January 2008
Trapeze Wisdom: Building Blocks →
Tackling a new skill (or project, objective, etc.) break it up into small steps and achievable bits.
When I was on Jonny’s Partay (see below) Jonny asked use to compare trapeze lessons with getting better at public speaking.
From the moment I walked into my trapeze lesson to the very end of class each one of the three instructors was reviewing a simple chain of steps you need to take to...
Twitter as news delivery system →
Patrick Ruffini at Tech President has a great post about Twitter starting to become a news-delivery system, a post I came across because it was linked to by Josh Catone over at Read/Write Web, who says Twitter is becoming a “platform for serious discourse.” Not all of what we see on Twitter is serious discourse, mind you — there are still people who insist on telling me everything they’re doing...
Merlene is multitasking domestic goddess duties... →
Starting right now →
Starting right now, if you picked up a pencil and started writing that novel you’ve been thinking of, you’d be a few pages closer to your goal. Starting right now, if you got that old guitar out and played for 10 minutes a day, you could rock out in a year. Starting right now, if you put a little extra money in the savings each paycheck you would retire much more wealthy. Starting...
Merlene is looking into the light. →
Merlene is in a Big Band kinda mood. Hanging with... →
Keep the Tip(ping Point) →
It’s funny. Just yesterday, I got notified by two separate people - one of whom is my colleague Greg Verdino - about an article that criticizes the theory behind Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point. One directed me to the Wall Street Journal’s The Informed Reader post called “The Cast Against Marketing to ‘Influencers’” while the other referred to the...
Merlene This one's for the freaks For you're so... →
Merlene is thankful for Kevin Smith & Clerks -... →
Ten Stunning Ultra-Geeky Home Cinemas →
With super big high-definition flatscreen monitors available, people are reliving the movie theater experience in their homes. Some have taken the opportunity to create home theaters designed around their favorite movie! We’ve featured the Indiana Jones Theater and a different Batcave Theater here, but there are plenty more. deputydog lists ten of the most extravagant. Note that Star Trek...
Potato, Leek and Andouille Soup →
6 russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
2 tablespoons butter
4 links Andouille, chopped 1 pound leeks, cleaned and dark green sections removed, approximately 4 to 5 medium
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
1½ cups cream
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup sour cream...
The Downsizing of an American Dream →
By Linsey Knerl
Adults with high-paying jobs, nice cars, pretty homes, and a house full of kids are said to be living the American dream. I was drooling for that dream when I headed off to college, scholarships in hand, and a decision to make between becoming a lawyer or a teacher. As adulthood set in, however, my dreams became fuzzy, and my ideals became more concrete. My American dream changed,...
Are you as creative as you want to be? →
Try these powerful ways to boost your innovation further
Some people doubt whether creativity can be learned, let alone taught. They assume it is some kind of genetic gift; you either have it or you don’t, and you can do little or nothing to change that fact.
Yet nearly all creative people have some things in common, and that at least suggests that encouraging those same traits and actions in...
Merlene puts her left foot in... →
Merlene thinks potato chips & beer is a perfectly... →
Meat House →
Mere words cannot describe how awesome this is: a house made of meat! Joel Richards of Easyjo and friends built this artery-clogging house out of sausages, bacons and bread crumbs held together by kebab stakes and baked in the oven.
I feel a heart attack coming just looking at it! Link with recipe | Photo Gallery - via A Welsh View
Weblog Tools Collection: Matt Cutts On Securing WP →
Matt Cutts has published an article which highlights three different ways to secure your WordPress installation. The first tip involves locking down your Admin directory. Matt configures his .hatccess file so that only his IP address is allowed to access the WP-Admin directory. For the second tip, you should create a blank index.html file to place into your wp-content/plugins directory. Not doing...
Greg Brady Launches Network on MyLifeBrand →
The Brady Bunch was arguably one of the most popular shows, pretty much of all time. While you’ll currently find more reruns of the Fresh Prince on Nick at Nite than The Brady Bunch, the show from the 1970s is a staple in our culture. Thanks to VH1, childhood stars from the show can make another run at being a celebrity, without having to make a made-for-television musical.
Perhaps social...
Top 5 Tips For Success in a Crowded Niche →
Photo by a4gpa
Unless you’re blogging about Mexican Walking Fish (who’ve been trained to fight in the Greco-Roman Wrestling style) you can bet that your niche is pretty crowded. If you’re blogging about personal finance, technology, blogging or making money online, the sheer number of peers and competitors can make standing out seem impossible.
While many have argued that blogging in a crowded...
7 Powerful Steps to Overcoming Resistance and... →
There are a slew of popular books and systems, from favorites of mine such as Getting Things Done to the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to the Now Habit and more, all designed to get us more productive and effective.
But getting things done is really about one thing, and one thing only: overcoming the resistance to doing what we need to do.
OK, I would add a couple more steps to that, to...
Marketing Ideas for Online Grocery Delivery... →
An interesting discussion got started on Twitter over the weekend and has migrated to blogs to continue the conversation. It started when Laura Fitton mentioned how happy she was to be able to do her grocery shopping while in her pajamas. She uses Peapod to order groceries online and have them delivered.
Merlene complained: “I’m jealous.. I’m *just* at the edge of suburbia and the online grocery...
Let's get physical: Do you have a type? →
It was 1982, I was eleven years old, and I knew exactly what I wanted. His name was Derek, and he was Ricky Stratton’s nemesis on Silver Spoons. Brunette, mischievous eyes, wicked sense of humor, smart as hell and smart ass. Twenty-five years later, “my type” is pretty much exactly the same, although I like them a bit older now, and no, I’m not stalking Jason Bateman.
I...
Merlene POP GOES THE WORLD! →
FWD is Voice enabling Facebook →
During the past number of months I have spent time thinking about MashUp opportunities of VoIP and Social Media and the continued evolution of social communications. And as I’ve been thinking about all the possibilities, it was great to see the FWD team has continued to expand their presence on Facebook. The following voice applications from FWD are now available to everyone who has an...
Different Ways to Use Twitter [Twitter] →
While some people argue that Twitter is not a productive use of one’s time, others strongly disagree. Blogger Maki provides a list of seventeen different things you can do with Twitter to make it worth your while. By actively engaging on Twitter, you can self-market and build your personal brand. This allows you to have a say in what Google knows about you. You can also ask a question and...
Merlene ... ok... so who broke twitter? →
Merlene is a Renaissance Woman! →
Merlene is hanging out with Duke, Count, etc. A... →
Merlene woke up this morning thinking... I owe... →
Merlene is intrigued and perhaps even beguiled. →
Merlene considering painting the trim & doors on... →
Merlene : Talk talk talk, its only talk Comments,... →
Merlene catching up on some email/messages/etc. →
Merlene thoroughly enjoyed her "social media... →
Merlene’s “Fukkit List” 2008 →
A few days ago inspired by Jeff Pulver’s Bucket List meme I wrote a “Bucket List” for 2008. A list of things I want to accomplish.
Today I give you my “Fukkit List”. All of the things that aren’t working that I’m working to remove from my life:
- Naysayers - You know… those negative “glass is half empty” type people. I seem to have a number of them in my life. These are the people who tell you...
It’s Not a Diet - It’s a Lifestyle? →
Yesterday was to be Day 1 of Phase 1 of the South Beach diet in my household.
3 chocolates & 2 bottles of porter later… not off to such a great start. I’ve been suffering for two weeks with a nasty flu. My birthday is in a few days and I’ve had several invites to go out for dinner with friends. Great time to start?? a diet. I think I set myself up to fail before I began.
A couple of years...
It’s Not a Diet - It’s a Lifestyle? →
Yesterday was to be Day 1 of Phase 1 of the South Beach diet in my household.
3 chocolates & 2 bottles of porter later… not off to such a great start. I’ve been suffering for two weeks with a nasty flu. My birthday is in a few days and I’ve had several invites to go out for dinner with friends. Great time to start a diet. I think I set myself up to fail before I began.
A couple of years ago...
Merlene’s “Bucket List” 2008 →
In response to being tagged in Jeff Pulver’s “Bucket List” 2008 note on Facebook I’ve spent a day thinking about what should be on my own list. In 2007 I made the decision to end my marriage. A relationship that I’d been in since I was 14 years old. This means that pretty much every part of my life is changing. There’s a new Merlene here. I’m not 100% who she is just yet but for now let’s call...
Keep Your To-do List in the Sidebar [How To] →
Remember the Milk users, to keep your task list in the sidebar while you surf, use its skinny, sidebar friendly RTM iGoogle module. Bookmark it (link below), and then from Firefox’s Organize Bookmarks dialog, sel ect the new bookmark, open its Properties, and check off “Load bookmark in sidebar.” When it’s loaded in your sidebar, you can edit, complete, and schedule tasks...
Give Your Readers Room to Participate in Your Blog →
One compositional technique that I teach in Digital Photography is to give your portrait subject space to look into when framing your shot.
You can see it in the image below - but the basic principle is that if your subject is looking to one side of the frame - position their head so there is more space on that side of the frame - giving them ’space to look into’.
Here’s an example (source...
The first thing to do this year →
Google yourself. If you’re a salesperson, your prospects already do. If you’re looking for a job, your prospective employers already do. If you’ve got a job, your co-workers already do. What do they see? Do you know? If you don’t like it, you can fix it. Start a blog, even if it’s just a few pages worth. Have some colleagues suggest you for wikipedia (if the powers...