If you're any kind of banshee person in the morning like me, you'd be lucky to even recognize the sound as some sort of moving object. But I was lucky that morning, my friends, and for some reason I stopped in my tracks a few feet before I reached the road, to see a massive, full-grown, gray ghost of a moose come striding toward me at what we New Englanders call 'a pretty good clip.'

My first instinct was to scream across the road to my family at their campsite so they could see this spectacle, too.  But moose are big, people. They're big, and they don't look like they take a lot of grief. So yelling MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE! across the road didn't seem like the best choice.

I clamped my hands over my mouth - because I don't have a lot of self control - and watched as the moose trotted by, and then as my brother, sister-in-law, neice, and ArcherVision all turned around to see it running by at just the right moment. In the relative distance, I heard my brother half-screaming, half-whispering Moooooooooooooose! as he held up my neice so she could see.

As the moose passed, I ran across the street to share the moment with the fam, and we were all equally dumb-struck. Even Oscar the Dog got in on the action, marking his territory and ruffing - as soon as the moose was well out of sight, of course. He ain't no dope.

Alas, these little life moments are rarely accompanied by a camera, so I don't have a photo of this amazing creature. I did look up 'moose meanings' though, because I like to surmise what's going to happen in my life next, based on random events. This site had a particularly cool description that I latched on to...'you will be full of contradictions...Awkward yet graceful.'

Lack of moose pictures notwithstanding, there were some other photo-worthy moments this weekend. Enjoy.

The maiden voyage of our new Eddie Bauer tent and sleeping bags, complete with zip-up carrying cases. Both are awesome!

SiL and the Bean pontooning on the Otis Reservoir. They look like they're in a parade!

JaxBro by the fire

Oscar the Dog was a good boy

We made bacon on the fire in this grill basket that Max and Cindy gave us

This was another fortuitous meeting on the same dirt road as the moose sighting. Dick, a Camp Host for the Mass. Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, is charged with assisting visitors to the Tolland State Forest. He takes the job a step further by giving free tours in his pontoon boat of the Otis Reservoir - our trip was two hours long and included a cruise through a cloud of dragon flies like I've never seen before. Dozens of bright red flashes sailing over the water and on the horizon ... quite a sight.

Leave Comment

Related Entries:

• Thematic Photographic #2 - The Vanishing
• Zoom in at the Inn
• The Future of the State Fair is in your hands (and gullet)

Enshrinement Weekend at the Basketball Hall of Fame begins tomorrow in my city, the birthplace of Basketball.

On my way to work, I saw the massive banners being splayed out across Symphony Hall, and the neon sign outside of the Basketball Hall of Fame was blinking more fervently than usual.  The local paper has a stunning shot of City Hall steps festooned with mums and Spalding basketballs.

What's more, the city is particularly a-buzz because Michael Jordan is an inductee this year. But I had the opportunity to chat with another '09 honoree for an article recently - Vivian Stringer, coach of the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team.

By many, she's best known as the coach who took on Don Imus following his unfortunate on-air remarks about her team in 2007. But after speaking with her, I realized that there are so many more notable things to share about Coach Stringer than that one moment in time. 

For instance, she sued her school system in the 1960s to win a spot on the then-segregated cheerleading team (and won). She brought her first team at Cheyney State to the finals in 1982, but the win was overshadowed by her daughter's sudden illness and subsequent life-long health problems. She led the University of Iowa's women's team to the Final Four in 1992, and shortly after lost her husband to a heart attack - and all of this was before she ever dreamed of signing on to coach at Rutgers, and beginning the most visible period of her career.

In short, to say Coach Stringer has had a life polarized by triumph and tragedy would be an understatement. This could be why her autobiography is called Standing Tall, and why she seems to so easily articulate some of the more complicated emotions we, as humans, face. 

"I believe that the moment when we're standing in the crossfire is when we really see what we can do," she told me during our interview - just one of the many honest, straight-shooting notions she left me with. In fact, she said things like this so effortlessly, I found myself digging deeper, not just for the story, but maybe to glean a little wisdom for my own. 

At the close of the conversation, it was almost as if she knew this. 

"Only pay attention to the dreams in your heart," she said, as we wrapped. "It's what we all seek - to know who we are."

Congratulations, Coach.

Leave Comment

Related Entries:

• These are the Days
• New Orleans, 2008
• I was 12 when these started? D'oh!
• This is the World We Live In
• A journalist and a lot of hot air? Not surprising, but still cool.
• War of the Words
• R.I.P. Robert Jordan (James Oliver Rigney, jr.)
• Press Release of the Week: Harsh Reality
• Expressway to Your Face
• Past Life Experiences

Thankfully, the latter is not the case at the gorgeous house I visited this weekend, a veritable gem of real estate and eye candy for anyone dazzled by house-style. Like me.

Invited for a dinner party to talk travel, writing, new technology, and a few tales from high school, I instantly found myself apologizing to the host for walking around her pad with my iPhone in hand.

"I'm sorry," I said - meaning it. "I'm totally walking around taking pictures of your house."

I was forgiven, and even given the tour with notes on what was old, what was new, what was a found treasure, and what came with the house upon sale. I was surprised, for instance, that these amazing tiles were original:

and this awesome glass divider:

But plenty of the pizzazz is thanks to the owner's great eye. She's got a knack for pulling an entire room together:

...and little touches.

Ah, house envy. You're a cruel mistress.

(thanks Max and Cindy!)

Leave Comment

This, or rather last, weekend kicked off in the Republic of Cambridge with ArcherVision , Lesley , and Mo-town - we went to catch a live show at tt the bears of singer/songwriter Bleu , of whom Mo is a fan. 

I'd never seen Bleu live before, but I dig his stuff. Here's the thing: he's one of the few artists who I will likely listen to again and again via recordings, but probably won't seek out to see live again any time soon. The show was fun, but as my former bandmate Rob let me know, Bleu's also his 'own person.'  This translates into stopping and starting over during some numbers to get it just right during his show on Friday, as well as attempting to sing off the mic at one point while a full-on metal band raged next door at the Middle East. If not for the quality of his lyrics and tunes, Bleu would have lost me - these are cardinal sins of live performance that make me cringe to this day. Dancer and choreographer Lesley agreed - do not break the fourth wall! 

Still, with lyrics like 'Twisted Sister meets Mister Mister' in the tune Boy Meets Girl, Bleu is some good listening. The highlight of the evening was an audience-participation-driven cover of Human Nature by Michael Jackson; oddly, in the last month of All Things Michael, I haven't heard this song much on the airwaves, and Bleu's was a great, folky rendition. Another cool aspect of the night: by the time we'd walked back to the car after the show, Bleu, or at least his camp, was already following all four of us on Twitter, based solely on our Tweets about being at tt the bears. Yay again for social technology. 

It's been a while since I've been down to the Repub for a show, and it was nice to be back in Beantown-adjacent, but I did feel alternately old or uncool at certain periods of the night. It's that whole air-of-indifference-and-pretention that Cambridge bars have, I guess. It's lacking in the watering holes of Cape Cod and Western Mass., where I spend most of my make-merry-time, and therefore not really my scene. Looking like I didn't put too much effort into my outfit is way too much effort. 

Finally, a note to the cats at tt the bears - ONE stall in the ladies bathroom? What, are you masochists?! We did appreciate your budget-friendly Pabst blue-ribbon, though, and the bartender at the back bar is awesome. 

That is all.

Leave Comment

Related Entries:

• The Women's Times 10-year Anniversary Party, featuring Sonya Kitchell
• I was 12 when these started? D'oh!
• This is What YouTube Should be All About.
• You mean not everyone knows there was arsenic in the cookies?
• That's About Right
• Jammin' with The Berries (too much?)
• War of the Words
• "I mean, that's a storybook, man."
• Sausage Party at The Bad Pitch
• Further Live Earth Commentary

I hate to be an iZombie, blindly following mac into whatever depths they'd like to lead me.

But I have to confess: my iPhone has made my life better. The collection of handy tools, music, Web browsing, a day planner, and a connection the outside world are the perfect mix of everything I need, and can now fit into one of my massive day bags without too much trouble. 

ArcherVision and I bought our iPhones together, and actually ended up saving money. He switched from a different provider to my plan, and later, we saved more ching by canceling accounts we no longer needed, including Rhapsody, Audible, and eMusic. (Note: I really liked all three of these services, so if you're in the market for music and audiobook portals other than iTunes, I recommend them. But the $600/year savings is also huge.)

In addition to the savings, managing my business has also become increasingly streamlined with my new electronic buddy; I can essentially start work every morning before I even get out of bed, and this doesn't make me feel more pressed or busy. Rather, I feel freer to complete whatever I need to get done in hours of the day, while also finishing random tasks and errands. 

I thought I'd give a rundown of some of the apps and tools I've been using to help organize my life, my records, and my thoughts. If you are using something particularly cool or useful, let me know in the comments. This post will focus on the all-important apps;next week, I think I'll post a list of cool podcasts. 

• For the first time in my adult life, I've abandoned my spiral-bound day planner in favor of the iPhone's standard calendar. I originally downloaded a few trial Apps when looking for a snazzy on-phone planner, but in the end, I realized that iCal does everything I need it to.  I can add multiple meetings and appointments on any calendar day, and change the view with one click to look at entries by the hour, day, or month. A little dot appears on the days in monthly view as soon as anything is entered, alerting me that there's something going on, even if I don't remember what. One more click, and I can easily find out. I also use the alarm function a lot - an hour or two before meetings, and the day before an event I might otherwise totally whiff on. 

• TimeWerks is an invoicing and billing app that allows me to record hours and fees, set a timer when needed to measure time spent on a project, create invoices, and send them complete with formatting to include contact info. and business colors (my invoices are lime green). The lite version is free to try, and invoices can be emailed from the phone, with an automatic CC to your own email. Plus, when you sync the iPhone in iTunes, a copy of the invoice can be recorded. This app has been awesome for making me feel more productive, and placing more value on my time. Plus, I don't spend entire days on just invoicing anymore. I just go to Panera and get a Bacon Turkey Bravo, then sit by the window with a massive iced tea and my phone. Bill, munch, bill, chew, bill, sip. Done. 

•The Target app . Shop, order, ship items right from the phone. I can also sort by recipient, occasion, and price, save favorites, and find physical stores with built-in GPS. 'nuff said.

• I stopped dieting a long time ago because I was tired of yo-yoing, but I do pay attention to what I eat and how much I move. I have long been interested in software-based programs to record calories and exercise, but I could never commit to using them long-term - I'm just not in front of the computer long enough to remember to log in and punch in meals. Now, however, I'm using LoseIt , which despite its diet-centric name, is best used for finding out how many calories are in what you're eating or about to eat. I still eat what I want, but this tool helps me pay attention to how hungry I actually am, and how many hidden calories I might otherwise absently eat. A Bacon Turkey Bravo at Panera, for instance, is 840 calories of deliciousness. Often, 1/2 a sandwich is enough. I can search and log brand-name goods, restaurant dishes, and grocery items, and add any new foods anytime. I can also log physical activity and it automatically records how many calories, on average, I burned. It's akin to checking your bank balance - one I start getting close to my limit (a self-imposed daily calorie count), I know that I need to slow it down on the Bacardi Mojitos (240 calories a pop!!) or make up for a life well-led the next day, with extra yoga and herbal tea.

Serenity now.  

 Admin: There's a new post over at Budge

Leave Comment

 The nice weather created a nice setting for a couple of cool events, though, including a going-away party for one of my writer's group members, Joe. Joe is taking off on a new life path in NYC next week and starting law school, so a few of us gathered on his Bloomfield, Conn. deck to say fare-thee-well.

You know, being the guest of honor at a farewell party is one of those rare occasions when one can pretty much indulge whatever wacky behavior they want. For Joe, who is working on a novel about firefighting, this isn't smoking a cigar or having a few pops. This equates to Genesis drum solos on his electronic drum kit as the reat of us noshed on antipasti and fresh ciabatta rolls. 

 Joe also gave me and fellow writer's group member Erica firefighting patches from our respective hometowns. Cute.

On Sunday, it was off to a housewarming party at my friend Nikki's house - which she has decorated impeccably. She's one of those girls who adds a pop of color to a room by buying bouquets of roses at the supermarket, while the rest of us struggle to remember toilet paper. Here's a small glimpse of her coolness: fresh flowers, cool vase, homemade sangria. 

Sangriaaaaahhhh. 

Leave Comment

Related Entries:

• Memorial Day Staycation (Weekend update)
• Weekend Round-up: Enough Work, Already.
• A Writer's Weekend on the Cape

Here are the hosts with the most pig to roast:

The favors included bacon mints and bacon bandages:

which are being modeled by the lovely Lisa and Lesley here.

Zach, who has a bartending background, actually found a recipe for bacon vodka, and whipped up a batch. It is surprisingly good, if not strong-like-bull:

...and, it was even better in this custom cocktail, made with homemade ginger ice cream and Bailey's.

Morriss muses: Do not underestimate the power of the bacon!

Leave Comment

My cat Charley is the cutest little fluffball ever, and has an awesome personality to boot. Here's a particularly cute photo of him, which you may need to reference again a few sentences from now to get a horrific image out of your brain. 

 

Leave Comment

Leave Comment

Related Entries:

• Shaken and Stirred
• Press Release of the Week: Smells Like Hope
• Press Release of the Week: Ice Fishing ain't for sissies
• The Third Annual Scorpion Bowl Networking Bash
• And they're housebroken, too
• The Berkshires Seemed Dreamlike on Account ...
• Best Christmas Card Ever.
• Networking Around the Campfire
• Networking Parties Do Not Have to SUCK

...And honestly, who eats this much fondue? 

...on the plus side, I apparently had enough change in my house to buy a meal for a family of four. Or a village in Malawi.

Change is good. 

Leave Comment

I'm only in preliminary stages now, but the list includes everything from cleaning out the kitchen cabinets to painting the bathroom. Today, I got started on weeding old stuff out of the refrigerator, tackling some crammed drawers in the office, and starting an overall clean on the living room. I also organized my crafting/scrapping stuff in a three-drawer plastic bin tower, and that seriously cut down on the little bits and baubles that were starting to overtake the coffee table.

Organizing highlight of the day: I found my grandmother's crocheted runner, given to me recently by my aunt Mimi. I had put it in my writing desk for safe keeping, only to temporarily lose it under a pile of envelopes.

Leave Comment

This weekend was very Tweety in my neck of the woods, too. It started with what was the best WMTweetUp yet, held this month at the Apollo Grill - a funky eatery with a massive collection of salt and pepper shakers, among other cool things. It's located in Eastworks, an equally cool retrofitted mill building. For those not yet in the know, a TweetUp is a meet-up, consisting of folks who use Twitter. The WMTweetUps are all located in Western Mass., and these uber-awesome networking events exist entirely because this guy, we'll call him Jason, makes it happen. Recognize.

The folks at the Apollo were beyond supportive of the whole TweetUp concept, too. One staffer wore a 'tweet-themed' skirt in our honor, and somehow procured some blue marshmallow Peeps that are more reminiscent than I realized of the Twitter Bird.

They even put a special beer on tap as a WMTU special, and Jason supplied our very own tap handle for the occasion. (We have arrived!)

The next evening, I invited a few like-minded Tweeps -- both friends who joined when I did and people I met on Twitter and in the blogosphere. I put SuperGeeker in charge of the grill, and he produced turkey burgers, dogs, and these fricken-amazing Vietnamese strip steak skewers he and his other half Jessica marinated at home and brought along. They also used some of the marinade on orange slices, along with a little bit of pepper oil, and we threw those on the grill, too. That was a first for me, and I'm totally looking forward to further grilled-fruit experiences. Nom.

We chilled on our three-season porch with food, beers, and good conversation, agreeing that the plate of bacon I'd cooked up was one of the highlights of the evening (everyone who's into meat gravitates toward a plate of bacon), and thus dubbing the night the first TwaconUp of the season (Twitter + Bac...oh never mind. By this point we all had Twitter on the brain). Even iTunes cooperated; I took the risk of putting my entire collection on shuffle, so you never know what you're going to get. A few Christmas songs snuck through, but we just sang along and made merry. And when my recordings of 1960s musicals like Godspell came around, I actually had some fellow fans in the house. (That's such a nice feeling for a never-quite-reformed drama geek).

Check out the revelers below, and behold their Collective Creative Coolness.

The Guest List:

Morriss

Lesley

Zach

Jessica

Mark

Shawn

Jeanne

Leave Comment

Related Entries:

• Change for Iran!
• One Tweet World
• The Rise and Fall of Twitter
• Postcard Round Robin - greetings from Dallas

A few years ago, I learned from a boy I used to babysit that this chant has not changed. So much for the future of today's youth.

I was reminded of Nauset and of high school a few times this weekend, though, as well as of a couple of other fertile memories from days gone by on Old Cape Cod. Back on the peninsula for the weekend, ArcherVision and I first made a trek out to Nauset Beach in Orleans and Wychmere Harbor in Harwich, to shoot some footage with Del Padre Digital's new RED camera and test a camera bag for Studio Monthly magazine. AVision did the shooting and wrote the review; I schlepped the bag and took the photos. Here's one I'm relatively sure they won't use:

We made a few stops at some favorite spots, too - the Yard Arm for lunch, the Clothes Den for deals, and the 400 for dinner. Then, it was on to a benefit concert for a high school friend of mine who passed away in February. Some local musicians joined forces to raise funds for her 11-year-old son, and it was nice that something positive could come out of a dark moment. 

Those of you who've read The Jump for a while, or who've read the About section, or who just know me a little in general, know that I'm a musician who actively paid for rent and college as a singer and violinist in the nineties - a time when the Cape Cod music scene was rockin'. As such, I have a lot of friends from this period in my life, too (the twenties, oh how quickly they raced by). That said, there was quite a mash-up of people from the past at the benefit. High school friends, music friends, people whose kids I used to babysit for, those kids (some taller than me now), and plenty of people I spent long nights with after gigs, talking, laughing, and making mischief. 

The thing is, I left the Cape more than a decade ago, and I haven't seen a lot of these people since, if not longer. Plus, Facebook negates all of those basic questions people used to ask - what you do, where you live...it's all there on your profile page, so the result is a sort of awkward groping for new topics to discuss with people whose lives, like mine, are completely different now. 

But the point is, I have been gone so long that I definitely had a feeling of 'you can't go home again' that was bittersweet. On one hand, I am glad that I'm not 19 anymore. I was skinny, but I was also, well, 19. On the other hand, in many ways these were the best days of my life, so far. And on a third, proverbial hand, I also felt a little like it was impossible for some of my old friends to even understand where I've been, what I've done, and who I've become. Granted, I've still got a long way to go, but I'm certainly not 19 anymore.

As I've had a week to think about it in between events and meetings, I have come to the conclusion that this is one of those times that gives the Sieve of Life a little shake. Some people fall through and disappear into the silt. Others emerge after being hidden away, little golden nuggets. And I'm kneeling by the river, watching it all go by. 

That rival chant at the Harwich-Nauset basketball games, though, I don't know what that is. Maybe it's an annoying pebble that gets stuck in the sifter. Or, if you're sick of that metaphor, maybe it's just one of those things about the Cape that I should learn to love - because it's one thing that hasn't changed.

1998:

2008:

"Sometimes the lights are shining on me - and other times, I can barely see. Lately, it occurred to me - what a long, strange trip it's been." GD

Leave Comment

2. I went on a film-shooting kick this month, and as such have no other readily uploadable photos.

3. I had this whole post planned that is on hold because of one stupid photo I can't find to scan.

4. On Saturday, while ArcherVision was in NYC, I watched Lifetime movies like this one.  I have no problem with this whatsoever - but blogging about NYC is a lot more interesting than blogging about Mercedes Ruehl (well, I guess that's up for debate).

5. I forgot to take pictures on Mother's Day at the GoNomad Cafe, where I helped sling free coffee to all moms.

So, in short, technological issues, time constraints, and general stupidity are why you haven't gotten any compelling, fresh content from me lately. That, and American Idol.

Leave Comment

Related Entries:

• Positronic Finale
• Deep Down, Underground...
• How'd That Go?
• The 2009 Oscar Party Winners
• The Black and White Affair, round-up vid
• Just Sayin' ...Oscar time is almost here!
• The Third Annual Scorpion Bowl Networking Bash
• I'd Like to Thank iParty ...
• Retail Therapy Thursday: Party Time
• Networking Parties Do Not Have to SUCK

"a colleague just told me s/he made a business decision based solely on not wanting to deal with someone's bad attitude.

Who wins? Who loses?"

I immediately got a response from a Tweep - "That happens every day!" And, I agree. The nuances of my quandary were lost in the brevity of 140 characters... but what I was getting at is this: Does anyone win in this scenario? I think the answer is no. The person with the 'tude is losing business. The person with the issue may go to another vendor with a better outlook on life, but who may not offer the same product or level of service. The next step intrinsically becomes a gamble.

And yet, backing out of a venture because a potential partner is being an knob is probably the best reason to back out at all. If your gut says run, I say kick off those high-heeled shoes, sistah. Whenever I've ignored that little voice in my own head, I've lived to realize it was right all along. 

Even with the clarity of my opinions on this one, the scenario still ticks me off to no end. We are in an economic crisis. Why are people who never learned the importance of customer service (who are working with customers) even employed right now?!  Choosing to avoid the jerks of the world used to be just that, a choice. Now, it's less of a choice, and more of a hurdle. Avoiding certain relationships is easier in a robust economy, and whether a professional chooses to weather that bad attitude in the name of moving business forward, or to forgo the partnership and miss out on any number of opportunities (better relationships with other people in the company, a visible or lucrative client, new channels of business, etc.), it's easy for a bad taste to develop. 

To me, being nasty is just one simple way the less learned of us can contribute to our social and financial woes. It bothers me when people like this win battles. But all is fair in love and war, and I love a good fight. My favorite killing machine, however, is kindness. 

Want more good vibes? Check out The GiST, created by Schmutzie. 

Leave Comment

I'm working diligently at getting myself into a more normal routine to avoid pitfalls like these, while at the same time, taking advantage of certain freedoms I now have. For one, I have worn jeans to work just about every day since November. Now that spring is finally coming, I am ready to switch to skirts, but it's nice that the choice doesn't need to be made out of necessity.

One thing I've tried with some success is imposing a dedicated, eight-hour schedule on myself, no matter where I'm working. If it's an at-home writing day, I've adopted an '11 to 7' schedule, allowing for housework or downtime in the morning and in the evening, while still hitting those key business hours for phone calls. This was my favorite shift back in the day when I worked in retail - I could sleep in and still party with my friends after work. Now, it's more effective in forcing me to stop work at 7 pm (or 8), and focus on other things that tend to fall by the wayside, including laundry, dishes, bill paying, and eating.

What little tricks do you have for staying on task and organized?

Leave Comment

Related Entries:

• Blue Canyon Chefs Present
• Writer in the Storm
• Ze Story on France? She is Up on ze Internets, oui!
• Truck on Down to Truckee
• Retail Therapy Thursday: Don't Forget to Breathe, in and out
• Le Marche
• Biston-clac,biston-clac
• Chocolate Sauce and Capitalism all in a day's work
• Snow Day
• Press Release of the Week: Golden Globes Lose Their Luster in 2008

There's so much to download, I think I'm going to write a few different posts. But here are some highlights:

Attendance was better than expected, and everyone loved the space at Open Square. We used three different rooms for sessions, and wi-fi was provided by AtlasTC, so Twitter was electrified by #pcwm Tweets.

Morriss came up with the idea of naming the rooms after Western Mass. landmarks, so the first two were named Connecticut River and Mt. Tom. The third room, way down the hall away from everything else, was aptly named Shay's Rebellion.

We started the day with coffee from the GoNomad Cafe, and then it was on to sessions, which ranged from blogging 101 to hyperlocal journalism. The ideas, tips, fixes, tweaks, and concepts that everyone traded throughout the day are still processing in my brain.

After camp, we celebrated at The Mick at the Delaney House in Holyoke, which is one of the best lounges in the Commonwealth, near the base of Mt. Tom.

However, the best part of PodCamp WesternMass was by far the people. The crowd was so diverse, including  business owners, Creatives, techies, and Webphiles of all sorts. A best-selling, internationally known author mingled with podcasters. An auctioneer made friends with a graphic designer. A student ate lunch with a marketing prof from Boston Medical Center. And, we were so glad to have attendees from Boston, Worcester, and Connecticut, in addition to folks from all four counties in The 413.

Planning for PodCamp started more than a year ago, at Smokin' Lils BBQ in Northampton. Morriss, Tish, and I decided to give it a go, and to finally see the whole thing come together so well was extremely gratifying (not to mention validating). Our unofficial motto yesterday was 'We are all rockstars,' and as the day went on, man did I believe it. It really brought home the idea that fear of getting closed in by technology walls keeps a lot of people away from social media, but in the end, that's all it's about: people. People creating a community, and thriving within.

See more photos

Leave Comment

Related Entries:

• Deep Down, Underground...
• How'd That Go?
• We need a montage. A PodCamp montage.
• Getting psyched about PodCamp on Saturday!
• Thematic Photographic # 3 - Poignant
• The Life Sciences Manifesto
• DVP President Meets and Greets with the Shock Jock
• Angelhair Pancakes at Judie's of Amherst
• Networking Parties Do Not Have to SUCK
• Island to Island

Bloggers are so good at getting the word out. Just look at some of the coverage we've gotten in the blogosphere in the last few days alone:
Localism
Out of the Inkwell
PitchEngine

PF Monaco
Steve's Two Cents

Del Padre blog
Franklin Matters

...and even Ye Olde Mainstream Media has gotten into the act! 

Thanks, Reminder Publications!

Already signed up are plenty of local bloggers, vloggers, social medialites, and business owners large and small, who want to learn more about new media and social networking. This guy is coming (he paid his $20, even) and so is this guy, and maybe even this guy .  

It's all very exciting. Morriss , Tish , and I had our walk-through of the space yesterday, and it's so amazing. Hard wood floors, wide-open spaces, and plenty of big, blank walls to project Twitterstreams. We're going to provide coffee and snacks throughout the day, and live-blog and Tweet too, of course.

Coming? Don't forget your laptops, cameras, and power strips! And I would be a bad co-coordinator if I didn't mention our sponsors - Veritech Media , GoNomad.com , and Atlas TC.

Leave Comment

Related Entries:

• Deep Down, Underground...
• How'd That Go?
• We Came. We Saw. We Blogged About It.
• We need a montage. A PodCamp montage.
• TSB Featured Blogger: Allie's Answers
• Thematic Photographic # 3 - Poignant
• Thirty-something Blogger Round-up: D - E
• War of the Words
• "Spit Out Your Words, Spit Out Your Verbs"
• Lists - woo!

Leave Comment

Related Entries:

• We need a montage. A PodCamp montage.
• Merry Miscellany in Massachusetts
• New Orleans, 2008
• Weekend Interlude with Charley
• Every Morning of My Life:
• Weekend Round-up: Enough Work, Already.
• Reason #3,462 why being a journalist is hard.
• Skiing Lake Tahoe
• Tahoe Ski Resort Article
• Jax Packs

However, a few years ago, I wrote a post about an old friend, and in this digital age, many people found it and commented by searching for his name. Those reactions made me feel like the decision was right, and that I'd honored someone in the best way I know how: by writing about them.

So if you will, please share with me a few random memories of a man with a sharp wit and an anchor tattooed on his arm. Every summer, he'd descend like one, big, jovial locust on Cape Cod, with his hilarious Speedo, a pair of dark sunglasses, and not much more.

His humor was dry, but his laugh was genuine. He was one of my family's favorite characters. He stood with my dad in my parents' wedding in 1957. He was a Marine who loved the sea, his family, a good beer, and an even better joke. 

The last time I saw him was on October 24, 2008, when his grand-daughter Jennifer walked down the aisle during a starlit, Victorian wedding in New Orleans. He'd lost a little bit of himself by then, but there were still some very clear glimpses - a funny little dance in the ballroom, a sudden guffaw at the dinner table ... a wink over drinks in the lounge.

On Friday, my family will officially say goodbye to this force of nature. His ashes will be scattered at sea...he's going home.

I am so glad we got to have one more dance and one more drink, Uncle Skip. We'll miss you. Godspeed. 

Leave Comment