Sublimation

On the Billy Collins trail, I find this opening statement:

My about statement was here just a second ago. I don’t know where it could have wandered off to. It’s too big to hide under my header. I’m pretty sure it’s not curled up taking a nap somewhere in the archives.

No worries. I’m sure it will turn up.

Let’s just keep our eyes peeled, shall we?

For now let’s just say I’ve written lots of poems. Though publishing isn’t my focus, I have managed to publish some of them — a couple in fancy cool places but most in regional journals you wouldn’t have heard of. I’ve published less than some of you and more than some of you, neither of which matters.

I am going to start working on a big fat graduate degree in poetry this summer. Will it make my writing better? That remains to be seen. Does my pedigree really matter? Not really. Because it’s the writing that counts. It all comes back to that, doesn’t it.

Let’s also touch on this: Why I am not more serious here. Why I don’t have a buttoned up, straight-laced blog polished to a high sheen that illustrates what a level-headed and well-versed (pun intended) poet I am. The answer is simple: I don’t want a blog like that.

And her attempt at a paradelle

So go read more at Sublimation

part Life Coach, part Death Coach

Hiya.

Welcome to the ever-evolving world of Laura Young.

I'm part Life Coach, part Death coach. After all, you ARE going to die someday and that DOES have implications for how you are living today, even if you don't like to think about stuff like that. You'll find pretty quickly here that I'm not afraid to call it like I see it because I think an awful lot of people are just dinking around with their lives and need to take a good hard look in the mirror once in a while. One of my clients recently described me as "brutally compassionate". Hey, we're all human, just don't let that be an excuse for not giving your best to this life you've been given.

Be forewarned: Hanging out at this blog is not always for the faint of heart. I like to get in to the big questions of life and I'm here to tell you that there aren't Ten EASY Steps to ANYTHING! Life is about the lessons. Learn as much as you can and put it to good use. Of course, that means sometimes you have to be willing to walk right into the dragon's lair so you can see what you are really made of. You just might surprise yourself. Don't worry, if you need someone to watch your back, I'm right here.

I stand, strongly and unflinchingly, for integrity and love. Not woo woo fluffy girly love. I care, deeply, that you get out of life what you came here for. I care, even more, that you give something real of yourself back to us along the way.

Now, let's go have some fun...

This site was found on the "Billy Collins trail"!

wanabehuman

From the About page at Wanabehuman

"Ideas..." wrote John Maynard Keynes, "when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood...Practical men, who believe themselves...exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist...The power of vested interests is vastly exaggerated compared with the gradual encroachment of ideas."

Blogging since 22 June 2005. We believe every citizen can be a journalist. Wanabehuman is a UK-based weblog founded on the principles of participatory or citizen journalism. We provide a small democratic journalistic forum and provide the tools for our contributors to become good writers and journalists.

We offer direct help from professional editors with style, grammar, structure and more. We’re different from ordinary bloggers because we do not publish all submissions to Wanabehuman. We try to check all articles that are submitted to us, and go through them against our editorial guidelines and standards to ensure accuracy, integrity, truthfulness, balance, diversity of opinion and much more.

This way we can ensure that the competition for the headlines is based purely on the writers’ wit, imagination and journalistic integrity, and not by agenda-setting corporations.

If you are a budding student journalist, or wannabe writer, or even a professional journalist, or just want to try out something a little different, then Wanabehuman can provide an excellent platform for you free thinkers around the world.

We believe that virtue is knowledge.

Go feast your mind upon wanabehuman

Mavericks at Work

On the efficiency trail this week...

Okay, I'm stretching it a bit. But when I give you eight sites for one yesterday, and today: a book, a blog and a downloadable manifesto... well come on now, isn't that being efficient?

Today, it is Mavericks at Work

You can find their web site here

Order their book here

Download their manifesto here

and find their blog here

Tomorrow?
That is another day... who knows?


Enjoy today! Carpe diem!

Frugal Village

It is fitting that as I introduce you to Frugal Village, you get not one, not two, not three, but EIGHT sites from which to chose:

• BudgetChristmas.com
• FrugalVillage.com
• FrugalVillage.net
• GamesGirlsPlay.com
• HomeBeautyRecipes.com
• Homekeeping101.com
• HomesteadGarden.com
• VillageBlogger.com
• WeightLossMoms.com

Now, is that frugal or what? Check in with Sara Noel and see what she is doing with ME TIME Media.

Enjoy!

I Miss Fafblog Spot

Remember when Fafnir wrote this? "This is a good blog. This is the best blog. It is about god and the universe and those horrible screaming monkeys and that time I made a pizza out of an old tire and a can of whip cream. It is the Fafblog." I do too [sniff]. I miss those guys

and then

Missing Fafblog! can be like the solitary life of the Sumatran rhinoceros. I Miss Fafblog, Spot!? A salt lick around which to congregate.

Yes, cruise on by to check out the Missing Fafblog Spot! A riot!

5 for Friday

On the "Billy Collins" trail to find five sites for this Friday.

First stop, Philippines: Flickers of Flight

Second at: My Desultory Musings

Third at: A Delightful Visit

Fourth at: HartfordYorkHats

and finally at: The glamorous (or not) life of a young conductor


and a bonus sherku: spontaneous hitchhikers

Go delight, fly away
No musing, just visit
Keep your hat on, Conductor


What is a sherku?

Doodlebean

Yes, doodles with a purpose!

Colorful, inspiring! Awe inspiring!

Go to Doodlebean now. Do not stop. Do not collect any money along the way.

Go to Doodlebean and feast your eyes!

The Borique Lens

Continuing along the Billy Collins trail, we stop in the suburbs of friendly Philadelphia.

She writes:

Hello from the sunny 'burbs of Phila-del-phia. I've been getting back into the swing of poetry these days after a too long hiatus from composing original work. In 2001, I had the privilege of being invited to a writer's retreat in Washington State and there I finally had the courage to come out as a writer and poet.

Read the full posting here.

A sample of other recent postings:

• A Queen Just Needs a Hero
• What do we want? Free and low-cost Healthcare!
• Latinos Will Not Be Televised...
• Call For Submissions

Check out the Borique Lens!

Daily Dickinson

Along the "Billy Collins" trail, I have come across the Daily Dickinson a few times so I can not leave it unmentioned here.

All things Emily!

From the "About" page we find:

What to expect…

from me

Every day, until I run out of poems, pictures, or patience, I’ll post an Emily Dickinson poem. The text will be from the Project Gutenberg Dickinson, checked against a print copy of the Complete Poems where appropriate. A photograph in that poem’s spirit will come along for the ride.

Some commentary may be included as well, if the poem warrants it. Don’t expect close readings or fanciful deconstructions or elucidations of the signified and the signifier; I’ve lost those brain cells to Guinness and Diafine and XML. I hope to offer thoughts that won’t detract from the poems, that clarify some obscurities (if they need clarification), or that offer a personal reaction.

No, I won’t help you with your term paper.

from you

Visit when you can, enjoy the pictures and the poems, leave a note. If you’re moved to buy a card or a book, then thank you very much! But if not, that’s fine; this sort of project is a cheap enough hobby, and clearly not a revenue stream.

If you like what you see, leave a comment or drop a line. Constructive criticism and hosannas are both gladly accepted here.

Thanks for visiting!

Michael Hartford

Live on Sirius Satellite Radio

Live on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 114 from 8 AM until 9 AM (Eastern time) on Monday July 16th Benjamin Bach, Greg Balanko-Dickson, Phil Gerbyshak, EM Sky and Steve Sherlock will join host Karen Salmansohn on the the Be Happy, Dammit! show for what is sure to be a fast and furious 60 minutes of conversation.

Can't catch it live? Don't worry, check out the Be Happy Dammit archives, especially this great show with Keith Ferrazzi, and soon, you'll see the JJLN show there too!

We'll be talking about all things learning, and no doubt learn a thing or two from Karen! Hope you can hear us soon!

5 for Friday

Cruising the poetry world online, I have five for you this Friday!

The haiku poet

The sundial girl

The newer metaphysicals

Kristine Jackson

Reality writes


Enjoy!

Things That Make You Go Hmm

No, C & C Music Factory hasn't decided to blog. TDavid is actually the author of this fine blog, called Things That Make You Go Hmm, an interesting blog all about technology, music, art, and news reviews. Definitely worth checking out if you're into any of the listed items, as TDavid's reviews are never boring. I particularly enjoy the way he puts himself in the pictures of the products he's reviewing, and his smiling face makes me wonder what's behind that brain of his?

Particularly interesting recently is his video on how to press and grill hamburgers. Ah, just in time for summer!

[Phil Gerbyshak is the author of 10 Ways to Make It Great! and can be found most days writing at Make It Great! He also currently serves as the editor of 100 Bloggers, where he helps connect the unconnected.]

Branding Wire: Provocative Perspectives from a Posse of Pundits

Today's trip along the trail takes us to Branding Wire, where some amazingly smart people talk about branding, something we all do, whether we think about it or not.

The pundit roll includes:

• bizsolutionsplus
• Branding Strategy Insider
• Conversation Agent
• Customers Rock!
• Drew's Marketing Minute
• Marketing Profs:Daily Fix
• Servant of Chaos
• StickyFigure
• Strategic Public Relations
• The Brand Builder
• The Branding Blog
• The Lonely Marketer

The first excellent project was creating a brand strategy for a small coffee shop. I've read it a few times, and it's really smartly done.

In July, the pundits will take on branding a small town. Set your feed reader to Branding Wire today, and never miss another post.

[Phil Gerbyshak is the author of 10 Ways to Make It Great! and can be found most days writing at Make It Great! He also currently serves as the editor of 100 Bloggers, where he helps connect the unconnected.]