The Lemming's Got a Feed (big whoop)

This will not change the destiny of civilization, end poverty, or cure the common cold: but the Lemming thinks it's a pretty big deal, anyway.

Apathetic Lemming of the North is now available in a new (to the Lemming) format:

• Apathetic Lemming of the North (on feedburner)
  (feeds.feedburner.com/ApatheticLemmingOfTheNorth)

You might even want to subscribe to that feed. Or, not.

One more thing: the feed's got advertising, which shouldn't get in the way too much. The Lemming's got bills to pay, like everybody else: and that's another topic.

The Lemming will be back, with something interesting (maybe), on Monday.

Vaguely-related posts:

• "Top 10 Blog Design Mistakes"
  (December 14, 2011)
• "Silly Season"
  (August 24, 2010)
• "Twitter, Hashtags, and Boring Stuff Like That"
  (July 6, 2010)
• "Blog Comments Categorized: Encouragers to Aliens"
  (May 28, 2010)
• "Inbound Link Dead! Twitter Did It! (maybe so, maybe not)"
  (September 22, 2009)

Lemming Tracks: Candles, Reports, Meetings, and a Busy Lemming

This has been a hectic 10 days for the Lemming. Take today's post, for example. Not this one, the "Museum of Modern Art: MoMA isn't a Japanese Cartoon Character" one that was supposed to get posted about seven hours ago.

That post's time stamp looks okay: but nobody could read it until a few minutes ago.

Sorry about that.

Candles, Video, and the Lemming

All of which has nothing to do with this post's video about a candle that burns in a circle. Candles like that are what's been keeping the Lemming busy. They're made by Spiral Light Candle Corporation. ("A Candle With a Twist")

Now, some blatant self-promotion:

• Spiral Light Candle Corporation
  (spirallightcandle.com)
  • Video
  • P.O. Box 868
    Hillsboro, ND 58045
    Telephone (701) 425-0682
• Spiral Light Candle Corp. Storefront
  On Amazon.com

Work, North Dakota, and a Busy Lemming

At this moment, the Lemming is wrapping up some work at the Spiral Light Candle office in Hillsboro, North Dakota. Near Hillsboro, actually. We're about two miles out of town.

Until today, the Lemming could get his work done at his own desk, down in central Minnesota. That's good news for the Lemming, and an example of working from home, telecommuting, and other Information Age stuff. The Lemming's discussed Flash, a movie about coffee, and clueless supervisors in another blog: which doesn't have much to do with finding more space for Spiral Light Candle's factory.

Finding more floor space for a candle factory is what brought the Lemming to North Dakota. Spiral Light Candle is looking for a building to move into early next year: and the Lemming's presence was wanted at a meeting involved in that process. All of which may sound more highfalutin than it really is.

The meeting's over, the Lemming's been getting a bit more work done, and soon it'll be time to head back to Minnesota.

Life, Blogging, and All That

The next post in this blog should get posted Friday morning, which gives the Lemming a whole day to get something ready. If writing for this blog was all that the Lemming did, that'd be plenty of time: but there's more to life than blogging, even for an apathetic Lemming.

See you Friday morning: probably.

Almost-not-entirely-unrelated posts:

• "Lemming Tracks: The Lemming's Back, and Pooped"
  (August 10, 2011)
• "Lemming Tracks: The Lemming's Taking a Sabbatical, Sort Of"
  (July 26, 2011)
• "How to Not Sound Crazy - or - THE PARANOIDS ARE AFTER ME!!!"
  (June 12, 2011)
• "Lemming Tracks: Due to Lack of Interest, Monday has been Canceled"
  (June 6, 2011)
• "And Now, for Something Completely Different: a Spiral Candle Video"
  (March 16, 2011)

Lemming Tracks: The Lemming's Back, and Pooped

The Lemming set off for Pennsylvania on August 30, in company with #2 daughter and son-in-law. We spent most of the next week at a trade show, letting folks know about self-filling candles made by the Spiral Light Candle Corporation.

The Lemming want along as the company gofer, and babysat video equipment.

Aside from losing power in a toll booth, we had a pretty good trip. And the trade show was worthwhile, from a business point of view.

The Lemming got home yesterday, about mid-afternoon. It's good to be back, but somehow - even after about 10 hours of sleep last night - the Lemming's still pooped.

Probably-related posts:

• "Sunday in Steubenville, Ohio"
  Through One Dad's Eye (August 7, 2011)
• "Bad News: Or, Rather, Good News"
  Through One Dad's Eye (August 6, 2011)
• "Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show: Second Morning on the Floor"
  Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind (August 4, 2011)
• "Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show: First Morning on the Floor"
  Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind (August 3, 2011)
• "Lemming Tracks: The Lemming's Taking a Sabbatical, Sort Of"
  (July 26, 2011)

More about the Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show and the Lemming:

• "Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show"
  Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind

Lemming Tracks: The Lemming's Taking a Sabbatical, Sort Of

The Lemming's done time in American academia, and grew up in that subculture: so for the Lemming, a "sabbatical" is what the University of Sussex says it is: "A period of time (usually a term) when a faculty member is not teaching, but concentrating on his/her own education or research."

Sussex is on the other side of the Atlantic, the Lemming isn't a faculty member, and doesn't intend to be gone for a term. For that matter, the Lemming's not going to be doing his own education or research. Not entirely, that is.

But "taking a sabbatical" sounded cooler than "taking a break."

Besides, being the company gopher at a convention isn't exactly "taking a break."

"Company?" What Company?

The Lemming's involved with the company that makes Spiral Light Candles. If a picture's worth a thousand words, this half-size video should be a real time-saver. It's a time-lapse of a Spiral Light Candle - the thing takes about two hours to burn.

"Spiral Self Filling Candle"

(shown half-size: full version at YouTube)
Ryan Theis, YouTube (Oct 12, 2012)
video, 0:19

"A candle that burns around a hollow center and fills itself...."

The Lemming's son-in-law is showing the things at a trade show in Philadelphia next week. Just outside Philadelphia, actually: but the Lemming figures you're more like to know where Philadelphia is, than King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

Besides being the company gopher at the convention trade show, the Lemming's going to be handling streaming video - using software that the Lemming didn't know about last week.

Between getting on speaking terms with a new-to-the-Lemming technology, and miscellaneous other preparations, the Lemming thinks it's best to not try posting in this blog - or the Lemming's other 'daily.' Not for the rest of this week. Or, probably, next week.

Return of the Lemming

The Lemming doesn't know what the trade show schedule will be like - and jobs one and two will be gophering and managing a video feed. So the Lemming will either have opportunities to post from Pennsylvania - or not. Eventually, the Lemming plans and hopes to return to central Minnesota, and the small town he's called home for the last quarter-century.

When that's going to happen? Good question - the Lemming's letting someone else do the heavy lifting with those decisions.

It's Not Research, Quite; or Education, Exactly

Since someone else is doing the driving at least part of the way to Pennsylvania, the Lemming's taking along story notes and sketches - and plans to get a little creative time in. There's a project or two that's been on the 'back burner' for - too long, and the Lemming hopes to change that situation.

And that's another topic.

Not-entirely-unrelated posts:

• "Lemming Tracks: The Lemming's Taking the Day Off - Again"
  (May 4, 2011)
• "Lemming Tracks: The Lemming's Taking the Day Off"
  (May 1, 2011)
• "And Now, for Something Completely Different: a Spiral Candle Video"
  (March 16, 2011)
• "Lemming Tracks: The Lemming is Cutting Back"
  (February 21, 2011)
• "Lemming Tracks: The Lemming Took Monday Off"
  (December 27, 2010)

More about the Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show and me:

• "Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show"
  Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind

And Now, for Something Completely Different: a Spiral Candle Video

"Spiral Self Filling Candle"

(shown half-size: full version at YouTube)
anoasisproduction, YouTube (March 15, 2011)
video, 0:42

"A candle that burns around a hollow center and fills itself...."

The Lemming thinks it's a fun little video: and has a personal interest. The inventor and developer of this candle is the Lemming's son-in-law.

It's a new product - and available through Amazon.com:

Red Spiral Wick Self Filling Candle
by Spiral Fire

What Next: Robot Lifeguards?

"A robot lifeguard patrols Malibu"
Cindy Waxer, Innovation Nation, CNNMoney.com (October 25, 2010)

"Emily may not be the prettiest thing with plastic parts on bikini-riddled Zuma Beach in Malibu, Calif., but 'she' still turns heads.

"That's because Emily -- whose name is an acronym for Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard -- is a four-foot-long robotic buoy capable of racing through rough surf at 24 miles per hour. Emily's creators estimate that the robot can rescue distressed swimmers twelve times as fast as human lifeguards. Take that, David Hasselhoff!..."

"...The final result is a remote-controlled contraption powered by a tiny electric pump called an impeller, which squirts a forceful stream of water, much like the propulsion system on a Jet Ski. Manufactured by Mulligan's startup, a seven-employee company called Hydronalix in Sahuarita, Ariz., Emily can run up to 80 miles on a single battery charge. The device's foam core is buoyant enough to support up to five people, who cling to Emily's ropes until human aid arrives...."

It looks like a sawed-off red pontoon with a flag - and relies on the drowning victim being alert, and able to grab and hold on to the lines along its side. Also realize that the red torpedo is there to help.

"...'This is a classic example of an inventor's idea of how to solve a problem that doesn't necessarily coincide with reality,' says B. Chris Brewster, president of the United States Lifesaving Association. He notes that a robotic floatation device -- no matter how nifty -- can't save an unconscious swimmer...."

That's a reasonable point.

Still, that 24-knot 'swimming' speed is impressive. And well outside the envelope of what human beings can do.

The Lemming thinks that something like EMILY could be a lifesaver - literally - in situations where getting there fast is important.

Add a camera, arms, and artificial intelligence - and the 'uncooperative victim' issue is dealt with. That'd be a huge upgrade, of course.

Missouri's Guitar Mansion Sold: to 'Surprised Bidder'

"Historic Guitar Mansion sold to surprised bidder"
Columbia Missourian (October 18, 2010)

"It is more than an old home. The Guitar Mansion has survived the Civil War and other historical sea changes. It has gone through care and bustle, neglect and vacancy. It has been a family home, a business and a bed and breakfast.

"And it will remain standing.

"In a public auction on Monday, run by United Country Auction Services, the Guitar Mansion and six acres surrounding it on Oakland Gravel Road were sold for $155,500 to Elena Vega of Columbia, who outbid interested people from all over the country.

"Vega hadn't come to the auction to bid, however. She came to watch - a lover of historical homes who wanted a last look at a piece of Columbia history...."


(from Taylor Glascock, via Columbia Missourian, used w/o permission)
"Prospective bidders gather in front of the Guitar Mansion on Monday. A former bed and breakfast, the Civil War-era property drew bidders from all over Missouri. The property sold for $155,500."

The Guitar Mansion's current owner came to take photos, now buy a house - so this might be an example of auction fever. Or, not. Bidding started low, according to the article: so maybe Vega was jumping at an unexpected opportunity.

In a way, $155,500 is a bargain price. The article says that a previous owner put about three quarters of a million dollars into renovating the place to be a bed and breakfast. $155,500/$750,000? Not bad.

The name of the house doesn't have to do with music - at least, not directly. This article, and another, say that someone named David Guitar built the place in 1862. There's a bit of a story about the Guitar family, too: 'a house divided' and all that. The War Between the States was a messy business.

The Lemming did a little checking, and wouldn't you know it? The Guitar Mansion's Registration Form for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places is online.

More, in the news:

• "Historic Guitar Mansion to go on auction block"
  T.J. Greaney, The Columbia Daily Tribune (September 12, 2010)

Blogging With a Purpose: Be it Porpoises, Plating, or Papyri

"What is Your Blogging Purpose?"
Personal Blog of Justin Germino (August 26, 2010)

"Do you know your blogging purpose? Why do you blog, is it a means of self expression and do you do it for yourself or with your audience and readers in mind?

"My biggest mistake when blogging is having too many idea's[!] and not spending enough time to flush them out and create clear 'business plans' for my various blogs...."

This post is intended more for the serious, business-minded blogger, than for folks who like to rattle off a post now and again for the fun of it.

Then there are those who rattle off posts now and again for the fun of it, and are business-minded.

Wherever you are, this is a fairly fast read - and might suggest some ways that you can tighten the focus of your blog.

The Lemming's found that consciously focusing a blog's area of interest helps when writing posts. And seems to help other folks interested.

What about Apathetic Lemming of the North? This is one of the Lemming's most tightly-focused blogs. I only post about stuff that interests me.

---

A tip of the hat to dragonblogger, on Twitter, for the heads-up on his post.

Good Website Advice For Everybody, Actually

This article's written for small business owners, but I think anybody with a website could pick up something useful here:

"11 Reasons Customers Don't Trust Your Web Site"
Small Business Advice, Small Business Trends (July 6, 2010)

"While it may be hip to say otherwise, your small business needs a Web site. The same way you can't ignore your blog for social media, you can't ignore your site in lieu of a Twitter account. You may spend your afternoons engaging with people on social sites, however it's your site that users will turn to for trusted information about what you do, how you do it, and how they can get it. But before you go just throwing something together, remember they're looking for trusted information.

"The Web site you create can't help you if it doesn't appear trustworthy to users. And that means more than just creating a professional design (though that helps). It means taking time to lay the foundation from the very beginning.

"Here are 11 reasons customers won't trust your Web site. It's the what NOT to do...."

The article lists the reasons in bold, with a paragraph explaining why your website shouldn't be like this:

• It's written like a brochure.
• It's littered with typos.
• You don't say why you're different.
• You say 'we' too much.
• It hasn’t been updated in five years.
• It's hard to navigate.
• It's buzzword city.
• It looks like a template.
• There's no About page.
• You don't provide a real address.
• No third-party endorsements.

Some of the points, like "third-party endorsements," aren't so important for a non-business website - or blog. On the other hand, and endorsement could make your website stand out.

Bottom line? If you've got a website, reading that article probably wouldn't be a complete waste of time.

---

A tip of the hat to copyblogger, on Twitter, for the heads-up on this article.

Fireman's Brew: A Tale of Two Guys, Beer, and a Goodwill

"Fireman's Brew: A compelling story behind the craft beer."
Los Angeles Times (May 1, 2010)

"Just about every amateur brew master who has made a tub of beer in the garage has dreamed of going pro.

"But Los Angeles County firefighters Rob Nowaczyk and Ed Walker, who expanded from home brewing to founding the commercial Fireman's Brew Inc., had an edge over most would-be brewery owners.

" 'Everyone likes firefighters,' Nowaczyk said. 'People respect what we do and that we put our lives on the line every day.'

"That goodwill helped kick-start their brewery into profitability after only about three years. It also didn't hurt that Fireman's Brew donates 5% of its net income to the nonprofit National Fallen Firefighters Foundation...."

Brewing good beer helped, too, I suspect. Goodwill and good intentions only go so far.

The small company isn't doing at all badly:

"...Woodland Hills-based Fireman's Brew is now sold in upscale supermarkets such as Gelson's and Whole Foods, and in restaurants such as the Barney's Beanery and Hennessey's Tavern chains. In 2009, the company - which offers three types of beer, plus a brand of coffee sold only to firehouses - had $500,000 in sales.

"That's not even a swig compared with the $36.8 billion in revenue that industry giant Anheuser-Busch InBev had last year.

"But while it's not a great time for the beer industry overall — sales of domestic brews slipped 2.2% in 2009 and foreign brews fell 9.8% — the craft-brew segment made up of small, independent breweries that produce less than 2 million barrels a year is growing, according to the Brewers Assn.

"Indeed, sales of beer from craft breweries were up 20% in the last two years, the association said.

"The rise of craft brews is all the more impressive in that they generally retail for about the same price as imports.

" 'The difference is most imports don't have a story behind them,' said Eric Schmidt, research director for the Beverage Information Group. 'Having a story plays into the authenticity of the beer. It's not being sold to you by a guy in a suit in a boardroom.'..."

Bingo. I think Mr. Schmidt has a good point. Major brands, with their industrial brews, can have a sort of "personality," but that's a little harder to do these days. Maybe America's masses need to be protected from the Hamms Bear, but I'm not so sure.

Still, it's nice to see that a couple of guys who like to make beer can do so - and make a little money, too.

The company has it's own website (no big deal, these days):

• "Fireman's Brew"
  • Check out their flashy splash page

Related posts:

• "No Beer Between Meals? What's Denmark Coming to?"
  (April 9, 2010)
• "Yogi Yorgesson's 'I Yust Go Nuts At Christmas' and the Hamms Bear"
  (December 15, 2009)
  • Includes Shocking, BANNED LYRICS!
• "Oktoberfest: Not for the Faint of Heart"
  (October 7, 2009)
• "And Now, for Something Completely Different: A Blog About Beer"
  (September 5, 2007)

Or click "beer" in this blog's

• Label Cloud
  

Entrepreneurs aren't CEOs: The New York Times and a Crazy Bonus

"The New York Times, a Crazy Bonus, and Entrepreneurs"
Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind (March 16, 2010)

"I get calls from time to time, from people at employment agencies. They want to know if I'll be filling any positions.

"I'm a writer and artist, writer mostly, and run a sole proprietor business where I'm the CEO, general manager, marketing department clerical staff and maintenance department - and do anything else that needs to get done.

"Even so, I'm not paying myself all that much. But it's no use complaining to the boss about it: I've tried...."

I think the post is brilliant! insightful! thought-provoking! But then, Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind is one of my blogs - and I'll admit to having a bias.

It's my take on the disconnect between the $2,300,000 bonus a CEO got for 2009 - while employees were losing their jobs. I don't know that the situation really qualifies as being "obscene," but I do think that it was a stupid move.

And, I get into what I see as a difference between entrepreneurs and CEOs of major, established, corporations.

Sort-of-related posts:

• "Lemming Tracks: Jobs, Skills, Status and Stress"
  (March 13, 2010)
• "Lemming Tracks: Lower Middle Class and Loving It"
  (December 14, 2009)
• "Big Three Automakers Going Bankrupt: Is it Really a Problem?"
  (December 12, 2008)

Excel: Spreadsheets are for Numbers *And* Words

"Beyond Numbers: Manipulating Text in Excel"
PC Magazine (May 21 2009)

"Excel is great for crunching numbers, but it's also a simple database solution for many. Luckily, with a few handy formulas, Excel can learn to crunch your alpha-bits too."

"Common wisdom is that word processors are for text and spreadsheets are for numbers. The reality, however, is that while spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel let you work with numbers in every imaginable way, they're also quite adept at manipulating text. This ability comes in very handy, and Excel is often used as a lightweight database to manage a wide variety of data lists.

"Unfortunately, the text in your spreadsheets often won't be stored in a manner suitable to your needs. For example...."

This is a pretty good article for people who have Excel, could use a simple database, and don't have some combination of a large IT staff, programming skills, and unlimited time.

That first 'for example' shows how to take "a list of people's names where each name is stored as firstname lastname (for example, John Doe) in a single cell...." and turn it into something you can search and sort by last name.

There's specific advice for dealing with domain names, file names, zipcodes that start with a zero, and extra blank characters in your text.

A supervisor of mine once told me that he could do just about anything with a text editor and a spreadsheet. I didn't quite believe him at the time, but tried doing things his way, anyway. He had a point.

I've used Excel for quite a few off-label functions: including what this article describes.

This article is particularly helpful, because it shows some of the functions you'd need to use.

Small Home Office From a Closet

"TEENY OFFICE INSPIRATION"
Homebug (October 23, 2008)

"Yesterday I made reference to creating a little work station somewhere in our house...."

Just two photos, and not much text: but you'll see how a closet can be converted into an office: provided you don't mind sitting in the hall. What I appreciate about this is that it shows an approach to setting up a home office that doesn't involve having a hundred square feet or so of floor space to play with.

Yet Another Art Blog: This One Actually Looks Good

This is PaulBaines.co.uk your source for street art, iconic art, underground art, investment art, and more

or maybe it's

Indoor Street Art Paul Baines

Whatever, this is another art blog. WAIT! This one is a bit special.

It's not the traditional semi-19th-century fine art gallery: and it looks good.

Okay, the first thing I thought when I saw it was "Andy Warhol!" But that's just one of the graphics.

I liked the "BUY ART" "READ RANT" navigation graphics on the home page.

I'm still not sure what the title of the blog is, but it's by someone in the United Kingdom who wrote, "I take a logical and atavistic approach to art. I filter the popular media and public opinion, raising notions of false hindsight and the collective consciousness. The power of the media, the intellectual endowment of the ruling elite, and the deconstruction of language have led us to a unique point in history...."

So, if you like atavistic popular media intellectually endowed by false hindsight of the intellectual elite's intellectual endowments - or what ever it is he meant - You'll probably like this blog.

The posts aren't quite what I expected: The first I glanced over was titled, "Talking with the Dead."

Fifties Music: Links to Amazon Products as a Blog

The Best 50s Music

"My favorite albums and songs of the 50s. 50s dance, pop, rock, and other genres of 50s music. 50s MP3s, music CDs, and DVDs you can buy."

Today's post: "Chuck Berry - The Definitive Collection " (July 14, 2008).

"This is great 50s and 60s rock music by Chuck Berry. My favorite 50s songs are "Johnny B. Goode", "Rock And Roll Music", and "Maybellene". Other songs I like are "Thirty Days", "You Can't Catch Me", "Too Much Monkey Business"...."

This blogger has the same general idea I had, with "Apathetic Lemming of the North."

Except he's more focused (wouldn't take much), and links to Amazon products.

Promising, I'd say, for people who like music of the fifties. Right now, the posts don't tell you much more than which songs are the blogger's favorites in a collection, but more detailed reviews may be coming.

A Media Executive's Personal Blog

"Kevin D Goodman "

"Personal weblog for Executive Creative Director of Sundown Media Concepts ------------------- NO HOLDS BARRED"

(from Kevin D. Goodman, used w/o permission)
"Arms" Kevin D Goodman

This blog is a pretty good place to go, if you want an inside look at a small business (small, as in not as big as Microsoft or Sony, with a very very hands-on executive).

Kevin D. Goodman has been updating every few days to a week or so lately, so you'll have a chance to see how the business - and his view of it - is evolving.

My favorite post to date is "Fictitious Planning. " (June 17, 2008). The blogger is getting some academic work done, including "... a fictitious marketing plan, based on a fictitious business plan, all evolving around hypothetical situations.... One thought in particular stood out in this post: "This project has reminded me that as we become embroiled in details we should occasionally refresh, step back, examine the larger picture, and reconsider different strategies."

Mr Goodman's got more material, on squidoo:

• "Publicity stunts 101"
  Pretty good summary/introduction to the topic
  (an irrelevant aside: I remember how Pat Paulson (who?) got national attention as an unsuccessful waterwalking swami)
• "and How to Distribute a Press Release"
  Also a pretty good summary/introduction to the topic

Both of these squidoo pages are well-organized, have relevant links, and show signs of being written in a hurry - I noticed typos, on a fast read. Still, I think these are pretty good resources.

---

Update (July 7, 2008)
A new URL for the Sundown company:
Sundown Media Concepts LLC - http://sdmc.info

---

"Me, Too!

I've got a personal-view blog, too: "Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind" ("The continuing adventure of publishing online. Or, starting a business in a new market, with new technologies and no tried and true business models. Or, what to do with a miscellaneous resume. Or, getting laid off for fun and profit.")

There are quite a few differences between my blog and Mr. Goodman's.

• He updates his blog more often than I do
• Although we've got about the same amount of hair, his is mostly on the top of his head - mine is mostly on the bottom half

Internet to Become Television-Like Medium Without Small Websites?

"2012: The Year The Internet Ends"
IPower (June 1, 2008)

"Every significant Internet provider around the globe is currently in talks with access and content providers to transform the internet into a television-like medium: no more freedom, you pay for a small commercial package of sites you can visit and you'll have to pay for seperate subscriptions for every site that's not in the package.

"Almost all smaller websites/services will disappear over time and multinationals who are used to using big budgets to brute force their content into every media outlet will finally be able to approach the internet in the same way...."

I sincerely hope that these people are wrong. On the other hand, this doesn't have the feel of the run-of-the-mill crackpot conspiracy theory.

I'd really appreciate comments. Particularly informed comments.

Opinions About PayPal

"is paypal safe for bloggers?"
A BlogCatalog discussion thread (started May 21, 2008)

"i wanted to post ads...i am from the philippines. is it safe for us pinoys?"

This should be interesting.

Blogging and Business: an Article That Could Be Worse

Remember, I'm a Minnesotan. "It could be worse" is quite a compliment up here. You betcha, it is.

"Blogging Your Way Into a Business"
The New York Times (August 12, 2007)

Part of the article is a series of success stories, including one about a lawyer to turned a blog into a book, and was, a year ago, talking television right with someone.

I recommend due diligence, but there are idea-starters there.

A Crafter's Blog: Experiencs and Resouces

"My @Ventures..."

"This is where I put my craft accomplishments: felt and crochets, and everything else.

"Disinilah kutempatkan kreasiku dari kain Flanel, dan semua yang lain-lain." (Indonesian: repeats the English "This is where" statement. Thanks to Melisa Sriwulandari, the blog's author, for letting me know.)

Here are some excerpts:

• "Here it is, my first attempt at crocheting with plastic bag yarn. Turns out my yarn was too short though, so it's a three-quarter coaster. Why? Because I don't have the same kind of plastic bag anymore."
• "This is such a wonderful thing to found out that I have to share it with you. I found this link from hooksandneedles who found gooseflesh from crochetme."
• "This is another question mark. Did I do it right? How am I supposed to single crochet around for the border? It looks like a rotten heart."
• "They paved paradise and put up a parkin' lot
  With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin' hot spot
  Don't it always seem to go
  That you don't know what you got till it's gone
  They paved paradise and put up a parkin' lot"
  (I haven't heard these lyrics for a long time - that was a pleasant trip down memory lane)
• "What We Can Do To Save Our Earth
  "I've been thinking about the Story of Stuff these few days, and this is what I came up with: "
  1. Buy basic necessities only
  2. Buy natural stuff (not manufactured with toxins)
  3. Buy things only when your old ones are totally unusable already, like your shoes, bags, other wearables.
  4. ....
  "

Looks like a pretty good blog: a journal of someone who is working with crafts.

Posts frequently include photos.