Say What You Mean

from a post on one of the blogs I follow:

"...I like reading newbies - they are less presumptuous. For new bloggers, continue writing. Write what you think. Say what you need. Mean what you say. In the meantime, I will follow what I preach."

It hit home. I've known for quite a while that I don't really blog exactly what I'm thinking nor do I write exactly what I want to. There have been several times when I catch myself trying to make things vague or a bit blurred so to speak.

Blogging has become exactly like the real world.

Wish I could just let it all out without filtering my words or censoring myself.

Maybe my blog has been loosing its identity. I don't think it can live up to its name anymore. I guess in 2008 I was able to pretty much tell things about myself as is but in 2009, it wasn't the same. I haven't even been able to talk about my relationships.

But I have to consider also that blogging, just like talking is my way of letting out steam. Yeh, when I have problems, I need to talk. No advice needed, I just need to rant and rant and then I'm good :D

When things are going acceptably, that's when I have to try harder to blog and even then it's usually about light stuff and things that aren't really personal. I have to change that but first I really have to come up with things I want to blog about :D

Distraction-Free Blogging

Do you love to blog but often have difficulty thinking of what to write about? Then you're like me. Often when an idea comes along, I'm not in front of a computer. Or maybe you're the spur-of-the-moment type (also like me) that even if you manage to jot down or type a draft of your post, once you get in from of a computer, you get 2nd thoughts about posting it.

It's nice to see that programmers know about these roadblocks and have made software that motivates focusing on getting ideas onto blogs. I've come across 2 such programs. Both are for Mac OSX but I'm sure there are some for Windows and Linux as well.

The first one I've tried is WriteRoom. It's premise is simple. It give you a complete blank black screen and a blinking rectangular cursor like those of the extinct DOS operating system. Text is colored green (customizable) and there's nothing else on the screen to distract you.

VERDICT: WriteRoom was a bit effective. Somehow starting a blank black screen and a blinking cursor made the obsessive-compulsive part of me want to fill it up with something.

The second one I got to try was Ommwriter. I think the developers got the idea from a spa - mixing relaxing visuals with soothing music. This time the default screen is a snowscape one with added ambient music in the background. There are also sounds for each typed character - something like waterdrops producing a meditational effect for writing.

VERDICT: I found OmmWriter a lot better than WriteRoom. Using earphones, noise from the outside and even from my head seem to lessened and I can focus only on my post. I'd like more choices of background since I prefer the dark background of WriteRoom. But overall, OmmWriter makes it easier for me to focus on what I'm writing.

Best of November 2009

I've decided to compile a monthly list of the best posts I've read every month from my blogroll.

Kansas Bob's post about priorities and sometimes misplaced priorities inspired me to make my own post on the topic. I guess it's not as clear-cut as we think. Reyjr's How Personal Is Your Blog? also pushed me to react with a post of my own.

Bury Me In This Dress  raises some questions around the massacre in Maguindanao.

Meanwhile Discreet Manila's sentiments about the Commission on Election pretty much sums up what I feel about their playing the morality card on those wanting to secure political recognition. Pinoygossipboy had a lot of stories to tell but what caught my attention was the story of the mystery woman seen ni Pacquiao's car just after his interview on Jimmy Kimmel.

I though I'd loose one of my favorite blogs especially the 'Friday's for you' but I'm glad Layla is still Writing from the Inside Out - Again :D. I also love It's All a Matter of Perspective's newspaper approach although I don't think I can manage that style.

He's very young but has a lot going on alread - Kelvinonian Ideas really give a lot of tips and I love the Photoshop tutorial on how to get rid of pimples and smoothen skin. Calvin's hub, which I consider a tech hub gave very useful tips on using a camera in cold weather. And speaking of youth, Verum Peto's Inner Childhood reminds us to continue to enjoy the simple things.

Tristan Tales shows how to celebrate Thanksgiving wish I could do the same hehe while The McVie Show's version of Star Wars had me laughing out loud. Although it couldn't top the return of Bernadette who went on a 3-year hiatus. I guess most of you won't be able to understand his stories but it's really your loss :p

The story of the Missing Piece and the Big O is one I really recommend on Life, Love and Lust. It really hits home.

It seems like Beki has been bitten by the love bug, Congrats :D and also to CC who has had many accomplishments, I envy you :D. As for World Peace, Rudeboy's video link shows that not every one is ready for peace hehe. Not everything is about being happy. The Cat Loves Curiosity's ongoing story reminds me that sometimes things doesn't work the way we expected it to. But we learn, and we cope.

Celebrity Doc Zorlone's poem "Crossroads" also remind me that choices are never easy. And if you ever wondered if Farmville causes addiction, just check out Writing to Exhale and find out if he's in withdrawal already :D

If I've skipped some blogs in my list, I apologize. This is the first month I'm doing this and I'll be more critical next month :D thank you for allowing me to read.

Photoblog: 1000 Words

I’m officially launching my photoblog. I needed somewhere to place the pictures I have gathered. Drop by every now and then and I’d appreciate it if you could leave a comment or two or three… :D

Blog Renovation

Last Saturday, I decided to apply the finishing touches to my blog template. If I knew then of the headaches it would cause, I wouldn’t have started it. Here are the changes:

NAV BAR
This includes the decorated columns on both sides. Somehow the source file was missing when I first used this template from Bloggerstyles. Fortunately I came across it. It took me a whole night to fix this. It turns out that that Flickr and Photobucket offers the file only in resized versions and not the original if it’s more than 1024 x 768. I used Skydrive instead to host the file (and yet Internet Explorer refuses to display it).

TWITTER UPDATES

I got this idea from another template on Bloggerstyles and copied the code. Thankfully it wasn’t that hard to integrate.

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