The 4 W's of Blogging (The Who is YOU!)

WHAT is a blog?

A blog is a type of website that is usually maintained by an individual who generally posts articles, commentaries, events descriptions, graphics, podcasts, videos and much more at regular intervals. Blogs are usually geared to be interactive in a way that allows readers to make comments and in some cases even message one another via widgets and plugins. The main trait which distinguishes a blog from other static websites is the interactivity. A typical blog will combine commentary, text, links to other blogs and sites, images &/or podcasts or videos and will require consistent and regular updates in order to be a success on any level.

WHEN should you blog?

If you exist in a physical earthly body you should blog. Every person who has a desire to promote themselves as an individual, entrepreneur or business needs to have a blog and post regularly. The more frequently you blog the more visitors you will have, the more visitors there are to your blog the higher your potential to establish yourself as an expert in your field, and the higher the likelihood your blog will be linked elsewhere. How frequently you make your blog posts is completely up to you, but I would suggest a minimum of one time per week to start. Your posts don't necessarily have to be long or even written, but you should have posts on your blog at least once per week if you intend to establish any sort of reputation for yourself at all.

WHERE should you blog?

There are a plethora of choices where a person can blog on any level. I would recommend that you go with WordPress as it has one of the simplest template systems. With WordPress you will need to brainstorm a URL for your blog, register it with someone like GoDaddy and host it through a hosting service such as BlueHost. There is also the possibility of configuring a tab on your main website that uses a WordPress template. WordPress allows for a multitude of plugins that will allow you to monitor spam, have social interaction on your site, collect email addresses for your newsletter, backups so that you don't lose your work and much more. WordPress is also set up for SEO which will assist you in the process of pushing people to your website and getting your blog ranked more highly in the search rankings, which in turn brings you more customers, clients, readers, potential customers, followers etc.

You can also get a blog free through Blogger (Where this blog is posted) which has simple to use templates. Blogger is a simple tool that is easy to use and a great way to get into blogging if you are a beginner. If you are new to blogging all together this is a good way to get started and work toward becoming a more serious blogger. Blogger is not optimized nearly as well as WordPress for SEO and other processes that will assist you in bringing potential customers in so if that is your focus you will work a bit harder. Blogger is something I recommend for new bloggers just trying to get the hang of blogging before moving up to WordPress. (Though you can go directly to WordPress and simply save yourself a step).

WHY Should you blog?

Blogging is one of the top ways to bring new customers and clients to your business (along with article writing, press releases). Blogs are keyword rich for searches that your potential clients will be searching for via their online searches, they serve to increase your image and establish you as an expert in your field, they are usually optimized for SEO so that your site goes up in rankings as you blog more frequently. Blogs do not only serve to increase your brand image and establish you as an expert, they also are one of, if not THE prime method in which to prompt people toward visiting your main website and in turn purchasing your products and services. Without blogging both your image and your website clicks will suffer in comparison to others in your field.

In the end it all comes down to the fact that without a blog you will be left behind by your peers. Blogging (along with article writing and press releases) is the main way to promote your brand image and push people to your products and services & with everyone else doing it, the simple fact is, you cannot afford not to.

Andrew Card Boo'd Off Stage at UMass Commencement When Getting His "Honorary" Degree

Andrew Card assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff and to the President was boo'd off stage at the UMASS commencement when the university attempted to award him an honorary degree. Many of the graduates wore "no card" papers pinned to their robes as they walked to their seats. Some had the sign put on the tops of thier hats so the crowd could see them as they sat and listened to the speaches. The crowd began to boo as soon as they started to give the speach about card and many stood up with banners and signs against him. I don't know enough about the guy to say what I think about him and what I don't or what I think about him being boo'd off stage. I do think that if that many of the people attending the commencement (especially the students who actually earned their degrees) disagree with the honorary degree being given then they should wait for another time. After all the graduation ceremony is for the students who earned their degrees and not the rest of us right?

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Someone Has Killed Pakistan's Cricket Coach

After losing the world cup competition Bob Woolmer was killed in his hotel room. Authorities say it appears to be manual strangulation. I guess cricket must be a major deal to those who wanted Pakistan to win. Of course, I'm assuming that is the reason he was killed. You never know he could have been kicking one of his players off the team or any other list of theories. What if he's gay and was trying to pick up one of his players to console him after the loss. I don't know anything about cricket or the importance of it. About all I do know is that (if I am remembering correctly) it began in India. Of course we Americans prefer baseball over cricket. Baseball is definitely the lazier version of the two games.

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New York Pictures

These are the pictures I took while I was in New York for the St. Patrick's Day weekend. If you want to look at any of the pictures closer just click on the picture and look at it. The enlarged version is not as high quality but the picture of the twin towers is better closer up.

This is what will stand in the footprint of the twin towers when all of the construction is completed. I'm sure there is all sorts of interesting stuff on the web about this building and its construction if you are interested in searching for it.

A picture of the Twin Towers from a plane. This must have been what the terrorists saw right before they flew down and killed all those people.

A police officer's weapons recovered from the rubble.

A man looking at all of the posters of the missing. In the museum the wall was wallpapered with these which had been scanned after the cleanup began. The personal phone numbers etc. had been covered up to protect the privacy of those who lost loved ones.

A spoon and fork found in the rubble from one of the cafe's at ground zero

Following weeks of controversy over the removal of two pieces of steel left standing in the shape of a cross when the World Trade Center collapsed, the Port Authority announces that they will be permanently displayed at the site.

I was touched by this picture so I had to take a picture of it. Most don't think of this during a tragedy. Medical teams are running around trying to triage physical injuries but afterward during the clean up and the recovery of bodies no one is their to triage our spirit. We should have these everywhere everyday.

This was a piece of one of the planes which hit one of the WTC buildings. It was found among the rubble. People were stepping over items like this trying to escape on that day.

A picture of the Pentegon

A picture of one of the victims with a bag of money which was recovered from the rubble

A fireman's breathing tank exploded and was later recovered from the rubble

A Muslim woman at a memorial service crying

A picture of one of the people who was missing. This was among the posters which were up when people were looking for their relatives. I took a picture of it because it made me think of my dad.

Melted metal found in the rubble

It took me a while to figure this one out. I stared for a long time finally realizing it was melted coins from the pocket of one of the victims. Of course the victims fate was much the same and I can only assume he was never located as heat that hot must have turned them to ash.

This little Port Authority Lamb survived the ordeal landing on top of some of the rubble. When he was found the rescuers wondered why the people who were there couldn't have had the same fate.

People hugging at one of the memorial sites

This is a chunk of metal and glass which melted together during the whole ordeal at the World Trade Center. Looking at this gives you an idea of how hot it got. Knowing that makes it easier to understand the images seen of people jumping from the building to their deaths, and it helps to understand why not all the bodies were recovered as they must have been turned to ash.

This was in front of the firehouse which is right next to ground zero. The red stripes have the names of all who were killed in the terrorist attacks on 9-11. The firemen there talk about it and tell everyone about how it is one of the ways that they can make sure we never forget them.

A fireman salutes and cries at a memorial service. This picture was up at the memorial site and I took a picture of it.

This is a picture of a fireman's jacket and hat. The jacket was shredded when it was found which tells you what likely happened to the man wearing it. His helmet was found a significant distance from the jacket days later. The jacket and helmet are in a glass case in a museum in front of a huge picture of the rubble. I took the picture not knowing that it would look like someone standing there in the rubble looking down.

Firemen crying at a memorial service. This picture was at the memorial site and I took a picture of it.

This is the snowy construction site where the World Trade Center once stood.

This is the site where the World Trade Center once stood. The workers worked even in the snow to complete the work.

This is some of the stuff that was pulled from the rubble. It is in a glass case in the museum next to the site where the buildings fell. The money people pay to get into the museum goes toward the memorial.

This is a picture of a car that was pulled from the rubble. It is completely unable to be recognized.

I have no idea what this is but it was at the memorial in New York so I took a picture of it

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I AM AN AUNT!!!!!!!!

Hello world. I am now the proud aunt of a little boy. His name is Hunter Jackson. He's a cute little guy and I can already tell by looking at him he got the excellent IQ provided by my father's side of the family and the excellent looks and personality provided by my mother's side of the family. To top it all off he's rounded out by the same attributes from his own mother's family which makes him the greatest nephew ever!! You know his mommie has to come from a long line of geniuses if she was smart enough to marry into our family. Check this little guy out he's the greatest contribution to the world this month. In this picture he's two days old and looks just like my brother did in a lot of his baby pictures. In the more recent pictures he looks just like his beautiful mommie. I can't wait to meet him in person. Click on the comments link below to make congrats to my bro and his wife.

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Rare Hero

A guy in New York saved someone from an oncoming subway train by laying in the trough between the tracks and holding the guy he was saving down while the train passed so close above them that it smeared grease on his hat. Check out this story.

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James Brown Dies

Soul star James Brown died early Christmas morning in Atlanta,GA at age 73. His music is some of the most widely sampled music which is a compliment to him and a sad lack of originality on the part of the samplers. I will always remember him as the singer whom hardly anyone could understand when he spoke yet miraculously was completely understood in song. Much like Bob Dillon who is the opposite and can be understood when speaking but definitely not by all when singing.



I wonder how many of these kids' parents hated it that they loved James Brown music? And I wonder what it must have been like to be a black man performing in a place where black people weren't allowed to spectate the performance?

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Freedom - better quality

Check out this video I got off of youtube. I think a lot of you will love it.

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Spoken Word/Artist Networking event October 28th

Copy and Pasted Message: Event coHosted By:: URBAN AUTUMN CREATIVE ARTS AND PLAIN BROWN PRODUCT
When: Saturday Oct 28, 2006 at 7:00 PM
Where:: The Loft 745 Hansell Street AtlantA ,30312 SATURDAY OCT 28 2006
KOFFEE OF URBAN AUTUMN CREATIVE ARTS AND PLAIN BROWN PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS........THE GRAND OPENING AND BIG KICK OFF OF THE "ATLANTA RENAISSANCE MOVEMENT" Please RSVP to this event SPREAD THE WORD... » Blog this » Bulletin this CALLING ALL POETS, SINGERS,VISUAL ARTISTS, FILM MAKERS, MUSCIANS,ACTORS/ACTRESSESS, CREATIVE DANCERS! THIS NIGHT IS JUST FOR YOU! THIS WILL BE AN AMAZING EVENT DESIGNED TO INTRODUCE, EMBRACE, CELEBRATE AND SHOWCASE A REFLECTION OF JUST SOME OF THE FEATURED EVENTS THAT THE "ATLANTA RENAISSANCE MOVEMENT" HAS TO OFFER ON A WEEKLY BASIS. THERE WILL BE A CLOSED MIC LIST OF 6 POETS, A LIVE BAND PERFORMANCE, VISUAL ARTIST, FILM MAKERS AND A D.J SPINNING TO TOP THE NIGHT OFF LOVELY!**COME OUT TO NETWORK AND MARKET YOUR IMAGE AND ARTISTRY **D.J SPINNING THE BEST OF NEO SOUL AND SMOOVE GROOVES **FREE FOOD WILL BE SERVED BY KOFFEE'S CREATIONS AND CC&J CAKES **THIS IS A CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS! **ADMISSION IS FREE For OPENING NIGHT!!!!** KOFFEE 678-886-8141 MS_INKWELL@HOTMAIL.COM PLAINBROWN 404-622-5588 PLAINBROWNPRODUCTIONS@EARTHLINK.NET WWW.MYSPACE.COMTHEATLANTARENAISSANCEMOVEMENT.COM

My girlfriend will be there and I'm thinking of going too.

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Atlanta, GA, Events