Successful Blog

Bloggy Question 35: Rockin’ Blogger

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Road Trip

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week. I offer this bloggy life hypothetical question. . . .


A long time friend, a rock promoter, is town with the coolest band. You’re jealous and jazzed at the same time. It’s the kickoff to the concert tour for their latest CD.

Folks have been waiting for three years. The concert has been sold out at the stadium for months now, and there you are with box seats and full back stage access. This is better than anything you and your friend pulled off in college.

You took a week off work just for the occasion.

You’re in with band. It’s like you’re with old friends during set up and sound checks. You’re no music slouch yourself. The sound guy lets you listen in on the headset.

As rehearsal moves on, you pull out your laptop and start blogging your usual blog posts for the week.

On a break, the band comes over to see what you’re doing. The lead singer says he tried blogging, but couldn’t blog and write music too. He asks you a string of questions about your blog and blogging in general.

Then the day before the band leaves town, your fine friend says, “They want you to come with. They want you to blog the entire road tour all 12 months of it — $10K/month, all expenses paid, fine hotels, great food, big cities, Europe, UK, South Africa, Singapore, Australia, Japan.

It means being out of your job, your apartment, and on the road for your life in a matter of days.

How do you respond?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles
Bloggy Question 34: Time Is Money, but Content Is Free for the Paraphrasing!
Bloggy Question 33: You’ve Changed, Man — DON’T Look at Yourself
Bloggy Question 32: Blogger Alert! Where Is She? What Should You Do?
Bloggy Question 31: Do You Send Away the Idea of a Lifetime?
Bloggy Life Question 30 — How Does He Get the Book to Readers?

Sandy’s Great Graphic Find: PicMaster

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How Do They Create Those Mosaics?

Great Find: PicMaster

Permalink: http://www.graphics-tools.com/

Target Audience: All Windows users

Content: This week we’re taking a look at a program called PicMaster. There are a number of features this program is known for, but the one I like the best is the mosaic function. I’ve seen those mosaics made with a lot of little photos and wanted to try it. This software makes it easy. Make sure you have a large selection of photos that can be made into thumbnails for the finished piece. Then it’s just a matter of telling the software what you want and waiting a few minutes.

Voilá! A mosaic for your viewing pleasure.

Jim
Jim as Mosaic

PicMaster is offered as Shareware so you can try it before paying the $29.90 U.S. fee. There are restrictions though, so if you like what this tool offers, you will want to purchase it to eliminate the watermark and realize the full potential of the software.

Here are seven things I like about PicMaster :

  • Create mosaics.
  • Remove red-eye with the image editor.
  • Manage your pictures with the image browser.
  • Print individual pages to make a huge poster.
  • Morph images (e.g., a cat into a dog).
  • Use the filters (preview first) to create neat effects.
  • Add sound comments to your pictures.

I had fun with this program. Let me know what you think.

Stay tuned… next week we’ll have a graphics tip!

–Sandy, Purple Wren

Related articles:
Great Graphic Find: Pixel Ruler
Great Graphic Find: FavIcon from Pics
Great Graphic Find: SnagIt

Holy Spam! Batman!

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It’s the Sunday Spam Report

This morning, I got a spam message from Jesus. He’s was talking about a website I should visit.

I was looking for a deeper meaning when I noticed I also got a greeting from Brittney. She’s apparently into over-the-counter pharmaceuticals.

I relaxed, knowing the universe had a weird balance.

Nice to know that they were thinking of me. . . . yeah.

I suggested they get to know each other and showed them the way out.

UPDATE: Just came across a message from Mars. I’m wondering whether I should start paying attention. . . .

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
About Spam in my Spam Filter
About Logging in to Leave Comments . . .

Thanks to Week 66 SOBs

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muddy teal strip A

Successful and Outstanding Bloggers

Let me introduce the bloggers
who have earned this official badge of achievement,

and the right to call themselves
Successful Blog SOBs.

I invite them to take a badge home to display on their blogs.

muddy teal strip A

They take the conversation to their readers,
contribute great ideas, challenge us, make us better, and make our businesses stronger.

I thank all of our SOBs for thinking what we say is worth passing on.
Good conversation shared can only improve the blogging community.

Should anyone question this badge’s validity, send him or her directly to me. This award comes with a full “Liz said so” guarantee. It is endorsed by Kings of the Hemispheres, Martin and Michael, and backed by my brothers, Angelo and Pasquale.

deep purple strip

Want to become an SOB?

If you’re an SO-Wanna-B, you can see the whole list of SOBs and learn how to be one by visiting the SOB Hall of Fame. Click the link or visit the What IS an SOB?! page in the sidebar.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Going for the Gestalt

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I've been thinking . . .
I’ve never been good at answering the question, “What’re you going to do this weekend?” I guess that’s because I don’t usually make big plans. I like little plans for my weekend — tiny ones that make a big difference.

Big plans require preparation, decision-making, and coordination. I do enough of that stuff all week long. This weekend I’m going for the gestalt. I won’t push the river, I let it push itself.

I don’t have anywhere I need to be. I only have a handful ot hings I need to do. Funny, they’re things I’m looking forward to.

I might be looking forward to doing what I need to do because I have plenty of room left over for that river to wind it’s way through the weekend. I’ll float along, taking on its purpose and its rhythm. Every now and then, it’s nice to let things unfold without controlling them.

No worries that this will be a weekend wasted. A weekend of blissful space never is. The luxury of time is mine to read a book or look out the window for no reason. It’s my pleasure to be glad I’m living.

In the moment is a great time to be alive. That’s what I am thinking.

Liz's Signature

SOB Business Cafe 01-26-07

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SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking–articles on the business of blogging written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the titles to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Brain Based Business lets us know how to deal with folks suffering from cabin fever.

ConverStations has the ultimate guide to using a familiar index as a research tool.

9o1am points out what’s been coming.

Designers Who Blog is helping NO!SPEC solve a mystery.

The Instigator Blog provides solid networking advice.

Essential Keystrokes uses three keys to unlock information.

Related ala carte selections include

Living Leadership reviews a story of only three words.

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like.
No tips required. Comments appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

–ME “Liz” Strauss