::Leading With A Limp::

Filling Up Your Tank Is The Least of Your Worries

I have some driving to do today, heading down PCH a bit.  I'll probably have to fill up my gas tank, and it's going to be pretty expensive.  I'm guessing I'll pay $4.69 at the Chevron down the street.  Yikes.

I see a lot of talk on Twitter about how much it costs to fill up our car's tanks, but I don't really see much chatter about the real problem.  You see, filling up your tank is the least of your worries. Why?

• Because it's going to cost the dairy man more to fill up his tank, so the price of milk and cheese will go up.
• It's going to cost the restaurateur more to put cheese on your pizza, so the price of your next meal will go up.
• It's going to cost more to get your clothes to market, so shopping for new shoes for your kids in the fall will get more expensive.
• It's going to cost more for your accountant to get to work, so the cost of doing your tax return next year will be marginally increased.
• How in the world can we get coffee beans to the local St. Arbucks without a truck?  We can't.  Your grande is about to become venti priced.

And that, my friends, is just the secondary layer of the effects we will feel as crude pushes toward $200 a barrel.  What about the tertiary layer? Beyond that? Over the last 30 days I have spent $776.82 on gas.  Ouch.  But that's only a fraction of my monthly expenses (albeit a large fraction).  What happens when the rest of my expenses rise 5-10%?

It's coming, friends.  Let's start stashing our nuts away for a long winter.

:: If you enjoyed this post, perhaps you should subscribe via RSS::

The Implosion of the PC(USA)

Hey good news if you want to be a pastor but you want to sleep around.  The PC(USA) will welcome you with open arms.

Oh, and before you read on, I just want to say "hi" to my new subscribers.  A lot of you have come on in the last week. You have subscribed at an odd time, I'm a little hot under the collar right now.  I'm sure my usual cheerful goodness will come back tomorrow, but I just read something that really upsets me. I also recognize that many of you call a Presbyterian Church your home church.  We will see if you stay subscribed after this...

Yesterday my former denomination voted 380 to 325 to change ordination standards.  The new language included will delete the section that requires the ordained to live in "fidelity within the covenant of marriage between and a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness".  Now this gets sent to the 173 Presbyteries for approval. Sure, some or most may reject this, but for the denomination as a whole to take this stance is just too much.

The debate often centers around the ordination of homosexuals, and while I agree that it is a conversation to be had, I'm afraid it is far deeper than the surface talk of gay or straight. This isn't about ordaining gays, although that often rises to the surfaces of conversations because it's such a hot button.  Now ordained pastors are not required to have any sexual standards.  Marriage?  Doesn't matter.  Monogamy?  Who cares.

I expect higher standards from those that are to shepherd our congregations. I believe that the PC(USA) is apostate, a stench in the nostrils of God.

Don't bother baiting me in the comments with accusations of hatred, unity, phobias, blah blah blah.  This isn't about homosexuality as far as I'm concerned.  This is about asking our leaders to hold a higher standard. Oh, and since you asked, I have several good friends that are gay.  I also have several good friends that are heterosexual and are quite sexually promiscuous.  All of them should be a part of the church, none of them should be pastoring the church.

If you would like to read the official story straight from the horses mouth, you can do so here.

I try to stay fairly positive and upbeat in this little corner of the internet, but this has my skin crawling.  I'm angry. I'm disgusted. I'm sad.

There is still some good happening in the denomination, but my first order of business Monday morning is to write a letter to the church that currently holds my membership within PC(USA) and figure out how to have it revoked.

And now for a bit of good news...I believe that God exists well outside of denominations.  I praise God for His word and His promises, given to me in the form of the Holy Bible. Although man continues to change and to screw up, God is still the same.  He is my rock and my salvation.

Goodnight.

Do What You Love To Do*

My father was with me for the first 21 years of my life, then he died.  During those 21 years together he gave me some bad advice and some good advice.  One of the very best pearls that he sent my way was "Do what you love to do".  He was talking about work, a profession.  He had been stuck in a couple of jobs that he hated before landing in one he loved.

I think this is stellar advice, although as I grow on in my years (and arguably my cynicism), I have to put an asterisk on that statement.  If this were a legal document you would look down at the bottom of the paper and see this:

*But do what you need to do first

In Los Angeles I'm surrounded by people with two paths before them: what they want to do and what they have to do.  Go to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch and ask your waiter what he does.  His answer will be "I'm an actor" 96.5% of the time.  If he were being perfectly honest, his answer would be, "I would love to be an actor, but so far I've only landed a walk-on spot in a Cheerios commercial.  I'm the guy that gets hit by the tennis ball then laughs about it, like getting hit with a tennis ball is hilarious.  I have to work here to pay for my 175 square foot loft that I share with my roomate and our three dogs".

I'm a strong, strong believer in doing what you love.  I also believe in hard work.  You need to do what you need to do so you can do what you love to do. Say that three times fast.

Are you working your fingers to the bone in a job you hate?  That sucks.  Do you have to answer to a Machiavellian narcicist that just doesn't get it? What are you going to do about it?  You can sit at your desk, day after day, dreaming about the building burning down, or you can start to do what you love.  Tonight.  Just start. Pick up the pen and write, pull out the video camera and start shooting.  Read about other people that have done what you love, and have succeeded.  Study them.  Mimic them.  Then come up with your own way of doing it.

It's never too late to start doing what you love, but don't quit your day job just yet.  You need to pay the bills too.

Do what you need to do so that you can do what you love.

Voice Over Work

I've had quite a few people ask me about the voice work that I'm doing.  The short answer is that some of it I'm doing for actual clients, some of it I'm doing for myself.  I'm putting together a fairly diverse demo reel (although it won't actually be on a "reel", more like on a web site) so I've been laying down faux tracks for movie trailers, radio spots, books on tape, etc.  I'll put some of that work up here soon.

The other stuff I can't put up because it hasn't been brought to air by the client yet.  But when it goes, I'll throw that up as well.

Heck, I may as well put it all up so we can all giggle at how silly I sound.  Here's a picture for your viewing pleasure.

Much Love To (And From) Rich

My friend Rich Kirkpatrick just taught a class at the Saddleback Ministry Conference with Carlos "Ragamuffin" Whittaker.  I had other friends attend, they are all reporting that it was an amazing time of teaching and interaction!

Rich did something that I think every presenter at every conference should do...he put all of his notes up online as a PDF.  Way to go, bro!  If you want to download them you can do so here.

He even gave me an entire "part".  I'm "Part C".  Thanks for the love, Rich! 

Go check his blog out, swing by Ragamuffin Soul as well, and subscribe to both.  You'll learn a lot.  And heck, if you don't learn a lot, at least you'll laugh a lot.

Enemies

This morning I prayed for my enemies, and I also asked God to deliver me from them.  I have enemies.  Real people.  Living, breathing people.  It's pretty unpopular for Christians to say that, eh?  Aren't we supposed to love everybody?  Aren't we supposed to turn the other cheek?  Can't we all just get along, man? Thank you, hippies...pass the granola.

I agree that those things are true, but I for one read the entire Bible, and so I recognize the fact that I will have enemies.  So will you.  It's written throughout scripture, and the authors are not always talking about internal enemies like greed, lust and despair.  No, we are talking about actual human beings.  There are bad people out there that wish bad things for you.  It sucks to realize that, doesn't it?

Yet they are there.  The Bible tells me so.  I've seen it.  I know these people.

So this morning I prayed that the hearts of my enemies would be turned.  I prayed for protection for my family and me.  I prayed for deliverance from my enemies. I asked God to allow me to love my enemies, without expecting anything in return from them. I know God is faithful, and He will keep His word to me.

A Perfect Father's Day

Zuma Beach. 80* with a slight breeze.  Boogie Boards.  My family.

A Question for iPod Users

I ask this question to all of my iPod using friends, and I ask it with great sincerity, please humor me and let me know...

Are you being stubborn, or are you just really bad at math?

Let me tell you why I'm asking this.  I use a Zune form music and video habit, and I do mean "habit".  I download approximately 30 albums a month,and many more videos than that.  I love music, I love it when I'm driving, when I'm walking, when I'm at the gym.  I wish I could sing worth a lick, but I can't.  I still love music.

The radio is pretty much dead to me, I want to listen to what I like, when I want to.  So do you, that is why you have an iPod.  But...is there a point where you are just being stubborn because the Zune isn't "cool'?  My house has three Zunes, used by various members of my family.  We use Zune Marketplace (the software equvilient to iTunes) to download our music and video.  The terms of service state that up to three devices can download music on one account.  One account costs $15/month and I get unlimited download.  Yes, they are DRM protected and if I quit paying my $15/month they all go away, BUT...why would I stop paying?  It's only $15 per month.  So let me do the math for you.

Last month, between the three Zunes, we downloaded right around 600 different songs.  Totally legal, totally legit.  Total cost to me?  $15.  If I were to do that with iTunes it would cost me $594.  Even if I have a slow month and only download 100 measly songs, it costs me $15 and it would cost an iTunes user $99.  Let's take the high and low of these two extremes and compare them.

iTunes user (low downloads) $1,188 per year
Zune user (low downloads) $180 per year

iTunes user (high downloads) $7,128 per year
Zune user (high downloads) $180 per year

There is some content in Zune Marketplace that you can pay extra for, like the videos, and I have done that a bit.  Apple may get into this type of market, but for right now it's just a rumor.  If they do, this conversation is moot.  But if they don't, let me repeat the question

Are you just being stubborn, or are you really bad at math?

Things I Have Learned About Business & Life

The number of books written just about business philosophy and best practices could fill a large library, so to think that my humble list is the end-all of business advice would be a little silly.  However, there are a few things that I have learned and tried to keep in mind as I advance through the business world.  Not too surprisingly, they do a pretty nice job of getting me through life as well.  Feel free to add to the list in the comments.

1. It's not what you know, it's who you know- This has proved true time and time again.  A lot of people don't like to acknowledge the truth in this statement, or they want to put it into the category of "that's not fair!".  Fair or not, it's true.  All other things equal, if you are better connected than the person you are competing against for a job or consulting position, you will usually get it.  Of course there are some obvious exception, like when your job is very skill specific (brain surgeons, microbiologists), but it probably stands true in those fields as well, if you are better at networking than the other person, you'll probably get the job.  If you can learn a lesson out of this first category it is this: don't burn bridges.  Pretty soon you will have nothing else to burn, and you will always be losing out to the person that is connected.l
2. It's all about timing- I have learned this by doing it very well and very poorly.  Let's say you are going to pitch an idea to somebody and you need them to approve it.  The idea could be a proposal for a job or you could be pitching yourself...a job interview.  It's all about timing.  Try to avoid talking to people when they are tired, hungry or busy.  My favorite time to approach people?  Tuesday or Wednesday between 10am and 2pm.  Yes, I'm serious.  That's when I have my highest success rate, probably because their mind isn't on either weekend (the one they just came from or the one they are about to go to), and generally they have accomplished what they need to do for the week in terms of catch up.  Salespeople, let me give you some free advice: don't pitch your products or services to me anytime after noon on Friday.  You have a 0% chance of success.
3. Live within the integrity of your conscience - I referred to this line when I resigned from my last job.  Simply put, you must be you, and you need to be guided by the moral boundaries that are within you.  Don't compromise.  Don't allow your character to be bent, even a little.  If you start to toe the line of compromise, eventually you will step over it, and then you will no longer be the person that you should be.  You won't be able to sleep, you will look in the mirror with disgust.  Make your decisions with the highest integrity possible.
4. It takes 10 cans of peas to sell a can of green beans-It took me about two years to figure this out after a crusty old grocery store owner shared this gem with me.  He was talking in a very literal sense, and that is he discovered over time that when his shelves are full and stocked, people will buy more.  If your store looks understocked and disheveled people won't buy as much.  At the time I owned a cigar company and we were to keep his humidor stocked with fresh cigars all the time.  When the supply got low he got upset; he wanted a fully stocked, fully faced humidor at all times.  He was right about this sales concept, and I have carried this through every business that I have been a part of, even if we didn't have physical objects to sell. Make sure your service portfolio is stocked.  Make sure your website is stocked.  Make sure your house is in order.
5. Never wrestle with a pig, you'll both get dirty but the pig will like it- I heard this many years ago, but it's come up again recently.  The idea is pretty clear: don't engage with slime balls.  I have worked with plenty of people that are all about themselves...they are more than happy to smear other people with words, with sabotage, with underhanded means.  These are the worst kind of people to be around.  When you come across these people, stay away.  It's not always easy, sometimes you have to work closely with them, but be cautious. It's okay to defend yourself, but don't get caught up in office politics or name calling.  These sorts of people live for this sort of thing, and they are good at getting you to take your eye off the ball.  Don't engage...they will be doing what they love the most, and you're going to come out looking bad.

There you go...15 years of business experience wrapped into one little blog post.  Have you employed any of these philosophies in some form?  Are there things that are glaringly absent from the list?  Let us know!

Diggnation,Roov,Battlestar Galactica

I've posted a new Highway Vlog over at mattsingley.com talking about media that is rocking my world right now.  I cover internet, video and music.

Watch, comment and check out the links that pop up throughout the episode.

20 Reasons I Love SoCal -Floating Thoughts

Everyone: "Matt, are you going to move out of Southern California as you look for new employment?"

Matt: "Nope"

Of course there are serious reasons why we are staying put (including the fact that another move would be bad for the kids, and we feel that God wants us here), but here are some fun reasons I love Southern California.

1. I wore shorts and flip flops on Christmas day
2. From the time I turn the key in the ignition to the time I have the sand of Zuma beach pushing between my toes, only 25 minutes goes by
3. Sushi joints are as prevalent here as coffee shops are in Portland.  I love sushi.
4. Two words: Double Double
5. Two more words: Animal Style
6. I have a trail head within a 5 minute walk of my front door
7. I can fill up my own gas at the gas station.  Most states already enjoy this, but the People's Republic of Oregon doesn't feel that people are smart enough to do this themselves.
8. I passed a cop that was looking for speeders on the 101.  I was doing 80 and he didn't even blink.
9. Magic Mountain!
10. I wore shorts and flip flops to church on Sunday
11. A bad week of weather means that it's cloudy for two days in a row.
12. My kids get to go to movie premiers at El Capitan
13. Prayer and beers at JT's on Tuesdays
14. I have a perfect route for my old man walk every morning, and so far weather has not stopped me
15. I have met some people here that love Christ so passionately it's infectious
16. I have met some people here that despise God so much I need to stay so I can share the hope that lies within me
17. I wore flip flops to a nice restaurant and nobody cared
18. I love our neighbors
19. They sell boogie boards at Costco
20. I'm wearing flip flops right now

Communicating So They Can Hear Me

I have been dipping my toe into the pool of professional voice over work.  The premise is that I record my ridiculously low voice by reading a script or acting out a small part and then I give it to a company for use.  Pretty simple.

The tools that are used for this kind of work these days are unlike any that I've used in the past.  I had to purchase a professional microphone, get a preamp and audio interface, and install some new software on my studio computer.  The software is called Pro Tools, and I have never used it before, but it's the standard for production now, so I have to learn to use it.  I would say it's a fairly complex program and it's going to take me a while to understand how to use it properly, in combination with my new hardware. 

On the other hand, I could just speak into a tape recorder and send a cassette tape over to the client.  Sure, it may not sound very good and the client may not even own a cassette player anymore, but there is no doubt in my mind that this is an easier way of getting my message out.  Heck, it's what I've always done.  Cassette tapes are easy to use and low tech...if they are good enough for me, my clients should forget all this fancy-schmancy stuff like Pro Tools and microphones and use what I'm using.

Of course by choosing this option, the path of "that's what I've always done and I'm comfortable with it" I risk everything.  It's a bit arrogant of me to think that the very folks that I want to hear what I have to say are going to stop using cutting edge methods of communication and will go back to the old ways. If I send a cassette tape to a client instead of sending them an electronic file via FTP, there is a good chance that they won't even listen to what I have done to determine if it's good or bad.  They will simply ignore me.

If you work at a church and are in charge of the most important message in history, why don't you chew on this post for a while.

Oversharing and Attention-Blogging Part 2

Last week I discussed a series of articles that I read that dealt with the subject of blogging, and how much detail is too much. Today I want to look into the motivation behind attention-blogging, that phenomenon of sharing way too much with the world about your personal life.

Interestingly, after I wrote that piece last week I got several emails, text messages and direct messages on Twitter asking if "you are talking about me".  My truthful answer to every one of those inquiries was "no".  As I started to consider the need for attention via blogging (macro blogging like TypePad or micro blogging like Twitter), no one person came to mind.  I really thought about the concept in general, so this is not aimed at anybody in particular.

I find it curious that people will share so much of their lives with the world.  Now, I can already feel the eye rolls from many of you as I have shared a great detail about my life over the last several years via blogging.  I'm not talking about sharing personal information, I'm talking about sharing information that is well beyond appropriate measure.  I don't want to hear about when you had diarrhea, or when your monthly cycle is starting and how horrible that is, or the intimate details of your horrible fight with your girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse.  Why do people share these things?

As I look back over my life I think about the kinds of folks that shared this information with everybody in earshot before Twitter allowed us to broadcast it, or before blogging allowed interactive commentary on going to the bathroom.  When I consider these types of people I realize that the attention-bloggers these days probably fall into one of the following categories:

1. Horribly insecure- I think this is the most likely scenario about 75% of the time.  Attention blogging, deep down, is a way of getting noticed when the author is feeling like they don't really matter to anybody.  In high school and college this manifested itself in different ways publicly, but they were usually micro incidents because you had to get attention face to face.  With the advent of blogging, now attention can be sought globally with the click of a mouse.
2. Angry- angry at life, angry at the world.  With an attitude like, "hey, I've been screwed over so many times I really don't care, so I'm going to blast everything and everybody around me", this kind of attention-blogging is usually aimed at another person, and the author isn't afraid to use names.
3. Depressed- There is a fine line between this category and the first one, they are likely linked together.  This one makes me sad.  I've read many posts where I could almost feel the depression behind the words.  When over sharing is used in this manner, it's a bit of a cry for help. I'm most likely to engage this person in comments and emails, participating in their lives via our new digital world.  I engage not to chastise the over sharing, but to explore life with them.
4. Ego strokers- arguably this could fall into the first category as well, but the insecurity is pretty well pushed down below the surface, so I suppose this warrants its own category.  How many comments will I get? How many page views will I generate with this post? Will I get linked to by another blogger?  These are questions that fuel the content of this type of over sharing.  I've actually talked to bloggers who have wondered out loud that if they share a certain level of inappropriate information, will their stats jump up? For this type, it's all about the numbers...the psuedo-friends...that cause the over sharing
5. Sociopaths- there are some bloggers that I have read (no longer) that simply don't understand cultural norms.  I'm happy to report that I don't think I personally know anybody that fits this category.  But they are out there.  Sociopaths have been a part of our society for as long as we have kept record of history, but now they have a voice that can spread around the globe at the speed of light.  When I accidentally stumble across this type of blog, I simply leave and never go back.

There are probably more than five categories that would encompass the over sharing blogger, but those are the first that come to mind mind.  Before you think me a stone-thrower, let me tell you this...

I have been affected and ultimately motivated to write a post by all of these elements at some point or another.

Well, with the exception of the sociopathic one (although I'm sure a couple of my regular readers would argue that point with me).   So you see, I'm not beyond the reach of these very real human emotions.  I do take exception, however, with the people that are primarily motivated by them and use their blog or Twitter as an outlet. 

So what are you to do when you come across an oversharer?  First, have a bit of tolerance.  Everybody slips up now and again, so if this is an exception as opposed to a rule, just be patient.  Chances are, after a little outburst, the author is more embarrassed about writing that than you think.  Second, if you actually know an oversharer personally, it's probably a good idea to approach them out of love and let them know that the world is tired of hearing about their bathroom habits. 

If I have been a reader/follower of somebody for a while and notice a pattern of oversharing, I do what they fear the very most: I simply turn them off.  I don't give notice, I don't send a series of emails explaining my departure.  I simply go away.  That's one less tick on the analytics counter, and believe me...they notice the drop in their stats and it is a stronger message than 100 strongly worded letters.

I have thoughts about the "cure" for blog over sharing, but I think I will let them stay in my head as opposed to writing them down here.  The summary of these thoughts however center around a real relationship with Christ.  When He is the center of our lives...the true center, not just the expressed center...then it's likely the need for over sharing will go away.  Anger disapates, ego stroking minimizes and our security is found in Him.  Not overnight, but as the relationship strengthens we find our strength in Him.  And that, my friends, is a good thing.

Highway Vlog Episode 3: What if...

Over at mattsingley.com I have posted a new Highway Vlog.  If you go to the main page of the site you can see the video in a larger format, better image and sound quality.  You can click straight through to the archive (comment/blog) section to see a smaller version and leave a note.

I'm discussing two words: what if.  To some people those are words that bring a lot of hope and excitement, to others they have a negative connotation.  This quick video explores that.

Oversharing and Attention-Blogging Part 1

I read a series of very interesting blog posts today, a rabbit trail of writing that dove into the subject of the (apparent) psychological dysfunction of some bloggers, the decent new media balance of others.

I started with a post by Brad Feld called "I Blog, I Tweet, But Why". Being new to Brad's blog, I looked around the header and sidebar for interesting tidbits before I started reading.  What caught my eye is his Feedburner box in the upper right corner.  At first I thought it said 1205 readers.  Wow, that's quite a few.  Wait a minute...that isn't a five, it's a "k".  What the...one hundred twenty thousand readers?  Is that right?!?  But I digress.

In this post Brad talks about living a public life, a life of blogging and tweeting. It's a short read and does not go too deep, but he brings up some interesting points.  I like what he says about his oversharing, his mis-tweets.  He says,

The notion of living in public is an unintended side effect of this. It's part of the package if you really want to engage with this stuff. I've had my share of bad moments; like Fred the worst is when I piss off my wife Amy with something I write.  It doesn't happen often, but every now and then I get an email saying approximating "please delete that tweet".

I haven't had that experience too much, although I can relate to what he is talking about.  Sometimes those of us that live in the virtual world do share too much about our actual worlds, and it causes more than a little friction.  At the beginning of his post, Brad mentioned Fred Wilson and one of his posts, so I clicked on that to see what inspired his words for today.

I recently started following Fred Wilson on Twitter, at the urging of my friend Jared.  I haven't been reading his blog though, so this was a first for me.  His post from May 25 is called "Can We Live In Public?" In it Fred goes more in depth than Brad did, looking into a life under the lens of public observation via social networks and the new media. He mentions Emily Gould early on, we'll get to her in a moment.

Fred talks about mean things being said in the comments from people he doesn't know.  I've experienced this many times.  To my initial surprise (although I am no longer surprised by this, I have learned), I have even received mean comments from people I do know!  Fred responds by saying this:

But there will be mean things said in the comments. It's easy to say mean things to a computer. Harder to someone's face. I've learned to take the hit and move on. I never delete the comments unless they are spam or porn or hate speech (and I don't mean hating me). I figure by leaving them there, I am airing their hateful views for everyone to see. And I love it when Jackson or someone else who knows me well gives them a piece of mind.

I have opted toward a similar stance and have only deleted comments a handful of times in 8 years of blogging. Even though it stings to see those words come across a computer screen, I leave them there, unless...especially if...they are referencing somebody else. I can take my licks, but I won't let my blog be a forum for others' hatred toward the world.  Fred wrapped up his short post (though longer than Brad's) with this great thought:

But why live in public? It is necessary? No it is not. But humans are social beings. We were social in caves. We are social in cyberspace. And those who are extroverts will be extroverts online. And there is a lot to be gained from living publicly online. As long as you know where to draw the line.

And therein lies the problem.  Many people don't know where to draw the line.  For a look into this world of online social activity I clicked through to Emily Gould's recent article in the New York Times simply titled "Exposed".

This is a lengthy article, probably one of the longest articles that I've read online in a long time.  Usually if something can't be summarized in the first 1,000 characters I don't read it.  However, this article had me captivated.

For ten pages (web pages anyway, five minutes worth of reading) she goes into great detail about her online adventure with Gawker, a site devoted to "media gossip and pop culture round the clock".  Not a site that I have ever been to before, nor will I go in the future, but it's obviously very popular.

Emily talks about how her obsession led to the destruction of at least two relationships, a job and maybe even her sanity.  It's a gripping and somewhat sad tale, although Penelope Trunk does not seem to have any sympathy for her.  On the fourth page of her article, Emily mentioned another blogger that openly stated, "attention is my drug" and infers strongly that she can relate.  She even talked about the addiction of receiving comments on her blog:

It’s easy to compare the initial thrill of evoking an immediate response to a blog post to the rush of getting high, and the diminishing thrills to the process of becoming inured to a drug’s effects. The metaphor is so exact, in fact, that maybe it isn’t a metaphor at all.

I encourage you to read the entire article, it can be found here.  If you are a blogger or a tweeter, I especially encourage you to read this. If you click through to the comments you will find that she gets absolutely blasted, as does The Times, for this article.

In part two of this post I'm going to discuss what fuels attention blogging and oversharing from my point of view.  It's not scientific and it's not pretty, but I'm pretty sure it's accurate in too many circumstances.  It may hit too close to home.  Stay tuned.