Thank you to the couple who thought I'd be the guy to redesign and restart their newspaper. Thank you to my former employer for letting me down easy. Thank you to veronica_rich for helping me stay in the game. Thank you to friends, family and strangers who helped us during our automotive crises (plural). Thank you to relatives who came up to spend a few days ( Read more... )

Hey, it's two days past the LJversary and time for the annual State of the LJThe subject line refers to my very first post, in which I noted that this would not be a "journal" -- "jour" meaning daily -- but more of a "periodical ( Read more... )

I haven't posted here about LJ Idol in a while; mostly because as of this last week, I finally was eliminated. It was a good run, of well over a hundred weeks, dozens of stories and essays and a couple of poems. A few of those, I plan on doing something with in the coming years. But for LJI -- aside from "home gaming" as time and inspiration allow ( Read more... )

Haven't been posting much about LJ Idol here lately. Last "week," which took about 2 weeks, I took my second "Bye," and the week before was contestant-only, during which the_dark_snack was eliminated, though she had entered one of her strongest writings.

So anyway, our topic this week referenced Yeats' "terrible beauty," so I wrote a nonfiction essay for a ( Read more... )

So, our LJ Idol topic was "recency bias," which is usually referenced in markets when people think that because a stock price went up all week, it will keep going up next week and the next (then they are *shocked* when it doesn't). I applied it to a controversy that has been heating up over the yearsSo now the poll is open through tomorrow evening ( Read more... )

This last week's LJ Idol topic on how sometimes "helping" isn't helping, but now in less than 24 hours fates will be decided in the poll ( over here, open to all on LJ, and your help, which will help, is appreciated)

My entry is a story I'd been thinking on a while.

the_dark_snack and veronica_rich would appreciate your help in the polls as well.

I used my icon of a popular and old meme because this week's topic on LJ Idol related to memes (as in, make them stop!) But this being the Internet, I pointed out, in my own style, that old memes never truly die.

The voting is under way (I'm in Tribe 3), in 24 hours my fate will be decided, as well as that of the_dark_snack (Tribe 2) and friend veronica_rich (Tribe 3). ( Read more... )

I took a big chance with therealljidol by making my latest entry a poem, while the_dark_snack had a more straightforward approach to the topic, "step on a crack."

And now the poll is community-only, so if you are in or want to join the LJ Idol community, we appreciate your attention in Tribes 2 (where Snack is) and 3 (where you find me and veronica_rich). Thanks!

Sunday was Easter, and I posted this on Facebook: "Whatever you believe, take this lesson of today's holiday: Life wins, hope wins, love wins."

Inspired by the candle stands at LifeJourney Church, Indianapolis, I again present my monthly poll. As usual, I'll be bringing the list to church Sunday (as I keep noting, this isn't just a Christian thing ( Read more... )

Our prompt for LJ Idol this week was "build a better mousetrap" -- so I wrote about a cocky little rodent who felt trapped. The poll is up, open to all, with me still in Tribe 5, voting ends tomorrow (Thursday) night.

Even more in need of your consideration is the_dark_snack in Tribe 1, who once again struggles even though she wrote a good entry. Also a plug ( Read more... )