My Thermos

Today marks the end of another successful NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) in which I post at least once per day for the month of November.

Looking back at the listing of posts and the times that I posted, even though I technically completed it, my heart wasn't always in it. There were some last minute scrambles and some fluff posts, but now that it is over I am glad that I once again took on the challenge.

More than anything, the forced daily posts kept My Thermos sort of on my radar and remind me how much I love writing here. It isn't always my top priority though, or even in my top 10, and this exercise proves to me that I can still contribute here without the rest of my life coming to a screeching halt.

So will I continue to post every day? I doubt it. I guess it is possible but I'm not sure that serves us best. More than that, I hope to at least continue to write every day. I'd like to write the BYOBO posts more frequently. I have some ideas about in depth record reviews and some other features I would like to introduce.

I wasn't at all involved in the NaBloPoMo community this year so I don't think I got any new readers or visitors - but that has never really been my priority around here anyway. I just hope I didn't alienate either of my regular visitors...

Congratulations to any of my fellow NaBloPoMo'ers who also completed this task. Check with me again next year to see about doing it again.

SB

My participation in NaBloPoMo is still ongoing, and while I have abandoned my theme, I am still on target with my daily posts and fully expect to complete successfully for the second straight year.

This year is a bit different than last in that I am not participating in the official NaBlahBlah community at all. Last year I made an effort to look at a couple of my co-participants each day and leave a few words of encouragement. I found some great reads and think I picked up a few readers of my own this way.

This year I just don't have the time to seek them out. So while I am sure there are some great writers who are posting great things, I am certainly missing out.

But I can point you to at least one site I know of that is doing a fantastic series of NaBloPoMo posts and that is Gina's most excellent Upside Down Cats.

Gina's theme for this year, Thirty Words For Thirty Days, is really clever. Specifically she is writing a daily vignette about a person she knows / knew in exactly thirty words. These are folks on the periphery of her life and they are just fascinating.

For example:

Pete

You own the carpet store my brother installed for after returning from Vietnam. When I answer the phone you always say, "Ya bruddah Jimmy dare?" I always know it's you.

Each day we meet a new character, and her carefully chosen words tell us everything we need to know about these folks.

So I heartily recommend heading over and giving these a read. By the way, Gina's blog is also one of my very favorites so I can tie this all in with my original theme as well.

SB

OK - I am going to give up on my NaBloPoMo theme of favorite blogs. While I do have a couple of others that I would like to get to, I don't think I've got 20 and I am having a heck of a time writing them.

I am still planning on continuing with NaBlahBlah though - I have kept up with the daily posting, and a theme isn't required so I am still "in it" You may recall that I ended up ditching my theme last year as well. Next year I'll know better.

I do want to take an opportunity to give an honorary mention to some of my favorites that didn't get their own write up and I probably won't get to by end of month. That doesn't make them any less important or enjoyable.

ThoughtSparks - Phil was one of the first bloggers I met and I really enjoy his writing and no-nonsense take on things. He's a busy one so it doesn't get updated often enough, but it will remain in my reader so I can catch his updates when he posts them.

Port 16 - Mike covers some things tech, some things fun, some grilling things and all points in between. He is also one of the guys behind Two Guys Tech.

Interesting Observations - Pearl over at Interesting Observations offers up just that. She says she focuses on general life skills but to me her blog is about feeling and doing good. It's inspiring without being preachy, and I am always thrilled to see a new post appear in my reader.

Stick Figure Lis - I really wish Lis posted more often as her blog is just a riot. Not sure where she finds the stuff she posts but I love it. This was a particular recent favorite. Her Stick Figures are also a highlight.

Maxwell The Tattooed Boy - I never know what Elle's posts are going to be about, but that is what makes this such fun to read. A great entrecard find!!

These are some of my favorites, what are yours?

SB


<disclaimer> I want to reiterate that these reviews are being done purely on my own and no request or compensation has come from these blog owners or authors. Check out my Disclosure page for more info about my review and advertising policy.

So as the month proceeds, I continue my NaBloPoMo series of favorite blogs. Today's choice is Razzball, a site devoted to tips and advice about all things Fantasy Baseball.



Wait - did Scott just say one of his favorite blogs is about baseball stats? Am I in the right place?

Yes I did, and indeed you are.

Back in April I joined a league with my nephews having absolutely no clue what I was doing only to walk away with the championship at season's end. I absolutely couldn't have done it without the help I got from Razzball, particularly the position and draft rankings. When guys got injured or weren't performing, I'd head over and get recommendations on who was hot or who I should drop.

I wouldn't have been able to compete without the help I got, much less win the season. As it is, I feel confident enough in what I can get from them next season to commit to joining in on the fun once again.

If you're a fan of baseball and stats (Adam!), especially as they relate to Fantasy Baseball, Razzball is a must read.

SB

<disclaimer> I want to reiterate that these reviews are being done purely on my own and no request or compensation has come from these blog owners or authors. Check out my Disclosure page for more info about my review and advertising policy.

Today's favorite blog is one you just have to see and read to understand. And even then, understand might be a stretch.

I don't mean that as a criticism, Gorilla Sushi is just unlike anything else you've probably ever seen before. It's a quirky collection of satire and other humor bits, videos, photos, and other oddities that just make you laugh. A lot.

Prepare to spend some time if you click through, there is plenty to see there. A particular favorite of mine is the Thursday Caption Contest which is doubly fun. Take a funny photo and then add witty commentary from the peanut gallery and a good time is had by all.

Enjoy!

SB

Today's featured Favorite Blog is a new addition to my reader. I found Nicholas Bate a couple of weeks back through either the Eclectipundit or the Execupundit , and after a couple of minutes of browsing it was an obvious choice to subscribe.

Not much to say as i'm still getting acclimated to the full content available there, but much like those other favorites, this self-titled blog contains a wonderful mix of posts across a wide assortment of topics. I've already been led on a great journey clicking through, and found a couple of other great sites that he has linked to.

He is also running a fantastic 100 part series on Why We Love The Beatles which, even if the rest of the site was crap, pretty much guarantees my interest.

SB

So here we are going into week 2 of National Blog Posting Month and I am really enjoying the opportunity to write about My Favorite Blogs, which is my theme for the month.

I've written about some great ones already and have a bunch more in store for you. I encourage you to take a couple of minutes to visit them and hopefully you'll add them to your favorites as well.

Today's chosen Favorite Blog, Web Worker Daily, is one I wasn't sure I was going to include. Not that I wondered if it was deserving, but because for the last nine months I have been writing and contributing content to it. Continue reading "My Favorite Blogs Day 8 - Web Worker Daily" »