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Incredibly Human

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I've been thinking . . .

about our personal humanity.

Every day I get up and turn on the coffee. Turn I on the computer. Shortly thereafter, an IM pops up with someone who wants to turn on a conversation. Some days have begun before I have a chance to sit back and find out who it was is that left my bedroom.

Yesterday, Terry wrote his thoughts about how we interact with our digital world. He asked that we

Do a little math in [our] head every now and then. Do it all for the sake of humanity.

I was writing my comment on Terry’s post when a call interrupted my thoughts. Ironically it was Terry on the phone. He only had a few minutes so our talk wasn’t long. I didn’t tell him that I’d read what he wrote. After that my day overcame any thinking I might have spent on what he said.

This morning Jon made a beautiful observation about how

everything but the kitchen sink is running through [our heads.]

He explained that being overwhelmed might be something we can all find our way through because . . .

south america 2008 177 by etStrauss

we’re human.

In a world of time and space and technology, hold tight to your humanity. It may feel fragile and weak, but it’s there where we refuel. It’s there where we get our strength.

Technology and illusions may lead us to images of super human accomplishments, but every human can only do what is humanly possible.

Stand in a huge quiet space that no humans have touched and think about that again. Say it aloud.

Every human can only do what is humanly possible.

What’s humanly possible is already incredible.

Go be incredible. Incredibly human is enough.

Liz's Signature

The Mic is On: It’s Time to Talk about Dessert!

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It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

The Mic Is On

Here’s how it works.

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.
The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

Did You Save Room?

So many summer events are about food. We meet with friends, family, and coworkers at weddings, barbeques, and picnics, at conventions and conferences. We share great times over food. Tonight we’re talking about grand and simple desserts:

  • do you save room for dessert?
  • what’s your favorite dessert?
  • what’s the most spectacular, weird, or outrageous dessert you’ve ever seen?
  • what dessert rules do you have, did your family have when you were a kid?
  • does the perfect dessert exist?
ice_cream_parlor

And, whatever else comes up, including THE EVER POPULAR, Basil the code-writing donkey . . . and flamenco dancing (because we always get off topic, anyway.)

Oh, and bring example links to share —

–ME “Liz” Strauss
image: sxc.hu
Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

Open Mic 7pm Chgo Time: It’s Time for Dessert!

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Join Us Tonight

Did You Save Room?

So many summer events are about food. We meet with friends, family, and coworkers at weddings, barbeques, and picnics, at conventions and conferences. We share great times over food. Tonight we’re talking about grand and simple desserts: Do you save room for dessert? What’s your favorite? What’s the most spectacular, weird, or outrageous dessert you’ve ever seen? What dessert rules do you have — did your family have when you were a kid? Does the perfect dessert exist?

Oh, and bring example links to share —

The rules are simple — be nice.

Do be nice. 🙂

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

The You-Sized Place in the Universe

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Empty_Harbor_by_Liz_Strauss

I look out on an empty harbor under a sky of forgotten blue. The day is barely started. The sun is making a slow climb up. My eyes are is taking a narrow, half-open view.

I hear the cars on the road below me, but they’re only so much noise — they remind me of a vacuum running in a hotel hallway some years ago. I try to recall yesterday’s walk in the sunshine, but I find an empty space inside that thought. Someone, lots of someones, are missing. I notice everyone who is not among them.

No runners are running. No walkers are walking. No people are standing waiting for their dogs. I don’t see people listening to ipods riding bicycles or skating by. Nowhere are talkers incessantly talking to listeners intently listening as they forget to be watching and unconsciously force others to move out of their way.

No one is sitting on benches thinking or sleeping. I can’t find the dreamers dreaming or the critics criticizing. No railers are railing or flailers flailing.

When you’re not here, your face, your mind, and your heart leave a hole in the picture.

Only you can fill the you-sized place in the universe.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

From PlanetOZH — A Comment Counter Named LIZ!!!

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The WordPress Liz Comment Counter Plugin

If you haven’t heard about it . . . a very nice man by the name of Ozh did something even nicer — he made a plugin named after me. How beautiful is that?!! As Ozh says

Liz Strauss Comment Counter is a highly configurable “internet badge” that shows the number of comments your WordPress blog has. Use it either to show off how social your blog is, as an incentive for commenters to be part of it, or just because it’s fun 🙂

See for yourself!!

The dashboard is cool.

Liz Comment Counter Preview

The colorwheel is fun!

color wheel

Of course, presets come with.

presets

I’ve got to get me one!

Find out all you need to know from Ozh!! Go check it out and do tell Ozh hello from me!

Thank you, Ozh! It’s almost too cool for comment!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Social Networking: How Do You Spend the Time of Your Life?

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Work / Life Balance? Blending?

The Living Web

These days we hear a lot about work/life balance. I’m not sure I know what that means. We don’t keep life in one box and work in another. I’m sure that time I work counts as part of my life.

Every minute I breathe is a minute of my life I’m investing.

We only get one life and most of us work 30-50% of our waking hours. Do the math. Check the facts for an average person age 25 – 54.

American Time Use Study

Time available: = 24.0 hours
Time spent:
Working = 8.2 hours
Sleeping: = 7.6 hours
Leisure = 2.6 hours
Eating / Drinking = 1.1 hours
Household chores = 1.0 hours
Caring for others = 1.1 hours
Other = 2.4 hours
NOTE: Data include employed persons on days they worked, ages 25 to 54,
and who lived in households with children under 18. Data include non-holiday
weekdays and are annual averages for 2006.

If this “average day” does not sound like a typical day in your household, it is because these numbers are for all persons in the U.S. age 15 and over, and for all days of the week combined. The information can be further analyzed by age, sex, employment status, day of the week, or presence and age of household children. [from the American Time Use Study]

If we’re spending 2, 3, 4 hours a day on social networking, where are we finding the time?

How do you spend your time?

How do you see online behaviors fundamentally changing the ways we spend the time of our lives?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!