Guest Post at the #atozchallenge Site!

 This post is brought to you by AZ co-host Damyanti, from Amlokiblogs.
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Most bloggers who've been around for a while know what guest posts are all about. Simply put, one blogger writes a post for another's blog, on a topic which is of interest to both.

During the A to Z Challenge however, we hosted a lot of participants who are relatively new to blogging, so here's a little more about guest posting:

1. Guest posting on a blog increases your exposure: If you're able to interest the host's audience in what you've got to say, some of them will check out your blog and if they like what they see, they will follow you.

2. Guest posting allows you to showcase your expertise: A host blog is always looking for a fresh perspective on the topics it deals with--- and when you appear as a guest, you share your expertise in your field. Win-win. Guest posting at blogs on a topic gives you more authority.

3. Guest posting can be an exchange affair: Most hosts would be happy to write up a post for you should you need it--this brings all their audience to your blog!

4. Guest posting gives you Link-love: Hosts always link to the blog of the guest (as well as website and social networks). This is a good thing-- the more genuine links with other blogs, the better your blog's ranking on search engines.

With that out of the way, we'd like to invite all A to Z challenge participants to guest-post for this site.

The posts could be on any topic--from writing, blogging, editing to gaming, gardening or cooking. Go on, share your viewpoint with us, your expertise. Or talk about what you would do if you hosted the A to Z challenge-- we're good listeners!

Guest posts on the site will ensure you all hear from others besides us co-hosts, and would provide exposure for you, your book or product. Multiple guest posts from the same blogger can also be discussed. If interested, contact AZ co-host, the awesome Tina, who runs the schedule of this site: 2012AZinfo at gmail dot com

We are waiting to hear from You!

Leaving you with an A to Z video that totally embraces the spirit of A to Z!

A to Z Reflections Linky List: #atozchallenge

          As this is being posted I realize that it is not yet May 7th where I am, but it is in some other parts of the world.   So let the Reflections begin.

            For those still not familiar with the A to Z Reflections Post and the other things A to Z that are still to come, you might want to revisit the A to Z Blog posts of Sunday April 22nd or Tuesday May 1st.   We don't want any of you A to Z fans to miss out on any of the upcoming A to Z events.


            Here is the essence of what the current A to Z Reflections post is all about:


             The A to Z Reflections Postings will begin on Monday May 7th.  These posts will be your personal thoughts about the A to Z Challenge and, like the A to Z posts, you can do them anyway you want--in prose, verse, images, or whatever suits you best.  We want you to tell us about your A to Z experience.


            Share your pleasures, your pains, your setbacks, your gains.   Who did you meet along the way that you found to be especially helpful or inspiring?  Did you have a favorite blog post?   Or a favorite series?   Which blogs did you discover during April that you will be returning to in the future? 

          You can tell us what you thought were the highlights of your April Challenge, what you learned, what changes you might make next time, or what surprised you most.  There are no limits as to what your Challenge experience might have been so tell us in your best way how you felt about the April A to Z Challenge of 2012. 

         Express your gratitude or vent your frustrations.  If you'd do this again, let us know why.  If you hated it. tell us why.  We want you to tell your A to Z story to the rest of us.  Like the Challenge itself, this Reflection post is your creative outpouring.  Be it prose, verse, song, video, or images, you can express yourself in anyway that you like. 

       You don't have to have finished the Challenge or even entered the Challenge to be eligible to submit a Reflections post.  Didn't finish or never got started?   Let us know what happened and tell us how you feel about that.   If you were an observer who followed some of the A to Z blog posts and even commented on a regular basis, give us your thoughts about the Challenge.    

           We do ask that you keep your posts no more than a thousand words.  There will probably be a lot of blogs to read so we don't want to bog anyone down with exceedingly long posts.

            You can add your Reflections post to the Linky List anytime between now and Saturday May 12th at 10 PM Eastern Time.   Please add the link that goes directly to your Reflections post and not your general blog link.  We plan to keep this list up until the end of 2012 and since there could be a large number of links on the list it may take a while for readers to get  through it and we don't want visitors to have to be searching for your Reflections post.

           We hope you enjoy these Reflections posts and perhaps even learn something from them.  And we hope you will continue to discover new blogs that will be of interest to you and meet new blog friends.  Have fun!


          The Post Challenge Challenge begins here next Monday May 14th.   Be here then for the complete details.

          Important Note!!     Please Read before signing on to the list!!

          This list is intended only for those who are posting an A to Z Reflections post.   Please post only the link to your Reflections post and not the URL address of your blog.  If your intent is to add a link to your advertising site or just to get your blog noticed, be aware that those links will be removed from the list when discovered.   If you have any problems with your entry or accidentally enter the incorrect link, please contact us.  Refer to the "Contact Us" tab for contact information:

.

A to Z April Challenge 2012 Survivor Badge

        Our thanks to co-host Jeremy from Retro-Zombie for the official A to Z Survivor badge.  Feel free to copy and add to your site.

         If you missed it, make sure you read the post prior to this one.



.

Don't Leave Yet! There's One More Thing....

Badge artwork by Ada Z from collagepodge.com

You Mean It's Over? 

           There's a certain sadness as well as a relief when the party's over.  Yes, this April A to Z party is now finished, but the Challenges haven't ended yet.  We have a few more things that we'd like for you to do.  Don't worry--it will be fun and painless.   Certainly not the stress of the daily April postings.

             Most of you are probably aware of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge Reflections Post that we have scheduled for next Monday May 7th.  Some may still not be aware of what this is all about.  Let me explain what's going to happen with this May 7th post and thereafter.

May 7th -- A to Z Reflections Post

             This is your time to tell us about your A to Z experience.   Share your pleasures, your pains, your setbacks, your gains.   Who did you meet along the way that you found to be especially helpful or inspiring?  Did you have a favorite blog post?   Or a favorite series?   Which blogs did you discover during April that you will be returning to in the future?

             Express your gratitude or vent your frustrations.  If you'd do this again, let us know why.  If you hated it. tell us why.  We want you to tell your A to Z story to the rest of us and tell it in the way that suits you best.  Like the Challenge itself, this Reflection post is your creative outpouring.  Be it prose, verse, song, video, or images, you can express yourself in anyway that you like.

              And guess what:   You don't have to have finished the Challenge or even entered the Challenge to be eligible to submit a Reflections post.  Didn't finish or never got started?   Let us know what happened and tell us how you feel about that.   If you were an observer who followed some of the A to Z blog posts and even commented on a regular basis, give us your thoughts about the Challenge.   I know of a few of you that I could name, but you know who you are.  Your thoughts are important as well.

               You can put up your Reflections post anytime between now and Saturday May 12th.  The Linky list will be made available on May 7th.  Please add the link that goes directly to your Reflections post and not your general blog link.  This list will be up for a while and since there could be a large number of links on the list it may take a while for readers to get  through it and we don't want visitors to have to be searching for your Reflections post.

Evaluations Posts

             On the last three Mondays of May, I will be putting up posts evaluating this year's Challenge.  I did this last year and it provided us tremendous insight.   Even though all ideas received last year were not implemented in this year's Challenge, some remain under consideration for future Challenges.

            This year I will once again be drawing upon what you have to say in your Reflections, what some have requested in direct emails, and observations made by the A to Z Team.   I will be looking at the good parts of the Challenge and the bad parts that might need to be changed.  Then on Monday May 28th I will wrap things up with some conclusions and final thoughts about the Challenge.

            We hope you can join us for these days to add your thoughts and help us out.

Post Challenge Challenge

            For those who would like to stay active in this A to Z community until the end of the year, A to Z Team members Shannon Lawrence and Tina Downey will be reviving last year's popular Post Challenge Challenge.   More details will soon be appearing on the A to Z Blog as will a sign up list.

We Want You!

           There's lot's of open space on the A to Z Blog in the coming months--after all we A to Z Team members can't do it all and you'd probably get sick of hearing from us if we did.   We are inviting you to come and post something in this space.  Anything that would be of interest to the A to Z community is welcomed.  If you are interested in submitting something please contact one of the A to Z Team members.  Contact information is in the tab at the top of the page.

           We look forward to your participation in all of these above mentioned events.  Thanks for Blogging from A to Z.
   
            The A to Z Blog will be taking a break for a few days.  Come back on Monday May 7th for the Reflections Post sign up list.

Related articles

• By George...is that May I see - gosh she looks good! (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• #atozchallenge: What's Next? Coming Soon! (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• U for Upward and Forward in the #atozchallenge (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• #atozchallenge X Day (a-to-zchallenge.com)

"Z" is for ZOINKS

Shhhhh the Baby is Sleeping...

So it's the last day, the last letter and it is the "Z" this is an easy one what we should all be doing in May.What were some of your highlights of the "A to Z Challenge", did you make a friend or two and are you looking forward to next year... come on you know you are. I am glad I was part of all the fun and being the behind the scenes co-host of the event, team it was a pleasure. A special thanks goes out to Lee for making this all possible and making it a grand old time... Now go feed the Monkey Meter... it's hungry.

- Jeremy [Retro-Zombie]
  Visit the Madness

By George...is that May I see - gosh she looks good!

That’s right, the merry month of May is just around the corner 

and with her comes the REFLECTIONS POST, starting on May 7th.

Add this Badge to your site!

One more day of posting (April 30th) and we can all give a collective sigh of relief knowing we survived the Challenge! 

But really, how hard was it? 

I bet you feel like you can tackle just about anything - even a little reflecting!

So that brings us to the REFLECTIONS POST and what it means to you.

* * *

While you may use this post to reflect on many things we would love to hear what you have to say about your alphabet adventures as a participant of the A to Z Challenge.

* * *

To help you along here are some things you might want to reflect on…

How did your journey through the alphabet go? Did you meet new bloggers with similar interests? Are there any you would like to feature and share with others?

What were the highlights for you? (lowlights too...we want to hear it all)

Did you enjoy posting daily? What was your biggest hurdle? What was your easiest task?

Was time management an issue? (I know, silly question, when isn’t time management an issue - but, it is worth reflecting on)

And what about your content - did you have a theme or did you wing it? Was it easy to come up with ideas for each letter, or were some harder? 

How about commenting - did you stumble upon lots of sites still using word verification? Did this prevent you from leaving a comment? What worked for your blog? 

What will you do different next year? (Yes, you are doing this next year, you know you are, even if your brain is telling you to run for the hills - it appreciates the exercise)

What pearls of wisdom do you want to share with the Co-Hosts of this event? (We would love to hear from you and know what you think would make this awesome event even better)

* * *

Are you looking forward to doing a little “reflecting” on May 7th? I know I am!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Jenny

Pearson Report

Co-Host of the A to Z Challenge

* * *

Arlee Bird (Tossing it Out) offers more information on the Reflections Post in What’s Next? 

Y is all about YOU!

Before I go any further, How are You?  Having fun with the challenge?  Are you ready to fall over and take a week long break from blogging?  (I know I am!).  Never before have I posted so many days in a row and with a theme!   It's hard.  Especially when I jumped in with three participating blogs!  But anyway, this post isn't about me.  It's about you!  SO. . . I am gonna give you a few 'YOU can keep going' quotes! :) 

'Every great dream begins with a dreamer. 

Always remember, you have within you the 

Strength, the patience and the passion to 

Reach for the stars to change the world!'

~ Harriet Tubman

'Believe in yourself and others will too!"

~Unknown

'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger,

Stand a little taller

Doesn't mean *you're lonely when you're alone

What doesn't kill you makes a fighter, 

Footsteps even lighter,"

~ Kelly Clarkson (Stronger)

See? YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU! 

If you have the want, and the will, you have a way! 

Good luck with the rest of the challenge!  I look forward to reading the last of the A to Z posts and continuing with the Reflection posts May 7th! 

*The lyrics here are changed from I to You.  (I told you this post was all about YOU) :) 

#atozchallenge X Day

A to Z Badge by Ada Zdanowicz from collagepodge.com

Xerox your zeal!

You're gonna make it!  You've nearly reached the end of the challenge and it's almost time to celebrate.  Were you able to maintain your enthusiasm for the duration of the Challenge?   How did it feel?

This was one month of your life filled with a passion to achieve.  Carry that fire with you throughout the year.  Xerox your zeal.  Remember how you felt this April and know that whatever you strive to achieve in life, you can do it.  You've got what it takes.

We'd like you to share your experiences and your feelings.  Remember to prepare your entry for the Blogging from A to Z Reflections Posts that will begin starting the week of Monday May 7th.   Enter the link to your post on the Linky List that will appear on that day and be open for the entire week.

Also, we are interested in your guest posts for the A to Z Blog.   If you have an idea for an article you'd like to contribute to this blog, send us an email so we can schedule your post.

And don't forget about the A to Z Post Challenge Challenge.  Be watching this blog for more details.  Don't suffer from A to Z withdrawal.  Join the fun and networking opportunities at a less-stress more leisurely pace.

W is for ...

Okay, so I stole this post from my last year's A to Z Challenge. I feel that it's too good to not share again. I just love the quotes and humor behind this and I hope you will too!

Just 3 more letters. *sniff*


*Writer's quotes!

Yes, I thought I'd cheat and not bust any more braincells. So I'm sitting on the shoulders of writerly geniuses today and hopefully fill your day with inspiration and laughter!

I'll start off with my most favorite quote:

Writers aren't exactly people...they're a whole bunch of people trying to be one person.

~F. Scott Fitzgerald

♥

Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia. 

~E.L. Doctorow

♥

 A word is not the same with one writer as with another.  One tears it from his guts.  The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket.  

~Charles Peguy

♥

You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.  

~Ray Bradbury

♥

I try to leave out the parts that people skip.  

~Elmore Leonard

 ♥

Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning:  I wanted to know  what I was going to say.  

~Sharon O'Brien

♥

I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter.  

~James Michener

source

What are your favorite writing quotes?

most images found on Google search











*from the ElizabethMueller A to Z archive

V is for Victory, Von Herder and Vocabulary

ictory is close at hand! Can you feel it? You've almost made it through the A-to-Z Challenge. All your hard work and perseverance are going to pay off. Not only that, but you've probably picked up some fantastic new vocabulary words for next year!

If you're anything like me, you have found that being given a letter prompt and an almost daily deadline has really stirred your creativity. Johann Gottfried Von Herder said, "Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant. There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks." The A-to-Z is a wonderful inspiration. Take these last days and run with them, but continue on after the letter "Z." Take that inspiration, that spark, anything you might have learned from this experience, and make it a part of yourself.

How are you feeling as we near the end? Exhilarated? Tired? Sad? Pumped?

May you find your Muse.

Shannon

The Warrior Muse

U for Upward and Forward in the #atozchallenge

This post is brought to you by one of the April A to Z Challenge co-hosts: Damyanti@Amlokiblogs.

We're almost near the finish line---and this has been quite a ride, from A to T.

 For U, it is upward and forward-- just six days to go and another year of the challenge would be accomplished.

Time for second wind, a fresh burst of energy, of not looking back.

Once the challenge is done, we invite you to reflect on your A-Z journey:

The A to Z Reflections Postings will begin on Monday May 7th.  These posts will be your personal thoughts about the A to Z Challenge and, like the A to Z posts, you can do them anyway you want--in prose, verse, images, or whatever suits you best.  We want you to tell us about your A to Z experience.

          You can tell us what you thought were the highlights of your April Challenge, what you learned, what changes you might make next time, or what surprised you most.   Let us know about special bloggers you met in your A to Z journey or about a post or posts that especially moved or impressed you.  There are no limits as to what your Challenge experience might have been so tell us in your best way how you felt about the April A to Z Challenge of 2012.

           We do ask that you keep your posts no more than a thousand words.  There will probably be a lot of blogs to read so we don't want to bog anyone down with exceedingly long posts.

            As I've said, the Blogging from A to Z Challenge Reflections Posts of 2012 will start on Monday May 7th.  The Linky list will go up on that day so you can enter the link for that post on the list.  For those who already have blogfests or something else planned for that day, don't worry--the list will be open for the entire week so you can publish your Reflections post anytime that week and still participate.  That list should also be accessible until the end of the year along with the A to Z Master List.

A to Z Post - T by Matthew

This post is brought to you by one of the April A to Z Challenge co-hosts: Matthew MacNish.

I think next year we're going to do these posts a day late, so that we can consider featuring the best posts we read the day before.

Anyway, for now I'll just be mentioning some awesome things that start with T, followed by one blog post from a participant I know you guys will love.

Titans - they're really tall.

Tartan - slainte!

Theater - movies and plays.

Tetris - from Russia with fun!

Toll Booth - phantom ones, not real ones.

Trains - choo, choo!

The Triple Option - it's an offense in football, run by Georgia Tech.

And now, let me point you to a blogger whose posts for the A to Z Challenge I've been enjoying very much. Joe Lunievicz has been going with a Greek theme, and his post for today, T is for Tartaras, is a great one.

#atozchallenge: What's Next? Coming Soon!

Artwork by Ada Z from Collagepodge.com

The 2012 A to Z Challenge Reflections Post
      
          As we enter into the final week of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge some of you might be wondering What Next?  

         The frenzy of daily blogging and rushing around to visit as many of the other blogs as you can may have worn some of you to a frazzle.  You might be looking forward to a blogging break.  While others of you may be having such a great time with the Challenge that you might experience A to Z withdrawal come April 30th.

         Whichever the case may be, we hope that you will stick around in May for one more big event--the Blogging from A to Z Reflections Post 2012 Edition.   Those of you who have participated or followed the previous Challenges will probably remember what I'm talking about.  For those of you who don't know, I will explain.

          The A to Z Reflections Postings will begin on Monday May 7th.  These posts will be your personal thoughts about the A to Z Challenge and, like the A to Z posts, you can do them anyway you want--in prose, verse, images, or whatever suits you best.  We want you to tell us about your A to Z experience.

          You can tell us what you thought were the highlights of your April Challenge, what you learned, what changes you might make next time, or what surprised you most.   Let us know about special bloggers you met in your A to Z journey or about a post or posts that especially moved or impressed you.  There are no limits as to what your Challenge experience might have been so tell us in your best way how you felt about the April A to Z Challenge of 2012.

           We do ask that you keep your posts no more than a thousand words.  There will probably be a lot of blogs to read so we don't want to bog anyone down with exceedingly long posts.

            As I've said, the Blogging from A to Z Challenge Reflections Posts of 2012 will start on Monday May 7th.  The Linky list will go up on that day so you can enter the link for that post on the list.  For those who already have blogfests or something else planned for that day, don't worry--the list will be open for the entire week so you can publish your Reflections post anytime that week and still participate.  That list should also be accessible until the end of the year along with the A to Z Master List.

A to Z 2012 Evaluation Posts

           Last May on Tossing It Out I had a series of A to Z evaluation posts where we looked at the good and the bad in the Challenge of 2011.   This proved to be such a popular and helpful series of posts that we will be doing this again, this time on this A to Z Challenge Blog.

            Watch for these posts in May and be sure to let us know what changes you would like to see in the next Challenge.  Tell us what you would improve, keep the same, or get rid of in 2013.   Give us your thoughts on the A to Z Video contest and any other ideas that might add an extra special dimension to the A to Z Challenge.

             Since we will be having the evaluation posts, you might want to save any thoughts along those lines for those posts and not the reflections posts.  But by all means feel free to add your evaluations to the Reflections if you'd rather do it that way.   The evaluations will delve deeper into the specifics and offer more suggestions for your consideration.

Post Challenge Challenge


           I'm sure not many of you got through the entire list and I've heard many say that they will be continuing to go through the list after the April Challenge has ended.  It is a great way to discover new blogs so I'd encourage this.


            Last year our co-hosts Shannon Lawrence and Tina Downey hosted a Post Challenge Challenge.  Be watching for more details concerning this in the next week or so.


The A to Z Challenge Blog


           This blog will stay open for business!  This has proved to be a rather popular site and we want to keep it active.   No after Challenge schedule has been determined yet, but we're open to suggestions.  What we will be doing however is accepting guest posts for the upcoming months.  These posts will be about blogging and writing in general and whatever else you want to read here.  We will be featuring your blogs and providing the blogging news that seems most appropriate to appear on these pages.  Let us know your thoughts.


Let's Spike the Blog Numbers!

          I'd like to make one last request today.  In these final days of this Challenge, let's boost follower numbers on all the blogs that need it.   My goal is to see every blog leave this Challenge with at least 100 followers on their sidebar widget.

           This week, whenever you come to a blog that has less than 100 followers showing and you're not following them already, click that button and follow that blog.  I think most of you feel pretty good when you get a new follower so spread the love.  Become a follower and let that blogger know in the comments that you've done so.  You might even get a new follower by doing this.

            To start you off, go to the blog A Few Words and become a follower there and leave a note in the comments that you've done so.  Now I know this is a shameless plug since this is my blog, but I'd like to end up with 100 followers there at the end of the month.  And actually I'm making a point with my plug.

            If other bloggers don't know you're there you won't get followers very quickly.  In order for you to receive comments and followers you are going to have to get out there and leave some comments on other blogs and follow them as well.   It works and I know this from experience as do most of you.

          So, if you currently have less than 100 followers, note this in the comment section on today's post here.  And then get out and visit some blogs that you haven't been to before and encourage visitors to come to yours.  Increased visitors and followers will increase your odds of gaining readers and getting comments.  Try it and let us know if it works.

            Enjoy the upcoming week of blogging and make it the best one yet.   Some of the toughest letters are still to come and I'd say we are going to see some interesting posts full of creativity.



       

Related articles

• 10 sure ways to win the #atozchallenge ! (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2010/04/q-is-for-quotes-what-people-have-said.html
• http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-reflections-of-blogging-from-to-z.html
• http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/04/after-a-to-z-challenge-whats-next.html

Steadfast!

Steadfast and sure!

You’ve got a good pace going. You’re closing in on the letter Z. And you’re one step closer to success.

So no slacking now. No shuffling of feet. And no sobbing either. There’s no crying in blogging!

Oh wait, that’s baseball…

Co-host Ninja Captain Alex is the author of CassaStar and CassaFire and his blog can be found HERE

"R" is For Reading!

Reading and Commenting...

Who doesn't love a comment on your blog, someone saying something nice on your latest post...cause why write it if no one reads it. I am putting up a few slang terms that start with the letter "R" from a old book I had found in my travels, if you know me... well then you know me and this makes sense.

Rook (Old Eng.), a cheat, a card sharper.
Rook (Eng.), a clergyman, from his black clothes.
Rook, to cheat or swindle.
Rooked, cheated.
Rookery, a low neighborhood, street or collection of houses.
Rooky, rascally, scampish.
Roorback (Am.), a false allegation issued for political purposes.
Roost, a resting-place, "Going to roost," going to bed.
Rooster, the male barnyard fowl.
Root of all evil, money.
Root, hog, or die (Am.), signifies that one must hustle for a living.
Rope, to cause a horse to win or lose a race. See Pull.
Rope-in (Am.), to swindle; to induce one to enter a scheme in which he will be cheated. Shakespeare uses "ropery" for roguery.
Roper-in (Am.), a "capper" for a gambling house or for any other swindle.
Ropes, "to know the," to be "up to snuff;" to know the way about; familiarity with city life and tricks.
Roping, pulling or otherwise restraining a horse in a race.
Rose, "under the," quietly, in secret.
Rot, nonsense.
Rot-gut (Am.), bad whisky.
Rough and tumble, a fight in which all rules are ignored.
Rough diamond, a man whose character is better than his appearance.
Rough it, to put up with inferior accommodations or food ;to work hard, as at mining in the Territories.
--------------------------------------

--------------------------------------
Rush, spirit, energy, vim.
Rush, to come suddenly on one. To give a man the rush is to spring a demand for money on him.
Rushing the can or the growler, sending to the saloon for beer with a can or pitcher.
Rush it (Am.), hurry up.
Rust, "to nab the" (Eng.), to take offense.
Rustle, to move about sharply ; to hustle.
Rustler, a hustler.

I Love Comments... So go ahead, say something nice... or I will send "Bugsy the Chimp Boy" to your site and trust me no one wants that.

Jeremy [Retro-Zombie]
Visit the Madness

Q is for Quasars

Q is for Quasar by Stephen Tremp

Many astronomers believe that quasars are the most distant objects yet detected in the universe. Quasars give off enormous amounts of energy - they can be a trillion times brighter than the Sun! Quasars are believed to produce their energy from massive black holes in the center of the galaxies in which the quasars are located. Because quasars are so bright, they drown out the light from all the other stars in the same galaxy.

Despite their brightness, due to their great distance from Earth, no quasars can be seen with an unaided eye. Energy from quasars takes billions of years to reach the Earth's atmosphere. For this reason, the study of quasars can provide astronomers with information about the early stages of the universe.

The word quasar is short for "quasi-stellar radio source". This name, which means star-like emitters of radio waves, was given in the 1960s when quasars were first detected. The name is retained today, even though astronomers now know most quasars are faint radio emitters. In addition to radio waves and visible light, quasars also emit ultraviolet rays, infrared waves, X-rays, and gamma-rays. Most quasars are larger than our solar system.

You can visit Stephen Tremp at his Web site Breakthrough Blogs.

Reference: NASA

A to Z Post - P by Matthew

This post is brought to you by one of the April A to Z Challenge co-hosts: Matthew MacNish.

I was hoping to highlight some of my favorite posts I'd seen on the letter P, but then I realized it will take all day for me to read them.

So instead, I'll just list a few cool things that begin with the letter P, and then maybe mention a couple A to Z Participants.

Pirates - ARHG! Plus - booty.

Poetry - Pentameter even.

Prose - Particularly creative writing.

Pulled Pork - Because, yum.

Pizza - Same.

Paris - I've never been, but they say it's wonderful.

Paladins - Because they're really nice guys.

People - We make the world go round.

Pillow - Because that moment when your head finally hits it ...

And here is one of my favorite blogs from the challenge whose post about today's letter P, is great:

Kristen is a teacher, a writer, a fan of great literature, and a lover of all things revolutionary, so here's her post: Please Don't Dim the Lights.

O for Onward in the #atozchallenge !

This Letter "O" post is brought to you by Damyanti, co-host for the A to Z Challenge.

So we're nearing the finishing line... and I'm thrilled to say a whole lot of us are marching on, commenting widely and often, and having a rollicking good time.

Posting to theme everyday for a month can drain a blogger, however, so to everyone whose energies are flagging, we say, "Onward! We're almost there!"

And now, I'll repeat the advice I've been harping on all month: 

1. Turn off your word verification. It helps no one. You may moderate comments for a while if you're unsure. I still find blogs with the Captcha on, and it makes me feel sorry.

2. In your comment id, link only to your AZ blog, NOT your profile which may have five other blogs. Trolling through ten links to find your A-Z blog is too much to ask any one visiting back.

3. Leave a link to you when you comment, so no one spends hours finding you.

4. Comment when you visit blogs, and you'll get comments in return.

5. Make it easy for people to follow your blog and follow you on social media.

So, Onward, folks-- 9 more days to go, and you'll be a winner! You can do this :)

Don't forget about the May 7th Reflections post.  Save the Date!  Details coming soon.








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N is for No Reply-Comment

N is for No Reply-Comment

I find that bloggers handle responding to comments in one of four ways.  1) They simply don’t, or they do so very sparingly.  2) They answer the comment by leaving a comment of their own on the same post, or they utilize an augmented system that allows replies within the comment screen.  3) They email their reply directly to the commenter. 4) Use a combination of the above.  There is no right way, or wrong way, just the way that best suits what the blogger is most comfortable doing.

After years of experimenting and trying the different methods, I settled into using the third one – emailing my responses.  As with each of these techniques, it has its pluses and minuses.   As an incessant blog-reader, I RARELY return back to a blog to see if the author has responded directly to my comment, so believing that most people operate similarly I chose a method that would ensure they heard my reply.  I also find it more personal and a way to create an open dialogue that extends beyond the post/comment.

I have my blog setup so that I receive an email notification for every comment (remember the smiles?) and I merely reply to that.  Here’s where the main drawback comes in, and this is a big one, a lot of readers still do not have their email address visible through their profile, so when I receive the notification it shows up as No Reply-Comment.  That means I cannot reply back to them as I would like.  Some prefer it this way for security reasons, others simply are unaware.  For those of you who would like to change that, instead of me going through a tutorial (and making this post much longer than I intended), here’s a link to Nancy Olivia’s blog where she explains what to do.

Tell me, how do you handle responding to comments?

DL