This, OK?
5 Nov 2009 | 9:03 pmI was at the grocery store yesterday. For the record, I’m always at the grocery store. For some reason, my kids seem to have this David Copperfield effect on food and the only thing that never gets eaten is the jar of wheat germ that I bought when I was on my last fake health [...] -
The Runaway School Bus
3 Nov 2009 | 6:23 pmMonday morning started out a little more stressful than usual this week. It wasn’t supposed to. After seemingly recovering from a nasty week of the H1N1 flu, my youngest son, Maxx woke up with yet another high fever and sporting an odd red rash on his face. I tried not to let that colossal worry [...]
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Guy Kawasaki
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The 19 bloggers Inc. thinks you should read
6 Nov 2009 | 6:20 pmInc. named 19 bloggers that you should read. We’ve aggregated them all in one place: Inc19.alltop. -
How to Get Found
4 Nov 2009 | 3:29 pmThe reality is that people and technology is getting better and better a blocking out unwanted interruptions—aka, “marketing.” Brian Halligan is the CEO of HubSpot, and he explains in my post on the American Express Open Forum “how to get found.” It’s all about creating great stuff and letting Google et al do what they do: find great stuff. -
How I tweet
2 Nov 2009 | 8:47 amBy popular demand (and some complaints), I’ve done a FAQ with myself about how I tweet. Hope this helps you use Twitter for your business too. I explain how I use ghostwriters and why I repeat my tweets among other “unusual” practices. -
Current Twitter Demo Script
28 Oct 2009 | 2:26 amThis is the set of links that I used to demo Twitter by going down through this list to show why Twitter is such a valuable marketing tool. Introduction Home page Profile page Monitor Search Guy Kawasaki or Alltop Starbucks VIA introduction Search for “Prius” or “Civic” Sell Dell Outlet Kogi BBQ Support Comcast Cares Engage JetBlue Virgin America Fandango Prospect Camaro Camaro near Palo Alto Advanced searches Surfing or skateboarding (shows how to eliminate extraneous results such as “surfing the web” How I Tweet - Find Alltop MyAlltop helped me find this. -
How to Avoid Twitter Cluelessness
26 Oct 2009 | 4:24 pmOver at the American Express Open Forum blog, I explain how to not look clueless on Twitter. The first five ways are: Don’t tell other people how to tweet. Don’t tell the world that you unfollowed someone. Don’t ask people why they unfollowed you. Don’t constantly tweet mundane updates and babble. Don’t use a small picture for an avatar. To read all ten and why they impugn your intelligence, click here.
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SmartBrief: Leadership
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Was heart disease the real Mummy's Curse?
19 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmThe ancient Egyptians may not have had fast food or boardroom burnout to contend with, but they were far from healthy, scient -More- Business Development Manager Blackbay -
The best innovators are those who share their ideas
19 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmInnovation is all about learning -- but the best innovators are just as focused on teaching, writes William C. Taylor. -More- -
Why Detroit finally went on a diet
19 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmGM, Ford and Chrysler have long been seen as Toyota's flabby, out-of-shape siblings -- but industry experts say the Big Three -More- -
How much does the U.S. really owe?
19 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmThe total volume of debt being generated by the U.S. -More- -
The 12 paths to power and profit
19 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmTo maximize profits, writes Mia de Kuijper, your company needs to identify its "power node" -- the unique source of strength -More-
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SmartBrief: Entrepreneurship
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The story of the penguin and the mouse
19 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmA Canadian startup called Club Penguin attracted 25,000 kids in its first month to a virtual world where they could "dance," -More- -
Entrepreneur offers a helping hand
19 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmInspired by the small sewing business that allowed her mother to move from Ethiopia to the U.S., Alfa Demmellash founded a no -More- -
Learn to enjoy the trying times
19 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmWe often fail to achieve our goals because we get bored with the repeated attempts, writes Peter Bregman. -More- -
Washington strikes a listening pose
19 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmTop Obama administration officials met with entrepreneurs and trade associations on Wednesday in an all-day effort to, as Tre -More- -
Where to link up with European entrepreneurs
19 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmLooking to network overseas? LinkedIn, the premier U.S. -More-
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LinkedIn Learning Center
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Add Twitter to your professional conversation
9 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmWhether you’re an active tweeter or just a consumer of hashtag content, now you can get the most out of Twitter on LinkedIn. Add your Twitter account to your profile, use #in and #li to send your tweets to LinkedIn status, quickly scan what people are tweeting about your company with Company Buzz, and more. Learn more about integrating your LinkedIn and Twitter accounts on our Twitter page. » -
Follow people in the groups you share
9 Oct 2009 | 4:16 pmNow it’s easy to follow contributions from your connections and share your own activity across groups. Following certain individuals lets you explore their best contributions across the groups you share on LinkedIn. Start following your group connections » -
Save and organize profiles into folders
5 Oct 2009 | 1:05 pmHave you ever come across interesting profiles on LinkedIn, and wondered about the best way to keep track of them? Profile Organizer is a Premium Account feature that makes it easy to save and retrieve these important profiles for easy reference and follow up. You can save profiles into folders of your choice, add notes and sync contact information with any address book. Your saved profiles are now in one convenient place that makes managing your outreach a whole lot easier. Take a quick tour » -
Create a complete profile in minutes
26 Jun 2009 | 2:03 pmBuilding your profile can be hard work, so why not let us do it for you? With four clicks you can upload your resume, and then pick and choose which parts of your resume you want to keep. We won’t make any changes to your profile until you’re ready. Upload your resume and build your profile in minutes! » -
See all of what your connections have been up to
26 Jun 2009 | 11:49 amThe homepage displays your network updates, but what about updates on a specific connection? Now when you view a profile of a 1st degree connection you can check out the mini-feed to see their recent status updates, including who they’ve connected with or recommended, what groups they’ve joined, and what’s new on their profile. Check out your profile mini feed » – or - See what your connections have been up to »
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The Bloggess
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Hope for Anissa
20 Nov 2009 | 7:26 amI don’t think I’ve ever done this before on this blog and I hope that I never have to do it again but I’m asking for your help. If you read this blog a lot then you already know Anissa Mayhew because she’s a regular commenter. She’s a blogger, a reader and a faithful friend. More than once Anissa has had my back during rough times. She’s a founding member of The Bloggess Army (codename: Kaiser Soze). She’s publicly defended me more than once…mostly from myself. She’s hysterical and witty and bitingly sarcastic and now… -
Breaking news: Waffles
18 Nov 2009 | 3:59 pmMy friend, Hannah, just sent me an email to alert me about breaking news on Yahoo: Not a joke, you guys. Real. Live. Screenshot. Holy shit, y’all. And my first thought was “I have to share this with the internets immediately because WTF, news media? Why is this a top story?!” And then my second thought is that I shouldn’t tell anyone about it until I have a chance to go out and buy all the Eggos I can find first because this way I get a headstart on the hoarding. But no, I decided to share with you now because I have integrity. And because I already have a box… -
Japan, part 2 (ish): Tommy Lee Jones needs to mind his own business
16 Nov 2009 | 8:18 amOMG, you guys. I actually published a “part 2″ to a post that I labeled “Part 1″. I think that’s the first time that’s ever happened. Is there a medal for this, or some sort of ribbon? If so, please mail one to me. Unless it’s that bullshit white participant ribbon. No one wants that ribbon. Unless you buy it yourself and wear it ironically. Then it’s kind of awesome. Or desperate. One of those. So where was I? We’d just landed in Japan and luckily I was still using my journal at the time because I’ve already… -
It might not even be pudding. It may have been lotion. Or some sort of spackle.
14 Nov 2009 | 5:46 pmA video of weird/offensive/awesome stuff I bought in Japan. Also, I suck at making videos. That’ll be evident if you make it to the end. But about halfway through I eat a boobie. So there’s that. Totally redeeming. Comment of the day:Peppermint creeps the everliving crap out of me. Totally did not expect the eye color change thing. And since she’s Japanese, there’s probably some horrible karmic consequence of pulling the ass-string. Like, in seven days you’ll be forcefed boobie pudding until you die. Unless this whole Vlog was like “The Ring” and then we’re… -
Why, Google?
11 Nov 2009 | 10:34 pmTaking a short intermission from stories of almost getting murdered in Japan to demand that you go right now to Google and type in “Why”. Then look at the auto-suggestions. I’ll wait. Why are you still here? Okay, fine. I’ll do it for you. Awesome. Bonus: What comes up when you type in “Why won’t”: Technically I've wondered about that second one too. And that’s why the internet was invented, y’all. (Hat-tip to Relo who saw this phenomenon and instantly thought of me. Thanks?) Comment of the day: “Why won’t my parakeet eat…
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Dad-o-Matic
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A First-Year Father’s 13 Things to Be Thankful For (Podcast)
20 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amIn a few weeks, my daughter Lucy will celebrate her first birthday. Last Thanksgiving, we had to skip the traditional two-hour drive home because my wife looked like she was hiding the Great Pumpkin under her shirt. At the risk of sounding like every other dad who’s ever lived, I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. (Even though the first few weeks did seem like an eternity.) With another Thanksgiving just around the corner, and my first year of fatherhood coming to a close, I sure do have a lot to be thankful for, including sleep, football, and cheese. Here’s the full… -
A rant about new Star Wars action figures
19 Nov 2009 | 7:15 pmI was a 70’s baby. When I was a kid we often played with our favorite Star Wars action figures. Each one stood about 5 inches, yes “stood”. Maybe I’m getting old, but the Star Wars action figures today suck. I remember the GI Joes from the generation before me seemed massive in comparison. The classic dolls usually stood around 8 inches (I’m doing this from memory). They towered over our toys! My son just celebrated his fourth birthday. I introduced Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back to him shortly before he celebrated his big day. Both movies still rock. -
The Sony VAIO P-Mercial: Family Fun With Video
16 Nov 2009 | 9:23 pmAs the latest mission for the Sony DigiDad Project, we were loaned a Sony VAIO P Series Lifestyle PC mini laptop and told to go record a class trip or some other family outing. My kids are too old for “class trips” and I wanted to do something that actually included the VAIO P, because it has such an unusual form factor for a computer. And the “P” is a full-blown computer. It may be light in weight, but it is far from a lightweight when it comes to features and computing power. To demonstrate, my kids and I created our own spoof of an “infomercial”… -
Mid-Movember (Upper) Lip Service
15 Nov 2009 | 8:53 pmIt is November 15. Two weeks ago I introduced you to my hairy situation, having decided to grow a moustache this month in support of Movember and the goal of raising awareness and funds for prostate and testicular cancer research. While overall the Movember movement is doing an awesome job raising funds around he world, the support from the Dad-O-Matic community has been a hair less than what I was hoping for. With two weeks left in the month I am happy to be able to step things up with a few incentives. The details are in the short video below. If you’d like to have a chance to… -
Stale Daddy Jokes
9 Nov 2009 | 5:47 amDad, King of Comedy… Growing up in a highly opinionated, and comedic laden, Latin household you would think that new jokes would present themselves often and we would all, in a sense, “TEST” our new material out on each other in the house but then sometimes you get caught up with your “big hit.” My dad…he’s the classic “greatest hits” joke teller–you know what I mean by greatest hits joke teller, the joke your pop tells you EVERY-TIME he sees you and laughs like it was just crafted? My pop seems to think it always works because we…
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Zen Habits
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The Simple, Ridiculously Useful Guide to Earning a Living from Your Passion
16 Nov 2009 | 6:20 amPost written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter. So you’ve followed the Short But Powerful Guide to Finding Your Passion, and have chosen something you’re passionate about. Now you need to make it a career — but are perhaps a bit lost. I have to admit I was there, only a few years ago, and three years later I’ve successfully done it, even if I’m a bit battered from the attempt. It’s not easy — I’ll tell you that up front. If you hope to make a quick buck, or a fast million, you’ll need to find another guide. Probably one with lots of… -
How To Focus On What Truly Matters
13 Nov 2009 | 1:32 pmEditor’s note: This is a guest post from Sid Savara of Analysis Driven Personal Development. In my life I’ve gone through periods of intense, driven productivity – months where everything fell into place, and my goals almost seemed to accomplish themselves. At the other extreme, there have been times in my life where I was completely overwhelmed, burdened by my different projects and responsibilities – and frustrated because so many of them not only challenged me, but didn’t matter to me. There were days when I asked myself how did I end up here? How did I end up… -
The Short but Powerful Guide to Finding Your Passion
11 Nov 2009 | 1:49 pm“The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.” - Arnold Toynbee Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter. Following your passion can be a tough thing. But figuring out what that passion is can be even more elusive. I’m lucky — I’ve found my passion, and I’m living it. I can testify that it’s the most wonderful thing, to be able to make a living doing what you love. And so, in this little guide, I’d like to help you get started figuring out what you’d love doing. This turns out to be one of the most common… -
The Little Rules of Action
9 Nov 2009 | 6:49 am“The shortest answer is doing.” - Lord Herbert Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter. Too often we get stuck in inaction — the quagmire of doubt and perfectionism and distractions and planning that stops us from moving forward. And while I’m no proponent of a whirling buzz of activity, I also believe people get lost in the distractions of the world and lose sight of what’s important, and how to actually accomplish their Something Amazing. And so today I’d like to humbly present a few little rules of action — just some small reminders,… -
Low-Stress Ways To Move House and Declutter Your Life
6 Nov 2009 | 12:55 pmEditor’s note: This is a guest post from Annabel Candy of Get In the Hot Spot. Did you know that moving house can be one of the most stressful times in your life? It’s right up there with losing your job, divorce or the death of a loved one, as one of the biggest causes of stress. I’ve been there. In 2007 my husband and I sold our house along with most of our belongings and moved from New Zealand to Panama with our three young kids. We ended up spending 18 months in Central America and lived in Costa Rica for over a year during which time we moved house three times. Moving…
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Signal vs. Noise
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I'm a tailor
20 Nov 2009 | 6:33 amWhen people ask me what I do all day I have a hard time summing it up. I design, I edit, I think, I review, I suggest, I teach. Some things I mess up, some things I fix up. But what I really do most of the time is trim, tuck, iron, cut, press, and fit. I’m a software tailor. And I’m starting to think that’s my perfect role. My team is incredible. I don’t need to tell them what to do. If there was a fantasy software league, I wouldn’t trade my team for anyone. But there are times during the development and design process where the things we make just don’t… -
Unicorns and projections
19 Nov 2009 | 7:53 am“Off the Chart” talks about how recent unemployment rate predictions turned out to be way off the mark. The reason: “Reality has produced numbers of its own.” And that’s the problem with projections. Reality is a terrible collaborator. No matter how much you try to work with it, it has a mind of its own. And it never listens to you. Plus, it’s easier to be a cheerleader than a doomsayer — especially when you have a vested interest in the outcome. That’s how people wind up in an overly optimistic fantasy world. No one ever submits a business plan… -
QUESTION: If you had to give it up, which subscription
18 Nov 2009 | 6:37 amIf you had to give it up, which subscription would you miss the most? -
Design Explorations: Basecamp To-dos with Due Dates
17 Nov 2009 | 11:32 amWe’ve just posted another article in our series of Design Explorations. This installment shows our process for adding a new feature to Basecamp: Add due dates to to-dos. We’re excited about this new feature and anxious to share this latest peek at our design process. Read the full Basecamp to-dos design exploration. -
[Podcast] Episode #2: Tech company valuations
17 Nov 2009 | 10:35 amDownload MP3 | Time: 24:10 Like this episode? Please share it with your friends: 37signals worth $100 billion? Start time: 0:37 The story behind the mock press release claiming 37signals is worth $100 billion. The press should be more critical in covering valuation stories. Eyeballs aren’t the only thing that matter. The valuation dance Start time: 8:45 Was the press release a shot at Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube? Why was the sale of Mint to Intuit disappointing? Where will the next great generation of companies come from if they keep selling early? Also, VC money is a time…
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xkcd.com
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Prudence
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm -
Academia vs. Business
17 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm -
Sagan-Man
15 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm -
iPhone or Droid
12 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
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Dosh Dosh
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11 Ways to Influence People Online and Make Them Take Action
11 Nov 2009 | 10:41 amInfluence can be defined as the power exerted over the minds and behavior of others. A power that can affect, persuade and cause changes to someone or something. In order to influence people, you first need to discover what is already influencing them. What makes them tick? What do they care about? We need some leverage to work with when we’re trying to change how people think and behave. But there’s a problem. You won’t be able to meet and get to know everyone. You won’t have the luxury of learning their life history and what they hate or love. In the online… -
How to Achieve Your Goals by Changing the Way You Surf the Web
5 Nov 2009 | 8:38 amEveryone has their favorite way of using the internet. Many of us search to find what we want, click in to a specific website, read what’s available and click out. That’s not necessarily a bad thing because it’s efficient. We learn to tune out things we don’t need and go straight for what’s essential. This goal-oriented way of surfing the web is largely based on short-term results. For example, finding facts to write a blog post, doing a comparison before making a purchase and reading a news site to find out what’s happening right now. If you do all… -
An Essential Marketing Principle: Give Before You Try to Get
18 May 2009 | 12:31 pmExperts have talked about this before. How many times have you read about the importance of ‘adding value’ for your audience? How many times have you read about ‘building trust’ with your readers/prospects? Many, many times. You know it well. Every marketing guru has spoken about this topic. I’m sick of hearing it. But it STILL bears repeating. Because some people still don’t get it. What’s the underlying principle for successful online marketing, selling or networking? The art of giving before you try to get. Before you get something from… -
Twitter Marketing: Why You Don’t Need to Mass Follow Users
22 Apr 2009 | 10:34 amA few days ago Twitter announced on their status blog that all Twitter users are only allowed to follow a maximum of 1000 people a day. This rule was designed to cut down on ‘follow spam’, the act of following many Twitter users in order to get them to follow you back or click on your links. When combined with the already existing limit based on follow ratios, this means that it will be more difficult for marketers or self-promoters to rapidly increase their Twitter follower count by following many people. The old days of following thousands of users a day to… -
Ad Swaps: A Smart and Easy Way to Get Free Traffic
15 Apr 2009 | 4:48 pmAfter yesterday’s post on marketing without search engines, I decided to follow up with a strategy you can use to get quality free traffic. One of the easiest ways to get visitors to your web site is to spend money. Nothing is more effortless then paying for traffic. But if you can’t afford it or don’t want to pay, there’s an equally simple but free way to get traffic: ad swaps. An advertisement swap or ad swap is simply an arrangement where you agree to put up someone else’s ad on your site or email newsletter in exchange for them doing the same. The goal of an…
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Blog Design, Optimization & Usability - TopRank Marketing
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7 Blog Copywriting Ideas for Creating Original Content
12 Nov 2009 | 8:01 amWith literally hundreds of millions of blogs in the vast blogosphere, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to develop a unique brand for your blog by writing posts that are unique, creative and entertaining. The next time you find yourself in a rut, try these 7 blog copywriting ideas for creating fresh and interesting content: 1. Start With the Headline It might seem logical to write the body of the post first. After all, length-wise, it’s the most significant piece of the puzzle. Instead, try coming up with the most creative, most intriguing headline possible. Then design a post… -
Guest Posters Bring Fresh Content & More Traffic
11 Nov 2009 | 11:26 amGuest posters are a good idea for all blogs. Different people have different ideas, different writing styles, and different ways to connect to visitors. Not only is it a good idea for your readers, it’s a good idea for your blog. The more authors a blog has, the more content that will get generated, the more active the blog will appear and, when that happens, search engines can give more rankings and traffic. All of this leading to more sales, revenue, or whatever the blogs KPI is. More bloggers help out a blog in more ways than one and growing a blog with multiple authors, or guest… -
Getting Flash (SWF Files) Into Wordpress
5 Nov 2009 | 5:52 amOne of the most popular posts on BloggerDesign is how to get Flash (swf) into a WordPress post. The previous post is about three years old so I thought I’d write up a follow-up post, as embedding Flash is much easier now as it’s all built into WordPress. With the newer versions of WordPress there is a button to embed media. Embed Button Once clicked, all you have to do is enter in the Flash (swf) file URL, set the dimensions, hit ‘Insert’, and WordPress will do the rest. Embed Window It’s that easy. No plugins, no confusing code, just provide WordPress with the… -
How To Keep Your Blog Running Smoothly When Traffic Spikes
22 Oct 2009 | 8:03 amA bloggers dream is to get noticed. That could be in the form of a post getting re-tweeted hundreds of times, hitting the homepage of Digg, shared a lot on Facebook, getting noticed by the media, or one of the many other ways a blog can get traffic. However, a flood of traffic can quickly cripple a blog and turn that dream into a nightmare. The good news here is that the WP Super Cache plug-in can help minimize issues caused by too much traffic. The WP Super Cache plug-in creates a static HTML file of each post and serves that file up to users. This static HTML file loads faster and is a lot… -
10 Lesser Known WordPress Features
12 Oct 2009 | 2:42 pmWhether you are new to WordPress, or have been using it a long time, there are always features that are available in the software that people either forget about or don’t know exist. So I thought I’d write up 10 lesser known WordPress features. 1. More options in the WYSIWYG editor. When writing your blog post in WordPress, there is a toolbar with items such as bold, italic, and lists. At the of that toolbar is a box with little squares on it. Click it to reveal another toolbar with options to underline, change the font colors, embed meida, undo, and more. Quite a few handy…
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Lorelle on WordPress
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Blog Struggles: How Do You Know When to Stop Writing a Blog Post?
21 Nov 2009 | 9:35 amAs I prepare for my meeting with Alan Dean Foster, one of the world’s most prolific and famous science fiction authors, I’m not the only one inspired by the whole concept of making dreams come true. Robyn Seaton introduced Alan Dean Foster to me after she and I met at WordCamp Phoenix, and PodCamp Arizona last week. She didn’t have a blog yet. After a fully packed weekend, she was ready but overwhelmed. What to blog about? She twittered and emailed me that she wanted to help me in my quest to meet Alan Dean Foster. In the process, found her blog passion and voice. A few days… -
Dreams Can Come True: Meeting Alan Dean Foster
19 Nov 2009 | 8:27 amI’m in Arizona after a very exciting and busy series of conferences, including the very successful WordCamp Netherlands, WordCamp Phoenix, and PodCamp Arizona, visiting family living near one of my favorite authors in the world, Alan Dean Foster. During WordCamp Phoenix and PodCampAZ, I shared with my audience that I was too excited to just be “this close” to the one man who completely changed my life when it came to writing, actually helping me become a professional writer. Robyn Seaton stepped up to my challenge and connected me with the master himself. This is just one… -
WordCamp Netherlands Rocked; WordCamp Phoenix Will Rock!
11 Nov 2009 | 10:04 amWordCamp Phoenix is all set to really rock and roll with great WordPress, blogging, and SEO experts on November 13, 2009, in Arizona at the Arizona Grand Resort. Some of the hottest folks in WordPress and web tech are lined up to speak and attend, taking advantage of PodcampAZ and Az Entrepreneurship Conference happening the same weekend. Speakers include Matt Mullenweg, Merlin Mann of 43 Folders, John Hawkins, Brent Spore, and Dave Moyer of Bitwire Media and WordCast. Oh, and little ole me. The Phoenix WordPress event will be live streamed thanks to sponsor, GoDaddy, so you can watch the… -
WordCamp Portland Donates to WordCamp Seattle
23 Sep 2009 | 12:24 pmYou know I’m a huge WordCamp fan. I attend as many as I can, speak at many, and work hard with the The WordCamp Report, Blog Herald, and this blog to help promote WordCamps all over the world. For those unfamiliar with WordCamp, it is a grassroots gathering, formal or informal, of WordPress fans. It can happen anywhere and in many formats, all focused on WordPress fans getting together to talk about WordPress and their online world. For those familiar with the WordCamp experience, you will not be surprised at my announcement. For those who haven’t had the joy of a WordCamp, you… -
Old WordPress Versions Under Attack
4 Sep 2009 | 3:33 pmOtto42 of OttoDestruct, a key WordPress developer and supporter, reports that there is an “attack” on older versions of WordPress right now. The number of sites hit by this is growing every hour. Protect your WordPress blog now: UPDATE NOW!!! Update your WordPress blog before you continue reading this post. That’s how critical this issue is. Things You Need to Know Now Here is what you need to know right now, constantly updated with news as we get it. UPDATE NOW! Reports are that this attack impacts ALL versions of WordPress up to 2.8.3 and 2.8.4, the most recent release.
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The Bloggess
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Hope for Anissa
20 Nov 2009 | 7:26 amI don’t think I’ve ever done this before on this blog and I hope that I never have to do it again but I’m asking for your help. If you read this blog a lot then you already know Anissa Mayhew because she’s a regular commenter. She’s a blogger, a reader and a faithful friend. More than once Anissa has had my back during rough times. She’s a founding member of The Bloggess Army (codename: Kaiser Soze). She’s publicly defended me more than once…mostly from myself. She’s hysterical and witty and bitingly sarcastic and now… -
Breaking news: Waffles
18 Nov 2009 | 3:59 pmMy friend, Hannah, just sent me an email to alert me about breaking news on Yahoo: Not a joke, you guys. Real. Live. Screenshot. Holy shit, y’all. And my first thought was “I have to share this with the internets immediately because WTF, news media? Why is this a top story?!” And then my second thought is that I shouldn’t tell anyone about it until I have a chance to go out and buy all the Eggos I can find first because this way I get a headstart on the hoarding. But no, I decided to share with you now because I have integrity. And because I already have a box… -
Japan, part 2 (ish): Tommy Lee Jones needs to mind his own business
16 Nov 2009 | 8:18 amOMG, you guys. I actually published a “part 2″ to a post that I labeled “Part 1″. I think that’s the first time that’s ever happened. Is there a medal for this, or some sort of ribbon? If so, please mail one to me. Unless it’s that bullshit white participant ribbon. No one wants that ribbon. Unless you buy it yourself and wear it ironically. Then it’s kind of awesome. Or desperate. One of those. So where was I? We’d just landed in Japan and luckily I was still using my journal at the time because I’ve already… -
It might not even be pudding. It may have been lotion. Or some sort of spackle.
14 Nov 2009 | 5:46 pmA video of weird/offensive/awesome stuff I bought in Japan. Also, I suck at making videos. That’ll be evident if you make it to the end. But about halfway through I eat a boobie. So there’s that. Totally redeeming. Comment of the day:Peppermint creeps the everliving crap out of me. Totally did not expect the eye color change thing. And since she’s Japanese, there’s probably some horrible karmic consequence of pulling the ass-string. Like, in seven days you’ll be forcefed boobie pudding until you die. Unless this whole Vlog was like “The Ring” and then we’re… -
Why, Google?
11 Nov 2009 | 10:34 pmTaking a short intermission from stories of almost getting murdered in Japan to demand that you go right now to Google and type in “Why”. Then look at the auto-suggestions. I’ll wait. Why are you still here? Okay, fine. I’ll do it for you. Awesome. Bonus: What comes up when you type in “Why won’t”: Technically I've wondered about that second one too. And that’s why the internet was invented, y’all. (Hat-tip to Relo who saw this phenomenon and instantly thought of me. Thanks?) Comment of the day: “Why won’t my parakeet eat…
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37days
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thinking thursday.
19 Nov 2009 | 4:36 amEvery Thursday, a few links, including one to Mr Depp just because he has been declared the Sexiest Man Alive. (Where I can follow the serendipitous thread I followed to get there, I'll include a thanks to the person who surfaced it for me.)mind :: my brain and yourHere's what I'm reading now.Have a Kindle but miss the smell of books? Smile.Need a reading list? Or perhaps a book that is Flashlight Worthy?body :: my place and yoursNearly the best soup I ever ate, I ate here.And right after I ate that soup in Toronto, I treated myself to a concert by this gracious, generous, funny, humble man. -
poetry wednesday : homage to my hips
18 Nov 2009 | 6:14 amHomage to My Hips these hips are big hips.they need space to move around in.they don't fit into littlepetty places. these hipsare free hips.they don't like to be held back.these hips have never been enslaved,they go where they want to go they do what they want to do. these hips are mighty hips.these hips are magic hips.i have known themto put a spell on a man and spin him like a top -Lucille Clifton "They don't fit into little petty places." I love that.Thanks to Donna Glee Williams for delighting us by sharing this poem during our recent Life is a Verb retreat.hear Lucille Clifton read the… -
found-art tuesday : create a visual journal
17 Nov 2009 | 12:20 pmI drove last night to Cullowhee, North Carolina, to read for the third time to N.C. school teachers attending retreats at the NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT). They are among my favorite crowds because TEACHERS COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY ROCK. Last night, there were two seminar groups who attended the reading--asking some of the best questions I've ever been asked and laughing and enduring my long rambling story about reading Sam Keen in college and sending a letter to him yesterday like a lovestruck teenager and much more. I wandered into one of the classrooms afterward--a… -
mindful monday : offer them a peppermunt from Holland
16 Nov 2009 | 5:44 amThis is the 1000th post on 37days. To celebrate this nice big round number, I am posting an essay from one of my favorite writers, Amy McCracken. It's all about offering a peppermunt from Holland, about loving, about mindfulness, about sitting quietly with a tin of mints in your lap to survive. It's about simply offering a peppermunt to someone who needs one, your hands wrapped around the tin with love and, perhaps, with anguish. When I read Amy's words, I was reminded of a line from Alban Berg's opera, Wozzeck: "Oh what is there to cling to?"Would you like a mint? From Holland?My brother… -
simple saturday. happiness flow chart.
15 Nov 2009 | 9:34 amSometimes life is simpler than we make it out to be. It seems to me that we are always in choice. Even when circumstance throws us unhappiness and misery and more, we choose how we are in that circumstance. Sometimes the change we need to make is a very simple one. And sometimes it is more complex.Are you happy? Do you want to be? Follow these instructions.[Thanks to Will Simpson for pointing me to this. Seen on typcut.com]
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Inspiration & Motivation Blog
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101 Tips to Feel Great
19 Nov 2009 | 7:46 pmPhoto by anirudhkoul I wrote this article inspired by Mike King through his article : 100 Ways to Be a Better Leader Feeling great can be made through positive habits and to feel great, you must pay attention to requirements that support your physical and mental health. Here are 101 tips to feel great : Through healthy living : 1. Exercise for 30 minutes everyday 2. Take a walk everyday 3. Find your exercise partner. It will not be boring, instead it can be a lot of fun during exercise. 4. Do some heavy exercise, because it can increase your balance and posture, also prevent osteoporosis. 5. -
A Child’s Angel
6 Nov 2009 | 2:18 amPhoto by myducksayshowdy Once upon a time there was a child ready to be born. So one day he asked God: They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless? Among the many angels, I chose one for you. She will be waiting for you and will take care of you. But tell me, here in Heaven, I don’t do anything else but sing and smile, that’s enough for me to be happy. Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you every day. And you will feel your angel’s love and be happy. And how am I going to be able to… -
Why Only 5% of People Could Succeed in Changing Their Fate?
22 Oct 2009 | 8:13 pmPhoto by photo61guy Sowing mind, reaping action Sowing action, reaping habit Sowing habit, reaping personality Sowing personality, reaping fate -Anonymous- Anyone wants to change his/her fate to be better. However based on research, there are only 5% of people who have commitment to change their fates. Meanwhile, the other 95% only hope, want or like if their fate change, but they never have strong commitment to change. The 5% people, who have commitment to change their fate, make the change as a must and will do anything to change their fate. Meanwhile the 95% people act reluctantly and will… -
What I Learned in Life
9 Oct 2009 | 2:05 amPhoto by Asmamirza I’ve learned - that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them. I’ve learned- that no matter how much I care, some people just don’t care back. I’ve learned- that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it. I’ve learned- that it’s not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts. I’ve learned- that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you’d better know something. I’ve learned- that you… -
The Principal of Appreciation
24 Sep 2009 | 9:32 pmPhoto by Michelle Brea This principal helps you to change your grateful attitude into a habit with giving attention and appreciation to the goodness in your life. The law of Rhythm tells us that every single thing in the universe and in our life is growing or dying. Simply said, This Super law says, “Create or destroy.” Anything that is not growing will die. We are always moving one way or another. We also know that to let things grow we have to give it energy and attention. You can see it on your plants at home. When you give it energy and attention, the plants grow rapidly and healthy.
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Max Gladwell - social media and green living
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RealTime CrunchUp: The Rise Of Geo Streams
20 Nov 2009 | 6:28 pmMax Gladwell RealTime CrunchUp: The Rise Of Geo Streams - http://www.techcrunch.com/2009... 16 hours ago from Google Reader - Comment - Like -
Twitter to turn on advertising “you will love” (here’s how: SuperTweet)
20 Nov 2009 | 6:20 pmMax Gladwell Twitter to turn on advertising “you will love” (here’s how: SuperTweet) - http://scobleizer.com/2009... 16 hours ago from Google Reader - Comment - Like -
The Future Is All About Context: The Pragmatic Web
20 Nov 2009 | 5:12 pmMax Gladwell The Future Is All About Context: The Pragmatic Web - http://www.readwriteweb.com/archive... 18 hours ago from Google Reader - Comment - Like -
Status.Net: The WordPress For Microblogs Gets A Hosted Solution
20 Nov 2009 | 3:28 pmMax Gladwell Status.Net: The WordPress For Microblogs Gets A Hosted Solution - http://www.techcrunch.com/2009... 19 hours ago from Google Reader - Comment - Like -
Making my way to the Triple Pundit happy hour in SF tonight
19 Nov 2009 | 5:57 pmMax Gladwell Making my way to the Triple Pundit happy hour in SF tonight Thursday from Twitter - Comment - Like
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Change.org's Women's Rights Blog
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Senate Begins Debate on Health Care: Eschews Stupak, Funds Abstinence
21 Nov 2009 | 10:20 amDebate on the Senate version of the Health Care bill opened yesterday with a mixed bag for those concerned about reproductive health. On the plus side, the Senate Bill avoids Stupak language, instead offering private insurance a separate means by which it can set aside monies that could be used in case of abortion that do not interfere with government spending. RH Reality Check reports that this approach closely mirrors the Capps language originally included in the House and Senate Finance Committee bills, with an additional provision tacked on obligating the Health and Human Services… -
For Health or Money: The Motivation Behind New Mammogram Guidelines
20 Nov 2009 | 1:40 pmWomen and health care professionals are confused and outraged by the mammogram guidelines released by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) on Monday, denouncing the task force for prioritizing economy over health. Regular mammogram screenings have accounted for a 15 percent decrease in the rate of breast cancer. The new guidelines suggest that women start going for regular mammograms at 50 -- ten years later than previously recommended -- and get checked every other year, instead of annually, unless they are at high risk. Critics, such as the American Cancer Society,… -
Servicewomen Need Access to Plan B: Focus on That, Elaine Donnelly
20 Nov 2009 | 7:25 amGroups like the self-proclaimed experts at the Center for Military Readiness, headed by Elaine Donnelly (yes, that Elaine Donnelly), would have you believe that the possibility of unplanned pregnancies is a good reason to exclude women from combat roles and submarine service. I have another idea for Ms. Donnelly and her ilk to help them focus their concerns: Fight like hell to get Plan B included in the TRICARE Formulary (the standard list of drugs that must be stocked) and make it available in all Military Treatment Facilities (MTF). Right now, a servicewoman cannot walk into an MTF… -
Women-Only Travel Company Violates Men's Rights
19 Nov 2009 | 3:22 pmAt best, women-only policies strike me as band-aid solutions. I see little merit in single-sex gyms, and am downright appalled by the idea of Mexico's women-only taxis -- bubble-gum pink cabs equipped with makeup mirrors -- as a real solution to sexual violence. We can't end sexual harassment and assault simply by carving out spaces where men don't exist. Poof! They're gone! No more worries! Except that eventually you have to leave the gym or get out of the taxi. So I was automatically skeptical when I heard about the proposal for a women-only travel company, Travel Sisters, geared toward… -
UN Operations In Congo: A Dangerous Strategy
19 Nov 2009 | 12:06 pmCompared with the energy and awareness surrounding the genocide in Darfur, the crisis in Congo is often known as the "forgotten conflict" -- despite the fact that over five million people have been killed since the war began 1998. After a brief flurry of headlines last year, the crisis has received little media attention. Meanwhile, the situation in Congo has only grown worse, especially for women and girls, who are the victims of mass rapes and mutilation This December, the United Nations will be renewing its mandate of the peacekeeping force in Congo -- a joint Rwandan and Congolese…
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Children
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The Urgent Need to Address Undernutrition in Children
20 Nov 2009 | 12:21 amAccording to a recently released UNICEF report, Tracking Progress on Child and Maternal Development, some 200 million children in the developing world currently suffer from stunted growth, due to chronic undernutrition. Chronic undernutrition, is a factor in over a third of all deaths in children under five years-old. This often unnoticed and often silent killer, preys on children most as time and again it rears its ugly head when it has become acute. The unseen suffering in children who often appear healthy, can lease to serious and even permanent damage to a child’s health and… -
News…
18 Nov 2009 | 10:19 pmUNFPA: Impoverished women bear brunt of climate change The UN Population Fund has found the world’s primary agricultural workers — impoverished women — will bear the brunt of catastrophic climate change resulting from global warming. The UNFPA called for greater equality for women to relieve the disproportionate burden they are bound to experience from weather-related natural disasters, and their consequences for food, water and energy. Food summit finds little financing for global-hunger fight A summit on world hunger at the United Nations Food & Agriculture… -
Author is part of Modern Slavery Anthology for Children
18 Nov 2009 | 9:41 amThe Foreign Policy Association’s Children’s Blogger, Cassandra Clifford, has a chapter in the newly released ‘At Issue: Slavery Today’, designed for middle and high school students. Cassandra, who is also the Executive Director and Founder of Bridge to Freedom Foundation, which assists survivors of modern slavery, including victims of sexual and other coerced labor trafficking such as child soldiers, by identifying and bridging the gaps in services and information available to them in corporate and community programs. Cassandra’s chapter, ‘Slavery Is… -
Trafficking? Not in my town…Yes, in every town!
16 Nov 2009 | 7:21 pmMany of you may have heard on the news about a missing five-year-old Shaniya Davis from Fayetteville, North Carolina, which first broke news this week as news of her disappearance led authorities into a desperate search for her safe return. The young girl was reportedly taken from the mobile-home of her mother while on a visit, the child lived with her father, Bradley Lockhart, who had full custody of the the child. The story soon took a shocking turn as video was captured of the young girl being carried into a hotel room by a man. Soon the darker reality of the case began to emerge, and… -
Making Education on Breastfeeding an Essential Part of Emergency Assistance
14 Nov 2009 | 11:07 pmPhoto: UNICEF A series of natural disasters has his Asia in recent months leading to increased concern for child malnutrition, as food security rises. There is no question that optimal infant and young child feeding is essential for optimal growth and development. Optimal feeding includes; breastfeeding exclusively for six months, and providing appropriate complementary foods with continued breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond. However in times of natural disasters, conflict and displacement this is often overlooked. Often breastfeeding and child health is impeded during…
