Tossing It Out

One Comment and Some Other Comments

2012-02-03T02:00:00.001-08:00

Today I'm going to continue with my quest started a couple weeks ago to examine the comments left on my post Where Am I Now Anyway?. My previous posts about the comment analysis can be found here and here.

But first I have a few bits of A to Z business before I talk about the comment topic.

Kathleen from Living 2012 submitted a video to the A to Z Video contest. If you haven't seen this yet then you should check it out:

Pretty cool video, eh? We're taking video submissions until March 11th so you've got time, but we're also impatient and want to see more now. Send us some videos! Rules for the Video contest can be found on the A to Z Blog.

Did you see the great write-up by Alana at Writercize? You can read it here.

Saturday and Sunday on the A to Z Blog there will be some more helpful information and news about the Challenge happenings. In fact, there is something to see there every day. Please continue to check with that site and if you haven't already, please like us on Facebook and become a follower of the blog.

Have you seen the A to Z Twitter newspaper managed by A to Z Team member Damyanti Biswas? You can find it at The #atozchallenge Daily. It's filled with more interesting news--an ideal introduction to the Challenge so email the link to your friends and post it on your site. In other words, keep spreading the A to Z Challenge news. If you're on Twitter there is an A to Z account: @AprilA2Z and there's the hashtag #atozchallenge. Tweet it everywhere if you would.

And that's about all I can think of for now. Since I had so much A to Z news, let me close out with just one comment with my comment about that comment:

mybabyjohn/Delores said...

Your past is now present in my presence and I will ruminate on your rumblings in my immediate future .. so .. your past will influence my future. If you are still present in the universe, thank you. By the time you read this I will already be IN my future and your present words from the past will be in MY past. My head hurts. Is there a reset button?

January 4, 2012 9:20 AM

Delores is a writer who appears to be in my stylistic camp of literary composition. Look at the alliteration and the poetic use of words such as "ruminate on your rumblings". This is the kind of writing that I often lean toward and Delores has mastered it in this short passage. She has delightfully mingled the wordplay of the multiple nuances of the words "present" and "future". I felt the time shift in the reading of her words. But Delores is right about the discombobulating effect, especially if you read the passage like a tongue twister.

What the heck am I talking about anyway! Good job, Delores.

Type Is Not My Type : #IWSG

2012-02-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Our A to Z co-host Damyanti Biswas who has the blog Daily (w)rite was recently talking about Word programs as opposed to typewriters. This got me to thinking about my own experiences. I disliked typewriters immensely when I had to deal with them. Being able to use Word programs was like a dream come true.

Technology is exciting, but it also scares me. Electric typewriters were better than the manuals, but still it was a hassle when you made a mistake. Correction ribbons and white-out kind of helped but I would still end up with a messy looking manuscript. I wrote a lot by long hand in my notebook with my Bic pen and I liked that just fine. But nevertheless I was deterred from being a professional writer and just doodled for myself and anyone who cared to take a peek.

I once bought a Sears Type-O-Graph. This was in the late 1980s. This novel little machine was like a typewriter that instead of making impressions with type heads it had little pen tips that wrote whatever it was that you were keyboarding. It also made really cool graphs and did a few other tricks.

The store demonstration sold me on the Type-O-Graph, but after I started using it I realized that it was too complex for me to want to learn about. Besides that, the little pen tips ran out of ink pretty quickly if you used them a lot and those things were expensive. The machine was not very effective and not economically practical. Besides, even though the graphs and diagrams that the machine could create were kind of cool, when would I need to use this? My whole point in getting the Type-O-Graph was to make writing easier and truth be told it did not do that.

When I finally started using computers I discovered true facility in writing. No more erasures and an easy view of what was going to be put on paper before it was printed. I could easily edit. My fingers were able to fly faster across the keyboard. And I could look at the internet when I wasn't keyboarding.

However, I was also now head to head with advanced technology. There is so much that I don't get about computers. There is too much to learn and new things keep coming. Just when I think I've got something down they change it. New versions of Word, new operating systems, new software, new hardware. When does it all end!!! I can't keep up.

I'm kind of concerned how things keep changing. Google, Blogger, Facebook--I get used to something and they make it different. Sure it's supposed to be improvements that they're making, but I liked the old ways. I can't keep up Twitter, video on YouTube, or all of the other things that are so abundant that I can't even name them all.

Someday I just know a computer virus is going to eat everything I've ever created, steal all that I have including my identity, and then infect me and my wife with some brain eating disease that will turn us into zombies. Then some stupid zombie author will turn me into a damn story about zombies and instead of writing a book, I'll be a book.

Of course, I suppose there's an upside to that. I like to see the up side to things, but I'm not thinking of it right at this moment.

Let's leave it at this: I'm kind of happy with the way things are right now and I don't want things to keep changing so fast. I'm glad we don't have typewriters anymore and I like computers. Leave my Windows and Word the way it is now because I'm used to it. Stop messing with Blogger, Google, and Facebook. All this change makes me feel so insecure.

To hear from other insecure writers go here.

A Big Day!!! Blogging from A to Z April Challenge Sign-ups Are Open

2012-01-30T02:00:00.000-08:00

Today is a big day. Because it's my birthday? It is my birthday today, but that's not the big deal today. The really big thing about today is that it's sign up day for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Are you ready? Need I ask?

For those who are scratching their heads about this A to Z Challenge I recommend that you go visit the official A to Z Blog for full details. If you still don't get it, there is a CONTACT US tab that will take you to a page where you can ask any questions you may have.

You'll be able to sign up any time between now and April. The Linky List will be available on this post until Wednesday and then after that you'll find it by clicking the List tab at the top of this page as well as similar tabs on the A to Z Blog and the blogs of all of the other co-hosts. In other words, the list will be all over the place so you shouldn't have any problem finding it.

Even though you have two months to sign up, we encourage you to sign up now or as soon as you can. Why so soon? Well, because once bloggers start signing onto the list, the pre-Challenge party begins. Get yourself out there so others can find you. Two months of mingling and meeting and greeting will allow you to get to know the other participants. This will be favorable in helping you determine your April strategy.

Between now and April you can start following other blogs and getting to know those bloggers. They will likewise start following your blog. So even though the blogging part of the Challenge begins in April, the really big part of the Challenge--visiting other blogs--starts now. Are you ready to make new friends? Your link on the list means you're ready to invite visitors to your blog.

Let's go!

the linky list can be found at the tab at the top of the blog page that says it's the tab for the list. That's where you can go to sign up for the Challenge.

...

More Comments About Comments (A Continuation of a Post About a Post)

2012-01-27T02:00:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

A Post About A Post (and the Comments It Generated) generated a positive response. Thanks for egging me on. I don't mind really. I enjoy the challenge of creating something out of that which wasn't intended to go much further than the comment box. Comment analysis may become a trend. I'm going to milk it for all it's worth.

For anyone who is just dropping in on my shenanigans, it all starts with a post at the beginning of January, Where Am I Now Anyway?. I had been away on a trip at Christmas and written my posts ahead of time. This particular post was an experiment or an exercise in absurdity, but dealing with a conundrum of sorts. If you haven't read it yet then I encourage you to do so. If you leave a comment on that post I may comment on that comment on an upcoming post about comments from that post.

A bit wacky you say? Of course! I'm just tossing it out there for some crazy fun. So on with the comments and my comments about those comments:

YeamieWaffles said...

I actually loved this post so much Lee, sorry to hear you're so cold though, that sounds kind of sucky. Interesting writing as per usual my friend, keep it up. You're definitely one of my inspirations around here on Blogger.

January 4, 2012 6:16 AM

Matthew, you leave some of the most positive and uplifting comments. That's a way to make a good impact and entice readers to go to your blog to read what you have to say. I enjoy reading what you have to say and despite some of the things you're dealing with, you keep an amazingly upbeat attitude about things. And here you've shown such a caring attitude toward my coldness as I was writing that it warmed my heart enough to warm the rest of me. Thank you for calling me an inspiration to you. You are paying it forward and now I'm inspired. Thank you, YeamieWaffles.

Slamdunk said...

Clever post Lee--it makes one think. I am pounding keys and watching the morning shadows.

January 4, 2012 7:06 AM

I enjoy being called clever and it's even better when someone tells me I made them think. I do make an effort sometimes to provoke readers into thinking. You make me feel like I've accomplished my mission since I was trying to be somewhat clever with a topic that could lead one into twisty thought. And then you go on to invite me into your world. I can see you hunched over your keyboard with the shifting light of the morning sun streaming through your windows. You said so much in two brief sentences. I paused in my reading to ponder what you had said.

Suze said...

Lee, you kinda blew my mind -- and with the fringe, esoteric, mind-bending reading I typically do, that doesn't happen often. Also, this 'I feel like I'm wearing snow shoes--and by that I mean shoes that are made out of snow.' made me smile.

January 4, 2012 7:41 AM

I like it if I've brought a smile to someones face. Smiles can be contagious and to hear that you smiled made me smile. And if I blew your mind that's all the better. I set out to create a mind trip and you state that I kinda did that. Hey, that's cool enough for me. You also did something here that often I don't see in comments: You brought context to your comment by quoting my words and connecting them to your reaction. This disconnect between the context of the blog post and what appears in comments is a very common thing that I've noticed where comments don't seem to relate to anything and one has to go back to the blog post to see what the comment is referring to. They're only comments, but still....
Thanks Suze.

LD Masterson said...

Well, I think I'm here. But this is my here, as well as my now. Which will be a different now for you then. And my here is your there. These is only only thing I'm sure of...my feet are cold.

January 4, 2012 8:05 AM

Now this was fun, LD. You went for the comic comment done in the spirit of my post, basically summarizing what I had said. Your comment tells me that you not only read the post, but you also got it. I think sometimes my sense of humor gets somewhat obscure and people take me more seriously than I am meaning to be. Your paraphrase of my post was fun for me and if anyone else read it they probably smiled too.

welcome to my world of poetry said...

I think I understand what you were saying, I am writing this at 4 06pm on 04/01/2012 so whatever time you read this heavens knows whay may have transpired. Yvonne.

January 4, 2012 8:07 AM

You did understand, Yvonne. You got it exactly as you have also restated what I was saying in your own way. It is delightful and reassuring when I know that a person who left a comment is not merely leaving an obligatory mark in my comment space, but is letting me know that they read what I wrote. So many times I feel like people breeze through reading, half hear what people are saying, or selectively understand what they want based on what they want. In those cases communication can be very difficult and even fall apart. But that sounds like a different topic for a different post.

Oh boy! Topics that were elicited by comments. Actually I've done that before. It can be a great way to get fodder for posts. And about that word "fodder". It's kind of a weird word. (Note to blog self: future post about weird words.)

And for any of you who thought that I was just trying to be funny when I said I was considering a series based on comments about comments from a past post, you don't know me very well. I can get pretty weird sometimes. if you guys keep egging me on, it can get a whole lot weirder.

When you think about it, "weird" is kind of a weird word.

Now some A to Z business:

Don't miss the posts this week-end on the A to Z Blog. We're making preps for the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge sign-ups coming January 30th which is next Monday from where I'm standing now. Today on the A to Z Blog Alex J Cavanaugh is explaining the Linky list and sign-up process. I'll be explaining some additional details this Saturday and Sunday.

Now that sign-ups are starting you will want to check out the Challenge Blog each day for updates and special announcements. Be sure to become a follower or "Friend of the Alphabet" as we call them. Also we are still accepting guest posts for the A to Z Blog. If you have something that you'd like to share with the rest of us, let us know and we'll schedule you. Or if there is something you'd like us to address, let us know and we'll either write a post about it or answer you directly.

Video Challenge is not the same as the April Challenge!

Video makers or wannabes--we are accepting videos until March 11. The Video Challenge is your chance to promote the April Challenge with a commercial or promo video about the April Challenge. You can do one video or as many as you like. We are not suggesting that you have to do a video a day during April. The Video Challenge is a whole different shebang.

Check the tabs at the top of the A to Z Blog page for Video Challenge rules, sign-ups, and to see videos already submitted. Then, by all means send in those videos!

Be here Monday and sign up for the

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge !

The Roller Coaster Ride Continues: a review of Stephen Tremp's OPENING

2012-01-25T02:00:00.000-08:00

Today I'm guesting at Stephen Tremp's Breakthrough Blog so make sure you visit there, but while he's busy hosting me I thought I might tell you my opinion of this new book Stephen Tremp is touting.

Even if you missed my Monday post where Stephen was my guest, most of you probably are aware that he has begun a blog tour to kick off the release of his new book Opening. I had an advanced reader copy of Opening so I've already read it. So while Stephen's busy and can't hear me, let me tell you what I really think about his book:

I am a big fan of BREAKTHROUGH, the first book of the Chase Manhattan series, so I was looking forward to OPENING. Author Stephen Tremp has not only not disappointed with the the new installment, but also raised the bar in OPENING, providing a slick complex action thriller.

The story continues where the previous book left off. The struggle between opposing factions of scientists trying to gain control of briefcases that contain what could be the fate of the world expands on a worldwide scale as statesmen and nations become involved in a tense standoff. Powers and principalities may be leading the world toward a potential Armageddon.

The scope of the story is breathtaking and the action is non-stop. Along the way I started to become concerned that Tremp was losing control of the story with too many things happening too quickly. However, skillfully the pieces of the story are brought together into a climax that left me excited for the next installment of the series.

All of our favorite characters from the first book are back in fine form as we are introduced to new and equally memorable players in the story. The events are so plausible that at times I was nodding in agreement thinking, "Yeah, that could happen." The story is cued directly from current world events and scientific breakthroughs. There's nothing overly difficult to understand here since the technology comes across as clear and realistic.

Although this book is written in such a way that it will stand alone, I would recommend readers who haven't read the first book to start with BREAKTHROUGH before reading this. It's not a necessity, but starting with OPENINGS is something akin to climbing aboard a roller coaster in the middle of the ride--you'll miss a lot of fun. The two books together provide a great ride, but on it's own OPENING is an entirely satisfying reading experience.

I'll definitely be on board when the next book, ESCALATION, comes around. I think once you've read OPENING you will too.

Don't tell Stephen I told you this. Just go buy his books.

Stephen Tremp is author of the recently released suspense thriller OPENING, the second book in the BREAKTHROUGH series. You can visit Stephen at Breakthrough Blogs. For $1.99 Opening is available for download at:

Amazon for $1.99
Smashwords for $1.99

Have you read Breakthrough yet? Have you ordered a copy of Opening?

A Twist on Additional Dimensions: Stephen Tremp's Openings Home and Away Tour

2012-01-23T02:00:00.001-08:00

My guest today is Stephen Tremp, a blogger and author who needs little introduction to my blog audience. Stephen is one of my earliest blogging friends as well as an A to Z Challenge co-host for the second year. He is also an author for whom I have much admiration. This is what brings him here on Tossing It Out today.

Stephen Tremp has released the second installment of his Breakthrough book series.and is starting his book tour today on my blog. So I'm honored to present to you--Stephen Tremp:

A Twist on Additional Dimensions

Hi everyone, and welcome to the first stop of my Grand OPENING Tour! Thanks to Arlee Bird for helping me kick off this event on a most positive note. Arlee read an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) of OPENING and gave me invaluable feedback. Thanks Lee!

This post is on a topic that I’m very much passionate about. I think many others are too. Enjoy the post and I look forward to what other people think about people who seem to have abilities above and beyond that which we call normal.

Okay, getting back to my Science, CERN, and the Bible series ...

You’ve probably met someone who seems to have special “abilities” that are generally perceived to be above and beyond what we would consider normal by our five senses: seeing hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. Every society since the dawn of mankind has had people they consider to have special “abilities.”

These people can “see” or discern things that most people cannot. These perceived abilities can be filed under various labels such as paranormal, prophecy, extra sensory perception (E.S.P.), gifts of the Holy Spirit (word of knowledge, word of wisdom, discerning of spirits), demonic possession, out of body experiences, or dreams that are more reality than fantasy. They are called seers, prophets, or mediums. Some would say people who claim to have paranormal abilities are frauds altogether, they are good guessers, they use the power of suggestion, or they’re just plain lucky.

How would you describe the ability to “see” beyond our five senses? One theory is that since the reality we live in is a three-dimensional spatial world (length, width, and height), our senses were created or have evolved within this reality. This is all we should be able to comprehend. We are not conscious of anything else.

Example: If you are hunting a charging bear to feed your family, you need to be able to look at the bear and judge how far away he is, how fast he is closing in on you, and the best moment to throw your spear at him. They say nature is very efficient and generally gives us only what we need to survive.

However, some proponents of M-Theory (ten actual dimensions along with time) think our minds can actually navigate through these additional dimensions (if they do indeed exists), yet our minds are construed to filter information through our five senses and emotions. This is why information and insights are partial rather than whole.

Could it be that there are some people who are more in tune with these additional dimensions and can thus get a glimpse of information that we would consider to be prophetic or of an extra sensory perception? Many people claim to be aware of angelic beings or demonic forces. Some can “read your mail” so to speak. Others have an acute sense of what an investment will do in thirty days and are very accurate in their predictions.

Questions: What are your thoughts? Do you think some people have abilities to “see” beyond our normal five senses?

Stephen Tremp is author of the recently released suspense thriller OPENING, the second book in the BREAKTHROUGH series. You can visit Stephen at Breakthrough Blogs. Opening is available for download at:

Amazon for $1.99
Smashwords for $1.99

7 people I'd like to meet

2012-01-20T02:00:00.000-08:00

Seven fictional or non fictional people I'd like to meet? ...hmmm. Probably real people.

Oh--this is a topic that was asked a while back at Blissed-Out Grandma. It was on one of those meme things, you know--tag you're next. I looked at it and started to think about my picks and then just entered the idea in my blog composition list to think about later. Well, later has come.

What a great way to fill up a blog post.

Here they are in no particular order:

Jesus Christ -- This is almost a no-brainer. Who wouldn't want to meet Jesus in person? Where you could actually talk face to face with him? I'd want it to be a time-travel thing too so I could see what things were like back then. In fact that will be part of my criteria for the rest of the characters who are real or historical. And also, I'd get to stay three days in each place. Three days hanging out with Jesus and his disciples would be pretty amazing.

Now, back to the list:

Image via Wikipedia Franz Schubert -- I guess I'd need to learn German or have a translator, but three days with Schubert would be undoubtedly filled with music. He's one of my favorite composers. A biography that I read about him told about how he would perform a lot of intimate concerts and hung around with a rather arty group. Vienna in the early 1800s sounds like a fascinating time. Maybe I could catch Beethoven while I was there.

Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson --He's a distant cousin and seemed like a very upright guy. An American Civil War hero, he was also a teacher at a Viginia university. From all I've read about him he sounds like a pretty serious guy. I would be talking to someone who was very closely related to my ancestors who first came to the United States in the mid-1700s.

Mark Twain--The guy was a literary genius and could say such funny things. I wonder if he was funny all the time. I'd say he must have been at least passably congenial since he was so popular. Mark Twain would have some fascinating stories to tell.

Image via Wikipedia Erik Satie--The French composer of eccentric impressionistic and minimalist music seems like a pretty strange guy and I imagine it could be entertaining to spend some time with him. Add to my criteria the instant ability to speak and understand the language of wherever I was--I'd need this for several of my characters.

Al Jolson--I want to know the real story about the guy. This popular singer from the first half of the twentieth century would probably have some great tales to tell about the entertainment industry of his time. He comes across as a pretty nice guy in both the fictional portrayal and in his films, And if he's an ass then so be it. It's only three days for crying out loud.

Image via Wikipedia Jack Kerouac--After three days I'd probably be pretty drunk hanging out with this guy, but it would be cool going to jazz clubs and hanging out with people he knew. I could get more of a feel for the beat philosophy and lifestyle, and maybe get some kind of insight from Kerouac about his writing. Maybe three days of a cross-country drive. I can dig that for sure.

Now wasn't that fun? I had fun thinking about it. You want to do it too? I'm supposed to tag you here, so if you want to play--go ahead. It's an easy way to fill up a blog post. Or did I say that already?

A Post About A Post (and the Comments It Generated)

2012-01-18T02:00:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Call me silly if you will, but I was moved. Or maybe impressed. No, I was both and more. It was about my blog post Where Am I Now Anyway? that appeared on January 4th. Your comments warmed my heart and uplifted my spirit--well at least they made me smile.

I'd been driving all that day and when I got home that evening I found something like 26 comments that were quite nice. It's not a huge number of comments, but it's not all that bad either. It was the nature of the comments that struck me.

All I can say is that I've got some great readers and sometimes I just want to start another blog--a blog about the comments I receive on my blogs. Now, don't worry--I'm not really going to do that but that's almost the way I feel sometimes.

So here in the spirit of weird content concerning a kind of weird content blog post, I give you some reader comments and my comments about the comments and then in the comment section you can leave your comments about the comments I received or the comments I have left here about the comments.

Any questions? Any comments? If not, on with the weirdness:

Rachel said...: I'm not sure what this says about me or my state of mind, but this is one of the coolest blog posts I've ever read! *smiling*; January 4, 2012 3:30 AM

You're smiling? You gave me a smile with your kind words. "One of the coolest blog posts" is an incredible thing that I'm sure any blogger would be glad to hear. Thank you Rachel!
shelly said...: I liked this silly post. It was time-machine-like with humor.; January 4, 2012 3:47 AM

Shelly, two big pluses in your statement: "silly post" and "time-machine-like". You got it! I was shooting for silly, but I was also contemplating some paradoxical concepts that seemed best discussed in a whimsical way. And I love the topic of time travel. You struck a chord by noting that aspect of the content. Thank you Shelly.
Miranda Hardy said...: Lee, this is one of the best posts. I'm sitting in my car, reading blogs and waiting on the person to open up the office. Is that specific enough? Lol I'm where I need to be at the moment. It may not be where I'd like to be (at my future mansion office), but it's on the road to my future.; January 4, 2012 4:00 AM

Oh Miranda! Such sweet flattery! "One of the best posts" is enough to make me puff up with pride. Someone deflate me please before I float away. And you played right along with the post. Now that's what I call a fun comment. Thank you Miranda.
Journaling Woman said...: I too am where I need to be at this point in time. I like when writers use their words to lead me somewhere and their are so smooth about it that I miss the real clues along the way and when I get there, I'm thinking how did I get here? I don't think they are deceiving me, but giving me what I want. Cool post.; January 4, 2012 4:52 AM

Teresa, you took this to the next level by doing an analysis of what it means to be a writer. What you described is what I always dream of doing when I write and what I hope to receive when I read. No deception, just truth in art. We take liberties in our work and hope the reader will suspend disbelief and play along in our game. Teresa, this was a cool comment. Thank you Teresa.
Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...: Yeah but, more importantly, are your feet still cold?; January 4, 2012 5:01 AM

Cathy, I appreciate your concern. You display a caring heart--or perhaps a bit of sarcastic wit. Either way you injected a bit of fun in the comment thread. Thank you Cathy.
Alex J. Cavanaugh said...: That was really deep, Lee! You may have just disrupted the entire time-continuum in just one post.; January 4, 2012 5:26 AM

It's an honor to have this comment from one of the masters of modern sci-fi. I dream of creating mind bending writing, not always, but sometimes. I like to mess with time just as much as I like to mess with minds. You come up with some short, but clever comments and I'm pleased to have received one of those. Thank you Alex.

Be watching for "My Comments about Comments I Received on This Blog Post About Comments and My Comments on Those Comments". Maybe I will need to start another blog.

Check out the A to Z Challenge Blog for new details about the A to Z Video Challenge. Hope you'll submit your videos soon!

Celery Tree Pays It Forward: Guest Karen Walker

2012-01-16T02:00:00.000-08:00

Nobody can argue that Amazon.com was a brilliant idea. To create an online bookstore, where, from the comfort of one’s own home, you can browse thousands of book titles, order them, and have them delivered to your home all with just a few strokes on the keyboard. And shelling out some money, of course.

Karen Jones Gowen has taken that idea one step further. She created an online bookstore for authors to support other authors. To join, you simply agree to purchase a minimum of six books per year. In exchange, the book you’ve written is part of the pool of books others choose from.

I loved the movie Pay it Forward, because that concept is so beautiful. I didn’t need any encouragement to support other writers I’ve become acquainted with online. I try to purchase their books when I can. But this makes it so much easier to do so, because now many of them are in one place.

Please take a few minutes to check out the website: http://www.celerytree.com.

If you love books and love helping others and want to do so in a new and creative way, you’ll love Celerytree.

Karen Walker

One of the books available from CeleryTree is Karen Walker's Following the Whispers.
In her poignant memoir, Karen Walker traces the effects of a cold, loveless home environment and an early sexual molestation on her growth, marriage, motherhood, and career. After freeing herself from a desert of a marriage, Walker loses custody of her child and then journeys to discover who she is and to find some sense of wholeness.
The journey takes her from her old life to new friendships, new lovers, and new professions. From New York to Portland, Oregon, and eventually to Albuquerque, New Mexico, Walker seeks someone to love her as she is. She finds that and more -- a loving connection with her son. This fifty-year emotional odyssey ultimately leads Walker to a self who can look back over her life with a contentment and satisfaction that allow her to follow the whispers that the future may bring.

Karen Walker is a writer who has published essays in newspapers and magazines, as well as an anthology series. After a 30+ year career in marketing and public relations, she went back to college to complete a Bachelor's degree and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2005 from the University of New Mexico's University Studies program with a major emphasis in Creative Writing. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her husband, Gary, and their dog, Buddy. When she’s not writing, you can find her doing international folk dancing, singing at retirement communities with her trio, Sugartime, hiking, reading, or hanging out with friends. You can also find her online at: http://www.karenfollowingthewhispers.blogspot.com

Karen Walker's blog can be found at http://www.karenfollowingthewhispers.blogspot.com
You can also find Karen at CeleryTree

2012-01-13T04:52:00.000-08:00

Have you checked the A to Z Blog lately?

This sounds fun.

Dynamic Flow: A Guest Post by Halina Goldstein

2012-01-11T02:00:00.000-08:00

For those who haven't noticed, I have a blog about dreams called A Faraway View. A while back I had a dream about a concept called "Dynamic Flow". According to the information that I received in this dream, Dynamic Flow is the theory that states: Outward movement of money will result in an incoming flow of money.

I will be blogging about this dream on A Faraway View tomorrow. However as I was preparing that post I began to wonder if the concept delivered to me in my dream was original. When I googled the term I found various entries that used the term, but one in particular caught my eye.

I have invited the author of that Google entry to Tossing It Out to provide her explanation of Dynamic Flow. You may want to save this post for deeper contemplation since it does invite some thought, but do give it a read through now and let us know what you think. I am honored to introduce you to Halina Goldstein:

Money is, without doubt, one of the most interesting aspects of our lives, and as such it is surrounded by excitement and fear, desire and frustration, and last but not least: mystery. Even if the subject has been explored in depth in countless ways already, there doesn't seem to be any universal trick or ultimate solution to the money challenge. No matter how evolved our philosophy around life, spirituality and money may be, and regardless whether we choose to live a simple life or strive for wealth, our day-to-day experience most often reveals a complicated and often difficult relationship with money.

So here's another perspective on money, and, as you will see, a somewhat unconventional one:

In most relationships, much of the difficulty stems from lacking ability or willingness to understand and accept the other person as is, unconditionally. Approaching another person with hopes, fears or expectations which most people tend to do much of the time - equals inviting complications, pain and dissatisfaction into the relationship.

In that respect our relationship with money is no different than our relationship with people. Much of the difficulty is due to our limited understanding of money as such and hence a tendency to approach money as merely "a thing". A thing that we earn and then use to buy other things, or a thing that we use to fulfill our needs, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual, including the need for safety and freedom.

Money affects every aspect of our life, sometimes in big and visible ways, and sometimes in equally big yet subtle ways. In any case, because of the key role money plays in our lives, transforming our relationship with money can lead to a transformation of our life as such, and not just our finances. But how can we transform this relationship?

One such way is to approach money -- and everything else by the way - as a flow -- as energy flowing.

From that perspective, money is not a thing but a flow. Not just as in "cash flow" (although that is a very important part of it), but in the sense that the entire experience of money is a flow: a flow that involves all aspects of our life (spirituality, personality, emotions, thoughts, vocation, calling, relationships and creativity) in a way that is meaningful and purposeful.

As I experience it, money flow (like all flow) is dynamic by nature. Dynamic in the sense that it changes, and that these changes are meaningful and in no way coincidental.

How can that knowledge help us create a more harmonious relationship with money, and from there in fact a more harmonious and joyful relationship with ourselves and our world?

First of all, knowing that money is a meaningful, dynamic flow we can choose to go with it rather than fight against it. Experience shows us that when we follow it, in other words, when we are willing to learn from our money flow, it supports us on our unique life journey and leads eventually to more freedom and lightness. And the other way round: when we fight against it, it often leads to stagnation or crisis.

To learn from your money flow is to be willing to look at money with fresh eyes. It is to learn from your financial biography (which also is an emotional and spiritual biography), and also to be willing to learn about the money dynamic as such: how it reflects your energy, your receptivity, your relationship with yourself, your relationship with other people and the world as a whole, your purpose -- and also how it by itself shapes your journey and thus helps you move in the direction that you are meant to move in.

The latter is often being overlooked by the way: Money has a very specific transformational role in your life, and if you don't understand that dynamic you may find yourself struggling in one or more aspects of your finances even if it looks like you're doing everything you're supposed to do. You may for example be applying all the best advice to your business yet nothing seems to work.

As you learn to relate to money as a flow, without clinging to it, as you learn to be receptive to the way that flow supports you you realize that money, like everything else, is here to help and support you. As you open to that support you may be surprised by the way money can show you your way to freedom, joy, and purpose.

This article is written by Halina Goldstein, coach, teacher, writer and the creator of the Flow~Integration Approach-- a fresh approach to living with flow, joy and purpose. Visit Halina's Flow blog here and download a map for your Flow Journey plus a beautiful Flow Contemplation and Music mp3. (no money will be required. :-))

Thank you Halina! And be sure to check back tomorrow on A Faraway View for my thoughts on this dream "message".

Also, don't miss the big announcement on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge Blog.

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Hot New SciFi from the Amazing Alex: CassaFire

2012-01-09T02:00:00.000-08:00

Does Alex J Cavanaugh, Captain of his own ninja army of loyal bloggers, really need an introduction? Just in case anyone reading this doesn't know Alex let me briefly tell you about him. Alex can be found at his namesake blog where he normally talks about movies, music, and other bloggers. I've known Alex for the past couple of years or so and he is a fine gent and an amazing blogger.

Alex works in web design and graphics and has a wide range of interests including music, gaming, and science fiction. He lives in North Carolina with his wife.

But I'm not here to talk about Alex, I'm here today to review his upcoming book CassaFire. I was fortunate to have received a review copy of the book and now I'm going to tell you what I thought. But before I do here's what the book is about:

CassaStar was only the beginning…
The Vindicarn War is a distant memory and Byron’s days of piloting Cosbolt fighters are over. He has kept the promise he made to his fallen mentor and friend - to probe space on an exploration vessel. Shuttle work is dull, but it’s a free and solitary existence. The senior officer is content with his life aboard the Rennather.
The detection of alien ruins sends the exploration ship to the distant planet of Tgren. If their scientists can decipher the language, they can unlock the secrets of this device. Is it a key to the Tgren's civilization or a weapon of unimaginable power? Tensions mount as their new allies are suspicious of the Cassan's technology and strange mental abilities.
To complicate matters, the Tgrens are showing signs of mental powers themselves, the strongest of which belongs to a pilot named Athee, a woman whose skills rival Byron’s unique abilities. Forced to train her mind and further develop her flying aptitude, he finds his patience strained. Add a reluctant friendship with a young scientist, and he feels invaded on every level. All Byron wanted was his privacy…

I enjoyed Alex's first book CassaStar although I found it a bit too confined to the space stuff, which I guess is a somewhat silly statement since it was a space book. I couldn't totally relate to the galactic action. Also I thought too much time was spent in the preliminary training activities even though I will concede this is where most of the character development and story foundation was being set. Not so much a fault of the author, but mostly my own impatience as a reader.

Thank goodness in CassaFire Alex has brought most of the story down to Earth--or should I say the planet Tgren. I like having my feet on the ground and reading about things I can kind of relate to. The scenario is created well as we get to know the Tgrens and their customs as well as some of the lay of the land. Now that's more what I want to know about.

For the space fans there is still plenty of space action with various types of spacecraft from small to humongous. And there is still lots of flitting about with that cool mind jumping travel that we learned about in the first book. Then there is an epic space battle which seemed to come and go almost too quickly, but no big deal for me since we've seen that.

As in CassaStar, the real forte here is the interaction between the characters. We still have the training sequence where characters are developed, but this time it's done in a far more interesting manner and with more factors at play. Add in one hot Tgren babe who is Byron's match in skillsets then stir in some romantic tension and now we're talking story.

For the female readers who enjoyed the male bonding of CassaStar I think you'll like the new relationship far better. The theme in CassaFire still has to do with friendship and building trust, but this time there is more spark that creates a sizzle in the story line. Now I see where the CassaFire title comes into play.

Don't get me wrong. This is no soppy romance story, so you guys out there don't get nervous. There is still plenty of action and male bonding and even a bit of drinking and partying going on. Somehow this book just seemed fuller to me than the first one. What I think it has is more balance. It has an energy that kept me engaged and not scratching my head over silly questions like where's all the water come from on the spacecraft for the crew to take so many showers. This go around Alex just lets the story flow without bogging down too much with mundane things like showers. But don't get me started on that topic.

The main character of Byron has grown considerably from being a cocky upstart to a hardened experienced pilot no longer involved in combat, but now in a gritty occupation of transporting materials. He seems to be overly brooding and aloof, but that allows for further growth as the new story progresses. The other characters are all well drawn and the dialog comes across as very natural. We are not overwhelmed with character background, but given enough details for the story to make sense.

If I had one criticism it would be more directed to myself as a reader. Alex's writing is excellent. At times it seemed so good that it was distracting. My bad. Maybe I was trying too hard to find something wrong or some little mistake that I could harp on. Not there, nowhere to be found by me at least. All I could think was I wish I could write that well and it kind of annoyed me.

I don't think most readers will have that problem. Just read and enjoy. I think you will like this one a lot and be saying, "Bring on the next book!"

I'll rate this book 4.9999999.... Okay, so I have a hard time giving perfect scores. I guess according to Amazon ratings CassaFire will be a big 5.

Coming February 28, 2012

CassaFireby Alex J. CavanaughPrint ISBN 978-0-9827139-4-5 EBook ISBN 978-0-9827139-6-9Science Fiction - Space Opera/Adventure

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge-- 2012 Edition

2012-01-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

The big Challenge month of April is coming upon us. We've gotten an early start for this edition as those who have been following the Blogging from A to Z Challenge Blog. Over the past few weeks previous participants and even a few who will be new to the Challenge in 2012 have been giving some of their thoughts about the Challenge. Today's post is the next big announcement about the A to Z Challenge of 2012.

When I started the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge in 2010 it began with a modest near one hundred participants. The Challenge took off and generated a good bit of buzz. Friendships were established and followers increased for those who joined in that first year. The event was a hit from its humble beginnings.

Last year I knew the Challenge would be bigger so I enlisted the help of seven other top-notch bloggers. And did it ever take off! Reaching nearly 1300 sign-ups--most of whom finished the challenge--the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge had established itself in the blogging community.

With last year's experience duly noted, we've assembled an amazing cast of bloggers to assist in this year's challenge. I think we've outdone ourselves this time. Take a look at the bloggers who are on board to host the 2012 Challenge:

In addition to me (Arlee Bird), Alex J. Cavanaugh and Stephen Tremp will be returning to act as guides and motivators to encourage participants through the alphabet in April.

And there are more! Damyanti Biswas published an e-book of her A to Z entries last year. She knows what she's doing in the Challenge and she'll be here to help.

Tina Downey and Shannon Lawrence started a Post Challenge Challenge last year to encourage others to visit all of the blogs that had been signed up for the A to Z Challenge. They too know a bit about this blog event business and are great encouragers.

D.L.Hammons also knows a thing or two about blogfests, having been involved in several. An immensely popular blogger, D.L. will be a valuable addition to the team.

Jeremy Retro-Zombie will be adding his creative influence and blogging expertise to our 2012 team. If you haven't seen his blog you ought to check it out--it's pretty cool.

Matthew MacNish has a special eye for words and has a fun and informative blog; while Elizabeth Mueller displays a flair for visual art in addition to the art of words.

Jenny Pearson may have stopped by your blog already--I feel like I've been seeing her comments all over the place. She writes some very nice stuff. Check out her link below.

Konstanz Silverbow is relatively new to me. I'm anxious to know more about her and I hope you are too. Her link can be found below.

But heck, why am I rambling on when you could be checking out these great bloggers yourself.

Don't forget that the A to Z sign-up list will appear on January 30, 2012. Keep watch on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge Blog and on all of the blogs of the A to Z Team

Here's the Team:

Tossing It Out (Arlee Bird)

Amlokiblogs (Damyanti Biswas)

Alex J. Cavanaugh (Alex J. Cavanaugh)

Life is Good (Tina Downey)

Cruising Altitude 2.0 (DL Hammons)

Retro-Zombie (Jeremy Hawkins)

The Warrior Muse (Shannon Lawrence)

The QQQE (Matthew MacNish)

Author Elizabeth Mueller (Elizabeth Mueller)

Pearson Report (Jenny Pearson)

No Thought 2 Small (Konstanz Silverbow)

Breakthrough Blogs (Stephen Tremp)

Where Am I Now Anyway?

2012-01-04T05:03:00.000-08:00

Image by xcode via Flickr

I'm not sure if the following is insecure or plain wacky, but to find more post from the Insecure Writer's Support Group go to Alex J Cavanaugh's site for the complete list.

Right now I'm sitting in my chair at my desk in my home office. It's getting late in the evening and I'm about ready to go to bed. It's been raining all day. It's a little cold in the house. I feel like I'm wearing snow shoes--and by that I mean shoes that are made out of snow. Thank goodness I have socks on or my feet would be really cold.

However, what I just said is an illusion. Not a lie, because it was true. Right now I'm writing this post three weeks ago. At this moment in your time I have no idea what will have transpired between this particular point in my time in the past and the time when this will be posted to the internet or the time when you the reader will be reading it. This piece of writing is my illusion of communication to readers who are different now from the point in time when I was writing this. I too have changed in subtle ways, though it's possible my change could be drastic. I don't know since I cannot foresee the future. I am the writer writing to the reader of the future.

If this is not confusing enough, consider that this paragraph--the one you are now reading-- is being started ten hours after the previous two paragraphs were written and my feet are still cold and I'm still tired because I didn't get enough sleep. However you the reader will be reading this three weeks in the future and what was written over the course of several hours for me will be read in a matter of minutes for you, that is if I haven't totally confused you and made you throw up your hands in exasperation and stop reading.

My point is--if indeed there is any discernible point--my point is that we don't always know what we are really reading and when we write we don't always know who exactly will be reading it later and under what conditions and it what state of mind. Misunderstanding and misinterpretation is often easy. You may have meant something for humor and I may have taken it for upsetting. I may be writing from the left, but you may have a right-handed interpretation of life and see your point of view in what you are reading.

Clarity helps. Writing from ones own mind does not guarantee another mind will grasp what you're saying as they perceive it from their perspective. Unlike my post today that was written many days ago, our writing should avoid the embellishment of language if it abolishes ability of comprehension. Obfuscation can lead to alienation of the reader. But that is all beside my point if indeed I even had one.

The point is that I may be in Texas or I may be home or I be somewhere in between on this fourth day of this new year of 2012, and since this was written last year to be posted this year things may not be absolutely clear to me or you now or back then in a previous year that was only three weeks ago. Lack of planning you might say, but I might say it too or I might not. I've probably said all that I've needed to say.

This might be one of the craziest things I've written, but keep in mind that this is not me now as you read this, but the writer I was three weeks ago when I was writing this. And that's what can happen when you schedule posts ahead of time and start thinking about it too much.

Where are you now in this new year? Where are you going? Were you where you wanted to be this past year?

Brand New Year--Same Old Stuff

2012-01-02T02:00:00.000-08:00

Image by YoTuT via Flickr

Happy New Year--whoopee. It's another year, this 2012, but is it really a new year or just a continuation of the last one.

I won't call 2011 my most stellar year by any means, but I wouldn't say it was any worse than any year of my life either. It was a good year, but not a very good year like in the Frank Sinatra song. It was and it wasn't and it wasn't it and it was. I'm still here, smiling and optimistic, always looking for a better tomorrow but doing my best to enjoy the day at hand.

So what do we have to look forward to? I mean besides the presidential election for those of us in the United States. We've already had a whole year of this election circus, but now the big show is coming to town. Or shall we say the big show down? We've got ten months of political shenanigans to look forward to until the people's court decides who the next president will be. Then we'll get four more years of the people complaining about who they picked. No new news in politics probably, but we can hope.

Then there's that end of the world thing. No, I'm not talking about that Reverend Harold Camping nonsense that we experienced not once but twice last year. And that after he pulled the same trick on his followers about twenty years ago. They should have been listening to the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again", but instead they chose to sell all of their belongings to the tune of "Ride That Glory Train".

The end that I'm talking about is the Big End predicted by the Aztecs. It's all gonna come crashing down on December 21, 2012 if we are to believe those guys. Of course those guys are all dead and gone and won't even get a last laugh--or will they? Maybe those High Priest Aztecs are still alive like vampires, having cut out all those hearts and probably drinking blood and all. Yeah, if the world ends we can blame it on them with all their weird and evil primitive practices.

I'm not worried though. We always seem to survive the crappy presidents, false prophets, and even the zombie Aztecs, and manage to stumble through the current year until we go crashing through to the next. We've got book releases to celebrate, blogging milestones to cheer, and another round of Blogging from A to Z in April. It's going to be a good year, this 2012.

No, I take that back. This 2012 is going to be a great year! The absolute bestest year ever! Yippee.

What are you most looking forward to this year? What are you glad is now behind you? Do you think the Aztecs knew what they were talking about?

End of the Year Stuff

2011-12-30T04:25:00.000-08:00

It's been a decent year. There's been a lot of good as well as some bad. I guess it's business as usual. I remain unemployed but have managed to struggle by--there is a blog post in this but I haven't brought myself to write it.

This year I've traveled more than I have for a long time. I thank my sister and my wife for covering some of those travel expenses. Part of the travel was because of a sad thing--my brother-in-law's sickness and passing--but as with all things in life there is happy along with the sad.

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge was phenomenal this year and I thank those who co-hosted with me and all who participated.

Four new blogs were added to my repertoire of online activity and they have been quietly taking off in a respectable manner.

I look forward to great things in 2012.

And one last thing:

Maurice at The Geek Twins bestowed upon me The Pied Piper Award

And thanks to all of those followers--or better said, friends--who have stayed with me through another year of blogging. I hope your year to come is the absolute best ever.

Happy New Year!
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Oh, and be here next Friday for sure. I've got some great news to share.

Are You Dying Or Living?

2011-12-28T02:00:00.001-08:00

The following is one of those chain emails that you're supposed to pass on to "x" number of people. I share it today since it does have some good thoughts to it. As far as I have been able to tell it has been attributed to the late George Carlin. No matter who or what the source, enjoy and take heed.

The “ending” is a wonderful reminder of how to live life!!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight, and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them'
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.'
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive
7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips.. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where there is guilt.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER : Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,but by the moments that take our breath away.

We all need to live life to its fullest each day!!

Worry about nothing, pray about everything!!!

I hope you are having a Happy Holiday Season!

Creative Blog Award

2011-12-26T02:00:00.001-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

I know I said a while back that I wasn't going to be doing the blog award thing, but I did say that I would try to acknowledge them when I could. This post has been sitting here since April, when I was busy with the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. For the Christmas lull period while I'm on vacation I thought I'd preschedule this post of award acknowledgement.

And speaking of Blogging from A to Z, if you aren't following the official Blogging from A to Z Blog I hope you will check it out. Right now we are in the middle of a series of posts by past participants of the Challenge. You won't want to miss any special announcements about the Challenge so I encourage you to follow and check in every now and then. Blogging from A to Z sign-ups begin on January 30, 2012.

And Now For Some Awards:

Creative Blog Award

During the April A to Z Challenge, one of my event co-hosts, Jeffrey Beesler, passed the Creative Blog Award to me. I wanted to thank Jeffrey for this gesture and the kind words that accompanied it.

Another award from April came to me from Deidra Eden-Coppel at A Storybook World. I don't recall what the award was but I noted it in this post I started months ago. I think it had something to do with best Science Fiction blog or something like that. Sorry Deidra. But I still say thanks.

Then there was this Jiminy Cricket commenting award from Jenny Pearson at The Pearson Report. Thanks Jenny-- I try to leave as many decent comments as I can, but I'm not always so good keeping up with emails and such when I get inundated. At least I saved the email she sent me so I could acknowledge this award.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season!

Image via Wikipedia

What's In A Name?: The Story of a Pseudonym

2011-12-23T02:00:00.000-08:00

A recent post by Lisa Kramer at Woman Wielding Words pondered the topic of real names versus pseudonyms. I've mentioned before that I use a phony name--like anyone might not have guessed it. This is as good as time as ever to explain the name. In deference to Stephen T. McCarthy, who asked me about this many blogging months ago, I give you the origins of the Arlee Bird name.

It was long before Google was around, so search engine status had nothing to do with the pen name. I was in college and trying to become established as an author. It was obvious even without the benefit of Google that I had a very common name.

I've never made a point of trying to hide my real name on my blog. Actually it can be found in several places, but most readers have probably never noticed that I was born with the name Robert Lee Jackson. It's a name that perhaps is a few Google notches short of John Smith, but my real name is shared with a lot of people living now and who have lived in the past. Check your phone book and I'm sure you'll find at least a few of them listed in your town.

So trying to break in as an author I felt like I needed a name that would not be shared by thousands of other people and would be somewhat unique. At first I submitted stories as Lee Jackson, but the name just didn't work for me despite being the name I'd gone by all of my life.

Then I began to experiment with names. I began to sign my writing as Ohio Franklin Jackson--after all it was the early 70s and people were experimenting with unusual names. Having been born in Ohio I adopted that as my first name and Benjamin Franklin was one of my heroes at the time so I paid tribute to him. I decided this name was maybe too quirky.

Image via Wikipedia

Using just my first initial I went back to my real name as R. Lee Jackson. There was a very brief period when I got the idea that it might be easier to have a short story accepted if I were female and I tried writing under the name of Mary Tipton. Where'd that come from? That didn't last long and I returned to the R. Lee Jackson tag.

Feeling that starting a moniker with an initial didn't sound quite right, in early 1975 I went from R. Lee to Arlee, since it sounded the same when spoken. For the next several years I wavered between those two opening names attached to the Jackson surname.

In mid-1975 I joined a magic show and decided to focus my career on juggling and show business and basically put writing for submission purposes on the back burner. My business card and all promotional material used R. Lee and I dispensed with actually using Arlee for a while. I also used the alias of "Jack Clark" when I was acting in behalf of my alter ego of promoter for R. Lee Jackson and his professional activities. Hey--I felt like I had to wear different hats sometimes in order to make people think I had representation.

When I decided to get off the road in order to start my kids in school and lead a more normal life, I started an entertainment business in Tennessee. When I was putting the business together I began thinking of a name. I don't recall exactly how it came to me but I envisioned a logo of a bird tugging at a worm in a hole which would resemble a music note. This made me think of the expression, "the early bird gets the worm." Bingo! Early, Arlee--Arlee Bird Entertainment.

Nearly twenty years later when I started Tossing It Out, I decided not to use my real name. The name that immediately came to me was my old entertainment business name. I figured there couldn't be many people with that name and it would be unique. I googled the name and found one guy with that name in Florida, but that was it. I took it.

It's kind of an odd name, but it is different. Now I've taken over Google with the name. I don't know what happened to the guy in Florida. It's my writing name now and silly though it may sound I am now Arlee Bird in my literary and blogging life. I guess I might as well keep the name now.

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While I'm at it I might as well acknowledge an award given to me by The Word Nerd. Since I'm telling you stuff anyway I'll play along with this one. I know I'd said a while back that I wasn't going to do these award things, but what the heck--it's Christmas and I'm being nice.

And I'm spilling beans. So in keeping with the rules of the award here are seven things about me that I intend to blog about someday:

1. I used to be an avid stamp collector. I still save stamps and have my stamp collection, but I'm not active with it like I was when I was younger.

2. I also have a postcard collection that mostly consists of cards I bought when I was young, but if any of you ever send me a postcard it will go into my collection.

3. At one time I had a fairly decent pencil collection, but I used all of the pencils back when I was still in school. Gosh, does anyone use pencils anymore?

4. Another collection that I once had that was rather sizable was matchbooks. I won't go into detail about what happened to that--let's just say it went up in smoke.

5. I joined my first book club when I was about thirteen--Doubleday. I joined several other book clubs over the years which accounts for my extensive collection of books.

6. When I was on the road I accumulated hundreds of cassette tapes, most which I still have and are playable.

7. There is a real possibility that I am a hoarder.

And I guess Word Nerd knows I that I'm not passing this on to anyone else. This branch of the chain ends here, but I'm sure it continues through several of the other recipients. But I will wish everyone

Merry Christmas!

Transformers: Dark of the Moon--my review

2011-12-21T02:00:00.001-08:00

I don't review movies too often on this blog, but after seeing this film I felt compelled to say something about it since I had been kind of looking forward to seeing it. This is the review I put on Amazon and I thought I'd share it here.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)
DVD ~ Shia LaBeouf
Price: $24.99

My Wife Fell Asleep and I Wish I Had

I'll give this movie 5 stars for special effects, but who cares. Talk about overkill. This is for the video game crowd who can stand to play for hours on end. If you want a similar thrill as this movie gives but not take 2 1/2 hours to do it you could try to down a fifth of tequila real fast or jump off of a tall building and land on your head.

The effects are spectacular, the acting is very good, production values all top quality, and the soundtrack music reminds you when you should feel sad, excited, tense, or whatever. The problem is I didn't feel much of anything except really bored.

My favorite part of the movie was the ending--or should I say, when it ended. Oh man, I couldn't wait for this film to end. But compulsive as I am to watch a film all the way through, I stayed to the end. What a waste.

Yeah, this is the kind of film the makes you want to stand up and cheer. When it was over I jumped up and cheered, "Yay! It's over at last!"

The things lacking in this movie are good story and heart. It's the same old song that we've heard before and it's not one you want to sing along with. Maybe if they'd saved a hundred million or so and made the film about an hour and a half shorter and then distributed the wealth of what they'd saved to people who needed it, the world would have been a better place and the film makers and investors would have still made a ton of money off of it.

If you haven't seen this film yet and decide to do so, you can't say I didn't warn you. Sometimes people think they just have to suffer the torture to see what it's like for themselves. Ouch--my head hurts.

Did you see Transformers: Dark of the Moon? What do you think of special effects laden films? What is your preference: amazing special effects or good story?

How Do You Perceive Value?

2011-12-19T02:00:00.000-08:00

Image by digitalmoneyworld via Flickr

A recent article by Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times Business section was telling about the struggles of the greeting card industry to maintain relevancy when facing the competition of the internet age. In the article, Susan January, president of the Greeting Card Association is quoted as saying, "As better products have become available people are more aware how certain embellishments, like gold foil and embroidery, increase the perceived value of the card and the perceived value of their relationship."

Now, I've heard the term "perceived value" before but never gave it much thought until reading it within the context of this article. Perceived value is the subjective worth that we place on something according to our own needs or wants. The perceived value of an item might be artificially created by the marketing agent as in the case of luxury items or new products. Perception of value may also be influenced by availability and is the motivating way the law of supply and demand can increase or decrease prices.

Perceived value can be dictated by the influences of the marketplace or it can be all in our minds. When much revered technological innovation comes on the market, some people may wait in line to pay premium prices to be the first to have it in hand even though they know it will most likely be available at reduced prices later down the road. Part of their perception of value includes the prestige of being the first to own a product and their strong desire to have it in their hands now rather than later.

If gold were no longer perceived as valuable as backing for monetary systems or for jewelry and valued only in the context of its practical use in industry, the price of gold would undoubtedly plummet since it would no longer be coveted as something of extreme worth and prestige in ownership.

The collectible market works in much the same way. Certain things will gain a reputation of having a high potential of future worth and collectors will jump on board to pay premium prices. We see past fads such as beanie babies or Hummel figurines where prices soared for a while and then dropped to ridiculously low prices leaving the investors unable to get any return on the money they put into their collections. The marketplace will be influenced by economy and changing interests among other things.

Artificial market manipulation is the mainstay of companies like the Franklin Mint. Such purveyors of collectible merchandise entice speculative customers with advertising that suggests that whatever it is they are offering may increase in value eventually. They don't make promises (read the small print), but in the minds of certain ones of us who are lured by the advertising, we want to believe that we are investing in an attractive item that might one day hold great value. And I won't knock anyone for that--I've bought some of those things myself because I liked them and I wanted to believe I was making an investment in something of collectible value.

However, I am straying from the real point that I want to make here--the thoughts that came to my mind as I began to contemplate the concept of perceived value. As I pondered this concept, I began to think of perceived value as it applies to that which is not an item of merchandise or a service. What about the perceived value of friendships and interpersonal relationships, personal tastes and artistic evaluations, or accolades and kind words?

It's a certainty that the topic I'm touching upon here could become quite lengthy if it were to be examined in its totality, so I'll focus on one aspect and then allow you to take it in your own direction.

For my part, I'll consider blog posts and blog comments (and I hope this is not becoming a redundant topic). I make an attempt to produce some degree of quality in my posts and in my comments. Even when I think I am going to quickly hash out something short, I will often get carried away and will write more than I had set out to do (this post for example). When I comment, I try to leave something of substance. I want my words to have more value than something I just slapped down to be saying something. I value my words.

And now I'll toss the topic to you: What do you attach value to and how do you perceive value? What makes certain people valuable to you? Why do you have certain passions or interests? Excluding some of the obvious answers like those related to God, family, country, or pets and the like; what are some tangible things that are valuable to you?

Please visit my memoir blog Wrote By Rote. Teresa from Journaling Woman is my guest and she has a special giveaway offer.

Deja Vu: Make Target Practice, Not War

2011-12-16T02:00:00.000-08:00

Image by fisserman via Flickr

The Deja Vu Blogfest is hosted by D.L. Hammons, Katie Mills, Nicole Duclerior, and Lydia Kang. Its purpose is for bloggers to call attention to older posts that others may have missed or anything they feel is worthy of repeating on their sites.

This was a little tougher than I had expected. I set my sights on my earliest posts--the ones that have no comments and were therefore probably only read by a few people if anyone at all. From the outset I tried to deliver quality goods. I hope this entry is one you might enjoy. I think this post tells a little more about what I set out to accomplish with my blog.

I'll start with a set up of what was happening on Tossing It Out at that time. My first few posts described something about who I am and what I was planning to do with my blog. My post of Wednesday September 23, 2009 titled "Who Am I? & Who Are You?" was an introduction of me to the readers. I began that post with a quote from one of my favorite poems:

To-day we have naming of parts. Yesterday,

We had daily cleaning. And to-morrow morning,

We shall have what to do after firing. But to-day,

To-day we have naming of parts.

from the poem "Naming of Parts" by Henry Reed

On the following day, September 24 2009 I continued with my theme:

Make Target Practice, Not War

Today we have what to do after firing. Though some blogs are forums for rants and raves, I don't want to be guilty of incendiary provocations. I don't want to be just shooting off my mouth or shooting from the hip. This ain't no cowboy blog pardner. I mean, I like cowboys and westerns and such, but I'm not intending for a gunfight at the OK Corral or anything like that. I just want to sit around the campfire and jaw a bit.

I enjoy a good debate and I will follow through with that when the situation calls for it, but hopefully always in good clean fun. I ain't got nothin' against nobody in particular. There might be some ideas, lifestyles, movements, or the like that I don't particularly like or agree with, but I'm usually happy to chat about any of it. So civil debate, yes-war no.

In other words, using the metaphor of words or the blog as a gun, I'm just doing target practice. I'm not out to attack anyone or hurt anybody. Not to say I might not get careless at times, but hopefully if I do hit anyone it will only be a flesh wound.

What to do after firing? When it's just casual target practice, after firing I would want to take a look and see if I hit my target and see how I could improve in the future. I've never been a gun guy and have only fired a gun a few times, but I'm not against guns by any means.

One of my friends who does own guns and is pretty knowledgeable about them once told me about how he once stood a bayonet upright in the ground, fired at it to where the blade split the bullet in half to where the bullet halves broke two glass bottles standing behind the bayonet. He experimented with the shot a number of times before actually breaking two bottles with one bullet, but when he finally did it I guess it was pretty impressive. Oh, and two other friends of mine were there to witness the feat and they corroborated the story. I have no real reason to doubt it.

The point of all this is if you're doing target practice, after firing you fire again trying to correct any aiming errors you had the first time. Then you keep firing to perfect your shooting skill. When you're done you put the weapon away in a safe place. Sometimes you will need to clean the gun again. Care and maintenance will keep the weapon in good working order. And whenever you're ready to use it, your gun's ready. Bang!

I think I prefer the juggling metaphor better. It conjures a more peaceful image. Clowns and costumed performers or people just having fun in the park tossing their props into the air. Skill and dexterity all honed by hours of practice. And it's good exercise. So are you ready? Okay I'm going to toss it to you. Ready? Here it comes. You got it? Toss it back.

Did you catch that? Hope you enjoyed this look backward. Now continue on to visit some of the other bloggers experiencing flashbacks today.

A Me in My Sonnet

2011-12-14T02:00:00.000-08:00

Image by found_drama via Flickr

Have you signed up for the Deja Vu Blogfest brought to you by D.L. Hammons? It's a fun way to dig back through the blog archives to present one of those early posts that may have been missed or a post that is special in your eyes that you want to highlight. Do you have an oldie but goody that you'd like to share with the rest of us? Friday is the day to do it. Start digging for buried blog treasure now and sign up on D.L.'s page.

I think it's kind of fun and enlightening to look through ones old writing samples to see where you were then and how far you've come since. A while back Deniz Bevan at The Girdle of Melian brought up the subject of reading old writing and sharing it on ones blog. Since we're were on the topic of Deja Vu and last week I talked about and shared an example of some of my old writing, I thought in this post I might share a bit of a flashback from the 1970s.

The following poem was from an assignment in a Writing of Poetry class that I took at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. I don't recall the exact date, but this probably comes from about 1973. This particular assignment was to write a poem in sonnet form. From my dreamy-minded love-longing self of college days, here is my sonnet.

Image by MagdaMontemor via Flickr

Sonnet

She is the question without an answer.

Though I try to comprehend her meaning,

I fail, losing my view of that gleaming

Vision I beheld. Then, like a dancer,

She pirouettes from sight, my last glance her

Hands acknowledge . I linger in dreaming,

Probing her significance, then seeming

To gather the impression that man's her

Basic prey. Laughing, she throws her head back,

Swoops down with painted claws, tears out my heart.

I, stumbling at her feet, weak from the attack--

I look up. What love might she impart?

Deeply I search for meaning in her face,

But comprehension my mind has erased.

Do you save your old writing? What have you seen when you reread writing from younger days?

How To Blog Better: An Interview with Blogging Guru Mitch Mitchell

2011-12-12T05:10:00.000-08:00

Today my special guest is blogger extraordinaire Mitch Mitchell. I've been following Mitch's blog I'm Just Sharing for over a year now and have found it to be not only entertaining, but also extremely helpful and informative. Mitch stays on top of the news about social media so he's become one of my go-to guys to help me get educated about the subject.

I asked Mitch to join me here on Tossing It Out to provide a sample of what he does on his blog and give my readers a mini-lesson on becoming better bloggers.

I always enjoy reading your blog, Mitch. My audience at Tossing It Out is varied, but I think most of us are interested in how to blog better. You provide good insight to things we might want to consider in relation to our blogs. Today I'd like to ask a few questions that I think might be helpful to my readers:

Arlee: Writers are often told that they should have a platform that includes a blog. What should writers be most focused on when it comes to blogging?

Mitch: All bloggers should realize that the purpose of blogging is one of these 3 things: inform, educate or entertain. Once you get past that then the thing to focus on, in my opinion, is honesty. I see so many posts that look just like what someone else wrote, and in my mind it's not honest and the person didn't really give anything of themselves. In essence, they're being phony and dishonest in their presentation. One can let others learn a lot about them without giving up everything, and when we make people comfortable, they respond positively. And who doesn't want more positivity in their lives?

Arlee: Time is limited and greatly limited for many of us. How do you recommend that bloggers get the most bang for their buck when it comes to blogging activity?

Mitch: If you have problems with time but still want to blog, I recommend scheduling the time to blog into your calendar. Even one post a week will give your blog some benefit and if your content is appealing, people won't mind that kind of schedule, even if they're clamoring for more. Schedule an hour a week, if you need that long to put a post together, even if it's over the weekend, and get it done if you really care about blogging to begin with.

Arlee: Can you tell us the nutshell version about SEO (search engine optimization) and why it should be important to us? Is it important to all of us and how do we determine this?

Mitch: SEO stands for search engine optimization, and it's the process of setting one's website up in a way that encourages search engines to come on a regular basis to determine what it is you do so that you can compete online with others that do what you do. You can get a brief lesson on it here: http://www.seoxcellence.com/searchengineoptimization.html.

Its importance to blogging depends on what your purpose for blogging is. If it's business then it's really important to think about SEO; if not, it should still be on your mind, but your first consideration should be your writing. Actually writing should always be your first consideration since that's what helps to set you apart from everyone else. You can check out this link to tell you what the 3 most important parts of SEO are: http://www.seoxcellence.com/blog/a-websites-first-3-seo-tips/

Arlee: Recently on your blog you've been talking about alternate media approaches such as video blogging, podcasting, etc. Who should consider doing this? Why would we want to do this? How do you recommend a person get their feet wet without a big investment in equipment?

Mitch: There are a number of people who are more comfortable speaking than writing and have a message they want to convey to others. Those are the people I'd recommend to at least look into doing this type of thing, though it comes with limitations, such as the fact that there's no real way to do SEO for either of them and, for people like me who speed read, it can slow us down to the point where, if there are too many videos or podcasts, I might decide to skip a lot of them. As far as a recommendation based on price I bought my webcam in December and only spent $35 for it. Sure, it's limited to staying on top of my monitor, but it gets the job done. I believe a camera that's a bit more mobile can still be purchased for less than $100. Very few of us need to buy really expensive equipment to get going unless you're looking to do some really fancy stuff with it. Video is a nice way to add something new here and there to your blog as well.

Arlee: Why would writers and others want to read your blog?

Mitch: I talk about blogging often and writing here and there as well. However, I think people might like to read my blog because I try to be conversational and a storyteller, no matter what it is I'm talking about. You never know what I'll say or how I'll say it, and it's not a bad technique. Those who are interested in styles of writing might be interested in how I go about it, and if they look at some of the comments will possibly see other posts they might enjoy as well. It's a safe place for all, even if a topic might be deemed controversial. Luckily, I'm rarely that; or am I? :-)

Controversial sometimes, but he's always nice about it. My thanks to Mitch Mitchell for this teaser about what awaits on his blog. I strongly encourage you to check it out and subscribe if it looks like a place you will want to revisit. I'm there often and after you've stopped in I think you might be too.

You can find Mitch at the following sites:

http://www.imjustsharing.com

http://www.ttmitchellconsulting.com/Mitchblog
http://www.medicalbillinganswers.com


http://www.servicesandstuff.com/sales.html

I Wrote This Post Fifty Years Ago

2011-12-09T02:00:00.000-08:00

Before I ever knew that there would be an internet or that I would have a blog, I wrote this post. I was just a kid--in the fourth grade. It was 1960 it was.

I alluded to the writing sample that follows in my post on Monday 12/5. As I explained in that post, my teacher at the time, Mrs. Kingston, showed us a picture that she had taken from a magazine and told us to write a description of it.

As I recall, the illustration of what was probably a scene depicting a nighttime sea battle during the American Civil War showed a massive fiery explosion in the water. Men in a dinghy near the blast are drawing back in terror and shielding themselves from the powerful force of the eruption. At least, this is what I remember and I will have to rely on this memory since I don't have a copy of that picture.

Mrs. Kingston gave me an A and some encouraging compliments. She then mounted the paper on a larger piece of yellow construction paper and after reading my paragraph to the class, she passed it around to the other classes in the school and eventually mounted the paper on a bulletin board outside the school office. I experienced my first thrill of having my writing read by others and hearing the words spoken in public. It was a writer's high that I never wanted to lose.

The following is the collection of adjectives, metaphors, and similes that was the paragraph that set me off on my course of writing aspirations.

Burnt and Salty

There is a smell of fire and smoke. You can taste salty water from the ocean. It was fire from the ocean. It was like a volcano from the bottom. It looks like a huge ghost coming out of the sea. The sky looks like the heavens are on fire. The sun fell into the sea. A sea dragon is shooting flamey fire out of the rough water. It feels like a steaming hot furnace. The sea looks like thousands of geysers shooting water. Even though it is dark it is light. It is a geyser of steaming flamey fire. You can feel water and fire shooting into your sweaty face. Your clothing is shabby. Your face is burnt and scarred.

So from my fourth grade self here is some sort of insight to my writing style perhaps. I'm not sure what was influencing me at the time, but I do recall reading a great deal back then. I'm not sure whether to thank her or curse her, but Mrs. Kingston, you played big role in why I blog today.

Do you have a particular teacher who influenced your desire to write? Have you saved any of your old schoolwork or writing samples from childhood? Did you have aspirations to become a writer when you were a child?

Insecure Writer's Support Group: Pearl Harbor Day

2011-12-07T02:00:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Today, December 7th, is the anniversary of the "date that will live in infamy". These were President Franklin D. Roosevelt's words about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This attack on a U.S. military base was the 9/11 of that generation.

The world had experienced a decade of economic depression and was in the throes of societal upheavals. Mighty powers were on the rise in Europe and Asia as the winds of war began raging over the continents. Though the United States was in a different hemisphere, there was plenty for our citizens to feel insecure about.

In many ways the world has bigger threats than we did back in 1941. We get our news instantaneously now and there is an illusion of more transparency in what we know about what's going on. But the surprises keep coming.

We have plenty of threats to be insecure about these days: nuclear weapons, cyber-attacks, civil unrest, financial collapse, and on and on. The world has always been an insecure place but now the possibilities and probabilities of something truly horrendous, or at least massively disruptive, loom over us like a cloudy day that never clears.

As writers we likewise have a forecast of doom and gloom heading our way. A tough economy with high unemployment is causing more prospective authors to pursue the writing dream, creating more competition. E-books threaten the publishing industry while internet threatens the print media. There is a strong possibility that there will be less places for writers to turn to in order to have their work published pushing more writers into self-publishing and finding more creative ways to reach the buying public.

With the uncertainty and the challenges ahead I am sometimes hesitant to keep pursuing writing as anything more than a hobby. And yet with writing dreams of my past left unfulfilled I could be dooming myself to an empty space within if I don't continue to chase the dream.

The quandary remains. Will writing ever pay the bills? If not, who will pay the bills? The writing as vain pursuit haunts me as much as the possibilities that tempt me with some vague promise of success in some unknown point of the future.

So I write and build up my fortress of words. A backlog of blogs waits for future readers to come. Or is that all just digital detritus that will eventually drift into the oblivion of unread folly. Will my kingdom of stories see its date of infamy one day? Is there a writer's equivalent of Pearl Harbor? Can this writer gather his inner forces to fight back to win the war against insecurity? It's my plan, but still I can't help having the doubts sometimes. Maybe I should write a story about it.

.Do you like surprises? Do you like to surprise others?: I'd like to surprise another blogger who I doubt will read this. I'm asking any of you who don't mind to go to the Heim Binas Fiction blog Wednesday post (that's today if you're reading this on Wednesday) and wish her a happy birthday. For her birthday she's asking for bloggers to share a favorite song by linking to it, quoting lyrics or whatever. I think she'd be thrilled to hear from you. And thanks from me!

Who Reads Your Writing?

2011-12-05T02:00:00.000-08:00

Image by Miss Millificent via Flickr

The next round of the Insecure Writer's Support Group is coming up this Wednesday. Today's post might sound like my contribution to this amazingly successful blog hop that Alex J. Cavanaugh started a few months back, but it's not. Call this post a prelude, part one, or just the question that's probably on many of our minds much of the time.

When I was in fourth grade we were given an assignment to write a description of a picture prompt that our teacher gave us. Mrs. Kingston, our teacher, raved about my work and was so impressed that she mounted my handwritten paragraph on a large piece of yellow construction paper along with the picture that prompted the assignment and sent it around to all of the classes in the school to be read as an example of good writing. It was then posted on a bulletin board near the office for all to see.

Last year I found that writing sample. It was not all that good, but I guess for fourth grade work I can see what the teacher saw in it. What this experience did for me however was to whet my desire to be read by others. I felt a certain sense of honor that my writing had been read by someone else and had achieved a sort of acclaim. Then, more than ever before in my young writing life, I had a desire to write and to be read.

When I write, I try to say something that will somehow touch others or give them pause to reflect on something I've said. I feel an obligation to write as well as I can and to write better with each new piece I write. Even if it is an email or a comment, I attempt to say what I'm saying in a manner that displays some degree of quality. Okay, I'm probably a hack in many ways, but I try.

In the earliest days of this blog, I went for weeks wondering if anyone was out there reading my words. Eventually, through the efforts of my commenting, I drew readers to hear what I had to say. But if I had never left a comment on another blog would anyone have ever read what I had written? My mother would have and sometimes my kids and a few friends might have.

I'll admit that I'm floundering and tossing it out there to you who are reading this post--if anyone is reading it. Sometimes I question why I write these blog posts. I guess it's a compulsion of sorts. I feel a need to fulfill my personal commitment to post on my assigned days. It's not a job and I've set my own bars for accomplishment. It basically comes down to the why I write question that I touched upon in my post of a couple weeks ago. If I write, who will read it and why?

I'm sure that I'll touch upon this topic again someday unless it becomes something I no longer think about. However, as long as I continue writing I'm sure the question will nag at some part of me. I hope to eventually have a book published, but I wonder who would read it. I think a big part of the answer to that question is up to me.

Who reads your writing? Do you faithfully maintain a blog schedule even if you don't feel like posting any content? What milestone in your life convinced you that you wanted to write for others to read?

Let's see who reads this: I'd like to surprise another blogger who I doubt will read this. I'm asking any of you who don't mind to go to the Heim Binas Fiction blog on Wednesday and wish her a happy birthday. For her birthday she's asking for bloggers to share a favorite song by linking to it, quoting lyrics or whatever. I think she'd be thrilled to hear from you.

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The House on the Rock: I didn't know what to expect

2011-12-02T02:00:00.000-08:00

Image by John Kroll via Flickr

Dollhouse at House on the Rock

When I first visited the House on the Rock in 1981 I didn't realize what I was going to see. I had seen it as a little red square on the map designating it as a place of interest so I thought I might check it out.

This was back when I was touring with the World of Fantasy Players stage production of The Wizard of Oz. Whenever we had the opportunity we would check out any places of interest in the areas we would be travelling and if there was time we'd play tourist.

House on the Rock sounded intriguing. I didn't find much information about it other than it was a house that had been built on a pinnacle of rock. Since Taliesin--the summer home of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright--was situated nearby I figured House on the Rock must be something similar to that. Boy, was I wrong.

Everyone who was working on the show catered to my whim and went to see this attraction. It's located in a beautiful area of southern Wisconsin west of Madison and not too far from the popular Wisconsin Dells tourist area. We had already spent some time in the Dells so we were in a touristy frame of mind.

A road through a forested area brought us to a graveled parking lot. All we could see were trees so there was no hint of what was to come. We were a bit taken aback by the cost, which at the time I think was about twelve dollars. It seemed a bit much to pay to tour a house even if the house was built on a rock. Since we were there we agreed to go ahead and pay the admission to see the sight.

It started out interestingly enough. The stone house was attractive and unique in design. Passageways meandered through several rooms with an assortment of fanciful furniture, Tiffany lamps, and other unusual furnishings from all parts of the world. I was fascinated and pleased with the experience as we neared the end of the house tour.

Then came the truly strange and unexpected part--a passageway filled with all sorts of peculiar displays led from the house to what I assumed was the exit. I was somewhat puzzled to emerge into what appeared to be an early twentieth century street. There were storefronts and various vehicles parked on the street. We had been transported to another place and era. We spent some time here and then realized there was a theater entrance with a brightly lit marquee above it.

After entering the theater we found ourselves in a museum-like exhibit of music boxes, nickelodeon machines, and mechanized musical instrument assemblages. As we progressed, each display got bigger, grander, and more complex, until eventually we were passing through entire rooms filled with automated musical instruments and mechanical figures. The rooms were glitzy, gaudy, and full of amazing music. Trying to describe it adequately is futile. It was one of those must see to believe experiences.

And it went on from there with too many displays to describe here. Even the bathrooms were amazing with displays that were like visiting a museum. It was all such an adjective inducing attraction that it would become superfluous to go on describing it.

We left in awe of what we had seen. For a few years after that visit, my wife and I returned to that incredible house whenever we were in the area. Each year new things were added with more promised for the future. There was much still planned to be added when we visited last in the mid-eighties.

I hope that one day I can go back to see what new surprises have been added to this super excursion into surrealism. If you are ever visiting the Dells or somewhere near the House on the Rock I would highly recommend a side trip. According to their website, the House on the Rock now has a resort hotel that sounds like a fine addition to make your visit an top notch vacation experience.

Have you been to House on the Rock? If you've been there in recent years, how is it now? Where have you gone that was much different than your expectations?

Survival Tactics for NaBloPoMo from Writers in the Movies

2011-11-30T02:00:00.002-08:00

Once again we are joined by Nicole of The Madlab Post. On her last visit she offered a creative look at comment styles based on characters from the Harry Potter stories. Today Nicole provides some tips on finding inspiration for blog posts (or anything else for that matter) from movies about writing.

Survival Tactics for NaBloPoMo from Writers in the Movies

It seems that everyone around the globe was getting their NaNoWriMo and NaBloPoMo or some version of them, on this month and I was no exception. I joined NaBloPoMo and was doing well blogging everyday until I missed one day 2 weeks ago. I abandoned it after that because I figured that there was no point in daily blogging in November since I already made that hiccup.

It felt like a failure, especially since I planned to write posts in advance and schedule them to publish but didn’t follow through on those plans. However, I did manage to complete NaBloPoMo in July and recently noticed that by using writers on film as inspiration for creating blog posts, anyone can finish a NaNo-undertaking in November or any other month. Coming up with post ideas was not my problem nor the reason I missed a day. I just forgot to blog, but these NaBloPoMo survival tactics from writers in the movies can help you whether you’re planning posts in advance or writing them off the cuff.

The Sean Connery Way: Play off of Another Blogger’s Post

In “Finding Forrester,” Jamal rewrote William’s earlier work and used it for a writting contest at his school. Find other blogs that bring credibility to or extend the topics that you are writing about on your blog and rather than rewriting their post, use it to build upon the same topic. This can help you connect with other NaBloPoMo participants and share each others reader base. You can achieve this by constructing blog posts that play off of something already written out in the blogosphere. By doing so, I do not mean for you to choose a counterargument or opposite viewpoint such as writing “The Benefits of Buying Organic” as a response to, or based on another blogger’s post that is about “The Disadvantages of Organic Fruits and Vegetables.”

Playing off of a post on another blog also does not refer to putting a spin on it such as writing about how the new and used book war is good for competition between small businesses, after another blogger wrote a post that discusses the rate at which new book sales are declining compared to the same time last year.....although you CAN do all of these things as well if it will help you survive the struggles of writer’s block and lack of motivation that surfaces during NaBloPoMo. The “Finding Forrester” way that I am referring to is to just merely post a short excerpt of something written by another blogger as a way to prove a point that you are trying to make about a particular subject or as a way to help your readers further understand what you are trying to tell them. An example of this would be if I were to write a blog post about the difficulties of deciding whether to commit suicide or not, by listing the challenges facing why to do it and why to avoid that route.

In the latter section, I could write about the things that life has to offer and not only reference one of my favorite quotes by Madonna where she talks about people being responsible for what happens in their lives, but I could also use this opportunity to play off of the recent Tossing It Out post titled “What Are You Doing for Christmas?” where Lee says “ Life is waiting for you to savor it before you have to leave this world. There has been good and good things are still to come. Much of that good is for you to find or create. Be thankful not just at Thanksgiving, but every day of your life.” That section of his post brings some validity to what I’m already trying to say, especially since the entire post will make you not want to kill yourself or at the very least, it will make you pause and reevaluate some things.

The Johnny Depp Way: Channel Your Inner Stalker

In “Secret Window,” Mort and Shooter dangerously tango through dealings with psychosis, plagiarism and justice, all in the pursuit of the perfect ending to a story. There are several ways to use this movie to help you write posts during NaBloPoMo but I’ll only touch on a few here. First, you can sorta plagiarise yourself by rewriting old posts that you either no longer enjoy reading and want to improve or posts that you have had a change of heart on. An example of this would be my dislike for the rapper Nicki Minaj’s music when she became popular over the last two years or so. Therefore, if I were to write a review of her album upon it’s release, my blog post probably would’ve said that her voice is so annoying and the lyrics are so dumb that she makes me want to go on a hip-hop fast for as long as she is on the scene. Today, I actually like some of her songs...so much so that I bought her album, which is something that I didn’t think I would ever do. Using the “Secret Window” approach, I could rewrite my review and add more favorable responses to this girl’s music.

Secondly, you can write blog posts in the voice of either several other people OR several different parts of yourself. This might be an interesting way to continue through the days of NaBloPoMo because it forces you to write things that you may have normally avoided otherwise and it also forces you to write in ways or in tones that could surprise your readers and go against the grain of your everyday blogging activities. An example of this would be to get angry and write a rant on Monday about whatever makes you mad...but do not write it as yourself. Write it in the tone of the angriest or meanest person that you know OR write it in your own tone, as if you were speaking to someone whom you would love to tell off, if given the opportunity.

No one rings the bell? That is ok too. I’m sure there is a celebrity that just gets on your last nerve, so use that as a starting point. Let’s use, say, Kim Kardashian as an example since many people love her and many people don’t. If you were placed in a room with Ms. Kardashian and given 5 minutes to tell her off, what would you say? Ok, now write that in your next blog post! Actually, let’s back up for a minute. If you are angry with some aspect of corporate greed, gun control, animal poaching, healthcare reform or whatever gets your pots boiling, take these matters and write a blog post that reads in the tone of a letter to Kim Kardashian, as if she were that corporate executive stealing millions from workers, or that rifle toting person or that criminal poaching decorative elephant parts for profit...you get the point.

Are you usually angry anyway on your blog? Fine. Write a post about the same matters, in the nicest tone that you can. Or, write about something that makes you happy, in the tone of Carol Brady from “The Brady Bunch,” rather than writing about things that make you angry. Whatever you do, be somebody else or another version of yourself for a day. It’s like trying on another personality for size, just like you try on a pair of new shoes or clothes. Doing so may help you learn more about yourself, offer insight to what does and does not matter, and most importantly.....it will help you survive NaBloPoMo!

Which survival tactics from “Finding Forrester” or “Secret Window” are YOU likely to use for your daily blogging activities? How did YOU survive NaBloPoMo, NaNoWriMo, or any other writing equivalent? If YOU missed a day or two, what caused this hiccup and how did you respond to it?

Thank you Nicole for another great guest post. Be sure to visit Nicole at her blog Madlab Post and tell her hello.

Who Would You Like To Write Like?

2011-11-28T02:00:00.001-08:00

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By now many of you have run a writing sample through the website I Write Like. My first sample that I put through of my writing was declared to be like the writing of Chuck Palahniuk. I was impressed even though at the time I had no idea who he was and had to look him up. The next sample I ran through said that I write like Dan Brown. Cool! Looked like I had the potential of writing a best selling novel.

Then I started experimenting. I put in a passage from Huckleberry Finn. The writing program quickly spat out Mark Twain. Too easy I thought, so I submitted a passage from a modern translation of the Book of Jonah out of the Bible. The response was Daniel Defoe. Hmmm--Well there is some similarity between the stories of Robinson Crusoe and Jonah--kind of, in a way.

Curious, I tried a passage from the Book of Ezekiel. The comparison was to Kurt Vonnegut. Now, I suppose some of Vonnegut's fans think of him as a writing god, but this comparison was going a bit far. Since I was on a roll I tried one more, this time another sample from the Bible came back as sounding like Anne Rice. Okay, that did it. The program was not always accurate.

The I Write Like program was developed by Russian software developer Dmitry Chestnykh. He fed about 50 famous writers into a data base and created a program that would analyze writing and compare the sample to one of those writers. It's a fun little diversion that is more like a technological parlor trick than any reliable system of writing analysis. Cool? Yes. Reliable? It has its limits. A lot of us seem to write like the same writers according to this website.

Personally, I would like to have an amazingly distinctive style that is readily identifiable as me. But I know I don't. I have a voice, but it is a casual modern voice that is not unlike a lot of writers that I read. That's okay with me because I prefer to write in the style that I enjoy reading.

If I were asked, "Who would you like to write like?", then I would probably mention someone like Flannery O'Connor, William Faulkner, or even Stephen King. They all have writing qualities that I find admirable. But also they are all different. Maybe a bit of each combined into a mishmash of me might be nice.

Who would you like to write like? Have you submitted any of your writing samples to I Write Like? What did that program say about you?

I think you will enjoy the Tossing It Out guest spot on Wednesday when Nicole from The Madlab Post makes a return visit with a blogging inspiration comparison to writers in the movies. How about I tease you with "Johnny Depp" for starters? Be sure to stop in this Wednesday to find out more.

What Are You Doing for Christmas?

2011-11-25T02:00:00.000-08:00

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Even though the signs of Christmas seem to start showing up earlier each year, the traditional downhill sled ride to the holiday starts the day after Thanksgiving. Still, Black Friday no longer is only the Friday after Turkey Day. Several "Black Fridays" have popped up with internet sales and special sales in stores trying to salvage low sales figures of the previous year. What's the point anyway?

It wouldn't be a bad thing if we all kept up the spirit of Christmas throughout the year and the economy might experience a year long boom if everyone spent money like they do at the holidays. Well, it might be a boom until the reality set in that credit has limits and money for most of us is limited.

In theory Christmas is more than spending lots of money and giving and receiving gifts. The spirit of the season should be something inside of us and a generous outpouring of love and kindness for our families and others. Charities count on that generosity in the month of December and many businesses would be in big trouble if not for the flow of festive money spending during that time.

These days it's not the best of times for many of us, but it's not the worst of times either--at least not yet. Most of us are still getting by fairly decently. We've got a place to live, clothes to keep us warm, food to eat, and so many other luxuries that we take for granted. If you're reading this blog that's evidence that you're not totally lacking and living in squalor.

So what are you doing for Christmas this year? Will you be enjoying family time as I hope will be the case with me and my wife? We miss our kids and grandkids. Hopefully we'll be able to share some good times with them. Some of you may be volunteering your time for worthy causes while others may be hard at work in jobs that become busier during this time. Or maybe you'll be at home just getting by or just getting some rest.

Whatever the choice you make in what you do for the holidays, remember your blessings and share blessings with others. We have much for which to be thankful, even when we think we don't. There is always something in our lives that is good and beautiful. It's up to you to make it so, whether it be the way you contribute to positive change around you or making a positive within yourself.

There have been good things in your life. Look around you if you don't think so. See the sky, the flowers, the trees. Hear the songs of the birds and the laughter of children at play. Life is waiting for you to savor it before you have to leave this world. There has been good and good things are still to come. Much of that good is for you to find or create. Be thankful not just at Thanksgiving, but every day of your life.

What are you most thankful for this year? What do you hope you can say you are most thankful for this time next year?

Chronicle Books Give-Away

2011-11-23T04:52:00.000-08:00

My thanks to Kelly at Book Dirt for calling my attention to the Chronicle Books Give-Away. The prize is $500 worth of books for the winner and one of the commenters on the winner's blog post will also receive those same books--how cool is that?

Not only will those prizes be awarded, but the winner will also be able to pick a favorite charity that will be able to pick out its own $500 worth of books. Do I have your attention yet? Maybe I should be keeping this a secret so there will be less entries and my odds will increase, but I guess I love my readers too much not to let you in on this great contest.

For my charity I'm going to choose the same one as Kelly did--Prospect Elementary School in Blount County, Tennessee--since I don't know of any other particular place and it's in my home town, I'll support that small library as well.

Here are my book choices:

Volume

Writings on Graphic Design, Music, Art, and Culture
Princeton Architectural Press

By Kenneth FitzGerald ($24.95)

This sounds like writing about a topic that interests me.

Survival City

Adventures Among the Ruins of Atomic America

By Tom Vanderbilt ($25.00)

This is the era during which I grew up. It scared me and fascinated me. I love this kind of stuff.

Absinthe

History in a Bottle

By Barnaby Conrad III ($22.95)

After seeing the Jack the Ripper movie From Hell, I became curious about this substance. Now to learn more.

Ghostly Ruins

America's Forgotten Architecture
Princeton Architectural Press

By Harry Skrdla ($29.95)

Ruins are so cool. I love looking at them. Sitting home at looking at the photos in a book would be the next best thing to being there (at least until they come up with the DVD documentary version--now that would be cool.)

I Was Here

A Travel Journal for the Curious Minded

By Kate Pocrass ($16.95)

This might me fun to play with in my future travel adventures.

Ready, Set, Novel!

A Workbook, Plan and Plot Your Upcoming Masterpiece

By Chris Baty, Lindsey Grant, and Tavia Stewart-Streit of National Novel Writing Month ($16.95)

Another thing to add to my collection of writer's resource material.

Grady McFerrin Photo Album $18.95

I've got a bunch of loose photos that should be put in an album.

The Autobiography Box

A Step-by-Step Kit for Examining the Life Worth Living

By Brian Bouldrey ($19.95)

Something that might go hand in hand with my new Wrote By Rote blog.

Cartes Postales

small edition ($18.95)

I've got an old post card collection. Maybe I can take some of them out of the shoe box they are in now and put them in an album.

Participate

Designing with User-Generated Content

By Helen Armstrong and Zvezdana Stojmirovic, foreword by Ellen Lupton ($24.95)

Maybe I can learn something from this and if not I'll pass it over to my daughter who might be able to use it.

Visual Merchandising 2nd edition

By Tony Morgan ($40.00)

This topic interests me for various reasons. It's another book that perhaps I can learn from.

Cut & Paste

21st-Century Collage

By Richard Brereton with Caroline Roberts ($29.95)

This one might be helpful to create experimental stuff for the blogs. If not my daughter might be able to use it as a resource material in her work as a collage artist.

Visual Complexity

Mapping Patterns of Information
Princeton Architectural Press

By Manuel Lima ($50.00)

Patterns...I'm interested and curious. Let me see how this book can expand my mind.

Geometry of Design, Second Edition, Revised and Updated

Studies in Proportion and Composition

By Kimberly Elam ($24.95)

You might get the impression that I've got some artistic bent after some of the books I've picked. It's just a topic that's been on my mind of late. This book's description sounds intriguing.

Graphic Design Thinking

Beyond Brainstorming

By Ellen Lupton, editor ($24.95)

This could have greater application than just visual arts. I'm willing to check it out.

Art Work

Seeing Inside the Creative Process

By Ivan Vartanian ($24.95)

The description says this book covers all types of creative processes. I want to be a creative person.

The Toaster Project

Or A Heroic Attempt to Build a Simple Electric Appliance from Scratch

By Thomas Thwaites ($19.95)

This sounds like something I'd think of but would be too dumb to actually do. Here I can read about someone else doing it.

Circus

Over 50 flaps plus seek-and-find!

By Roxie Munro ($15.95)

There's gotta be a juggler in this somewhere and I like the circus anyway. This might be fun to share with my grandkids.

Moleskine® Address Book Pocket

($12.95)

The address book I have now is about 35 years old, falling apart, and filled with defunct information. I need a new one.

Starry Crown Eco-Journal

By Grady McFerrin ($10.95)

This looks nice and if I don't use it I can give it as a gift.

DIYDesign It Yourself

A Design Brief
Princeton Architectural Press

By Ellen Lupton ($24.95)

I'm thinking a lot about design lately--in case that point didn't come across in some of the above picks.

That's my line up and I think they sound pretty good.
Grand Total $499.10 Close enough for me. Chronicle can keep the change.

If you want to play along then follow the link below:
http://www.chroniclebooks.com/happyhaulidays

Do you see anything here that you especially like? Have you read or seen any of these? Let me know if you add your own blog entry to the list so I can come and leave a comment.

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Can You Ever Own Too Many Books?

2011-11-21T02:00:00.000-08:00

Image by Ben Oh via Flickr

Last Monday's post stimulated some interesting discussion about whether or not most of our writing is done in vain. The over all consensus is that it is not so long as we enjoy what we are doing and if others derive some kind of benefit or entertainment value from what we write. I want to write and so I do.

Today I ask can we ever own too many books. At what point do we have too many books?

My wife probably is thinking that I am approaching hoarder mentality, especially where books are involved. I haven't counted what I have in my house, but I would estimate within the view from my office desk I can see about 300 books. Then I have several in the closet that I can't see. In other rooms of the house there are at least another two or three hundred scattered about. Add to that another few hundred that belong to my wife (she shouldn't be pointing at finger at me!). And did I mention the I don't know how many hundred that are out in our garage on shelves or packed in boxes? I even still have books from my younger days at my mother's house.

Let's face it--I probably have more books than I will ever read in my remaining lifetime at the rate I'm reading now. And I seem to keep acquiring more to add to the collection.

Over the years I've amassed many of them through book club memberships, purchased several for school classes, bought them during sales like the Borders clearances, and had them given to me. I rarely get rid of any of them because I like having a library in my home.

Even the ones I have read I would probably not want to get rid of since I tend to forget what I read and think that I may one day read them again. That might not be possible since I've got so many left to read for the first time.

Maybe I have too many books. That could probably also go for CDs, DVDs, and other recorded media. I look around the house and see all the stuff and realize maybe we have too much of all of it. Where does it end?

Recently when I helped my sister move from Phoenix back to Tennessee, we loaded a rental truck with a great many things she would need in her new home and a lot of personal possessions that she wanted to keep. The rest of what she owned she left behind to be sold by an auction company. As I looked around the house before we left I was amazed at the sheer quantity of material goods that she and her late husband had acquired over the previous decade and a half. Most of us own so much that is just there but rarely used for anything functional and often not even noticed that it is there.

That is my book collection--untouched for the most part, but are there any books I would immediately want to give up? I guess I would have to think on that for a while and it might prove to be a difficult decision. Maybe when they start stacking up, threatening to fall over and crush me, then maybe I'm starting to own too many books. Perhaps I need to slow down and start reading instead of accumulating.

Do you own too many books? What should be the point at which you stop accumulating books? When do you decide to get rid of books? How do you get rid of them?

If you'd like to add more books to your collection be sure to see my post coming up on Wednesday November 23rd where I'll be talking about the big Chronicle Books Give-Away. Oh boy! More books.

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A Roswell Mystery

2011-11-18T02:00:00.000-08:00

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Roswell UFO Museem

Sometimes I think about that night. I don't know why it comes to me now and then. Perhaps it has something to do with thinking about God watching over me or maybe because it had something to do with my destination of Roswell, New Mexico.

Yes, that Roswell of UFO notoriety. The place that has been featured in documentaries, science fiction movies, and even a popular television show. If you aren't familiar with Roswell, the town gained fame from a supposed UFO crash in 1947 after which supposed alien bodies were recovered. It's one of those things that conspiracy theorists and UFO buffs love to study and debate.

The town now capitalizes on the famous event with a museum dedicated to UFOs and alien life, an annual festival, and lots of souvenirs to cater to the many tourists who come there each year. It's all interesting to me, but not of extreme consequence. I used to go there every year on business and if not for that I may have never bothered to go there despite the fact that I had relatives living there. And they were human relatives and not aliens, but that's another story.

Anyway, this particular night took place in 1985 I think it was. The show I was working with at the time had finished a gig in Santa Fe, New Mexico. After tearing down and loading the truck we were going to make a night jump to Roswell, where our next performance would be.

We pulled away from the venue where our performance had been at about 10 PM. My wife, three year old daughter, and I were in our van. Driving separately from us was the show truck and another van with four other performers. As we were often wont to do when we had a night drive like this we stopped at a McDonald's for some food to go. By the time we had done this, crossed the span of the city, and reached the outskirts of Santa Fe it was about 10:30. We still had a couple hundred miles to go. I was guessing we would arrive at the motel I had reserved in Roswell at about 1:30 AM.

At night New Mexico is a very dark place. Our route did not involve interstates. We would be traveling U.S. highway 285 all the way to Roswell. Rolling down that highway in the night with the stereo cranked up I felt detached from the world. There were few cars on the highway and only a few towns that we passed through. Surrounded by blackness it seemed like the van was in space except for the highway beneath our tires humming with a lulling dullness.

We stopped at the small town of Vaughn to gas up and get some snacks. It felt like a dream in which we were moving fast in a slow motion world. Ethereal neon lights seemed surreal after emerging from the darkness of the empty highway landscape. It reminded me of some outpost in space where intergalactic travelers stopped to restock their starships.

Soon we were on the road again, later and darker than it had been before, as though in a place of ancient and sacred silence disturbed by our music, the steady engine song, and the tire rubber on the asphalt. I strained to see something beyond my headlights but an ebon vacuum surrounded me. My daughter was sleeping in the back seat and my silent wife slept as well.

I longed for sleep, anxious to get to the cool sheets of a strange room, another home for a day.

Then, a strange thing hit me as we passed into the Roswell city limits, the town asleep for the most part except for the dream drivers like me. I had this peculiar realization that I remembered virtually nothing of the journey between Vaughn and my now arrived at destination. Had I been so lost in the music, darkness, and driving that the drive had all slipped past me in a blur that did not recognize the concept of time. The time had elapsed far too quickly.

In the motel office as I was registering, a glance at the clock on the wall confirmed my fearful suspicion. It was only 12:45. We had made excellent time--too good of time. According to my calculations we had averaged over 95 miles per hour. A gush of icy blood coursed through my veins briefly and I felt afraid.

Could this be true? As I parked the van and unloaded our suitcases into the room, I marveled at the calculations. Prior to stopping at Vaughn I was sure that we had never gone faster than 75 miles per hour. We had lingered at the gas station a bit and had to slow down for the few towns we had passed through. That would have meant that the last unremembered ninety miles or so were made at an average of more than a hundred miles per hour.

I tried not to think about it because it made me feel uneasy. To have had my family in a vehicle going that fast and not being able to remember the trip was beyond irresponsible--it was plain crazy.

The other two show vehicles arrived at the motel about 45 minutes after I had gotten situated in our room. I gave them their room keys and retired to an edgy sleep that sped through dark highways of my dreamworld.

Oh dreamers of the highway, I wish you safe travels night or day. Most will survive, but some will not. I have been fortunate in my many miles and years of traveling. I believe that I have been blessed with divine protection in my travels throughout my life. I thank God for that.

Some say a UFO crashed near Roswell in 1947. I'm relieved that a red and silver Chevrolet Sport Van didn't crash on a dark night in 1985.

Have you ever arrived at a destination only to realize that you did not remember the journey to get there? Have you ever fallen asleep while driving? Have you been to Roswell, New Mexico?

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