This is the companion blog to “The Rough Guide to Blogging,” available now (Fall 2006).
The nominations for the 2007 Bloggies, the Academy Awards of the blogosphere, have been unveiled! This is the seventh year the Bloggies will be handing out cash prizes (sometimes up to $25 or more) and bestowing recognition upon the worthy. This is a great place to find blogs that have already been reader-tested and fan-approved. Go there to vote for the coveted “Weblog of the Year” and make your voice heard.
Only you can prevent forest fires!
I have this problem: I know how to use words in context but I can’t define them. Yes, that leaves me bad at Balderdash but good at Scrabble. Because of this weakness, I’m always looking up the exact meaning of words so that I don’t sound (more) stupid when I’m asked exactly what something means. For example, define “ironic.” Can’t do it right?
I have a whole blog (written with a co-author) dedicated to the task of learning, and defining, curious and interesting words — Define Irony. It’s amazing how often previously unfamiliar words pop up in your normal every day life once you’re aware of them.
Here’s a list of words and phrases that students of English should know. Know’em all? Suuuure…….
Here are 1065 useful words and phrases in modern American business English. Clicking on the highlighted words in the text will display their definition in this window. These words have been chosen with two classes of students in mind: (1) those wishing to improve their SAT verbal score, and (2) adult students of English as a second language, who would prefer a serious and classic text and convenient definitions. Studying the words in context, and examining the brief definitions and examples provided in this list, will add significantly to the student’s real understanding of proper usage.
-e-classics.com-
Genghis Mendoza has chosen to use his blog to share his experiences being a caregiver for his father, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimers when he was only 55. The blog serves not only as a repository for Mendoza’s memories and experiences but also provides him with an outlet for the days when things just don’t make sense.
Don is a nonagenarian (90+) blogger who is sharing with us his musings on life — and death — in Don To Earth.
My friend Eric Galvez has started a blog — and published a book — about his experience undergoing surgery for removal of a brain tumor. As a physical therapist, he has a unique view of the experience and is well on his way to full recovery. His energy, passion, and fight for life will impress and overwhelm you and the soundtrack to his book will pump you up, guaranteed!
Need a mobile To-Do list but never carry sticky pads (or your brain) with you? Web Worker Daily has a suggestion to use your blog as a To-Do list! I’m personally in love with lists and also in love with blogs so this seems like the perfect way to stay faux-organized. You could even dig through the archives to figure out what you haven’t been doing each day and laugh, or cry, about it retroactively.
Sounds fun right?
This is just fabulous: Running from Camera.
Muggezifter puts his camera on self-timer for two seconds, pushes the button, and then tries to run as far away from his camera as possible before it goes off. He blogs the results for our enjoyment. It’s strangely compelling isn’t it?
I wonder if he’ll be able to increase his distance eventually, that would be exciting.
I’m going to be giving an Introduction to Blogging Workshop next week in the Bay Area. Bring your laptops, bring your cookies (for me, I’m like Santa but hungrier, yet leaner), and get ready to set up a blog or to enhance your current one. C’mon down! Feel free to email me if you have any questions; or need a ride.
Introduction to Blogging, Interactive Workshop
Wednesday, January 17, 2007 — 7 pm
Los Altos Library (a Santa Clara County Library)
13 S. San Antonio Rd.
Los Altos, CA 94022
Directions
While this isn’t exactly blog related, it’s just too beautiful to not share: The Apple iPhone. Wow. I’m a gadget freak myself but this tops everything I’ve ever seen. Forget hoverboards and cybernetics (for now), this’ll even quicken the heart rate of any technophile. If you weren’t able to attend the Macworld 2007 meeting — where Steve Jobs likes to announce lust inducing items such as the iPod and various upgrades to iProducts — you can follow along on blogs such as Engadget. It’s almost as good as being there!
I’ve noticed, as I read though my daily lineup of blogs, that many people had New Year’s resolutions related to their blogs. Of course, this may be a biased sample since these people are clearly blogging about their resolutions already, so clearly, they’ve got blogs on the mind. Most people are saying that they want to blog more. A few burnt out (fanatical) bloggers say that they want to blog less. It’s quite possible to spend three hours a day surfing from blog to blog. Trust me, it’s addicting. Maybe not quite as addicting as MySpace or Wikipedia, but the sheer number of blogs (all inter-linked in some way or another) makes it a virtual panacea for boredom.
Some other blog related New Year’s resolutions you could make:
(1) Re-design your blog. Nothing is more boring than staring at the same old thing day after day — but don’t tell your significant other that. Muddle around with some simple HTML, pop in a picture or two, switch up your sidebars and clean up and re-organize your blogroll. Change that template!
(2) Commit to putting up a picture per post. Words are nice and all, but sometimes the combination of a picture plus a written post can make your entry stand out. Even better if those photos are taken by you. All those megapixels on your new Christmas present has to be used somehow right?
(3) Make five new blog friends. Reach out to a blogger that you’ve always admired (stalked) and link to them or write an entire post dedicated to why you like their blog so much. Maybe say “Hi” and send them an email. You gotta be friendly to make friends; and blog life is nothing without friends. You can even nominate your favorite blogs for the 2007 Bloggies!
(4) Try out Google Adsense or some other revenue generator on your site. Why not? See if you can turn your hits into your daily cup of coffee. Become a “part-time professional blogger” and see how your social cachet rises. I’d bet you become a big hit at parties once people realize that you make “an undisclosed amount” from your “internet venture.”
(5) Blog more. A daily dose of blogging, eight cups of water, the proper diet, and returning your voice mails and emails in a timely manner (so you can have an offline life) will result in you becoming healthy, wealthy, and wise.
