News Bites

 

This coming days will be a busy ones for me. I’m looking forward to attending Close Encounters..with M. Night Shyamalan – clips and conversation with Carrie Rickey tomorrow night at the Perelman  theater.  I’m looking forward to learning new stuff during this event and writing about it on the blog.  During the weekend, I’ve a 10 mile training run scheduled and I’m adopting a dog on Sunday. Also, did you know it is the season for pickling cucumbers and beets?  Let me tell you, there is nothing like a good pickled beet salad. Anyone who tells you differently is an idiot.

I’ve a lot on my plate in the upcoming days, yet the world still turns and drama occurs daily.  While I’m out living life, here are a few news items that have caught my attention. Feel free to leave your thoughts on this topics in the comment section.

1. Some data points to think about regarding DOMA – via The Foundry.  There is way too much rhetoric being flung about regarding DOMA and the SCOTUS ruling. I want to inject a bit of measured data into this discussion, also I want my readers to have access to reasoned facts instead of flaming rhetoric.

50        The number of states whose marriage laws remain the same after the Court’s marriage decisions.

38        The number of states with laws defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. That includes California, where the scope of today’s Prop 8 decision beyond the specific plaintiffs will be the subject of ongoing debate and, most likely, further litigation.

12        The number of states that can now force the federal government to recognize their redefinition of marriage. The Court struck Section 3 of DOMA, which means that it must recognize same-sex marriages in states that redefine marriage.

1          The number of sections of the Defense of Marriage Act struck down yesterday (Section 3). Section 2, which ensures that no state will be forced to recognize another state’s redefinition of marriage, is still law.

0          The number of states forced to recognize other states’ redefinition of marriage.

The important news you may not be hearing is that the U.S. Supreme Court did not redefine marriage across the nation. That means the debate about marriage will continue. States are free to uphold policies recognizing that marriage is the union of a man and a woman, so that children have a mother and a father.

2. Regarding the SCOTUS decision on Prop8 – I am troubled – not by the content of Prop 8 but the undermining of basic democratic self governance. The people of California voted for Prop8 twice and their will should be respected by all. Equality cannot be forced, it must be earned. That is the ugly marketing truth the gay and lesbian community have not learned as of yet.  Inexplicably.

3. So who, outside the dayside producers of MSNBC, didn’t see this confirmation coming? IRS auditor reconfirms conservative groups, not liberal groups were targeted by the IRS.    It seems the IRS is truly the bogeyman we all loath and fear.  Now would be a good time to start discussion on how to reign in and defang this beast.

4. What in the name of physics is causing this ancient Egyptian statue to rotate? I’m hoping one of my NSA watchers could anonymously comment on why this is happening.  Don’t worry, I won’t tell 🙂

 

5.  ICYMI – It appears a pork laden amnesty bill passed Senate scrutiny today and all reports point to it being DOA in the House.

Blog Reader Survey

Hello dear readers!

I would greatly appreciate your thoughts and ideas on how to make this blog better for you.

If you have a few minutes, I’d love for you to answer a few questions on my fancy-pants Google docs survey form.  I’ll keep this survey open for the month of January before tabulating the results. In February, I’ll share the results of this survey on the blog.

Thanks for your help with this survey!

Apparently iFrame does not like to work with WordPress. Sorry for that.

Click  HERE for a direct link to the survey if you cannot view the survey embedded in the post.

 

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FILLING OUT THIS SURVEY!

Where in the Web is Tania?

The interweb is a huge entity and growing by the nanosecond.  It is a place that I find endlessly fascinating and have joined a social media site or two. To make it easier to find me, I’d thought I’d curate a list of other social media/websites that I’ve joined and actively participate:

RebelMouse
RebelMouse is a curation of my social media expressions and now is a Page within this blog. You can click on Skye820 and view my curated social media footprint in one place.

Digital Rev
Great photography site with a social media backbone. Another area to get more eyeballs on my photography, learn new techniques and meet new photographers.

About.Me
About.me will replace the About page on this blog.

Urban Garden Goddess
A blog I’ve had for a few years where I document my struggles and successes in urban vegetable gardening.

Tumblr – A place to share more of my Instagram goodness. Honestly, what else do you do with a Tumblr site?

Come join me on Pinterest, soon we will all be assimilated 🙂

These sites are in addition to the usual suspects of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Mezamashii – A Brilliant Run

Thanks to Ericka at The Sweet Life blog, I was selected to receive  a pair of Mizuno running shoes. Mizuno sponsors the Mezamashii Run Project and has been working with bloggers who run to spread the word about their Mezamashii Run Project.

What is the Mezamashii Run Project? Mizuno explains:

The Mezamashii Run Project is an effort by Mizuno to help create a more euphoric running experience — a more “brilliant” run — for more runners everywhere. The word “mezamashii” means “eye-opening” or “brilliant” in Japanese — it’s a word that captures the euphoric feeling of a brilliant run.

A brilliant run – I’ve tasted that sweet feeling a time or two and it makes every nanosecond of early morning runs, weekend runs, midweek after work runs worth the time and effort. It makes up for every ache and pain or injury incurred during training runs. It blasts away dark doubts floating around your head as you contemplate where your running journey is taking you

Yes, a brilliant run can do that and much, much more.

Thanks to Ericka and Mizuno, I am looking forward to trying out the Alchemy 11 series. I fully intend to put this shoe to the test with the following upcoming races:

2012 SheRox Triathlon – Philly
2012 ING Rock&Roll Half Marathon – Philly
2012 Run the Bridge
2012 Philadelphia Marathon
2012 Annapolis Half Marathon

Source: mizunousa.com via Tania on Pinterest

 

Please check back here for an in-depth review of the Mizuno shoes and for entertaining race recaps.

Happy Running, All!

Don’t Panic Monday

Monday, July 9th is the day nearly a half million people will lose internet access due to a malicious malware called DNS Changer.

Don’t panic. You most likely aren’t infected with DNS changer…I hope.

No need to build a survival shelter, just go HERE to see if your computer is free of this malware. If you see GREEN you are malware free.

Oh boy, this report might drive some stick their heads in the sand  – UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DROPPED IN EVERY STATE THAT ELECTED A REPUBLICAN GOV. IN 2010

Blissdom 2012 Photowalk

What happens when a group of shutterbugs  participates in a photowalk lead by Lotus Carol?  Photo madness with tons of pretty photos taken by very talented photographers.

I have to admit, I wanted to make an impression with this group and totally brought my A game to this photowalk. Usually, photography is the least competitive area of my world yet this day I found myself with a curiously competitive edge. Usually, I’m relaxed and happy to share my knowledge with anyone who asks. This day, I was having none of that. Funny thing though, I liked having that fire motivating me during the photowalk. It certainly must have been something, as my Canon 40D did not act up at all during the walk. I can’t say the same for the rest of the trip, but for a pleasant two hours the camera performed perfectly.

This was a photowalk, so let’s have a look at some photos. Below the cut are a few favorite photos I took during the walk.

Lessons Learned at Blissdom 2012

In February I had the opportunity to attend the fabulous Blissdom conference in Nashville, TN.

The conference was packed full of knowledge, inspiration and networking. So much so, it took till now to sort through the experience and write about it. Actually, up until last week, I was still mulling over the best way to describe the essence of this conference. Then last week,  several narrow minded women decided to broadcast vicious misconceptions about Stay At Home Moms (SAHM’s) for blatant political reasons.

I was stunned at the cynical and ignorant tone of these statements, yet their words helped focus my impression of the Blissdom conference and attendees.

It was my pleasure to spend time with 700+ women (and a few gentlemen), a majority of whom claim the title of  Mom. In fact, several attendees brought their children with them to this conference.  Of the mom’s in attendance, I suspect a large portion of them are SAHM’s.

My impressions after interacting with the attendees was 1,000% positive.  I truly suspect there are several ‘Bill Gates’ in the making within the Blissdom community. This in not hyperbole on my part, the women I encountered have brilliant branding and marketing skills. They have drive, a positive attitude and the entrepreneurial skills to be successful in their ventures. The organizers of the Blissdom Conference – the Bliss Chicks – completely get this and have created a powerful platform to celebrate,  promote and support women entrepreneurs within the online community.

While our nation struggles with a faltering economy, women who run craft business from home are revolutionizing the corporate landscape and blazing new trails of economic opportunity for others. Blissdom organizers  sponsored a Handmade Marketplace to highlight and support these at home entrepreneurs.

These women wear many hats – mom, entrepreneur, blogger, photographer, writer, artist, future Bill Gates – they cannot be so easily dismissed or placed into a one size fits no-one political category. These women (and men) represent hope. Hope for a better tomorrow for their family, for their community, for our nation.  It is a beautiful thing to should be celebrated and supported and thanks to the Blissdom Conference and its online community – it is 🙂

 

 

First Amendment Protects Bloggers,too

With no legal codification of ‘journalism’, Federal Judge Marco Hernandez employed his own interpretation of what constitutes journalism in the recent libel trial of Obsidian Finance Group v. Cox.

This is a dangerously slippery slope for all bloggers and citizen journalists sharing news of events around them on their blogs.

Yes, this is as bad, if not worse than SOPA. An op-ed by Jason Stverak in the Washington Examiner gives a chilling look at the First Amendment implications:

Hernandez ruled that blogger Crystal Cox was not entitled to the same protection under media shield laws that other members of the press enjoy. This ruling made it easy for a jury to find her guilty of libel. That result threatens the First Amendment rights of all citizen-journalists.

With the Internet increasingly serving as the dominant source of information, a national debate has been taking place asking the question, who is a journalist? Legal scholars, journalism academics and First Amendment advocates all have their opinions and as expected, there is little agreement.

But why is this issue so complicated? Bloggers, like all citizens of the United States, have First Amendment rights. Has the definition of a journalist changed? Or has perception and therefore legal definition simply not adjusted to modern technology?

According to Professor Kyu Ho Youm of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, Judge Hernandez “ruled correctly” in the Cox case. But he also acknowledges that the ruling was based on his “textual interpretation” and that “pre-Internet law needs updating.”

Others blogging on this subject:

Marathon Pundit

The Mental Recession

Protect Your Voice

We live in an amazing age of information pollination, where news and views can be disseminated globally literally within minutes. This technology allows for information sharing and collaboration between distant populations in ways that were practically and physically impossible a decade or two ago.

In recent months there has been an insidious threat to this wellspring of information in the form of SOPA. Bloggers and citizen journalists, better known as new media journalists, are not afforded the same protections within the legal system as print media journalists. They lack coverage under state shield laws and are not granted Freedom of the Press rights. The dissemination of information is no longer controlled by traditional media outlets, and shield laws should be updated to reflect this shift in reporting.

Protect your Voice.

Sign the Petition. 

 

UPDATED! Gaining Bliss and Much, Much More at Blissdom 2012

UPDATE:  Thanks to all the commentators for you kind words of welcome!  I will make a point to meet each one of your personally at BlissDom 12.

This coming February 23 to the 25th I will be indulging in some well earned Bliss – I’m attending the 2012 BlissDom Conference in Nashville, TN.

What is BlissDom Conference? It is a highly regarded conference for women who find bliss in blogging. The conference attracts talented, highly skilled experts in Social Media, Blogging, Publishing, and Public Relations to share their knowledge with Blissdom attendees.

Allison Worthington, Paula Bruno, and Barbara Jones of Blissdom Events are the dynamic trio that make Blissdom the premier women’s conference in the United States and Canada.

There a several reasons I’m attending this conference, the most important reason is the subject matter presented at this conference. The four tracks presented: Life Development, Photography, Writing, and Business are presented in a way that engages the audience to put into practice the subject of discussion then evaluate their results.

Pure Awesomeness.

Gone are top down lectures followed by a brief Q&A.  This format is a highly effective way to share knowledge and it is what sold me on attending BlissDom.

Although I may be a ‘newbie’ to BlissDom, I’m quite experienced in attending conferences for professional and personal reasons. I’m looking forward to this conference, as I feel I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and entering into the unknown. Typically at conferences I’m surrounded by familiar faces and subject matter. With BlissDom, however, the only person I’ll recognize is Alli Worthington. Most bloggers, if not all, attending this conference are not regular readers of my blog. I see this conference is an opportunity to introduce myself and find common ground within a blogging community that rarely crosses my blogging path.

So, if you are planning to attend BlissDom 12, please leave a comment and feel free to say hello at the conference. You can spot me as I will be sporting a Sting – Dream of the Blue Turtles purse:

PS: I’m flying into Nashville on February 22nd and I’m looking for photo walk tips around Nashville and good running trails near the Opryland Hotel.