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Introducing CREEations

May 1, 2006 by Liz

SOB Directory Entry: CREEations by Chris Cree

Easy as Easy

CREEations is a blog of practical life philosophy based on Chris CreeÃ¢â¬â¢s sleep deprived life juggling a marriage, maritime industry career, volunteer commitments, cat ownership, writing, yard work, and massive coffee consumption. His goal is to challenge the way you look at your world. Sometimes heÃ¢â¬â¢s profound, other times just plain silly, but he generally tends to hang out somewhere in between.

Notes from Liz: SOB Chris Cree’s blog is upbeat a nice place to go when the world has been a little too much and you want to have a space to breathe. His posts shed a little light on humanity and how to face the world with a positive outlook. They’re easy to read and rest easy on the mind. I think of Chris’ blog as a great place to unwind.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Has your SOB Blog Been Introduced to US?
Blog Promotion: May I Introduce You?

Blogtipping Day–Where’s Yours?

May 1, 2006 by Liz

Link Love Costs Nothing

Easton Ellsworth at Blogwire declared today official Blogtipping Day and I’m in. How about you? As
the song goes “Give a little bit . . .” Here’s how it works.

Choose three or more bloggers you admire and link to them,
List three reasons why you admire each one.
Then add a tip at the end.

That’s all there is to it.

Janice Myint

Janice is the best at her job. She knows what she’s doing.
Every email and message is filled with smiles and energy. I feel like a valued customer every time she talks to me.
She takes on big complaints as personal quest, and tackles them like a warrior.

Tip: Janice, be careful. The whole blogosphere is going to be proposing marriage to you, and trying to steal you away.

Jeremy Wright

Jeremy’s a great guy with a heart as big as the world.
He works hard, doing thousands of things, but never loses his humanity.
He makes things happen for other people and asks nothing in return.

Tip: Jeremy, don’t wear yourself out. We need you just as you are.

Brian Clark

Brian teaches me more about writing every time I read his blog.
He has been a friend to me beyond the call of duty.
I feel lucky to have him in my address book.

Tip: Brian, stop, breathe and look at what you’ve built. It’s fabulous.

That was fun. I hope I get time to do more before the day is over.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Net Neutrality 5-01-2006

May 1, 2006 by Liz

Net Neutrality Links

I’ve added these links to the Net Neutrality Page today.

AT&T and Verizon: We Own Your Congress

The Center for Public Integrity compiled a list of the top 100 money-givers to Congress between 1998 and 2005, and telcos dominate the list.

Here are a few of its findings:

* Verizon Communications Inc. $81,870,000
* SBC Communications Inc. $58,035,037
* AT&T Corp. $53,349,499
* Sprint Corp. $47,276,585
* BellSouth Corp. $33,732,827
* Qwest Communications International Inc. $24,523,480

Policy Analysis: Ã¢â¬ÅNet NeutralityÃ¢â¬? Digital Discrimination or Regulatory Gamesmanship in Cyberspace?

Moreover, far from being something regulators should forbid, vertical integration of new features and services by broadband network operators is an essential part of the innovation strategy companies will need to use to compete and offer customers the services they demand. Network operators also have property rights in their systems that need to be acknowledged and honored. Net neutrality mandates would flout those property rights and reject freedom of contract in this marketplace.

The regulatory regime envisioned by Net neutrality mandates would also open the door to a great deal of potential “gaming” of the regulatory system and allow firms to use the regulatory system to hobble competitors. Worse yet, it would encourage more FCC regulation of the Internet and broadband markets in general.

The Struggle for Net Freedom

To get a sense of the bargain the industry is proposing, imagine if the maker of your toaster had to give a cut of the sales price to the electric company before it could be turned on. Or suppose the post office charged you to mail and receive the same package if you wanted it sent first class.

[Many, many great links here.]

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Quality, Schedule, Budget

April 30, 2006 by Liz

Taking This Show on the Road

In an hour or so, I move my computer downtown to a hotel in Chicago while I attend a literacy convention. I know. I know. I live here. I could stay at home.

It’s a bit of a financial hit. Convention hotels in Chicago aren’t particularly inexpensive, but I see it as an investment in my customers and myself.

It’s hard enough to give my clients my undivided attention at a convention of 15,000 attendees. I want to have the flexibility to be at their exhibit booth when meetings inevitably are rescheduled. I want to be around for the after-hours events when relationships become real.

An adage in publishing, perhaps in every business, says:

Quality. Schedule. Budget. Pick Two.

What’s the right choice? Is it always the same two?

Besides it will be fun, sending you notes from the convention. Any advice you have for me while I’m there?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Fun Find: Color Box Game

April 30, 2006 by Liz

Playtime for your right brain . . .

Great Find: Color Box Puzzle Game by Eyehook
Type of site: Addictive color box puzzle game
Permalink: http://www.eyehook.com/games/colorBox/index.html
Target Audience: Everyone who likes puzzle games
Content: I’ve found that a way to recharge my brain after writing is to do something colorful that has no words involved. This game by eyehook does trick far longer than it needs to . . . uhm . . er . . . I get started and I don”t want to stop. Click the screenshot to play with this coloful little gem.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Critical Skill 4: Part 2-Designing a Complex Process

April 30, 2006 by Liz

One GIANT Flow Chart

It was an interview with the Chairman of the Board of a publishing company. We had just taken a break. I came back from stretching my legs to find six 4ft. x 8ft. foam core boards that made one GIANT flow chart, supposedly outlining the publishing process in complete and total detail.

I thought, “Ohmygod. They’re one of those kinds of companies.”

He said, “So, what do you think of that?”

I said, “I believe it was very useful for the folks who put it together.”

I usually think of work situations like I would a dating relationship You don’t date a guy thinking you’ll change him. That I took this job thinking I could change this company was just wrong. [Read more…]