Finding Something Friday on Makeovers (Or Does This Blog Make Me Look Fat?)

If you haven't dropped in to the Hall of Fame in a few days...Surprise! But if you have, and noticed the blog makeover, then thanks for the lovely comments. And if you're scratching your head and saying, "Why, yes, things look different but I can't quite put my finger on it," then, um, I'm sure you have lots of other great skills.

So, I've added a few blog pages, a functionality that's especially convenient if you want to add more information but keep a streamlined front page. For those who may not want to go the paid website route, a free blog with pages can be an effective showcase. Just look for the Edit Pages tab (adjacent to the Edit Posts tab) the next time you're writing a new post. It's that simple.

And I think I read where Blogger allows up to ten pages. Think of all you can do with ten pages! You can direct readers to your credentials or contact info. You can add a page of free downloads or fun facts. You can have recipes or riddles or rhymes! Pictures! Pointers! Puddles!

Um, okay, maybe not puddles. But I think you can see that the possibilities are endless.

I still have a bit of streamlining to do before this blog's shiny new makeover is complete. I just hope you'll still recognize the sleeker, shadow of her former self, Cathy C.'s Hall of Fame!

What Not To Do Wednesday (The Old "Picture's Worth a Thousand Words" Thing)

The Beneficent Mr. Hall, Cathy-on-a-Stick, and yours truly went on a train ride and met some wonderful people.

"Ha,ha," they laughed upon seeing Cathy-on-a-Stick. "You must give us your card so we can follow her adventures!"

"How kind," I said. Now where did I put those business cards?

After the train ride, we checked into a lovely B & B, where we met even more wonderful people.

"Ha,ha," they laughed (again) after seeing Cathy-on-a-Stick. "Please give us your card!" Hmmm...where ARE those cards?

Upon returning home, I found the business cards. In the box. On my desk.

I'm sure you don't need me to draw you a picture about What Not To Do, grasshopper.

Double Tootin' Tuesday: The Ultimate Bird Lover and CNN (Radio, That Is)

For all of my fine-feathered friends out there (and really, I'm just talking to the family of wrens who nest in a hanging plant on my screened porch every year), I'd like to say thank you very much!

Because without you, I wouldn't have had a fine story for The Ultimate Bird Lover. Remember way, way back (and for once, I'm not exaggerating) when I wrote that story about Sally the crazy dog gobbling up the baby wren? Yes, I know that doesn't sound like what you'd call a happy story. But it had a heart-warming point.

Still, you can imagine my surprise when a fellow from CNN Radio invited me to do an interview about birds and such. On the radio. At CNN.

Well, I don't need to tell you that I high-tailed it to CNN! See, I started in radio way, way, waaaay back in the day, so I was thrilled to see CNN Radio up close and personal. And also, because I'm a ham.

Anyway, we had quite the conversation about birds and such. More about "and such" than Sally and the baby wrens. But I managed to wing it(C'mon, you had to see that coming) and I believe The Ultimate Bird Lover was even (briefly) mentioned. Maybe, if you live where a CNN affiliate broadcasts, you heard me blah-blahing away. But if not, you can still read my story. Because truly, it's a sweet story.

So, all's well that ends well. (Well, except for the baby wren.)

Finding Something Friday on Chicken Soup's Family Matters (and Tweeting Such)

Sometime this week, I found an email in my Inbox from the Chicken Soup folks. But I just got around to reading it today. Perfect for Finding Something Friday!

Apparently, people just love nutty family stories. You know what I mean: those knee-slapping tales about your mom or dad or cousins or sister-in-law doing those weird and wacky things that made you want to slap them smack in the...um, well, someday you'll laugh at those stories. Right now, other people will find them HI-larious. So, write them down, send them in to Chicken Soup, and make a bunch of money off Uncle Bob backing into your car so he wouldn't hit a pregnant squirrel. You won't make enough money to fix the car, but you can wave the check in Uncle Bob's face. Oh, and act fast. Deadline is February 28th.

I also found out that on this day in 1929, Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta. I got that factoid from the Atlanta History Center. Technically, I got that bit of info from a tweet, 'cause the Atlanta History Center is on Twitter. So, if you think Twitter is just 140 character lines about what's for dinner, it's time you checked out your museums, aquariums, news services, and even charities. Twitter's amazing. And okay, a little bit weird and wacky.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that the photo of the Beneficent Mr. Hall that goes along with this post in no way is meant to imply that he is weird and wacky. I can't help what you infer.

Finding Something Friday: Dark and Light Connections

This week, a friend asked me about Linkedin. She wanted to know a little something something about this business network, and since I'm on LI, she thought I could answer her questions. Namely, what do I use it for?

Hmmmm. So, I had to think a minute. What DO I use it for? Well, connecting with other writers, and interesting folk. This week, I joined in a discussion about the noir genre, and met Mike, who edits the Noir Journal. Which I zipped over to check out, and found lots of fantabulous stuff about Noir.

Now, I don't write Noir, but I enjoy a good, dark, nobody wins read every once in awhile. And I like when folks kindly link to me in their publications. So, go read Journal 4 (www.noirjournal.typepad.com/noir-journal)and find something dark to read. And if you're on Linkedin, give me a shout and we'll make a connection.

And now for something completely different, and a bit lighter. And all about the dog connection. I'm not gonna lie. This video made my day.

Finding Something Friday on Meyers-Briggs and Blogs

Have you ever taken the Meyers-Briggs personality test? The one where you find out if you're extroverted, or introverted, thinking or feeling, and such? Way back in the day, when I was (apparently) a different personality, I took the test. I came out ENTJ, which was affectionately called "The Field Commandant." Hmph.

When I took the test (online) today, I came out ISFJ or ESFJ, depending on which test I want to believe. Either way, I've changed personalities. I suppose that's what thirty years of living with the Beneficent Mr. Hall will do to you. I've completely lost my bossing around skills. (Um, not even I believe that.)

Most writers tend to be introverted, I think. And probably most fiction writers will score higher on the sensing, feeling side of the test. We have to have that imagination factor in order to write spiffy stories. Blog writing, on the other hand is completely different. Maybe that's why my blog scored a different personality than me. (I don't want to get into a whole Frankenstein thing here, but it kinda weirds me out that I created this blog that's gone and developed its own personality.)

Try it yourself with this Meyers Brigg personality test for your blog. Turns out Cathy C.'s Hall of Fame is an ESFP, known as The Performers. We're fun and entertaining blogs. Maybe I'm not particularly fun or entertaining, but wheee! My blog is!

Of course, I had to check Cathy on a Stick's blog. That blog came out ESTP, The Doers. They're the active and playful types in the blog world. Now, that's just scary accurate, isn't it?

Many thanks to Shrinking Violet Promotions, which I found this week, for providing me with this info on the Typealyzer. If you're looking for a fascinating blog for the shy types, (or any types, really) Shrinking Violets is packed with promotional stuff for writing types .

Now, fly, fly my blog buddies, and find out what type blog you have! And maybe you could share your blog's personality with the rest of us. (I'm keeping an eye on the old Hall of Fame. It's already got a personality. Next, it'll go get a mind of it's own. Talk about scary!)

A Link Or Two (Or Six)

Had a little time today to get something done that I've been meaning to do for such a loooong time.

Back in the Computer Crash of 'aught nine (Is she STILL harping about that? Oh, yeah. It ain't over till it's over.), I lost all my bookmarked items. Which was really annoying, since I bookmark interesting writing websites, blogs, submission links, and just scathingly witty stuff in general. But this time around, I said to myself, "Sister Susie, (that's what I call myself when I mean business) you better add those websites, links and whatnot to your list of Favorite Detours (Over there to your right;no,not there; further down, yes, there you go.).

So, today, I scrolled through all the stuff I'd bookmarked, and added a few interesting things that made the Favorite Detours cut. But I feel like I'm leaving some great links out. Like I know there's this one seriously amazing link that should be on the list...but...I...just...can't...think...of...it.

That's where you come in. You're older and wiser. Or younger, with a better memory. Tell me what you think I should add. Is it a wonderful writing website? Or an amusing little blog? Now, don't be modest. You can suggest your own link. Maybe it'll make the cut.

I'll add all the worthy links to the Favorite Detours as soon as possible. (Sister Susie learned her lesson last time.)

Finding Something Friday Pushes YouTube (Like They Need A Push)

What I'm really pushing is you, I suppose, to get out there and explore YouTube. 'Cause I'm convinced that YouTube is the face of the future in marketing and promotion. Yes, even for writers.

This morning, I read in my PWDaily about a 91-year-old grandma, Clara Cannucciari, who's just garnered a book deal, thanks in large part to her YouTube and Facebook presence. Her grandson, Chris Cannucciari filmed her, cooking Depression-era dishes and talking about the lives and times of those difficult days. I couldn't believe what a great job this Italian grandmother did in this segment (see her Youtube video and be amazed!). And now the grandson's writing the book, Cooking With Clara.

I'm not very handy in the whole videocam world, but I think it's time to quit watching and start doing. My bud, Bill Elder, who has a terrific vlog (It's over there in my Favorite Detours), has snagged a ton of subscribers, and he's doing some slam-up promotion for his voiceover business. I need to apply what's left of my little gray cells and jump on that YouTube bandwagon. The sooner, the better. I ain't getting any younger, you know.

And for those of you who thought you might be too old for Facebook (Okay, I'm including myself), I have two (or four) words: 91-year-old Clara. Stand back, grandma, I'm jumping in!