Blog

I discovered this fascinating New Zealand newspaper article — Using full stops in messages makes you sound ‘angry’, according to linguists — via the excellent online group Editors’ Association of the Earth. It argues that “If you’re the type of person that needs every message to be perfectly grammatically correct, it turns out you might not be putting forward the vibe you think you are. According to linguists, the use of punctuation – specifically full stops – is intimidating to a lot of young people, because it comes off as a sign of ‘anger’ in social media messages.”… Read More

I don’t expect to ever become a master craftsman. Yet it’s been incredibly satisfying, deep in the bones of my soul, to finally begin making time for a long-deferred interest. It’s important for me to adopt a beginner’s mind again, as it keeps my creativity supple. And it reminds me that nothing is ever forgotten, that the best parts of ourselves are timeless and waiting. They’re dry tinder ready to take a spark.… Read More

The key statistics you should track are the ones that tell you how your email is performing at each of the fundamental steps in your email marketing campaign. Your campaign starts when you click Send on your email, and it ends as each of your readers takes the action you want them to take, or don’t.… Read More

The WordPress community has moved along a challenging curve since the release of WordPress 5.0 and the Gutenberg Block Editor in December 2018. The adoption of the Block Editor, and the acceptance of a Gutenberg-powered WordPress as our new normal, is moving along that familiar statistical bell curve: the Technology Adoption Life Cycle.… Read More

Jindos are an incredibly resilient breed that can overcome traumatic circumstances and transform into beautiful, loving, peaceful family dogs. I’ve had the pleasure of living with a lot of breeds of dogs over the years, from Pit Bulls to Pyrenees, Chihuahuas to Border Collies, Airedales to Great Danes. And let me tell you, Jindos have style.… Read More

I find ongoing inspiration, and a childlike hope, in the daily beats and thrums of vibrant creative communities in particular. These come in all sizes, and while some focus on crafts and creative arts, others focus on a shared creation of a way of life or even the creativity of the well-lived spiritual path. In Washington, two communities have strongly impacted my life: the Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network (the BARN), and The Mountaineers.… Read More

This opportunity allowed me exposure to a vast range of challenges and learning experiences, from performing at my peak after 30 hours of travel, to overcoming cultural and language barriers, to discovering how to fruitfully contribute to a diverse team working in an even more diverse setting as we spent time in Beirut, Byblos, Balamand, and the mountains near the Syrian border.… Read More

“Why,” answers Mr. Alan Rickman, “the plan simply will not succeed without a dog.”
“Oh,” says Ziggy Stardust. “I know just the one then.”… Read More