Thought you may enjoy these stories that were passed my way...
NUDITY
I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening when a Woman in the convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old shout from the back seat, "Mom! That lady isn't wearing a seat belt!
HONESTY
My son Zachary, 4, came screaming out of the bathroom to tell me he'd dropped his toothbrush in the toilet. So I fished it out and threw it in the garbage. Zachary stood there thinking for a moment, then ran to my bathroom and came out with my toothbrush.. He held it up and said with a charming little smile, "We better throw this one out too then, 'cause it fell in the toilet a few days ago.
KETCHUP
A woman was trying hard to get the ketchup to come out of the jar. During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her 4-year-old daughter to answer the phone. "It's the minister, Mommy," the child said to her mother. Then she added, "Mommy can't come to the phone to talk to you right now. She's hitting the bottle."
MORE NUDITY
A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, "What's the matter haven't you ever seen a little boy before?"
ELDERLY
While working for an organization that delivers lunches to elderly shut-ins, I used to take my 4-year-old daughter on my afternoon rounds. The various appliances of old age, particularly the canes, walkers and wheelchairs, unfailingly intrigued her. One day I found her staring at a pair of false teeth soaking in a glass. As I braced myself for the inevitable barrage of questions, she merely turned and whispered, "The tooth fairy will never believe this!"
DRESS-UP
A little girl was watching her parents dress for a party. When she saw her dad donning his tuxedo, she warned, "Daddy, you shouldn't wear that suit." "And why not, darling?" "You know that it always gives you a headache the next morning.."
SCHOOL
A little girl had just finished her first week of school. "I'm just wasting my time," she said to her mother. "I can't read, I can't write and they won't let me talk!"
BIBLE
A little boy opened the big family bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages. "Mama, look what I found", the boy called out." What have you got there, dear?" With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, "I think it's Adam's underwear"
"Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! ... Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!" - Barry Goldwater
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Headline News 2006-11-30
From CBS News:
Military Jet Crashes Near U.S. Base
Ninth Circuit Court claims shoot-down
From CBS News:
Whale Injures Trainer At SeaWorld
Trying to get away from Spock
From CBS News:
Pope Prays At Turkish Mosque
Asks Lord to let him get out of country alive
From CBS News:
GOP Rep. Calls Miami 'Third World Country'
Doesn't like being compared to Georgia*
From CBS News:
Gator Attacks Naked Man On Crack
Vows to hike up pants next time
From CNN:
Ancient astronomical device thrills scholars
Doubles as a dildo
From CNN:
Clinton cuts costs for HIV/AIDS
Can be exposed for half-price until Christmas
From CNN:
Britney Spears exposes herself
Admits she has no talent
From CNN:
Mexican congressional standoff enters third day
News services delighted to actually call a Mexican Standoff a Mexican Standoff
From CNN:
Microsoft Vista goes on sale
Hackers get new software to exploit
Military Jet Crashes Near U.S. Base
Ninth Circuit Court claims shoot-down
From CBS News:
Whale Injures Trainer At SeaWorld
Trying to get away from Spock
From CBS News:
Pope Prays At Turkish Mosque
Asks Lord to let him get out of country alive
From CBS News:
GOP Rep. Calls Miami 'Third World Country'
Doesn't like being compared to Georgia*
From CBS News:
Gator Attacks Naked Man On Crack
Vows to hike up pants next time
From CNN:
Ancient astronomical device thrills scholars
Doubles as a dildo
From CNN:
Clinton cuts costs for HIV/AIDS
Can be exposed for half-price until Christmas
From CNN:
Britney Spears exposes herself
Admits she has no talent
From CNN:
Mexican congressional standoff enters third day
News services delighted to actually call a Mexican Standoff a Mexican Standoff
From CNN:
Microsoft Vista goes on sale
Hackers get new software to exploit
Blogrolling 2006-11-30
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- Chuck (Redneckin) says the sales pitch for new taxes never tell the whole story.
- Richard Burkard (The Blog of Columbus GA) isn't impressed with the updated local TV new Websites.
- Jo (Jo's Cafe) says we haven't made progress.
- Wild Bill publishes Deborah Tainsh's latest column.
- Redoubt (Sin City) isn't impressed with Newt's latest.
- Public Eye (CBS) says it's not what Newt said, it's where he said it.
- Public Eye (Bachman) finds the NFL could to outside the U.S.
- Chrys (Pettifog) says all the evidence points to Clinton.
- The Therapist says Michael Richards' targets are willing to meet...
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Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Cat Spam
No, not that I got spam. I get lots of spam. But read it carefully. Click on it for a larger version.
Yes, it says:
i am collect any idea of home business, if you have - please, add to my cat!
Checking the IP address (212.138.64.179) turns up a location in Saudi Arabia.
Yes, it seems that cats are being used as spammers in Saudi Arabia.
Does PETA know about this?
Or Ferdy? Or Laurence Simon's cats?
It's going to hit the fan now! I hope the spammers get everything that's coming to them.
Headline News 2006-11-29
From CNN:
Democrats eye rebirth of vetoed stem cell bill
As long as bill is only thing to complete a birth
From CNN:
Crosses for fallen soldiers stir debate
Only time left doesn't oppose a cross
From CNN:
'Grunts and squeaks' wins Bad Sex Award
Just ahead of 'being Ted Kennedy'
From CNN:
Obesity a big problem in Africa
Starvation a small problem
From CNN:
Brazil inmates stage mass escape
Didn't want to attend mass
From CNN:
Florida man pulled from gator's jaws
Chris Leak arrested for assault
From WLKY:
Coroner rules Taser shocks did not kill man
Police vow to try again
From CNN:
German recounts how CIA kidnapped, tortured him
Good times
From CNN:
Microsoft: Windows Vista is done
No further bugs to be added
From CNN:
For sale: Rare dinosaur fossil
Robert Byrd expected to draw large sum
Democrats eye rebirth of vetoed stem cell bill
As long as bill is only thing to complete a birth
From CNN:
Crosses for fallen soldiers stir debate
Only time left doesn't oppose a cross
From CNN:
'Grunts and squeaks' wins Bad Sex Award
Just ahead of 'being Ted Kennedy'
From CNN:
Obesity a big problem in Africa
Starvation a small problem
From CNN:
Brazil inmates stage mass escape
Didn't want to attend mass
From CNN:
Florida man pulled from gator's jaws
Chris Leak arrested for assault
From WLKY:
Coroner rules Taser shocks did not kill man
Police vow to try again
From CNN:
German recounts how CIA kidnapped, tortured him
Good times
From CNN:
Microsoft: Windows Vista is done
No further bugs to be added
From CNN:
For sale: Rare dinosaur fossil
Robert Byrd expected to draw large sum
Blogrolling 2006-11-29
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- Don Surber says the reasons to fight are simple.
- La Shawn Barber looks at the other non-White meat.
- ALa (Blonde Sagacity) looks at the likability poll.
- aTypical Joe says Nissans are gay.
- Steve H. (Hog On Ice) fires the first volley of the Weblog Awards season.
- Weblog Awards nominations are closed ... almost.
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Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Blazing Saddles as approved by Jesse Jackson
"He rode a Blazing Saddle, He wore a shining star, His job to offer battle ..."
*click*
*click*
"C'mon boys. The way you's lollygaggin' 'round here with them picks and them shovels ... you'd think it was a hunnert and twenny degrees..."
"Cain't be more'n a hunnert 'n fourteen!"
"Ohhh!"
"Dock that Asian-American a day's pay for nappin' on the job."
"How come I don't hear no singin'? When you wuz bein' oppressed during an error for which you should be entitled to reparations ... you sung like birds..."
"How 'bout a good ol' African-American work song."
"Ebony and Ivory, live together in perfect harmony, side by side on my piano keyboard, Oh! Lord! Why don't we..."
Headline News 2006-11-28
From ABC News:
Mom on Trial for Drowning Kids in San Francisco Bay
9th trimester abortions not yet legal in California
From ABC News:
Cops Crack Possible Nut-Nabber Syndicate
Tittie-twisters still at large
From ABC News:
Clark Wants to Avoid Late Campaign Start
Eager to get on November ballot
From ABC News:
Imams Stage Airport 'Pray-In' As Protest
Plan 'Fly-Plane-Into-Building-In' for December
From ABC News:
'Nativity' Booted From Ill. Holiday Fair
Don't want Christians horning in on Christmas festival
From ABC News:
Jordan Doesn't Want Palestinian Influx
Also opposed to Acid Reflux
From ABC News:
NBC Calls Iraq Conflict 'Civil War'
Bush: "At least they're being civil"
From ABC News:
Thinking tiny while playing it safe
Democrats release plan for next Congress
From ABC News:
Lauer's Wife Gives Birth to Third Child
Reportedly Osama's 25th child*
From ABC News:
Gentry Regrets Improperly Tagging Bear
Concedes bear wasn't "it"
Mom on Trial for Drowning Kids in San Francisco Bay
9th trimester abortions not yet legal in California
From ABC News:
Cops Crack Possible Nut-Nabber Syndicate
Tittie-twisters still at large
From ABC News:
Clark Wants to Avoid Late Campaign Start
Eager to get on November ballot
From ABC News:
Imams Stage Airport 'Pray-In' As Protest
Plan 'Fly-Plane-Into-Building-In' for December
From ABC News:
'Nativity' Booted From Ill. Holiday Fair
Don't want Christians horning in on Christmas festival
From ABC News:
Jordan Doesn't Want Palestinian Influx
Also opposed to Acid Reflux
From ABC News:
NBC Calls Iraq Conflict 'Civil War'
Bush: "At least they're being civil"
From ABC News:
Thinking tiny while playing it safe
Democrats release plan for next Congress
From ABC News:
Lauer's Wife Gives Birth to Third Child
Reportedly Osama's 25th child*
From ABC News:
Gentry Regrets Improperly Tagging Bear
Concedes bear wasn't "it"
Blogrolling 2006-11-28
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- WuzzaDem says we just experienced another great moment in American history.
- Cao (Cao's Blog) follows Chicago's opposition to Christmas.
- Matt Hurley (Weapons of Mass Discussion) finds two conflicting AP reports.
- Buckley F. Williams (The Nose On Your Face) reports a blasphemer was turned in.
- Heidi (Euphoric Reality) says the facts won't get in the way of a good draft.
- Rick Moran (Right Wing Nut House) wants to send reporters to war.
- Gateway Pundit finds fake news is best reported by fake sources.
- Korgmeister (Voice of the Pacific) discovers he's suddenly not capable of driving safely.
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Monday, November 27, 2006
Picking A Blogging Platform: Other Free Services
We've looked at Blogger, WordPress.com, and Blogsome as possible free platforms for starting up a blog. All three have their good points and bad points.
But those aren't the only free services there are. But they are the only ones I like.
But that doesn't mean they are the only good ones. And I'd like to hear from you about others.
But first, hear from me.
But those aren't the only free services there are. But they are the only ones I like.
But that doesn't mean they are the only good ones. And I'd like to hear from you about others.
But first, hear from me.
Headline News 2006-11-27
From ABC News:
Men's Biological Clocks Start Ticking in Their 30s
Urge to mate occurs at 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30 ...
From ABC News:
South Korea Plans Mass Dog, Cat Slaughter
Large barbecue planned
From ABC News:
Man Shoots Doe With Well-Developed Rack
Porn star Jane Doe mourned
From ABC News:
19 Men Detained for Impersonating Monks
Tony Shalhoub sues
From ABC News:
Man Seeks Record for Arm Hair Length
Title currently held by French woman
From ABC News:
Thanksgiving Trekkers Find Few Headaches
None wore red shirts
From ABC News:
Al Jazeera English Debuts: Good Luck Finding It
Unless you click here.
From ABC News:
Controversy Surrounds U.S. Soldier's Murder
Hundreds of Democrats claim credit
From ABC News:
Troy Gentry Pleads Guilty to Bear Charge
Porridge was too hot
From ABC News:
Pamela Anderson, Kid Rock to divorce
Found out she wasn't a virgin
Men's Biological Clocks Start Ticking in Their 30s
Urge to mate occurs at 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30 ...
From ABC News:
South Korea Plans Mass Dog, Cat Slaughter
Large barbecue planned
From ABC News:
Man Shoots Doe With Well-Developed Rack
Porn star Jane Doe mourned
From ABC News:
19 Men Detained for Impersonating Monks
Tony Shalhoub sues
From ABC News:
Man Seeks Record for Arm Hair Length
Title currently held by French woman
From ABC News:
Thanksgiving Trekkers Find Few Headaches
None wore red shirts
From ABC News:
Al Jazeera English Debuts: Good Luck Finding It
Unless you click here.
From ABC News:
Controversy Surrounds U.S. Soldier's Murder
Hundreds of Democrats claim credit
From ABC News:
Troy Gentry Pleads Guilty to Bear Charge
Porridge was too hot
From ABC News:
Pamela Anderson, Kid Rock to divorce
Found out she wasn't a virgin
Blogrolling 2006-11-27
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- Jane (Cozy Reader) tells of a child who was smart as a fox. Oh, and she just passed her 10K visitor mark.
- Curt (Flopping Aces) says the MSM is lying to you. (via The Discerning Texan)
- Bernie (Planck's Constant) hasn't done it all.
- Carol (The Median Sib) shares a story that's no bull.
- c.a. Marks (Alabama Improper) got the tree up. Oh, and Alabama Improper is one year old today.
- Dumb Ox News also passed the one-year mark.
- Texas Fred has a letter to the President.
- W.C. (The Gathering Storm) says the enemy is using cyberspace in many ways.
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Sunday, November 26, 2006
An American Soldier
He's no longer at West Point. He graduated. And, no, that's not the graduation we went to.
Her Soldier Boy went to Ft. Benning for training. And he's just completed the Infantry Basic Officer Leaders Course. And that's the graduation to which we were invited.
We got to meet his family. Nice folks. And we all went out to eat afterwards. And it was a wonderful experience.
But the graduation was wonderful, too. We go to witness the Little Princess' little lieutenant receive his blue cord, the symbol of the Infantry.
Then, afterwards, something happened that I didn't expect. They invited all soldiers ... and former soldiers ... to participate in reciting the Soldier's Creed. And, being a former soldier, I once again had the honor to stand and recite...
The Soldier's Creed
I am an American Soldier.
I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.
I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.
I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.
I am an expert and I am a professional.
I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.
I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.
I am an American Soldier.
While I'm no longer wearing my country's uniform, there are some fine young men ... and women ... wearing it today.
The Little Princess' soldier boy is no longer a Cadet. He's no longer in training. He's an officer in the United States Army. I'm proud to know The Lieutenant ... and to have met many of the new lieutenants that are serving and leading in today's Army.
The country's in good hands.
WAR Rages On!
At 8:00 AM ET (5:00 AM on the Left Coast) WAR will return to the airwaves with new material.
It's been a long, hard task that Kender and the group at WAR have taken on. And the hard work pays off today with the new equipment and processes that should make WAR an even better product.
You might recall that Wide Awakes Radio suffered early from too much success. The sheer volume of listeners overwhelmed the servers and equipment ... and shut it down. Couldn't handle the load.
So, upgrades were done quickly and WAR returned to the air. But the problems from being taken down that first day were difficult to overcome. Listenership hasn't reached those first day levels ... even though the equipment is capable of handling it.
Still, more upgrades were planned ... and now they've been executed. While WAR has been running reruns ... when it's been on the air ... work behind the scenes has continued.
Today, that work pays off with Wide Awakes Radio returning with live programming at 8:00 AM ET (5:00 AM PT).
The voice that goes with entity that sits behind the keyboard at this little blog will return Sunday at 3:00. But you should be listening at 8:00 this morning ... or as soon as you can.
WAR rages on.
Blogrolling 2006-11-26
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- Harvey (Bad Example) doesn't have pictures of nude Olsen twins. Or Jamie Lynn Spears naked, for that matter. But he does have a pic of a (sorta) nude Lindsay Lohan.
- Moogie (Moogie's World) listens to songs kids sing.
- c.a. Marks (Alabama Improper) is going to Disney World.
- Dragonlady (Dragon's Den) reviews The Living Dead.
- aTypicalJoe says ask the question.
- Quality Weenie is singing Christmas songs.
- Public Eye has solved the case of the poisoned Russian spy.
- Ogre says tax season is now year-round.
- Richmond (One For The Road) isn't letting the weather stop her Christmas prep.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Blogrolling 2006-11-25
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- That 1 Guy (Drunken Wisdom) discovers Winnie has grown up.
- Sky (Midnight Blue) has a pic for the ladies.
- Laurie (Soldiers' Angels New York) is busy this time of year.
- Cathy (Sunday Morning Coffee) lost a family member and we lost a hero.
- Tony (blah blah blog) shares an embarrassing moment.
- Sissy (And What Next...) says her mom breaks out the WMDs in the mole war.
- Harvey (Bad Example) has a new word for your vocabulary.
- VW Bug (One Happy Dog Speaks) is back ... with a story to read at mealtime.
- Contagion (Miasmatic Review) couldn't resist Dick's.
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Friday, November 24, 2006
Headline News 2006-11-24
From ABC News:
Gunman Surrenders in Miami Herald Standoff
Threat of reading Dave Barry's column was too much
From ABC News:
Hostage, Gunman Killed in Chicago Standoff
Dave Barry was busy
From ABC News:
DNA Tests Clear Ill. Inmate of 1992 Rape
Still not reliable enough to convict O.J.
From ABC News:
No Survivors Found in Polish Mine Blast
Still don't know how many it takes
From ABC News:
Birthday Party Set, But Castro May Not Make It
Celebration set just in case
From ABC News:
Under fire, US marines hand off battered Fallujah
Battering finished, deep-frying next
From ABC News:
Creation vs. Darwin takes Muslim twist in Turkey
Darwin loses, Muslim Turks not yet evolved
From ABC News:
Israel developing anti-militant "bionic hornet"
Six Million Dollar Hornet flies in slow motion
From ABC News:
Being 'Scared to Death' Can Kill
Center for the Obvious releases latest report
From ABC News:
Men Seek Apology From Ex-'Seinfeld' Star
Apology sought in form of dead presidents
Gunman Surrenders in Miami Herald Standoff
Threat of reading Dave Barry's column was too much
From ABC News:
Hostage, Gunman Killed in Chicago Standoff
Dave Barry was busy
From ABC News:
DNA Tests Clear Ill. Inmate of 1992 Rape
Still not reliable enough to convict O.J.
From ABC News:
No Survivors Found in Polish Mine Blast
Still don't know how many it takes
From ABC News:
Birthday Party Set, But Castro May Not Make It
Celebration set just in case
From ABC News:
Under fire, US marines hand off battered Fallujah
Battering finished, deep-frying next
From ABC News:
Creation vs. Darwin takes Muslim twist in Turkey
Darwin loses, Muslim Turks not yet evolved
From ABC News:
Israel developing anti-militant "bionic hornet"
Six Million Dollar Hornet flies in slow motion
From ABC News:
Being 'Scared to Death' Can Kill
Center for the Obvious releases latest report
From ABC News:
Men Seek Apology From Ex-'Seinfeld' Star
Apology sought in form of dead presidents
Blogrolling 2006-11-24
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- Michelle Malkin disagrees with the Internet libel ruling.
- Wild Bill (Passionate America) explains why we must pull out now.
- Rick Moran (Right Wing Nut House) followed the events in Lebanon.
- Pamela (Atlas Shrugs) says Dubya should stay the course.
- Neptunus Lex finds one smart Midshipman actually is a Rhodes Scholar.
- Steve H. (Hog On Ice) visits Earth.
- Right Wing Duck says there's no need to fear.
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Thursday, November 23, 2006
Picking A Blogging Platform: Blogsome
We're looking at free blogging platforms. Last time, we looked at WordPress.com. Today we're looking at Blogsome.
Like WordPress.com, Blogsome is a free, WordPress MU site. That is, it runs the multi-user version of WordPress, called WordPress MU. But there's a critical difference. Or two. Or so.
Versions
First, Blogsome is using WordPress 1.5.1a ... an older version of WordPress. Some like it better. Others like the newer WordPress better. Personally, other than some slight differences in the interface, there's not a lot of end-user difference.
Blogsome is similar to WordPress.com. Actually, Blogsome has been around longer. It's a product of Browse The World, Ltd. in Ireland.
Templates/Themes
You can actually edit the templates in Blogsome. WordPress.com won't allow you to edit the templates at all ... other than adding custom CSS, which is a paid upgrade. This editing feature gives Blogsome extra flexibility that you don't get with WordPress.com.
WordPress.com offers more themes than Blogsome. A handful of them are the same, but the rest are quite different. WordPress.com's selections generally have a more "professional" appearance, but that doesn't mean a better appearance. Remember that "professional" can also looked "canned" or "cookie-cutter." To me, the main difference is that WordPress.com offers more themes.
Plugins
Blogsome has some plugins available for you to use if you wish. Not many, to be sure, but some. And while you can't add other plugins (you're limited to what they decide to offer), some is better than none. With WordPress.com, you don't have such an option. Features such as the Akismet spam filter are included in WordPress.com, but you can't turn them on or off (not that you'd ever want to).
The spam filter used by Blogsome, Spaminator, appears to no longer be in development. At least, the URL for the development site doesn't work. That doesn't mean Spaminator doesn't work. I've received reports that it catches most, but not all, spam. However, that's true for Akismet, Spam Karma, and other plugins.
Adding Scripts & Advertisements
You can add script to your pages, but there's a special way to do that, involving a custom tag. Still, it gives you functionality you don't get with WordPress.com.
Blogsome allows ads. Not unlimited ads, but some ads are okay. WordPress.com doesn't allow ads. This may not be important to you. In fact, there are many that prefer WordPress.com simply because they don't allow ads. However, WordPress.com is experimenting with inserting "unobtrusive" ads on sites, although the site owner can't add ads.
Summary
Blogsome offers some functionality that Blogger and WordPress.com don't have. But it's not as customizable as Blogger. And while it doesn't offer the full functional ability to modify your template code, it allows you to change almost anything and everything, which is functionality that WordPress.com doesn't have.
To me, Blogsome is well worth considering as a free blogging platform.
Next
Next time, we'll look at a few other free services, and tell you why we don't like them.
Like WordPress.com, Blogsome is a free, WordPress MU site. That is, it runs the multi-user version of WordPress, called WordPress MU. But there's a critical difference. Or two. Or so.
Versions
First, Blogsome is using WordPress 1.5.1a ... an older version of WordPress. Some like it better. Others like the newer WordPress better. Personally, other than some slight differences in the interface, there's not a lot of end-user difference.
Blogsome is similar to WordPress.com. Actually, Blogsome has been around longer. It's a product of Browse The World, Ltd. in Ireland.
Templates/Themes
You can actually edit the templates in Blogsome. WordPress.com won't allow you to edit the templates at all ... other than adding custom CSS, which is a paid upgrade. This editing feature gives Blogsome extra flexibility that you don't get with WordPress.com.
WordPress.com offers more themes than Blogsome. A handful of them are the same, but the rest are quite different. WordPress.com's selections generally have a more "professional" appearance, but that doesn't mean a better appearance. Remember that "professional" can also looked "canned" or "cookie-cutter." To me, the main difference is that WordPress.com offers more themes.
Plugins
Blogsome has some plugins available for you to use if you wish. Not many, to be sure, but some. And while you can't add other plugins (you're limited to what they decide to offer), some is better than none. With WordPress.com, you don't have such an option. Features such as the Akismet spam filter are included in WordPress.com, but you can't turn them on or off (not that you'd ever want to).
The spam filter used by Blogsome, Spaminator, appears to no longer be in development. At least, the URL for the development site doesn't work. That doesn't mean Spaminator doesn't work. I've received reports that it catches most, but not all, spam. However, that's true for Akismet, Spam Karma, and other plugins.
Adding Scripts & Advertisements
You can add script to your pages, but there's a special way to do that, involving a custom tag. Still, it gives you functionality you don't get with WordPress.com.
Blogsome allows ads. Not unlimited ads, but some ads are okay. WordPress.com doesn't allow ads. This may not be important to you. In fact, there are many that prefer WordPress.com simply because they don't allow ads. However, WordPress.com is experimenting with inserting "unobtrusive" ads on sites, although the site owner can't add ads.
Summary
Blogsome offers some functionality that Blogger and WordPress.com don't have. But it's not as customizable as Blogger. And while it doesn't offer the full functional ability to modify your template code, it allows you to change almost anything and everything, which is functionality that WordPress.com doesn't have.
To me, Blogsome is well worth considering as a free blogging platform.
Next
Next time, we'll look at a few other free services, and tell you why we don't like them.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Thanksgiving 2006
Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. It's a day set aside for giving thanks for the many blessing we have received. Many families will gather together, many good times will be shared, and many meals will be consumed.
But there are people who don't have families with whom to gather together, who are suffering hardships and having trouble making ends meet, and are cold and hungry. Think about these people. While there are some people that you just can't help, there are many, many more you can. Find a way to help others as you recoginize all the blessings you have received.
And don't forget to give thanks for what you have. Don't worry about what you don't have. The Good Lord has been very kind and gracious to use, allowing us to reap the benefits of living in the United States of America. Let's don't lose sight of that fact.
Thank God for all the things He has placed on this world for us.
If you'd like to share a Thanksgiving Day item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy. If you have a non-Thanksgiving Day item to share, use this post.
But there are people who don't have families with whom to gather together, who are suffering hardships and having trouble making ends meet, and are cold and hungry. Think about these people. While there are some people that you just can't help, there are many, many more you can. Find a way to help others as you recoginize all the blessings you have received.
And don't forget to give thanks for what you have. Don't worry about what you don't have. The Good Lord has been very kind and gracious to use, allowing us to reap the benefits of living in the United States of America. Let's don't lose sight of that fact.
Thank God for all the things He has placed on this world for us.
Thanksgiving Day, 2006
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America
As Americans gather with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving Day, we give thanks for the many ways that our Nation and our people have been blessed.
The Thanksgiving tradition dates back to the earliest days of our society, celebrated in decisive moments in our history and in quiet times around family tables. Nearly four centuries have passed since early settlers gave thanks for their safe arrival and pilgrims enjoyed a harvest feast to thank God for allowing them to survive a harsh winter in the New World. General George Washington observed Thanksgiving during the Revolutionary War, and in his first proclamation after becoming President, he declared November 26, 1789, a national day of "thanksgiving and prayer." During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln revived the tradition of proclaiming a day of thanksgiving, reminding a divided Nation of its founding ideals.
At this time of great promise for America, we are grateful for the freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution and defended by our Armed Forces throughout the generations. Today, many of these courageous men and women are securing our peace in places far from home, and we pay tribute to them and to their families for their service, sacrifice, and strength. We also honor the families of the fallen and lift them up in our prayers.
Our citizens are privileged to live in the world's freest country, where the hope of the American dream is within the reach of every person. Americans share a desire to answer the universal call to serve something greater than ourselves, and we see this spirit every day in the millions of volunteers throughout our country who bring hope and healing to those in need. On this Thanksgiving Day, and throughout the year, let us show our gratitude for the blessings of freedom, family, and faith, and may God continue to bless America.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 23, 2006, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all Americans to gather together in their homes and places of worship with family, friends, and loved ones to reinforce the ties that bind us and give thanks for the freedoms and many blessings we enjoy.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-first.
GEORGE W. BUSH
If you'd like to share a Thanksgiving Day item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy. If you have a non-Thanksgiving Day item to share, use this post.
Open Trackbacks 2006-11-23
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy. If your item is related to Thanksgiving Day, consider linking to this post instead.
Headline News 2006-11-22
From ABC News:
Scientists Compose Sketch of Jack the Ripper
Police search cemetaries
From ABC News:
Bigamist 'Butt' Busted by Wife No. 4
Feels like an ass
From ABC News:
Smuggled Orangutans Arrive in Indonesia
Indonesian Underground Railroad slow to catch on
From ABC News:
Indiana Police Search for Tipping Robber
No longer waiting for him to fall over
From ABC News:
Artist Takes Portrait on Urinal Tour
Galleries pissed
From ABC News:
Penile Plot Prompts Prison Punishment
Man said doctor was being "a dick"
From ABC News:
Fla. Woman Accused Faking Own Abduction
Judge orders next kidnapping to be real
From Reuters:
Group scraps attempt to smoke biggest joint
Forgot what plan was
From Reuters:
U.S. shoppers hopping mad over frog dissection kit
French not happy either
From Reuters:
Mao's home province puts sex on the Internet
Not sure if it will catch on
Scientists Compose Sketch of Jack the Ripper
Police search cemetaries
From ABC News:
Bigamist 'Butt' Busted by Wife No. 4
Feels like an ass
From ABC News:
Smuggled Orangutans Arrive in Indonesia
Indonesian Underground Railroad slow to catch on
From ABC News:
Indiana Police Search for Tipping Robber
No longer waiting for him to fall over
From ABC News:
Artist Takes Portrait on Urinal Tour
Galleries pissed
From ABC News:
Penile Plot Prompts Prison Punishment
Man said doctor was being "a dick"
From ABC News:
Fla. Woman Accused Faking Own Abduction
Judge orders next kidnapping to be real
From Reuters:
Group scraps attempt to smoke biggest joint
Forgot what plan was
From Reuters:
U.S. shoppers hopping mad over frog dissection kit
French not happy either
From Reuters:
Mao's home province puts sex on the Internet
Not sure if it will catch on
Blogrolling 2006-11-22
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- Joe Gandelman (The Moderate Voice) puts some perspective on Michael Richards.
- Mudville Gazette says its not news if it's good and not secret.
- Denise (Grandma's House) says she's a blogger, not a writer.
- c.a. Marks (Alabama Improper) heads out of town for the holiday.
- The Skipper (Barking Moonbat Early Warning System) hopes Babs will shut up now.
- ArmyWifeToddlerMom finds her cup of tea.
- Interested-Participant looks at what's coming in health care.
- Chrys (Pettifog) remembers John Kennedy.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Picking A Blogging Platform: WordPress.com
We're looking at free blogging platforms. Last time, we looked at Blogger. Today, we're going to look at WordPress.com.
WordPress.com is not WordPress
First, let's consider the thing that confuses lots of people. WordPress.com is not the same as WordPress.
Here's the difference. WordPress is a blogging software application. If you have WordPress, you still need a Web host.
WordPress.com is a service of Automattic. It's a free blogging service that runs a version of the WordPress software called WordPress MU.
Yes, WordPress is a platform. So is WordPress.com. WordPress software is free. But it doesn't include hosting. WordPress.com is a free blogging service that includes hosting, but has limitations. Today, we're going to talk about using WordPress.com as your blogging platform.
What You Get
WordPress.com is an easy-to-use platform. It supports categories -- nested categories ... for example, sports, then football under sports, then college football under football, pro football under football, and so on.
WordPress.com also has native support for TrackBacks. If you don't know about TrackBacks, we'll talk in detail later.
Spam filtering is also included. Automattic's Akismet filter works very well. It's not perfect, but it's darn good.
You can schedule posts. While classic blogging doesn't include the concept of scheduled posts, some bloggers like to schedule stuff to appear at a date or time in the future.
Extended posts are also possible. That is, a post having an intro or tease, followed by "Read the rest..." kind of thing. Not used by a lot of bloggers, but it's nice to have when you want to use it.
WordPress.com also offers a good selection of templates. Most look really good.
Widgets are also included in WordPress.com blogs. Well, in most templates, anyway.
What You Don't Get
WordPress.com will not let you edit your templates, like you can with Blogger. Widgets to offer the ability to include HTML (text, links, images, etc.) in the sidebar, you can't include JavaScript. Which means no standard SiteMeter -- though you can use the limited stats version.
No JavaScript also means no Blogrolling.com blog rolls. However, WordPress.com does support multiple blog roll, albeit in a slightly confusing maner involving categories and tags.
WordPress.com doesn't allow you include ads on your site. Well, actually, the Terms Of Service (TOS) don't explicitly forbid it, and there are ways of including ads using standard HTML. However, the FAQ says ads are a no-no. So, no ads.
Domain Names
You can't have your own domain name for free. That is, your blog's domain name will include wordpress.com as part of the URL. Just like Blogger.
With Blogger, you can use your own domain name if you host it elsewhere (for a fee paid to your host), and still use Blogger for creating your blog.
With WordPress.com, you can use your own domain name for a $15/year fee ($10/year, if you already own your domain name) and have WordPress.com still host it.
Bottom line on domain names: Just like everywhere, you can't get your own domain name for free. It costs extra. But it's really cheap with WordPress.com.
The Verdict
WordPress.com offers some stuff Blogger doesn't. Blogger offers some stuff WordPress.com doesn't.
I have free blogs running on each platform. Either is an excellent choice, depending on which features appeal to you the most.
Next Up
Next time, we'll look at another free WordPress hosting service: Blogsome.
WordPress.com is not WordPress
First, let's consider the thing that confuses lots of people. WordPress.com is not the same as WordPress.
Here's the difference. WordPress is a blogging software application. If you have WordPress, you still need a Web host.
WordPress.com is a service of Automattic. It's a free blogging service that runs a version of the WordPress software called WordPress MU.
Yes, WordPress is a platform. So is WordPress.com. WordPress software is free. But it doesn't include hosting. WordPress.com is a free blogging service that includes hosting, but has limitations. Today, we're going to talk about using WordPress.com as your blogging platform.
What You Get
WordPress.com is an easy-to-use platform. It supports categories -- nested categories ... for example, sports, then football under sports, then college football under football, pro football under football, and so on.
WordPress.com also has native support for TrackBacks. If you don't know about TrackBacks, we'll talk in detail later.
Spam filtering is also included. Automattic's Akismet filter works very well. It's not perfect, but it's darn good.
You can schedule posts. While classic blogging doesn't include the concept of scheduled posts, some bloggers like to schedule stuff to appear at a date or time in the future.
Extended posts are also possible. That is, a post having an intro or tease, followed by "Read the rest..." kind of thing. Not used by a lot of bloggers, but it's nice to have when you want to use it.
WordPress.com also offers a good selection of templates. Most look really good.
Widgets are also included in WordPress.com blogs. Well, in most templates, anyway.
What You Don't Get
WordPress.com will not let you edit your templates, like you can with Blogger. Widgets to offer the ability to include HTML (text, links, images, etc.) in the sidebar, you can't include JavaScript. Which means no standard SiteMeter -- though you can use the limited stats version.
No JavaScript also means no Blogrolling.com blog rolls. However, WordPress.com does support multiple blog roll, albeit in a slightly confusing maner involving categories and tags.
WordPress.com doesn't allow you include ads on your site. Well, actually, the Terms Of Service (TOS) don't explicitly forbid it, and there are ways of including ads using standard HTML. However, the FAQ says ads are a no-no. So, no ads.
Domain Names
You can't have your own domain name for free. That is, your blog's domain name will include wordpress.com as part of the URL. Just like Blogger.
With Blogger, you can use your own domain name if you host it elsewhere (for a fee paid to your host), and still use Blogger for creating your blog.
With WordPress.com, you can use your own domain name for a $15/year fee ($10/year, if you already own your domain name) and have WordPress.com still host it.
Bottom line on domain names: Just like everywhere, you can't get your own domain name for free. It costs extra. But it's really cheap with WordPress.com.
The Verdict
WordPress.com offers some stuff Blogger doesn't. Blogger offers some stuff WordPress.com doesn't.
I have free blogs running on each platform. Either is an excellent choice, depending on which features appeal to you the most.
Next Up
Next time, we'll look at another free WordPress hosting service: Blogsome.
Blogrolling 2006-11-21
Yes, Blogrolling appears to be having problems today. Still, I managed to get a quick view. Long enough to find a few items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- Perri Nelson is shocked -- shocked! -- to discover a left-winger crying foul.
- Ken McCracken (Say Anything) likes being naked.
- Gun Toting Liberal doesn't draw a line where I would.
- Vinnie (The Jawa Report) rallies the troops. (NSFW warning)
- The Gentle Cricket (123beta) looks at the wrangling over Rangle.
- Mensa Barbie is keeping score.
- The Therapist finds the reason for Michael Richards' outburst.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Lines
I thought the topic was rather appropriate, as the Day after Thanksgiving madness is fast approaching and the infamous Play Station 3 has been in the headlines recently because of the massive lines of people waiting hours and hours to procure it.
I thought of all the things that I have heard people standing in line for, taking up hours and many times days: video game systems, Care Bears, Cabbage Patch Kids, Tickle-me Elmos, cheap TVs and DVD players, Star Wars movie tickets, concert tickets, to get their picture taken with Sponge Bob Square Pants in the mall ….the list could go on for about as long as the PS3 line.
This in turn got me thinking about how the items in this list might be different if this same topic was broached in, say, Burundi for example: clean water, food, vaccines….
This Thanksgiving, let’s be thankful that we live in a country where, for most of us, our biggest worry is whether our children will be the first on the block with a PS3 or whatever this year’s hot holiday item happens to be.
We don’t stand in line for food for our children – we just stand in line to pay for it.
Headline News 2006-11-20
From ABC News:
89-Year-Old Driver Who Killed 10 Gets Probation
Would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for those meddling kids
From ABC News:
Dropout Generation: Nearly 1 in 3 Won't Graduate
Still get to vote
From ABC News:
Seinfeld's 'Kramer' Spews Racial Slurs
Audience outraged that outrageous comic is outrageous
From ABC News:
Baldwin Brother Makes 'Gnarly' Trip to Jesus
Wanted to get grass cut, found religion instead
From ABC News:
Pope to Make Ist Visit to Muslim Nation
Balks at wearing requested "Shoot Me" sign
From ABC News:
Lawyer Disputes Claims of Sex on Plane
Expelled from Mile High Club, joins Mile Lie Club
From ABC News:
Aspen's 'Canary Initiative' Fights Global Warming
Scientists decry plan as "for the birds"
From ABC News:
Ohio Lottery Picks Match Ohio Game Score
Schembechler yet to claim winning prize
From ABC News:
Calif. Couple Calls for Orgasm for Peace
Still learning to spell
From ABC News:
Thai Gov't Censors Opera on 'Bad Omen'
Damien resents description
89-Year-Old Driver Who Killed 10 Gets Probation
Would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for those meddling kids
From ABC News:
Dropout Generation: Nearly 1 in 3 Won't Graduate
Still get to vote
From ABC News:
Seinfeld's 'Kramer' Spews Racial Slurs
Audience outraged that outrageous comic is outrageous
From ABC News:
Baldwin Brother Makes 'Gnarly' Trip to Jesus
Wanted to get grass cut, found religion instead
From ABC News:
Pope to Make Ist Visit to Muslim Nation
Balks at wearing requested "Shoot Me" sign
From ABC News:
Lawyer Disputes Claims of Sex on Plane
Expelled from Mile High Club, joins Mile Lie Club
From ABC News:
Aspen's 'Canary Initiative' Fights Global Warming
Scientists decry plan as "for the birds"
From ABC News:
Ohio Lottery Picks Match Ohio Game Score
Schembechler yet to claim winning prize
From ABC News:
Calif. Couple Calls for Orgasm for Peace
Still learning to spell
From ABC News:
Thai Gov't Censors Opera on 'Bad Omen'
Damien resents description
Blogrolling 2006-11-20
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- Phin supports the protesters.
- GOP and College has a photo caption contest.
- GOP and the City reads the same letter to the editor ... over and over.
- Oddybobo prepares for Thanksgiving.
- Travis Benning (Metaphysically Wringle Free) is getting visited by followers of the Prophet.
- Kevin (EckerNet) has words for the RNC.
- 21st Century Paladin likes the idea about raising money for the International Court.
- Ogre says we were betrayed.
- Peter Venlet (Down for Repairs) says they got the numbers backwards.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Picking A Blogging Platform: Blogger
Now that you've decided to blog ... you need a place to blog from. You need a host. And a blogging platform.
Here's the thing: you can get both from the same place. Not all the time, of course, but lots of times.
And there are two ways to go: free and paid.
What's the difference? Well, more than money.
Let's talk about free services. I'm going to limit it to two services: Blogger and WordPress.com.
First, be aware that not all WordPress blogs are WordPress.com blogs. But we'll talk about that later. Right now, let's talk about Blogger.
The Blogger Platform
Blogger is a free blogging platform that started in 1999 by three friends in San Francisco who ran Pyra Labs. It took off. And Google bought Blogger in 2002.
It's still a free platform, and it's quite customizable. You can do just about anything with its template ... if you know HTML.
Blogger supports posting of images and of YouTube and similar videos. It also allows comments, along with word verification (for reducing spam) and comment moderation (also for reducing spam and trolls) features you can enable.
Blogger also offers 31 standard templates ... all of which can be modified in just about any way you like. If you know HTML. And you can modify the templates to include add-ons, such as a TrackBack service or alternate commenting services.
The Down Side
Some people don't like Blogger because it's owned by Google. And some people don't like Google. If you're someone who's passionate about Google ... in the negative sense ... then the Google ownership is a minus.
Blogger doesn't offer native TrackBack support. Yes, you can add code from HaloScan, but unless you want to use HaloScan for both comments and TrackBacks, then you have to manually add the HaloScan code ... and that can be a little bit frustrating.
You can't have your own domain name with Blogger ... for free. Now, to be fair, that's true of any free blogging platform. Yes, WordPress.com offers domain names, but not for free. And we're not talking WordPress.com yet. The point is, your URL will be yourblogname.blogspot.com. Some think of this as a minus.
Clarification: You can have your own domain name with blogger, but it would be hosted elsewhere, and there are fees involved: domain name ownership ... and hosting fees. Without paying out money, your Blogger blog will have a blogspot.com domain name.
Of the top ten blogs in TTLB's Ecosystem, 1-9 have their own domain name. Hugh Hewitt has a townhall.com URL. Of numbers 11-30, all but 2 have their own domain name. Only Eschaton has a Blogger (blogspot.com) address and Andrew Sullivan has a TypePad (blogs.com) site via Time. So, having a Blogger domain doesn't mean you can't succeed. But there is that feeling that many have.
Other issues that some have with Blogger include:
The Up Side
It's free. And, despite the occasional outage, it's usually up. About as much as any other host. The reason Blogger outages get so much attention is because so many people use it. If Blogger is down for 20 minutes, millions and millions are affected, and the total blogs downtime is huge: 20 minutes times millions. Not sure how many years that is. So, Blogger outages are actually rate. They just affect lots of folks when they do happen. Did I mention it's free?
New features are being added. In the last couple of years, comment moderation, open comments (not requiring logging in to comment), photo/video publishing, new templates, Backlinks (not quite the same as TrackBacks, but a good idea that will become great when they get all the bugs out), and more have been added.
Blogger is a good choice for starting your first blog. But it's not the only choice.
Next time: WordPress.com as a blogging platform
Here's the thing: you can get both from the same place. Not all the time, of course, but lots of times.
And there are two ways to go: free and paid.
What's the difference? Well, more than money.
Let's talk about free services. I'm going to limit it to two services: Blogger and WordPress.com.
First, be aware that not all WordPress blogs are WordPress.com blogs. But we'll talk about that later. Right now, let's talk about Blogger.
The Blogger Platform
Blogger is a free blogging platform that started in 1999 by three friends in San Francisco who ran Pyra Labs. It took off. And Google bought Blogger in 2002.
It's still a free platform, and it's quite customizable. You can do just about anything with its template ... if you know HTML.
Blogger supports posting of images and of YouTube and similar videos. It also allows comments, along with word verification (for reducing spam) and comment moderation (also for reducing spam and trolls) features you can enable.
Blogger also offers 31 standard templates ... all of which can be modified in just about any way you like. If you know HTML. And you can modify the templates to include add-ons, such as a TrackBack service or alternate commenting services.
The Down Side
Some people don't like Blogger because it's owned by Google. And some people don't like Google. If you're someone who's passionate about Google ... in the negative sense ... then the Google ownership is a minus.
Blogger doesn't offer native TrackBack support. Yes, you can add code from HaloScan, but unless you want to use HaloScan for both comments and TrackBacks, then you have to manually add the HaloScan code ... and that can be a little bit frustrating.
You can't have your own domain name with Blogger ... for free. Now, to be fair, that's true of any free blogging platform. Yes, WordPress.com offers domain names, but not for free. And we're not talking WordPress.com yet. The point is, your URL will be yourblogname.blogspot.com. Some think of this as a minus.
Clarification: You can have your own domain name with blogger, but it would be hosted elsewhere, and there are fees involved: domain name ownership ... and hosting fees. Without paying out money, your Blogger blog will have a blogspot.com domain name.
Of the top ten blogs in TTLB's Ecosystem, 1-9 have their own domain name. Hugh Hewitt has a townhall.com URL. Of numbers 11-30, all but 2 have their own domain name. Only Eschaton has a Blogger (blogspot.com) address and Andrew Sullivan has a TypePad (blogs.com) site via Time. So, having a Blogger domain doesn't mean you can't succeed. But there is that feeling that many have.
Other issues that some have with Blogger include:
- It's annoying to have to republish the entire blog for small edits
- Not supporting categories
- Not offering extended entry functionality ("More..." or "Click to continue...")
- Unhappy with the general appearance of Templates. That is, a Blogger blog looks like a Blogger blog.
- Fixed width Templates
- 300-post limit on the edit page
- Inability to schedule posts for future publishing
- Difficulty for beginners to edit the Templates
- Service disruptions
- No window-esque, drop-and-drag interface to use when creating a blog
The Up Side
It's free. And, despite the occasional outage, it's usually up. About as much as any other host. The reason Blogger outages get so much attention is because so many people use it. If Blogger is down for 20 minutes, millions and millions are affected, and the total blogs downtime is huge: 20 minutes times millions. Not sure how many years that is. So, Blogger outages are actually rate. They just affect lots of folks when they do happen. Did I mention it's free?
New features are being added. In the last couple of years, comment moderation, open comments (not requiring logging in to comment), photo/video publishing, new templates, Backlinks (not quite the same as TrackBacks, but a good idea that will become great when they get all the bugs out), and more have been added.
Blogger is a good choice for starting your first blog. But it's not the only choice.
Next time: WordPress.com as a blogging platform
Operation Christmas Child III
The grandchildren took their boxes to the Church this morning, the deadline at the Church, so they can get the boxes to the regional collection point on Monday.
They had a great time picking out the items for the shoe boxes. And were delighted to take them into Sunday School this morning. As you can see by the picture, others dropped theirs off today, too. And this is just a part of the total brought in today. More came in before services started.
This is the first year the grandchildren participate in Operation Christmas Child. It won't be the last.
If you're not familiar with Operation Christmas Child, look into it. It's a program of Samaritan's Purse:
Samaritan's Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan's Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God's love through His Son, Jesus Christ.
The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Samaritan's Purse is run by Rev. Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham. And Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse. It's to "share the joy of Christmas and the love of Jesus Christ with suffering children around the world."
Operation Christmas Child delivers shoe boxes to children in need. And it was heartwarming to see the grandchildren taking part.
The boxes they filled were overflowing. So much so that, Saturday night, the Wife and I were running from store to store trying to find rubber bands big enough to hold the boxes closed. We never found any (didn't want to drive all the way into town, so we tried to hit the stores outside town) so we ended up using hair bands ... I think that's what they're called. They're elastic and are for fixing hair. But they're big. About the size of a Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pizza. Anyway, that's what we finally had to get to hold the boxes closed.
If you'd still like to participate in Operation Christmas Child, get a shoebox, fill it with items from the suggested list, and get it to one of the collection centers. If you don't have time to make it this year (Monday's the deadline for 2006), but would like to help, you can donate to Samaritan's Purse.
While it's nice to think about the pleasure the gifts will give the children on the receiving end, it was great watching the pleasure with which the grandchildren picked out the gifts for their shoeboxes. Christmas is indeed the season of giving.
Open Trackbacks 2006-11-19
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
How American Quiz
Smoke Eater and Ogre both had this quiz. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see how I measured up to those Great Americans.
I must say, I didn't do too bad.
I must say, I didn't do too bad.
You Are 85% American |
Tough and independent, you think big. You love everything about the US, wrong or right. And anyone who criticizes your home better not do it in front of you! |
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Blogrolling 2006-11-18
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- Jo finds she is cute and playful.
- Redoubt (Sin City) says the Big Game doesn't involve Buckeys or Wolverines.
- Chuck (Redneckin) picks the winner.
- Wild Bill offers the TV Nazi a tip.
- Richard Burkard (The Blog of Columbus GA) says the new phone books are in, the new phone books are in...
- Chris Sweigart (SwagTV Blog) has had about a sackfull of Burger King's coffee policy.
- Brock (East Alabama Ramblings) tells the PS3 crowd that impatience costs.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Headline News 2006-11-17
From ABC News:
57,000 Troops Ordered for '07 Iraq Deployments
Democrats redefine "pullout"
From ABC News:
Barbara Walters' Biggest Bloopers
New Playtex bra not working as expected
From ABC News:
Why Cooler Weather Doesn't Negate Global Warming
Not letting facts get in way of good story
From ABC News:
Weird Science: Can a 'Sunshade' Save the Planet?
Timbuk 3 was right
From ABC News:
Ban on Silicone Breast Implants Lifted
Breasts to be lifted, too
From ABC News:
Prof Named Best Jefferson Impersonator
Seeks Weezie, Bentley impersonators
From ABC News:
Man in Mail Threat Case Released on Bond
Daniel Craig threatens to sue
From ABC News:
Pee Wee Sports: When Parents Attack
Paul Reubens runs for cover
From ABC News:
Man Beaten by LAPD Speaks Out
Full text: "Ouch! Ow! Ooof! Ouch!!"
From ABC News:
A year later, one Baghdad family rebuilds and returns
Vows to never vacation in New Orleans again
57,000 Troops Ordered for '07 Iraq Deployments
Democrats redefine "pullout"
From ABC News:
Barbara Walters' Biggest Bloopers
New Playtex bra not working as expected
From ABC News:
Why Cooler Weather Doesn't Negate Global Warming
Not letting facts get in way of good story
From ABC News:
Weird Science: Can a 'Sunshade' Save the Planet?
Timbuk 3 was right
From ABC News:
Ban on Silicone Breast Implants Lifted
Breasts to be lifted, too
From ABC News:
Prof Named Best Jefferson Impersonator
Seeks Weezie, Bentley impersonators
From ABC News:
Man in Mail Threat Case Released on Bond
Daniel Craig threatens to sue
From ABC News:
Pee Wee Sports: When Parents Attack
Paul Reubens runs for cover
From ABC News:
Man Beaten by LAPD Speaks Out
Full text: "Ouch! Ow! Ooof! Ouch!!"
From ABC News:
A year later, one Baghdad family rebuilds and returns
Vows to never vacation in New Orleans again
Blogrolling 2006-11-17
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- aTypicalJoe says the TV people just don't get the Internet.
- Laurence Simon (TBIFOC) asks about dogs that like pussy.
- Sportslady (From Peaches to Beaches) shows why Florida isn't such a paradise.
- Karen (Pondering Penguin) says the eyes are the window to the soul.
- c.a. Marks (Alabama Improper) sees Sweet Baby James.
- Harvey (Bad Example) shares the lowdown on PA.
- Miriam sees and raises.
- Dragonlady (Dragon's Den) has class.
- Cory (CORE|BLOG) goes iPod.
- Two Dogs (Mean Ol' Meany) says gnomes aren't funny.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Operation Christmas Child II
As you can see, we may have more stuff than will fit in three boxes. So, not only do the grandchildren get to deliver boxes, there will be an extra box ... or two ... being dropped off.
If you haven't looked into Operation Christmas Child, check it out. It's pretty simple. Just use an empty, standard size shoe box or a small plastic container. If you wrap it, wrap the box & lid separately.
Decide if the gift is to be for a boy or a girl, and what age: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. You can print out a label here. Fill out the label and tape it to the top of your box.
Put your gift items in the box. Here are suggestions for items to put in the box.
The grandchildren are excited about. We are too. But most of all, we hope there's some joy that'll be experienced by a needy child somewhere.
Headline News 2006-11-16
From ABC News:
Trash Man Convicted in Cape Cod Writer's Death
Unsuccessful superhero runs afoul of the law
From ABC News:
'Grape Guy' Catches 116 Grapes in Mouth
New superhero in training
From ABC News:
Serial Rapist Sought in Calif. for 15 Years of Attacks
Kobe Bryant applies for job
From ABC News:
Voodoo Practitioner Tries to Jinx Bush
Trying to stop a third term
From ABC News:
Bush to make first visit to Vietnam
Wants to see what all the fuss was about
From ABC News:
Turkey Fears New Homegrown Terror Threat
Threat level increases every third week of November
From ABC News:
'Sexus Politicus' Grips France
Citizens screwed again
From ABC News:
Arrest of Sunni Leader Sought in Iraq
Bush laments, "I shouldn't have sent troops, should have called police after Saddam"
From ABC News:
Vatican Reaffirms Celibacy for Priests
Celibacy redefined to include sex with young boys
From ABC News:
U.S.: One Percent of Web Content is Porn
Other 99 percent has no content
Trash Man Convicted in Cape Cod Writer's Death
Unsuccessful superhero runs afoul of the law
From ABC News:
'Grape Guy' Catches 116 Grapes in Mouth
New superhero in training
From ABC News:
Serial Rapist Sought in Calif. for 15 Years of Attacks
Kobe Bryant applies for job
From ABC News:
Voodoo Practitioner Tries to Jinx Bush
Trying to stop a third term
From ABC News:
Bush to make first visit to Vietnam
Wants to see what all the fuss was about
From ABC News:
Turkey Fears New Homegrown Terror Threat
Threat level increases every third week of November
From ABC News:
'Sexus Politicus' Grips France
Citizens screwed again
From ABC News:
Arrest of Sunni Leader Sought in Iraq
Bush laments, "I shouldn't have sent troops, should have called police after Saddam"
From ABC News:
Vatican Reaffirms Celibacy for Priests
Celibacy redefined to include sex with young boys
From ABC News:
U.S.: One Percent of Web Content is Porn
Other 99 percent has no content
Blogrolling 2006-11-16
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- Captain's Quarters says a trade war has begun.
- Florida Cracker says Murtha isn't the right guy for the job.
- Jack H (Forgotten Prophets) remembers a hero.
- Jake Jacobsen (Freedom Folks) takes issue with Roberts S. Nix.
- Chad Evans (In the Bullpen) looks at the Dem's views of the military.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Starting Your Blog, Part 1
Ever since the Alliance went inactive, I've not done much in the way of Blog Tips. Of course, I hadn't done much lately before that. Just lazy, I guess.
But, I've still encountered things that have made me think, "I ought to do a blog tips post on that..." before remembering there was no active Alliance where I'd post it.
Well, I'm going to post them anyway. Here.
So, let's start at the beginning. That is, starting up your blog.
Okay, we won't start there. We'll start with why I think I'm qualified to write such a thing.
Well, I'm a blogger. I started a blog.
I can hear some of you now: "I started a blog, too! Why does Basil think he's so special?"
Well, I don't. You're perfectly welcome to post your own tips, too.
On your own darn blog.
But ... you can certainly link to it here.
Provided proper blogging etiquette is followed. And we'll cover that, soon. Or, you can comment about what I write, of course. Just stay on topic. Oh, wait. I said I'd cover etiquette later.
So, no, I don't think I'm someone special who knows everything about blogging. But I'm going to blog about blogging today. Cause it's my blog, you know.
Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about starting up your own blog.
Starting Your Blog, Step 1
Why do you want to blog? What do you plan to do with it?
You may wonder just how important this step is. I think most people think it's most important of all. Me? Not so sure.
Let me explain.When you get right down to it, here's why you're blogging: Because you want to.
Seriously, I really think that's why you're blogging. Or are about to start blogging.
Okay, sure. You might have that one thing. That gimmick. That difference. That ... special something ... that no one else has.
There are a ton of Instapunit-wannabes out there. Heck, this little blog has regular posts that link to other posts. So count me into the Instapundit-wannabes.
Maybe you want to be funny. But do we need another Frank J.? Or another Scott Ott? Or Iowahawk? Odds are, you won't be as funny. Count me in this group, too. As another wannabe.
There are lots of blogs that do news. Or humor. Or satire. Or vitriol. Or celebrity watching. Or ... well, you get the point. It's probably already being done. And much better.
So, why should you blog?
We're back to my answer: Because you want to.
And, to me, that's most important.
If you are as good as those others, you'll have to want to blog for it to show. If you're as good as the others, and you don't really want to blog ... it'll never come out.
If you're not as good as those others ... so what? If you're blogging because you want to, you're doing what you want ... and that's got to be satisfying.
So, why are you blogging? Or why are you about to start blogging?
Whatever your reasons are ... if "because I want to" isn't part of it, you won't be successful.
Wanting to does not guarantee success. But not wanting to guarantees failure.
Coming up in Part 2
Picking a platform.
But, I've still encountered things that have made me think, "I ought to do a blog tips post on that..." before remembering there was no active Alliance where I'd post it.
Well, I'm going to post them anyway. Here.
So, let's start at the beginning. That is, starting up your blog.
Okay, we won't start there. We'll start with why I think I'm qualified to write such a thing.
Well, I'm a blogger. I started a blog.
I can hear some of you now: "I started a blog, too! Why does Basil think he's so special?"
Well, I don't. You're perfectly welcome to post your own tips, too.
On your own darn blog.
But ... you can certainly link to it here.
Provided proper blogging etiquette is followed. And we'll cover that, soon. Or, you can comment about what I write, of course. Just stay on topic. Oh, wait. I said I'd cover etiquette later.
So, no, I don't think I'm someone special who knows everything about blogging. But I'm going to blog about blogging today. Cause it's my blog, you know.
Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about starting up your own blog.
Starting Your Blog, Step 1
Why do you want to blog? What do you plan to do with it?
You may wonder just how important this step is. I think most people think it's most important of all. Me? Not so sure.
Let me explain.When you get right down to it, here's why you're blogging: Because you want to.
Seriously, I really think that's why you're blogging. Or are about to start blogging.
Okay, sure. You might have that one thing. That gimmick. That difference. That ... special something ... that no one else has.
There are a ton of Instapunit-wannabes out there. Heck, this little blog has regular posts that link to other posts. So count me into the Instapundit-wannabes.
Maybe you want to be funny. But do we need another Frank J.? Or another Scott Ott? Or Iowahawk? Odds are, you won't be as funny. Count me in this group, too. As another wannabe.
There are lots of blogs that do news. Or humor. Or satire. Or vitriol. Or celebrity watching. Or ... well, you get the point. It's probably already being done. And much better.
So, why should you blog?
We're back to my answer: Because you want to.
And, to me, that's most important.
If you are as good as those others, you'll have to want to blog for it to show. If you're as good as the others, and you don't really want to blog ... it'll never come out.
If you're not as good as those others ... so what? If you're blogging because you want to, you're doing what you want ... and that's got to be satisfying.
So, why are you blogging? Or why are you about to start blogging?
Whatever your reasons are ... if "because I want to" isn't part of it, you won't be successful.
Wanting to does not guarantee success. But not wanting to guarantees failure.
Coming up in Part 2
Picking a platform.
Blogrolling 2006-11-15
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- Texas Rainmaker says pictures prove Ahmadinejad took our hostages.
- Don Singleton finds something in common with the most dangerous cities in the USA.
- Wonderful Life finds what happens when you leave your bike leaning against a tree. [via Riding Son]
- Ogre finds some Dems are still in denial.
- The Bullwinkle Blog says Conservatives aren't in denial.
- Wild Thing (Theodore's World) says it's the Dems turn to be worried.
- SondraK (Knowledge Is Power) has a question for Nancy.
- Dry Bones updates Arabian Nights.
- Rafi G (Life In Israel) says Olmert is spinning.
- Brian (Iowa Voice) thinks Martinez is naive.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Fancy Eatin' Ain't for Me
The other day, I went out to this fancy eating place near the college in waycross. When you gets a chance to make it to a big city like Waycross, you make the most of it.
So anywaya, i wnet to this fancy eating place. I had to wait to sit down, and some guy in a monkey suit made me wait a bit before he sat me down next to the kitchen.
After a little while, this other fellow, wearing a white coat, come up and wanted to take my drink rder. They didn't have noMickalob Michel Miccha regular beer, so thry brought the house wine.
When I wasked for a menu, this guy rattled off what they had to eat. Now, I don't know if it was because he was from Vietnam, Korea, or some other Chinese place, but it was hard to understand what he said. One sounded interesting and I asxed him to tellme more about it. He said it was grilled chicken tongue with a spicy sauce and sour vegetable.
I couldn't believe what he told me. Chicken tongue?
"Sorry, boss," I told him, "but I aint eating nothing that come out of a chicken's mouth. Just bring me the scrambled eggs breakfast."
So anywaya, i wnet to this fancy eating place. I had to wait to sit down, and some guy in a monkey suit made me wait a bit before he sat me down next to the kitchen.
After a little while, this other fellow, wearing a white coat, come up and wanted to take my drink rder. They didn't have no
When I wasked for a menu, this guy rattled off what they had to eat. Now, I don't know if it was because he was from Vietnam, Korea, or some other Chinese place, but it was hard to understand what he said. One sounded interesting and I asxed him to tellme more about it. He said it was grilled chicken tongue with a spicy sauce and sour vegetable.
I couldn't believe what he told me. Chicken tongue?
"Sorry, boss," I told him, "but I aint eating nothing that come out of a chicken's mouth. Just bring me the scrambled eggs breakfast."
Headline News 2006-11-14
From ABC News:
Democrats to Stress Environmental Issues
Will tone down rhetoric, reduce hot air emissions
From ABC News:
Anna Nicole Rips Up Bahamas Like a Hurricane
It's confirmed: Anna Nicole blows
From ABC News:
Reid elected leader of Senate Democratic majority
Handbasket getting full, Hell next stop
From ABC News:
Cruise Spotted Leaving Hotel in Rome
Severe rash blamed
From ABC News:
Bill legalizes gay marriage
Hillary, girlfriend excited
From CNN:
Democrats' priority: 'Get rid of' Rumsfeld
Haven't read the news lately
From CNN:
U.S. House rejects Vietnam trade
Wants player to be named later
From CNN:
Hacker claims to have cracked iPod
Wants it fixed
From CBS News:
Blair Pushes For Broad Mideast Strategy
Broad agrees to provide strategy
From Reuters:
Microsoft warns of 5 "critical" security holes
Identified as Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, & Internet Explorer
Democrats to Stress Environmental Issues
Will tone down rhetoric, reduce hot air emissions
From ABC News:
Anna Nicole Rips Up Bahamas Like a Hurricane
It's confirmed: Anna Nicole blows
From ABC News:
Reid elected leader of Senate Democratic majority
Handbasket getting full, Hell next stop
From ABC News:
Cruise Spotted Leaving Hotel in Rome
Severe rash blamed
From ABC News:
Bill legalizes gay marriage
Hillary, girlfriend excited
From CNN:
Democrats' priority: 'Get rid of' Rumsfeld
Haven't read the news lately
From CNN:
U.S. House rejects Vietnam trade
Wants player to be named later
From CNN:
Hacker claims to have cracked iPod
Wants it fixed
From CBS News:
Blair Pushes For Broad Mideast Strategy
Broad agrees to provide strategy
From Reuters:
Microsoft warns of 5 "critical" security holes
Identified as Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, & Internet Explorer
Blogrolling 2006-11-14
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- Mr Atoz (Agent Bedhead) reports Chavez wants to do the hippy-hippy shake.
- Spree (Wake Up America) compares the two sides. [via American Flag League]
- Moc's Blog says don't give up on Lieberman. [via Blogs for Bush]
- GOP and the City looks at Governor's Gone Wild.
- The Strong Conservative says chants of "Allahu Akbar" eminating from the Dems is an uncomfortable sound.
- Watersblogged! isn't please with reports of the Anglican Church's support of infanticide.
- Espella Humanzee finds some Dems aren't happy with the Dems.
- Blogs for Bush looks at Levin's timetable to cut and run.
- Coffee Spills finds the sports that old sportsmen play. [via Homespun Bloggers]
- Okie on the Lam says negotiation isn't always the answer.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Helping Holly
I'm sure you know all about Holly Aho and the work she does for Soldiers' Angel. If you don't, well, she's a huge supporter of our military. She's also an artist.
Holly's running a promotion over at her blog. She's opened up an online store, and has asked for some help with it.
Naturally, I'm hoping her promotion goes well. Since she supports the military, as a former soldier, I appreciate what she does ... and want to support her.
Her contest will reward bloggers that go to her store from their respective blogs (including this one). But here's the thing. If enough visitors go to her store from here, we'll get gift certificates for the store.
Only here's the switch. I'm going to ask Holly to take any of the winnings this little blog gets and use them to give something to a soldier.
Okay, a soldier or a Marine or a sailor or an airman or ... well, you get the idea. One of our service men. Or women.
If we don't generate enough visits to qualify for gift certificates, it's okay. Because all purchases there help Holly. And that's fine with me. Because Holly supports the soldiers. And helping her will help them.
Or, better yet, if you buy something from her store, and you use it as a gift for a soldier ... everybody wins!
Check out Holly's art. Or her jewelry. It's good stuff.
And Holly's good people.
Holly's running a promotion over at her blog. She's opened up an online store, and has asked for some help with it.
Naturally, I'm hoping her promotion goes well. Since she supports the military, as a former soldier, I appreciate what she does ... and want to support her.
Her contest will reward bloggers that go to her store from their respective blogs (including this one). But here's the thing. If enough visitors go to her store from here, we'll get gift certificates for the store.
Only here's the switch. I'm going to ask Holly to take any of the winnings this little blog gets and use them to give something to a soldier.
Okay, a soldier or a Marine or a sailor or an airman or ... well, you get the idea. One of our service men. Or women.
If we don't generate enough visits to qualify for gift certificates, it's okay. Because all purchases there help Holly. And that's fine with me. Because Holly supports the soldiers. And helping her will help them.
Or, better yet, if you buy something from her store, and you use it as a gift for a soldier ... everybody wins!
Check out Holly's art. Or her jewelry. It's good stuff.
And Holly's good people.
Headline News 2006-11-13
From ABC News:
Man Accused of Mailing Threats to Pelosi, Jon Stewart, Letterman and Others Due in Court
Rumsfeld indicted
From ABC News:
Pet Deer Attacks, Kills His Owner
Bambi indicted
From ABC News:
Man Attacked by Shark Off Maui Beach
Greg Norman indicted
From ABC News:
MLK Dream Comes to Fruition
"Free at last" was actually code for "Al Sharpton-Jesse Jackson photo op"
From ABC News:
Al Qaeda's Great Escape: Too Good to Be True?
Election results certified
From ABC News:
Indonesian Students Protest Bush Visit
Tree visit okay
From ABC News:
Christian, Muslim Britons say leave Christmas alone
Pelosi, Reid agree to reconsider
From ABC News:
Admit It, You Want a $1,200 Bang & Olufsen Phone
Olufsen phone optional
From ABC News:
Dairy Farmers Get More Milk Money
Melanie Griffith films sequel
From ABC News:
Anna Nicole Smith Is House-Hunting
Hugh Laurie in hiding
Man Accused of Mailing Threats to Pelosi, Jon Stewart, Letterman and Others Due in Court
Rumsfeld indicted
From ABC News:
Pet Deer Attacks, Kills His Owner
Bambi indicted
From ABC News:
Man Attacked by Shark Off Maui Beach
Greg Norman indicted
From ABC News:
MLK Dream Comes to Fruition
"Free at last" was actually code for "Al Sharpton-Jesse Jackson photo op"
From ABC News:
Al Qaeda's Great Escape: Too Good to Be True?
Election results certified
From ABC News:
Indonesian Students Protest Bush Visit
Tree visit okay
From ABC News:
Christian, Muslim Britons say leave Christmas alone
Pelosi, Reid agree to reconsider
From ABC News:
Admit It, You Want a $1,200 Bang & Olufsen Phone
Olufsen phone optional
From ABC News:
Dairy Farmers Get More Milk Money
Melanie Griffith films sequel
From ABC News:
Anna Nicole Smith Is House-Hunting
Hugh Laurie in hiding
Blogrolling 2006-11-13
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- Sin City says there's a threat close to home.
- Emperor Misha I (Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler) promises to give as good as he took.
- Gun Toting Liberal says the Dems won ... now what?
- Jo's Cafe says you're going to get what you voted for.
- Chuck (Redneckin) says Dubya's giving in.
- Bird Dog (Maggie's Farm) likes pie.
- Shamalama (Common Folk Using Common Sense) analyzes the election.
- Richard Burkard (The Blog of Columbus, Georgia) serves leftovers. Okay, updates.
- Mark Noonan (Blogs for Bush) says Loop's coming.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Operation Christmas Child
If you're not familiar with Operation Christmas Child, look into it. It's a program of Samaritan's Purse:
Samaritan's Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan's Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God's love through His Son, Jesus Christ.
The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Samaritan's Purse is run by Rev. Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham. And Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse. It's to "share the joy of Christmas and the love of Jesus Christ with suffering children around the world."
Operation Christmas Child delivers shoe boxes to children in need. And you can help.
Use an empty, standard size shoe box or a small plastic container. If you wrap it, wrap the box & lid separately.
Decide if the gift is to be for a boy or a girl, and what age: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. You can print out a label here. Fill out the label and tape it to the top of your box.
Put your gift items in the box. Here's their suggestions:
- TOYS
small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch A Sketch®, toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), Slinky®, etc.- SCHOOL SUPPLIES
pens, pencils and sharpener, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc.- HYGIENE ITEMS
toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth, etc.- OTHER
Hard candy and lollipops (please double bag all candy), mints, gum, T-shirts, socks, ball caps; sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries)- A PERSONAL NOTE
In a separate envelope, you may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. (If you include your name and address, the child may write back.)- Do Not Include:
Used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures; chocolate or food; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snowglobes or glass containers; aerosol cans
Then, include $7 to cover shipping and project costs.
Finally, take the box to a drop-off location. You can find a location near you here.
We've worked with the grandchildren about getting boxes together. And we're delivering them to the local drop-off this week.
I'm asking you to look at Operation Christmas Child and consider if it's worthy of your support.
Blogrolling 2006-11-12
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- Right Thinking Girl found ten good things about the election results.
- Point Five made sure the soldier's got America's message in time for Veteran's Day.
- Potfry (The Nose On Your Face) found the 20th hijacker.
- The People's Cube says the Jihad continues.
- Jack Yoest says Charmaine Yoest (Reasoned Audacity) has a debate this afternoon on Fox News Live at 1:30 ET.
- Don Surber is counting broken campaign promised ... until he runs out of ink.
- Public Eye says Elton John misses the irony.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Blogrolling 2006-11-11
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- Chris Short (Conservative Thinking) has an Airman's family in need.
- Heidi (Euphoric Reality) has a Soldier's thoughts on the election.
- Dr Rusty Shackleford (Townhall) says the Dems owe Jon Stewart.
- Reliapundit (The Astute Bloggers) finds someone really happy over the election.
- LB (Don't Go Into The Light) finds there are some things more important than the election.
- Norma (Collecting My Thoughts) shares family photos for Veteran's Day.
- Wild Bill (Passionate America) says money is good.
- Samantha Burns remembers.
- I Am Coyote (NW Republican) looks at why the evangelicals aren't there for the GOP.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Headline News 2006-11-10
From ABC News:
New Face of Congress: Fewer White Christian Men
Satan, wife pleased
From ABC News:
Ford to Become Oldest Living President
Carter remains most useless
From ABC News:
Man Who Fled Fatal Traffic Accident for 5 Years Returned to U.S.
Ted Kennedy to stand trial
From ABC News:
Courtney Confirms She'll Go Nude in Magazine
December issue of Crack Whore magazine goes on sale Thanksgiving
From ABC News:
Leaving the Religious Right
Dems team up with Religious Wrong
From ABC News:
Dead N.C. Candidate Easily Wins Election
Only safe Democrat elected Tuesday
From ABC News:
Teen Who Skipped Tab Made to Wash Dishes
Prefers Diet Coke
From ABC News:
Man Uses Bug Story to Get Women Undressed
Next plan, "snake in my pants" story
From ABC News:
Bipartisanship Ho?
Pelosi vows to work with Bush
From ABC News:
Republicans look to Reagan era for inspiration
Bush to give Alzheimer's a try
New Face of Congress: Fewer White Christian Men
Satan, wife pleased
From ABC News:
Ford to Become Oldest Living President
Carter remains most useless
From ABC News:
Man Who Fled Fatal Traffic Accident for 5 Years Returned to U.S.
Ted Kennedy to stand trial
From ABC News:
Courtney Confirms She'll Go Nude in Magazine
December issue of Crack Whore magazine goes on sale Thanksgiving
From ABC News:
Leaving the Religious Right
Dems team up with Religious Wrong
From ABC News:
Dead N.C. Candidate Easily Wins Election
Only safe Democrat elected Tuesday
From ABC News:
Teen Who Skipped Tab Made to Wash Dishes
Prefers Diet Coke
From ABC News:
Man Uses Bug Story to Get Women Undressed
Next plan, "snake in my pants" story
From ABC News:
Bipartisanship Ho?
Pelosi vows to work with Bush
From ABC News:
Republicans look to Reagan era for inspiration
Bush to give Alzheimer's a try
Blogrolling 2006-11-10
Items of interest from the blogroll.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
- Fuzzybear Lioness (Fuzzilicious Thinking) has a Project VALOUR-IT auction update.
- Insolublog wants to overhaul the system.
- Honza P. (Pros & Cons) asks the Dems "now what?"
- Cowboy Blog believes how one uses one's mouth is important.
- Random Yak learns from movies.
- SerandEz says a can of worms has been opened.
- The Florida Masochist looks at mismanagement in West Palm Beach.
- Goovyvic (Fiddle Dee Dee) is better prepared to deal with crap.
- WuzzaDem has a message for the rest of the world.
If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.
Thursday, November 9, 2006
Bad Behavior
I'm talking about unsolicited comment and TrackBack spam. Like blogs get. Including this little blog.
I'm using Akismet, which comes with WordPress. And it works pretty good. I also use SpamKarma 2, and it does some good, but I can't tell that it picks up anything that Akismet misses.
To me, one's as good as another. Akismet is free for small blogs like this little blog. Big blogs can get a Commercial edition. Spam Karma is free, too. But Dr. Dave does accept tips. And no, I haven't donated. But I should. I really should.
But, Akismet and SpamKarma both let some stuff through. Not much, but some. And I'm happy with them. It's the spammers I'm not happy with. And I'm not happy with checking the moderation queue.
You see, Akismet and SpamKarma do catch a lot, and send that stuff to the moderation queue. Which means I need to check the queue. And most of the time, it's spam. Every now and then, something gets queued that is okay. So I do have to check the queue.
But, like I said, most of it is nothing but spam.
And that's where Bad Behavior comes in. Bad Behavior is a WordPress plug-in that helps with spam:
Bad Behavior was designed and built by watching actual spambots which harvested email addresses, posted comment spam, and used fake referrers. By logging their entire HTTP requests and comparing them to HTTP requests of legitimate users, it is possible to detect most spambots. Bad Behavior blocks spambots with a short error message. It also has three configurable User-Agent lists for spambots and other malicious bots which actually identify themselves. Bad Behavior can use string matching or regular expression matching against a User-Agent.
So, what's all that mean? It means that lots of these spammings are not from some guy in his underwear hitting your site and typing crap into the comment box. Rather, it's an application and/or scripts that the guy in his underwear is running that automatically try to leave comments and TrackBacks. And they basically all have similar characteristics. And Bad Behavior is supposed to be pretty good at recognizing them and blocking them.
Beth over at MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy tried Bad Behavior once before. And didn't like it. But it's been re-written. So, I'm going to try it out.
I enabled it Thursday. And within 7 hours, it says it blocked 367 hits. SiteMeter stats do not show a drop ... at least, not that I've noticed. So, I'd figure they're spammers being blocked.
But they may not be. If I get reports about legitimate visitors being turned away, I'll check to see if I've done something wrong, or if it's just not for me. As was the case with Beth.
Of course, if it's blocking you, you aren't reading this, so you don't know what's going on. So I may never know there's a problem. Beth found out because people contacted her. Because her blog rocks.
I'll find out if one of my sisters gets blocked.
Now, I'm not planning on dropping Akismet or SpamKarma. I'm just adding another level of protection. All three do different things. And I'm hoping there'll be enough spam protection in place to prevent me from having to check the 100 or so items that are moderated every day.
After running for a few days, we'll see if this was a good idea ... or bad behavior on my part.
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