Alphabet Remix - Naturally Normal Nintendo

These blogging prompts are brought to you by Nicole at The Madlab Post…

It’s time for The Alphabet Remix - A Writing Prompt Idea Engine Treating A to Z Blogging Avoidance Disorders

Today's A to Z Challenge blogging prompts are all about gaming. N is for Nintendo and I picked this particular gaming console because it was the first (...I think) video game system that I played during my childhood years. I also selected it as today's topic because video games deserve some A to Z attention -- they are just as enjoyable as books, music, movies or any other activity that we use to pass the time. So, here are some ways to incorporate Nintendo into your blog posts for Letter N during the A to Z Challenge in April.

Nintendo Ninja Nation
Build your own nation of Nintendo Ninjas by blogging about tips and tricks on how to beat the levels on a particular Nintendo game that you are good at. You could also teach people shortcuts for certain actions or even show them repair tips on how to keep an old or sorta broken Nintendo game in working condition for as long as they can before having to buy a new console. These blogging options can be used for just about any device in the Nintendo family, including Nintendo DS and the Wii.

Noteworthy Nintendo News
List some little known, funny or outrageous facts about the history of Nintendo and/or its fans and their behavior over the years.

Nintendo Novelette
Make the gaming console a theme for your entire string of 26 posts and write a novelette, making each letter in the alphabet a different chapter of a story -- a heroic story about a suicidal Nintendo fanatic or a fantasy young adult fare about two teenage co-workers at a Nintendo store or a mysterious story that takes place at a Nintendo convention...there are numerous possibilities for a story surrounding Nintendo gaming.

So there you have it! -- Nintendo remixed for your Blogging from A to Z Challenging pleasure!

Now, the WINNER of the "Naming Names" Alphabet Soup game is...

Caitlin at Happy Hootenanny

Caitlin correctly unscrambled all five movie character names that start with Letter N, so she now succeeds Marta Szemik for the title of ALPHABET WIZARD. Caitlin's prize package also includes the choice of the letter for the next Alphabet Soup game and the option to select a topic for a future Monday Movie Meme on my blog. Congratulations to Caitlin!

Here are the answers to the Naming Names themed Alphabet Soup game.
1. iobrNt is Norbit. (from the comedy movie titled "Norbit" starring Eddie Murphy)
2. iNkyc is Nicky. (from the comedy titled "Little Nicky" starring Adam Sandler)
3. aoNl is Nola. (from the drama titled "She's Gotta Have It" starring Tracy Camilla Johns)
4. Nnia is Nina. (from the drama titled "Love Jones" starring Nia Long)
5. eoNm is Nemo. (from the animated film titled "Finding Nemo" starring Alexander Gould)

Happy Friday Everybody!

Sign up for the Monday Movie Meme, a weekly group blogging series that inspires discussion about entertainment in a whole new light and provides recommendations for your DVD, on-demand or theater fix. New topics are posted every Monday at The Madlab Post!
.
NICOLE 
@MadlabPost on Twitter

Books by Some of Our Author-friends #goodreads

 Authors help authors-- that's the way it works amongst writers and bloggers. In that spirit, here's my second post in the series of books by indie-author friends (first post here): some are books I came across, others have been recommended for mention.

 I'm adding only one link, but you can click through to the author sites for more options and also more books they've written. I've added a bit about each book, so if you see what you like, go buy it!

If you're an author-friend, or a reader who loved a recent download, leave a comment with the link to the book.

So here it goes, in no particular order: 

Shannon Grissom:  Monkey Made of Sockies

Want to smile? Want to giggle? Are you ready to return to your childhood? All you have to do is pick up a copy of Monkey Made of Sockies.  As soon as you see the smile on the monkey’s face, you’ll gain a smile of your own.  Each turn of the page describes why Monkey Made of Sockies is the favored toy at Grammy’s house.  The vibrant illustrations and lyrical text make reading his book a truly enjoyable experience.





                                                          Jacqueline Stone: Rising from Ashes

Living in the shadow of abuse is a dark and frightening experience that limits every area of life. This book is an invitation to come out of the shadows and into the light of Love, to heal your heart and learn to love yourself. It empowers the reader with tools for self-awareness and healing processes to become a joyful co-creator. If you're ready to heal your heart and finally know what it is to be happy, get this book.

Allan Douglas: Writing for Profit or Pleasure

Writing for Profit or Pleasure; Where to Publish Your Work, is 146 pages (paperback version), 30,000 words of concise, insightful information about where and how a writer can achieve publication of their writings. Whether you write for income or for the joy of it, whether you aspire to write on-line or for print, this book has a wealth of information to help you find and secure publication.




Joe Bunting: Let's Write a Short Story!

An eBook about the process of writing and publishing short stories. The book will guide you through the process of researching publications, writing your story, editing, and submitting your work to literary magazines. It's also a primer in how to make a career in fiction writing. If you've ever wanted to be a writer, this book will help get you started.

• Why all the great writers started with short stories, and why you should, too.
• How to build a fiction platform with short stories rather than just another blog.
• How short stories are structured differently than novels. 
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This post is brought to you by Damyanti@Amlokiblogs

Ask Me First! : Guest Post from D.G. Hudson

         D.G. Hudson joined the A to Z Challenge in 2012 with her wonderful posts about Paris from A to Z.  She caught my attention recently when she did a post that linked back to my memoir blog Wrote By Rote.   I asked her to share something with the readers of my blog and she happily consented.   I thought I'd share this post on the A to Z Blog for those of you who missed it on my memoir blog.   Be sure to check out Wrote By Rote--this blog publishes each Saturday.  And don't forget to stop by D.G. Hudson--21st Century Women and say hello and take a look at what she does. 


Ask Me First!

Thanks, Lee and Tina for allowing me to write about an aspect of documenting one's family history that may not occur to many parents.  I'm referring to a child's right to say yea or nay about his 'stuff', some of which may become his own future collectibles.

At NASA, they collect Rockets for a Space Garden (Photo by D.G. Hudson)

             At NASA, they collect Rockets for a Space Garden (Photo by D.G. Hudson) 



Does your child have a collection which he treasures? Regardless of how age inappropriate it may seem, don't give away those items without his permission. Let the owner of that object decide its fate, perhaps after beginning elementary school.  The concept of ownership has to be understood.

A child's collectibles can be driftwood, badges, favourite books, games, train sets or a special comfort toy. Doll collections, action figures, signed toys, a favourite teddy bear, all are reminders of our past. On the serious side are collections of coins, stamps, sports cards, or sports paraphanalia. If an item has heritage significance to the child, such as a gift from a doting relative, ensure the child is aware of the value and background. Some early collections may turn into a main interest in a person's adult life or perhaps influence a career choice. Don't stifle that urge to hold onto a moment, nurture it.

Have a keep and a recycle box, just like in Toy Story, and let your kids decide what is to be given away. Don't get the boxes mixed up, and never keep collectibles in a garbage bag. It might end up at the curb (just like in the movie). Always keep collections clearly marked in boxes or bins, protected from dust and damage.

Kids may become more involved in the winnowing process, if they are going to be selling the toys that are no longer wanted. Recycling toys at a kids' swap meet with your child is a great way to teach several lessons at once. Packaging the items that are small in ziplock bags keeps them clean, and teaches little ones how to display the items, determining prices for the objects teaches value, handling small sales (with supervision) for the younger ones, and helping sort money promotes a basic understanding of our money system. Don't forget to have a 'float' of small bills and change and be prepared to bargain (older kids can do this). The trick at swap meets is to let the kids keep the money they make or agree to share the profits.

This post originated with the idea that a child should have the right to decide what's important in their 'stuff' and not have it given away as if it's communal property. I've heard my hub's sad tale of loss of a collectible electric train set and hardcover comic books which he had slowly acquired. He was never asked, when these items were given to children of his parents' friends. His regret at losing the early collections spurred him to start anew.

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Think of your own childhood toys or items like chairs, cradles, wagons? Do you still have any of them?  Have you ever been to a kids swap meet or had your own toy yard sale?

What did you collect as a child?  Do you collect anything now? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

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Related posts from DG Hudson's blog:

Time for Retrospect August 2012

Tips on saving and sorting those boxes of memories, and a 'Memory Quilt' overview, a free-style version.

http://dghudson.blogspot.ca/2012/08/time-for-retrospect.html

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It's Your Life - Prove It February 2011

Keeping family records and stories alive, collecting that information, and protecting your history for your descendants.

http://dghudson.blogspot.ca/2011/02/its-your-life-prove-it.html

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J.L. Campbell -- Guest post Distracted Book Tour

        You've undoubtedly been seeing a lot of this lovely lady around the blogs and now this A to Z alumnus is here on our blog.   You've still got a chance to enter her contest and obtain a free book download.  And now I present to you J.L. Campbell.

I’ve done the A-Z Challenge now for two years and both times, I felt like the Little Engine That Could, “I think I can, I think I can…” Each time, the Challenge helped me do more than I thought I could in 26 days. By extension, some of the blog hops and challenges we participate in as a community help us organize and structure our work. For example, some pieces of flash fiction I’ve written for the Romantic Friday Writers will eventually go into a novel.

Distraction started life as my 2008 National Novel Writing Month project. The story is one of those that came as a gift and didn’t take long to complete.  In Distraction, Dionne, Kyra and Justine face a range of problems, however, with each other’s support they get though some difficult times.

I believe the organizers of the A-Z Challenge have come up with something that resembles the relationship these women share. The team hasn’t stopped at a post-event write up, but continued this blog; a home base and support system for those who participated and a hub to encourage new people to check out the A-Z. I see this effort as a touchstone for what can be achieved when we are disciplined, determined and resilient. Plus, the A-Z Challenge has been a great way to nurture new friendships.

My vision of friendship is encompassed in Distraction and I’d like to share that with you, along with some things Jamaican. In A Baker’s Dozen: Thirteen Steps to Distraction, you’ll see Dionne, Kyra and Justine where they were a year before the start of Distraction. The book is a free download during the run of the tour.

Leave a comment here and you’ll be entered to win an e-copy of Distraction. At the end of the Friendship-is-Forever tour, I’ll be giving away a main prize of a Distraction note pad & pen and a $10 Amazon gift card. The second prize is a paperback copy of Distraction. Enter on the Rafflecopter here.

Thanks to the A-Z Challenge Team for having me. You guys rock!

J.L. Campbell on Amazon

J.L. Campbell on Facebook

J.L. Campbell on Goodreads

J.L. Campbell on Twitter

J.L. Campbell is a proud Jamaican and the author of Contraband, Distraction, Dissolution, Don’t Get Mad…Get Even, Giving up the Dream and Hardware (pen name Jayda McTyson). Campbell is always on the lookout for story making material, loves company and can usually be found lollygagging on her blog at http://thecharacterdepot. blogspot.com

Related articles

• Don't Get Distracted, Get Distraction: Hijacking by J. L. Campbell
• Contest & Distraction with J.L. Campbell

Winner of Oracle!

Oracle winner!

There were 27 comments.

Random.org picked 15.

That means that Lynn Proctor is our lucky winner!

Please email me at tndowney (at) gmail (dot) com and let me know what format you’d like your book in, as well as contact info.

Congrats!

Thanks to all who hung out with J.C again.  We appreciate you!

Tina

Alphabet Soup - Naming Names

This word puzzle is brought to you by Nicole at The Madlab Post...

It’s time for Alphabet Soup - The Word Scramble Puzzle of A to Z Wizards! 

Since no one won the Movie Monster Alphabet Soup game a few weeks ago, Marta Szemik is still the current Alphabet Wizard. At this time, it looks like she did not select a letter for the new game so I'm going to go with the next one that follows her previous choice, in the alphabet -- Letter N. Today, N is for Names...

Unscramble the following movie characters' names that start with the letter N. The first commenter who is able to correctly unscramble all or most of these movie character names, at best, wins this weeks’ Alphabet Soup game. Answers and the name of the winner will be posted here at the A to Z blog during next week’s “Friday Fun Time - Alphabet Remix.”

1. iobrNt _____________
2. iNkyc _____________
3. aoNl ______________
4. Nnia ______________
5. eoNm _____________

Have a Fantastically Fun Friday Everybody!

Sign up for the Monday Movie Meme, a weekly group blogging series that inspires discussion about entertainment in a whole new light and provides recommendations for your DVD, on-demand or theater fix. New topics are posted every Monday at The Madlab Post!

NICOLE
Also @MadlabPost on Twitter

Tech Billionaires Plan Audacious Mission to Mine Asteroids

You can visit guest blogger Stephen Tremp at Breakthrough Blogs 

After spending a year gazing at Vesta , NASA's Dawn spacecraft was set to cruise toward the most massive space rock in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter — a voyage that will take nearly three years. 

Dawn slipped into orbit last year around Vesta — about the size of Arizona — and beamed back stunning close-ups of the lumpy surface. Its next destination is the Texas-size Ceres, also known as a dwarf planet (folks, these are some very large pieces of rock!!!). 

Vesta and Ceres are the largest bodies in the asteroid belt littered with chunks of rocks that never quite bloomed into full-fledged planets. As cosmic time capsules, they're ideal for scientists trying to piece together how Earth and the other planets formed and evolved. 

This Being Said: A group of wealthy, adventurous entrepreneurs announced a new venture called Planetary Resources, Inc., which plans to send swarms of robots to space to scout asteroids for precious metals and set up mines to bring resources back to Earth, in the process adding trillions of dollars to the global GDP, helping ensure humanity’s prosperity and paving the way for the human settlement in space. 

“The resources of Earth pale in comparison to the wealth of the solar system,” said Eric Anderson, who founded the commercial space tourism company Space Adventures. 

Nearly 9,000 asteroids larger than 150 feet in diameter orbit near the Earth. Some could contain as much platinum as is mined in an entire year on Earth, making them potentially worth several billion dollars each. 

The new company is backed by Google’s CEO Larry Page and executive chairman Eric Schmidt, former Microsoft chief architect Charles Simonyi, and Ross Perot Jr. The venture also counts on filmmaker James Cameron, former astronaut Tom Jones, former JPL engineer Chris Lewicki, and planetary scientist Sara Seager as advisors.

Platinum Alone Is Worth:  around $23,000 a pound — nearly the same as gold. Mining the top few feet of a single modestly sized, half-mile-diameter asteroid could yield around 130 tons of platinum, worth roughly $6 billion. One possibility might be to find a useful asteroid and push it closer to Earth. A fairly low-power solar-electric ion engine could nudge a hunk of rock into orbit around the Earth, effectively creating a small second moon that could be easily accessed. 

Asteroids contain water that can be used for drinking and broken into its constituents. Oxygen is valuable for life support in space-based habitats, while liquid oxygen and hydrogen are both used to produce rocket fuel. Having a “gas station” in space could help enable missions to Mars and beyond. Such a refueling depot might allow people to permanently live and work in space, another goal of Planetary Resources. 

Question: Do you think its a good idea to mine asteroids by pulling these monstrosities into our orbit? Better speak up now or forever hold your peace because it's probably going to happen. 

 Reference

Special Challenge Participant Feature - Michael Di Gesu

Today is a very special feature! I have the honor of interviewing a writer I admire very much and have enjoyed getting to know over the past two years. Michael Di Gesu is an incredibly talented writer, one who will hit it big time in the very near future. His theme for the Challenge was flash fiction mysteries, and since today is also the post day for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, I thought it would tie in very well. So please welcome once of the most amazing people you will ever meeting in the blogging world, Michael!


Your theme was a series of flash fiction/riddle pieces – what made you chose that theme?

I just love to write Flash Fiction. To be able to tell a whole story in 3-500 words is quite the challenge, THEN, to add a riddle on top of it .... we are talking MAJOR challenge. And isn’t that one of the focus points of the A-Z challenge? To stretch or writing skills and to do it daily? And let me say that I had to be a rubber band for this feat.

Did any of them completely stump your followers?

Yes, several did. Many of my posts needed research, so that enabled me to really come up with some difficult ones.

Did you write these in advance or fly by the seat of your pants?

Man, did I fly by the seat! I had actually began the research the afternoon before I had to post. Some took almost 8-10 hours to put together. By midnight I usually had them ready for the 6:00am scheduled time.

Did you select a word and then write the prose, like it was a word prompt?

Yes, I tailored each post to the specific word I wished to focus on. Many of the posts had a fantasy element, so I would think of a wonderful mystical/magical character to focus on. One of my favorites was my “P” post for PAN.

Which one was your favorite piece? (My favorite was the letter Q. And ironically I got it wrong!)

Now Alex, that’s a tough one. But, if I have to choose, I would say my “S” post. The Salamander. I loved writing this particular piece because I wrote it in the Salamander’s POV. And what an attitude this little guy has. Geez. Too funny.

Harry Potter figured into your writing as well. You’re a big fan, aren’t you?

A HUGE fan. I must have read the series at least ten times. J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter came into my life the year my father died from pancreatic cancer. I had spent three LONG months taking care of him and literally watching him disappear. It was a very stressful time, and by December of 2001 the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’’s Stone, had just hit the theaters. It was the day after my father’s service my brother and I went to see it.

For the first time in months I had escaped the sadness and forgot for over two glorious hours of magic. The film was the ultimate escape and started me on my passion for the books. I still go back to read them on occasion when I need an escape. The world J.K. Rowling created is very special to me. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, in my opinion, have the best chemistry of all the literary characters I have read.

J. K. Rowling also influenced me greatly as a writer. From her I learned how to create lush, vivid, and descriptive scenes. And I tried and hopefully succeeded in creating wonderful chemistry between my three mc’s in my first m/g fantasy novel.

Your birthday was in April – what did you do that day? Did you write?

The “Y” post was on my birthday. First, I wrote my post ... early. I am usually in Florida for this month, and I reserve my time share in Orlando my birthday week. This year I had spent it at Epcot. I am a HUGE Disney fan as well, not surprising since I love fantasy and magic so much. I had decided to do something I had never done before and that was to have my picture taken with every Disney character that happen to be there that day. Not easy to do believe me. The lines and all the kids.... Of course, I was the BIGGEST kid and did get a few strange looks, but I didn’t care, it was my birthday after all.

Do you have a theme in mind for next year’s A to Z Challenge?

Well, I hadn’t really thought about it yet, we do have some time before April. But, for the last two challenges I did the Flash Fiction/riddle theme and everyone seem to really enjoy it. So, I might just have to stick with it again, unless, something else more incredible comes to mind. Anything is possible with me, especially when it comes to my writing.

Thank you Alex for featuring me today. I am honored to be here and I’m definitely looking forward to the next A-Z. If last year is any indication, you might just peak at three thousand bloggers this year. Anything is possible in the A-Z Challenge.

Thank YOU, Michael!!

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

J.C Martin is Back with 5 Tips on Writing a Popular Blog Post

Does the name J.C Marting ring any bells? It should. She guest postedhere last week...and I left off her POST. She'd written a POST and then talked about her debut novel. Tina, the oh so clever and together scheduler of guest posters forgot to put the POST in the POST. So here's the POST. Sigh. My big apologies to J.C...

Tell ya' what: leave a comment on THIS POST, and I'll do a random number generator and buy you a copy of Oracle. Gladly. I'm excited to read it...but currently not able to read. Or schedule posts correctly. I've been ill. True story.

5 Tips on Writing a Popular Blog Post

Ever wished you had more people reading your blog posts? Ever wanted more people commenting, or linking to your post, hence driving more traffic to your site?

We all follow the popular blogger, who garners hundreds of comments and shares for every post they make. What is their secret? While I don't profess to be one of these super bloggers, I follow some of them, and have noticed some common elements in their blog posts.

1. First things first: write about something worthwhile

While we all have the odd post about your family holiday, readers want posts they could potentially benefit from. Hence, your blog posts should be informative. Know ways to keep ants away from your picnic? Or a sure-fire way to make soufflés rise? Perhaps you're well-versed in the art of haiku poetry. Share this knowledge of yours with your readers, so they can benefit from them, too.

2. The hook: a catchy title

The title is the first thing your readers see, so try and catch their attention from the get-go. A post called “Great Uncle Benny's Beer Mat Collection” might not catch the eye of many people (except perhaps beer mat enthusiasts). The title should give readers clues as to what the post is about.

A suggestion of some useful phrases to include:

• “How to…”, e.g. “How to Sleep in Class Without Getting Caught”
• A time span, e.g. “Get a Booty Like Beyonce's in 10 Days”
• A list (everybody loves lists!), e.g. “5 Tips on Writing a Popular Blog Post”

3. Brevity: the soul of a great blog post

Ever started skimming through a blog post, or giving up on it completely, because it was way too long? If you're like me, you probably follow dozens (if not hundreds) of bloggers, and just don't have the time to digest a 1,000+ word epic. Chances are you'll read and comment only on the shorter, snappier posts.

A good guide to the ideal length of a blog post: keep it between 300 and 500 words.

4. Bells and whistles: making your post reader-friendly

Big blocks of continuous text can be dreary and a strain on the eyes. Make your post reader-friendly by breaking up the text with some relevant, attention-grabbing graphics and images: a photo, a graph, even a cartoon illustrating your point. Just be sure to check copyright restrictions, and always cite your sources.

Another way to break up text is by using numbering or bullet-points, hence dividing the text into smaller, more manageable chunks.

5. Any questions?

Stimulate discussion in the comments by ending the post with a relevant question, something that makes your readers stop and think.

For example:

So there you have it: 5 tips on writing a popular blog post.

Which of these strategies have YOU ever employed? Do you have any additional tips of your own?

Do share your thoughts. ;)

J.C. Martin is a butt-kicking bookworm: when she isn’t reading or writing, she teaches martial arts and self-defence to adults and children. A writer of dark mysteries and gripping thrillers with a psychological slant, her short stories have won various prizes, and have been published in several anthologies. Oracle, released by J. Taylor Publishing, is her debut novel.

Born and raised in Malaysia, J.C. now lives in south London with her husband and three dogs.

Website: http://jc-martin.com
Blog: http://jc-martin.com/fighterwriter/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/JCMartin_author
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jc.martin.author

Interview with Triberr Founder Dino Dogan

 A month or so after I joined Triberr, a site for bloggers who tweet, I first interacted with Dino Dogan, one of its two founders. As those who know me would tell you, I'm neither very tech-savvy, nor very tech-fortunate. So I got into Triberr glitches quite often-- and Dino has bailed me out each time, with compassion and good humor!

I haven't told Dino or Daniel (the other Triberr founder), but I call each of them "My Friendly  Neighborhood TriberrMan," because they come to my rescue every time I'm in Triberr-trouble. Without further ado, I bring you my chat with Dino the Triberrman:

1. How and when did you start off as a blogger?

I first started blogging on a now defunct community website for motorcycle enthusiasts. It was called 2WheelTips, and it was essentially like Facebook with lots of educational content for bikers. 

Then I started my dog blog, followed by my social media blog DIYBloggerNET.

2. Did your interest in blogging inspire you to build Triberr.com? What is Triberr all about?

It absolutely did. I always tell people that Triberr is built for bloggers, by bloggers. And I mean that. 

Here's the thing. 

1% of superstar bloggers get 99% of attention. And attention equals traffic, book deals, sales, speaking engagement, money, opportunities, etc.

Alas, superstar bloggers are not making superstar content. In fact, their content is safe, it's boring, it's regurgitated, it's just plain mediocre, at best.   

Yet they get 100s, sometimes 1000s of social media shares. Why?  

Meanwhile, there are so many amazing small bloggers writing kick-ass content that no one ever sees. 

I decided that enough is enough. Amazing bloggers writing awesome content need to be heard, and Triberr is a way of stealing attention away from 1 percenters of the blogosphere and giving it to those who actually deserve it.

3. What are the most important things to keep in mind if a blogger wants to succeed on Triberr?

It's a platform unlike any other, so it may take a while to get the hang of it. Stay with it, it's worth it. 

Tribe up with people you would invite to your house. People who's content you would share even if they never shared yours. 

Be a connector. Build your own tribes.

4. How can a new blogger kickstart his or her blog? Would Triberr work for new bloggers?

Triberr's original intent is to help new bloggers. Getting on Triberr is THE BEST way for a new blogger to get things going.

5. For bloggers who have hit a ceiling in terms of number of visitors, what is your advice to break into a higher level?

That is an excellent questions with which I struggle all the time. Here are few tricks I've successfully implemented in the past. 

I. Meet new people

As humans, we have this tendency to get comfortable with our surroundings. I try to fight that tendency, and make a point of meeting new people. In person, via social media, commenting, whatever it takes...new connections = new possibilities.

II. Interview

Get interviewed or interview others. 

One of the best online relationships I've developed is with Christian Hollingsworth. And the way it started was with an interview where he called me the Triberr MacGyver. I mean, how could you not love that?

III. Become a Source

Subscribe to HARO and become a source for news stories. 

It's a great way to get some links back to your site, and afterwards, you can use it to add credibility and social proof to your blog. 

It's how I managed to get on ReadWriteWeb as the source for a news story.

IV. Join a new Tribe

Triberr is a great way to extend and expand your circle of friends. Join a new tribe. Start a new tribe based on a new/different ideology. In short...get yourself out there.

6. What is #TribeUpNYC? Why should bloggers sign up for this event?

#TribeUpNYC is a 1-day conference for bloggers. We have 5 amazing speakers, like Geoff Livingston, who is a living legend, and Lena West, who is a dynamo in heels. 

But most importantly, #TribeUpNYC will be an opportunity to bloggers from the East Coast to meet each other face to face. Make some new connections, expose themselves to new opportunities, and have fun in the City that never sleeps.
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Dino Dogan  Founder of Triberr Lousy Mixed Martial Artist and a recovering Network Engineer. Pretty good singer/songwriter, trainer of dogs, and a blogger of biz. Fun at parties and a global force for badassery.   Current Location:          New Jersey Phone (US)                  201.403.1362 Phone (Paris)            + 33 6 51 72 50 33

Contact me: dinodogan dino.dogan
Latest From My Blog: You Don’t Get Paid to Speak. You Get Paid to Promote.
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This interview was brought to you by Damyanti@Amlokiblogs , a Triberr fan who has seen a boost in her blog and twitter following due to her Triberr membership, and recommends it to all lovers of blogs and blogging.

Letter Play - My Malnourished A to Z Metamorphosis in the Making

The following blog photos for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge are brought to you by Nicole from The Madlab Post...

It’s time for Letter Play - Where DIY activities, cinema and life offline collide!

While I've had fun coming up with craft projects for the Letter Play Friday Fun Time series, I just unfortunately don't have the time to devote to continuing those tutorials on a frequent basis. A craft tutorial may be posted every now and then if the mood or inspiration strikes me. For now, however, the format of Letter Play is evolving to include photos that A to Z Challenge participants can use on their blogs during April. 

It is important that all of you understand that these photos are to be used for A to Z Challenge posts ONLY and they are not to be confused with the official A to Z Challenge banners or related graphics. The purpose of these photos are to help busy or non-techie A to Z participants add images to their posts without having to search around online for royalty free images and without having to take their own photos or whatever. 

Having blogged for a few years now, I know firsthand how image searches tend to take up so much time that it interferes with writing, blogging and related online activities. This is where Letter Play comes in -- if sometime during the month of April, you are participating in the A to Z Challenge and suddenly need a photo for a particular letter, just come to the A to Z Blog and search for this Letter Play series to find a photo to use in your blog post. They are still my photos and I reserve all rights to them with the exception of granting permission for bloggers to use them in any and all A to Z Challenge blog posts published in April.

Although you do not have to give me a credit, caption or byline or link to my blog if you use one of my photos, you are more than welcome to add a credit with my name and/or blog if you're so inclined to do so. Now that the introduction to this new format of Letter Play is out of the way, let's get on to playing with letters. 

Last weekend, a stray cat ran across the street in front of the car I was riding in, causing my grandmother to hit her brakes. My cousin, who was riding in the car started talking about all of the stray cats running around near her apartment building after former tenants abandon them upon moving out. I told my cousin that the cat that ran through traffic looked malnourished, which brings me to the inspiration behind today's Letter M post.

For three years or so, I participated in Blog Action Day, a worldwide online event that brings awareness to one particular cause or subject, every October. Food was the subject for 2011, so I wrote about food waste -- particularly how many of us might be surprised at how much food we waste when there are millions of people around the world who lack access to nutritious food.

After trying to figure out what to take photos of for Letter M, I decided to play with food items that are either stale, expired, rarely used or all of these things combined -- so long as they have one thing in common: Flexibility for use in a fun manner. Here are three photos of cereal, hot cocoa mix and mustard shaped into Letter M for your A to Z Blogging pleasure.

M made of Cereal

The box of Cheerios that I've had this summer are still good according to the box but not when they're actually eaten. I took a few out to snack on and noticed that they were very stale. Yuck! Good thing that there is only about a teaspoon or so left in the box...doesn't make me hesitate to throw it in the garbage.



M made of Cocoa Mix

The cocoa mix that I had has expired earlier this month. Wanna know how I found that out? Well, I was craving a cup and set out to make it, only to notice that my plans of a tasty up were shot to pieces thanks to the expiration date. I got over it though....you know something's fishy when the top of the box starts collecting dust, right?!!!



M made of Mustard

The store brand bottle of mustard is still good but you'd think it would have expired by now, since I have no idea when the last time that I used it was. Better to have than have not, I suppose.

By the way, I promise the the next Letter Play post won't be this long. I just had to at least explain why today's post featured photos and no craft instructions, right? RIGHT! So, there you have it :)

Happy Friday, everybody!

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NICOLE
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