Earlier this week I did my version of the April’s A-to-Z Challenge. Overall, readers liked my approach, and a few even read and commented on the linked posts of their choice. Meanwhile, Viveka, my favorite Swede and frequent visitor here, made a great suggestion that I’ve decide to implement her idea … It’s the A Frank Angle A-to-Z Challenge.
Rules and Guidelines
Bloggers choose to accept the challenge, so no nominations
Encouraging readers to meet the challenge
The challenge involves one post that includes the letters A-to-Z
Each letter designates something about yourself with an appropriate link to one of your past posts
Display the challenge badge on the post
Link back to this post
I like this comment from Debra on the original post: This was a way to reintroduce yourself. Well said.
With that in mind, planning my post wasn’t as time-consuming as some think. Planning is key, so start by keeping a few notes. The time-consuming part pulling the links together.
I would like to see many of the readers here meet the challenge and promote it to others. No time limit, so I hope you promote it. Then again, the idea may fall flat. Here’s the link to the prototype.
Welcome back! To my Christmas-celebrating friends, I hope you had a wonderful holiday. To those not celebrating, hope the day delivered joy and peace to you.
Because I encountered some unexpected flurries, these pics from an outdoor holiday lights display we visit several weeks ago will accompany the story.
Flurry #1: We decided on a cross-state drive to visit my sister for the weekend. The visit went well, but Saturday was John Erickson’s birthday, thus I was disappointed to miss the festivities.
Flurry #2: Upon returning home, I replied to the comments on John’s tribute post, and then raced through the other tributes. I enjoyed them, but a day late just wasn’t the same as being there.
Flurry #3: Besides catching up on the John tributes, Sunday was also the start of my holiday post. I published it at the planned time, which meant comments were on the way.
Flurry #4: I started Christmas Eve with replying to comments. Throughout the day, in between errands, cleaning, and cooking dinner, I tried to make holiday wishes to the blogs I frequent.
Flurry #6: We just finished dinner, and I returned to blogs to answer comments on the gifts post. Through my emails, I see a Like for someone I don’t know … followed by a subscribe notice … following by a comment from Society Red in Seattle, and one I ordered not long ago to shred his citizenship papers: NOW what are you going to do? Freshly Pressed!
Flurry #7: Society Red’s comment created an oh-crap moment, so I scanned the Inbox – and there it was – the notification – and it was already live! … She (the editor) picked her favorite video (Hubble to Oh Holy Night), and included this closing statement: Sorry to have to make you remove your “never been Freshly Pressed” badge. Consider it our gift to you.
Flurry #8: I was totally surprised that post #1,082 made it, so I hastily notified a few. After all, time was short and I knew had to abdicate the throne of the country I formed. I summoned a chopper for making my escape into the dark skies to avoid the potential hysteria.
Flurry #9: From the chopper, I contacted John Erickson, who spread the news. Yet, on this Christmas Eve night, the night known for celebrating joy and peace, I looked at the sparkling lights from the people below with pride and sadness … and as the last light faded away, the a tear hits the floor.
Flurry #10: Now in a new location I realized I had get to church for the handbell choir’s final rehearsal. After participating in two services, I returned home to more messages.
Flurry #11: Christmas Day – Dealing with 800+ visitors on this day, plus comments, and maintaining a personal philosophy of interacting with visitors was a challenge. My in-laws visited in the afternoon and we had enjoyed dinner. In the evening, I finally slayed the last comment … and then I saw this tribute from rarasaur.
Flurry #12: Besides managing comments, the day after Christmas delivered a winter storm dividing Cincinnati in two – snow and wind for blizzard conditions on the west side to rain-sheet-ice-snow mix for those of us on the east side. Fortunately, I was on the good side of the storm.
I safely landed on the other side of NonFP Nation., and warmly greeted by my friends here … and those in my former homeland cheered as well. Suddenly and unexpectedly receiving the never-envisioned was interesting – but it sure made Christmas 2012 was a bit different. I weathered the storm of 2,100+ visits over 3 days – but I also look forward to returning back to my normal routine. Thanks everyone!
PS: To add the pleasure, the FP post about Santa (the one beside mine in the FP image below) I listed in last Friday’s Interesting Reads section of Opinions in the Shorts. Yep, I noted it before WordPress.
Foolishness in other languages includes aptallık, bêtise, dåraktighet, dwaasheid, follia, idiotice, stupidaggine, tontería, typeryys
An act of foolishness is a folly
Foolish talk is stultiloquence
Sayings about Foolishness
Foolishness is indeed the sister of wickedness. (Sophocles)
First Love is only a little foolishness and a lot of curiosity. (George Bernard Shaw)
Almost all new ideas have a certain aspect of foolishness when they are first produced. (Alfred North Whitehead)
A foolish man tells a woman to stop talking, but a wise man tells her that her mouth is extremely beautiful when her lips are closed. (Unknown)
There’s an old saying in Tennessee — I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again. (George W Bush)
Purpose of this Foolishness
As we celebrate his birth today
Many of us have something to say.
He danced naked on a bar
And drove for a sandwich from afar,
So many cheers to El Guapo with a thunderous hooray.
Happy birthday to a one of the blogosphere’s good guys – the master of Friday Foolishness – El Guapo! For your birthday, I sense you would enjoy this ride.
On Politics
This is a great line that is not only appropriate for this political season, it’s true for life: Think for yourself, don’t believe everything you hear, and look it up.
I didn’t watch the debate, but did notice that top Google searches during the debate involved two of the questions on my list: Simpson-Bowles and Dodd-Frank. Even heard some morning commentators mention Glass-Steagall (another one of questions). For those who watched, could the moderator have used my rules? I note that some are criticizing Mr. Lehrer’s performance.
On Potpourri
I will have a Saturday Morning Classic Cartoon post tomorrow.
I like this one. The race for Ohio’s senator involves Josh Mandel and Sherrod Brown. When people search “Mandel Brown Ohio”, the commonly get the site for Mandell Brown, a Cincinnati plastic surgeon.
Here this weekend is the football battle that is the oldest non-league rivalry game in college football. Go Bearcats!
Baseball’s regular season ended on a Wednesday, thus another reason to hate Commissioner Bud Selig. The one-game playoff games are about to start, thus another reason to hate Commissioner Selig.
The Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame may be a great idea, but their selection process may be one of the worst processes ever. All I have to ask is no Moody Blues again? Is Bud Selig also running the R&R HOF?
Have a good weekend. In the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch. Enjoy the video. (Here’s a higher quality video to the same song below that must be watched on YouTube.)
The dominos of life are interesting when one event leads to another. Not all that long ago Nia, a photographer and genuinely nice person from Istanbul, Turkey, granted me the Angelika Award. Interesting it had no ties to it as many other awards do.
It so happens that receiving that award came not too long after the March 10th post where I listed links to many blogs I had discovered since the fall and encouraged readers to visit them. Did you visit any? Did you find new places you regularly visit? Did receive any new visitors? Have any become regular visitors?
If any of the answers above is yes, this award is for you – and without strings attached. In my own way, passing along goodness and thanks seems to be the appropriate way to celebrate my 900th post.
Each letter designates something about yourself with an appropriate link to one of your past posts
Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 157
Posted in Election 2012, Opinions in the Shorts, tagged Barack Obama, Blogging, Blogs, Bud Selig, Commentary, Democrats, Election 2012, Mitt Romney, Moody Blues, Obama Fact Checks, Onion Headlines, Opinions, Politics, Presidential Debate, Presidential Debate Fact Checks, Republicans, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Romney Fact Checks, Romney Obama Debate, Satire, The Onion, US Election, Word Press, WordPress on October 4, 2012 | 64 Comments »
On Politics
This is a great line that is not only appropriate for this political season, it’s true for life: Think for yourself, don’t believe everything you hear, and look it up.
I find the late-night comics and their take on politics to be funny, such as this pre-debate bit by Conan O’Brien.
I didn’t watch the debate, but did notice that top Google searches during the debate involved two of the questions on my list: Simpson-Bowles and Dodd-Frank. Even heard some morning commentators mention Glass-Steagall (another one of questions). For those who watched, could the moderator have used my rules? I note that some are criticizing Mr. Lehrer’s performance.
Debate Fact Checks
This article at National Journal provides a great graphic about the breakdown of voter preferences. Thanks Moe.
For those who enjoy The Onion, here are the voter guides (video) for the election: Barack Obama and Mitt Romney
For anyone desiring a deep discussion of various global issues, consider visiting Intelligence Squared. Thanks Tim for mentioning this site.
On This Week’s Headlines from The Onion
Interesting Reads
On Potpourri
I will have a Saturday Morning Classic Cartoon post tomorrow.
I like this one. The race for Ohio’s senator involves Josh Mandel and Sherrod Brown. When people search “Mandel Brown Ohio”, the commonly get the site for Mandell Brown, a Cincinnati plastic surgeon.
Here this weekend is the football battle that is the oldest non-league rivalry game in college football. Go Bearcats!
Baseball’s regular season ended on a Wednesday, thus another reason to hate Commissioner Bud Selig. The one-game playoff games are about to start, thus another reason to hate Commissioner Selig.
The Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame may be a great idea, but their selection process may be one of the worst processes ever. All I have to ask is no Moody Blues again? Is Bud Selig also running the R&R HOF?
Have a good weekend. In the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch. Enjoy the video. (Here’s a higher quality video to the same song below that must be watched on YouTube.)
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