Blogging Enemy Number 1 Sending Out the Good Karma
I'm not quite sure what it is about me, but my entire life, I have attracted crazies and "haters." Some weird girl tried to get me to join her religious cult on a Pittsburgh PAT bus one day, and for whatever reason, strange people tend to think I'm up for their crazy-talk.
Over the years, I've also been the target of online "haters," "trolls" and just plain jerks. One time a whole group of adolescent losers started insulting me and my blog. That drama went on for weeks. Every once in a while some crazy commenter crawls out of the woodwork and tells me off for no apparent reason too. It's usually something stupid and obscure like I say I dislike wearing the color orange or something. All of a sudden, someone who happens to love the color orange, who thinks they invented the color orange takes my post as a throw-down invitation and it's on. Weird.
I also seem to be targeted on these stupid ranking top list things. One time, someone hijacked my user name profile and put a not so nice nickname in there instead of my user name. Think of what a female porn star might say. I'll allow you to use your imagination. I think people purposely went in and gave me super low rankings too. Whenever there's a public ranking system that doesn't require someone to log in, everyone else soars (usually because I believe in good karma and rank other people high), and then my rating drops like a cement block in an ocean. There can't be that many people who think I suck that badly. I refuse to believe that. When the hijacking became too much, I gave up. I removed myself from the MA top list and told myself I didn't need the traffic or the drama.
I wouldn't take it so personally if I didn't invest so much time and effort into this blog. I love this blog. I am a self-taught blogger with no graphic design skills. I didn't even know what html was when I started. I was just a girl who wanted to write and thought that if I had an audience, I'd be more likely to stick to it and not put it on the back burner like the twenty or more manuscripts that live on my computer and get neglected on a daily basis. I can be serious, humorous, downright disgusting (ACL posts and pictures), but if there's one thing you can definitely say about my writing, it's that I'm honest. I write what I think and for that, I think I often get the backlash.
I find this difficult to understand, why people want to pick on a blogger they don't know who happens to have her black belt. Maybe it's internet muscles or something. Maybe it's because I'm a girl in a mostly boy-dominated niche, but whatever. I know my blog doesn't suck, and so I largely ignore it. And despite being stomped on by people who steal my content and then get mad at me when I call them on it, I continue to put good karma out there.
When bad things happen throughout the blog world, I pray for people, offer good thoughts and help however I can help. I didn't know little Maddie at all, but when another blogger I read mentioned the Spohr's and how they had lost their daughter, I read almost the entire blog, sobbing the entire time, before adding a comment in a sea of comments to say I would pray for them. And I did pray, a lot, because I couldn't imagine being in that situation. . .
Which is also why I want to draw your attention to another blogger tonight, Anissa. I don't know her and I've never met her, but the blog world apparently loves her and she's suffered a massive stroke just days before she was supposed to depart for the happiest place on Earth with some friends. I happened to end up on her blog the other day due to a Disney related search (we're going soon too), and then I started hearing horrible things. What she is going through right now is something I can't even imagine. What her family is going through is beyond comprehension. She has three kids; the youngest just beat leukemia. I mean, like she needed one more thing.
Then I started watching all these posts go up about her, buttons to donate to her family and I realized that the blog world really does rally around its own in times of trouble. And despite not knowing her, despite all the crap the blog world likes to throw at me sometimes, I'm going to continue to send out good karma. Please say a prayer for Anissa and her family tonight. Send the good thoughts and karma in her direction.
I strongly believe in the power of positive thinking which is why I've continued to write all these years, despite the porn nickname, the hijacked stuff, and the mean people. I believe in the good in people and I definitely believe that those of you who continue to read here, will send good thoughts to Anissa and her family tonight. Please do.
Busted
Last night, I took Big I to see Yamato, the drummers of Japan. I went two years ago and it was awesome. Last night was no different. Big I was mesmerized by the show. She absolutely loved it, and it was nice to do something with her.
After the show, I took a look around the auditorium to see if any of my students were present. The University where I teach offered free tickets to the students and a free bus ride to the show. I was thinking that no one I knew was there and then I spotted him, one of the students who missed my speech class yesterday.
I pointed him out to Ax-Kick Eric, who was with us, and AKE asked me if I wanted to go bust him.
Definitely.
We made our way across the auditorium and it was as if my student sensed I was there. He turned and looked directly at me. I waved and smiled, as did he, and then I put my hands up as if to say, "What's going on?" I mouthed the words, "Where were you today?" and he got a look of desperation on his face. He started mouthing words to me and waving his hand in the air as if to tell me he had a written excuse or something.
I gave him the "Yeah right, whatever" face and headed out. Class tomorrow should be interesting.
If you haven't yet commented for your chance to win a $100 Visa gift card, head on over to my Sonicare review for your chance. Time is running out!!!
Proof I Have Completely Lost It
Today I'm guest posting over at Karl's place. It's the Super Summer of Love again and I am second to last. No pressure or anything.
Because my writing creativity has been a bit lacking, I decided to break out the video camera. You should probably just head over there and watch it and then pretend you didn't see it when you see me the next time. My face will probably still be red.
Here are some questions and answers regarding the video. If I haven't intrigued you yet, these surely will.
Who's playing the role of Karl?
That would be Big I (clearly the whole "Napoleon complex" works well with this scenario).
What hooker did you borrow that dress from?
Um, actually, no one. That's my dress. I wore it to a sorority formal my sophomore year of college. No, I can't believe I wore it. Yes, I still fit in it (which is so damn cool). Yes, my mother knows I have it as she actually bought it for me (What the hell was she thinking?)
Why did you pick this song?
This song is one of my absolute favorite songs of the summer. I probably sing it in my sleep.
Where did Big I get those dance moves?
Big I is self Mommy-trained. Clearly.
Why didn't you hit that heavy bag harder?
The bag base has yet to be filled with water because we can't find one of the pieces from our move last year. Ugh. Grr.
Who filmed the video?
Part of it was filmed by Lil C who I trained to hit the record button on a tripod. Mr. BBM, who became extremely cranky about an hour into it, filmed and edited the rest.
What's up with the beach balls?
Um, have you seen Mariah Carey lately? Enough said.
Head on over to Karl's now for the video proof that I've completely lost it, the long awaited second lip syncing video. Enjoy.
And please go vote for me in the Victoria's Secret, Love Your Body contest. A girl in a gi deserves a vote in this silicone world. The number 1 person has over 16,000 votes. I need a miracle and I NEED your votes to get into the top 50!
Copyright Policy
This site is copyrighted, and what that means, for people who may have trouble with comprehension, is that you can’t take my stuff (posts, pictures, design, etc.) and put it on your site. You can’t even take my pictures and post and put them on your site if you give me a link. You just can’t. I won’t allow it, except within certain parameters (see below).
Let’s look at a few different scenarios:
Scenario 1:
1. You read a post from my site, like it, and repost it in its entirety, giving me credit or not.
2. I get upset.
3. I email you (if I can find an email address for you) and request, kindly, that you take it down.
4. You take it down and say you’re sorry.
5. We’re cool.
Scenario 2:
1. You read a post from my site, like it, and repost it in its entirety, giving me credit or not.
2. I get upset.
3. I email you (if I can find an email address for you) and request, kindly, that you take it down.
4. You don’t take it down and either a) ignore me, b) write a nasty post about me, or c) all of the above.
5. I ask you again, nicely, except now I’m not feeling so nice, but I’m trying. I’m really trying.
6. You repeat step 4 and now you’re making me mad and wasting my time.
7. I file a DMCA complaint against you and your site gets shut down.
8. Now you’re even more mad at me, but the only person you should be mad at is yourself, copy-cat.
Scenario 3:
1. You read a post from my site, like it, and re-post a couple lines from it, giving me complete credit OR you read a post from my site, provide your own take or commentary and link back to the original article OR you read something and then send me an email requesting use of it and I respond and give you permission.
2. We’re cool.
Wouldn’t you rather be a participant in Scenario 3?
I take copyright issues very seriously and pursue them aggressively. You’ve been warned.
Rat Attack
I arrived at my campus classroom at exactly 8 a.m. this morning. As usual, my students were all seated quietly and the room was completely dark. They groaned as I turned on the lights, shielding their eyes like vampires, some complaining to their neighbor how this teacher never misses a class.
I am a creature of habit, so I walked to the computer desk and went to sit my bag down beside the desk where I always put it. And that's when I saw it.
A huge rat, teeth sharp and forboding, a matted furry body, and a grotesque tail to match. I jumped back in horror and screamed, "What the. . . " as my heart started to race and I leaped onto the nearest table.
Half of my students burst out laughing. The other half were innocently wondering what had just happened.
As my heart raced and my hands shook, I asked who had done it. I felt like I had just run a mile on the treadmill. No one volunteered, but there were two girls who were laughing a bit too much. Finally, one of them raised her hand.
Reason #1 of why you should never tell your students you are deathly afraid of rodents. There will be no additional reasons. This one should suffice.
Once I had calmed myself down, we started class. I made my culprit put the offending stuffed rodent back into her school bag because I was not about to touch that thing, real or not.
Later in the class, my students asked me when the final will be for the class. I told them that with the exception of the rat-bearing girl, we weren't having a final.
I have to hand it to her though. She got me. She got me good.
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