I'm not a diet bread person. I love bread. My death-row meal would be real French bread with unsalted butter. (Which is just one reason never to get on death row because you know they'd buy Italian bread or Cuban loaf or some other squishy crud and screw the whole thing up.)
Anyhoo... it's not often I'll buy into a bread product that seems like less than bread should be.
But you know how sometimes you need just enough bread to contain your delectable sandwich fixin's?
Ta-da! Oroweat Sandwich Thins.
They're 4-5 inches across, and maybe 1/2 inch thick. We use the multi-grain variety, which are super-tasty. Plus, I don't know how they do it, but when you toast them, they're still soft in the middle -- you have all this toasty-bread texture goodness, and the middle 1/10 inch is still chewy. Crazy.
More reasons to love them:
* 5g fiber per bun (2 thins)
* 100 calories per bun (our normal bread costs 200 calories per sandwich)
* Oroweat's parent company is called Bimbo
Try to ignore the gratuitous invention of the "words" thindulge and thinnovation on the product website (arrgghh! I just added them to Google search results!), and give these babies a shot.
I should say I first saw these on Krissy's blog, so I thought they were a New York deli thing. Then Dave came home with a pack, so it turns out they're everywhere.
So, what was on the last sandwich you ate? Did you make it yourself? Was it on Italian bread or Cuban loaf? (Answer carefully!)
[image via Bimbo Bakeries]
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Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sandwich Thins. Pretty Awesome Stuff.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Banned Books Week
This graphic says it, so I won't ramble.
Let's read the books we want to read because we can.
Let's keep books -- all books -- available for other people to read.
Let's allow individual parents to decide what books are appropriate for their own child's intellectual and emotional readiness.
Let's read, and share books with each other, every week.
[image via American Library Association]
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Monday, September 28, 2009
Writing Tool: Wordle
I wrote about Wordle last year, but didn't explain why I use it.
What I said then:
Wordle takes a block of text and gives you a cloud of words. The size of a word in the cloud corresponds with how often that word appears in the text.
As you can imagine, Wordle is a great visual tool to discover overused words in your work.
Here's the word cloud I made last year for JACK...
(link)I made it right before I sent the second full draft to beta readers -- about 3 months before querying the manuscript. Overall, I was happy with how my words ranked -- not many weak words, and said was my most-used dialogue attribution (which is great because readers tend to skim over it).
Here's the Wordle for the first nine chapters of my current revision...
(link)Thoughts:
* Said is nowhere to be found. I definitely used it -- a lot -- but it didn't seem to pick up. (Can you spot it? Am I missing it?)
* Peter is much more prominent, befitting his more forward POV. Jacob is also larger, and so is his story role.
* Jack refers to Bert as Willoughby, so that change shows.
* Stump is smaller than the other two POV characters (which is funny because she's physically smaller, too), but the name will get bigger as the revision is completed. Henry is now known as Goodfellow or Principal Goodfellow, so Henry is noticeably absent.
* Three new character names have popped up already: Tom, Francine, and George.
* Weak words have crept in. Like is bigger than I want it to be; so are back, around, and just.
* I want to use looked less.
Have a project? Make a Wordle and share your link in the comments. What did you learn from the exercise? How else do/could you use Wordle as a writing tool?
[images via Wordle]
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Thursday, September 24, 2009
Jungle Book: On The Road!
Check out photos of this morning's debut performance in Houston.
A teaser...
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Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Nearing a Milestone: Dave, the Incredible Shrinking Man
A while back, I posted about immeasurable goals and why they're important to me.
Well, screw that post, 'cause today I'm giving a short, loud shout to Dave on one of his measurable goals: weight.
Last November, he weighed 315 pounds.
This morning, he weighed 251 pounds.
He's lost 20% of his body weight (and 56% of his long-term goal loss)!
*WOOT*
His long-term goal is to lose an additional 51 pounds to weigh in at 200.
But! His next short-term goal is to hit 250.
He's doing it right, by developing good eating habits and exercising. I'm super-proud and want to give him props here. I thought that you guys who know him in real life would want to give him a shout, too. (Heck, even if you only know of him through the blog, and want to shout, go for it.)
How about you? Have you been working toward a fitness goal? How's your progress? Want to celebrate crossing a milestone? Crow about it in the comments!
[image via Encyclopaedia Britannica]
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Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Lost Symbol: Two-Thirds Will Ignore It
That's the gist of last week's poll results.
The question was: How will you greet Dan Brown's new novel, THE LOST SYMBOL?
Full results:
I'll ignore it . . . 8 votes (66%)
I'll buy the ebook . . . 2 votes (16%)
I'll buy the hardcover . . . 1 vote (8%)
I'll check it out from the library . . . 1 vote (8%)
I'll wait for the paperback . . . 0 votes (0%)
Who Brown's what now? . . . 0 votes (0%)
...
So at least everyone knows who Dan Brown is. Yay?
According to a report I'm too lazy to look up right now, the book has sold 2 million copies in its first week. One was to me, in ebook form, and I'm maybe 10% of the way through it. I can see how Brown leads readers from one chapter to the next. The mystery of the SYMBOL hasn't really begun yet.
Anybody else reading it?
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Monday, September 21, 2009
Let's Be Honest
Since I began writing fiction, I've heard some version of this, over and over:
"If I couldn't write, I'D DIE."
Well.
Okay, maybe some evil genius has wired you to your laptop, and if you don't generate at least 1,000 words an hour, you and your laptop are toast.
Maybe. Also, you should have seen that coming.
Otherwise, let's be honest: none of us would die if we couldn't write -- or act, or sing, or dance, or paint, or make dream-catchers out of pipe-cleaners.
That's right, I said it: pipe-cleaner dream-catchers.
But seriously, if I stopped writing right now, I would live. I'd miss writing, to be sure, but my heart would keep beating, and my head would remain intact.
Why does this particular ultimatum chap? Maybe I have a different perspective because I'm relatively new to writing. Maybe I enjoy my non-writing life more than other writers. Maybe it's my aversion to hysterical dramatics.
At any rate, I can say with certainty I've never heard a grant writer say she'd die if she couldn't write another grant proposal. :)
Anybody else get a laugh at some over-the-top writerly claims?
[image via Tombstone Builder]
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Sunday, September 20, 2009
Oh, Right -- I Have Pix on My Phone
Rediscovered this shot of Ladybug on the cell this morning. Happy Sunday, all!
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Friday, September 18, 2009
On Tour: The Jungle Book
Okay, it's a little cheeky to make this my travel post, but I'm going to anyway. :)
Dave has co-produced a national tour of The Jungle Book with Magik. He wrote the script and co-wrote song lyrics, designed the set and directed its build, contracted with a booking agent, and directed the show. It previews for Magik's newly-renewed season passholders this coming Sunday, then opens in Houston next week, making a BIG loop around the U.S. over the next 8 weeks.
It's a great show -- very true to the Kipling stories. If it's coming near you, I recommend it highly. (Yes, I'm biased!)
You can follow the Jungle Book tour on its blog, and see it in person. Here are dates, cities, and venues...
September
24 - 25: Houston, TX
Wortham Theater Center / Cullen Theater
29 - 30: Cheverly, MD
Publick Playhouse
October
5: Alto, NM
Spencer Theater
7: Junction City, KS
C L Hoover Opera House
10: Muskego, WI
Muskego High School
11 - 12: Hartford, WI
Schauer Arts & Activities Center
16: Sugar Loaf, NY
Lycian Centre
17: Brentwood, NY
Van Nostrand Theatre
18 - 19: Manasquan, NJ
Algonquin Arts Theatre
20: Bronx, NY
(venue TBA)
24: Detroit Lakes, MN
Historic Holmes Theatre
27: Helena, MT
Helena Middle School
28: Billings, MT
Alberta Bair Theater
29: Idaho Falls, ID
Colonial Theater
November
1: La Mirada, CA
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
4: Brawley, CA
Palmer Performing Arts Center
5: Lancaster, CA
Lancaster Performing Arts Center
7: Glendora, CA
Haugh Performing Arts Center
12 - 13: Columbus, GA
River Center for the Performing Arts
17: Waterville, ME
(venue TBA)
20: Union, NJ
Kean University, Wilkins Theatre
22: Owings Mills, MD
Gordon Center for Performing Arts
[image via The Magik Theatre]
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Thursday, September 17, 2009
Thanks, Pie Eaters!
It's high time I recognized the folks who have chosen to follow this blog publicly (see right sidebar).
Brave souls, all.
Or just bored. But still! I appreciate your interest and your feedback. Your smiling faces (or faceless grey heads) greet me every day, and I'm glad to embarrass myself for your reading pleasure.
So, here are the Pie Eaters (in alpha order by username) and their blogs (when applicable):
beth - Writing It Out
BettyBetty* - Itchy Bits
Cynthia - Coffee Coloured World
Jaime Ramirez - Chronicles of Carnia
Jenn - Jennerosity Land
Karen - 17 Kinds of Bored
Krissy - Single Serving
NerdSnark - Crash and Burn
Rabid Fox - Wag the Fox
Robin - Robin Mellom
Sam Rothrock - Sam's Blog
snation00
Teri K - A Book With A View
tobiasberenson - Code and Whatnot
Tori - California's been good to me...
Tracita - Tracita's Tavern
*Special thanks to BettyBetty - she's read Daily Pie since 2005! [ETA: And she isn't even my mom!]
Thanks also to David Trumbore, Engrid, Jackie Brown, Jenny Gardner, Nina Luneta, Stephanie, T. Anne, and teatotaler -- Blogger couldn't find a profile for you, but shouts out to you anyway.
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Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Training Plan
That's the 9-week training plan I put together for our half-marathon. I drew on several sources (including Runner's World, Hal Higdon, and Two Gomers), simplifying for our needs and goals.
# = length of run in miles
rest / x = rest or cross-train
: ) = post-race massages!
Are you training for an event? If so, are you following a plan? What resources do you use for training plans?
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Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Poll: THE LOST SYMBOL
Check it out, all pretty in the upper right sidebar.
Vote away! Expound in the comments, if you want.
Full disclosure: I bought the ebook from Fictionwise this afternoon (eReader format). Basically, I want to be in the know regarding this particular pop culture moment, but prefer to use less paper doing so.
(says the one who can't wait for the ebook to buy HUNGER GAMES)
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Monday, September 14, 2009
Weekend Progress
Just a shorty tonight to document this weekend's revision work.
First, I revised the end of my prologue so it concludes with a more powerful image.
Then I rewrote the first chapter. Some changes:
*moved time frame from after school to before
*introduced two characters to set up main character's antagonism with other kids
*added details about the search for main character's missing father
*introduced an adult character's fragile mental state
*brought in a supernatural (fantasy) element up front
And now, at the end of an awesome weekend of writing, my brain is mush.
By the way, have I mentioned how awesome Dave is? Well, he is, for many reasons. But the most recent reason is he's supporting my move to a 4-day workweek so I can have a 3-day block each week dedicated to writing. Starting October 3rd, I'll spend Saturday through Monday rockin' out my book.
Also, he's sending out his Jungle Book baby soon! I'll post cities and dates for that this week...
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Saturday, September 12, 2009
New Nephew = Mr. Grainger!
It's official: my sister-in-law Kristi gave (re)birth to Arthur Brough. Here's Dwayne explaining to Ladybug how her little brother is actually aging backward from a tiny old man. Hey, someone should write a short story about that, then make it into a movie...
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Simple(r)
It's been about 2-1/2 months since I made a blog schedule designed to get Daily Pie back to daily posting. Then, about a month ago I reviewed the numbers so far.
Today, I'm taking what I've learned and simplifying Daily Pie by doing a bit of stripping away, consolidation, and rearranging.
The consolidation: I've created a topic (and tag) for Media, to include movies, radio, music, video, social media, and podcasts. (Books will still have their own day because, you know, they're books.)
The stripping away: Weekends will no longer be part of my blogging schedule -- if I post, it'll be something spontaneous and, I hope, fun for you to read. This means the end of regular simplicity posts, which, frankly, I found difficult to write without sounding preachy. If any other simplicity ideas come up, I'll post them at random.
Also, you may have noticed I tinkered with the blog design recently. Basically, I got rid of some dot graphics that felt like clutter and de-emphasized the background pattern to ease reading (I can still see the pattern when using Chrome, but can't when using Internet Explorer).
The rearranging: Books move to Tuesday, Media to Thursday. New schedule's in the upper left sidebar.
Have you guys gone through similar processes with your blogs? Have you achieved the balance you want between blogging and the rest of your lives?
[image via Simple Productivity Blog]
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Thursday, September 10, 2009
Rating Children's Books for Content
Nathan Bransford polled readers yesterday about this topic, which was raised before then in another post's comments and during a #kidlitchat on Twitter.
The question: should children's books be rated for content, as are movies and video games for children? Bransford also asked if publishers should rate their books voluntarily.
I can see the logic of a YES response to the main question. Books are media, just as movies and video games are media. If a parent won't let their kid watch a movie with F-bombs in it, they probably don't want their kid reading a book that drops F-bombs. In this light, I'm surprised books aren't yet independently rated.
To the second question, I say, NO, because publishers should not rate their own books. Movies are rated by the Classification and Rating Administration, which is an independent board of parents who view films and discuss their recommended ratings. They do this using a ratings framework operated by the Motion Picture Association of America and the National Association of Theater Owners. In other words, movie studios don't get to rate their movies -- they couldn't possibly be objective when money is on the line -- so neither should publishers.
But back to the main question...
Should children's books be rated for content?
Do you consider them already rated (picture book, middle grade, young adult)?
If not, why do you think books have thus far escaped independent content rating?
Would rating kids' books change the role or day-to-day job of librarians and booksellers (would they become book police, checking ID, etc)?
What percentage of Newbery Medal books would have a G rating?
Would mature-rated books be ostracized (as many NC-17 rated movies are) or wildly sought?
Does the absence of independent rating suggest the written word is less powerful than audio/visual media?
Would you be satisfied with a ratings board that comprised only parents?
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Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Lone Wolf or Pack Runner?
Man, do you get some cheesy wolf art when you Google wolf running. (Also, one gnarly photo of a dog with an ear bloody and mangled [presumably by a wolf?])
Anyhoo, whether you run or not, I'm curious: do you exercise by yourself, in a pair, or with a group? If you prefer a group, but exercise alone, why is it?
If you prefer an exercise partner, what do you look for? Someone at your fitness level? A cheerleader (not literally, but OK, why not)? Someone with a personality similar to yours? Would you exercise with your best friend, or would you prefer someone more coach-like?
Dave's discovered he pushes himself more when he runs alone. He also said he's better able to focus on his form. When we ran Sunday, I picked up my pace a bit, so we were about 1/4 mile apart on a loop path. It was nice because we could still see each other (late night in a park, so safety is a consideration), but we could each "be in our own workout," as Dave puts it.
Last night, I ran alone at a nearby university. It was good, for all the reasons Dave's stated, but I did find myself watching the shrubbery for grabbers. :) Not running at night (likely) would solve that issue, but I'm getting my runs in when I can. I'm not sure if I prefer running alone to running with a partner. I've never run with a group before, but I imagine they tend to devolve into twos and threes anyway.
Thoughts?
[image via GatoDeRusia]
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Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Happy First Day, Jelly Bean
Confession: I got so excited earlier today -- WHEN YOU WERE BORN!!! -- that I posted your real name here.
Oops!
Love you heaps, baby nephew. Can't wait to meet you.
(Congrats to my brother and sister-in-law on their new son, and to my niece Ladybug on her new brother.)
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Social Media: Fad, Revolution, or Something Else?
Intriguing stats (available at Socialnomics). What do you think?
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Monday, September 7, 2009
Once Upon a Time...
A post about narration.
Just to get everyone on the same page...
First person narration uses I and we, and comes from a character we presume is involved in the story. (Think: The Lovely Bones)
Second person speaks directly to the reader, making you part of the story: You turn the corner and face two doors. You consider them both, one bright red, one with chipped blue paint. (Think: Choose Your Own Adventure stories)
Third person uses he, she, and they. The narrative voice here can be distant and omniscient: Little did John know, there was a storm barreling toward his tiny boat. (Think: most fairy tales) It may also be limited, giving the reader only what the main character can perceive. (Think: many mysteries)
The narrative voice I've been using for Briar-Bound is a very tight 3rd-person perspective. In any given scene, the reader has gotten only the information available to that scene's POV character. I even changed the narrative language from chapter to chapter to reflect each POV character: the narration in Stump's chapters is blunt and dark, Jack's have more sarcasm and skepticism, and Peter's have a 6-year-old's innate ADD-ness to them.
The result is a 3rd-person narration that might as well be 1st-person.
This is something I discussed at length with Super Agent Chris last week. I like the narrative voice used for fairy tales, and since my book involves known tales, I want the narration to be appropriately fairy tale-ish. So why wasn't I using it? One reason: I wanted the chapter POVs to be distinct, for the language to create an environment that subconsciously connects the reader to each character. Another reason: 3rd person makes it very easy to tell and not show, and that's a no-no: The bear died. This made Jane very sad.
But when Chris pushed to know why I wasn't taking full advantage of the potential of a 3rd-person narration, I admitted to not wanting to annoy readers with a Listen-up-I'm-telling-you-story-and-don't-you-forget-it voice. I had big trouble reading the first Lemony Snicket book because the narrative voice constantly reminded me I was being told a story. It made me feel trapped, talked down to, and distracted with unwanted information.
None of which I want my readers to feel. Chris pointed out, however, that the Snicket books are an extreme example of narration -- that I can reach for a middle ground that takes advantage of the tools of 3rd person without walking beside the reader, tapping him on the shoulder every few steps, saying, "Hey... Hey... Hey... Guess what happens next!"
So this is one of my challenges in this revision. Fortunately, it's one I relish. On one hand, having some consistency in the narrative voice will turn chapters into a cohesive whole. On the other, finding ways to tailor that voice to each POV character without drowning the reader in atmosphere will only make the book stronger. My biggest obstacle will be getting over the feeling that giving the reader extra information (info the characters don't have) is cheating. It isn't for an omniscient narrator.
Or, as in Briar-Bound, for a narrator telling the story with the benefit of hindsight. So, a declaration: I hereby give myself permission to fully use 3rd person, and promise to wield my power for good.
How do feel about narrative voice? Do you enjoy certain types over others? Do you avoid books written from one of the three perspectives? If you're a writer, do you have a preference in narrative voice for your own stories, or does it depend on the story (if so, what are your rules?)?
[image via I Am Simon]
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Saturday, September 5, 2009
Podcast: Andrew Skurka's Great Western Loop
Every so often, I get a hankerin' for long-distance travel. (For Dave and I, that hankerin' is currently building up; it'll manifest sometime in the next year, I think.) Between long trips, I torture entertain myself by reading and listening to accounts of other people's adventures. That's what I was doing last summer when I listened to Andrew Skurka's podcast of the route he invented (!), the Great Western Loop.
Okay, he didn't invent the trails, but he pieced together several separate trails to form a big loop around the western U.S. Doesn't it look AMAZING in that map?
(Here's the other time I blogged about its amazingness.)
Skurka is in a class of trekkers called fastpackers because he keeps his pack weight so low he can routinely hike 30-45 miles a day. That was one of his strategies to complete the GWL in 7 months (many people take that long to complete just one of the north-south routes he used). While speed was a consideration, completion was the goal. And probably the distinction of being the first to do the GWL -- three years before, he became the first to complete the transcontinental Sea-To-Sea route from Quebec to Washington state. As you can see in his sidebar, he enjoys several sponsorships, including GoLite and Backpacking Light magazine, both of whom he's worked for.
Skurka's GWL podcasts are hosted at Backpacking Light. They include mostly audio episodes, with a few video eps. The same BL page also has a few interviews with Skurka about his trek plan, his gear, and his philosophy. I enjoyed listening to them all for the vicarious experience, or course. But they also inspire me to keep my lifestyle and physical being light and uncomplicated, so that when opportunities for adventure arise, I can accept them.
[image via Andrew Skurka]
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The Semi-Annual Purge Cometh
Every six months or so, Dave and I go through our things and give away what we no longer need or want. We used to hold a Crapaganza, wherein we'd put our unwanted things on the deck and our friends would come over and take what they wanted. Not sure we'll do that this time around -- our peeps probably have enough stuff. We're thinking this year's haul will go to Boysville.
At any rate, I like to do this purge at the end of the warm seasons and again when the cold seasons wind down. That makes it easier to evaluate seasonal things. For example, at the end of summer, I go through my warm weather clothes. If there's anything I didn't wear in the past six months, I donate it. Same goes with outdoor stuff -- camping equipment, lawn games, water toys, etc. At the end of winter, I donate any cold weather clothes we didn't wear, as well as any Christmas decorations we didn't use.
There are always exceptions...
Special occasion clothes aren't necessarily seasonal, so they tend to remain for years, getting donated only when they no longer fit our taste. Some years, we've traveled over the winter, so our Christmas stuff never got put up. And we purge our backpacking equipment after long trips, when it's still fresh in our minds which bits were useful and which weren't (a lot of times this purge takes place mid-trip).
We've managed to whittle our stuff down every year, so our house is fairly tidy now. Plus, we're both getting fitter, so ditching our chubby clothes is easy (and rewarding). The challenge this year will be the garage, where we have several storage tubs to go through. I predict a pillage of epic proportions.
And big smiles and cold beers when we finish.
Do you periodically purge your things? What are your rules for what stays and what goes? How often do you do this?
[image via Montgomery County, PA]
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Friday, September 4, 2009
Traveling in my mind, man.
Some of my favorite destinations ever have been cool and cloudy, with precipitation that veers between fog and drizzle.
Can't explain it (I'm holding out for inherited/ancestral memory), but I loved those places.
Among them was the coast of Bretagne...
I'm not going anywhere for Labor Day weekend, but since it's supposed to be cooler and rainy here, I'm gonna hole up with my revisions, hot tea, some good cheese, and a bit of crusty bread, and pretend I'm back in mist-cloaked Europe.
Are you guys headed anywhere this weekend?
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Thursday, September 3, 2009
Are You a Social Reader?
On Tuesday, I flippantly said I'd dumped LibraryThing for GoodReads.
This incurred some friendly wrath from two librarian acquaintances on Facebook who dig LibraryThing. That's cool! They have good reason: besides an approachable site staff and informative newsletter, LibraryThing offers free books for early reviewers.
I already knew why I left LT for GR: GR is much slicker. It seems to be better monitored as well (when I type stephen king into the search box, GR gives me two author listings; LT gives me 159).
But it occurs to me there are two distinct types of users on either site (or others, like Shelfari): those who want to keep track of what they've read and want to read, and those who want to share what they've read and want to read.
I'm mostly the former: my GoodReads is where I go when I find a new title, or remember a book I read in the early 90s, or finish reading a book.
I haven't used the social aspects of GR much, though. I don't think I've ever written a review (and doubt I will); instead, I use the star-based rating system. Three stars...click...move on to the next book. I've been part of two book clubs there, but neither has been active for several months. I rarely read others' reviews of books (though I sometimes glance at their star ratings). I've never swapped books with other users.
And yet these are exactly the features that thousands of other users most value at GR.
So I ask...
Do you consider yourself a social reader?
In other words, is sharing book experiences with others a large part of your reading experience -- through book clubs, blogs, book-related social media sites like GR or LT, the #amreading hashtag on Twitter, public readings, etc? If so, why is that shared experience important to you?
Do you think we're hard-wired to find common ground?
[image via Shutterbug Mama]
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Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Let's Drain the Swamp
Remember when I told you about Matt Myklusch's debut book, Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation? Well, the main character lives in an orphanage built on a swamp. Every year, the building sinks a bit, and the people who run the orphanage address the problem by continually adding new top floors.
Fantastic world-building.
Sucky orphanage-building.
It's also a faulty approach healthcare reform. A lot of people are getting their knickers in a twist about facts and nonfacts regarding proposed reform legislation, with the two main factions becoming increasingly strident. But for all the hullabaloo, both sides are really just arguing about how to build that new top floor on the sinking orphanage.
Nobody wants to deal with the root cause: the swampy foundation.
To my mind, that unstable muck is our national fitness level. How many maladies clogging doctor's offices can be prevented? A heck of a lot.
Let's consider it. The vast majority of us who are overweight don't have to be. We don't have to be addicted or habituated to nicotine, alcohol, and other nonessential substances. We don't have to let the sun damage our skin. We don't have to limit our diet to processed foods. We don't have to eat more calories than we need in a given day. We do these things to ourselves.
Our foundation is swampy, folks. We're up to our rocks in poor decisions. But the great thing about decision opportunities is that they inherently offer choices.
We have choices.
So let's drain the swamp.
Instead of the current name-calling over minute (and sometimes nonexistent) legislative proposal details, you know what I'd like to see?
A comprehensive, years-long national campaign for increasing fitness, health, and wellbeing.
A plan that's attractive enough to get us involved, and effective enough to keep us involved. A way for more of us to discover how much better life is when our bodies can do what they're set up to do: walk, run, jump, climb, crawl, twist, bend, and lift.
A campaign like this won't solve everything. People still have accidents and develop cancer and get old. But getting more fit as a nation will make a lot of current health cost issues moot.
Doing so is one of our choices.
Let's put down those top floor plans and start laying pipe.
[image via Geekologie]
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Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Snip, Snip
One day, in a fit of irrational social media exuberance, I created profiles at Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Plaxo, orkut, and LibraryThing.
What brought on the flurry? A cross between "I need to build my platform" and "Let's see what works."
Some time ago, I left Plaxo and orkut -- two big cases of nothing happening.
Then I ditched frumpy LibraryThing for the prettier GoodReads. Shallow? Maybe.
Earlier this year, I discovered Twitter and signed up. Before Ashton Kutcher told all the cougars about it. I was at least that much ahead of the curve.
In an ongoing evaluation of tool usefulness, today -- just now -- I canceled MySpace and LinkedIn.
Reasons?
MySpace is a good tool for musicians, but clunky for blogging because of its weird, jealous software. Status updates I created outside MySpace (as through ping.fm) rarely made it onto my MySpace profile. Boooo.
As for LinkedIn, I think it must be great for corporate networking, job-seeking, and reference gathering, but all of those things are more briefcase than my career requires.
So now I have this blog, Twitter, GoodReads, and Facebook.
Daily Pie lets me to explore a lot of different things (hi, lifetime M.O.!).
Twitter is a tool for immediacy, finding cool articles through recs from others, and making casual conversation with, well, everyone.
GoodReads is just a great way to keep track of what I've read and want to read.
Facebook. I rarely check in with Facebook, but that's obvious to anyone who's friended me there. I don't use the quizzes, I don't play the games, and I ignore randomly gifted swords-o'-wounding. I use the site mostly to keep up with extended family and high school acquaintances, most of whom don't tweet or blog (or aren't tweeting or blogging things I'm interested in). If Briar-Bound were already sold, I'd create a page for it. I'm not convinced Facebook is an effective marketing tool, and probably less so if I baldly admit to using it as a marketing tool.
OK, and as I write this, I got an invitation for something called DesktopDating. And from someone I didn't know was single. Maybe he's not. Hmmm. Sorry, dude, I'm not a swinger. A sad day for nerdflakes around the globe, I'm sure. :D
And so the social media (mis)adventure continues. There's definitely something out there for everyone. The key is finding out what works for you, and tossing what doesn't.
Which social media outlets do you use? Do you use them for different purposes. Are your connections through A discrete from those you've made through B? How has your use of social media evolved?
[image via Wikimedia Commons]
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