July 26, 2007

Table of Contents

I joined BookCrossing back in February of 2003 and registered my first book on March 13, 2003. The first book I actually journaled had been sent to me by a message board friend in Florida. I passed it on to another message board friend who lives here in Hawaii. Her screen name is Ghir and she and I had recently met and started going to the theatre together. She was the only BookCrosser I actually knew in real life. About a year later she and I both noticed the frequent release alerts from another local BookCrosser named Fanclub. We exchanged a few messages and decided to meet. We selected a restaurant and on January 25, 2004 I was delightfully surprised to find that a fourth member, Allysther, had been invited to join us. I don’t think any of us anticipated what a special thing was being birthed that day.

That’s Fanclub, me, Ghir and Allysther at a Zippy’s Restaurant in downtown Honolulu, the first meeting of what would eventually become The Table of Contents. We all had so much to talk about and thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company. I think that meeting ran three or four hours - none of us wanted to leave! We all agreed that this was something that needed to become a habit, so we set up another meeting and were soon inviting other BookCrossers to join in the fun. I think the largest gathering we’ve had was attended by about twenty people, but the average over the years is more like eight or ten.

We all love food almost as much as we love books. We decided early on that, rather than having a central headquarters, we’d select different restaurants for our gatherings. Each meeting allows us to taste a new menu, an added bonus to the good fellowship, our passion for BookCrossing and the great books that we share. Our foodie natures even played a role in the selection of our name. The literary reference is obvious, but there’s a little play on the words, too. We tend to go into fits of rapture over certain dishes, especially desserts. When that occurs we transition from being the Table of CONtents (with the expected pronunciation) to the Table of ConTENTS, acknowledgeing the contentment that comes with a good sugar high!

BookCrossing members around the world meet on a regular basis. I think that the Table of Contents has attained a level of “specialness” that others might not achieve, but the love of books and a desire to meet other BookCrossers is certainly a good enough reason to come together. Start by scanning the Conventions and Meetings Forum to see if there are any announcements for your region. If not, don’t despair. You can always Go Hunting for other BookCrossers in your area. You can contact them through private messages once you’ve found them through Release Alerts. Another option is to become active on the BookCrossing Forum and look for connections there. Some cities and regions have official meetups, others are more casual gatherings like ours. Do what works for you! There were “official” BC meetups going on in Honolulu around the time that the Table of Contents was formed, but their meetings were always on weeknights and in the city. That just didn’t work for some of us, so we created our own group. The other group still meets and we actually selected the same restaurant at the same time recently - lovely serendipity! While real life meetings are not a requirement for BookCrossing, they’re a wonderful enhancement to the experience. I hope some of you will discover the same joy that we have in getting to know each other!

Technorati Tags: BookCrossing, books, friends, reading groups, social gatherings

Footprints on the Moon

My friend Jennifer was really sick earlier this week, sick enough to have to go to the emergency room, so I was quite worried about her until she posted that she was finally feeling better. She’s such a fun gal and I’ve gotten used to seeing her on a meme we both do (the Self Portrait Sunday one) and on a message board where we both post, so I notice when she’s not around.

I love it that she took the inspiration for her blog name from the quote “Don’t tell me the sky is the limit when there are Foorprints on the Moon.” It’s such a perfect match, because if you know anything about Jennifer at all it’s that she’s got a positive and upbeat perspective on life. If you don’t know anything about her, well, shame on you. You should visit her blog and rectify that right away. She’s a person that I’m proud to call a friend and I’m sure you would be, too!

I was tickled to read her recent post about bento boxes, because I didn’t know they had become a trendy item. The bento has a long and honorable history in Hawaii, where it was first introduced by immigrant field workers. The Japanese, the Filipinos and the Portugese came here in succeeding waves when sugar cane was a major crop, and bento boxes were used to carry their lunches into the fields. I first heard of them right after I came over here. A neighbor had a death in the family and ordered bento boxes for all of funeral guests. You can pick them up at all of the local convenience stores and some of the restaurants. They’re a really popular option for feeding guests at funerals, wedding, graduation parties and other gatherings. But you’ll need some hoodia if you indulge too often, because they always have heaps of rice to go with whatever entree you choose. It will be interesting to see if other regions that have picked up on the trend put their own local identity into the contents. It really surprised me to see Jennifer’s post, because they’re such an everyday part of life here that I didn’t know the rest of the country was aware of. But, then, Jennifer is always finding little interesting things like that to share with her readers. You should go visit and get to know her. You’ll thank me for the introduction!

Technorati Tags: blogs, friends, just stuff

July 25, 2007

Writing right

Good writing can take my breath away. A book does not necessarily have to use a sophisticated vocabulary to please, me, but a writer who consistently exhibits a special level of deftness with the language will make me seek out their works again and again. I should check myself regularly with a pulse oximeter whenever I read Christopher Moore, because I find myself literally forgetting to breath as I get caught up in a particularly captivating turn of phrase or descriptive passage. Children’s author Cornelia Funke (or perhaps her English translator) has the same effect on me. Margaret Atwood always weaves a good tale and frequently excites in me that same overwhelming desire to pin her with a medal for a particularly clever arrangement of words. Of all of the books I’ve read in the last few years, though, I think that Walter Mosley’s The Man in My Basement has attained the highest honors in my own personal appreciation of literary excellence. I found my self pausing to re-read phrases, sentences and paragraphs again and again as I read this book, savoring their sweetness, laughing out loud (literally!) with sheer joy at Mosley’s exquisite writing.

As bloggers, we have the opportunity to improve our craft every day. I am not so bold as to compare my own writing to those paragons who inspire me, but they do inspire me and make me want to get better at what I do. The writers whose blogs I admire the most seem to share that mindset. Their blogs are proof that they challenge themselves each time they sit down to the keyboard, and that they focus on constant growth and improvement. I’ve constructed little writing exercises for myself towards those ends, and it’s occurred to me that other bloggers might like to join in. This Friday I invite you to join me in a new meme. The theme is simile and the goal is to stimulate us all to improve our writing. I don’t know yet whether this will become a weekly meme or an occasional feature. Perhaps that should be decided by the level of interest others have in the project.

The rules are simple. I will propose a subject for a simile. Each of us will select an object of comparison and give at least three reasons to support our choice. It’s a writing exercise, so don’t limit youself to making a list. Be expansive. Play with your words. Make it fun! There are no grades or prizes. The reward is in the self-satisfaction each of us will gain from becoming better writers. My simile will be posted on Friday, July 27th. Each participant will link their own post in my comments so that we all can enjoy each other’s offerings.

Your first assignment: A blog is like _________________. Write your piece and I’ll see you here on Friday!

Technorati Tags: blogging, simile, writing, writing exercises

July 24, 2007

BookCrossing.com

I wrote several posts about BookCrossing when I first started my blog, but that was a year ago. I have a lot of new reader’s now and haven’t mentioned BookCrossing in a while. I was reminded of that when Kate posted a comment to my birthday/Table of Contents post: “Love the way your group shares reading material and releases it into the wild. I sure wish we had something like that around here.”

Well, Kate, you do! Everyone around the globe does, or can have if they want it. Let me explain what BookCrossing is, then in a later post I’ll tell you a little about our own local group. The premise of BookCrossing is that books on a shelf aren’t doing anything for anyone. Sure, most readers have a few “keepers” that we read again and again, but, let’s face it, most of our books are just gathering dust. We read them once and then allowed them to become a permanent part of our decor. In my own home the more appropriate word would be clutter. Why not do ourselves a favor by reducing the clutter, while doing someone else a delightfully surprising favor at the same time? Why not give our books away as a random act of kindness?

Sounds pretty crazy, doesn’t it? But think about it. If you really liked the book, you’ll be giving someone else the opportunity to discover the same joy you found between its pages. If you didn’t care that much for it, well, why are you keeping around anyway? There’s a reader out there for every book ever printed. Let serendipity take a hand in bringing the two together.

It’s really easy to get started. Pick a couple of books off of your shelves and click on my referral link. You’ll land on a page with instructions for registering to be a BookCrossing member. (It’s not the kind of referral where I make money off of you, but I get to call you friend if you use my link.) Once you’re a member, you’ll learn about The Three Rs: Read, Register, Release. Let’s assume you’ve already read the book. Now register it with BookCrossing. Takes about two minutes, maybe a little more if you choose to make a comprehensive journal entry about your experience with the book (not mandatory, but a very cool thing to do.) As soon as you get the book registered you’ll be given a unique BookCrossing ID number. Put this BCID inside the front cover of the book. There are labels on the site you can download, or you can just write the BCID along with a brief message if you prefer. BookCrossing also sells beautiful, self-stick bookplates you can use. Great way to support the service, but that’s not mandatory either. BookCrossing is free, so it’s only going to cost you money if you choose certain options. Now it’s time to start the fun stuff. Relase your book! Leave it on a park bench or a table at a restaurant. ATMs are great places to leave books, as are bus stop benches. Let your imagination guide you. Add a note to your book’s entry noting where you left it. Someone will find your book and take it home. If they have a computer, they’ll go to BookCrossing and enter the BCID number. They’ll read what you wrote about the book and some of them will be inspired to make their own entry. It’s an amazing experience to discover that the book you left in front of the corner drugstore has found a new home and made someone happy. It’s even more thrilling when your book grows legs and travels around the world! You’ll love it when your books start writing home to tell you about their adventures!

Those are the basics. There’s a lot more you can do with Bookrossing. Make sure you sign up for release alerts. That will notify you when someone sets a book free in the region you’ve selected. You can put on your safari hat and go hunting. Finding a book released by another BookCrosser is almost as thrilling as having one of your own books found. I also swap a lot of books with the local BookCrossers that I meet with on a regular basis. I go through fanatical stages with my BookCrossing from time to time, so the books I’ve registered don’t necessarily reflect my personal taste. I sometimes buy used books at thrift stores specifically for release. I usually end up reading a few of them, but most of those are released unread (by me) with a specific purpose. Before they closed down the homeless encampment near my home I made it a habit to release books there on a regular basis. I don’t expect to hear back from those books, but that’s okay. They’re out there making people happy. Some of my used books were purchased so that I could participate in release challenges among other BookCrossers. No one is going to police you to make sure you follow a specific pattern, so have fun with BookCrossing in whatever way works for you!

BookCrossing will assign you a bookshelf when you register. That’s the place where you keep track of the books that you’ve put into the system. I’m hopelessly behind on journaling, but you can see some of the books I’ve registered and released on
my bookshelf if you’d like.

Edit: Here’s my post about The Table of Contents, the local BookCrossers that I meet with in real life.

Technorati Tags: bookcrossing, books, reading

Tuesday Teaser photo verification

Y’all are getting too good at this! Congratulations to Jennifer, who shut my contest down in under twelve hours, lol! How will I ever find time to go look at some Wilmington NC real estate if y’all keep making me spend all of my time writing up linky love for the winners? There was no winner last week, so Jennifer will get two linky love posts for the blog(s) of her choice, and will be entered twice in the gift card drawing which will be held after next week’s contest closes.

Technorati Tags: blog contest, contest, photo contest, photo puzzle

Tuesday Teaser for July 24, 2007

Can you identify the item depicted above? Take your best guess and post it in the comments below. If your guess wins, you’ll win a nifty prize. Here’s how it works:

1. Write a comment giving your guess as to what the item is.
2. First person to identify the item wins.
3. The author of this blog will be the sole judge as to what constitutes a correct answer.

What will you win?

1. The author of this blog will write a LINKY LOVE POST (review) about the winner’s blog. The LLP will contain the url for your blog plus at least two deep links and will be posted here on Skeet’s Stuff, a PR4 blog. Skeet writes good reviews.
2. The winner’s name will be entered into a drawing for a $10.00 gift card from Starbucks or Amazon.
3. Because there was no winner last week, the winner this week will get TWO linky love posts and will have their name enetered twice in the gift card drawing.
3. Drawing for the gift card will be held on or about Augist 3, 2007, and will include all weekly winners for the month. There are five Tuesdays in July, thus the maximum number of people who will be eligble is five.

Other stuff

1. All comments to this blog are time and date stamped. The winner will be the first person (according to time and date stamp) to provide the correct answer.
2. No hints will be given.
3. Answers must specifically identify the item. For instance, if the item depicted were to be a button on a remote control, the answer “button on something electronic” would not suffice.
4. Decisions of the judge are final. Don’t argue with me. I won’t answer.
5. I will attempt to post every few hours as to whether or not a winner has been declared, but I am not continuously at the keyboard so please be patient.
6. Entries must be posted before 12:30 a.m. Thursday, July 26, 2007, Hawaii time (GMT -10, approximately forty-eight hours from now.)
7. This is intended to be an ongoing feature at Skeet’s Stuff. If it turns out to be a dud it will cease to exist, but all qualified winners will get their prizes.
8. Skeet’s Stuff is a do-follow blog, so you get some link value just for commenting.
9. Let the fun begin!

Technorati Tags: contests, photos, photo contest, blog contest

July 23, 2007

Creative recycling

I just went out to get my mail and discovered that yet another palm frond has fallen. Both of my palm trees are tall enough now that I can’t just reach up and whack the dying fronds off like I used to do. If I have the ladder out for other chores I usually check them and cut away any fronds that are getting ready to fall, but most of the time I just wait and let nature take its course. The problem with this is that by the time they fall naturally, the base and the thick central stem are very hard and woody, so I can’t cut them up with my machete or clippers. I can saw them into pieces, but my writsts are really bad lately and it’s pretty painful for me to do that. My friend Paul has been promising for weeks that he’d come whack them up and take them to the greenwaste facility for me, but he’s not exactly the reliable type, so now I have eight or ten giant palm fronds taking up my spare parking slot. This got me to thinking about ways I could use them up instead of throwing them out. I’d like to try to use the scoop-like base of one to make an orchid planter, but that will still leave me with a large supply. If I were the truely creative type I could pretend I’m one of the Lost survivors and and build myself some Bush furniture out of the deadfall. I’m pretty sure I could handle weaving chair seats out of the leaves, but I’d need a lot of help for the rest of the construction. Help from someone who is skilled in building furniture. Um, yeah, that would be Paul. Guess I’d better take this idea back to the drawing board.

Technorati Tags: furniture, palm trees, recycling

Pimp my ride

I haven’t used an alarm clock in years. If I know that I have to be up before eight o’clock, I set up a wakeup call on my phone. I’m invariably awake before the phone rings at six. My natural body rhythm is pretty reliable about waking me each day between five and six, unless I’m sick or have been up very late. I like allowing the rising sun and the cooing doves to bring me gently into awareness that a new day has dawned. I really, really hate being jarred abruptly from sleep. This morning a rude neighbor subjected me to that with the horrendously loud stereo in his truck. He’s made a real nuscience of himself lately, and his extreme rudeness this morning got my creative juices flowing. I think I’d like to design a line of car and truck accessories with revenge against the idiots of the world in mind.

My first invention would be a boom-type stereo that only plays the sound of a dental drill, and comes with a directional sender. Every time I’m subjected to someone else’s blaring bass, rocking my car and making my teeth ache, I’d point my device at the offender, bombarding them with the worst sound known to humankind, at least fifty decibles louder than their own noise.

Next is a little toy I created in my mind long ago. I want pop-out signs installed on each side of my car. They would be equipped with proximity detectors and activate whenever appropriate, allowing me to keep my attention on driving. The first sign I want is one that says “Slower traffic keep right. This means you, doofus!” I swear I think about that sign every time I get stuck behind someone going thirty-five in the left lane on the freeway and see one of the regulation road signs that more politely delivers the same message (and is ignored by everyone who needs it the most.)

There are other ideas perking around in my head, but I think you get where I’m going. I don’t do road rage. I take my frustrations out in imaginary revenge instead. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one to do so. I’d love to hear whatever ideas you’d like to contribute to my little driving accessories fantasy kit. Care to share?

Technorati Tags: car accessories, fantasies, rude drivers, rudeness, truck accessories

Frustrated blogger’s tee shirt

Since I’m already getting inquiries about the shirt I showed you yesterday it seems appropriate to pass on the info on how to get one. My friend Lee is the gal who did the artwwork for skeet’s stuff. We’ve known each other for years through a private message board. A few of the members aren’t blog readers at all, and the rest of us have experienced the frustration of having them ask about something that we bloggers think they should know. “You don’t read my blog, do you?” has become a catchphrase for us. Last week someone said we should have it on a tee shirt. Don’t you just love the speed with which the thought becomes the deed in the cyberworld? Within a few hours Lee had designed the shirt and set up a CafePress site to sell it.

So, yes, you too can now have your very own frustrated blogger’s tee shirt. They’re available in the usual range of sizes and several styles, with prices ranging from $8.99 to $16.99. I’m hoping she’ll eventually have colors to select from too, because I could see myself wearing this shirt every day, lol! Right now you can have any color your heart desires, as long as your heart desires white.

Technorati Tags: blogging, frustrations, tee shirts

Lovin’ my baby

In my last post I mentioned the attention I heaped on my first cars. My current ride is a 2003 Saturn L200 and I love her dearly. Hokulele (shooting star, comet) is the first new car I’ve ever bought, and still new to me though she’s four years old now. She’s my “first impression” when clients meet me, so I have an added impetus for keeping her looking her best.

Y’all know that another of my passions is supporting the local community. I combine the two interests most weekends by seeking out local youth groups doing carwashes. Sometimes it’s a canoe club or hula halau (school.) This weekend it was a Samoan penecostal youth choir group. I hate to pigeonhole anyone, but I have to say that Samoan kids are the best carwashers on the island! As soon as I pulled up they started spraying with hoses, before I could even get out and go to the table to pay. I was surrounded by a wall of wet teens and sudsiness. It took less than three minutes for them to finish giving Hokulele her bath.

One of the guys at the washing station saw me taking photos of the team doing the drying and decided he wanted to be in on the act. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s impossible to take photos of local boys without them posing and throwing a shaka.

Technorati Tags: carwash, community groups, Hawaii, local customs