So Let It Be Written...

So let it be done.

I've made the jump to Wordpress. So update your bookmarks, RSS feeds, and however else you were able to connect here. I don't have my own url yet, but that'll be the next step if I ever commit to spending the cash. First, I want to get a new camera.

I give credit to Blogger because they got me interested in doing this and had a fairly easy setup for those of us new to the medium. I still have one blog on Blogger with another waiting in the wings. So I won't be a stranger unless I like Wordpress so much to add them to the exodus.

I'll keep this blog up and running for as long as they allow me to. Mainly so that people can continue onto the new one. But if you want to see the latest, go here.

Mega-YULblog

Holy mackerel! There was a huge crowd at YULblog last night. Estimates run from 70 to 100 people. Quite a change from this time last year when we were lucky to have a dozen. Although I wasn't interested in seeing all 100 attendees, I was very happy to catch up with familiar faces and meet many new faces of blog I've been following for a while especially Danièle, Kate, and Vanou. As Danièle pointed out, it's interesting because you are meeting this person for the first time, yet you already know so much about each other already.

I had trouble prying myself to leave because there were so many people I wanted to talk to. Even after four hours of conversation. As Martine mentioned, it would be even better if they toned down the music. I was hoarse this morning from speaking so loud. But otherwise it was a great evening and I hope it continues to have this kind of turnout.

Thanks everyone for the best wishes and the compliments regarding the weight challenge. Though it could be that I look slimmer because I haven't cut my hair. Since my head looks bigger, the rest of me looks smaller. At least that's the plan.

Learning to get personal

This blog has been featured on the pages of the Montreal Gazette again. Page B2 of Saturday's paper. Pick it up if you have a chance. The online version is only available to subscribers. Thanks to Steve Faguy for the article. If you don't have a chance to check it out, here are a couple bits, but I urge you to read the Gazette anyhow.

"While many blogs begin with personal posts and move to more public topics as they grow an audience, [Frank] has done the opposite. "I've become more comfortable talking about myself without feeling like a narcissist.""

And my weight resolution has gotten even more public:

"His latest project is to fulfull his New Year's resolution to get in shape. He hopes blogging about it will keep him motivated to lose 25lbs by August."

I guess there's no backing out now. Especially since I'm in the process of making a wager with a fellow blogger.

Those Canadian Blog Awards really got this blog much publicity. Thank you again to those who nominated the blog. This is the second print article I've been interviewed for (I haven't heard if the first was published) and I've been contacted by both the CBC radio morning and lunch programs. But I think I failed the mock interview for the latter. It's nice to get the recognition, but the goal has always been to share thoughts with possible conversations that they generate.

Two Degrees of Separation Only

One thing that I've thought about recently is that before getting into blogging, all of my good and close personal friends were people that I either went to school with or worked with. I really can't think of any people who I have met outside of those circles that I have become very good friends with. I don't have any problem with it and it really works for me. But it does seem a bit odd doesn't it? It really make me seem like an introvert. Now, I'm not outgoing, but I've been good at getting people together in the past.

And even aquaintences seem to fall at most one degree of separation from that. They are friends or aquaintences of the people I had direct contact with. But none of those blossomed into real friendships. Does it require that I'm cooped up with someone on a day to day basis for relationships to work? Am I the only one?

Now, in my defense, I was never comfortable striking up conversations with strangers. I always prefered strong (or light) one on one interaction with people I know well and see eye to eye. Or groups of the same people. I've always wondered if it was a product of growing up in the city. Keep to yourself in the sea of people.

Another possibly lame excuse is architecture. In school we worked late hours sequestered in our studio together at times missing much of what was going on around the rest of the campus. Even the year when I lived with non-architecture students who were some of my best friends, I was at home the least often of the group. Those close architectural quarters also fostered good and lasting friendships. We also seemed to be speaking the same language and sharing the same passion. Many love affairs and eventual marriages were born out of it including our own. Then we went on to the work world, but the paycheck was the biggest change. Still the long hours and close quarters. And so many of the same people. There was such a network among architects in Chicago that you never seemed more than two degrees of separation from another architect. We were always going to the same lectures, exhibitions, and parties.

But why do I bring this up. Well, the blog world has broken that seal. I've started meeting people from other professions or who I did not go to school with. The world outside. Not that I was not in contact with others before, but it is more that a comfort level has been reached. Friendships are happening. Even exclusively virtual contact with people I have never met. Though I hope to have the chance to meet those people someday since I still feel at least one face to face encounter says volumes about who a person really is. It really is a brave new world and I really have to say I've been enjoying it.

Thanks, everyone.

Wordpress - It's the New Blogger.

Nope, I haven't switched... yet. But if I did, it would look like this (without the flowers). I got curious the other night and created the blog and that header. But Blogger beta won't let me export to it. The ability to add a personalized header along with Dante's level of security would be my main reasons for switching. But I don't have the time to play around with it, so I need a "press this button" export feature for a relatively easy switch. Until then, I'll stay put. Don't update your RSS feeds and links.

I was planning on unveiling this after Xmas, but I like the look of it so much I had to open the present before.

Full Moon Fever - Fishing for Ideas

Back when Blork switched over to Wordpress, his tag 12 Monkeys became more prominent since it's at the top of his list. I was a bit intrigued by this little project. Basically for the calendar year of 2004, Martine and Blork created a target subject for other participating bloggers to write a post on that topic. Their series included jobs worked, alive moments, taxi rides, tearjerking movies, out of characterness, monkeys on your back, first impressions of Montreal, weird and musical things, pitching your life, dining horror stories, border stumbles, and a year off. Since my blog had not been born back then and I did not know of these two fine individuals, I could not participate.

Given that the new year is rapidly approaching and I enjoy creating ever more side projects to cram into my already busy schedule, I thought it would be fun to try something similar in the new year. But I haven't come up with an idea of what. I like the format and even the ideas, but it would be nice to come up with something different, yet similar. But twelve what? There are twelve signs of the Zodiac, 12 Angry men, 12 days of Xmas, and 12 lunar cycles (or is it 13). While writing this, that last suggestion struck a bell. Hows about if it is a post on a certain subject on the day of the full moon. In 2007 there are 13 of them, Jan 3, Feb 2, Mar 3, Apr 2, May 2, June 1, June 30, July 30, Aug 28, Sept 26, Oct 26, Nov 24, and Dec 24.

But then, what topics? Shall we go the favorites route, the best stories route, the all about me route, the create something route, or all of the above. I'm trolling for everything here. If you have any thoughts on where this should go or what the topics could be, I'd really like to hear from you either in the comments or via email. If you don't have any ideas, let me know if you are interested anyhow. I'd like to have a few people participate instead of just spouting off by myself.

What A Week!

This has been a pretty amazing week.

I received a request to use this photo for a museum presentation. Something about comparing the structure of the JC Bridge to something else. They may or may not use it since the resolution is pretty low.

There were the Canadian Blog Awards. The blog received 72 votes in the Best Personal Blog category. That put it in 8th out of 112, 29 votes shy of the second round. My post on snow removal in Montreal received 50 votes putting it in 9th out of 38, 13 votes short of advancing. I really only expected 36 votes at most, but there were two things that started giving me delusions of grandeur. First the snow removal post got mentioned on the Montreal City Metroblog and secondly it got mentioned on the Skyscraper Pages. Between the two of them, my traffic quadrupled for a couple days. My traffic is still at twice the normal levels. I kinda wonder if I had mentioned the awards on the post if it would have gotten enough votes for the second round. Though that type of campaigning is more aggressive than is my style. I had quite the behind the scenes get out the vote campaigning going on with quite a few of my votes coming from back home. It was more successful that I had expected.

There have been a couple other items related to the increased exposure. I received a request from a freelance writer who wants to write a print article about snow removal post I had written. I haven't heard anything since my reply. I also received a call from Radio Canada requesting to interview me for their morning program regarding the snow removal post and the blog. That may happen later on after the snow arrives and the topic is more relevant.

And probably the biggest news was that the 70 person office that I work for has been bought out by a company twenty times our size. A very diverse company that is very successful in Quebec and has started to reach out beyond the borders into the rest of Canada and other places like the Caribbean, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Although I'm not a fan of huge companies, I have liked working for good sized ones in the past. They offer some things that a small firm cannot. As with any place, much will be determined by the management and their relation with the rest of the company. I've worked for a big firm with a family feel, but often times they can be very impersonnal. So we shall see what comes of this. I'm cautiously excited about it at the moment.

And life has been busy at home and at work. So less attention has been spent on these online endeavors. Though you probably haven't noticed since I've been eating up a backlog of posts written in the past. And things won't slowdown soon. Only three weeks left until we leave for vacation. Still much to do to prepare for that also. The vacation should be quite relaxing with nothing to do and no internet connection. Some time to read up on things and maybe recreate that backlog I'm using up. I always have a handful of ideas for posts floating through my head. Kinda frustrating not having the time to write them down.

And lastly we have been preparing to have a Thanksgiving style supper with some friends tonight. A great way to cap off a busy and eventful week. Appropriately enough there will be a couple friends from work and a couple friends from online.

Voting Begins

Voting has begun over at the Canadian Blog Awards. There are over 300 nominees in the 20 different categories. This blog has been nominated in two. Best Personal Blog and Best Blog Post. I have put together a list of noteworthy nominations that I recommend. Voting runs from today until next Tuesday. You can vote once each day (per computer). It's not required that you vote in every category, but you must make all your selections before submitting your votes. So vote for your favorites and make your keyboard heard.

Best Blog
Blork Blog
Metroblogging Montreal
Why was Daddy Kissing that Man in the Park
Zeke's Gallery

Best New Blog
Kollectif

Best Group Blog
Metroblogging Montreal

Best Humour Blog
Why was Daddy Kissing that Man in the Park

Best Photo/Art Blog
Digital Apoptosis
Monday Morning Photo Blog
Genestho

Best Entertainment Blog
Kollectif
Zeke's Gallery

Best Personal Blog
Chicagoan in Montreal
Blork Blog
It's All Grey to Me

Best Media Blog
Montreal City Weblog

Best Blog Post
Chicagoan in Montreal: Snow Removal in Montreal
Babayaga: Death of the White Trash Latte
The Eponym: Smell This Law
Blork Blog: The Tragedy of the Venetian Socialite
Metroblogging Montreal: My Day at the Office

Best Blog Post Series
Blork Blog: Of People and Places

Best Activities Blog
Blork Blog

Best Local Blog
Metroblogging Montreal
Kollectif

Post #300 Renovation

Monday I said I was going to compile another "Best of" for those new to the party and since it has been almost 200 posts since the last one (post #100). I started to compile it and it proved to be a difficult task. Wading through the archives, determining what could be considered the best, and adding links, etc. The whole time I was thinking that it would be so much easier if I could just throw everything into categories. That way I wouldn't have to choose and visitors would still be able to find topics that interest them. For instance, some may be coming to read about my take on Montreal, while some may be interested in me.

Well for the last month or two, Blogger has been advertising a new beta-version. With more flexibility and the ability to add bells and whistles not previously available. The two that interested me the most were the ability to add labels/categories and the other was the ability to control who sees the blog. Now, some of you know that I have been toying with jumping to Wordpress. For the two reasons above and the ability to customize the look instead of using a template. Unfortunately we're short on cash at the moment and it'll have be another day. Of the two reasons to jump, the viewing permissions turned to be a bust. It's a toggle switch where the blog is invitation only or public. There is not the ability to do it on a post by post basis.

So by now, you can see that I took the plunge into beta. It's for the sole reason of being able to categorize my posts. In large part I am really liking the improved version. It's like getting any upgrade like a bigger monitor or a new car. It's not perfect, but there are enough new bells and whistles to make it a fun improvement. The ability to add elements and move them around. And the dashboard makes adding categories quite easy since I can do it in bulk on one page. Instead of doing it post by post. And along the way I learned how to back up this thing.

So there we are. A good chunk of the previous posts have been categorized for easy reference. One knock on it is that you view the whole post in each category instead of just a few lines. It would make it easier to peruse. I hope to have all the posts categorized in the next few days. I did create a "Best of" since there are a handful have gotten tons of traffic. If you feel there are others to add, let me know. I've given the same treatment to the other blog also.

I hope it doesn't bother anyone how I divided up the blogs I link to. Cohorts are people that I've met in the real world or have a well established online rapport. The other three are self explanatory. Though just so you know, I read the blogs that link here also.

So enjoy the new diggs. I hope you like it and feel free to explore the categories.

Canadian Blog Awards

It's that time of year again. Nominations are being accepted for the Canadian Blog Awards. My love of competition, my need for validation, and just plain curiousity has me interested in being a part of it this year. So feel free to nominate me if you feel what you read here is worthy. The only two categories this blog could fall under are Best Personal Blog andBest Blog (yeah, right).
There is also the best post or best post series categories. A couple of my most popular posts have been Snow Removal in Montreal and my most visited blog post ever is Population of Montreal in 2005. Search engines have popularized the second one.

And if any of you are interested in being nominated, let me know. I'll be happy to nominate you. Actually, we could all nominate ourselves, but it doesn't feel quite right doing it that way.

I realize that this is just one big popularity contest and I only have a small chance of getting in the final three. But if it brings in more like-minded people and/or people interested in what's written here, that can only be good. I hope to have a "Best of" coming up soon.