If you're new here, I just want to say how much I appreciate your dropping by! Oh, and you may want to subscribe to my feed. Thanks, and a tip o' the hat to ya!

Yes, I know; I rarely post anything on Saturdays. But there’s some great stuff coming up next week I just couldn’t wait to tell you about.

See, next week (May 1) is our 26^th Anniversary. And, just to commemorate the event, Mrs. MZM and I wanted to share some of the most memorable stories from our honeymoon in Hawaii. So check out Monday thru Thursday’s posts: Hawaiian Honeymoon, Parts 1-4.

Then, on Friday I leave for Chicago to attend this year’s SOBCon08. It promises to be quite the shindig, I’ll tell ya. If you plan on being there, be sure to look me up. Just look for the hat.

And finally, don’t forget that Monday, May 5^th is the first Monday of the month, and you know what that means, right? (Sound of crowd cheering.) Yep; it’s WILF Day! Don’t forget; I promised another little twist this month, so I’m just tellin’ ya now; you won’t want to miss it. And if you’re wondering what the topic is going to be, well… that would be telling!

See ya!

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Surprise! I’m not here. Well, I am here. But I’m not, really. Here, I mean. I’m actually over, uh, there.

Today I invite you to take a quick hop across the pond to the bonnie land of Scotland. I’m the guest over at Confident Writing, internet home of one of my favorite people, Joanna Young. The topic is writing with power, and it’d be finer than a frog’s hair if you folks would come on over and say ‘howdy’ (and what the heck; leave a comment, why don’cha).

In order to demonstrate my *ahem* scintillating brilliance and remarkable wit (OK, so I’m beggin’ here), here’s the first few lines from Three Keys to Powerful Writing:

So you want to experience powerful writing? Hey, that’s great! Well, all I can say is, ya better snug up those knickers, Bubba, ‘cause you’re askin’ for it! Just so ya know, though, in order to experience that power, allow me to list three keys you’ll need.

Why don’t we take a few minutes, throw ‘em against the wall (sound of wet splat) and see if they stick?

By the way, the woman pointing the way up there is Bouboulina, from the Greek isle of Spetses, who “gave all her fortune for the Greek Liberation”. She was a heroine in the fight against the Turks during the Greek War of Independence in 1821. I’ll tell ya, she looks like one tough lady, so I think you’d better do what she says and get yourself on over there.

But… don’t forget to come back!

[Update: Can’t believe I left out the links! NOW you know where “there” is!]

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

OK, I know some of you may be wondering about those little gravatar thingies, and why yours keeps showin’ up as a “questionable figure” instead of your own wonderful self. It almost seems as if I’m hoggin’ the comment box to myself sometimes.

Yeah, well here’s the thing… I’m using a gravatars plugin, and apparently, it’s still something of an “imperfect science”, so to speak.

Now, the idea behind gravatars was to let folks have a sortof “universal” image available to identify themselves as they traversed the ‘net. The images in the MyBlogLog widget are good examples. Anyway, this little plugin is supposed to pick up the ones from MBL or, alternately, one you’ve registered at Gravatar.com.

Well… as you can see, it doesn’t seem to be picking up anything at all from MBL! I have my top people researching it (which is code for I think you’re out of luck, Bubba!), but at least I can offer a solution: go to gravatar.com and register an avatar. It’s free, it’s easy, and shouldn’t take more than a few minutes at most. Then, anytime you hit a site that uses them, well there ya are, in all your radiant glory!

So, if you’re like me (and if you’re really like me, then sincere condolences are in order) and are a bit frustrated about it, well, there’s your answer.

Personally, I’d appreciate if you would - I’d love to see someone else’s face there besides mine! So I’m askin’. Please?

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Bwa-ha-ha-ha! I bet you thought this was going to be a tutorial on the basics of Feedburner, didn’t you? Well, sorry ‘bout that, but I just couldn’t resist the title.

Hey, check it out! For the first time, Middle Zone Musings hit triple digits (on Wednesday, April 16, 2008) in the Feedburner gizmo thingie over there in the sidebar! (Sound of audience cheering wildly; cue the fireworks; cue the band; and hey - where’s that red carpet?)

Now, I realize this may seem small potatoes (or is that ‘pot-ah-toes’?) to many of you out there in Bloggerville. I mean, there’s still a ways to go to get close to ruling the world the numbers Darren Rowse pulls in (46,557 last time I checked). But what the hey; it’s a milestone on the way!

Gee, and it seems like only yesterday when I first installed it (showing, by the way, a grand total of 4 readers). Yep; I was just a young whipper-snapper of a blogger back then, still pretty wet behind the ears. Well, we sure have come a long way together since then, haven’t we?

Hmmm… After 22 months, that comes out to about, uh… let’s see now… multiply by 16… carry the 92… er, what’s the square root of pi again? (Hold on, y’all; I’m gonna hafta take my shoes and socks off for this one…) Wow! That’s an increase of about 2500%! (Give or take a percent or two.) Not too shabby when you look at it that way, eh?

Anyhoo, I just wanted to thank all y’all out there who made it possible. I mean, without you folks, I’d be just another lonely ol’ cowboy, woofin’ it into the breeze, if you know what I mean. So I want to say thanks for stopping by… and especially for stickin’ around!

Although there’s not enough time in the day to possibly thank everyone (much as I’d like to) who’s had a part in making the Middle Zone a great place to spend time each day, I’d still like to mention a few particularly special folks:

• Amy Palko
• Brad Shorr
• Ellen Weber
• GL Hoffman
• Jackie Cameron
• Jean Browman
• Jeanne Dininni
• Joanna Young
• Karen Hanrahan
• Karin H
• Laura Spencer
• Lillie Ammann
• Liz Strauss
• Mike DeWitt
• Pete Aldin
• Robyn McMaster
• Sam Brougher
• Sterling Camden
• Terry Starbucker
• Trevor Hampel
• William Tully
• Yvonne Russell

Thanks, y’all; you really make me feel special! And of course, no MZM “thank you” would be complete without a big ol’ tip o’ the hat to ya!

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Actually, this post serves as something of a Public Service Announcement. (You know, one of those things you see on TV or hear on the radio where people or organizations publicly demonstrate they’re watching out for your welfare.)

So consider this post as fair warning: You folks up in the Chicago area (laughingly known to us Texans as “the frozen north”) - well, you’d better hide the silverware! Yep, that’s right; I’m on my way to Chicago on May 2 for the Next Big Thing - SOBCon08 (sound of women and children screaming in fear crowd cheering)!

Liz Strauss, Terry Starbucker, and the whole gang have really gone all-out to make this year’s edition of SOBCon a huge success, and believe you me, it shows! Dubbed as a “Biz School for Bloggers”, it promises to once again be the keystone event of the year:

Whether for love or money, if you blog for readers or community, you’re in the business of blogging. This conference can help you achieve your goals, faster with more confidence, and more predictably.

I must admit, I spent a lot of time trying to decide whether or not SOBCon08 was right for me or not. After all, the Middle Zone isn’t a business (it’s really more of a state of mind), and I don’t monetize it in any way, shape or form - other than the priceless currency of your readership and good fellowship. But that’s not really what caused me to hesitate.

To tell you the truth, I didn’t understand the value proposition. I mean, when you get right down to it, what is it about SOBCon08 that justifies the not insignificant cost? To put it bluntly, what’s in it for me? (C’mon, admit it; if you’re still unsure about going then you’re probably thinking the same thing.) Naturally, being the pragmatic fellow that I am, I started to wonder - just what are the benefits?

After all, even though I don’t monetize the Middle Zone, that doesn’t mean I won’t try to make money from blogging someday, right? After all, as more and more businesses turn to blogging to get closer to their customers (and quite a few other reasons), the chances are pretty good that I’ll need to better understand the business of blogging, right? Besides, we’re not necessarily talking here about hard cash, you know.

So, if you’re like me (and if you are, I offer my sincere condolences), in no particular order allow me to count the ways…

Knowledge - Like I said, knowing how to do something is never a bad thing, even if you don’t actually, you know, do it. Besides, you never know when you might be able to synthesize that knowledge into some other endeavor, right? Like my old scoutmaster always used to say, “Be prepared.”

Ideas - There’s nothing like being with a large, like-minded (yet still diverse) group of folks to stir up the ol’ creative juices! Not only will you get to hear from 200+ others, at some point we’ll be working in teams to help each other build business plans, action plans, and maybe plain old share an idea or two - whacky or otherwise - that could be useful to us and our customers. This could be worth the price of admission all by itself.

Relationships - It’s a chance to meet up with the folks we may only know electronically. At the last SOBCon, I was still relatively new at it, and didn’t really know too many people. Since then, however, I’ve forged some wonderful relationships - many of whom (or is it who?) will actually be there too. What a great way to strengthen the bonds of friendship! For me, this is probably the biggest immediate benefit. But who knows where it can lead?

Show Off - I know this sounds a bit odd, but the fact is, many of us have grown considerably during the last year. Hey, here’s a chance to demonstrate your own expertise. C’mon; take a bow, why don’t you - there’s nothing wrong with that! After all, we make money off our expertise every day, right? Besides, it gives the rest of us a chance to celebrate and encourage each other, too.

Networking - I’m tellin’ ya, ever since I realized the value of networking for life, I’ve tried never to miss the opportunity. Although in person I tend to be rather shy and retiring (no, really!), it’s something I’ve made myself do because, well, we all benefit from knowing as many people as possible. And I don’t mean just their names, either.

Hey, there’s plenty more than these few things I just listed, but I didn’t want to hog ‘em all. If you’re still sittin’ on the fence, though - well Bubba, why not take a moment to consider these five thoughts. Heck, add your own reasons, why don’cha!

I can tell you this - SOBCon08 promises to add up to one exciting event! Do yourself a favor and drop by the site and sign up. Hey, if you do decide to come, then by all means, drop me a note and let me know. And be sure and tap me on the shoulder (just look for the hat); I’d be downright honored to meet you. I’ll be staying at the Hotel 71 around the corner, so I’ll be close by.

In the meantime, to you folks in Chicago… like I said, you’d better hide the silverware!

See ya!

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Instead of a regular post, today I’d like to take a moment and acknowledge those of you kind enough to respond to my question from last Monday (Busy, Busy, Busy…). In case you missed, forgot, or otherwise ignored it, I asked the question:

What do you do when you haven’t read your RSS feed for a week, and there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of entries? Do you…

• Mark them all ‘read’ and start fresh
• Painstakingly read, or at least glance, at every one
• Only read your favorites and dump the rest
• ______________ (fill in the blank)

Now ordinarily, I prefer to give every comment its own individual reply; it makes the conversation far more personal, don’t you think? Besides, you guys are worth the extra effort! Er, unless I’m swamped, in which case I usually aggregate my responses into a single comment or two.

Alas and darn; last week, as I mentioned Friday, I was suffering from a combination of factors, a sortof “perfect storm” of things that just pulled me completely under for awhile. It’s a poor excuse for not responding, I know, but there it is.

But I didn’t want you to think I was ignoring you - I wasn’t! But as your responses began to accumulate, I decided to acknowledge your contributions in a formal post instead of just the comment box. Hence this post.

I suppose one of those little poll thingies would have provided a more formal survey, but I freely admit it just seemed like waaaaaay too much work at the time… Anyhoo; I truly appreciate your contributions, and many thanks to those of you who took the time to comment!

Here are your comments (and in an experiment with color, here are my responses):

Brad Shorr - Painstakingly read, etc. Not a pleasant task, but I just can’t bring my self to ignore anything.

I must admit to being a bit, well, anal about this, too - at least, normally. But I’m simply not able to keep it up when there are this many posts to keep up with *sigh*.

Hey, Brad, do you live in my computer like Liz does? The ink on my post was barely dry when your comment showed up! Sheesh!

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Chip Camden - Skim your favorites and mark the rest “read”. Give yourself a break.

Gee, Chip, that sounds nice - ‘give myself a break’. Actually, that’s more-or-less what I ended up doing. But I can’t help feeling a bit guilty. Sad, I know.

___________________

Mike DeWitt - I’m with Chip. Triage, baby! Life only lasts so long…

Well, that’s two for triage. Good way to think of it, too - thanks, Mike!

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Ellen Weber - Bob, you just named a problem that the busy folks out here all share! That’s why - the onus is on you to get it right. Why so?

If you sit and read a week’s worth of feeds - the rest of us will feel the guilt when we too travel with work.

If you race through the feed to get through endless posts your brain will fill with cortisol and you be cranky with family and friends you really care about!

If you be good to you - and move past the long list (skimming briefly for vital messages) … you’ll continue to be the leader you are … to laugh at the little things … and to inspire the rest of us to do the same.

Everybody’s approach will be different - but I suspect you’ll know the best one for you! Your friends are the same ones around on the other side of such dilemmas:-)

My 2-bits - but others may have better ideas:-) Stay well, friend:-)

Ellen, I can always count on you to see through the falderah and focus like a laser on the nub of the gist! Thanks for the sound advice. As you can no doubt tell, you’ve lots of company! Thank goodness friends remain friends, no matter what, though!

___________________

Joanna Young - I have a top 10 list of blogs (which MZM is on of course) that I visit as well as read. So if I’ve got behind I’d still try and pop in and visit them but mark everything else as read. Even then if you’re pushed, mark it all as read. If there was something you were ‘meant’ to read or know you’ll find it in another way.

Of course this doesn’t apply to my blog! If you’re short of time here’s one piece to read, and if you do have a spare 5 minutes, share your 4 x 4 sources of writing inspiration (by midnight Friday). I’m sure it would make a good read

Group Writing Project: 4 x 4 sources of writing inspiration

End of shameless plug!

Methinks I see a trend developing here.

Don’t worry, Joanna; Confident Writing is at the top of my “must-read” list! And I can take a hint (not to mention a club on the back of the head!) I’m sure by now you’ve seen my 4 x 4 contribution(s) - one serious, and one just for fun.

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William Tully - I’m with Joanna - have your top 10 list that are worth reading at all times, regardless of just how far behind you are. Then pick the few that you want to read out of the rest (likely the few who are #11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 on the top 10 list). The rest? Scroll baby, scroll! I just trust the brain to know when it sees something worth investigating - most goes by in a blurr, but every now and then the brain says “STOP!” simply because it noticed something good. Trust the brain… Trust the brain!!!

I hear ya, Tully - spoken like a true ‘internet twin’! Alas, that “trust the brain” thing will only work if the brain is trustworthy, and last week mine was fried! But like I said, I hear ya!

___________________

Scott - Just the faves man, just the faves.

Hey, thanks for stopping by and joining the fray, Scott. Looks like you’re in a very firm majority here!

___________________

Mother Earth - I am a just the faves kindof person and I also trust the skimming process - universe calls to attention what I need to know.

PS - I really wish I didn’t garage sale all my son’s dinosaurs…

Howdy, Karen! Gee, I can’t believe it took this long for someone to comment on that photo of me an’ the boys up there!

___________________

Ria Kennedy - I look at the titles. If something pops out, I skim the first paragraph. If it seems good, I put it aside to read later. I go through everything and just keep what I’m interested in. LATER, I put time aside to read, either a little every day or a lot at once just a few times until done.

I don’t feel guilty if I don’t read, I feel I might miss something valuable. So whatever you think might be valuable is what I would look for if I were you.

Thanks for the advice, Ria; sortof the “glance at every one” school of thought. I’ll do it if I have time, but otherwise, it’s just the “mark all as read” routine, I’m afraid. But inside, I’m sad.

___________________

Well, there you have it, folks! A great conversation, if’n I do say so myself (and you know; I think I just did!)

By the way, if you’d still like to weigh in with an opinion - be my guest! Might be enlightening to see just how many of us do the same things…

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

[Note from the proprietor: OK, here’s my actual entry for Joanna Young’s 4 x 4 Group Writing Project! But - yesterday’s was still a bit of fun, don’t you think? Hey, Joanna did say we could “make this project our own”, didn’t she? Bwa-ha-ha-ha!]

Actually, I’ve been working on this post ever since I first heard about the project. But you know how it is, right? Things kept getting in the way: there was this big, week-long, out-of-town conference to prepare for (and, of course, to attend), I’ve been a tad ‘down’ lately with what is apparently a severe allergy attack, and I couldn’t find my American Express card and was afraid to leave home without it because someone might, you know, get me.

Anyhoo - enough excuses! Let’s see if the ol’ muse is out to lunch residing at the funny farm taking a break up for it this time…

4 Places That Inspired Me

Having traveled quite a bit, I can name several places that stand out in my memory as having been absolutely incredible adventures - and natural inspirations for many of the stories you read here.

Paris - Mrs. MZM and I visited Paris together in April, 2000, and it’s something that will stay with me always. When we got married, I promised to take her there one day, and we finally made it! Come to think of it, I’ve written several posts about our time there.

Taiwan - This ranks as one of the most unusual places I’ve ever been, particularly because of the language barrier. Luckily most people speak at least a little English! As a growth experience, you couldn’t beat it, though, especially during Chinese New Year! (Sadly, Mrs. MZM couldn’t go with me on this one - but we were at least able to communicate well by email.) I learned one or two interesting lessons, too.

Venezuela - Diametrically opposite my stay in Taiwan was a horrendous three-month assignment in Venezuela. Although it’s probably one of the most difficult times (not to mention the most harrowing!) I’ve ever had to endure in my working career, there were still some things I managed to learn from it.

Aruba - During my engineering career, work assignment locations have usually been in some of the most out-of-the-way, unheard of places you could imagine. But this time we hit the jackpot! Mrs. MZM and I both had the privilege of living there, not once, but twice (once - good; the other was - not so much). Hey, it’s a dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do it, you know! Yep; sometimes the toughest decision of the day was - which beach to go to after work. (Except for the odd iguana or two, it was pretty nice.)

4 Experiences That Inspired Me

Well, gee… how do I narrow it down to just four? OK, how about these:

When I was a kid (that’s human, not goat) my grandmother once changed my life forever.

I had an epiphany once, and it changed the way I looked at my career.

Then there was that time the weather made me reevaluate my career goals.

And I surely can’t leave out the time I knew Mrs. MZM and I were M.F.E.O. (made for each other)!

By the way, some have made a comment or two about how me and weather always seem to be at odds with each other. While it’s true that many of my most inspirational moments occur due to some sort of weather-related phenomenon (three of the four listed above, for instance)… well, OK - they’re right *sigh*. Never mind.

4 People Who Inspire My Writing

Well, now here’s where it gets, well, sticky. There have been so many wonderful influences on my writing, particularly from you good folks online, I hardly know where to start! But here’s four that stand out:

Liz Strauss - Liz is probably the one person who most influenced me in the right direction way back at the beginning of 2007. (I’ve always regretted the six months I’d wasted, before discovering Successful Blog!) Every blogger worth their salt will know of, or have been influenced by, her tremendous giving spirit at some time or other. For newbies and old hands alike, this is where the personal touch in blogging starts!

Joanna Young - I know Joanna well enough to know she won’t mind getting second place to Liz. For some reason, when we first “met” we just sortof hit it off. Her site, Confident Writing, is on my “must read” list - no matter how stuffed the RSS reader gets. Besides having a delightfully Scottish outlook, her site has provided a never ending stream of good writing pointers, ideas and friendship. Thanks, Joanna! Maybe one day me and the missus will be able to drop by for tea and toast. (But not, I beg you, haggis.)

Brad Shorr - Always one with a word of encouragement or inspiration, Brad has also “been there” from a while back. I always get a kick out of his “Word Nerd” and cartoon posts. At his site, Word Sell, Inc., Brad has a way of slicing through the baloney and getting to the heart of sales. And once I figured out the truth (that we’re all in sales, no matter what we actually do), I’ve never failed to find something great in everything he writes. Way to go, Brad - keep on, Brother!

Mike DeWitt - Even long before I deliberately guessed his age, er, low, Mike has been one of the most steadfast supporters of our monthly WILF projects. No doubt enduring unimaginable trials from being the only male in a house full of women, he’s been a great source of inspiration to me (and not just because of that!) Especially that trek down (and back up) the Grand Canyon - whew, I get exhausted just thinkin’ about it! Keep on keepin’ on, my friend! Sorry I missed ya last week, but maybe sometime I’ll be able to buy you that cuppa coffee I’ve been promising. (And don’t you owe me a steak - or am I getting the two confused?)

4 Other Inspirations in My Life

Mrs. MZM - OK; I know, I know - you’re probably thinking to yourself, this one’s a “gimme”. But it’s true nonetheless and must be acknowledged (and no, it’s not because she’s reading it, either, ya big wisenheimer!) The fact is, I wouldn’t be anything like the person I am today without her, and she has, by far, inspired me and fulfilled me as a person more than anyone else on this Earth. Here’s my favorite example: One day in 1993 I turned to her and said something to the effect of, “Hey, I think I want to finish my engineering degree.” Her immediate response: “Go for it!” What a woman! I love you, Sweetheart!

An attic - Yep; you read it right - an attic influenced my life. How, you ask? Well… you’ll just have to read it.

Where I didn’t go - Taking a bit of liberty with this one, but the fact is, I’m as much the person I am today because I didn’t do these things, as the things I actually did - if you get my meanin’.

Jesus Christ - I deliberately saved the best for last. Ever since I gave my heart to Him back in my University days, He has been hands down the most steadying influence to what would have been an otherwise wayward life. No one single Person has ever come close to what He’s promised - and delivered - in terms of hopes, dreams, and, well, assurance. Hey, I’m still not perfect (as far as I know, only one Person ever was!), but I freely admit my life would have been pretty much a disaster without Him.

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Well, I’ll tell ya; this has definitely been a heckuva “eye-opening” post for me! (Get it? the eye? it’s open? Oh, never mind) The thing of it is, we rarely appreciate all the influences in our lives. Thanks, Joanna, for inspiring me to take the time to sortof “take stock” of ‘em all!

Go ahead; try it yourself!

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!