Thing have been a little quiet around this here blog......too quiet, as they cliche-ly say in the movies.
But still, I haven't been posting much and that's mainly been due to working a lot....both at the new job as well as on my Last Chance project. I'm still around and still trying to visit others, I'm just not as consistent as I used to be, so I apologize for that.
I just wanted to update you all with a few, quick, tidbits about the goings on, here at the Means Ranch:
The Ninja Captain, himself, Mr. Alex J. Cavanaugh interviewed me for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge site, which can be found here. Just wanted to thank Alex for thinking of me and for the fun questions regarding my A to Z Challenge theme choice.
Woke up this morning to a hit and run on my old car. We know which neighbor did it, just not sure as to all the details. On the bright side, though, the car hasn't ran for a few years (so we're not really out anything) and no one was hurt. And, no, the car wasn't parked crooked...it was just whacked. Really hard.
I'll, more than likely, be skipping this month's IWSG post, but will be visiting as many as possible. If something changes, you all will be the first to know :)
Oh, almost forgot, for you Whovians out there....did you see who is going to be the twelfth Doctor? It's veteran actor Peter Capaldi.
If you're like me, and not very familiar with his work, check out his IMDB entry HERE. I wasn't a Matt Smith fan, at first, but he grew on me and will be missed. I liked how they went for an older incarnation, this time around, and I'm hoping Capaldi is up for the challenge.
We shall see!
So, for today's Music Monday, let's snatch Mr. Capaldi's TARDIS (before he snags the keys) and head back to the 1970s and the era of.....Disco. (Oh, stop rolling your eyes!)
Here's The Trammps with one of my favorite songs from the Disco Era.....Disco Inferno!
Hope you all have a great week....keep writing, or whatever endeavors you're working on,.....and take care.
A couple of weeks ago I had two blogging buddies bestow upon me the coveted Liebster Award For Excellence In Blogging And General Awesomeness.
O.k, I made up everything past the word 'award'......anywho...
The totally terrificTara Tyler and the linguistically lucidC.Lee McKenzie , both of whom shared in being in my top ten A to Z Challenge themes, were both kind enough to think of me and my lil ole' blog for this award. And, for that, I graciously thank them....
Howdy folks, just wanted to poke my head out of the sand and see how everyone is doing. This is going to be on of those 'hodge podge' posts, so pick what you like and ignore the rest. :)
--I hope everyone had a nice Father's Day. We've been so busy with work/business around here that we totally forgot to send a card to my dad. Not that he cares, but that's not the point. I did manage to give him a call, though, so I'm not a totally terrible son. (haha!)
--Anyone else watching Mad Men? I think I've mentioned before how I got sucked into this show, catching up on five season in two weeks time on Netflix. I'm a sucker for "period" shows/movies...especially anything set in the 60s or 70s. As much as I've enjoyed the show in the past, I'm having a hard time continuing to watch it and I think it's because of the main character.
Don Draper has proven, time and again, that he's not a very likable protagonist. I mean, he cheats on his wife, yet berates her for kissing another man in the line of duty. She's an actress on a successful soap opera. I realize that they tell you why, exactly, Draper is the kind of man he is via flashbacks to his youth, but still...he's not a character I can sympathize with in any respect. I'm pretty sure that's intentional on the writer's part.
Regardless, Jon Hamm is great in the role and the entire cast is equally impressive. I'll stick with it, but I'm hoping they wrap things up, soon.
--We saw Man of Steel this past Friday (along with everyone else in the country, it seems) and I had some quite a few reservations going in but, thank goodness, they were unfounded. Just goes to show you that you can't trust the reviewers. Most are movie snobs, anyway.
Regardless of what you may have read, this flick is pretty darn good (in my opinion) and stands head and shoulders above Superman Returns.....even though I thought Kevin Spacey made a great Lex Luthor. Well worth the time if you're looking for a well done action movie.
--I've been looking for a local writing group, down here in Vero Beach, Florida so, if anyone in the area knows of any....
--Also, on the writing front I've been working pretty diligently on my new project. It's tentatively titled Last Chance and will involve super-heroics in the old west town of.....Last Chance, Wyoming. It's circa 1850s, which will mean a bit of research as to how life was lived (generally speaking) back then. Things are coming along and ideas are forming, so I think it's all heading in a very positive direction.
For today's Music Monday offering, it's back to the Surf Music craze (stop rolling your eyes!!! ) with one of the great groups of the era....The Ventures (with special guest, Peter Frampton).
To go along with my old west project, here's on their huge hits... Apache.
Not really much has been going on at the old Means Ranch, at least anything blog worthy, so I wanted to just take a minute to thank all the veterans of our Armed Forces (of which my wife and dad are included), past, present, and future on this Memorial Day.
Without your service and sacrifice we wouldn't have half the freedoms we enjoy today.
So, while you're out there grilling some hamburgers, hot dogs, or whatever else tastes good over the open coals, please don't forget to remember those who helped make this country great.
Take a sec and thank a vet.
I also found this nifty little info graphic highlighting some Memorial Day facts and figures:
Since it's also Monday, I'll leave you a topical selection for Music Monday. Billy Ray Cyrus: Some Gave All
I hope you all have a safe and happy Memorial Day!
Last week Brandy, over at Brandy's Bustlings, was kind enough to think of my lil ole blog for the Liebster Award.....thank you very much, Brandy!
Brandy has won a place in my blogging heart as she simplified things, just a bit, and only posed five questions. She also based things, loosely, around D.L. Hammond's great Blog Blitz idea...which is where she got her nominees, as well.
Brandy was curious about the following:
1. If you have published a book (most of these nominees have, some more than one), describe in three words how it felt that first time? If you have not published a book, how do you think it would feel?
I haven't published a book....yet. But, when I do, I have no doubt it will be one of the highlights of my life. It's always nice to see your efforts come to fruition.
2. Have you taken part in Blog Blitz before or is this your first time?
This is my first rodeo, yes.
3. Have you ever run a contest/blog hop from your blog?
No, but you know I've been thinking of doing one for a while now. I think the whole process of writing is very interesting and, even more so, where people write. I'd like to do a hop highlighting what everyone's "writing spot" looks like....pictures, descriptions, etc. Hops are a lot of work, but maybe I'll organize it and give it a go, here soon.
4. What is your favorite genre to read?
Science Fiction/Fantasy
5. Where is your favorite place to write?
My desk, where I have a 32" monitor...it's real easy on the eyes :)
Thanks again, Brandy, I appreciate you thinking of me!
The lovely and talented Sheena-kay Graham, from Queendsheena, also gave me some kudos in the form of the Friends for the Journey Blog Award Encouragement. No real strings attached with this one, just passing it along and recognizing fellow bloggers is the gist of this one, it seems.
It's nice to have such great blogging buddies and their encouragement, in any form, really does help , so thank you again, Sheena!
I'd like to forward this one on to five other blogging pals who, I think, need more blogging pals of their own.
Dee at DeeCoded. Dee is all over the place, in terms of her blog, but she's always entertaining and I always enjoy seeing how things are in her corner of the world.
Jennifer over at A Creative Exercise. A focus on writing, but also this and that from here and there.
The Capillary, located in England, always has an interesting take on things.
Jasmine at A Yellow Rose of Texas always has fun and interesting topics and you never know just quite what you're going to see over there...in a good way.
Rebecca Green GasperA YA author who is always looking to raise awareness on issues affecting young people.
So, if you get a chance, drop by these great gal's blogs and show them some encouragement!
It's been one of "those" days....for about a week now.
O.k, well it's really not as dire as all that, but it has been one of those kind of days where I couldn't really come up with a decent topic to blog about. I had a couple of things in mind, last night, but when I got behind the keyboard, they just wouldn't flow like I wanted them to. Then, for some reason, I started thinking about food (shocking, I know!)....then my mind went back to a place we used to go when I was a kid, called Duff's Smorgasbord. It was a buffet style, all you can eat, joint where I certainly used to take advantage of the term "all you can eat".
As a kid, I used to be able to put it away and I'm sure a night out to Duff's probably put the grocery budget in a better place. Anyway, I've always been a big fan of 'choices', so I figured it might be nice to translate that into some blogging as well as give me something (anything!) to talk about.
So, today, I give you all a smorgasbord of topics. Don't worry, none are too filling and they'll be even lighter on the calories.
I saw a couple of lighthearted stories on the local paper's website. The first of which is....
Yep...I kid you not. It's a real sign and the story behind it can be found HERE.
As odd as these stories were, they were both written in a pretty whimsical style. It was like the reporter's editors said 'just have fun with it'....which they, obviously, did.
Since Google Reader is going the way of the dodo July 13th, it looks like Feedly (free for now) is testing the waters to see if we're willing to pay for their service. In all honestly, I'm not that thrilled with its free offering and, sincerely, doubt I'd pay for it should they go that route.
If they do decide to go to a pay model, I may have to give Bloglovin' a harder look.
Just in case you missed it during Once Upon A Time, ABC ran a short promo for their new S.H.I.E.L.D series. I have to admit, it looks pretty cool and should give Joss Whedon's band of Browncoats something to cheer about....even though, supposedly, he's only working on the first episode. My only reservation being that some of Whedon's Dollhouse alumnus will be heading this one up....and I wasn't a fan of Dollhouse....at all.
Still, I'm willing to let bygones be bygones and give it a shot.
And, finally, since it's Music Monday I'll leave you with one of my favorites from that awesome era in music known as the 1980s. You can really tell this was made in music video's infancy....lol.
Honeymoon Suite-- Feel It Again
There you have it...my smorgasbord offering for today. Of course I guess this probably isn't the best time to mention that Duff's was closed due to Health Department infractions, right?
(First off, I'd like to apologize for being M.I.A for the past couple of days. The wife and I went to help a friend with her craft show and I was, pretty much, without reliable internet access in a Florida-Georgia border hotel.I'll be trying to make my way around to see all of you later today and tomorrow. )
A to Z Reflections
So, this was my very first "official" year of doing the A to Z Challenge and I say "official" because I found out about last year's challenge half way through, but didn't sign up or visit others or even totally complete it, for that matter.
Anyway, I would say the experience was 99.9% positive for me. I found a bunch of great new blogs to follow, met a lot of awesome new bloggers, and gained about 40 new followers (something I never really expected).
As I've mentioned (countless times), blogging every day has been, pretty much, standard operating procedure for me (between here and my other blog) so doing a post a day wasn't really a huge deal. The issue came with trying to visit and comment on my regular blog buddies as well as trying to visit new blogs from the list. It was a learning experience, though, and I should be better prepared for next year.
I had a theme and my days plotted out (as well as pictures downloaded), so I was doing o.k. in that aspect. I was, usually, a day ahead with my posting and had Sunday as a 'catch up' day, just in case. A couple of my days I switched up so that meant a bit more work, but it kept me writing daily.....which was my intention.
I noticed a few people went a bit long with their posts, but I did too so I can't really gripe about that...it was still a lot of fun and I really enjoyed the community building this whole thing fostered.
Once again, I tip my hat to all of you who stuck it out with me, dropped by, and commented on my crazy theme.
Another big thanks to all the hosts who made it a smooth and fun event.
Music Monday
And, because I haven't done one in a while.....a musical offering from Ms. Ross and the Supremes. It's kinda/sorta on topic.
One of the (many) cool things about blogging is when people read and comment on what you have to say.....as if you've made some sort of....connection, with your audience.
What's even cooler is when someone thinks your blog is deserving of praise and/or accolades.
So, imagine my surprise when my blogger pal jaybird (you all do know jaybird....right?), over at The Bird's Nest, graciously bestowed upon me and my humble little blog, the Reality Award.
Now, I think the way this one goes is that I'm supposed to answer a few questions and pass it on to three others I think are deserving....which isn't going to be easy as I follow a ton of great blogs.
So, on to the questions....
If you could change on thing, what would it be?
I would have scrounged some money together to invest in a little company called Microsoft when it first went public, back in 1986 (the year I graduated high school).....at like $21.00 a share!
If you could repeat an age, what would it be?
I could say something like "I hate repeating myself.", but that's totally not true. Anyone who knows me and has heard my jokes can attest to that. Still, though, I think I'd have to say my early 20s, where I would have finished college.
What one thing really scares you?
Flying in an airplane. I get nervous just going to the airport to pick up/drop off people. Truth.
If you could be someone else for a day, who would it be?
Indiana Jones, because I hate snakes and Nazis too!
O.k, for the three people I'm choosing for this one, I'll go with....
1. Elise Fallson-- Funny, a bit silly (in a good way), and passionate about writing.
2. Sydney Aaliyah-- A great blogger with a superb sense of community.
3. Celeste Holloway-- Always upbeat and positive and a real pleasure to read.
I always look forward to updates from these three ladies as well as the comments they leave. If you're not familiar with them, already, then do yourself a huge favor and check them out...I promise you won't be disappointed.
Thanks, again, to jaybird for thinking of me...I really appreciate it!
Music Monday
For my Music Monday offering, today, I'm going with a suggestion from a comment last Monday via Celeste Holloway ( what are you waiting for? check out her blog, already!). Celeste mentioned The Oak Ridge Boys, who also happen to be one of my all time favorite country groups.
Way back in the day...in my early teens...I was a huge country music fan. While the genre has gone through a few changes today, back then it was all about twangy, steel guitars and great harmonies. I remember, literally, wearing out the Oak's 'Greatest Hits' cassette when I was young.
This, above them all, is my favorite song of theirs.... Y'all Come Back Saloon
Have a great Monday and, if you can't...don't worry, it'll be over soon :)
My post last Friday, about some of the ins and outs of Google Plus, generated some interesting comments. Most of them along the lines of "I'm on it, but don't really do much with it."
Given that Facebook has the lion's share of the users, for now, it's understandable. Unless you have regulars or just a lot of circlers, there probably isn't much on G+ for you at this point. That can change though, if you're willing to work on it, a little.
Maybe you've already decided that Google Plus isn't for you. You're busy/happy with Twitter and Facebook, or any other social media site you might like...Tumblr or Pintrest for example. That's o.k, too.
For those on the fence and/or curious about Google Plus, I'd like to share my thoughts as a sort of 'mini tutorial' on using G+...or, at least, how I use it. This isn't going to be all inclusive or all that extensive, but it should touch on some of the main focal points and don't worry...I won't put it all into one post.
To begin with, let's talk about.....
Circles
Circles are how you organize the people that you want to follow/keep in contact with. Whenever you mouse over someone you haven't circled, you'll get a drop down menu with all the circles you have created. All you do is check the boxes that apply and you've added the person to your circle(s).
Shannon isn't in my circles, but I could just mouse over her name or the "add user" button and then check the boxe(s) that go with each of the circles I think she might belong. This would add her...no muss, no fuss.
For better circle management, you also have the option of, under your circles tab, dragging your circler's portraits to other circles or deleting them if you need to.
(Just a note, I have more bloggers in my "Blogger" circle than what the above picture shows. I just have it cropped to show all my circles, which cuts down the view on the amount of people in the Blogger circle)
Also within your circles, you can edit (pencil icon), share (arrows icon), or delete (trash can icon) a circle. Sharing a circle or being shared in someone else's circle is a good way to find many people you might not have found otherwise.
Now you're probably thinking "O.k, I get it...it's a circle...move on!", but circles are important. It's your main organizing tool and the foundation of how you post and who sees which posts. Yes...I said "Who sees your posts..."
Google Plus gives you the option of only posting so that certain people or circles can see what you put up. You can also just post to just one person, if you like. G+'s way of "messaging".
The screen shot below is your typical posting template.
The top (Share what's new) part is for your text. Using * * on both sides of your text will put it in bold type. Using _ _ on the sides of your texts will italicize the word.
The space after the chain icon is for links. The 'Add' button allows you to attach pictures and videos, as well.
Once you get your post set, the drop down box allows you to share to as many or few circles/people as you like. In this example, we have "Your Circles" (just the circles I've created), "Public" (meaning anyone using G+ can see it, if they stumble across it), "Extended Circles" (your circles as well as their circles), then goes down to my individual circles. If you want to 'send a message', just add the person's name after a "+" and hit send.
(The 'Send to Do Share' button isn't standard, it's there due to an extension I use and mentioned last Friday)
The number in parenthesis after the circle name is how many people I have in that circle. Yes, it's true...I follow two celebrities.
This is how it looks when I send to some of my individual circles...
If you look down on the lower right, you'll see a check box (Also send email). If you check it, it sends an email to everyone in those circles that you've just posted something. The general consensus says that you shouldn't do this unless it's really something important that you think these people must see. Doing this too much is akin to spamming in the Google Plus universe.
The way you organize your circles is pivotal to how you keep track of the people you want to follow as well as how you share to them.
Make sense? Clear as mud?
I'm thinking that's probably enough G-Plus talk for today, so I'll save the discussion on "Plus One"ing, resharing, and a few other things for my next Google Plus post.
Now, let's talk music....
Music Monday
Aaaaand the infatuation with 'surf music' continues. There are quite a few versions of Apache, but this version by The Shadows just nails it.
Now, granted, these suave Brits don't look like they would be able to to capture the true surf sound, but they did and put on quite a show doing it. Nice suits and choreography usually doesn't fit the 'surf' image, but the music speaks for itself.
Just in case the coffee isn't giving you enough of a kick this Monday morning, maybe this will help...
A couple of weeks ago, Nick Wilford over at Scattergun Scribblings, came up with a little blog hop to help raise some money for his stepson's education. His stepson, Andrew, has cerebral palsy and his choices of colleges aren't as wide or varied in Scotland as we have here in America.
To that end, the goal of the hop was to gather material for a book Nick was planning and use the proceeds to help Andrew further his education.
I was happy to help out with a (last minute) entry and even happier to see the project come to fruition.
So, without further ado....I give you Overcoming Adversity.
Take it away, Nick.....
A collection of seventy moving and uplifting original pieces - real life, flash fiction, and poetry - about battling against the odds and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit. The contributors include Amazon bestselling authors Alex J. Cavanaugh and Kyra Lennon, and the cream of upcoming talent.
The anthology is part of a fundraising effort to send the editor's stepson, Andrew McNaughton, to a specialist college in England. Andrew has cerebral palsy, and is a remarkable young man with a promising future. However, the free further education options offered in his own country of Scotland will not challenge him and allow him to progress. In order to access the education he deserves, Andrew will have to pay exorbitant fees, thus creating a situation of discrimination.
Help us get Andrew to college by buying a book that runs the full gamut of human emotions, ultimately leaving you inspired and glad to be alive. Whatever struggles you are going through, our sincere hope is that this book will help.
"But Mark", I hear you thinking (I can, sometimes hear your thoughts, yes), "just where can I get my hands on this amazing anthology?"
Well, I'm glad you asked that....because Overcoming Adversity can be found at....
So head over and buy a copy...or two...or three...and enjoy some great stories on Overcoming Adversity. It's for a great cause.
Best of luck to Nick and Andrew!
I'll leave you, this Monday, with some cool music that's been running through my brain all weekend.
If you follow along on my other blog, you've seen how I've recently re-discovered my love for "Surf Music". Having grown up listening to The Ventures, The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, as well as many others (thanks dad), it was only natural that I carry my fondness of this music genre with me through and into my, ahem, later years.
So, if this doesn't get you going or, at the very least, your foot tapping then go back to bed!
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