Outside the Box Archives - Page 18 of 31

A Future Leaking with Links and Good Things!

November 30, 2006 by Liz

In Due Time

It took me a day or so to get back from the future. I had set down my crystal ball there and I had to find it before it fell into evil hands. Never know when a wicked witch of OZ will show up to cause trouble But finally here I am to report back in again.

Tuesday Open Comments Night, this week had us predicting. We looked into the crystal ball to foretell our future. We weren’t sure about the part that involved fame and fortune, but we felt certain our blogging friendships would continue on.

And of course our relationship with the Link Leak Virus will be with us as well. — The Link Leak Virus is a special strain of the indie virus with blogtipping mutations that occur in threes will keep Open Comment Night a link free-for-all.

Welcome to every person who came, all of you fortune tellers are my favorite people in the universe.

Cool links were shared to last for the future.

Back from the Future — rewind

It was November 29th, 2006 at 9:38 am already when Mike stopped by to say that he read the leaves in his tea.
They said a strange friend would send a message or a strange message from a friend would be coming to me.

Cat, who was wiped out from a hard day of meetings,
left us with a pile of future greeting.

Ah Pek says in his country they rely on the power of a medium to find out whether their future only holds only boredom and tedium. (Fortune must not have given him a nod for he ran off saying “Oh my God!”

In comments 205 – 211, Becky McCray read my palm with grace, poise and calm. She found details in the lines and revealed the secrets of time. She also left a last card for the crew, read it to hear the fortune for all of you.

1-800 HART made sure that we understand the tarot death card. People misunderstand it, when it comes up and take its appearance hard. He also brought a card trick — many like this are about. If you think on it you can figure it out

Joe was looking for a card trick we shared some time back, but it apparently has been by two kids in the rack. He left on a his poetic note. It’s fun to know we’ll soon have a whole book of modern day Berma Shave poems that Joe wrote.

Char wondered aloud about her future potential breaking out. Liz started asking what Char wanted her future to be about. Liz finally realize that there was a confusion. Liz had been talking reality and Char had been playing along with the crystal ball illusion.

Sheila Scarborough came filled with accomplishment of having finally cleared a garage for the cars. So she had time to spend charting a future in the stars.

Service Untitled – Douglas popped in and out in his usual MO. I think he was taking notes on how all of our futures were set to go.

Sean alluded to being rich from a major deal with paypal. Could he have some traits in common with Chicago Al?

Rick Cockrum knows where to go for the latest in future information. I wonder whether he’s up for a giving a presentation.

Renée seemed quite pleased with her future predictions. She’s bringing them home to Tall, (soon to be ) dark, and handsome.

Carolyn Manning isn’t afraid of ghosts or philosophy. Her handwriting reader told her things. “No one would know unless he grew up with me.”

Chris Cree doesn’t want to know his future, but then he made his future to be saying that he didn’t want to know his future.

Sasha Manuel doesn’t find it hard to tell a future with an ordinary deck of playing cards.

Ben Yoskovitz has so much going on these days. You can bet that his future will be about change.

Marti believes in ghosts and so do many. Her new book about the paranormal is better than any.

Trisha is read to start a new future with good things going on, especially no pain. But mostly she wants to be happy.

I’m with her on that. Happy is a good thing to be.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Bloggy Question 31: Do You Send Away the Idea of a Lifetime?

November 26, 2006 by Liz

What Do You Say to the Guy Who Can’t Pay?

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. . . . posed ito me in another way by Drew McLellan the other day.

You’re making a living at your own business, but you’re not rolling dough. In walks a propsective client. You hit it off from his first smiling and intelligent conversation. What a powerful team you would make! He has the vision and a great idea. You have the experience and skills that fit right next to his.

The client’s idea is intriguing. It’s an idea that you find exciting and immediately inviting. It’s one in million and you’d die to work on it. Already you’re starting to think about the direction that you would take the planning and the action. The problem is that the client can’t afford to pay you.

Even worse than that, the project really calls for someone just like you. Everything about you wants to help him get going.

The thing is that the client’s idea is so rare and unsual that you don’t anyone who to send him to — the people that he can afford wouldn’t know how to do the idea justice. Those who would see the value would be just as expensive as you or even too expensive and too busy.

How do you respond?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

A Link Leak Thank You Party

November 22, 2006 by Liz

In Due Time

Tuesday Open Comments Night, last night lasted well into my Wednesday. I woke up to find that fine folks had carried on the spirit of conversation for another week. If you missed it, or I missed a chance to say a personal thank you, please know that I’m always thinking it . . . even when we’re not having a party about it.

The Link Leak Virus was with us as well. — The Link Leak Virus is a special strain of the indie virus with blogtipping mutations that occur in threes at Open Comment Night they become a link free-for-all.

Welcome to every person who came, especially Delphine. Your entrance WAS spectacular and just as folks around here tend to do it. It was a great time having every one of you!

Cool links were shared time after time.

Thanks for the Memories

Hello Delphine, no worries, every week someone gets lost
shows up late or goes to the wrong post.
[Read more…]

Bloggy Life Question 30 — How Does He Get the Book to Readers?

November 19, 2006 by Liz

The Return of Door to Door Sales?

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 friend has written and self-published a targeted, much needed book, Turning a HIgh School Teaching Career into a Profitable Business Training Practice. It’s solid and well written. Every teacher who’s read it wants a copy.

The audience for the book can’t be reached by direct mail. Direct mail no longer works. It goes straight into the circular file. The no call law means telemarketing is out. Your friend has only 800 emails for prospective customers. He can’t afford to take a book tour. Besides, how would the customers know he’s coming to town?

He asks your advice on how to let people know that he’s got this great information to help them start a new career.

How do you respond?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Links Leaking All Over Time!

November 15, 2006 by Liz

In Due Time

We went exploring and some could say we got lost in time at Tuesday Open Comments Night, last night. We were set on going forward in time until Renée mentioned going back and then back was the favorite way to go.

The Link Leak Virus apparently crosses time as well as space. — The Link Leak Virus is a special strain of the indie virus with blogtipping mutations that occur in threes at Open Comment Night they become a link free-for-all.

Welcome to all of the new folks who came. It was a great time having you!

Cool links were shared time after time.

A Good Time Was Had . . . By All

Trisha would rather explore with the Doctor than Dora. She figures that traveling to the past to visit would be fun, but she wouldnÃ¢â¬â¢t want to live there.
BJ would rather go forward than backward — can’t live without the Internet. She was also heard saying My bedroom has been taken over by aliens. I collect vintage SciFi. I think I have every time travel paradox that exists ensconsed on one of my bookshelves.

Doug launched which isn’t the same as exploring, but it seems that way,
and it went well enough with the top secret project SeanRox was working on.

Robert Bruce would be dead by 3 days old from disease, late 1800Ã¢â¬â¢s American frontier. You know, Smith and Wesson on the hip, 12 gauge on the saddle.
katiebird would like to travel to the future as long as she could come back here to visitÃ¢â¬Â¦.
Char doesn’t think she could go back too many years in time – what would I do with out the Internet?

Rick is set for the future because it would be bad losing toilet paper and toothpaste, and various other things we take for granted. He knew what he was talking about — I go with the Many Worlds Theory, Joe, so I think you already did it and it created another world. Look at that! You get to be a murderer and a god at the same time.

Renée had a reason to go back in time — The first place/people I want to go is my maternal great grandma era. . . . I would like spent a few months with her, learn those skills she had cultivated.

Ben was traveling by train and his train didn’t give him much time to stay.

Starbucker was exploring musical moments in history — when the Beatles were on the Ed Sullivan show. All those screaming kids – wow.
Cat provided the recipe for how to break your toe in no time at all.

Meikah asked a question which got a new conversation going — Wonder who I was in my past life?
Joe asked another and had his own answer — Why does everyone want to go into the past?
I would rather be Ã¢â¬ÅBuck Rogers in the 25th CenturyÃ¢â¬Â.

Mike thought he had Joe with this comment — Having lived my whole life in the past, I can say with some surety that itÃ¢â¬â¢s overrated. — He was just kidding.
Chris thinks he’d like to go have a chat with some of the American revolutionaries.

Leon thought the mixing of comments was time travel fun.
Carolyn thought she should reset her clock.
Delaney went back in real time to see Pink Floyd.
Ah Pek was looking for a flashlight to go exploring.

Hans showed up some time past bedtime for me.

And the rest is history.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Bloggy Life Question 29 — Will You Sell the URL to the Porn King?

November 12, 2006 by Liz

On Second Thought . . .

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. . . .

You’ve been blogging a children’s book for three years. It’s part fairy tale, part science fiction meant for kids who are 10-12 years old. Hallelujah and happiness! You’ve not only finished it, but you’ve got agent who’s sold it to a publisher — one of big ones. We’re talking major advance. You’re not J.K. Rowling yet, but you’ve made the minor leagues. Your book will be on library and classroom shelves.

The story is about a boy named Jack who is genetically altered. He can become a giant when the world needs saving. Jack is a superhero with all of the qualities that kids need to read about. The publisher loves Jack but wants to call him Slate to make the book appealing to a wider audience.

You don’t mind. You kind of like the name. Besides, they’re going to build you a fabulous website, and they are already talking a movie deal.

One condition of your contract is that you take down your old URL. You plan to remove the content, and so you put the blog up for sale.

As soon as you put the URL — www.jackthegiant.com — on Site Point the bidding goes crazy. Suddenly you realize what that means. . . . It would make a perfect porn URL.

How do you respond?

–ME “Liz” Strauss