ON MOVIES ~ Soldier On...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Soldiers...

This Monday in the U.S. is Memorial Day which is a day to honor the fallen soldiers of wars past and present.  So therefore, we decided to dedicate this week's topic to those soldiers in film who live on in the big screen.  Here are those we found to be particularly memorable.  Share on your blog your soldierly choices, linking back here at The Bumbles. Spend your day thinking of or hugging a real life soldier, and don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• The trio of WW2 veterans (Dana Andrews, Harold Russell & Frederic March) in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
• Private John Winger - Bill Murray in Stripes (1981)
• Sergeant Elias - Willem Dafoe in Platoon (1986)
• Gunnery Sergeant Hartman - R. Lee Ermey in Full Metal Jacket (1987)
• Vietnam Vet Emmett Smith - Bruce Willis in In Country (1989)
• Sergeant Ron Kovic - Tom Cruise in Born on The Fourth of July (1989)
• Lieutenant Dan Taylor - Gary Sinise in Forrest Gump (1994)

Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON PHOTOS ~ Bridges...

04-25-2009 - Zakim Bridge - Boston, MA

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ON BLOGGING ~ Stay True To You...

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Welcome to our weekly BlogAnon meeting where we confess a particular blogging sin and turn to you for support, suggestions and that blogging bond so we know we're not all alone. Don't be shy. Read along and let us know if you identify with us this week.

Today is the last day of the Armchair BEA - an online version of the book conference taking place this week in NYC.  Today we are given an opportunity to post about some of the same topics taking place at the actual conference.  One of those was Branding.  A lot of people think of branding as a marketing technique for business.  I think of it as common sense.  Many of you leave comments wondering what all of these blog bits and tips have anything to do with you and your personal blog.  Sometimes they may not.  But if you are blogging on a public platform, I believe you are happy to meet cool people.  This is an example of how professional blog-speak relates to non-pro bloggers like us.

My name is Molly.  That is what everyone calls me in the real world.  At work.  At home.  At neighborhood BBQ's.  At family holiday get-togethers.  Everywhere I go, that is my name.  I don't have aliases for different parts of my life.  Oh sure, some people give me nicknames (Mo, Mol, Molly Hatchet, Molly McButter, Molly Ringwald, Molly Mol, Mollelda), but I am always Molly in the end.

So when I am online, why would I make it more difficult for people to know who we are?  I use our blog's name everywhere I go.  When I leave a comment, send an e-mail or send a tweet it is consistent.  I am Bumbles.  Our little avatar follows me wherever I go.  People see our name and see our image consistently.  That makes it easier for them to remember us and find us later.

Just because you don't have a product, a service or even a desire to sell anything doesn't mean you shouldn't be consistent about yourself.  You can wear lots of different hats in different places in your life, but you are always yourself.  Staying true to yourself is a good way to live - on and off the blogosphere.  And using the same image and name along the way online makes it easier for you to connect with others.  Which is likely a welcome perk to this blogging adventure you're on. 

Do you keep your online presence consistent? Are you familiar with the website Gravatar? Or are you looking to stay unknown and solitaire on your blog? You can always visit our topic in Bumble Town to discuss how branding helps personal bloggers. You can find Bumble Town at the bottom of our blog or by using the **Chat On Our Forum** page link beneath our tabs above.

ON BOOKS ~ Inquiring Minds...

Image courtesy James Cridland via Flickr

Every now and then I am struck with these great ideas for things that I know nothing about.  And then once I verbalize my thoughts I become committed to them.  Like the time I told my editor at LifeSnips that I would write a series on College Financial Aid.  I can't tell you the amount of time I spent reading books, reviewing websites and interviewing professionals in the industry in order to write that series.  It was a lot of work for not a lot of pay but I learned a lot about something I didn't really need to know ;0)

So I vowed that the next time I had a bright idea about something I knew nothing about I would let it go.  But it doesn't seem I am capable of doing that.  I had an idea, then I started reading books about it and searching online for further information.  And finally I verbalized it as a goal to my blog buddy Jehara during our bi-weekly online chats so now I am tasked with holding up my end of the bargain.  Here goes nothin'...

I would like to present a series of posts focusing on Author Interviews.  I am not a book reviewer in a book blogging sense - I post my reviews on Goodreads and leave the blog for generic bookish thoughts.  But I spend a lot of time in my Google Reader visiting book bloggers and reading their reviews.  I especially enjoy it when a review is paired with an interview of the book's author, or even just a stand-alone interview.

What I don't enjoy are reading the same questions and answers from blog to blog during an author's blog tour.  Or interviews that don't dig beneath the surface, giving me little inspiration to pick up that book and read the author's work.  Why do I see generic questions or uninterested responses?  How could a blogger make their interview during an onslaught of interviews with the same author stand out and shine?  What would make the authors more inclined to participate?  And how exactly do bloggers get these interviews?  Do publishers suggest them along with ARC's?  Do bloggers send blind e-mails to authors?  So many questions.  No answers.

I have not had much success in learning about this world that I have no active part in.  Which makes me think that perhaps there is a need for this bright idea of mine to exist in a series of blog posts.  Gwen of Chew & Digest Books had a great introductory post on getting author interviews this week during Armchair BEA.  That's the kind of post I'd like to provide.

Is there any interest from you book bloggers out there?  Do you have anything specific that you would like to know?  Or do you have experience or resources that you would like to share?  Leave a comment, send me an e-mail, discuss in Bumble Town or tweet me (@thebumblesblog).  I'm ready to research, gather sources, talk with them and report back here on all things interviewing.  No turning back now!

ON BOOKS ~ Where Else Can You Hear About Nietzsche & Gere..?

Today in the virtual Book Expo. of America experience, aka Armchair BEA, we are tasked with interviewing other Armchair BEA bloggers. I like to think of it as a good old fashioned Meet & Greet. Now, mind you, if I was at the actual BEA conference in NYC and bumped into Stephanie of Laughing Stars for the first time at a face to face networking event, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to research her blog and come up with all of these questions. It would have gone more like....where are you from, what's your niche, why do you blog. But since Armchair BEA lets me poke around and discover what she's all about first, you end up with a networking conversation that covers everything from Nietzsche to Richard Gere:

Hi Molly! Thank you for having me as a guest on your blog.

Welcome Stephanie!  Lets start with a bookish question and one that I am curious about for all book bloggers.  Do you find that ARC's dictate your reading schedule or do you have a way of mixing them into your existing TBR pile?

I am not one of those bloggers who has a steady stream of ARCs coming into the house, but it's amazing how quickly the books I DO get for review are taking over my reading time. Lately I've found that books I accept for review, or that I borrow from traveling ARC tours, dictate most of my reading time. Although I love reviewing ARCs, and I am honored when I'm given a book for review, it's time to rethink my priorities. Are other book bloggers struggling with this?

I noticed that you reference you have worked in journalism.  What is your journalism background and how has it translated to your blog?

My journalism background is limited to a brief stint as a reporter and staff writer for a small town newspaper. I was right out of college -- it was the year George Bush was elected (the dad, not the son) -- so that reveals my age. :-) I quickly found I was not detail oriented enough to be a good reporter; I left after six months.

While I was there, I spent a lot of time in court, covering a local murder trial and other assorted cases. Watching all these people come before the judge and seeing the mess they'd made of their lives, I found I didn't want to just sit there and take notes. I wanted to try to help -- to be part of the solution. So I went to graduate school to become a counselor.

I don't think my journalism background is reflected in my blog, but it did make me a better writer. I learned to be more focused and concise in my writing, an area in which I am continually trying to improve.

Motherhood is a big inspirational point for you. What ways do you use that to inspire others?

Motherhood is definitely the ruling passion in my life. I don't know that I am an inspiration to others, but I do enjoy blogging about literature and other educational resources for kids, homeschooling, and how children learn. I'm kind of an evangelist for delayed academics -- not pushing formal learning too early -- and teaching and guiding children in a way that honors each child's learning style. Sometimes I meet parents with similar philosophies who tell me they've found some of my blog posts inspiring. Similarly, I glean a lot of inspiration and encouragement from other blogging parents and teachers.

You have experience working with the disadvantaged.  Do you believe that pain and struggle are empowering?

That's a tough question. It's tempting to believe that, as Friedrich Nietzsche famously said, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." I suspect all of us have had to suffer things that seemed too horrible to endure, and we want to believe that pain wasn't for naught. But honestly, I don't know.

I do believe that many people have gleaned strength from their suffering, drawing on what it most essential in the core of themselves. I've been inspired by Viktor Frankl, a psychotherapist whose philosophy was largely formed from having lived in a Nazi concentration camp. He saw that often the people who survived were those who had an intense sense of purpose for their lives. “Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how.'” He went on to help others with their search for meaning.

Your blog isn't just about books - it covers movies too.  Are you willing to admit which movie is your guiltiest pleasure?

Hmmm ... for some reason I'm stuck on that question. When I was in high school, my best friend and I went to see An Officer and a Gentleman many times in the theater. We thought Richard Gere was insanely gorgeous, and that movie had the hottest cinematic sex scene we'd seen to date. (Keep in mind, we'd been reared in an era before VCRs and Cable T.V., so we were easily impressed :-P) Then we discovered Body Heat, which was even hotter and dirtier. Nirvana!

Recently, though I've never found gratuitous violence in movies entertaining, I watched both Pulp Fiction and Burn After Reading multiple times, laughing out loud even as I was cringing at the blood splatter. It's amazing the things you discover about yourself in midlife!

Thanks for taking the time to share so much about yourself Stephanie!  I too was impacted strongly by Mr. Gere's performance in that movie.  So much so that I played "Up Where We Belong" ad nauseum on the piano instead of my assigned lessons.  Thanks to Armchair BEA, I have found another blogger out there with plenty to talk about.  Visit Stephanie's blog to read her interview with another Armchair BEA participant.  And if you want to read an interview with moi, visit Kate's blog, The Neverending Shelf, to see what kinds of things she got me to share.

ON BOOKS ~ Book Marks...

This week is the big Book Expo. of America conference in NYC.  And for those of us not able to attend, there is a very nice companion conference online called Armchair BEA.  So you'll be seeing a week full of bookish posts here at The Bumbles Blog.  As I was pondering what kinds of book topics to talk about, I got to thinking about how passionate and possessive some readers can be with their books.

In my world growing up, there were always books around.  Some were ones that we owned but a lot of them were ones we borrowed from the library since we moved a lot and packing boxes full of books can get heavy.  It was clear that borrowed books were to be treated with respect and care so that others after us could enjoy the pages as much as we did.  But we were also allowed to do whatever we liked with our own books.  I always wrote my name on the inside flap - "Property Of Molly" or some such declaration.  Partly because it felt nice to claim something - but also because I didn't want my pesky little brother stealing them from me.

In my school years I learned how to create my own books - how to write stories, how to bind them, how to cherish them.  I also learned how to sneak my mail order books from Harlequin Romance into the house before my mother found out.

Throughout my college years I turned my assigned and bought books into working reference notebooks - scribbling notes in the margins of the pages, highlighting passages, dog earing important page corners and every now and then taking out my frustration towards the contents by chucking it across the room.

I am always amazed at readers who won't crack a book's spine, frown upon folding the pages or find notations in a used book horrifying.  For them books are more than just the words inside and the stories they transfer into your imagination.  They are pieces of art, clean and crisp, giving the sensation of the first read, no matter how many times you've read it before.  I can respect that school of thought - but it isn't me.

I like my books to be broken in.  I like them to take on a bit of my personality as I experience the story inside.  Books that aren't a little ragged on my bookcase are books that I haven't read yet, or didn't get all that excited about when I did read it.  The ones held together with rubber bands around them are the ones I have loved the most.  I don't like to replace them with clean versions.  I enjoy turning the yellowed pages that are barely hanging on to each other, crinkled and filled with passages underlined in fading pencil.  They are nostalgic - reminding me of all the times I've read them before - that summer at the beach, or after a loved one died or when I was falling in love.

Those books are my comfort in many stages of my life and I cherish and respect them as much as those who likely would cry to see what I've put them through.  It doesn't mean I am careless, it means I care so much I can't help but leave my imprint on them.  I still treat my borrowed books with extra special TLC, just like I was raised to do.  But I can't help but smile when I check one out that has pencil notes on the pages - it must be a good read for someone to have been moved that much to leave their mark.

ON MOVIES ~ Brotherly Love...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Brothers...

We just returned from a weekend get-away to Philadelphia - the City of Brotherly Love.  So of course, this week's theme is all about brothers.  There are lots of portrayals out there - good brothers, mean brothers, crazy brothers and laugh out loud funny brothers.  Here are a few that came to mind.  Share on your blog your selection of movie brothers, linking back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Dead Ringers (1988) - Jeremy Irons turned in two chilling roles in this movie about evil identical twin gynecologists
• Stuck on You (2003) - Matt Damon & Greg Kinnear as conjoined twins in a Farrelly Brothers film that was actually not as terrible of a comedy as it sounds
• The Blues Brothers (1980) - Brothers with soul, on a musical mission from God
• Slapshot (1977) - Paul Newman was great, but the Hanson brothers stole the show

Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON BLOGGING ~ The Back Up Plan...

Image courtesy Suburbanslice via Flickr

We are headed out of town for a long weekend to see the Sox play the Phillies in Philadelphia this weekend.  Woo-hoo!!!  What does this have to do with Blog Tips you ask?  Well, just as we make sure our affairs are in order before heading to the airport, we take steps to secure our information on the blog by doing a quick backup.

It is wicked easy to run a backup on Blogger.  I don't have any idea how to do this on WordPress but I imagine it is just as simple via a similar process.  Here's all it takes to give you peace of mind that things will be retrievable if Blogger has a melt-down:

1. Log in to your blog
2. Select the Settings link from your Dashboard
3. From the Basic tab which is where you will land, at the very top is a section called Blog Tools
4. Click on Export Blog
5. Click on the Export Blog button
6. A pop-up window will open asking you if you want to Open or Save - click the Save button
7. Within the pop-up window, pick the location on your computer or external drive that you want the back-up stored and then click Save
8. Wait until the process completes and the window closes - it should only take a minute
9. Go to the location that you saved the back-up to, open it up and you will see your template, all of your blog posts, and the comments

You can use this info. to import your blog to another provider or to re-install it back onto your Blogger blog if there is ever a system issue.  It is important to note that this backup will NOT save any images.  Relying on Blogger for your photo storage is a bad idea.  You should always store your photos or other images elsewhere so you can view and share them any time.

Now we can travel with ease, knowing if something breaks we can still put our blog back together.  We might be Bumbles, but every now and then we preserve something rather than crashing into it.

ON BOOKS ~ Armchair BEA...

Last week, on my Twitter journey post, I shared my first experience with the way that Twitter can foster creative ideas and spread them very quickly. That creative idea that I witnessed being born was called Armchair BEA and it is on online way to replicate the experience for people not able to attend the Book Expo of America and Book Bloggers Conference next week in NYC.

I signed up right away because I am not sure that I would fit in at the actual BEA conference, not being an actual book blogger per se, but wanting to know what the hub-ub is all about. In my professional life, I have had to attend several conferences and for me, the greatest plus from them was a way to network with like-minded people that I otherwise never would have met.

I have checked out the list of attendees on the Armchair BEA website and I do see a handful of familiar names. But the majority are bloggers new to me, and I see this as a terrific way to network with them, learn from them and work with them to build a better online community.

Part of that process will be a round table styled interview day on Wednesday, 05/26 where attendees who signed up were assigned one blogger to interview, and given a different blogger to interview them. I look forward to introducing you to a new-to-you book blogger and somewhere out there, unsuspecting readers will be introduced to the Bumble world ;0)

I really do find these types of online gatherings a great way to meet and make connections. Last year's Book Blogger Holiday Swap introduced me to Cindy up in Montreal of Cindy's Love of Books who is lucky enough to be going to the actual BEA conference and therefore won't be hanging out in the Armchair. I'm sure she'll tell me all about it, but now I have a way to enjoy a virtual BEA so we can compare notes.

If you would like to join the Armchair experience, sign up at the site to take part in next week's events. There are topic suggestions for blog posts, blogger interviews to be shared, a Twitter party, online book blog related topics and of course, books to be given away.

I see Armchair BEA as a great way to test the waters while connecting with other bloggers. And it sure beats travel costs to NYC! Maybe I'll see you there next week.

ON BLOGGING ~ One Lovely Blogger...

Months before Jehara volunteered to become my Blog Buddy, she doled out this One Lovely Blog award to me in a Thursday 13 post. It is meant for bloggers whom you feel are - drumroll please......lovely! And it is supposed to be passed along to 15 new bloggers whom you enjoy.

Confession time. I have been lax with my blog hopping lately. It is something I am going to make a better effort with in the coming weeks. So perhaps I will soon be discovering and connecting with some new-to-me bloggers that would be deserving of this award. But since I have been sitting on it for 2 months now, I decided not to wait any longer. And to make up for my belated acknowledgement, I am just going to show my thanks by highlighting Jehara instead.

Jehara is a lovely person. I enjoy what she has to say because I can tell from her writing that she takes great care with her thoughts and how to convey them. She writes about food, books and marriage - among other topics. Things most any blogger can relate to. Here are a selection of her posts which I found to be particularly lovely:

Thoughts On Marriage - Six Months - "Eventually, I learned how to, and I gained confidence in my ability to sustain and nurture a relationship. I also figured out what a lifetime commitment meant to me. What did I want out of it? How did I want to share my life with another and in what ways would I express this? And most importantly, I learned it is possible to be a Strong, Independent Woman while also holding title of Married Woman."

Part I: A Map of the Good Girl World (review of "The Curse of the Good Girl: Raising Authentic Girls with Courage and Confidence" by Rachel Simmons) - "Conflict resolution skills are important and necessary to navigate life. It's a shame that young girls are being fed conflicting messages about what it means to be a girl. Be successful, but not too successful. Be nice. Don't show anger or pain or upset feelings. Take care of others before yourself. When will it end?"

It's A Slumber Party - "This past weekend, B and I had our first overnight with our three year-old niece. She is a feisty, rambunctious little girl...When it was almost nine she decided she was tired of being a kitty and wanted to be a princess. I washed off her nose and whiskers. We got her dressed and I brought out my box of tiaras and let her pick one to wear for the day. At one point she just stopped what she was doing, looked me in the eye and said, I love you, Auntie. So cute!"

Anyone who has a box of tiaras is slam-dunk Lovely in my book! If you want to see a truly lovely blog and an even lovlier blogger, go visit Jehara yourself. Who knows, maybe she'll even reach into that box of tiaras and award one to you too ;0)

ON MOVIES ~ So You Think You Can Dance...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Dancing...

We had a busy weekend, capped off by our little nieces' dance recital.  They were so cute and did such a great job - we couldn't be prouder!  Watching all those dancers on stage got me to thinking about dance scenes in the movies.  Some movies are all about dancing, while others have a particular dance scene, or take place in a setting with dancing bound to happen.  Here are a few that came to mind.  Share on your blog your favorite dance scenes from the movies, linking back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

Flashdance (1983) - Jennifer Beal's body double danced her butt off throughout the movie, but most people remember the wet stripper routine

The King & I (1956) - Shall We Dance (one, two, three) - Yul Brynner was so dashing wasn't he?  He could lead me around a ballroom any day.

Carrie (1976) - Before Carrie got punked at the prom and went ballistic, she made the rest of us dizzy with her dance scene with the dreamboat

The Jungle Book (1967) - How can you resist that rump shakin' bear named Baloo, teaching little Mowgli to chillax?

 Tropic Thunder (2008) - Tom Cruise might be a nut job but his cameo dancing scene at the very end of this mediocre movie was hysterical

Pretty In Pink (1986) - Oh, Duckie was such a romantic.  He may not have gotten the girl, but he stole my heart with his Otis Redding performance.

Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON BLOGGING ~ What's In A Name?...

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Welcome to our weekly BlogAnon meeting where we confess a particular blogging sin and turn to you for support, suggestions and that blogging bond so we know we're not all alone. Don't be shy. Read along and let us know if you identify with us this week.

I was reading a post on the Freelance Writing Jobs website about the reasons behind using or not using a Pen Name. I use a partial name for my paid posts because my employer has no idea that I write on the side and I'm not ready to tell him about it yet. But it isn't a pen name. Molly is my real name. I choose not to reveal my last name online purely out of paranoia.

Many people in the blogosphere refer to me as Bumbles too since that is what I use when I leave comments out blog hopping. I do this to stay consistent with our blog's name and so that I'm not mixed up with any other Molly's out there. Though Molly is pretty uncommon, I can guarantee you that I've never met another Bumble out there - unless it is Andy.

Many bloggers use an alias for blogging. There are tons of reasons for this and I have no issue with any of them. We didn't have any say in our given names after all - why shouldn't we have a little fun picking out one for the blogosphere? But I always wonder what the meaning behind them is. Where did they come up with the name? Does it have special meaning? Do they ever tell anyone their real name or is it top secret?

We use The Bumbles because that's what I started calling Andy many moons ago, thanks to his clumsy ways being a big, tall guy in a world designed around shorter people like me. Our friends and family thought that was a pretty funny nickname and now we have been given more Bumbles paraphernalia from the Rudolph special than we know what to do with. And when we got married, I of course became Mrs. Bumble. So be careful of the nicknames you give - that can come back to bite you in the ass sometimes.

From a blogging standpoint, I think I've got the best of both worlds. Enough of my real name is out there for people to not feel silly addressing me as a character, but I also have that character's name to throw out there for fun, and a nice reminder of where people can find our blog. But it isn't all that cool. I should have re-thought that before naming the blog I guess. According to the Porn Star Name Generator we would be Sindy Slamm and Maxx Kielbasa. Or how about Blu Love and Run Dog? That's thanks to the Rap Star Name Generator. Hmmm.

OK. So, I guess we'll stick with The Bumbles. Sometimes it is best to leave well enough alone. No sense confusing everyone now with any changes.

Do you use an alias for blogging? Do you ever share the story behind it? If you use all or a portion of your real name, do you ever wish you had a fake one instead? Most importantly, what did it say your Porn Star or Rap name was?! You can always visit our topic in Bumble Town to discuss the pros and cons of aliases. You can find Bumble Town at the bottom of our blog or by using the **Chat On Our Forum** page link beneath our tabs above.

ON BLOGGING ~ Twitter Led Me To Bookies, Can It Find Me A Bar?...

I'm still taking baby steps on Twitter. My little experiment has plateaued. This past week, I tweeted a question about another blogging series idea I have and although some nice person re-tweeted it, I only received one response. A re-tweet is when someone forwards your tweeted message to anyone in their circle of followers. It is an easy way for your information to be spread to new audiences. Guess it wasn't of enough interest to anyone else though. Or else it got lost in the chatter...er, tweeting.

More people signed up to Follow me which is nice. I have reciprocated most of them to build up a base of sorts - very similar to the process it takes when starting a new blog. My time on Twitter is very minimal. Less than an hour for the week generally. Because I'm not following too large a chunk of people, and now that I have them categorized into Lists, it doesn't take me long to check in and get out. I do like to explore links and categories that the people in my little circle are sharing. And that is how I watched my first Twitter grassroots movement develop and grow.

A cluster of book bloggers on Twitter were lamenting their inability to venture to the Book Expo America (BEA) conference in NYC this month. And one of them decided to organize an online gathering for anyone not able to attend. After a variety of names were suggested, ArmchairBEA was decided to be the best of the bunch. And so by simply placing the handy hash tag (#) in front of the name in a search on Twitter, it will bring you to the collection of all tweets tagged with that name. A sign-up sheet was linked to and now over 50 people have joined in to take part. Pretty cool.

So I signed up and now maybe I'll meet some new people via Twitter who enjoy the world of books, conversation and blogging as much as I do. If nothing else, it's enough to keep me hanging in there with Twitter for another week. Which is longer than I thought I'd ever last.

My Tweet for the Week was to announce my joining of #armchairBEA. And then I sent another one out looking for bar recommendations in Philadelphia. I've got a road trip next weekend and I need inside opinions. If Twitter can give me that too, I might just become a believer after all.

Our Twitter handle (is that what you call it?) is @thebumblesblog - or at least I think that's how it is expressed.  So for God's sake - go follow us there so we're not all alone.

ON PHOTOS ~ Priceless...

Front row. Behind home plate. Red Sox/Yankees. Priceless. Thank you Fenway Angels :0)

Find other Wordless Wednesday photos by clicking on the button below...

ON FUN ~ Best Bag EVER...

I have told you before about the Best Shoe EVER. When I find something awesome, I like to share it so others can experience the awesomeness, creating a vibe of happiness that keeps people smiling, benefiting all of us in the blogosphere as well as your neighbors in the real world. The above bag is worthy of the Best EVER title as far as I am concerned. Let me tell you why.

I have been searching and searching for a functional and accommodating gym bag for a few years. My backpack wore out and didn't provide enough space for when I needed to bring along a change of clothes. Everything I found at sporting goods stores were traditional duffel style gym bags which were usually too bulky or large. The other problem was that they often didn't have interior pockets or sections to keep my book, water bottle and other items separate from my shoes and clothing. Quilted or canvas tote bags didn't cut it either - with open tops and bottomless space for things to get lost, water to leak and fabric to get messy. Not to mention that the lockers in my gym are so narrow that I was constantly shoving my various bag attempts in them and crushing the contents.

So one day, as I was tying my shoe in the locker room, a bag appeared next to me that seemed perfect. I watched as its owner opened it up and revealed all sorts of nice organized compartments, along with the cutest flower design inside. She didn't have to go digging for anything, nothing was crammed and when she was done with it, she slid it right into that skinny locker no problem. I could barely conceal my excitement. So that she wouldn't think I was a pervert ogling her every move, I told her that what caught my eye was her bag and that I needed to know where she had found it.

It's a Sherpani and she bought it at REI. Which is right where I went to obtain my own a few days later. But you don't have to go to REI to get one. You can go direct to Sherpani's website and buy it for even less there. This beautiful bag is perfection in every way. There are all kinds of pockets - zippered on the outside and inside to hold phones, i-pods and ID cards. Inside there is a compartment to fit books, folders, hair dryers and brushes. There are elasticized sections for water bottles, shampoo and powder. The main section is deep enough to stack sneakers, clothes and a towel. And if you still need more room you can roll up your towel and use the straps underneath the bag to save space. There is a section especially designed to tuck away damp clothing or face cloths. And my favorite feature is the zipper access through the top of the closed bag when you just want to reach in and grab one or two items without opening the entire flap.

It comes in a variety of colors, the strap is adjustable and comfortable, it has a pretty shape that fits your hip and it is durable. You could use it for a diaper bag, a carry-on for travel, as a tote for the beach or even as a briefcase. The company is environmentally conscious and has women in mind with every bag's design. This is truly the Best Bag EVER. It will make you happy, organized and won't break your back. I would say that makes it worth every penny.

ON MOVIES ~ Fiscal Fix for Flix...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Your Movie Budget...

Boy, when the market takes a dive it gets you focused on your budget, doesn't it? We're pretty realistic when making our budget - being sure to allocate some funds for fun. How we use those few bucks though is a tough choice. Sometimes it is for a dinner out. Or a weekend getaway. But usually it goes towards the Netflix bill and a show here and there for Concert Boy.

We don't use our movie funds for actually going to the movies anymore. We prefer the convenience of Netflix. We make our own snacks, save on gas, and can watch a bunch at a time for minimal expense. Life without Netflix would be very sad, but we could certainly find a way to get by on library movie rentals if our budget needs tightening. We do have a small collection of favorite DVD's and old VHS tapes. The cable that we pay for each month offers many free on demand options. And there's always the idea of sharing a movie rental subscription with a neighbor.

Share on your blog how you budget for your movie fix and any ways that you save or splurge. Link back here at The Bumbles and don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON PHOTOS ~ Sleep...

07-06-2008 - Tedy the Tuckered Out Kitten

click photo to enlarge

Visit

to post or VOTE for this (Bumbles) or other interpretations of this week's challenge

ON BLOGGING ~ Content Rules...

This is the last in a series of Tech Tip posts centered around Google Analytics, which is where the above logo comes from. We have previously covered how to set up an Analytics account, how to find, interpret and use your Traffic Stats and how to learn what your Visitor stats have to say. This week I'm going to cover the Content segment. If you need instructions on or a refresher about getting in to your Analytics Dashboard, you can review this post.

From your Dashboard, select the Content category in the top left menu. The Content section is important to me because it tells me what items on our blog visitors are reading and what things are neglected. Selecting Content will open up a new Dashboard overview, specific to Content. The right hand section under the graph displays various Navigation and Landing Page tools which I am sure are very cool, but there has recently been a bug on the reporting accuracy in segments of Navigation so I haven't delved into these arenas. The tool I like in the section is the Click Overlay - Site Patterns.

I can't remember if you need to install or take any additional steps to allow for the Site Overlay tool to activate, but if you do - you should. It is super cool. Basically, by clicking on Site Overlay it will open up your blog in a new window. And the view will show little boxes over every link, tab or widget that your visitors have clicked on during the default prior month's timeline. It tells you the percentage that each click received. This was handy for me in learning what items on our sidebar drew attention and what items were just taking up space. This helped me to decide which to keep and which to ditch when trying to clean up our blog's visual lines. It also tells me which of our new tabs and page links are drawing attention and which are not. Those located in the center get more clicks, either because visitor's eyes are drawn naturally to that spot, the tab title is more interesting, or a combination of both. No one cares about our Travelogue tab except for us apparently. But it took a lot of time to put that information together and it serves mostly as a personal reference, so we don't mind it being overlooked.

Going back to the Content Overview dashboard view, the only other item of focus for me is the Top Content section. This tells you which pages, tabs or posts are garnering the most views. If you click on View Full Report underneath your top 5 list it will expand to a new page with a lot more detail. Right away I go over to the menu on the left side bar and select Content by Title so that the list displayed is in plain English and not url addresses that are incomplete and difficult to decipher.

This page will tell you which pages, tabs or posts were most viewed, how long people spent on them, and whether they continued to explore other posts or if they just left. It is helpful to see what topics were interesting to others and which weren't. Sometimes these kinds of things are difficult to know if you are only judging by the amount of comments your posts receive. But with the Top Content segment on Google Analytics, you may be surprised to see just how many people were interested in that post you wrote that had few comments. Or to see an older post resurfacing time and again.

Many of you have mentioned during this series that all of this info. is great but you don't care or it doesn't relate to you because you blog for you and you alone. Whether others find it interesting or not is of no matter. I have tried to show how these stats can help you to make personal decisions about which memes to keep or drop, how to discover visitors you have things in common with, and which types of bling are just taking up visual space. But the bottom line is, if your blog is not private requiring approval for people to see your posts, then you DO care what others think. You may produce content that serves your needs and enjoyment, but you do like it when others stop by to say hi. To let you know they can relate. That they have suffered through the same bad haircut, loved the same book and can't thank you enough for the camera tip. We blog for us, but we like the attention. And if Google Analytics helps you to recognize the attention you receive and introduces you to some new members of the blogosphere, all the better.

If you have tips, thoughts or requests about Google Analytics please share in the Comments. You can also join the discussion in our Bumble Town forum where we have been posting topics to match each Friday's blogging post to provide a place for more involved conversation. Hopefully, you'll find a way to use Google Analytics' information to make your blogging experience an even better one.

ON BLOGGING ~ An A-ha Moment...

I've just finished another week in my Twitter virginity path. I'm not sure how long it takes to go from virgin to madame but I'm nowhere near that line yet. But I am learning more about Twitterville. Let me share.

Thanks to Twitter lover, romance author and Bumbles buddy, Ashley Ladd, we learned some very helpful tips from her comments in Bumble Town's Twitter topic. I think I may have sounded a bit lost and down in the dumps about my Twitter experience lately so she did what all nice bloggers do, she shared helpful information. Things that led me to my first Twitter "a-ha moment." How to organize those tweets.

For those of you familiar with an RSS Reader, such as Google Reader, you know that looking at all those blog posts in one mass can be overwhelming. By setting up folders to categorize the blogs, sorting through the information to suit your mood makes things much less daunting and takes up less of your time. On Twitter, instead of folders they call them Lists. So you create Lists to categorize the people you follow, and then everytime you add a new follower, you check off which of your lists you want them to be sorted into. Ta-da! Now when I go to my Twitter home page, instead of scrolling through all those tweets, I just click on my various lists to parse through the tweets from groupings I need or want to know about at that moment. HUGE time saver. I am no longer just staring blankly at that list of tweets mashed together giving me ADD and making me want to run and hide from Twitter.

The second thing I learned was also thanks to Ashley. She mentioned that if there was a certain topic that I wanted to read all the tweets about, I need to search for it, putting the hash tag in front of it. Which made me instantly wonder if I typed in #hash what kind of fun musings might be out there on getting high. (not many entertaining ones sadly, mostly people bitching about misuse of the hash tag - or hash browns - a few hash brownies though) But I did test out the hash tag search technique and actually discovered a new person to follow in my key words of interest. Which is my goal - to figure out how to connect with new people out there on Twitter. Step one of that is finding them. Now I need to learn how to better interact with them.

The last thing I did this past week was to send a Direct Message on Twitter. I sent a few to some people I already knew just to test it out. For communicating with people I already know, I don't find it that useful. But for quickly converting a public tweet conversation into something private and brief with someone new would be useful and a nice bridge between introductions in the public world and e-mail or private chats to build relationships and community on the blogosphere and beyond.

My tweet of the week last time was responded to by a few people - not many. But one of those to interact is someone who found me through a common blogger so I thought it was nice of her to reach out. This week's little Bumble Blast is a question for all the book bloggers out there. So if you want to know and provide input, head on over to Twitter and check it out. It's something I'm starting to think about for a potential series of posts right back here at The Bumbles Blog. Maybe Twitter will help to enhance them. A-ha!

Our Twitter handle (is that what you call it?) is @thebumblesblog - or at least I think that's how it is expressed.  So for God's sake - go follow us there so we're not all alone.

ON FOOD ~ The Molly Special...

This weekend I had a terrific conversation with my 3 year old neighbor about hot dogs.  Hot dogs truly are the go-to food for children under the age of 5, aren't they?  Since my little buddy loved hot dogs so much, I thought I would share with him my favorite hot dog dish - Mac & Cheese with grilled hot dogs chopped up and mixed into it.  My friend was not quite the connoisseur that I thought he was though, since he scrunched his nose up at me.  Seems he doesn't enjoy the Mac & Cheese - according to his Dad, that's just not how he rolls.

Well.  His loss, I say.  This particular dish (can I refer to it as an actual dish?) is a frequent request by me of Andy on Sunday evenings looking to wind down the weekend with some yummy comfort food.  Andy always likes this suggestion because it is quick & easy - in addition to tasty.

So when Andy headed out of town for business one weeknight recently, leaving me without any prepared food in the house or even a box of cereal to munch on, I wondered which pizza place I'd be calling for dinner.  A peek in the fridge revealed the bare bones of beer, ketchup and salad dressing.  But then I found some hot dogs in the deli drawer.  So I got to thinking.  Sure enough, in the pantry was a box of Mac & Cheese.  Andy always said this was quick and easy.  How hard could it actually be?

Now, just so you understand, when I was in high school my little brother had to show me how to boil water.  I am still teased about this.  So rather than get defensive, or learn how to cook, I just embraced my inabilities with glee and found myself a husband who could and would make a good meal on demand.

Faced with no husband to feed me I decided it was now or never.  If I succeeded I would eat happily that evening and no one would need to know that I could do it for myself in the future.   If I failed, I could just order a pizza and no one would need to know how pathetic I am.  Our cats - my only witnesses - as far as I know, do not have the ability to tattle.

I will have you know that a watched pot does in fact boil.  Because I watched that sucker the entire time to make sure it didn't boil over and extinguish the flame.  I even got daring and decided to grill the dogs at the same time on the stove top griddle.  I multi-tasked!  Without setting off the smoke detector!

I poured in that powdered cheese while my tummy grumbled and tossed in the chopped up dogs like a sous chef extraordinaire.  And before I dug in, I took a photo - because I was too proud of myself not to document my endeavor.  Which was delicious.  But not as good as Andy's.  If I admitted that, he'd never have to make it for me again.

ON MOVIES ~ Party Animals...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Parties...

We spent this weekend hanging out with our neighbors at the first BBQ party of the season. Quite early for New England - the weather doesn't usually cooperate until the end of May. So an extra month of sweet weather to celebrate outdoors made me think of movies that focus on parties. Share on your blog your favorite festive flicks, linking back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

Animal House (1978) - The party of all parties - college flunkies having fun in the frats

Dazed and Confused (1993) - Epitome of the high school party in the woods with booze, sexual vibes and groovy tunes

Bachelor Party (1984) - Tom Hanks (before he was "Tom Hanks") and a donkey in the pre-cursor to The Hangover

Gosford Park (2001) - Altman's British folk gathering for a party showing layers from servants to the elite, revealing lots of secrets along the way

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) - Cross cultural parties are the most entertaining in this Cinderella story

Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.