Dictionaries go Digital

As I go through the dictionary from A to Z and find an interesting word a day at 365 Word Quest, I realize the importance of my hard copy. But I am in a growing minority. Soon, even the Oxford English Dictionary may only be available in digital format.

This week the publisher said so many people prefer to look up words using its online product that it's uncertain whether the 126-year-old dictionary's Third Edition will be printed on paper at all.

The digital version of the Oxford English Dictionary now gets 2 million hits a month from subscribers, who pay $295 a year for the service in the U.S. In contrast, the current printed edition — a 20-volume, 750-pound ($1,165) set published in 1989 — has sold about 30,000 sets in total.

The article reports, "It's just one more sign that the speed and ease of using Internet reference sites — and their ability to be quickly updated — are phasing out printed reference books. Google and Wikipedia are much more popular research tools than the Encyclopaedia Britannica, and dozens of free online dictionaries offer word meanings at the click of a mouse. Dictionary.com even offers a free iPhone application."

The publisher said, "The print dictionary market is just disappearing. It is falling away by tens of percent a year."

His comment related primarily to the full-length dictionary, but he said the convenience of the electronic format also is affecting demand for its shorter dictionaries.

The dictionary was first published in parts starting in 1884. It kept growing for decades until the complete text went out in 1928. It was the first comprehensive English dictionary since Samuel Johnson's "A Dictionary of the English Language" was published in 1755, and has since evolved to become the accepted authority on the meaning and history of words.

A team of 80 lexicographers are preparing the third edition of the dictionary, which is just one-quarter finished. Oxford University Press hasn't yet given a date for when the third edition will be ready.

I have the two volume microprint version of the Oxford English Dictionary which is a slimmed down version of the 20 volume set published in 1989. I still get out the rectangular magnifying glass on occasion to look up a word etymology.

By the way did you know that the word set has the most meanings: 58 as a noun, 126 as a verb? It covers 23 pages.

Pivotal Grains

OK, which is the world's most important grain: wheat, rice, corn, or soybeans? It's an interesting question and doubtless there are good arguments to be made for each.

Now all four have had their genetic sequence decoded. The latest is wheat, after rice in 2005, corn in 2009, and soybeans earlier this year.

One researcher said the information could help scientists better identify genetic variations responsible for disease resistance, drought tolerance and yield. Also improved varieties could result in lower prices for bread and greater food security for the world's poor.

New strains "are crucial to meet increased demand from growing and more prosperous populations, confront the challenges of climate change and looming scarcities of land, water, and fertilizer, and avoid global food shortages and price spikes that particularly harm the poor."

One question which lingers for me concerns the implications of Genetically Modified (GM) grains. Are they an absolute panacea with no drawbacks?

Back to my original question. I would say wheat is the most important grain. What would we do without bread and other wonderful applications in baking and cooking? I may be wrong...

Tribute to Clouds

Who hasn't lain in wonder at the passing clouds? What if one was your friend? Michael Casker for Likecool has an entertaining photo series entitled Pet Cloud.

This brings to mind a classic poem 'The Cloud' by Percy Bysshe Shelley:

I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers,
From the seas and the streams;
I bear light shade for the leaves when laid
In their noonday dreams.
From my wings are shaken the dews that waken
The sweet buds every one,
When rocked to rest on their mother's breast,
As she dances about the sun.
I wield the flail of the lashing hail,
And whiten the green plains under,
And then again I dissolve it in rain,
And laugh as I pass in thunder....

I am the daughter of Earth and Water,
And the nursling of the Sky;
I pass through the pores of the ocean and shores;
I change, but I cannot die.
For after the rain when with never a stain
The pavilion of Heaven is bare,
And the winds and sunbeams with their convex gleams
Build up the blue dome of air,
I silently laugh at my own cenotaph,
And out of the caverns of rain,
Like a child from the womb, like a ghost from the tomb,
I arise and unbuild it again.

Cool Canopy

It's vacant now, two stories of red brick memories,
The land ready for greenhouse expanse
And the home depleted like the nature around it.
Once surrounded by generous trees
Of maple, white birch, and spruce
Now only a canopy of leafy memories.
My mother tended bountiful gardens
With a palette full of hot summer colours
Matching the vibrant harvest around the fifty acre sandy farm,
a cornucopia of potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers.
The barn and yard are gone now
Where we circled with our bikes
And played catch against the large barn door.
My mother in the kitchen of cinnamon buns and zwieback
My father adding new straw for horse and cow,
Feeding the gaggling roost and
Changing the oil in trundling tractors.
The living room of Blue Mountain pottery
The TV room and piano an intersection of family collisions,
And the front porch providing cool in the evening
With the wind caressing the floating birch leaves.
The house stands stark now
But it's clothed in canopied reverie .

This is my submission to Magpie Tales #29 ,childhood memories of home.

Quote Sunday

The Auction

Once on returning home, purse-proud and hale,
I found my choice possessions on the lawn.
An auctioneer was whipping up a sale.
I did not move to claim what was my own.

"One coat of pride, perhaps a bit threadbare;
Illusion's trinkets, splendid for the young;
Some items, miscellaneous, marked 'Fear';
The chair of honour, with a missing rung."

The spiel ran on, the sale was brief and brisk;
The bargains fell to bidders, one by one.
Hope flushed my cheekbones with a scarlet disk.
Old neighbours nudged each other at the fun.

My spirits rose each time the hammer fell,
The heart beat faster as the fat words rolled.
I left my home with unencumbered will
And all the rubbish of confusion sold.

Theodore Roethke 1908-1963

-The narrator saw his choice possessions scattered on the lawn: pride, illusions, fears, honour. He was happy that they were being sold.
-Do you share similar possessions? Any others? Would you like to see them go?
-To what extent do they confuse your life?
-What would it be like to enjoy a clean slate?

Poem via a Friko post. Thanks.

Saturday Serendipities

Here are some great links for your Saturday reading pleasure. They're all rays of light and come from my blog roll. Why not give them a shout:

-Niki's farm in New Zealand is bursting with new life.
- Angel May shares what she sometimes thinks about including riding a unicycle.
- Angela Ackerman provides loads of symbols if you were writing about Doomsday.
- Brian Miller writes a 55 word poem about an eight year old boy with major challenges. There is hope.
- Lydia Kang writes about the ultimate watch...which her husband wants.
- Vicki Lane posts about glorious sunrises and sunsets.

I hope to make Saturday Serendipities a regular feature. Feel free to use my image on your sidebar if you please. Any one want to join my blog roll or have a post to suggest? Email or post a comment.

50 Nifty Life Quotes

I have been collecting quotes for quite some time and consider these particularly life affirming. I hope you enjoy them too.

- How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. ~ Annie Dillard

- I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve. ~ Albert Schweitzer

- Think of all the beauty that's still left in and around you and be happy! ~ Anne Frank

- I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart. ~ Vincent van Gogh

- The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple. ~ Oscar Wilde

- Love your enemy; it will drive him nuts. ~ Eleanor Doan

- The best part of our lives we pass in counting on what is to come. ~ William Hazlitt

- Well done is better than well said. ~ Benjamin Franklin

- One of the most valuable things we can do to heal one another is listen to each others' stories. ~ R. Falls

- My heart is happy, my mind is free. I had a father who talked with me. ~ Hilde Bigelow
*****Chosen at quoteflections.

- Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify. ~ Henry David Thoreau

- As in our confidence, so is our capacity. ~ William Hazlitt

- Vanity is the quicksand of reason. ~ George Sand

- To err is human, to forgive divine. ~ Alexander Pope

- The bird of paradise alights only upon the hand that does not grasp. ~ John Berry

- Whoever gossips to you will gossip of you. ~ Spanish proverb

- The happy are those who are producing something. ~ William Inge

- It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor. ~ Seneca

- The struggle alone pleases us, not the victory. ~ Blaise Pascal

- Happiness is mostly a byproduct of doing what makes us feel fulfilled. ~Benjamin Spock
*****Chosen at quoteflections.

- The essence of greatness is neglect of the self. ~ James Froude

- What we learn we learn by doing. ~ Aristotle

- Words without actions are the assassins of idealism. ~ Herbert Hoover

- Chop your own wood, and it will warm you twice. ~ Henry Ford

- The time is always right to do what is right. ~ Martin Luther King

- Generosity is the flower of justice. ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

- Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost. ~ Helen Keller

- The price of greatness is responsibility. ~ Winston Churchill

- Don't find fault; find a remedy. ~ Henry Ford

- Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is? ~ Frank Scully
*****Chosen at quoteflections.

- The man who has no imagination has no wings. ~ Muhammad Ali

- The wise person questions himself, the fool others. ~ Henri Arnold

- I can live for two months on a good compliment. ~ Mark Twain

- Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity. ~ Oprah Winfrey

- Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative. ~ Oscar Wilde

- Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. ~ Thomas Edison

- Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can. ~ Danny Kaye

- Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell. ~ Edward Abbey

- The best way out is always through. ~ Robert Frost

- Storms make the oak take deeper root. ~ George Herbert
*****Chosen at quoteflections.

- Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you will cease to be so. ~ John S. Mill

- Be the change you want to see in the world. ~ Mohandas Gandhi

- If you want to change the world, you change the world of a child. ~ Pat Schroeder

- Anything you are good at contributes to happiness. ~ Bertrand Russell

- Many people lose their tempers merely from seeing you keep yours. ~ Frank Colby

- Trouble is the common denominator of living. It is the great equalizer. ~ Ann Landers

- Fear ringed by doubt is my eternal moon. ~ Malcolm Lowry

- I make the most of all that comes, and the least of all that goes. ~ Sarah Teasdale

- Civilization is just a slow process of learning to be kind. ~ Charles Lucas

- Have the courage to act instead of react. ~ Earlene Jenks
*****Chosen at quoteflections.

Which quote do you find particularly nifty of the 50?

Everyone is Creative

Stereotypically, creative people are considered rather artsy and relegated to peripheral jobs. However, writers like Richard Florida, Daniel H. Pink, and Seth Godin see creative people essential in a broad spectrum of occupations.

Richard Florida writes an essay in The Atlantic:

"More than 35 million people are currently employed in creative class work in fields like science, technology, and engineering; business, finance, and management; law, health care, and education; and arts, culture, media, and entertainment. The creative class makes up roughly a third of total employment and accounts for more than half of all wages and salaries in America. Creative class employment has seen relatively low rates of unemployment during the course of the economic crisis. Creative class jobs will make up roughly half of all projected U.S. employment growth - adding 6.8 million new jobs by 2018."

Florida provides several maps to chart where the growth in creative jobs will be and concludes:

"At bottom, a jobs strategy needs to start from a fundamental principle: That each and every human being is creative and that we can only grow, develop, and prosper by harnessing the full creativity of each of us. For the first time in history, future economic development requires further human development. This means develop a strategy to nurture creativity across the board - on the farm, in the factory, and in offices, shops, non-profits, and a full gamut of service class work, as well as within the creative class. Our future depends on it."

It's refreshing to see that creativity is part of everyone's possibilities. Do teachers, parents, and employers do enough to harness that potential in a variety of contexts?

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Too Many Machines

Oh, the wonders of the Internet. My last post about the benefits of unplugging during downtime brought a response from Katie Gates who wrote "a Seussian piece about technology back in 87, long before the distractions multiplied" entitled "Too Many Machines."

Well, I pursued the link and enjoyed it immensely.


"In a rather small town,
Only ten years away,
Lived a family of four
By the name of Luray.

And their house, like so many,
Was filled to the brim
With machines that would cater
To any old whim...."

Another child arrived to the household as well as one more device:

"But the child would adjust
To mechanical times,
To the semblance of rattles,
Computerized rhymes..."

However, Grace did not adjust and was not enamoured with M-6 a computerized doll:

“She shunned my good company,”
Explained the machine.
“At first I assumed
An aversion to green.

“But no matter my color,
No matter my style,
I simply could not
Get that Grace-child to smile....”

Instead Grace turned to the allure of nature:

"She was calmed by the rustling
Of leaves in the trees,
And she joined in their song,
Which saluted the breeze.

She delighted in watching
The birds fly above;
Their chirping and cooing
Delivered her love."

Grace lamented that her life had been usurped by gadgets:

"For the world that existed
Outside her small home
Had stolen life's textures
And turned them to chrome."

Then she met a neighbour lady and sensed her home was different:

“What's that?” asked the child
Of an object quite small.
“Don't you know?” said the lady.
“Why, that's a rag doll— ”

“But what can it do?
Does it answer a quiz?”
“No,” said the lady.
“The rag doll just is.”

And the lady confided:

“You see, back in my young days
One's vision ran free.
In your mind, you could be
What you wanted to be.”

Grace walked home after this friendly visit, hugging the rag doll. Go here and read the whole poem as well as the conclusion which is sure to warm your heart.

Katie Gates, writer and artist, is a resident of Los Angeles. She also serves the nonprofit sector as an independent fundraising consultant.

Thanks, Katie, for the perfect tie in to the post. You have been added to my blog roll. What a sensitive and prophetic piece written over 20 years ago.

Downtime Unplugged

Wherever we go there is the omnipresent media/digital connection: restaurants, shopping malls, sporting events, workout areas... I once asked my students about their family's TV exposure. "How many have their TV on if someone is home?" Almost everyone put up their hands. Of course, multiply this with computers, iPods, cellphones, video games and the stimulation is exponential.

However, a NYT article refers to several studies which suggest that it's best to unplug during downtime.

"Digital technology makes the tiniest windows of time entertaining, and potentially productive. But scientists point to an unanticipated side effect: when people keep their brains busy with digital input, they are forfeiting downtime that could allow them to better learn and remember information, or come up with new ideas.

“Almost certainly, downtime lets the brain go over experiences it’s had, solidify them and turn them into permanent long-term memories,” said Loren Frank, assistant professor in the department of physiology at the University of California, where he specializes in learning and memory. He said he believed that when the brain was constantly stimulated, “you prevent this learning process.”

Another study found that "people learned significantly better after a walk in nature than after a walk in a dense urban environment, suggesting that processing a barrage of information leaves people fatigued.

Even though people feel entertained, even relaxed, when they multitask while exercising, or pass a moment at the bus stop by catching a quick video clip, they might be taxing their brains, scientists say.

“People think they’re refreshing themselves, but they’re fatiguing themselves,” said a neuroscientist.

The article encourages one to think about the effects of his/her digital habits. I, too, would be very sensitive as a parent about a child, teen's lifestyle and how it may be affecting their cognitive development.

Trees of Life

The chestnut tree that gave Anne Frank comfort while her family was hiding for two years during the Holocaust has fallen in a storm. It was about 150 years old.

Efforts to save the large tree over the last few years extended its life as foundation supporters rushed to preserve it. Chestnuts from the tree have been propagated and planted at memorial centers throughout the world.

"Anne could see the chestnut tree from a window in the attic of the annex. She wrote about the tree in her diary, The Diary of a Young Girl, three times. On April 18, 1944, she wrote: “April is glorious, not too hot and not too cold, with occasional light showers. Our chestnut tree is in leaf, and here and there you can already see a few small blossoms.” On May 13, 1944, she wrote: “Our chestnut tree is in full bloom. It’s covered with leaves and is even more beautiful than last year.”

“Nearly every morning I go to the attic to blow the stuffy air out of my lungs,” she wrote on Feb. 23, 1944. “From my favorite spot on the floor I look up at the blue sky and the bare chestnut tree, on whose branches little raindrops shine, appearing like silver, and at the seagulls and other birds as they glide on the wind. As long as this exists, I thought, and I may live to see it, this sunshine, the cloudless skies, while this lasts I cannot be unhappy.”

This tree encourages us to think about the trees in our own lives which have comforted and inspired us. We have a chestnut tree whose blooms enhance the splendour of the season and provide a good canopy of shade during the heat of the summer.

Meet the Future: Smart Watches?

The Globe and Mail has an interesting interview with Microsoft Principal Researcher Bill Buxton. There is a hint that the next big thing, which everyone will have, may not be a genius phone but an incredibly smarter watch?

Buxton played a chief role on the team that invented the multi-touch user interface in 1984.

He refers to a watch which came out in 1984 made by Casio. It cost less than $100. 1984 was the same year that the first Macintosh was released. "And this watch had a touch screen on it. And that touch screen had a character recognizer built into it....It was fantastic."

Now the wonder of computer technology is related to "Moore’s Law that says the number of transistors on a chip doubles every 18 months. Well that watch was more than 17 Moore’s Laws ago. That means that more than 136,000 times the computing power is available today than there was for the chip the size of the one that was in that watch in 1984. It’s phenomenal."

The trouble is most people don't wear watches anymore:

"This is staggering for me. It’s a generational thing. I’m 61. Four years ago I was talking in a group about how phones were just going to disappear and we’re all just going to have smart watches. There were a couple of 20-something people at my table and they said, Bill, you just don’t understand... And then we found out that of the ten people at the table only two of us had watches. We were at this banquet and there were ten tables in total. I said, okay, we’re going to do a study right now. We went out—and keep in mind these were propellerheads spanning generations—and on average there were only two-and-a-half or three people out of each table of ten who were wearing watches. It’s a fun activity. Do it yourself. Just look around one day and see how many people in your office are wearing watches.

So people have just replaced their watches with mobile phones. Now, if you did a spectacular watch maybe you could change that…"

Are you ready for a renaissance in cutting edge computer watches?

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The Coming Famine

I can recall several famines over the last few decades which tugged on the heartstrings; indeed, it's a disturbing theme in history.

Australian science writer Julian Cribb in his new book The Coming Famine: The Global Food Crisis and What We Can Do To Avoid It warns that looming scarcities of water, land, nutrients, oil and fish will leave us unable to feed ourselves within 50 years. In an interview he argues:

"Because we've been so very successful in food production over the last 30 years, we've basically fallen asleep at the wheel. Countries like Canada, America, Australia, are awash with food... But what we really haven't noticed is the rate at which the basic resources for producing it are running out."

He believes there is some onus on the Western world, "because our diets are the ones that are most costly in energy and water. But it's going to apply to everybody. I think it's important for advancing economies like India and China not to take the same route. If Indians start consuming meat at the same rate we do, there's essentially no way the planet can produce enough of it."

"The biggest worry would be the Indo-Gangetic plains. They have to feed 1.3 billion people, not just in India but in central China. They're very vulnerable to water scarcity and land degradation, and they're likely to get hit very hard by climate change. Things are lining up in an ominous way for that part of the world."

Another thing that really concerns the writer is the thought of megacities. "When you have cities of 20 or 30 million that have no internal food production, they're 100-per-cent reliant on trucks coming every day. If you've got a fuel crisis or a major climatic disruption, you could have a city of that scale starving within a week or two. We're creating points of tremendous vulnerability."

The answers in avoiding a global famine are not easy but the writer suggests some of the requirements include reducing waste, continuing advancement in agricultural science, cultivating local consumption, downgrading meat in our diets, and educating the young about food.

Quote Sunday

My Symphony

To live content with small means;
to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable,
and wealthy, not, rich;
to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart;
to study hard;
to think quietly,
act frankly,
talk gently,
await occasions, hurry never;
in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common
- this is my symphony.

~William Ellery Channing (1780-1842)

- Channing's symphony of life includes 12 qualities, actions, perspectives. Which qualities seem most poignant today 170 years later?

Saturday Serendipities

Here are some great links for your Saturday reading pleasure. They're all rays of light and come from my blog roll. Why not give them a shout:

- Von at The Good Life blogs from Australia and they are experiencing an early spring.
- Noah Fleming has the ultimate recipe for French Toast which he whips up for guests on the weekend.
- Willow is celebrating her 33rd wedding anniversary with a timeless gift for the garden.
- DJan goes on the most amazing alpine hikes in Washington state. She also likes to skydive.
-Teresa Evangeline writes an uplifting post about simple pleasures. She is the newest addition to my blog roll.

I am always looking for new, promising blogs. Give me a shout, too, to join.

Have a wonderful Saturday.

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New Metaphor for Reasoning

How good is our reasoning? Jonah Lehrer writes an interesting essay in Wired that suggests we are more like radio talk show hosts than scientists when it comes to our thinking.

He cites a study in which students ranked 45 different kinds of strawberry jam. Then another group was asked to do the same but give reasons for their answers. The second group ended up with very different choices. Indeed, they chose brands which were rated as inferior by taste experts.

The psychologists of the study argue that “thinking too much” about strawberry jam causes us to focus on all sorts of variables that don’t actually matter. Instead of just listening to our instinctive preferences, we start searching for reasons to prefer one jam over another.

And it’s not just jam: they have since demonstrated that the same effect can interfere with our choice of posters, jelly beans, cars, IKEA couches and apartments. "We assume that more rational analysis leads to better choices but, in many instances, that assumption is exactly backwards."

"The larger moral is that our metaphors for reasoning are all wrong. We like to believe that the gift of human reason lets us think like scientists, so that our conscious thoughts lead us closer to the truth. But here’s the paradox: all that reasoning and confabulation can often lead us astray, so that we end up knowing less about what jams/cars/jelly beans we actually prefer. So here’s my new metaphor for human reason: our rational faculty isn’t a scientist – it’s a talk radio host. That voice in your head spewing out eloquent reasons to do this or do that doesn’t actually know what’s going on, and it’s not particularly adept..."

This perspective appears to echo Malcolm Gladwell:

"Truly successful decision-making relies on a balance between deliberate and instinctive thinking."

In the act of tearing something apart, you lose its meaning."

All this makes one wonder about how good we are at thinking.

Watermelon Dreams

My uncle grew the most phenomenal watermelon. It was an event to pick one out from his roadside stand and enjoy its deep red goodness. In the middle of a hot afternoon under a shade tree during the tomato harvest my family would sit and gorge ourselves with multiple slices, throwing the rinds in a pile.

Watermelon is still a nutritional staple for many families. A NYT article discusses how the industry has changed. The big, seed varieties have made way for smaller and seedless.

In Arkansas a plant pathologist searches for the ideal signs. There's "a deep, soft pop, like a cork slipping free from a wine bottle. You hear it when a pocket knife cracks the green rind on a watermelon so full of wet fruit that the outside can barely contain the inside."

Also he’s searching for "deeply colored flesh that is crisp but not crunchy and so juicy that pools fill the divots left by a spoon.

The taste has to be exceptionally sweet but just slightly vegetal, so you know it came from the earth and not the candy counter."

"These days, a good watermelon also has to ship well, which means a thick rind and a uniform shape. It has to be small enough so people pushing grocery carts in big-city stores will buy it. And it can’t have seeds."

Some watermelon lovers in Arkansas lament the good old days when fields grew the 40 pound varieties. Now feasts come in smaller measures.

New Kingfisher Home

I found the story in the Guardian about a nesting site custom-built for kingfishers very interesting. The farm on which I grew up had several ponds filled with bull rushes, frogs, moss, small fish, and the occasional kingfisher.

They would appear as tiny blue phantoms hovering about thirty feet over the pond, and then dart head first into the water for a prized fish. It was high drama for such a diminutive bird to display such prowess. Something like the sighting of a hummingbird, it sets the heart aflutter.

The 'bird hotel' has almost 200 entrance holes leading to nesting boxes. Two of the boxes are specifically designed for kingfishers while the others are to entice sand martins.

A series of photos provides a glimpse of the majestic bird and its nest of growing hatchlings.

It was the Rainbow gave thee birth,
And left thee all her lovely hues;
And, as her mother’s name was Tears,
So runs it in my blood to choose
For haunts the lonely pools, and keep
In company with trees that weep.... from The Kingfisher by William Henry Davies

What in nature sets your heart aflutter?

Rags to Riches for Yukon Prospector

The secret behind his fairy-tale success? Science, persistence and a lot of patience.

Shawn Ryan lived in a tin shack for years in the Yukon with his young family before uncovering the so-called White Gold district, not far from the fabled Klondike zones of the late 1800's era.

"In 2004, after about eight years of hunching over maps and sampling soil, Mr. Ryan finally found the first signs of what he had been digging for so deeply, when assay results indicated geochemical markers associated with gold."

“There haven’t been too many prospectors that found a discovery that opened up a mine. That will be neat if that happens,” Mr. Ryan, 47, said in a recent interview from his home in Dawson City, which he describes as an upgraded 900-square-foot shack.

“I kind of feel like the Clampetts on the way to Whitehorse and into a bigger house,” Mr. Ryan joked.

Ryan has since earned millions with his discovery in share options, and one large mining company has moved in. This past year Ryan was named Prospector of the Year by the British Columbia mining exploration industry. He has turned out to be one savvy businessman.

The allure of a mining discovery and the ensuing rush of interest has been played out before in numerous other locations in the world. For every lucky prospector there are many others who never hit pay dirt.

Medieval Muse

Here is my first Microfiction Monday post:

"I know chivalry is dead these days, but would you care for a ride on my steed?"

"Just leave your lance on the lawn," she quivered.

This is my feeble attempt to write a story in 140 characters or less for the photo prompt of the week. It was fun and others did a better job at Microfiction, Monday #44 at Stony River.

A note to readers,

There is a proliferation of invitations these days to do some creative writing at various themed sites. It becomes an interesting way to meet new writers and their blogs. Let me list a few:

Magpie Tales: you know I've had fun here
Sunday 160 at Monkey Man
Story in 55 words at Gman
Theme Thursday

And this is just the beginning....

What was your experience with creative writing in high school? Today? As a retired high school English teacher, I muse now about how some of my students were enthralled, but others somewhat abashed to let the pen flow.

The Copenhagen Wheel: Smart Bike

A team of MIT students has won the James Dyson Award for their innovative E-BIKE called the Copenhagen Wheel. The design certainly complements the efforts of those seeking to add to their green travel miles.

"Smart, responsive and elegant, it transforms existing bicycles quickly into hybrid electric-bikes with regeneration and real-time sensing capabilities. Its sleek red hub not only contains a motor, batteries and an internal gear system – helping cyclists overcome hilly terrains and long distances - but also includes environmental and location sensors that provide data for cycling-related mobile applications. Cyclists can use this data to plan healthier bike routes, to achieve their exercise goals or to create new connections with other cyclists. Through sharing their data with friends or their city, they are also contributing to a larger pool of information from which the whole community can benefit."

The video shows how a monitor on the bike provides the cyclist with real time data and how the information can be shared on a Smart Phone.

It's interesting that the wheel can capture the energy dissipated while breaking and use it to accelerate later. The device is also quite easy to install on existing bikes. These students get an A+ for intelligent design.

Ultimate Adventure

This may be the ideal summer vacation if you like adventure- kayaking along the wild Pacific Coast off the north-west coastline of Vancouver Island.

An enchanting essay describes a family's experience on Spring Island with West Coast Expeditions.

"Balanced on the thinnest of margins, between two enormous biospheres – the endless blue sea and the green temperate rain forest – the outer coast can be at once terrifying and profound, volatile and serene. Raked by winds, pounded by mountainous waves, dotted with jagged headlands and submerged reefs, perpetually doused in foam and mist, the outer coast does not, at first glance, appear enticing to the kayaker.

But paddle here just once – rising and dropping with the breathing ocean, senses on high alert – and you'll be hooked. There is something primordial about bobbing in a tiny kayak on the edge of the Pacific, where one is literally staring into the void. Somewhere out there, beyond the cries of the gulls, more than 8,000 kilometres away, lies Japan, but in between lurks an incomprehensible vastness. On such a powerful stage, human life feels refreshingly insignificant."

Another thrill while kayaking around the island is enjoying playful sea otters and the exhileration of being on the edge of the world.

Can there be a better vacation?

Quote Sunday

Are you a butterfly or a butterfly collector?

I embrace emerging experience.
I participate in discovery.
I am a butterfly.
I am not a butterfly collector.
I want the experience of the butterfly. ~ William Stafford

- What does the butterfly experience?
- How are some people like butterfly collectors?
- What can you do to enrich your experiences through life?

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A Song to End Malaria

After generous rains, mosquitoes have been plentiful in hot and humid southern Ontario. Imagine the horror if they could threaten death.

Malaria remains a devastating disease worldwide where 3,000 people die every day. “That is a tsunami every month,” says Martin Edlund, the Senegal country director for the organization Malaria No More. “This is a 9/11 every day.” And yet, malaria is entirely preventable. Surprisingly simple and inexpensive interventions, such as sleeping underneath a bed net that keeps the mosquitoes out, can drastically reduce infection rates.

"Globally, malaria represents a staggering burden. More than 3 billion people—half the world’s population—are at risk of developing malaria, and the disease kills a child every 40 seconds. The toll is particularly devastating in Africa, where the disease costs the continent $12 billion a year. These numbers have made malaria a major priority on the global health agenda. One of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, set in 2000, is to stop the spread of malaria by 2015. The world public health community has pledged to end malaria deaths in Africa by that year."

Organizations that have raised money for bed nets include Spread the Net which supplied nets for 2.5 million children.

Meanwhile, "in Dakar, Senegal 15,000 people waited in a soccer stadium for the Senegalese singing sensation Youssou N’dour to take the stage. N’dour was there to perform his new song, “Xeex Sibbiru.” The song—whose title translates “Fight Malaria” in Wolof—was to be the new anthem for a nationwide fight against the disease that has decimated the country."

Malaria No More is currently running a national, American Idol-style concert to find the best amateur Senegalese singer-songwriter with an original song about malaria. Such a competition has attracted the attention of the younger generation. A Twitter campaign with Ashton Kutcher has also yielded results.

Thanks to the work of MNM, 30 million mothers and children in Africa now have mosquito nets.

Sweet Tooth Blues

Watch your sodium intake, avoid the hydrogenated oils, and..... be cautious of refined glucose-fructose. The trouble is that it's ubiqitous, found in thousands of foods and soft drinks.

A study published in the journal Cancer Research adds to the growing controversy over the potential health risks of fructose. Tests show the sweetener triggers pancreatic cancer cells to grow more quickly.

"The major sources of fructose in our diet are sucrose (table sugar) and high fructose corn syrup, a sweetener found in soft drinks, fruit drinks, candy, cookies, ketchup, salad dressings, cereal bars, frozen dinners and countless other processed foods.

Since its introduction in the 1970s, high-fructose corn syrup – often listed as glucose-fructose on ingredient lists – has been a boon to the food industry. It's cheaper than table sugar, easier to blend into foods, and tastes sweeter."

Moreover, "This isn't the first time the potential health hazards of refined fructose have made headlines. Last year, a study conducted in overweight adults found that drinking fructose-sweetened beverages – three servings a day for 10 weeks – led to elevated blood triglyceride (fat) and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, risk factors for heart disease."

Lind Beck suggests some proactive measures: scan the ingredient list, read nutrition labels, avoid sugary drinks, and rein in that sweet tooth.

There's a revealing link to the amount of sugar in some popular products....A medium size (21 oz.) helping of McDonalds Chocolate Shake contains 111 grams of sugar and 770 calories, of which 444 calories are from sugar.

It makes one wonder about the status of one's sweet tooth and food choices.

........................................................

Veins and arteries, stomach and intestines, tissues and organs,
Our internal plumbing keeps those fluids and oxygen moving throughout;
It's what we need for health and survival;
The trouble is the plumbing can get corroded
Gummed up,
Cantankerous.
What we eat, drink
How we move our bodies
Regulate our moods...
Can affect our future
Well being.

The poem is a submission to Magpie Tales #27.

Quoteflections Reverie

On my sidebar you see this title and painting by Emily Carr (1871-1945). Carr was a Canadian artist and writer who was inspired by the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest.

To see her work, done in post-impressionist style, one is inspired by the majestic settings and calmed by the vibrant and flowing brush strokes. She captured well "the large rhythms of Western forests, driftwood-tossed beaches, and expansive skies."

One of my objectives at quoteflections is to provide a kind of retreat or solace from a rather frenetic Internet pace. There are so many links, so much information to cover,... so much noise. I would like to help filter out some of the frenzy and to provide quotes which celebrate life and its exciting possibilities.

Thank you for following.

Up to the Challenge?

Are you willing to take the 100 Thing Challenge and 'reduce, refuse, and rejigger' your life? A NYT's article explores whether living more simply will help you to be happier.

One young couple decided to take Dave Bruno's challenge and it lead to a transformation. They jettisoned their cars, live in a smaller apartment, volunteer part of their time, and have more money to spend on select experiences.

“The idea that you need to go bigger to be happy is false,” she says. “I really believe that the acquisition of material goods doesn’t bring about happiness.”

One retail researcher said, “We’re moving from a conspicuous consumption — which is ‘buy without regard’ — to a calculated consumption."

Indeed, "new studies of consumption and happiness show, for instance, that people are happier when they spend money on experiences instead of material objects, when they relish what they plan to buy long before they buy it, and when they stop trying to outdo the Joneses."

It seems there has been an emotional rebirth connected to acquiring things. There is a lot more complexity required now for companies to engage consumers.

The article encourages one to think about our own lifestyles and acquisitions, and what makes us happy.

Now let me see, should I jettison my squash racket or bocce ball set, the fondue or the crepe maker, the Lazy Boy or the rocker?

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For the Love of Sports

Two articles intersected for me today. One was about the longest shot in basketball. The other about a businessman in Detroit, Mike Ilitch, who wants to buy the Detroit Pistons basketball franchise. He already owns the Detroit Red Wings hockey team, and the Detroit Tigers.

First Evan Sellers seems to have a talent sinking basketball shots from enormous distances. A video has him standing on top of a 134-foot platform in Birmingham, Alabama. The net is about 150-180 feet from the base, making this possibly the farthest basketball shot ever recorded.

Second, Mike Ilitch, Little Caesars pizza baron, grew up in Detroit (an hour from where I live) and when he heard that the Pistons might be for sale and possibly moved elsewhere he said,

"We talked about it internally and when you take our 33 years of experience in professional sports, our commitment to this community, our passion for winning and pursuing championships, and you couple that with the opportunity to have a local, engaged owner for the Pistons, we decided to take a run at it."

The Piston franchise has been valued at about $479 million, but that doesn't seem to be a stumbling block. One commentator said, "They're trying to do everything to make downtown Detroit a fun place, a destination place for sports and entertainment."

The stories encourage one to think about the impact of sports personally, socially, and within the community. I must admit that basketball is closest to my heart since my attempts to play center in high school.

I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures. ~Earl Warren

Growing Light Rays

Well, I spent the morning creating the blogroll on the sidebar. I went through my Google Reader, Google Friend Connect, the comments to the blog, your own sites... I value the contacts that have been made and look forward to continued interaction.

I admit that I have been remiss in visiting many blogs regularly, as you have perhaps forgotten about mine. I think you would agree with me that regular commenting is impractical and too time consuming. We still scan each others' blogs when we have the chance.

If I have forgotten anyone and wish inclusion on my sidebar, please email me. I apologize if I have overlooked any long time blogger friend. In the meantime enjoy some of the blogs I have listed. There are many light rays glimmering through the canopy.

And there us an open invitation for anyone to display this image on your sidebar if you please.

I also look forward to meeting new visitors to quoteflections.

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I Believe in Reciprocity

Well, what do you think of my new look, the blog template that is? I think I needed a bit of a facelift. Can't do anything about my facial features at 59.

I am in the midst of formulating a Blogroll, a compilation of all the kind bloggers who have paid attention to my lowly blog the last 2 and 1/2 years. It has grown to about 400 readers on RSS with a host of others who visit on occasion. As you know, I am celebrating the milestone of 1,000 posts.

I want to pay tribute to the thoughtful people who have made comments to my blog, who have placed quoteflections on their sidebar, who are just generally good people with thoughtful perspectives.

Tomorrow the beginning of my Blogroll will appear. I invite you to leave me an email or comment here about your desire to join the community. paulhco(at)gmail(dot)com

I believe in reciprocity. Join my Google Friend Connect, make comments to my blog occasionally, get my attention with your great blog and your affinity to my open perspective. Then I will recognize you with a presence on my sidebar.

For those interested in history, the Canadian-American Reciprocity Treaty from 1854-1864 was negotiated by the British on behalf of the Canadians and other British North American colonists. In 1854, the Americans agreed to eliminate a 21% tariff on natural resource imports. In exchange, the Americans were given fishing rights off the east coast. The treaty also granted a few navigation rights to each others lakes and rivers.

I'm practising reciprocity here too with all the great blogs out there. Let's connect.

Fascinated with Words

I'm having fun at 365 Word Quest going through the dictionary and selecting a word a day. Each word usually has a fascinating word etymology or definition. Here are 15 of my favourites so far out of 220 words:

1- carpe diem- seize the day

-Latin from Horace

'Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.' is from the movie Dead Poets' Society, 1989

2- capricious- adjective - characterized by or liable to sudden unpredictable changes in attitude or behaviour; impulsive; fickle

- caprice, capriciousness- noun

-from French, Italian capriccio- capo- head +riccio- hedgehog, suggesting a convulsive shudder of a hedgehog's spines

3-cacophony- jarring sound, discordant, harsh

- also cacophonous, cacophonic

- from Greek kakos- bad

In my hotel around the corner from this small squarish building of black volcanic stone, I had to put on earphones to block out the clash of cymbals, the blare of foghorns and other insistent cacophony from the square below.

4-brouhaha- a loud confused noise; commotion; uproar

- French, of imitative origin

What's clear from this brouhaha is that the foreign policy has zero support from the states and cultures involved.

5-bravado- vaunted display of courage or self-confidence; swagger

- C16 from Spanish bravada, from Old Italian bravare- to challenge , provoke, from bravo- wild

Their bravado is a cover up for a desperate fear they will be exposed.

6-boondoggle- futile and unnecessary work, project

- coined by R. H. Link, American scoutmaster

Some call the marina, which is getting 15 million in federal stimulus money, a giant boondoggle.

7-bonhomie- exuberant friendliness

- C18 from French, from bonhomme- good-humoured fellow, from bon good+homme man

A state known for gently rolling grasslands, rich black soils and cowboy bonhomie is increasingly noted for flaring tempers.

8-billow- a large sea wave, a swelling or surging mass, as of smoke or sound; also verb- to rise up, swell out

- interesting etymology- C16 from Old Norse bylgja, Swedish bolja, Danish bolg, Middle German bulge

As the billow is at its height, before it combs over, the fisherman sees the sunlight gleaming through it -- an ecstasy of perfect lucid green, with the glimmer of yellow sand.

9-beserk- frenziedly violent or destructive; also beserker, a member of a class of ancient Norse warriors who worked themselves into a frenzy before battle and fought with insane fury and courage.

- C19 Icelandic berserkr, from bjorn bear+serkr shirt

Moreover, the word "amok" has anthropological grounding with various accounts of lonely, frustrated and disturbed men who have suffered loss going beserk, running amok (a Malay word) and randomly resorting to extreme violence.

10-avatar- the manifestation of a diety, notably Vishnu, in human, superhuman, or animal form; a visible manifestation or embodiment of an abstract concept; archetype

- C18 from Sanskrit avatara-going down, descending

There's a screech, a nerve-wracking caterwauling, and Manni yells, bright parallel blood-tracks on his arm -- the avatar is a real fleshbody in its own right.

11-audacious (adj.)- recklessly bold or daring; fearless; impudentor presumptuous

- C16 from Latin audax- bold, from audere- to dare

- audaciously, audacity

I look forward to growing old and wise and audacious. ~ Glenda Jackson

12-ataraxia- calmness or peace of mind; emotional tranquility

- C17 from Greek ataraktos- undisturbed, serenity

All three schools stressed the overarching value of ataraxia, the absence of disturbance in the soul.

13-acumen - the ability to judge well, keen discernment, insight

- from C16 Latin - acuere - to sharpen

You have to combine instinct with a good business acumen. You just can't be creative, and you just can't be analytical. ~ Andrea Jung

14-aberration - deviation from what is normal, expected, or usual, departure from truth, morality, displacement of a celestial body...

Also adjective - aberrant

From the Latin aberrare to wander away

History and to the present day provide vivid examples of regimes and societies which define what is normal and aberrant. Much human grief therein reside.

15-abalone
-a large mollusk of the genus Haliotis, having a bowllike shell bearing a row of respiratory holes, the flesh of which is used for food and the shell for ornament and as a source of mother-of-pearl.

From: 1840–50, Americanism; taken as sing. of California Sp abulones, pl. of abulón

The Abalone Song by Jack London

Oh, some folks boast of quail on toast
Because they think it's toney,
But I'm content to owe my rent
And live on abalone.
Oh! Mission Point's a friendly joint,
Where ev'ry crab's a crony,
And true and kind you'll ever find
The clinging abalone...

I'm sure you have all been fascinated with a word or two.

Quote Sunday (1)

For every Sunday I hope to provide a quote which particularly speaks to me and which provides opportunity for reflection.

I invite readers to respond to it, or provide a quote of their own which speaks to them.

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.

~ John Muir (1834-1914)- naturalist, conservationist, founder of the Sierra Club

Before it's too Late

There's a crack in earth's watering can;
It's leaking buckets of precious water
Down from summits and glaciers
Diverted and dumped in swimming pools and golf course resorts
Flushed down toilets and sanitary stations
Keeping monoculture alive with irrigation projects.
Rivers, once running clear over polished stones,
Now are a trickle tinged with phosphorescent film;
Upriver, giant dams ensure that power comes first
Greenhouse gases changing the gentle cycle;
Ground water going deeper and more inaccessible
Tinged by obstinate pollutants.
Canopies of trees have disappeared
With their roots and shade protecting the raindrops
Nurturing each precious drop for green.
When will we be earth's gardener again
Tending her cares before our own?

A little creative writing escape at Magpie Tales #26.

Labels: earth, environment, conservation, poem, poetry,

Apple Heaven

If there was a gospel on apples, I would buy it because it's the disciple of fruits.

Reading an article about apples in the Guardian, I was surprised to find six varieties of apples in England being harvested now that I haven't even tasted: Court of Wick, Crimson Queening, Achmead's Kernel, Doctor Hares, Downtown Pippin, and Cats Head.

The writer muses, "From the Garden of Eden to William Tell there is no fruit as swathed in romanticism and folklore as the apple, and where would science be without the falling fruit that led Isaac Newton to form his theory of gravity? Sadly, many of our traditional apple varieties with their lyrical names are now as rare as the sight of a golden-skinned farm lad munching a Crimson Queening in the back of a haywain."

The article also provides a link to Orange Pippin, the comprehensive resource for apples and orchards in England with 209 varieties.

Of course, the apostle for apples is Johnny Appleseed (1774-1845), born John Chapman. He was an American pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. He became an American legend while still alive, largely because of his kind and generous ways, his great leadership in conservation, and the symbolic importance he attributed to apples.

Virtualology provides an interesting essay of the mythic personality.

"Generally, even in the coldest weather, he went barefooted, but sometimes, for his long journeys, he would make himself a rude pair of sandals…His dress was generally composed of cast-off clothing, that he had taken in payment for apple-trees…"

The gospel according to Johnny Appleseed and Mutsu suits me fine.

1000 Posts: Gift

I am in a giving mood with my 1,000 post milestone. As a tribute to my readers, I have put together 212 select quotes at a convenient link.

These quotes cover the first seven months of 365 Quote Quest where I provide a quote and offer 3-4 questions for reflection. It has been enriching for me to select these quotes and provide some opportunity for introspection.

Here are several of my favourites:

#1 How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. ~Annie Dillard

-Think about what fills up your day. What are your activities, perspectives, interests, and lifestyle?
- Are you happy with your daily regiman?
-What small steps can you make this week to begin to transform your days if necessary?

#2 Tis the gift to be simple,
'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight, Till by turning, turning we come round right.

~ 1848, Shaker song by Joseph Brackett

- Why is it difficult to live simply and humbly?
- How does simplicity and humility foster freedom and happiness?
- When have you felt release as the song describes so well?

#3 Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states. ~Carol Welch

- How important is exercise to you?
- What form(s) does it take?
- How transformative is exercise in your life?
- How can you bump up your exercise activities a couple of notches?

#4 The linchpin feels the fear, acknowledges it, then proceeds. ~ Seth Godin, Linchpin

- What fears dominate your life?
- How does one best confront those fears?
- How can you resolutely move on in several areas and live a vital life?

In total I have 212 quotations conveniently archived for your perusal.

Leave me a message at paulhco(at)gmail(dot)com and I will provide you with the link.

And dear readers, thanks for subscribing to quoteflections. Recommendations through Email, Facebook, Twitter, etc are appreciated. Use the convenient buttons below.

Finally do you have any great quotations I should consider using? Feel free to recommend quotes which have helped you to navigate through life.

Promoting Cooperation

It appears that remaining hurdles have been overcome to build a mosque near the 9/11 Ground Zero site in lower Manhattan. The proposed $100 million center, complete with a mosque, a 500-seat auditorium, and a swimming pool, has divided Americans, including lawmakers, local shopkeepers, and 9/11 victims' groups.

New York mayor Michael Bloomberg praised the approval as a victory for the separation of church and state. “To cave to popular sentiment would be to hand a victory to the terrorists,” he said, standing with religious leaders in front of the Statue of Liberty.

The Cordoba Initiative, central to the development of the site, provides the following quote as their inspiration,

…If the 21st century wishes to free itself from the cycle of violence, acts of terror and war, and avoid repetition of the experience of the 20th century - that most disaster-ridden century of humankind, there is no other way except by understanding and putting into practice every human right for all mankind, irrespective of race, gender, faith, nationality or social status. In anticipation of that day. With much gratitude…

– Shirin Ebadi, Conclusion to her Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, 2003

There is talk of an interfaith chapel being a part of the development as well. Certainly communication is central to resolving tensions and promoting understanding and cooperation.

A Message in 12,500 Bottles

The Plastiki, a catamaran made of 12,500 recycled plastic bottles, sailed into Sydney Harbour recently after a 5 month, 15,000 kilometre trek across the Pacific Ocean meant to draw attention to plastic pollution.

Held together with sugar cane and cashew glue, the vessel is proof that trash can be turned into something useful, expedition leader David de Rothschild said. The six-member crew's journey to Australia, which began in San Francisco in March, was inspired by a United Nations Environment Programme report that highlighted the threat of plastic pollution to the world's oceans.

"More than 13,000 pieces of plastic litter the surface of each square kilometre of ocean, according to UNEP – just about the number of pieces that made up the sailboat.

The marine litter isn't just an eyesore: seabirds and marine wildlife often mistake lighters, toothbrushes and smaller pieces of plastic for food and eat it, Prof. Chan said. Fisheries and Oceans Canada recently reported that a plastic bag was in the stomach of a leatherback sea turtle found dead off the coast of Newfoundland. The plastic bag looked like a jellyfish, and must have been eaten by mistake. UNEP estimates plastic litter kills 100,000 turtles, dolphins, whales, seals and other marine mammals each year."

“It's a global common problem – pollution of those oceans can happen everywhere, so it's collectively our responsibility to clean it up,” he said. The fact plastic pollution in oceans is increasing is also evidence that people, companies and governments need to change the way they think about and use plastic, Prof. Kai Chan, assistant professor and Canada Research Chair at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia. said.

Plastiki conjures up the Kon-Tiki, for me, the raft used by the Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl in 1947 to sail from South America to the Polynesian islands. Made from balsa tree trunks and bamboo, the craft tried to establish that people from South America could have settled on the islands in pre-Columbian times. Two boats, two dramatic messages.

1,000 Posts: Reflections

Soon I will reach the milestone of 1,000 posts. It all began in December of 2007 and it's been an exciting journey. What are ten lessons I have learned about blogging over these last 2 and one half years?

- First of all, I am continually learning. Someone talked about the 10,000 hours to mastery. I think I am almost half way there (in hours anyway.)
- Find a focus for your blog. My voice is shaped by the ten point quoteflections philosophy as seen on my sidebar. This perspective has helped to shape my content.
- Keep posts focused and precise. Most readers browse through many blogs; they don't want circumlocution.
- Make each post worthy of your reader's time. Is there something helpful, entertaining, interesting to carry away?
- Recognize sources, pay tribute to fellow bloggers whom you find interesting; provide convenient and productive links.
- Shape the look of your blog to match your voice and perspective. The pictures on my sidebar convey a lot. Also I provide links to my two other blogs, 365 Quote Quest and 365 Word Quest.
- Blogging can be a rewarding hobby. Choose a perspective which expands your horizons.
- Be consistent and persistent. Building readership comes with familiarity and productivity.
- Show some of your personality, interests, and passions. Real connections for readers occur this way.
- Build community. Visit the sites of those who support you and which interest you. Vital communication can result.

- What have I missed? Do you have any suggestions about improving this blog?

It's when ordinary people rise above the expectations and seize the opportunity that milestones truly are reached. ~ Mike Huckabee

Labels: blogging, writing, tips,

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