BLOG OFFICIALLY CLOSED!

Peace in and out.

Ronnie Ann

Another Blog Bites the Dust!

Well…I think it’s time for me to let Out of My Head take a nice long rest on it’s blogging pillow. I’ve been on a break for a while to test the waters, and I just don’t feel tugged back here other than to say hello to old friends.

This has been a fun ride, but I have Work Coach to take care of (as I mentioned before it may be going commercial) as well as a new baby blog I’m trying on for size. Still, other than Work Coach, I really do think I’m pretty much blogged out for a while. We shall see.

Thanks for all your support and for helping make Out of My Head something I’ve really enjoyed. I hope you did too. I’ll keep it open just in case I ever need to pop back for whatever reason, but as of now, it’s gone fission!

Change is good. The river flows. New adventures await.

Namaste y’all!

Ronnie Ann

Leaving WordPress - and Finding WordPress?

UPDATES BELOW on TypePad and Blogger! (This post has turned into a short history of my exploration of three blogging platforms, my reactions as I went along, and what I finally decided was right for me.)

I’ve been thinking of braving the commercial blogging world for my Work Coach blog. Yes…I’ve read the forums and know I may soon be raking in pennies rather than megabucks. But then again…ya never know. Plus I think it will motivate me to grow the blog into something even more meaningful for me - hopefully still keeping it warm and welcoming.

Although I’ve been a huge fan of WordPress.com, moving to WordPress.ORG just seemed to be a little scary. Where would my lifelines come from? I decided to look for a place that promised more hand-holding and less need for a techie brain.

Another break (and blog) for me. Oh boy!

So once again I’m giving myself time off from this blog. In the meantime, in addition to my older posts, here’s something that might amuse.

If you wonder where I’ll be spending some of my time, I have another blog called Work Coach where I offer work-related thoughts and advice. Lately I’ve been getting a nice flurry of Dear Work Coach questions, and have had the pleasure of realizing a lifelong dream of having a Dear Ann Landers type advice column. Well…kind of.

I actually hold myself back from those snappy, in-your-face “Wake up and smell the coffee” remarks for which she was so well known. I do try my best, as she did, to give caring and practical advice - but without the famous one-two punch. But truth be told, at times I feel myself channeling Ann and, when I do, I have to wrestle those snappy-answer demons down by remembering there’s a real person on the other end who might need to be treated with kid gloves.

I love when someone writes back and lets me know my advice helped, although often it’s not much more than some comforting thoughts. Nothing make me feel better than to know I made someone else feel better. And it really does make up for all the tempting wise-ass remarks I had to let go.

So if you’re curious about some of the questions I get and want to see how surprisingly restrained and civilized I can be, you might want to check out the post where I get the most questions:

How to Tell If a Job Interview Went Well

And should you catch me being mean or snappy (at least on THAT blog), you have my permission to give me 40 lashes with a wet noodle! (Ann Landers would be so proud.)

See you after my break!

Out of HIS Head: An Off-the-Beaten-Track Blog That’s Fun to Browse!

I hope it’s ok to tell you about a blog called WTF? Random food for thought since I know the person who started it…but I really do get a big kick out of the things he comes up with.

My pal Terry B. of Blue Kitchen (a wonderful food blog out of Chicago), created a beloved stepchild blog where he gets to talk about anything and everything that pops into his head. (Right up my neural alleyway.) He’s a writer, creative director and photographer, so it’s not only a smart blog, but a feast for the eyes.

Just perusing some of his recent posts: he pays tribute to the man who gave the U.S. its first public library (with a surprise comment from the man who runs that library today); points us to the history of the world in five minutes; talks about the joy of snail mail; shows us our inner fish; plays meme tag (we learn he met his wife in an elevator); thinks green; and even gives us his 1.67 cents on the state of the penny.

Check it out if you’re looking for some random cool stuff to feed your head and eyes. I’m a big fan myself - and it has nothing to do with him being a lovely person and friend. It’s just fun:

WTF? Random food for thought

Oh…and, in a twist on the whole meme thing…anyone out there want to tell us about a cool off-the-beaten-track blog that you love and we might too?

—–

This one’s for you, CB.

If You Live in New York City (or anywhere else) PLEASE Join Me March 29 for Earth Hour 2008!

RubySchooZ, on her new blog A Thyme of Peas, just posted about a worldwide energy-saving event taking place on March 29, 2008. Borrowing from her words:

You can make a difference in helping to get others to take notice of the importance of saving energy by joining us in the “Earth Hour 2008″ campaign. The central goals for Earth Hour 2008 campaign are to help get as many people, houses, communities and businesses to turn off their lights on March 29th, 2008 from 8pm–9pm (local time).

The main goal of this campaign is to help make a bold statement that the climate changes we are facing are very real and that something as simple as turning out our lights is an important thing that is easily enough done and can truly make a difference.

I’m joining you, Ruby. Thanks for letting us know and thanks for your great new blog. I can’t say it any better.

How about you my fellow New Yorkers? (And anyone else of course.) Want to join us from 8-9 pm? It’s an easy way to make a statement and see what else life has to offer when the lights are off.

The event was created by the World Wildlife Fund chapter in Sydney Australia in 2007 and, according to the event website:

More than 100 cities across North America will participate, including the US flagships Atlanta, Chicago (your city rocks Terry B.), Phoenix and San Francisco - as well as Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

Even though my own fabulous home town New York City is NOT yet an official participant, I would love to see all of us join in big time! Mayor Bloomberg talks about conservation and congestion pricing, but where will he be when the lights go off? And why aren’t we one of those cities?

Hey…let’s show the world we do care, ok? My lights will be off. Please join me.

Thanks again, Ruby. You lead the way, grrrl!

——

For more information about the event and its origins:

Earth Hour 2008

No, Mr. Cheney, With 4000 U.S. Deaths in Iraq, the Biggest Burden is NOT the President’s

Seems Dick Cheney thinks President Bush is suffering more than the families of the 4000 Americans killed. (Not to mention all the others killed and maimed during this horrible war, as well as their families.)

In an ABC interview marking the solemn occasion, Mr. Cheney said:

“The president carries the biggest burden, obviously,” Cheney said. “He’s the one who has to make the decision to commit young Americans, but we are fortunate to have a group of men and women, the all-volunteer force, who voluntarily put on the uniform and go in harm’s way for the rest of us.”

Poor President Bush. Oh…there was some mention of the sacrifice the families have made too. But there was also a clear message in the statement that they are all volunteers. Ah…yes. So the burden for the families is lessened by that, is it? And the President, forced to make all those hard decisions, is the one suffering the most?

I think not Mr. Cheney. You should be ashamed of yourself for what you just said. As if the pain weren’t enough for the families, this is just rubbing salt into their wounds. And into the real wounds of all those living the rest of their lives psychologically and physically disabled because of a war you forgot to adequately plan.

What were you thinking?

——

To see what the National Priorities Project estimates

the dollar cost of the Iraq war to be as of this moment:

CLICK HERE

Joy and Peace Come from Within

One more random thought that came to me the other day. I will let it stand on its own:

Joy and peace come from within. We don’t need to wait for others to create it for us. We don’t need to blame others when we don’t have it.

Namaste.

Through My Brain, Out of My Head

Having a nice day and just felt like sharing what flashes through my brain while sitting here hugging my darling kitty Lucie and watching really bad TV.

Lots of talking heads slicing and dicing up political analysis to the point where every candidate begins to resemble Humpty Dumpty - after the fall. Lots of courtroom reality TV with neighbors, (former) friends, and loved ones suing each other and sneering a lot. Are people really this small-minded? Sheesh. And then of course there are the countless commercials telling us about some great new disease or at least some cool symptoms we could get.

Hah! Just look at what those of us who watch TV feed our poor brains during the day. No wonder I haven’t yet figured out how to solve our monetary crisis, bring peace to the world, or even invent a fail-safe cure for indigestion. And no wonder my brain produces so many fleetingly brilliant and then just as quickly forgotten thoughts.

Some of today’s random thoughts in no special order:

The Edge of the Wall (version 2)

Icy gnarled fingers

Troll the edge of the wall

Half-frozen question marks

Poised at the precipice

Releasing at long last

With a great sigh

To grasp the vast emptiness.

——

Fellow blogger Patrick suggested I make some changes to a poem I wrote the other day. So for fun, thinking about what he said, I rewrote the poem with an eye toward less is more.

Better? Not better? All comments, suggestions welcome. A work in process for sure.

The first version: