Howdy, Bubba! Hey, if you're new around these parts, I just want to say how much I appreciate you dropping by! Oh, and you may want to subscribe to my feed. Thanks, and a tip o' the hat to ya!
Yup, this is it, folks! It’s the *ahem* end of 2008! (sound of big sigh of relief)
Hey, if you’re like me (and sincere condolences if you are), then you’re probably wiping your collective brows in relief; amazed you’ve managed to survive (and with any luck - prosper) yet another exciting and thrill-packed year. Am I right?
Well, no worries, folks; after today you’ll have a brand new, bright and shiney New Year to play with. Yup; 2009 is gonna have lots of interesting possibilities, just awaitin’ for us to explore, won’t it?
I’m surprised the kids around here aren’t traumatized by these things. I mean, they’re everywhere you look these days.
What am I talkin’ about? Well, it’s all the dead Santas…
Hey, I know about now many of you are probably sufferin’ what is likely a sadly common malady about this time of year. Yup; it’s that sorta letdown feelin’ most of us get right after Christmas. After all, with a buildup of a whole month (or more in some places), then before you know it - bang! it’s over!
It’s kinda like those inflatable Santas you see all over the place. At night, they’re all jolly and full of fun - but during the day - well, all you ever see during the day a buncha dead Santas.
So I’m not surprised if you’re feelin’ a mite blue along about now.
Antidote for the Post Christmas Blues
But not to worry, y’all; I have the perfect antidote for ya to combat those post-Christmas blues!
It’s called BLOGAPALOOZA, and Bubba, it’s really gonna be somethin’!
In case you’re wondering what it’s all about, well… here it is in a nutshell: What you do, see, is make a list of your favorite posts from the year (you get to pick one from each month you’ve been blogging in 2008), send the list to me, and I’ll post it right here at the Middle Zone! I’m tellin’ ya; it’s the greatest thing since ol’ Mr. Bean invented the jelly bean!
(Just kiddin’, y’all; I have no idea who invented the jelly bean. But I’d still like to shake their hand!)
Now, if you’d like to participate (and everyone is welcome), then pop on over to the kickoff post and read all about it. Then send me your entry as soon as you can!
My goal this year is 100 participants, and I’m tellin’ ya, Bubba; we’re already nearly halfway there!
All entries will begin appearing here at the Zone starting at 6 AM CST, Monday, January 5. So I’m tellin’ ya; if you want to be part of this amazing experience, don’t delay! Send me your entry now!
Y’know, sometimes it can get a little exasperating.
Every year about this time, Mrs. MZM and I do our level best to watch as many Christmas-themed movies as we can. Hey, it’s what we do, y’know? We tend to like the classics, such as those perennial favorites, It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th St. (the original one, please!) or The Bishop’s Wife.
And then, of course, there’s the practically infinite versions of Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol. ‘Course, in my humble opinion (which, in this case is, y’know, the only one that counts - bwa-ha-ha-ha!), the one starring George C. Scott as Scrooge was THE very best version - by a long shot. Another, perhaps little-known favorite (although it rarely seems to get air time any more) is An American Christmas Carol, set in America circa the 1920’s and stars Henry Winkler as the Scrooge-like character.
Hey, it’s great stuff, y’know? But still…
In every one of ‘em, it’s the same thing, every time. The fly in the ointment. The fly in the soup. The fly in the - well, I think you get my meanin’, right?
See, at some point in pretty much every one of these shows, there inevitably comes the time when one or another of the main characters makes (sound of dramatic segue)… The Big Pronouncement. Yup; sure as shootin’; somebody is gonna pronounce for us all (uh, excuse me; I have to use my Professional Announcer’s voice here) - The Real Meaning of Christmas: It’s about _(fill in the blank with whatever word they’re using)_!
Oh, it’s not that there’s any lack of choices, you know. Hey, I’ve heard (and you probably have too) anything and everything, from “Santa”, to “magic”, to “family”, to “happiness”; even “joy” (although that one is mysteriously left somewhat, er, undefined). Like I said; there’s no lack of options you’ll hear filling in that particular blank.
But the exasperating thing is, every one of ‘em is totally off the mark.
Hey, it’s not as if all those things aren’t really great. I mean, who wouldn’t want happiness, or lots of presents, or a warm and welcoming family; especially at this time of year? The thing is… well, those things don’t actually capture the heart, the quintessence, the je ne se quoi (which I believe is a French expression that roughly translates as the nub of the gist) of Christmas.
The fact is, It’s all about Jesus.
Here’s the thing, y’all. About 2,000 years ago, an otherwise unremarkable woman named Mary gave birth to an incredibly remarkable baby named Jesus - and the truth is, the world just ain’t been the same since! (On a side note, I always used to wonder - when Mary first looked down at the newborn child she tenderly held in her arms… did she really know who He was? I think, perhaps, she did.)
Now, you may or may not feel like that particular event was a good thing or a bad one for the world. Hey, that’s OK! I like to think it’s a free world, and most folks can pretty much think what they like, y’know? But that’s not really my point.
Nope; my point is, when you get right down to it, the real meaning - and I’m talkin’ ‘bout the genuine, indubitably downright incontrovertible meaning - of Christmas is, it’s the day we celebrate the birth of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
It’s as simple as that. Really.
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Christmas Bonus!
(… and I guarantee it’s ‘waaaay better’n a Christmas turkey!)
That side note up there (y’know, the one about what Mary must’ve been thinkin’) gave me an idea (sound of dull thud) for a Christmas Bonus for y’all, straight from the Middle Zone!
I named this year’s Christmas post after the title of my very favorite Christmas song, Mary Did You Know? Written fairly recently by singer, songwriter, entertainer and general troublemaker funny man Mark Lowry, it has already earned an honored place among other Christmas classics.
If you’ve got 5 minutes, it’s down there at the bottom of this post. Believe me, it’s worth a watch watching. (Sorry; didn’t mean to get your hopes up!) An absolutely breathtaking duet with Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene, I guarantee it’ll bless your socks off! (Just make sure you’re near a fireplace so you can keep those tootsies warm!)
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Hey, on behalf of Mrs. MZM and yours truly, I wish y’all a very Merry Christmas!
And of course - a big ol’ tip o’ the hat to ya!
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Photo: Merry Christmas 2008, by Robert Hruzek
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You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!
Howdy, y’all! A very merry Christmas to ya, and a big ol’ tip o’ the hat!
Hey, it’s time for the Great Middle Zone Christmas present! (sound of crowd cheering enthusiastically)
OK; for those of you who’ve been visiting the Zone for a while (at least a year - and a BIG hat tip to y’all!), you may remember last January’s BLOGAPALOOZA.
It was just a little something I cooked up as to show my appreciation for your continued patronage; my way of giving back to you guys (or, if you’re a big fan of old gangster movies, that’s “youse guys”) for making the Middle Zone a fun and exciting place. (Not to mention somewhat whacko unpredictable. But let’s not go there.)
BLOGAPALOOZA is a variation of our regular monthly What I Learned From… groupwrite projects (collectively known as “WILF”) - but with an exciting (and hopefully not too confusing) twist.
The topic, of course, will be What I Learned From 2008.
How BLOGAPALOOZA Works
Now, looking back at your archives, you’llchoose one post from every month you’ve been blogging in the year 2008.
So how do you choose? Well, the question you have to ask yourself is, what was the most amazing, moving, profound, surprising, insane, whacky, or whatever thing you learned in the month of March? How about July? Anything in October?
Use any criteria you like - your most commented, your most profound, your cat’s favorite - hey, whatever, y’all; it’s up to you!
So How Do You Participate?
It’s really pretty simple. Here’s what you do:
Search your archives and pick one post from each month you’ve been blogging in 2008
Create a list of the links to those posts*, including a brief description of each one. VERYIMPORTANT: Please use MS Word (preferred) or Rich Text formats ONLY!
E-mail the list to me (rhruzek@sbcglobal.net) as soon as possible! If you like, also include a blurb about yourself and/or your blog, and a flattering photo of yourself (in .jpg format, please).
REQUEST (NOT REQUIRED): Please publicize this project as much as possible - blogs, Twitter, Facebook or whatever social media you use. The more that participate, the bigger and better it’ll be!
(*NOTE: Please be sure to validate your links, y’all!)
Now, here’s the great part: once I receive your list, I will post it as a guest post! Yup, you read it right, friends! Your link lists will appear right here at the Zone! Wow, how great is that?
They will start appearing every day, starting January 5 and continuing through Sunday, January 25!
So Why Should You Participate?
So why would you want to participate, you ask? Hey, glad you asked!
Well, when I post your entry here, then Voila (which is a French word that translates roughly as holy SEO, Batman!), you’ll receive as many as 12 (and maybe even more) incoming links to your archives (trust me; that’s a good thing!) - and that’s my Christmas present to you!
Hey, we had quite a party last year with a total of 30 entries. I’m tellin’ ya, my poor overworked fingers were flyin’! Yessir; there were over300 outgoing links to posts all over the blogosphere, right here from the Zone! Now ya gotta admit; that’s a whole lotta link love!
I don’t mind tellin’ ya; I’d like to knock the socks off last year’s project. Call me crazy (you’d be right), call me irresponsible (who me?) or call me insane (also true), but this time I’m goin’ for 100 posts! But to do that, I’m goin’ to need your help!
Sound like something you want to try? Great; then assuming you’ve been payin’ attention, then you know what to do!
But first…
BLOGAPALOOZA RULES
Hey, ya gotta have rules, right? Otherwise… chaos!
Now as always, groupwrite projects are open to anyone. But please remember these simple rules:
Benice. (Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?)
Please only link to posts that are G-Rated. (Fair warning: I reserve the right to link to your posts - or not. If I receive a complaint, I may delete your link.)
All right, ladies and gentlemen; you know what to do! Grab the writing instrument of your choice and get to it!
[Further note from the Proprietor - I realize it may take time to write your entry, but the sooner you get it in, the sooner it appears! I surely thank you, and as a token of my appreciation - have yourself a cookie!]
You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!
[Note from the proprietor: I realize this may be old hat to some of you. I get that.
But the fact is a large majority of folks who otherwise use the Internet may not know how to subscribe to a blog. If you're one of those folks, then no worries; this one's for YOU!]
When I was growing up, if I heard it once, I must’ve heard it a thousand times: If you don’t ask, you won’t know.
Ya gotta admit; it’s pretty good advice, don’cha think? But still… what if folks don’t ask? Then it’s up to me to tell ‘em, right? (chorus of affirmatives here)
Not Everyone Knows
If you love what you read here at the Middle Zone, lemme just say how much I appreciate that! Seriously. I mean, there’d kinda be no point to all this without you! I’d just be, y’know, talkin’ to myself. Again.
But, er, here’s the thing.
It’s easy for those of us who use RSS readers to believe that everybody knows about ‘em. The problem with that line of reasoning is… well, it just ain’t so! The good news, though, is I can help you with that! Just listen to the Doc.
So, if you’re among the millionsone of the hundreds a close relative clamoring (sound of millionshundreds one or two folks clamoring) to automatically know when a new post shows up here at the Zone, well here’s not one, but two easy ways to accomplish that.
Use an RSS Reader
First of all, you could subscribe with an RSS reader. That way, all you have to do is click on the appropriate button (the middle one) right up there in the top of the sidebar on the right. It will take you to another screen where you can tell it which RSS reader you use. (Personally, I use Google Reader; it’s so easy even someone as, er, “dexterously challenged” as I am can manage it.) And if you don’t already use an RSS reader, no problem, it’ll even show you how.
The beauty is, once you do choose an RSS reader, you can subscribe to pretty much any blog you care to. (As long as the Middle Zone is, y’know, at least one of ‘em. I’m just sayin’.) Go to any website and search for the “subscribe” button (they come in a variety of forms) and click on it. It’ll lead you through the process.
That way, all the new posts from the blogs you’re interested in come to you automatically - you won’t have to hunt them down manually. I’m tellin’ ya; it’s better’n sliced bread! Plus, if you like leaving comments (and on behalf of all bloggers everywhere, I thank you!), you simply click on the post’s title in the Reader.
When you do that, then Voila! you end up on the post page (it should open in a new window so you don’t lose your place in your reader), ready to type something witty and profound. (Or come to think of it, dumb and thoughtless; hey, it’s up to you. Just remember the Law of the Internet: What you write stays on the Internet forever.)
What About Your Inbox?
On the other hand, some folks like to receive new posts directly in their inboxes. (Personally, I do my best to keep stuff out of my inbox, but hey, to each his own, I always say.) Well, if you fall into this category, then just push the other button up there (the one on the far right), and follow the directions. Now all you have to do is sit back and wait a few days for the next one to arrive.
There! Easy as pie, right? (Although I’ve always wondered… just how easy is pie, anyway?)
How Often?
One final word. (Uh, I mean, today. No way I’ve run out of, y’know, words.)
Generally speaking, here at the Zone there’s a new post on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, in months that end in an L, T, Y, E or an H, in odd or even years). Sometimes I’ll do more. - or less. (Depending on how busy I get out here in the real world, what I last had for lunch, and/or the current phase of the moon.)
Anyhoo - thanks for dropping by and making my day, y’all. Oh, and a tip o’ the hat to ya!
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You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!
Well… it’s almost time for the unveiling, y’all! Y’know; that BIG SURPRISE I’ve been hinting about for the last couple of weeks?
I’ll tell ya, absolute herds of folks (OK, three of you) have been beggin’ me for hints. Hey, I can understand that. Heck, I’d be doin’ the same thing if it were me.
Well, the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT comes out this Sunday, December 21. Think of it as my Christmas gift to ya.
But in the meantime, though… how about, oh, three hints:
Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax...
Here’s the thing, y’all. About 2,000 years ago, an otherwise unremarkable woman named Mary gave birth to an incredibly remarkable baby named Jesus - and the truth is, the world just ain’t been the same since! (On a side note, I always used to wonder - when Mary first looked down at the newborn child she tenderly held in her arms… did she really know who He was? I think, perhaps, she did.)
Be nice. (Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?)
Well… it’s almost time for the unveiling, y’all! Y’know; that BIG SURPRISE I’ve been hinting about for the last couple of weeks?
Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax...
