June 2, 2006 at 3:57 Neil visited V-Grrrl in the Middle earlier this week, and when I clicked back to view his blog, I was thrilled to discover a truly original voice. Neil is a writer and Web producer living in LA and his site Citizen of the Month is creative, thought-provoking, and fun. Check it out.
Happy Weekend!
V-Grrrl
March 21, 2006 at 3:41 So many of my favorite blogs are powered by Blogger--or should I say not powered by it at all. I never know when I click on a link on my blog roll what will happen next. Will a window snap open with the latest entry laid out for me to read, or will I hear my computer grunt and groan, watch my browser icon blink frantically, and stare at a white monitor until my eyes glaze over? Waiting for Blogger to wake up and gets its virtual ass in gear makes me want to reach through the screen and retrieve the files myself. A virtual smash and grab if you will. Call me thug grrrl.
Even when the blog downloads, my thug impulses aren’t quelled. Reading and leaving comments is a test of my patience. I imagine there are hamsters on the Blogger server running on wheels that drag the comment box up and pry it open. Hopefully by the time it unfolds on the screen, I haven’t forgotten what I was going to say. Once I type it up, I face my final challenge in the Blogger triathalon: word verification.
Ah yes, there’s a string of gibberish to be typed, and it always includes letters you don’t normally touch much on the keyboard, like X, Z, and J. The letters are twisted and distorted like images in a Salvado Dali painting. I lean forward and peer at the monitor. I clean the smudges off my glasses. I ponder whether those are two n’s that are enjoying a romantic moment or simply an “m” going solo? Of course, it could be an “r” shaking hands with an “n." Is that a lower case "j" or an "i" doing yoga? I debate all the possibilities. Then I type my best guess up v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y, which, is after all, the Blogger way. Sometimes my comments don’t post. Grrrr.
So to all my peeps trapped in the Twilight Zone with Blogger, let me just say this: I’m not ignoring you—Blogger is ignoring me. Be free! Escape the Blogger traffic jams. Your words deserve better. Check out www.squarespace.com. Free trials. No software to download. Easy to use. Great support. All for as little as $7 a month. Go for it!
March 21, 2006
V-Grrrl
Did I speak too soon?
Thanks to The Queen Mama and Michelle for letting me know my blog has been sketchy about accepting comments lately. Some folks tell me they write the comment, hit post, and nothing happens.
I've got a note into tech support. If you've been having problems with my site, e-mail me.
Thanks!
V-Grrrl
***********
OK, if you're having problems leaving a comment, this may be why. Tech support's response:
I noticed that your latest post does have a comment on it so it does appear to be working. Why it isn't working for these other people could be a myriad of reasons such as their web browser type, web browser settings, firewall settings, ad blocking software, and so on. The most important thing is to ensure that their web browser, software, or firewall don't conflict with the Javascript code that we use. Can you check with them to confirm the following with them?
That they are using one of the following browsers.
http://www.squarespace.com/browsersupport/
That they haven't turned off cookies or javascript with their browser.
That they aren't using firewall or anti-virus software with ad blocking.
If the comment feature isn't working for you and these trouble-shooting tips don't apply, keep me posted. You can e-mail me using the Contact feature on my navigation bar. I appreciate the feedback and if there's a glitch, I really want to get it worked out.
V-Grrrl
Blogging February 16, 2006 at 4:33 The big news in the blogosphere in February was the report that the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions (NBTC) was providing 25 top American bloggers with all-expense paid trips to Amsterdam, which include airfare, transportation passes, and a five-day stay at a five-star hotel. While the bloggers had to participate in one interview with Holland.com, the NBTC’s Web site, they were not required to write posts about the trip on their blogs.
The bloggers were required, however, to post NBTC ads on their site for one month as well as a link a disclosing the nature of the travel offer they received for one year.
Is this a deal or what?
And to think I have been writing travel copy on my blog for free since last August. Where was I when the all-expense paid trips were being given out?
Maybe I was riding a bus stuck behind a herd of cyclists in Tervuren or standing in the dairy section of the grocery store trying to discern the differences among the multiple varieties of yogurt displayed. I could have been riding a Metro train in the wrong direction or on the phone with the plumber begging for more hot water. Perhaps I was chasing my umbrella down the street on a miserably windy day or shopping for rubber boots. My days are so varied and action-packed, it’s hard to say what scintillating activity may have kept me from grabbing the attention of the NBTC.
All I know is that while I missed the boat on the Amsterdam opportunity (or shall I say the train or plane), I don’t want to be overlooked again.
While the blogosphere is buzzing with debate over whether the American bloggers should have accepted the trips or not, I can tell you it’s not an issue I would lose sleep over. No, if someone offers me a first-class trip and premium accommodations, the last thing I’m going to ask myself is, “Should I go?” The first words out of my mouth will be “Where? When?”
Let the record show I’d be more than happy to pack my bags and my laptop and take my writing on the road. The line between journalists and bloggers may be blurring, but I don’t think anyone comes to V-Grrrl in the Middle and expects anything other than the opinion du jour. Give me some fresh experiences in a new setting (ahem, five-star hotels do sound grand) and I’ll deliver some polished prose (especially if my room has a fabulous tub).
While I can’t promise glowing reviews, I can guarantee authentic, straight from the mother keyboard, original V-Grrrl copy, delivered with a virtual smile. Sure, you can’t predict precisely what I’ll post, but having worked in public relations for close to 15 years, I can tell you I have a tendency to see the best in things. (Except the Eiffel Tower, of course. I was less than impressed with it, but the rest of Paris was lovely—really!)
All I need to do now to collect some free trips to European cities is to get the word out that I’m a blogger for hire! Maybe I could post something like a hybrid professional-personal ad. How’s this for catchy?
One smart chick
Who writes for kicks,
Would be happy
To write for trips.
V-Grrrl’s readers
May be world leaders.
Conference planners
Understand her.
Marketing types
Love what she writes.
So make her day
In a first-class way.
Ring her bells
With fine hotels.
Add her to
Your VIP list:
The traveling blogger
Who shouldn’t be missed.
© 2006 Veronica McCabe Deschambault. All rights reserved.
February 16, 2006
