To Powerblog or not to Powerblog…that is the question!

Message to the Blog Owner:
I’m writing this post because like you, I care about the productivity of my blog and its basic upkeep. My purpose may be different than yours, but we have each decided to be part of a public online community. If you don’t care about reaching out to people, don’t build a blog, buy a diary. But…I digress…

 

I don’t have a long blogume. That’s a completely made up word for blogging resume. In the past I’ve held a total of four blogs including this one. The first one was with blogspot and it was real amateur. Amateur because I don’t have any other way to describe how whack it was (I don’t even remember the name). Then I held down a position with The Aftermath Blog, created after I published my first novel, The Aftermath. It did a lot better than the first one. I was able to reach out and connect to readers and receive useful feedback. I was even able to hustle a few reviews out the mix. I believe that had I held on a bit longer it may have still been here, but I pretty much got bored with it. Then there was ahouseofpoetry and ThePBSblog. I don’t consider myself an expert on these matters and I’m not someone who researched this in a book and can give a sophisticated analysis (whatever that is), but I do have an opinion to share on power blogging based simply on observation.

 

I assume the definition of “PowerBlogging” is to blog at least once a day or more, I could be wrong, but I have my own definition anyway.

I think “Blogging” should consist of updating your blog at least once a day, only missing a day or so in-between if need be. PowerBlogging, it seems, should be defined as updating a blog more than once a day, and can range anywhere from 2-3 posts a day, to a stream of posts that come in pretty much all day. The difference is pretty much based on common sense. A blog is a social networking forum to which people can interact with an online community based on various themes (my definition). Someone may create a blog because they feel like it. Someone else may want to air their dirty laundry in public so it becomes a public diary (don’t care, that’s your business). Some may actually have an agenda they’re pushing. Others may want to just promote a book, or showcase their writing in general. Whatever the reason, blogs are different than regular websites because they are interactive. Though bloggers can acquire domain names, the title “blog” I think, sets it apart from a regular website that you would actually purchase product from or that is used as advertisement for whatever business. Businesses can surely have blogs, but I think a blog differs in that it allows people to interact, follow, like, and comment. For this reason blogs are social media outlets, it just gives you more room to write, and possess much more flexibility than Facebook. But because blogs are what they are, it only makes sense to stay engaged.

 

I’m not going to define blog success. I don’t think it is restricted to any particular definition. Based on your reasoning for building a blog, that should define how you look at its success, period. I don’t believe any big brains can come along and tell me how successful or unsuccessful my blog is. I do believe however, that the individual blog owner is responsible for making sure there is fresh content for the reader. True enough, every follower is not going to be attracted to every post. True enough, every follower is not going to agree with every post. And true enough, every follower is not going to like or comment on every post. Every post may not even gain you any additional followers (that’s a different topic because then we’re getting into the whole work aspect). But if you work hard at something eventually you’ll begin to see the results of that labor. Already I see that the difference between ThePBSblog and my other blogs is the time I’ve dedicated to it, and it has already made it much more successful (on one level), than the others. Every post is written for a reason, to which not all of them are verbally acknowledged by readers. I’ve read many poems and posts on blogs that I have never made the owner aware of that inspired me (I will…eventually). Yet, inspiring me is a reaction even if you don’t know it. To make a very long story short, you never know how many people you reach who are just observing. There is a reader out there for everyone and someone who will understand your message.

 

People have a number of reasons for following your blog (that’s another reason I don’t think one person can give a general definition of what makes for a successful blogger. Follower count can be deceiving, but so can dashboard data). Some people are glued to your content, but some would just like to see your posts pop up in their e-mails or readers just in case there’s something tasty they wanna try. Some just liked one thing you said and decided your worth adding to the guest list. Others may have followed you simply because they like the way you designed your site. They may not agree with the words on the wall, but they love the interior design, which can be of help to a blogger looking to redecorate (I speak from experience. I once followed someone’s blog because their design included some of my favorite colors. They have long redecorated, but I ended up really enjoying their content. So see, you never know 🙂 ). No matter the reason, everyone has a different reason for following someone. Not everyone just wanna add someone to the reader, not everyone just wanna get post emails, and not everyone just enjoy staring at the pictures, but some people actually look forward to your posts. For this reason, I think it’s only logical to try and stay as updated and engaged as possible. For me personally, if I follow you it means something. And while a bombardment of email alerts from your blog can be annoying, at the same time it lets me know that you’re alive. Otherwise it’s easy for me to forget that you exist. Even if I don’t click on your post, at least I’ll see your name pop up every now and again as a reminder.

 

Blogging is not everything, at least not to me. I’m a woman of balance so Blogging is not my life (I have other things to do) but it is an important piece of the puzzle that I have allowed to occupy space here. It is a part of my day that I have allowed to withhold some of my time, because I think the purpose (to spread truth and inspiration through innovation and creativity) is worth putting my energy into. It is not my whole world, but it is a small piece of the world that I have allowed to exist around me. When I feel like I have accomplished what I set out to accomplish, I will retire this portion of my life. That said, I think Powerblogging can be successful if you are willing to look at is as a job. It doesn’t have to be your primary job, and it doesn’t even have to be a big part of your day, but if you can look at it as a form of employment, then you’ll see how important it is to stay engaged on one level or another.

 

So, to Powerblog or not to Powerblog?

 
Based on my definition, I think bloggers should at least blog; keep the content as fresh as possible.

 
I don’t think Powerblogging to the extreme of out staying my welcome on your readers and emails is a route I wanna take, but I do believe staying as closely updated as possible is necessary to build a strong online community.

Coffee and Car Keys

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Two things always made me think of adulthood when I was a kid: Coffee and Car Keys.
I always loved holding the keys in my hand after returning from some car visit I was sent to by relatives. It made me feel adult, as if I was actually the one driving. I think mentally I associated it with adulthood because every time adults came around they had car keys in their hand! Or maybe it was because it gave them the freedom to come and go. In any event, I came to hold my head up a little higher whenever I could walk around with those keys.

Coffee also reminded me of adulthood. It seemed that it was something that only grown-ups were allowed to do. If they weren’t drinking coffee they were drinking liquor lol. All this represented adulthood for me.

 
Feel free to list some of the things that reminded you of adulthood when you were a kid.

 

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Halloween: An Obvious Evil

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October is here. Parents are stocking the closets with the best goodies. Others are hanging skeleton bones in bushes, hiding pretend mice behind counters, and preparing pumpkin pie recipes. On the other side of the coin, children are deciding which of their favorite hero to honor this year, how long should the witches nose be, how much paint are clowns supposed to wear, and if their tooth fairy costume will really make them fly. Sounds innocent enough, after all, it’s just about candy, kids, and costumes…right?

Solstice

solstice-topSamhain (pronounced Sow-en), dates back to the ancient Celts who lived 2,000 years ago. It is a Celtic word meaning “summer’s end.” The Celts believed that summer came to an end on October 31st and the New Year began on November 1st with the start of winter. They based this on the Solstice. A solstice is an astronomical event that occurs twice each year as the Sun reaches its highest or lowest point. The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the Sun stands still coming to a complete stop before reversing direction. The solstices, together with the equinoxes, are connected with the seasons. In many cultures the solstices mark either the beginning or the midpoint of winter and summer. The summer solstice occurs when the tilt of a planet’s semi-axis, in either the northern or the southern hemisphere, is most inclined toward the sun. The Celts believed the end of the summer solstice was the end of the year, which they believed began on November 1st. But the Celts celebrations began at sunset the night before (10/31).

Gateways, Doorways, and Portals

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But the Origin of Halloween is deeper than a Celtic celebration of a new year. It wasn’t that November 1st marked a New Year; it was that it marked the opening of the door for the open worship of the Gods, Goddess, and sacrifices (Suicide rates during the Holiday season is no coincidence). At sunset on October 31, clans or local villages began the ceremonies of Samhain (Halloween’s government name) by lighting a giant bonfire. The people would gather around the fire to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic Gods. It was a method of giving the Gods and Goddesses their share of the previous year’s herd or crops.

Costumes

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The Celts wore costumes first to honor the dead who were allowed to rise from the spirit world. The Celts believed that souls were set free from the land of the dead during the eve of Samhain. Those that had been trapped in the bodies of animals were released by the Lord of the Dead and sent to their new incarnations. The wearing of these costumes signified the release of these souls into the physical world. Scripturally, when someone dies their breath goes back to the creator and their body back to the dirt. A person’s soul is just their physical self, their body, and their spirit is the breath of life which animates or makes alive that soul, or body. But many consider a person’s soul to be some tiny piece of them that is set free to go to heaven after they die. This comes from the time when Giants walked the Earth; the  offspring of human and angelic relations, they were a combination of flesh and spirit. When they died, their flesh returned to the Earth, but their spirit lived on. Mankind does not have a spirit living inside of him. The only spirit mankind has is his breath of life, but there is no tiny you inside of you. Though this is a belief of many, it is not a biblical fact, thus, when the Celts mention the souls of the dead rising, they are not speaking of actual people rising from the dead. They are speaking of an increase in demonic activity. It was believed for example, that a thin veil between the physical world and the spiritual world provided extra energy for communications between the living and the dead. Again, they’re not talking about dead people because dead people do not speak. Dead people’s bodies have been returned to the earth and their spirit, which composes all of their intellect and consciousness, has returned to the father until a later time. So when this communication takes place it is actually extra energy for communications with demons.

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Moving on, the Celts believed not all of these souls were honored and respected. Some they said were also feared as they would return to the physical world and destroy crops, hide livestock or ‘haunt‘ the living that may have done them wrong. Again, what is being described here is the activity of demons, invoked by the massive energy bestowed upon them by those participating in this celebration. The second reason for these traditional costumes has to do with the first reason, to hide from these demonic spirits, and to escape their trickery.

Samhain to Halloween

With the coming of Christianity, the early Church in England tried to Christianize the old Celtic festivals. In other words, since Christianity was filled with Paganism itself, they had to hide the true meaning behind Halloween if they were going to appease the pagan priesthood and continue to include it in their doctrine. So Pope Boniface IV designated the 1st of November as “All Saints Day,” and October 31st as “All Hallows Eve“, that eventually became Hallow’een. Scholars today widely accept that the Pope was attempting to replace the earlier Celtic pagan festival with a church-sanctioned holiday. As this Christian holiday spread, the name evolved as well; also called All-hallows Eve or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints’ Day). Later, the church made November 2nd  All Souls’ Day, a day to honor the dead. It is celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, The eve of All Saints’, All Saints’, and All Souls Day, are called Hallowmas. Halloween was also given another title, “Harvest Festival”, (this is supposed to make it sound less evil though it’s the same celebration).

The Evolution Of Halloween

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“Trick-or-treating” is a modern tradition that probably finds its roots in the early All Souls’ Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called “soul cakes” in return for their promise to pray for the family’s dead relatives. The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as “going a-souling” was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money.

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“Dressing up” for Halloween gets it roots from dressing up around the sacred bonfire during the original Celtic festival. Some suggest this practice originates from England, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world on Halloween. People thought that they would encounter ghosts (FYI: what people call ghost are actually demonic spirits) if they left their homes, so to avoid being recognized people would wear masks after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. In addition, people would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter or cause harm to their homes; a tradition obviously taken from the ancient Celtic pagans.

Despite its name change and a few switches around of the celebrations, it is still the same celebration. Participants are still giving their energy over to the Gods and are still communicating with demons. Remember, you can choose not to agree, but it won’t make it any less true.