Friday Wrap-Up

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The Sears Tower in downtown Chicago, the tallest building in the world from its completion in 1973 until 1996, when it was "dwarfed" by the Petronas Towers in Malaysia (but still the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.), is being renamed the Willis tower. The London-based insurance broker, Willis Group Holdings Ltd., announced it is moving in and that it has purchased the naming rights that Sears, Roebuck & Co. lost in 2003.

I've got news for Willis ... just like the Baltimore Indianapolis Colts, the California Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Washington Bullets Wizards, it will always be the Sears Tower!

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As I was browsing through my vendor list at work yesterday, I saw some addresses keyed in as P.O. BOX, and some keyed in as PO BOX. Does my urgent and overwhelming requirement to make them all the same indicate I am anal retentive, or obsessive compulsive?

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I burned my blog feed to FeedBurner this week and am still trying to decide if this was a good thing, a bad thing or just a thing. Although it might make it easier to read for some of you who use mobile devices (Are there even any of you who do?) it takes FOREVER to show up in my Google Reader. OK, not really FOREVER, but 1-2 hours after the publish time instead of the instantaneous appearance prior to FeedBurner. Does anyone who doesn't blog for money or fame actually burn their feed? Am I even using the proper terminology to describe what I think I did or am I just looking like an idiot here?

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I've not given up my annoying commentor ways entirely. I happened upon someone using really, REALLY bad blogging manners this week and I left a snarky gentle comment pointing out the error of their ways (misrepresentation of a blogger I am extremely fond of, and "loyal" to as well). The offending blogger immediately deleted my comment and played the "I didn't know" game when it was clear they really did know. I did my best to intimidate educate them on proper blogging etiquette ... via email the second time.

Then I got down from my soapbox and reminded myself that not everyone has good manners and I am not the blogging police. Damn it all anyway!! I'd do it again under the same circumstances though *snicker*

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It's the second Saturday of the month tomorrow which means Cam and I will be giving back to the community for the day. Cam wants to help sort frozen meat at the Food Bank Distribution Center again (what is it with boys and wanting to handle their meat?), but I'm considering some other options. There are opportunities at the local suicide prevention center (a cause near and dear to my heart) as well as the local homeless shelter (another passion of mine). I'm trying to decide if it is best to spend the time with Cam, or allow him to go do his thing while I do mine. What do you think? When I asked Cam I got that 13-year old shrug that either says, "I want you to spend the time with me but I don't want to tell you that," or "You've actually done this with me before?"

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Blog Etiquette

I was catching up on my blog reading today and came across RockDog's recent post on Blog and Chatroom Etiquette. It was a timely discovery for me - I had just been doing some research on blog etiquette last week after a disastrous episode with a fellow member of a Yahoo Group that I belong to.

Long story short, she and I are like oil and water and she was quite bothered by my judgement observations of her blog. So much so that she posted a portion of a private email I sent to her regarding her blog (and other observations) on her blog. The only problem was that she didn't give any history behind the email, nor did she post the entire email. Her blog post resulted in a barrage of nastiness from her readers directed at me. I didn't add a comment to her blog (although I really, REALLY wanted to) but rather just let her have her moment of validation from her cyber friends.

Now, I'm a big girl and I take responsibility for my actions. What I said was the truth (as I see it) and I didn't spew my views in a public forum, but rather in a private one (as private as email is). I don't have any regrets for any of the things I said, but the realization that private email conversations can be manipulated, then reposted in a public forum was an eye opener for me. I starting thinking I had better find out if there is general, good blog/blogger etiquette. What I found seemed to be common sense to me, but apparently common sense is not rampant in the blogger world.

For example, RockDog's #4 - Being new to the blog and pimping your site, begging for comments, or being a jerk in general. I'm thinking I wouldn't make friends in real life if I did this, so why in the hell would I do it in cyberland? Where is the common sense here? I knew nothing about blogs/blogging when I started mine a few months ago. I just thought it would be cheap therapy fun to have a place to vent and get my thoughts out of my head. I wasn't even sure I wanted anyone to read this blog, let alone make comments on it. When people started posting comments, it seemed logical that I would acknowledge those comments and visit their blogs to see what they were all about. No different than waving to one of my neighbor's as they drive by my house.

I remember when I saw my first meme and I thought, "Hmmmm ... interesting concept." But then there was this whole tagging thing. Hell, I didn't like being forced to be "it" when I was in elementary school, I sure don't want adults telling me I'm "it" now! I write what I want, when I want to, because that's what's in my head. Occasionally I'll see an interesting twist on the meme, like the "Letter to 13 year old you" that I read on a few blogs. Although I wouldn't likely participate, every one of them I read was a great read.

I understand reading blogs written by people with distinctly different views and lifestyles - it makes the world all that more interesting - but I am surprised when I hear that people will read what they find to be "offensive" and then post comments to that blog regarding how "offensive" it is. For goodness sakes, if you find a blog "offensive", don't read it! It's not rocket science, it's common sense!

I sit here shaking my head as I write this. Really people (and I do realize I am, for the most part, preaching to the choir here) it's that good old Golden Rule - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.