Seven Principles of Community

Community Chest, Daily Dose, Personality, Work /

I’d really like to see those of us who work in community, particularly online community, get away from the phrase “community building”. I’ve never liked it but for lack of a better term or in order to help people understand community, I’ve been using the darn phrase for about 10 years. I’m really done with it. I’m not done with these Seven Principles though.

If you read through those principles, it’s very basic, easy even. Be honest, open and interesting. And show respect for the people who make up your community.

It’s about basic human relations, and creating a strong foundation for long-term, two-way mutually beneficial relationship.

It’s just that easy. Really.

What kind of relationship do you have with your community if you don’t talk, if you don’t listen, if you don’t show respect, if you don’t make a personal connection?

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iPod Touch

1 Comment / Daily Dose, Day to Day, Family Funk, Kid Talk, Melissa Ferrick, Sights & Sounds /

Michelle confiscated my iRiver months ago and I haven’t seen it since. OK I have seen it, every day, attached to her ear as I’m driving her to school or work. I sometimes reach over and pet it, and she snatches it away. It has somehow become hers. And I want it back.

So, I did the only thing I could do. I bought her a new music player. An iPod Touch, to be exact. And she has no idea. She knows I bought her a present and it was arriving today. She also knows I was thrilled that it was arriving today because she has school til 2:45 and then works from 3 til 11. This means I get to play with her present before she does.

And play with it I have. It is awesome. Not quite awesome enough to buy one instead of an iPhone but very close. Very close.

Awesome.

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101 Things Update

5 Comments / 101 Things, Daily Dose /

October 1 is always a pretty good day for me. October 1 means I made it through another hell month aka September. I hate September.

I would like to say that I got a ton of things done from my 101 things list but that would be a lie. At least I didn’t expect to get much done. Alright, moving down the list…

We listened to a book on audio and what a great book it was. Thank you John Green!

Yea! I just updated my blogroll after months and months of not even thinking about it. (You’ll notice I still haven’t finished fixing the template or editing all of those broken links in the archives. Now that October is here, I plan on doing a little bit of “blog cleaning” every day. Not that this is at all related to my 101 things, I’m just sayin.)

I called my SISTER which is not on my 101 things list but should be worth crossing 2 call my brothers off of the list. But I guess that would be cheating. Someone remind me to call my brother this month, ok?

OK that drink only water thing, I think someone put this on my list while I wasn’t looking because I surely would never have put something THIS stupid on there. I haven’t even considered trying to scratch this one off. I have, however, successfully avoided opening a can of soda or ordering soda at restaurants for a month. So tomorrow I’m going to work on the only water thing. Wish me luck, I will totally need it.

Does Wii play count as “Family Game Day” I think it must since I had bruises to show for it.

I had to re-think that whole save my paycheck/donate my paycheck thing. But I have a new plan (to go with my new job) and I managed both this month.

The most important thing on the entire list was completed. I’m proud. I managed to watch all six of the Star Wars movies without falling asleep. It was touch and go for me during a few of them (and Prince J dozed his way through one, hahaha) but I did it. And I’m glad. And I’m really glad that I will never have to watch another Star Wars again. Ever.

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I got tagged, again. More randomness

4 Comments / Daily Dose, Personality /

I’ve said it before, I don’t know what random MEANS when it comes to memes. They all seem so random, don’t they? Anyway, here you go, Mrs Micah – random or maybe not so much, seven things about me.

1) I have a very large office but for several years have worked from the comfort and safety of my bed. I’m about to move back into the office and the idea makes me a little nervous.

2) When KT did my chart at BlogHer 07, the look on her face was priceless. While it may sound like this item is about KT, it isn’t. It’s about me – and my chart – which always surprises people. I am a complicated human being.

3) Having a job that isn’t sucking my soul is also making me nervous. Which means maybe I’m a little like MF, when things get good, I get … something. Not sad, just … something else.

4) When I lived in the Philippines, I actually enjoyed cooking. I no longer enjoy it and will do almost anything (including sell my soul) not to have to do it. Luckily I have TW to cook for me and serve me dinner in bed.

5) I am not an Evelyn Waugh fan.

6) I do not like other people to clean my kitchen, or more specifically load my dishwasher. This includes my family members. In fact if I am at your house for dinner I would prefer to do clean up – alone. I know. I’m weird. Blame my mother.

7) Last week I got a Wii fitness score of 43 and I was thrilled! (I am 43 after all.)

Let’s see – who should I tag? How about these three?

A Day in the Life of Thomas (I’d like to hear quirky things about TJ, heh)

What’s Next

Joy of Six

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Selling or Sucking?

5 Comments / Daily Dose, Personality, Questions and Answers, Work /

Last night, TW and I were sitting out on the front porch, as we often do, lost in our own thoughts.  Quiet until she said something about “soul sucking jobs” – which was interesting because I had been thinking about “jobs that make you sell you soul”.

Is there a difference between a soul sucking job and one that asks you to sell your soul?  Is it a matter of perspective? Or personality? Or something else entirely?

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Garden Spells

2 Comments / 2007, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Fiction, Women /

And to think I almost didn’t bother reading Garden Spells because I’m so far behind on my TBR list and haven’t even come close to finishing my A to Z challenge. I’d have missed a fun piece of chick lit.

A quirky southern town with all of the appropriate quirky characters, with magic and a bad guy and true love and also the token gay story line tossed in for good measure.

Excellent light reading. Almost made me want an apple.

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The Titan’s Curse

1 Comment / 2007, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

We’ve been looking forward to Percy Jackson and The Titan’s Curse for a long time. But, when I started reading it – I was afraid I was going to be very disappointed. It took me a few chapters to really get into it, that hasn’t happened with any of the other Percy Jackson books.

Thankfully, once the Oracle spoke things picked up and I read it just as quickly as I could – putting it down only when I had to get some work done. Now I’m back to being excited for the next one. Did Riordan announce the title of Percy 4 yet? Darn – not yet, but very soon.

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Goldenrod Music Redeemed Itself

1 Comment / Melissa Ferrick, Sights & Sounds /

I heard the UPS truck pull up about an hour ago. Weird. Not only am I not expecting anything by UPS at the moment (I am expecting stuff but either not by UPS or not quite yet) but also our UPS delivery is usually between 4:30 and 6:30 pm. What the heck was he doing here at all, and so early.

He jumps out of the truck carrying a small flat UPS type envelope. Weird. What is this? He hands it to me, wishes me a good weekend and jogs away as I look at the label. Ha. Goldenrod Music.

Inside, my three Live at Union Hall CDs and the bubble wrap regular mail envelope they had originally been in. They were shipped overnight and the package also included a 10% off coupon for my next order.

So. I’m not quite as grouchy with Goldenrod Music as I was earlier in the week – or the last two times I’ve ordered from them.

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