Before we get started I would just like to point out that if you don’t go read this blog you may never understand Why Women Talk To Cats.

Absurdistry is one of those rare, well written plunges into voyeurism that let us know we are still human after all. We really can’t not look at a train wreck, a parade or a cute baby in a sunny little bonnet. This artistic self exposure bares the spirit and satisfies that primal drive to observe the triumphs, pains, joys and sorrows of our fellow travelers on this absurdly provincial planet at the outer edges of the galactic proper.

Randall suffers from the desire to write. This affliction, among legion others, has plagued him for most of his life. This to the chagrin of his wealthy family, has all but consumed his life. As he searches for meaning and the Great American Novel, that must surely produce itself from the far recesses of his mind, he often finds that he must contend with the mundane matters of life. And he is shocked by the deep meaning these activities seem to reveal at every turn.

We have all heard the phrase “ants in your pants”, but i do not believe I have ever read a first hand account of some one actually having Ants In His Pants. And I know with certainty I’ve never heard of anyone having ants in their pants during a job interview by “The Board” for an unknown company that very well may have been the spear head of an alien invasion force.

If physical ailments, the curse of the desire to write and an occupation army of ants weren’t enough, The Magnetic Mattress would surely have long since sent any woman not so strong as Randall’s wife running to the arms of an attorney. But despite her sometimes disappointment with the way things seem to have come down, she is a humor-full woman who seems to be genuinely in love with the self admitted, six-foot-five mess that is Randall.

While the general practice of the peeping tom is to stand outside some other persons window and peep in, Randall has perfected his own technique of sitting inside his own window and peeping out.

If you find yourself, some sunny day, in the vicinity of the corner of Oak and 14th, check to see if a man in a black suit sits behind a coffee table in his driveway and if you should spot him, be sure to stop and Meet The Author.

Humanized is an interesting company. Their core philosophy and focus do not conform to a specific kind of software, but to a specific way of software. I know that sentence doesn’t seem to make much sense, but it really does. Humanized makes software, unfortunately so far, not much software, that is humane in it’s user interface.

I know, I promised you a Blogger’s tool you’ll love, and I will fulfill that promise, but I need to lay some groundwork first on why you’ll love it.

Quasimodal interfaces are Humane

The thing that really sets this tool apart is the use of quasimodes, which are modes that require you to take constant action to keep open. When you hold down your shift key and type a few letters, for instance, RSS you have just utilized a quasimode, because the text would only continue to be in uppercase letters as long as you hold down the shift key.

Modal Interfaces Aren’t

On the other hand a modal function is something that is “sticky” like the caps lock key. You press it and it stays in uppercase text mode until you press it again, whiCH CAN SOMETIMES MAKE THINGS COME OUT NOT QUITE RIGHT, if you know what I mean. How many times have you typed a whole sentence or even a whole paragraph, only to discover that you were in the wrong mode, and then had to retype it in the correct mode?

That sucks, right?

Two Birds With One App

Well, what if you could eliminate that problem completely and at the same time gain access to a neat little piece of software that can spell check in any window on your computer that you can type text into? What if it could count the words on any window on your computer, period? How about if it also did nearly a dozen other neat little everyday things that right now require you to switch modes from what you are currently doing, then switch back again? And if you could do those things as easily as you can hold down your shift key and type RSS?

Enso Words does just that.

Enso Words is a quasimodal, universal spell checker that also does a bunch of other nifty things like word counts, cutting, pasting, copying, changing case, solving math problems, and, with an add on, several search launches as well.

To engage Enso Words you hold down your caps lock key with your left pinky finger and type a command. Not some cryptic command either. The command for spell checking is [ [capslock] spellcheck ], though typing [ [capslock] s ] also activates it in the default configuration. You only have to type as many letters as bring the command you want up. As soon as you release the caps lock key, the commend currently selected is executed and you are returned to where you came from. if no command was selected, you simply return to where you were and it’s like nothing ever happened.

Imagine, you’ll never tyPE A CRAZY ALL CAPS SENTENCE AGAIN. And you can count words and check their spelling anywhere you can read or type them. That’s a useful little tool for a Blogger!

Try it out, it’s free. Drop a comment and let me know what you think when you’ve given it a try. I love it over here.

Must fashion and style be completely sacrificed when one becomes a mother? According to Sarah-Jean Ballard, Editor-in-Chief of The Fashionable Housewife, the answer is a firm no.

“I became a mother a little over two years ago and while I absolutely love my daughter and try to give her everything she needs in life, I also make sure I take time for me,” explained Sarah-Jean. “In order to be the best mother you can be to your children, you have to take a little time for yourself,” she finished.

At The Fashionable Housewife, readers get their dose of tips and suggestions for staying comfortable while remaining fashionable. So, even non-moms who find the need to combine comfort along with good style will find this blog useful and entertaining.

“Gone are the days when comfortable shoes meant granny shoes. With brands like Sofft, Born, and Clarks on the cutting edge of fashion while focusing on comfort, there is no reason to settle for ugly shoes just because they are comfortable, ever again!” Sarah-Jean exclaimed.

This is good news for all fashionistas. Being beautiful doesn’t have to be painful. “In this day and age, there is no reason to compromise style just to be comfortable,” advised the editor, herself a fashionable housewife. Sarah-Jean recommended women re-think the concept of being comfortable. She questioned, “Do you really think you are comfortable going out in public in your sweats? Your butt might feel comfy, but your dignity sure doesn’t.”

Sarah-Jean offered great comfort fashion advice. She suggested moms buy jeans with a bit of stretch like NYDJ Cashmere Denim and pair them with a gorgeous, yet super comfy structure shirt like XCVI Happy House Voile top.  Throw on a pair of Softspots Paxton Wedge with a cute scarf and the transformation to becoming a fashionable housewife is now complete.

With two best girlfriends who have just had their first child, I see how challenging it can be to spend one’s days as a new mom. Surely it’s too difficult to be stylish and a good mom? Right? Sarah-Jean said otherwise: “The most important thing to remember when it comes to staying stylish is not to feel guilty about taking time out for yourself. Sometimes it can be hard to even get in a decent shower! Make sure you have some help and take a few minutes in the morning to fix your hair, throw on a little mascara and lipgloss, and put on some decent clothes you didn’t pull out of the laundry pile. You’d be amazed at how much of a difference it can make in your day. Staying stylish can actually help you be the best mom you can possibly be!”

Inspiring, insightful and encouraging — readers will find all this and more at The Fashionable Housewife. Being that Sarah-Jean is quite the fashion diva, I just had to find out what she’s shopping for right now. “I’m still on the search for the perfect pair of Over The Knee Boots for under $100.  I’m also in the market for a motorcycle jacket, skinny ankle jeans with zippers, and something in hounds tooth,” she answered. Coincidently, those are also my personal favorite fall trends, too. I guess great minds think alike. If you find you can’t rock over-the-knee boots, Sarah-Jean offered an alternative, “Opt for another tall boot like the Born Nenna that will work for absolutely everyone.”

Sarah-Jean Ballard
Editor-in-Chief of The Fashionable Housewife

Where did the jobs go?

Ever since the banker’s shell game came apart and the economy tanked out across much of the world, many people have been forced to seek new employment. Jobs are gone and as some politicians have pointed out some of them just aren’t coming back.

Some people, too, get crazy ideas about dumping their day jobs and working for themselves even when the signs of the times would seem to indicate that this might not be the most reasonable course of action.

Enter the Digital Worker

Amazon’s Mechanical Turk website calls them “Artificial artificial intelligence“. Most other people call them freelancers. I’ve always been peripherally aware of these denizens of the digital workforce, but they were never right there in front of me until just recently.

After spending some time looking for a new job, I realized that it would probably be more fruitful to just create my own job and changed course to that goal. That’s when I discovered that there is a huge economy out there for freelance workers.

And they have their own blogosphere too.

As I got into looking at this opportunity I began seeking information about it. Not the information provided by the freelance job sites, though there is some good information there. What I really wanted was the information provided by these workers themselves.

Can you think of anyplace better to find this kind of information than in the BlogCatalog Blog Search Tool? No? me either, so of course, that’s where I went. And I telly you I was not disappointed in the least.

There are many good of blogs in the catalog that offer up information on freelance working from a number of perspectives. I’m going to focus here on those that are written by people who actually do freelance work and blog about that work. They offer tips on finding jobs, productivity advice, writing ideas and much more. The Freelance blogs in the catalog are essentially a decentralized academy of the freelance arts.

I have become their devoted student.

Ariana R. Cherry blogs about her recent entry into freelancing at her blog, The Rural Freelance Writer. She’s just started working as a freelancer, and still maintains a day job that she hopes to reduce to part time and then eventually eliminate. She’s working her way into freelancing slowly. I hope she meets great success and I hope she continues blogging here experiences along the way.

Allison blogs about her freelance career at her blog, My Online Freelance Writing Career (BC Listing). She offers great advice about finding and maximizing online freelance jobs. With articles on how to find the jobs, how to get the best pay from the jobs and how to organize your job search. She also just completed the grueling 100 articles in 100 days challenge at ezinearticles.com. Talk about padding your portfolio. She detailed the process and posted regular updates about her progress though the challenge.

Katie blogs about working as a freelancer at her blog, Real Freelance Life (BC Listing). She offers up hard nosed, practical advice on how to get the job done as a freelancer that you can read, digest and immediately put to work in your own freelance efforts. Great stuff in there.

Jon Phillips and a crew of three other bloggers blog about everything to do with being a successful freelancer at his blog, Freelance Folder (BC Listing). This team of seasoned freelancers write well researched, informative articles designed to help any freelancer, novice and pro alike learn and develop a freelance career. They are currently looking for writers to join the team, and in the interest of full disclosure, I applied to write for them.

That’s just four of the blogs in the catalog that write about freelancing. There are many many more there too. So if you’ve been left out in the cold by the old economy, or if you’ve just been tempted by the new economy, all I can say is, hit the freelance blogs in the BC Catalog and start reading. There seems to be a big, bold, bright future for the digital workforce. One thing any of the bloggers I introduced to you today will tell you that the number one thing to do is take action. Find jobs and put your name out there as a writer. Go seize your own career today.

It took me a while to find it, but today’s Spotlight is a long standing blogger. In fact, his blogging career started on November 20th, 2005. That was the day when Chris MacDonald, who teaches Philosophy and Business Ethics at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada, started The Business Ethics Blog. The reason was simple enough, he hadn’t found a good business ethics blog yet, so he decided he had to make one himself. Isn’t that how many great bloggers start in the first place? And for sure,  Chris has now become one of those great bloggers.

Climbing the blog ladder to success

His second post starts off with “Maybe this blog was a mistake. Apparently, I may not be very well qualified to write a blog on business ethics“…hear hear. He must have done something right, though, because he has come a long way since his then fumbling first steps, and in 2008 ethisphere.com nominated him as #81 among the 100 most influential people in business ethics:

MacDonald writes one of the longest continually-running blogs on business ethics written by a researcher and educator in the field, which has operated continuously over the last 3 years. Moreover, MacDonald explores and uncovers issues that, at first, might not appear to touch upon subjects relating to ethics; however, upon further inspection, they challenge the reader at a much more core level.

I can only agree to that.

Why should you read this blog?

You may think that The Business Ethics Blog is only for business students, MBA prospects and CEO wannabees. Wrong. It is just as much for the ignorant consumer,  who duped by advertising, buys his favorite products from his favorite company without even caring, or at least without even thinking too much about it.

One of Chris’ most recent articles deals with consumer trust and Big Pharma. Despite the industry’s spotty track record, there are some good reasons for trusting Big Pharma…to some extent.

One the more fun side, there is a review of the movie The Yes men Fix the World, a movie I haven’t heard of, but a movie Chris uses in class so the students learn not just to lament corporate wrongdoing, or to poke fun at it, but to understand the world in which that wrongdoing goes on. On the more serious side you can find a review of Food Inc, which may make you rethink what you plan on having for dinner tonight.

There’s a vast reservoir on business ethics on Chris’ blog, and he does not shy away from religion either. Most articles are well-commented, too, showing a truly engaging blog. Indeed, the Business Ethics Blog is definitely worth reading, bookmarking, and coming back to.

Not the only one

Back in 2005, Chris may very well have been the first and only business ethics blogger on BlogCatalog. Since then, many have joined him, such as: It’s Just Good Business, featuring stories about businesses who do good. Notes on Noble Business, where corporate futurist and author Darwin Gillett examines “nobility” as a model for sustainable business success. There is also another lecturer’s blog, Teaching Business Ethics, where Tony Birch and friends reflect on how to teach business ethics.

Bottom line

I don’t know who coined this phrase or whether I am actually reciting it correctly, but the saying is that if you take care of your customers, your customers will take care of you, i.e. your bottom line. For sure, without business ethics, there isn’t going to be much bottom line in the long run.

Written by Jan Husdal, BlogCatalog Blogger Advocate
http://www.husdal.com/
Follow Jan on Twitter

It’s Halloween again and most communities are split between those thrilled by the ghostly fear that chills the skin and those who battle hard against the dark, filling the night with the glow of candlelight, sweet treats and happy times.

The BlogCatalog community is no different. While many of us are sitting at our cozy keyboards,  like Amanda at Change.Org, writing 101 Things to Be for Halloween Other than a Pimp, or like the Crunchy Domestic Goddess, penning  10 Simple Ways to Green your Halloween, others are busy scaring the tightie whities off of everyone they can. The Horror Club’s 31 Days of Horror is creepy at its best. On the other hand, the Cupcake Project’s Anti-Vampire Garlic Cupcake recipe might just be the scariest thing on BlogCatalog.

You know what’s funny about being scared though? It can be tons more fun when it happens to someone else. I’m fairly sure that’s what MadMadMargo at the Screaming Me-Me thinks after Getting Punked (which means of course that she got her hair scared white). How? Well, it involved a shower and a stranger in her bathroom…  Even so, Margo knows what’s really important — what Halloween is all about. Is it about being scared incontinent? Of course not. Her sober reflections point us to the Truth that Halloween is all about, you guessed it… CANDY. (My waistline thanks you.)

Speaking of candy, LiteralDan, in a blatant and shallow attempt to lure a few more costumed candy magnets to his side, personally invites you to a little pre-2008-election-flashback of sorts. (I think he just wants to show off his cute kids in costume.)  And LesleyMo at MyTurntoTalk has hilarious costume ideas for parents who want to imagine their babies’ future filled with quiet desperation. (To ward off our need for Prozac, she follows up with some easy, more creative costume ideas.)

Whew.  Thank goodness.

You know, most parents think their kids are the cutest ones on the block… that is, until their costumes make them the most ferocious kids on the block. Mom2my9 at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven (say that ten times fast!) has written a cautionary news report about a Halloween scare her husband had last year. Her message: Be afraid! Be VERY afraid!

And what is Halloween without a little nostalgia? Especially when it involves fiberfill and a home-sewn costume that makes its wearer feel “like a python’s dinner being slowly digested.” But lest you think she’s all giggle and no ghoulishness, Jenn (aka ThriftshopRomantic) at Cabbages-N-Kings can also creep you right out. She weaves a hair-raising tale of a neighborhood house from her youth – a house with a thousand lifeless eyes staring at would-be trick-or-treaters. It left me feeling that, had I lived in her neighborhood, I may well have died of fright at a very young age.  And also… dolls are truly creepy.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll need a giggle after a shiver-fest like that. Which is why you need TexasHolly at June Cleaver Nirvana. Her Tale of Two Pumpkin Patches, a story told with markers, will restore you. (That is, if you, like me, get giddy at the shameless ways of modern pumpkin patch capitalism.)

This is the thing, though… once you get home from the pumpkin patch, arms straining under the load of spherical squash, what do you do with them?

You go grab some inspiration from Dirt Simple, of course. Deborah Silver is a professional decorator who creates gorgeous Halloween looks with pumpkins, ghosts, and gourds and shows off broomcorn decorations to die for, perfect Jack-o-lanterns, scarecrows and just enough spiders to keep things spooky. Truly, I wish I had her talent. But I always come away from her blog with terrific ideas.

As a mom of young children, I straddle the divide between yearning for comfort and creepiness this time of year.  There is a part of me that loves to have my boots scared off. (All you need to do is check my top movies on Netflix this week to figure that out!) But Halloween movies can be tricky. It can be tough to choose ones that will be approachable for the younger set. So I’m grateful to ElizabethE at MomReviews.net and her Halloween family movie reviews. After reading them, I might be able show a few while my kids are still awake!

That’s what I like about pets.  Dogs and cats aren’t phased by a spook movie or two.  They won’t wake up with scary dreams or be permanently scarred by the fact that they watched SAW XXVI in their puppyhood.  In fact, they’ll cuddle up to you at the scary parts as they think, “Hey, I wonder how that guy in the mask smells?”.  I appreciate the simplicity of that.  I have a feeling PetLvr does too.

As a matter of fact, PetLvr appreciates pets so much that he’s even created a Pet Halloween Costume Contest on Petlvr.com. My kids and I looked at the entries he’s received so far and had a giggle or two. They looked so cute.  Our favorites were the Pomeranian dressed as Wonder Woman, the Pug Bumblebee, Farmer McHarley, and Stunner the Jet Dog.  (Seriously, there’s nothing like dressed up pets.)

You still have time to enter your own pet, you know, but the contest ends soon! (Can you believe there’s only one cat? And no lizards, either… hmm.)  You pet owners had better get crackin’.

Which reminds me, I’ve got loads to do!  There are treat bags to stuff and a caveman costume to finish (and chocolate to sneak…)

Whew!  The work of a mom is never done, I tell you.

I’ll get right to it…

… after I have a look at a few more BC Halloween blogs, of course.

Have a Happy (Spooky) Halloween!

- Midwest Mom

The style-educated fashionista knows the importance of incorporating vintage fashion into her wardrobe. Vintage fashion evokes the romance or excitement of another era while keeping your personal style fresh and unique.

Today, American teens are scouring thrift stores and their parents’ closets for 1980s leotards, acid wash denim and concert t-shirts. Meanwhile fans of the hit television show “Mad Men” are searching for the sleek, sexy styles of the early 1960s. Let’s face it. Vintage fashion is in demand.

But, there’s something else we must face – vintage shopping is totally intimidating. Sure, you would love to dress like Don Draper, but what if you end up looking like Fredo Corleone instead? Before you go on the hunt for vintage fashion, you’ll need a bit of education. Your resource? The Past Perfect Vintage blog.

PastPerfectVintage.Blogspot.com is the blog for the vintage shop of the same name. Holly Jenkins-Evans owns Past Perfect Vintage and writes for the blog. At Past Perfect Vintage, Holly features quality vintage fashion from the Victorian and Edwardian eras to the 1970s, including selected designer clothing. A founding member of the Vintage Fashion Guild, Holly has supplied fashions to theatres, design houses and museums in US and Europe. A costume designer and draper by training, her theatrical credits include both design and production for approximately 200 productions around the US. So, let’s just say Holly knows her vintage.

“As a general rule, I do not recommend wearing pieces that are pre-1930s, as most vintage of that age is simply too fragile,” advised Holly. She suggested that beginning vintage shoppers should start small. “Learn about what you buy before you invest serious sums,” said Holly, “For those who are shopping for wardrobe needs, I suggest mixing vintage and modern fashions. This avoids the ‘dress up’ look.” As for care, Holly said fashionistas should start with washable cotton or sturdy wool. “They are the easiest to care for,” she explained. Interested in becoming a collector? Read “Preserving Textiles: A Guide for the Nonspecialist” by Harold Mailand.

Holly also suggested that vintage shoppers do a bit of research and familiarize themselves with the fashion periods so they can tell what they like and what they’re buying. Two great resources are the Vintage Fashion Guild and a new book just released, titled “The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping” by Melody Fortier. Holly contributed a section to this hot-selling book.

If vintage designer clothing is what appeals to your shopping sense, Holly claimed that studying your favoritedesigners’ history is crucial. “If the buyer knows their working dates, labels and their style, he/she will be ahead of the curve,” she said.

You may be tempted to attend estate sales and auctions on your own, searching for great vintage attire, but Holly warned that these adventures are often time-consuming and unsuccessful. In addition, most of these types of sales are ‘as is’ or do not allow returns. “As a vintage dealer, I search out great pieces, then clean, repair them appropriately, research, date, measure and provide a condition report for all items I sell. My customers can take their time and consider what they want and ask as many questions as they wish. And rest assured they will get a garment in the best possible condition,” Holly clarified.

Another thing vintage shoppers should keep in mind is that the sizing from “way back then” differs from modern sizes. Holly cautioned that shoppers must be prepared to go up several sizes. “A 1950s size 8 and a 2009 size 8 simply do not relate,” Holly said. Whether shopping online or in person, vintage shoppers should keep with them their exact measurements, including shoulders, arm length, bust/chest, waistline, hips and inseam. Shopping for vintage hats? Definitely measure the circumference of your head.

As for eras, know that each had its own unique styles and silhouettes. Holly explained that the 1920s look is for the straight-figured woman, while the 1930s is ideal for the shapely, but toned figure. The 1940s silhouettes are nicely shaped and allow for bust, waist and hips, but also provide fullness to hide figure flaws. The 1950s are perfect for the curvy fashionista and the 1960s are best for boho-chic ladies with a thin figure. “Having said that, I find that although I can’t wear 20s and 30s clothing well, I can wear the shoes, shawls, hats and jewelry of those periods just fine! So you can find something from any period,” said Holly.

Optimism aside, Holly did convey one firm vintage shopping rule: “If you were alive during a time period, it’s best not to try to wear it again. For example, I look silly trying to wear the 1960s again. It looks like reliving the past instead of re-discovering the past!”

Re-discover the past with Holly and the Past Perfect Vintage blog. Gain advice and obtain tips on becoming a knowledgeable vintage shopper. One of Holly’s most educational blog post is a three-part article called Buyer Beware, in which she addresses labels, dates, secret alterations, reproductions and so much more. She also reports to her readers of vintage shops she discovers while traveling, the newest additions to her own vintage store and “neat examples” from other sellers she knows and trusts.

Winner of an Amazon Kindle: Mike Magdaleno
Mike has been solving problems and studying human performance for over 25 years.  He has a Bachelor of Science degree (with honors) from the University of Redlands.  He has also been a student of Far Eastern philosophies and holds a second degree black belt in Korean Hapkido.  He brings a special talent to my coaching in that I have seen many of the problems people have and tested what works and seen what does not.

Winner of Bose on-ear headpones: Jay Ehret
Jay Ehret is Chief Officer of Awesomeness of The Marketing Spot in Waco, Texas. He is a small business marketing coach, consultant, speaker and writer. Jay started blogging about small business marketing in March 2007 and joined BlogCatalog in July. He blog specifically about marketing issues as the apply to specifically to entrepreneurs and small businesses. He give practical advice on topics such as branding, the customer experience, word of mouth, social media, advertising and promotion.
www.TheMarketingSpotBlog.com

Winner of a $100 Apple Gift Card: Robert Richardson
Robert has been involved in online marketing for about 10 years now. Currently he is the online Marketing Manager for a large bank. He also runs a number of websites including http://networkinvegas.com, http://offgridsurvival.com, and
http://richardsongraphics.com.

(posted by Jason Teitelman, Written by Deb Schroeder)

Have No Fear and Let Your Passion Lead You to the Next Level
The Opening Keynote at Blog World with Laura Fitton was very inspirational and a great way to begin the conference. Laura Fitton is referred to by many as the Queen of Twitter, wrote Twitter for Dummies, and founded Oneforty.com. Oneforty.com has reviews and information of all of the best twitter apps.

Laura recommends that you should just be who you are when twittering and don’t just post links, but ask questions and make connections.  She believes that in order for you to be “Awesome on Twitter,” you need to listen, learn, care, and serve.

Laura Fitton emphasized that you should not have fear or hesitance with blogging, twittering, and the use of social media.  We should always try new things since we all have something to offer.

If we hold ourselves back and don’t try, then we will be cheating everyone else out of something that only you can offer.  Discover your passion and let it lead you.

Internet Marketing for Smart People

The panel for Internet Marketing for Smart People consisted of Darren Rowse, Sonia Simone, Brian Clark, and Chris Brogan.   The hour long session had too many great points to jot down, so you can watch the entire session at JohnChow.com.  Below are some quick notes from the session.

• Posting: Keep a post rhythm with your blog so that your readers know what to expect.  If you post once or 5 times a week, be consistent with that rhythm.
• Content: Deliver valuable content to your readers.  Ask yourself “Is my content itself a reward for reading it?”  Does the content add value to your readers?
• Email Newsletter Marketing: Email marketing is still very important and email newsletters are the way to go.  RSS isn’t turning out the way they once thought it was.  More traffic is through email readers than RSS.  Some found that ads clicked doubled with email as opposed to RSS.  One way to get readers to subscribe by email would be a free e-book incentive.
• Community: Create a community among your readers so that they feel like it is “our community” not “your community.”
• What do you have to sell? Find something worth selling to your readers that provides value to them.  Build the audience first and create trust before trying to sell to your audience.  Get to know your readers and pay attention to them so that you know what they need and what is important to them.

Sponsored Conversations and the new FTC Regulations

Panelists were Ted Murphy, Jeremiah Owyang and Wendy Piersall

One of the common discussions at the 2009 Blog World Expo was the new Federal Trade Commission’s regulations for online advertising and sponsored conversations.  The new FTC regulations go into effect on December 1, 2009 and there was much debate about the topic.

What can be considered sponsored conversations?  Tweets, posts, and comments can all be considered sponsored conversations if the blogger receives payment, gifts or any other item for certain content.  It doesn’t matter if the blogger would have included the content with or without receiving payment.  Bottom line– if the blogger receives a gift or payment, then it must be disclosed.

It is important to create transparency within your blog and having a disclosure policy encourages trust among your readers.  The disclosure policy should be up at the top of your site and clear to your readers.  The new regulations lack clarity, but from the discussions at Blog World, it seems that individual posts that can be considered “sponsored” would need a disclosure statement as well.

An online site created and funded by IZEA allows you to create a Free Disclosure Policy from DisclosurePolicy.org in which you answer a series of questions.  After answering questions pertaining to your blog, a disclosure policy is created for you to copy and paste into your site.

Blogging Super Panel Gave Live Feedback on Site Reviews

The Super Panel with live feedback on site reviews consisted of top money making bloggers Zac Johnson, John Chow, and Darren Rowse.  Below are some tips offered to the various sites reviewed that can be applied to most blogs:

• If you have a new blog, focus on content and getting readers rather than trying to focus on monetization.  Most bloggers shouldn’t expect to be making large amounts of money until they have been blogging consistently and gaining readership for about 2 years.
• Your signup box for email and RSS updates should be large and easy to find.  Many put the signup box in the top right corner.  It is good to end posts with an offer to signup to subscribe in addition to having the signup box.
• Newsletter updates are important and you should attract more readers with this. Offer incentives for them to signup, such as a free e-book or newsletters with free samples, discounts, or some educational material in your niche. You can use your newsletter to help monetize your blog by offering valuable products for purchase, ads, etc.
• Do not ask for the first and last names of your readers when asking them to signup for updates or to subscribe to the blog.  Make the process easy and seamless for them.
• A general estimation given was that if your site is getting about 1 million page views a month, then you should be earning about $10,000 a month if monetized correctly.
• As you grow, you can consider offering membership sites, educational material or e-books as a way to monetize your blog.
• View your site in multiple browsers to correct errors that others may be seeing.
• Don’t have a super-large header and make sure that your header design lets the reader know what your blog is about.

Drive Traffic and Build Readership Using Niche Communities

Kevin Palmer discussed the many ways to use niche communities to drive traffic and build readership.  Kevin runs his own consulting company, Social Media Answers, LLCwhich has an abundant of free resources for those interested in growing with social media.

1. Evaluate Your Audience: Who are they?  What describes them?  How are they using the internet?  What content would they be interested in?
2. Examine Other Bloggers: Look at other bloggers in your niche and find out what social media sites they are using to connect with readers.  Look at their sidebars and examine the social media buttons they display.  Do a search with their twitter name to see what they are doing and how they are using twitter.  You can useCompete.com to analyze the traffic that other sites in your niche are getting.
3. Join Niche Social Networking Sites:  You can find over 400 Niche Social Networking Sites with reviews at Kevin Palmer’s website. Use social networking sites to gain potential readers.  Social networking sites are smaller Ease your way into the community, engage within the rules and listen to the readers. Don’t just join and broadcast your message, but become an active participant to create trust.  Look at the message boards and join in the active discussion.  Completely fill out your profile and include a profile picture.

While the amount of mind-blowing, awe-inspiring new tools to play around with in the exhibit hall at BlogWorld Expo this year was a little lacking, I found a few tools that I think will be pretty helpful to bloggers.

1. wetoku: A tool from Zentium, Inc.that brings the talking head experience to your blog, wetoku makes it super-duper simple to record an interview online, save it and embed it on your blog.

What is required to record an interview? Well, at least one participant must have a wetoku account and both participants must have a webcam. To get a wetoku account just go to wetoku and sign up. To get a webcam…well, if you really don’t know how to get a webcam contact me personally because you probably require more assistance than I can provide through this blog post

Once you are signed up for a wetoku account, recording an interview just requires you to log in and click the Start Interview button. Then–unless you want to mess with the advanced settings–just title your interview, name both participants and click next. You will be provided with a invitation URL to send to your interviewee. All the interviewee needs to do is go to that URL and they will appear along with you on the weotku screen. Once you are both there, just click the red record button under the interviewer’s screen and after a 3, 2, 1 countdown the recording will begin.

After the recording is finished, you will be sent to a new screen where your completed video can be viewed and the embed code for the interview is provided. Simply grab that code, pop it on your site and just like that you have a nice clean interview up on your blog. Like I said, it’s super-duper simple! Here’s a quick interview I did with Austin about the new BC dance we’re developing Disclaimer: The dance is still pretty rough and we’re both crappy dancers, so bear with us:

The only issues we had with recording the interview was the echo from the audio and a slight delay in the video. The echo is the same kind of echo I have experienced with some online seminars and conferences, and I’m not sure what can be done. I assume using headphones would solve this problem if you don’t mind how they look. The video delay problem was minimized by bumping down the video quality and may have had more to do with the spotty internet connection in our building than the site itself. I’ll have to try some interviews from other locations and see if that changes. Overall, still a good user experience despite the minor issues.

2. Lijit: “Using the power of people, their content, and their connections, Lijit enhances the way your readers search for and discover information on the internet. You serve as a filter for all of the results your readers could possibly receive, ensuring they only receive the most relevant results from the source they trust…YOU.” -Lijit.com

Lijit provides a search function similar to what our own BC 360 Search widget does. When someone uses the tool to do a search, it will pull all the relevant content from your blog, your other networks, your bookmarks and trusted sources and display them for your reader. The driving idea here is that since you are a trusted source for your readers and they are interested in what you have to say, the results you return will be trustworthy and relevant. This is a fairly simple explanation of what Lijit provides; to see a list of all of the features and to see a sample search page, check out their site.

3.Jing: Another easy-to-use tool from TechSmith that let’s you create a screenshot or a recorded screencast of your screen and easily share it with your readers. A great tool for technical bloggers, Jing allows you to record step-by-step videos as you install software, make changes to your blog’s code or complete any process that can be made simpler with a supplementary video.

Installing Jing is quite easy and I was able to make my first screencast without reading the instructions or watching the instructional video. Of course, if I had watched it, figuring out how to share my video would have been simpler. Still, after realizing the screencast I had saved to my hard drive was too big to share and that I had to go to screencast.com to get URL links and embed code, I was able to login and proceed without any trouble. After that, adding the screencast to my blog was pretty simple.

To get the URL or the embed code for your screencast video, simply login at screencast.com using the email and password you registered with when installing Jing. Once in, click the My Library link at the top left. My screencast was in a folder titled Jing. I just opened the folder and saw my video there. When you hover over the video’s icon, smaller icons apprear beneath it that allow you to view, edit, share or delete the video. Clicking share opens a window that provides a URL link, an embed link and an embed code for your video.

Here’s the quick screencast of my iTunes screen I made using Jing (I shrank it down a lot to fit on the blog. Just in case you were wondering, the original was about 1100 pixels by 900 pixels). It takes a few seconds to load and play:

Obviously there are many, many  more tools out there that bloggers love to use. If you have any tools you use and love, please leave a comment and let us know about them. You can also add your favorite tools to the BC Tools page where you can discover, review, and rate the best tools for bloggers.

What has BlogCatalog done now? Here I am, getting ready for tonight’s BlogCatalog Spotlight posting, looking forward to browse my favorite “Academic” category, only to find that it’s now a “Education and Learning” category, and the Science category, which used to be a category of its own, is now incorporated into “Education and Learning”. What gives? Obviously, someone at BlogCatalog decided to do some house cleaning, I only wish they had told me first. Anyway, time to browse the new “Education and Learning” category to see what the search for the ultimate blog brings up this time.

Today’s spotlight is about history. I’ve always been fascinated with history which was my favorite subject at school. Even today my bookshelf features several encyclopedias of history, and reading tonight’s blog brought back so many memories. Ancient Tides by Gregory LeFever is a blog about new archaeological finds and new scholarly speculations  that may help us better understand our ancestors and this small planet we’ve shared with our forefathers, so Gregory says. It is  a blog that picks up the all the latest news from newspapers and science magazines and websites, thus linking the old with the new, because the better we understand our forebears and their environs, the better we know ourselves. That is so true.

One of my favorite posts on his blog cites an article from UK newspaper The Telegraph, showing that the fairytale of Little Red Riding Hood has roots going back at least 2,600 years. 70 variables in plot and characters between different versions of Little Red Riding Hood. Whilst the European version tells the story of a little girl who is tricked by a wolf masquerading as her grandmother, in the Chinese version a tiger replaces the wolf. In Iran, where it would be considered odd for a young girl to roam alone, the story features a little boy. I guess we could say that message is the same in all cultures, but the plot and the characters change according to local customs.

As the true Norwegian I am I could not miss out on this one: Old Vinland Map Deemed Authentic. The Vinland Map is the earliest map to show part of America before Columbus landed here. It does not alter the historical understanding of who first sailed to North America. But if it is genuine, it shows that the New World was known not only to Norsemen (i.e. Norwegians) but also to other Europeans before Columbus’s voyage.

Maybe the Welsh were here before Columbus, too? Dana Olson, author of The Legend of Prince Madoc and the White Indians, believes it could be true. At least she thinks she has found sufficient circumstantial evidence for it.

Unfortunately, many of the sources for the older blog posts have expired, and are no longer featured on news.yahoo.com or wherever else Gregory picked up the stories, so if you are looking for the full story behind the posts, many times you may be very disappointed. That said, the blog is still full of surprising finds and timely reminders: Mayans Likely Exhausted Natural Resources, showing that the ancient Mayan civilization collapsed because it ran out of resources, rather than dying off due to war or illness.

Lastly, I should mention that Gregory LeFever is a skilled writer and editor of print and electronic communications. Greg has been honored to receive many awards, some for his writing — both in journalism and marketing — and others for managing creatively successful projects. He has been a Pulitzer Prize nominee and recipient of a special tribute from the Michigan House of Representatives for effective public-service investigative reporting. His writing skills and ability to spot and highlight interesting tidbits from history do show on his blog.

In conclusion I must admit that I owe an apology to BlogCatalog for whoever decided to do the house cleaning and restructure the directory. Without the new directory structure I would have missed this excellent blog. Thank you, BlogCatalog, and thank you, Gregory Lefever.

Enjoy Ancient Tides!

Written by Jan Husdal, BlogCatalog Blogger Advocate
http://www.husdal.com/
Follow Jan on Twitter

This week, I’m spotlighting an issue in Mom-and Dad-blogging that has erupted and calmed several times in past months: the delicate-but-growing relationship between parent-bloggers and corporations. It is not an easy relationship to define, or even to write about with clarity. But bloggers, including BlogCatalog bloggers, are giving it their best shot.

For many of us, the September 30 twitterstorm that pitted bloggers, breastfeeding proponents, and social justice advocates against Nestle corporation, was an eye-opener. It began when Nestle hosted 20 bloggers for an all-expense paid visit to intensively market the Nestle product and thus gain a share in the increasingly vocal mom- and dad-blogger social network.

The company created a twitter hashtag (#nestlefamily) to help panelists tweet about the event and to enable the tracking of information related to their PR efforts. As the event began, bloggers concerned with Nestle’s corporate practices in the developing world made their voices heard with numerous tweets under the same hashtag. They spoke specifically about nutrition concerns, Nestle’s violation of World Health Organization guidelines for the marketing of infant formula, the company’s ties to repressive regimes, and the use of child slave labor in cocoa production. As a result of these complaints, Nestle products have been subject to boycott on and off since the late 1970’s.

Nestle officials (and the mom- and dad-bloggers involved on the PR panel) were caught off-guard by the speed with which the #nestlefamily criticism took off. The demographic they were trying to reach was being turned against them with the same social networking tools Nestle sought to exploit. The response from many mothers was immediately critical and several exchanges got ugly. Still, weeks later, Nestle is trying to do damage control.

In the days after the #nestlefamily controversy, BlogCatalog mom-bloggers sounded off about the controversy itself, the uses of social media in mom-blogging, and most importantly, lessons learned. And now, quietly, the issues that were important enough for bloggers on both sides to do battle over have calmed again.

But I wonder whether the big issues have been resolved…

Do we know more now about how to manage the relationship between our role as writers and good parents and the large corporations and small businesses who seek us out to market their products?

Product review is an increasing share of the mom-blogger post count, so questions about what responsibility a blogger takes on when speaking for a corporation are valid and important. Bloggers, especially parent-bloggers, are no longer just grappling with issues involving which advertising platform to use. Instead, we are promoting each other with javascript badges and blogs dedicated solely to promotion. We attend marketing conferences.  We enter contests and host giveaways as a way to get something we don’t have – something we’ve convinced ourselves we so desperately need. A new washer & dryer. A cleaner clean. A whiter white. The Clorox Toilet Wand (for crying out loud!)  And traffic.  Lots of traffic.

We are selling ad space and using our writing talents to market products.  Why?

Is this what we started out to do?  Is this why moms blog?

What are the trade-offs of going from mom-blogger to marketer and back again?  And how does one navigate the web of expectations (even the unspoken ones) when dealing with corporate sponsors?

Please weigh in and share your experience.  It’s time to hash out these issues without the heat or a hashtag.

While in Las Vegas for BlogWorld Expo 2009, some of the BC team had a chance to go to the amazing Stirling Club to meet up with bloggers Jason Falls, The Bloggess and Jay Ehret as well as Rich Becker and Hadley Thom from Copywrite Ink. I, and the rest of the BC team, wanted to take just a minute and say thank you to all of the people who made our evening so enjoyable.

I first want to thank the Stirling Club for an amazing evening. It was, overall, one of the best meals I have had in a very long time. The food, the service and the atmosphere were all excellent. A special thanks goes out to our waiter who made arrangements for a last-minute arrival and helped us take a couple group shots too.

Second, I want to sincerely thank Rich Becker for both his continued support of BC and BloggersUnite projects and his efforts in setting up this meal. Without you, Rich, this great night would not have been possible.

Finally, I want to thank Jason, Jay and the Bloggess for taking time out of their busy BlogWorld schedules to come share a meal with us. It was truly a pleasure getting to know each of you and being able to share a few stories and a few laughs. Hearing your insights on the opportunities we plan to bring to bloggers in the future was invaluable. I hope that we have the chance to meet again in the future and, in the meantime, wish you all the best.

This year at BlogWorld 09, BlogCatalog introduced HalfHourMeals.com and Broowaha.com–two sites that will give bloggers another outlet for their writing and the opportunity to share their writing with more specific audiences. HalfHourMeals.com is a place where anyone can come and find quick, easy-to-make recipes along with great cooking tips, a community blog and a directory of other excellent foodie and cooking blogs. Whether you are an experienced cook or you are making your first venture into the kitchen, this site has great recipes that you will enjoy preparing and eating! We hope that you will check it out and add some of your favorite recipes to the mix. Also, if you have a food blog, this is the place to list it and to connect with readers and other writers who are interested in what you are blogging about.

Here is Chef Clive at BlogWorld Expo 2009 speaking about the connection between food and socializing, how connecting with others over a shared meal is such an important part of our world’s many cultures and how HalfHourmeals.com can help the even the busiest of us find time to participate in these important rituals.

Chef Clive and HalfHourMeals at BlogWorld 09

True fashionistas are constantly on the hunt for unique pieces that help them express their own original and distinct style. Sure we love a pair of L.A.M.B. heels and saving money by nabbing a trendy little number at Forever 21. But in order to avoid looking like everyone else, we enjoy incorporating one-of-a-kind and vintage pieces into our wardrobe and accessories collection.

It used to be that we raided the closets and jewelry boxes of our mothers, aunts and grandmothers, shopped estate sales and thrift stores, and scoured the pages of Ebay in search of something special. But now we have Etsy, which gives us the convenience of shopping online and makes us feel as though we’ve stumbled upon an interesting combination of a craft show and antique shop filled with wonderful treasures. Etsy.com genuinely fills a shopping void that previously existed in the lives of fashionistas whose mission it was to appear originally styled.

From handmade pieces to vintage designs, unique items are in abundance at Etsy. Shoes, handbags, apparel, outwear, jewelry and more – you’ll find it all. You’ll even find pretty supplies, if you’re interested in designing your own indie creations. Currently the amount of Etsy sellers spans the globe with buyers and sellers coming from more than 150 countries. Etsy sellers number in the hundreds of thousands, so there are plenty of options for the particular fashionista.

Because of the many options, shopping Etsy can be an overwhelming process that may be simplified by using the Etsy search engine. However, Etsy shoppers should also consider bookmarking and actively visiting the following Etsy-enthusiast blogs.

Indie Finds on Etsy
Find the best of Etsy supplies and tutorials and read interviews with Etsy sellers.

Etsy Profiles
Discover individual Etsy sellers, learn about what they make and sell and read their profiles.

Love Etsy Feedback
This blog focuses on Etsy sellers who have outstanding feedback and great products. Featured artists often post discounts and giveaways, too.

Etsy Twitter Team Blog
The Etsy Twitter Team blog is designed to help sellers by bringing together Etsy sellers who use Twitter together to become the Twitter authority on all things handmade. But as a shopper, you benefit from reading this blog and discovering Etsy sellers and their unique items.

European Street Team
Discover an array of designs and creations from around the world.

Handmade Vintage Necklace with White Glass Pearls
designed by ebruck Supplies from Istanbul
and featured on European Street Team.

I have to make two admissions up front before we talk about this blog.

First, I’ve never been a real big fan of blogger blogs for a “real” blog. You know I’ve always viewed them as traffic devices and splog spots. I’ve owned thousands of them at one time and another, but they were where I put the stuff I didn’t really care that much about.

Second, I’ve never been a real fan of photoblogs. I mean, you know, it’s pictures. I’m a words guy. I like words. I love the language. Pictures are nice to compliment your storie with, but as the focal point of the work? I just didn’t ever really get that.

Bernie Krausse’s Northwest Natural Moments Photoblog is a blog that has moved me from that position some small measure.

Now, I’m not ready to load down my Google reader with photoblogs, by any stretch, But I did create a special folder in it and subscribe to Bern’s blog. I may add some more to it from time to time.

I just found these photos of nature from in and around Bern’s stomping grounds up in the North West so relaxing and peaceful, and yet at the same time so energetic and wondrous.

I particularly enjoyed the flight category. I simply can’t imagine how he captures these images, but I swear I almost expected the finches to hop out of the screen and finish their quarrel on my keyboard. The Eagle in Flight; I can only say I would probably be willing to pay good money to have a print mounted in my study.

I loved the reed with the snow on it’s head. These are very candid shots of nature. They aren’t what I’m used to seeing. And the sheer volume of action contained in some of these still shots makes me marvel that such a thing is possible.

I may not know much about photography, but I know what I like. And Bern has captured it in these pages.

So this year’s BlogWorld Expo is over and now it’s time to start sorting through all of the information and experiences I had there and sharing the best of them with you. If you happened to read the review I did of Cirque Du Soleil’s LOVE, then you know I really enjoyed it. It was definitely one of the high points of my trip and I have had the Beatles on the brain ever since.

After a late flight home last night, I woke up this morning…OK, this afternoon…with All You Need is Love running through my mind. And, I began thinking about how my LOVE experience, and this song in particular, could be valuable to bloggers. After pondering this during my car ride to work, I came up with a fairly simple idea. I thought I would break down the lyrics of All You Need is Love and explain the connections I found between them and blogging–believe me it can be done.

First, let’s start with the three main verses:

There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done.
Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game.
It’s easy.

Nothing you can make that can’t be made.
No one you can save that can’t be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time.
It’s easy.

Nothing you can know that isn’t known.
Nothing you can see that isn’t shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be.
It’s easy.

Listen to All You Need is Love

When I read the first two lines of the first verse, what hits me is the fact that our potential is limitless. I could just as easily add “Nothing you can blog that can’t be blogged,” although I don’t think that’s quite as poetic. The point is you can do anything, and when it comes to blogging you can write about anything.

Are you fascinated by the mating habits of ants? Write about it. Are you fascinated by the many varieties of mustaches? Write about it. Can you simply not learn enough about Snuggies? Write about it. Many successful bloggers are niche bloggers; so find what interests you and write about it. You may be pleasantly surprised by the number of people who share your interest.

The first two lines of the second verse seem to echo the sentiment expressed by the ones in the first verse. The line that catches my attention is the final line of this verse:

Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time.
It’s Easy.

What I take from this is that each of us has a very unique personality and a unique writing style that we can discover. It may take some time, but I think as bloggers begin to write more and more, they find that it becomes easier and easier to connect with the creative voice inside and express themselves in a creative and engaging manner. And, when we take a look back at how our writing has progressed over months or years, this progression is quite evident and we’ll realize it was very natural and effortless.

The final line of the third verse also holds some meaning for bloggers. Actually it holds meaning for just about anyone:

Nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be.

This line applies to bloggers because we all need to realize that no matter where we are with our writing it is exactly where we need to be. If, for instance, things are rolling right along, then enjoy it. It is probably a reflection of the hard work you’ve put into your blog. If you are struggling with your writing, then maybe there is a lesson you need to take from the experience about how to better organize your thoughts or how to create an environment that allows you to focus more on the task at hand. Just know that wherever you find yourself, it is the only place you can be and there must be a reason you’re there. If it is a good place enjoy it. If it is a hard place, then there is usually a valuable lesson that can be learned there and applied to get to somewhere better.

The chorus of this song goes, “All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.” What I take away from this is simple. If you love writing, love sharing and love connecting with people, then that is all you need. People who blog for money can be good. People who blog for recognition can be good. It is, however, the bloggers who blog for the love of it that are truly great!

Blogcatalog and Broowaha a community of citizen journalists who publish online a growing citizen newspaper today announced that Blogcatalog has become an investor and partner in Broowaha. Yesterday, Broowaha launched a beta version of its new site with expanded functions and improved user interface.

Tony Berkman, the CEO of BlogCatalog indicated that the sites complement each other well with significant synergies and efficiencies that will be achieved quickly. He has been looking for a platform that could serve Blogcatalog’s community’s members who have a desire to extend or expand their writings as journalists or as creative writers.  This led to discussions about partnering with Broowaha which was founded a few years ago by Ariel Vardi as a citizen newspaper with a local news orientation.

Tony explains “we intend to work with Ariel to bring new features and services to the Broowaha writing community and to integrate the site with Blogcatalog. We see a bright future for online citizen newspapers and believe that many of our members will join broowaha’s writer community. This will provide them with additional exposure as writers and an additional community to interact with and where they can improve their writing skills.”

Ariel points to a major challenge that Broowaha faced that will be addressed by the partnership with Blogcatalog. “We had developed a strong community of dedicated and avid citizen journalists. However, we needed to gain more exposure for them and the site in order to grow. Without the traffic to the site, all the good writing would receive less recognition than it deserved. The opportunity for us is now and so we acted. Blogcatalog is one of the best sites for serving a community. It has a large membership of writers and is one of the most visited web sites in the world. In my mind a perfect fit.”

According to Tony, “Ariel has the vision for the site which we believe in. We intend to listen to him and the Community to continue to improve the site. We will add our resources to help make the site a preeminent destination for writers who are journalists as well as creative authors to showcase their work and for readers who are seeking the best citizen newspaper.”

When coming to Las Vegas, how does one decide which of the many great shows to see? For me that decision was easy. Like many people, I love the Beatles and there was no way I was passing up on seeing Cirque Du Soleil’s LOVE. LOVE is a celebration of the Beatle’s musical legacy and the love that they inspired through their music.

Arriving at The Mirage on Thursday night to see the show, I was already excited about my first Cirque Du Soleil experience. My excitement grew as I waited for my tickets and the audience from the previous show was passing by. Everyone was all smiles and their was a happy buzz in the air. People exiting the theater were telling people waiting to get in that the show was “amazing,” and was “the best show I’ve seen.” One woman, obviously ecstatic about what she had just seen was on the phone with one of her children telling him to round up his siblings and come get tickets right away. They all had to see this show before they left! At this point my imagination began working and I wondered what it was about this show that had everyone leaving so happy and excited. About an hour later I found out.

LOVE is a magical experience. A brilliant mix of sound, light, color, movement and the bizarre that made me feel as if I had been lifted from the Nevada desert and dropped into another universe–a psychedelic version of Mary Poppins, meets Alice in Wonderland, meets The Yellow Submarine is the best way I can describe it. Characters like dancing teens and hippies shared the stage with other-worldy characters like the 3-armed man holding an umbrella and shouting incoherently at no one, the Sgt. Pepper-esque band leader, and the Queen who often hung above the stage on a golden circle surveying everything going on below.

One thing that sets LOVE apart from any show I have seen before is the unique use of space. Most shows I have seen take place on a stage at the front of the theater and actors conventionally enter from the left or right. Well, LOVE has people dropping from the rafters, popping up from underneath the stage, and entering from one of six side entrances. There was just as much action happening in the air above the stage as there was on the stage itself, and at times there is so much going on in the air and on the stage that there is no way one person can take it all in. I truly believe you could see this show several times and never see the same show twice.

I could probably write an entire book telling you how amazing every aspect of this show was. From the stage design to the costumes, the acrobatics to the dancing, the lighting to the wonderful way the Beatles’ music was used…it was all brilliant. If you love the Beatles, you have to see this show. Even if you don’t love the Beatles, you should probably see this show. I don’t know if it is because I just saw LOVE and am still reeling from the experience or if it really was just that great, but I am going to go ahead and say that this is by far the most entertaining show I have ever seen. I really loved it and I highly recommend checking it out if you have the chance.

Thank you to Jessica Berlin and Cirque Du Soleil for providing me with tickets to the show. As a BlogWorld attendee I was given the opportunity to see the show in return for a review on our blog. Thank you for this great opportunity and thank you for supporting bloggers!

Alex’s Lemonade Stand is an organization that is helping to help beat childhood cancer. The foundation operates on the philosophy that “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” The inspiration for the foundation is a young girl, Alexandra “Alex” Scott, who began raising money to help cure cancer through a lemonade stand in her neighborhood while undergoing cancer treatments. Alex ultimately lost her battle with the cancer, but did accomplish her goal of raising $1 million to help beat cancer. Alex’s Lemonade Stand continues to raise money for curing childhood cancer just as Alex did–by simply selling lemonade. Check out their site and send out a tweet using the hashtag #beatcancer to help set a world record!