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How not to run a competition

September 18, 2007 – 6:41 pm

Just over a month ago after I’d implemented a new weblog banner for this blog I thought I’d offer someone the chance to have a new one too. The deal was to leave a comment pleading your case as to why you thought you needed a new blog look.

I got lots of comments, but only two comments pleading their cases. One ended up dropping out because she needed more help than just a new banner. She found a WordPress guru to help her out so the other person won by default – it was close though.

We’ve had some contact and she told me what she liked and wanted. Then I realised I hadn’t asked her what words and/or logo she wanted in her banner and after two emails I haven’t heard back from her. If she reads this blog then the offer’s still open to her, but quite frankly I’ve lost a bit of interest after having heard nothing.

If I ever run another competition I will do it differently. For a start I will get people to enter via their own blog with a link back here which will help spread the word. I’d put the word out on BlogHer and on Bumpzee but there still weren’t enough people interested.

Perhaps the offer was something people just wouldn’t be interested in. Let’s face it, I’m not a renowned graphic designer.

What I should have done was consult ProBlogger more closely for tips on how to run a competition.

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My first Flickr meet, including a Flickr employee

September 17, 2007 – 8:21 pm

On Saturday I went to my first ever Flickr meet. I’ve been putting my photos on Flickr for at least two years now and had never really bothered with the social networking aspect of it until a few months ago when someone invited me to be his contact.

It turned out he was part of the SA Central group so I joined that as well. The SA stands for South Australia so it’s a good group to add photos to for me.

Whenever I think of it I add photos to this group and have a look to see what’s happening with the discussions (thank goodness for RSS feeds for Flickr discussions otherwise I’d never keep track).

A meet was organised for last Saturday because a real live Flickr employee – George (underneath the fire hose here) – who happens to come from Adelaide was going to be in Adelaide, and at this meet so I thought I’d go along too. I had been planning to get to earlier meets but couldn’t for various reasons. I was quite nervous. It was a bit like going on a blind date, but with a group of people instead of one person.

I recharged camera batteries and off JJ and I went to the Exeter Hotel in the city. I gave JJ my first digital camera so he could take some photos and he took absolutely heaps and did a really good job of them.

The group were very friendly and made me feel welcome so it was quite easy. I spoke very briefly to George and asked her how she started working at Flickr. I probably wasn’t the only one and she’s probably sick of answering that question and that’s the only time I actually spoke to her.

We went to a closeby rooftop where a bunch of artists work and took some more photos.

If you’re interested pop over here to see the whole collection.

So on Sunday as everyone was loading up their photos, some of them made me their contact and vice-versa, we commented on each others photos and I organised my photos into collections.

Overall it was good fun and I can’t wait to do more. JJ had a great time and he’s very keen to take more photos.

Oh, and one of the guys in the group likes taking portraits and he took a great one of JJ.

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So what’s there to do in Sydney?

September 15, 2007 – 7:55 am

I’m going to be in Sydney in two weeks time – yee hah! I’ll be busy at the Web Directions conference for two days but will have Saturday all to myself. I’m staying near Darling Harbour so will undoubtedly do some touristy things but I’m wondering what else there is to do and/or see.

I like shopping, and because I’ll be somewhere other than Adelaide will be looking for the types of things that can’t be found in Adelaide. Last time I was in Sydney I went to the Glebe markets, so are there any other types of cool markets that I should know about?

Are there any other Sydney things to do that aren’t in touristy websites? I’d love word of mouth recommendations please.

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No more kisses for me?

September 13, 2007 – 11:24 am

This morning I dropped JJ off at school. When we say goodbye we have a huggle and I try to remember to tell him that I’ll pick him up at after school care, or I’ll be at school to pick him up when classes have finished. I remembered to do that this morning.

As we finished our huggle (it’s a cross between a cuddle and a hug) he said, ‘I suppose this is where we have a kiss.’

I said, ‘Yes, of course,’ as we puckered up to kiss each other goodbye.

He’s never ever said this before and while he wasn’t reluctant to kiss me, as I walked off to catch my tram I thought that it probably won’t be too long before he doesn’t want me to kiss him in the school yard any more.

I know it’s a part of growing up, but I’m really going to miss those goodbye kisses. Mind you, I will sneak them in whenever I can. How could you not kiss these lips?

When I was growing up I used to go and kiss my parents good night every night. I even – unknowingly – asked my dad’s cousin to come and give me a kiss one night as he walked in the back door of our house. I was in my room and thought it was dad and was mortified when I realised it was not. But around the time I hit puberty I walked into the lounge room one night and announced to my parents that I was getting too old for kissing them good night and never did it again. I do kiss them hallo and goodbye when I see them now as I don’t see them that often. Dad turns his head away acting all embarrassed but I do it anyway.

Do your kids still kiss you goodbye? If they don’t how old were they when they stopped?

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Carnival of Australia 12 September 2007

September 12, 2007 – 8:50 am

G’day from your hostess of the September 12, 2007 edition of Carnival of Australia. Below are the submissions to this carnival with all sorts of categories, including the walkabout (miscellaneous) one at the end.

So, crack open a coldie, put your feet up and get reading.

Animals

GrrlScientist presents Pretty Boys Have All the Chicks posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “Another lovely Australian bird species, the splendid fairy-wren, helps scientists answer a basic question about the nature of evolution.”

Culture

Dr Martin W. Russell presents “Law of Attraction” Is Good? posted at Dr Martin W. Russell.

Bryce presents Ratatouille posted at a strangled duck, saying, “A review of the movie ‘Ratatouille’”

Jen presents Safari suits down the generations posted at safari suit.

John Lampard presents Ignition posted at disassociated.com.

Current Affairs

Megt presents Social News Aggregation in Australia posted at Dipping into the Blogpond, saying, “An overview of Australia’s social news bookmarking / aggregating sites, which will allow Aussies to find, share and vote on local news. Confer, Kwoff, Bloggerati, Redruby, flyblown, Ausculture.com, PerthNorg and too right are profiled.”

Jen presents Chaser APEC stunt arrest posted at Semantically driven.

Roger presents APEC – 7 000+ take to Sydney streets – some pics posted at typing is not activism…., saying, “Just a bunch of fresh photos i took that hopefully capture some of the main messages on the day.”

Kirky presents Stomp out Child Abuse! posted at Kirkys Krafts & Chit Chat, saying, “Child Abuse is not just a Black Australian issues. Black and White Australian, it is time to stomp our feet and demand appropriate action to protect our kids.”

Flametree presents People, Police, Paths, Protests, Pictures posted at Cut the Bullshit, saying, “No swearing, I swear!”

Family

Veronica presents Life as a SAHM posted at Sleepless Nights.

Megan Bayliss presents WIN Science Toys for Christmas posted at Imaginif…, saying, “We Aussies invented the black box, the rubber glove and the inoculation for cervical cancer. A scientific lot, get your name in now to enter the draw for two children’s science kits.”

Helping a mate

Jeanette presents Teens and Safe Drinking posted at Imaginif…, saying, “From an Aussie now living in the UK – seems like beer drinking teenagers are everywhere. Will you help watch their backs? This could be your kid, or my kid.”

History

Geoff Foster presents How used we can get to luxuries! posted at Cockeyed Optimist, saying, “My first submission to a carnival”

Sport

edithyeung presents A Scuba Diver Who is Afraid of Water posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

Technology

Bryce presents Happy 3 month anniversary! posted at a strangled duck, saying, “I can’t believe my blog’s lasted three months!”

Andrew Boyd presents Following the dofollowers posted at On Blogging Australia.

Suzie Cheel presents How Many Connections Does Your Blog Have? posted at The Abundance Highway, saying, “A great new tool that you can use to see who and how each post is connected”

Travel

Colin Campbell presents I’ve Been Everywhere (Well a few places) posted at Adelaide Green Porridge Cafe, saying, “Some of the places I have been (and not been).”

Walkabout

Janette Toral presents 110 Blogs and Adelaide Weekend posted at Discovering Australia.

Jarrett Walker presents a run in the woods posted at Creature of the Shade, saying, “Why isn’t there a “nature” or “wilderness” category?”

Micellaneous Mum presents Blogging – redefining friendship in the 2.0 age posted at Miscellanous Adventures of an Aussie Mum,
saying, “I know this post has appeared a bit around the track this
week, but I am interested to hear on what Australian women have to say
about blogging friendships, because I think (and I may be wrong) that
blogging as community driven/inspired/nurturing still has to come a bit
of a way here yet.”

Albert Foong presents 5 weeks to developing the magic of visualisation posted at Urban Monk,
saying, “Visualization is a powerful tool for many areas of your
personal growth. It trains your mind and your body. However, it is not
as easy as many think it is, and there isn’t much proper information
available. Even if we can do it, the question is – how do we best apply
it?”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Carnival of Australia

using our

carnival submission form.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

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The dinosaurs have taken over

September 11, 2007 – 6:48 pm

I had a couple of friends over for dinner the other night.

During the course of the evening one of them went to the bathroom and I could hear him whistling in there. He was taking a while so I thought he must be doing some serious business.

I didn’t think any more of it until I went into the bathroom and found all of JJ’s plastic dinosaurs he uses in the bath, all over the bathroom.

I’ve included two pictures here, but the critters were everywhere.

This is on top of the lemon that was left in JJ’s bed recently by another friend.

I think I must have some strange friends, but I like that.

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Monty’s lookalike – Poppers from England

September 10, 2007 – 7:58 pm

One of my readers, Hazel from England, has sent me a couple of photos of her dog Poppers who could be Monty’s clone.

I opened up the images, said to JJ, who does this remind you of, and he straight away said – Monty. I’d thought it too.

Pictures speak a thousand words, so here they are.

Poppers

Poppers21

And here’s Monty.

So apart from Monty’s white front and a slightly more rounded head they could be twins. How spooky.

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Semantically driven

Author Archives: Jen at Semantically driven

How not to run a competition

My first Flickr meet, including a Flickr employee

So what’s there to do in Sydney?

No more kisses for me?