Anyone need a NEW VAN?

There's a one week special on this one....
Hurry hurry! vroom vroom!

Thank you one and all

From those who wrote her emails to those who sent presents, Jenna thanks you all for making her fifth blogday so special.

More Pictures Here.

Jonathon does a garbage plate

Jonathon Mays recently enjoyed a Western New York classic dish: the Garbage Plate. Made famous at legendary Nick Tahous, a Rochester late night cult classic, the Garbage Plate can be seen eating Jonathon here.

Jonathon's on a business assignment in Rochester. And now, as if he had nothing better to do, I've sent him off on a food assignment to visit our favorite Rochester eateries (do not mistake this for "arteries," which are will be hardened by the time Jonathon finishes his assignment.) Should he choose to accept the challenge, he is to visit Mamasans (say hi to Bea from Jeneane and George Sessum in Atlanta), where he must try the fresh vegetarian spring rolls (fresh, not fried) and the chicken or vegetarian coconut noodle soop, and maybe some Pad Thai.

Then he's off to Schaller's for a burger on a hard roll (through the garden). The hot sauce in Rochester has meat in it. Don't miss it. Unless you're a vegetarian, which, I assume by your knowledge of Nick Tahous you are not. Jonathon's not done until he samples an order of mixed wings at Country Sweet. He has also been instructed to try a Rubino's sub. Or, he is so instructed now.

There are some people you could squeeze some money out of while you're there--some folks who owe George. But I don't suppose you're there to do that kind of business.

(and if you are, let us know!)

Happy Dining Jonathon!

unfamous quotations

I refer you to the Book of Gary (turner dot net). Yes, our favorite wily UK-er has done it again. Gary's latest brainchild is Unfamous Quotations (first edition) featuring the oft-underestimated and unsung wisdom of bloggers round the world. Now's your chance to contribute to history--don't miss out!

The BlogSisters Get a Facelift

Thanks to Web Doctor Andrea Roceal James, the BlogSisters team blog got a groovy face lift. Check it out, join, comment, discuss.

Nice job, Andrea--and thank you.

where I was a year ago...

what I was blogging about....

"These interconnected 'places of voice' are not the communities we see today on Amazon and in other over-designed pre-fab online subdivisions, but instead real communities, with potholes and assholes--just like real life."

"Passive yields to Active. Eyeballs to Voice."

"I'm scared about the Rageboy™ thing. Not your rageboy (no trademark here--I'm using it generically-notice the lower case), but the variation of rageboy you think we all have. How can I keep writing nice things about my coveted 'blue chip' clients--and usually 'as' one of my clients--if I admit to having a ragegirl inside of me. I can never ever acknowledge her."

"Interactive reviews… write as you read… experience the book. Does a product exist for this? Read the book in the right hand column… Record your thoughts in the left… Somehow you co-write and revise what you are reading… giving it breath beyond the paper page. Continuing the voice--adding new voices to the author's voice… Then, we can merge this co-thinking, co-speaking, and co-mingling of ideas into a creation of its own. A daughter publication. And, the cycle could start again. Think of where we would end up--so far away from, and yet I suspect so close to, the original piece."

"I am canceling my subscription to EGR--that man is a lunatic. He's got me talking all kinds of crazy."

(Oh and one of my personal favorites...)

"How about these 'guidelines,' for all of the mightier-than-thou Internet publication hacks who gave us grief over the last three years:

-Don't patronize and piss off industry professionals who work for your publication for free--providing most of the stuff your readers pay you for.

-Don't fill your publication with so many lame ads that it makes your magazine 600 pages thick and you have to start publishing it twelve times a month, you greedy fuck.

-Don't look like an idiot when no one is buying ad space anymore, you have to layoff half your staff, and your magazine is now 3 pages and comes out twice a year."

From the RGE Archives.

Uh-huh. I knew it.

Something told me that Tom Matrullo would become obsessed with GoogleFight. Heh. If Tom's mastery of "this vs. that" teaches us anything, it teaches us that war is hell, and small wins big. Well, you'll get my drift if you check out Tom's interesting hour (day? couple days?) on GoogleFight.

A note about fair fights--Some of you with rather not-so-unusual first and last names (cough cough--one Gary Turner comes to mind...) need to put QUOTATION MARKS around your whole name when you decide to pick on someone. It's not fair for you Turners of the world to ride on the coat tails of Ike and Tina. Not when the Sessums and Marek Js of the world have to go it alone.

And? Wanna make somethin' of it?

happy anniversary to me... and gonzo

one year blogging anniversary for me today. eeeeeeeeeeeee!

And mostly, happy anniversary to everyone who participated with me in the early and later days of the Reading Gonzo--Engaged team blog.

(Rumor has it that the PAPERBACK edition of the book responsible for launching the RGE blog is shipping any day now... rumor has it you ought to buy the thing if you haven't. rumor has it cousin Vito might pay you a visit if you don't. All rumors and speculation, of course.)

How d'ya like me so far? Here's to year two.

gary double dares ya

Gary Turner says he can kick your butt. Meet him behind the baseball field over at GoogleFight.

just when we were getting tired of hearing ourselves not saying much...

There are some amazing weblogs I've come across recently thanks to others in this circle of friends who are linking to them. I would credit my circle friends for the links, but I've been hopping around so very much tonight that I don't know how I got to where I got! Nuff said. Check these destinations out...

Resident Blog, a team weblog of women residents in their journey to becoming our docs of the future... Tired, worn out, stressed--they STILL find time to blog. Amanda has a particularly moving account of her work in the NICU and more...

"In the process of writing this I have drawn 15 ccs of spinal fluid off of an indwelling reservoir in a baby with hydrocephalus, I have been to the cesarian birth of a beautiful bellowing baby girl whose mom is trying to stay off of methamphetamines in an inpatient drug treatment. Her friend held the baby close to her face behind the curtain and her sparkling blue eyes teared up as she said "Wow." Then, I tried to intubate a tiny 1 1/2 pound baby whose O2 sats were in the 40s. I didn't make it and I handed the blade over to the senior resident who finally made it on the third try. We peeled off our gloves and our hands were all pruney from sweating. My senior's headed to bed- I'm on the first shift and there's folks over in labor and we're likely to be called any minute for some deliveries. I've got clinic tomorrow post call and have put in an 81.5 hour week by midnight tonight."

I didn't see permalinks, so scroll down and read them all--it's worth it.

Another fast rising blog of interest is The Homeless Guy, which chronicles the challenges and warmspots of a homeless weblogger in (I think) Nashville.

There's also excellent writing on HotMud.

This from there:

"He arrives. He looks good. One of the great injustices since the trouble began is that he's looked fantastic. And I don't. The pain goes straight to my face and lodges there; anyone can read it in the tension around my mouth, which is constant, and in my eyelids, which are always slightly swollen. In pain, he shines. It's inexplicable and enviable. It makes me feel ill. It makes me long for anesthetic. I pretend that my mocha contains codeine."

Nice stuff... dat's all for tonight. I'm on the hunt for more. When I get sick of hearing myself write, I always go look for new blood to add to my blogroll... widen the circle... toward one world... one peaceful world.

Down for the Count

I took an uppercut from Tom Matrullo who whooped me on Google Fights, but I KO-ed Halley Suitt in Round Two.

Thanks to Scoble for the link!