Learning: Bicycling in Illinois

I've been thinking about going out in my neighborhood with my bike on lazy evenings--whatever those may be, ha!

So what are some of the things anyone interested in bicycling in Illinois should know? Such as laws, best practices, and hand signals for turns and such?

In case anyone is interested, here's a rundown of great resources for ya:

Illinois (state-wide)

• League of Illinois Bicyclists (LIB)
• LIB bicycle Share the Road safety education video
• CiberDrive Illinois Bicycle Rules of the Road
• Illinois Department of Natural Resources Bicycling Guide
• IL State Police Bicycling brochure
• IL DOT Safe Bicycling in Illinois brochure

Local

• List of cycling groups in the Illinois area
• League of American Bicyclists Chicago Listing
• Cycling in the city of Chicago (and Chicago Bike program)
• Fox Valley Park District Bicycle Trails (and map)
• City of Aurora IL Bicycle Map
• Naperville Bicycle Club

The best way I found to find information is to search for "[Cityname, State] bicycle safety" on Google. There are variations on this search you can employ: bicycle club near [ZIP], bicycle class near [ZIP], etc.


Just for some closing fun, enjoy this video by Queen. Cheers!

Learn: Exploring Basic Camping Needs

When you plan to go camping at a camp ground--backpacking is a completely different animal--you're going to have to prepare yourself for the battle of "wants" and "needs."

In my camping prep research reading, I've thus far learned that the following are vital basics to have at hand:

Information

• monthly weather averages
• map of area and driving directions
• copy of your camp ground reservation
• ID and medical insurance card
• charged cell phone
• cash and coins
• map and rules of camp ground
• location of a reliable water source
• location of garbage disposal
• GPS

Equipment (in order of importance)

• tent and extra stakes (use a rock or mallet)
• sleeping bags
• drinking water
• dry food
• lantern w batteries
• water purifying tablets/filters (alternatively boil water 15-20 min)
• any medication currently being taken
• first aid kit
• paper towels
• hand sanitizer and biodegradable soap
• bug repellent
• SPF lotion
• garbage bags
• zip lock bags
• wet/cooking food
• stove or other cooking tool
• mess kit: pot, pan, cup, lightweight sports bottles, cutlery
• cooler
• ice/reusable ice packs
• hiking boots
• layerable clothes including waterproof outer shell/rain gear
• a set of dry clothes and socks for sleeping purposes ONLY
• hat
• camp shoes
• personal hygiene products
• shower bag and necessities
• weather radio
• batteries

Learn: Camping

I decided this is the year I'll try camping in the great outdoors.

My first exposure to camping was one summer afternoon in Italy, when my (maternal) grandfather brought home a tee pee like, cone-shaped camouflage tent. My parents and grandmother seemed a little flummoxed at the time, based on their expressions as I peered up at them. I didn't realize it was for me.

Grandpa and I tried it out together in the garden.We then crawled halfway in and lay on our backs with our butts and legs sticking out the front opening. Some tiny ants began entering and walking on the yellow floor and up the walls. Is this all there is to it? I wasn't impressed, but I loved spending time with grandpa.On another occasion my dad set up the tent for me in the TV room with my crib mattress inside so I could camp out indoors. It was a tight squeeze.

Much more recently, I joined a church where there is a great appreciation for the outdoors and sustainability. There is a small group that goes camping at Illinois' famed Starved Rock State Park in mid to late July every year. If you plan on attending, you have to pay your own campsite reservation fee, bring out all your camping stuff for a typical car-camping experience, and then join the group for Saturday and Sunday morning hikes and campfires and conversation at night. It sounds idyllic. And I'm all for joining them this year.

Yes, siree. This year, I'm going all the way baby. I began researching outdoor camping, car camping, tents, and sleeping bags. It took me seven days. Seven. I changed my mind on what tent to buy about three times. I finally settled on an igloo-like tent for four by Coleman.Since I don't plan on camping in winter or cold weather, I looked for a rectangular sleeping bag that is good up to 35F. this was a much easier decision to make than the tent.

I perused Wal-Mart, Target, REI, Dick's Sporting Goods, Google Shopping, Blain's Farm and Fleet, and Amazon. I also looked up several product manufacturers' websites, particularly Coleman. Amazon proved to have the cheapest prices and free shipping for qualifying purchases over $25. At the time I started my research Amazon featured a sale with special coupon code for money off Coleman products.

Among the amazing and useful information I found out, is the fact that you should accommodate around 1.5 people more than those who are camping with you in your tent. In my case, I am planning on taking advantage of the extra tent space because I'm planning to camp with my dog and significant-other unit.

We'll probably want to keep some of our camping equipment inside the tent with us so it's safe from the elements and wildlife at night. Plus, I wouldn't want my boloney sandwiches, homemade trail mix, and favorite protein bars flying away across the state park :)

Did you also know that your food should be hung from a tree, 10' off the ground and the same distance off the tree trunk, rather than storing it in your tent or car? Animals and insects can get into your stuff and cause mayhem. No, not the funny mayhem from the insurance commercials on TV, the real one.

There is a lot more I could share, but unless you need to know or are interested in learning more, it can probably put the typical civilian to sleep. Wake up.

I've made a wish list on Amazon especially targeted to camping needs. The significant-other unit made a very generous gesture by purchasing the very basics, off of the list, as my birthday gift (still a couple of weeks away). The boxes have started coming in this week (!).

I'm planning on my first weekend camping trip at a nearby county forest preserve camp ground, this spring. It's my test run before my official camping adventure in late July with our church group.

I also signed up again for the Northern Illinois Becoming an Outdoors Woman weekend program in early June, up in Oregon, IL. I've missed the Fox River and can't wait to go back to visit. This year, I signed up for classes (with second and third choices) which can help me prepare for camping.

I've actually started mulling around a potential camping trip through Utah. But it's still in the mulling-over phase and not yet solidified, but it looks potentially doable (!).

I'm very excited with this new camping initiative. I like being able to explore, learn, and put into practice new skills that can come in handy or are just fun as a side hobby. I hope it turns into a great opportunity to enjoy nature safely, and make some new friends.

I learned A TON about what it is to go camping and what equipment you really need versus what you want to have along. Here's a rundown of my top resources so far:

• The Inquiry Net - my all time favorite, all-encompassing resource for anything outdoors, camping, or scout related (vintage and recent)
• Camping.About.com
• REI expert camping advice - check under the camping tab, camping articles
• Coleman USA - check under the Expert Info and Blog tabs for great info
• Joy of Camping
• Road and Travel Magazine - Camping for Beginners
• M40's Wilderness Survival Skills
• YouTube - camping tent reviews search results
• 8 Basic Camping Skills Scout Patch Program [PDF]
• Illinois Department of Natural Resources - the Northern Illinois BOW program and State Parks with camping facilities
•  ReserveAmerica

Financial Education

One of my very major goals for 2012 was and is to educate myself financially.

Yesterday, I was able to take a big leap towards that objective. I attended a great accounting and finance workshop that will help me better understand Profit and Loss statements and budgeting. These will help greatly in my work, but the instructor also taught us several items that can carry over into my personal finances.

At work, I've been responsible for line items since around 2005-2006. At work I have a spreadsheet and I help build a yearly budget and create estimates using sales reports.

But, personally, I haven't really delved into proper financial practices. I've always felt funny that I was much better at keeping books and a budget at work and sucked at it at home. I guess I felt like I did enough of it at work and my personal finances would take care of themselves. Uh, yeah, bad idea.

I currently have a car loan, a credit card balance, and a student loan. These three pieces can help me build a healthy credit history, or cause a cataclysm. The choice is mine and depends on how much thought and time I can dedicate to planning.

I started fiddling with budgeting sometime last fall, and have been keeping a biweekly and monthly tally in Excel since late November. It's been working great record-wise, but I need to step up my game in allocating moneys to debt reduction and building up emergency and savings accounts.

I came to the realization yesterday that if I make a three to four year plan, I can probably assure myself to be 85% debt free in that time. I say 85% instead of 100% because I have a very large education loan that lingers over me much like a dark, water-logged cloud.

I'm optimistic after a very long time. I have the gumption and the plan, and am following the baby steps.

My main task this week is to develop a list of literature I should look up at my local library, based off of titles our instructor rattled off yesterday:

• The Richest Man in Babylon
• Budgeting and Finance
• Rich Dad Poor Dad
• Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover
• The Psychology of Achievement
• Accounting for Dummies, Budgeting for Dummies, Bookkeeping for Dummies

Wish me luck!

Self Improvement Via Bookkeeping

A couple of weeks ago I signed up for an accounting for non-financial people seminar for late February. I'm planning on making 2012 the most financially precise year I've had to date, both personally and professionally.

Photo: Kirktaxconsultant on Flickr

What on earth do I mean by "financially precise?"  Well, I have been increasingly diligent in maintaining good personal budgeting and financial records over 2011. I want to make sure 2012 is even more so.

Practicing good personal financial "hygiene" translates well to your organizational and budgeting skills at work.

Having already taken at least three accounting classes in my long school-going history, and hating every minute of it, the seminar I signed up for will serve as a much-needed refresher of the guidelines behind correct bookkeeping and budgeting.

To help give me a little advantage, ahead of the seminar, I've searched online and found a great tutorial (Learn Accounting & Bookkeeping for Free) website. I'm only on the first intro page, but I'm loving it! The person who wrote this seems to have a knack for instructing others clearly. I'm enthused and ready to get at the meat! Let's see how long I can keep this up for ^^;

I can be a little anal about the discomfort I feel at realizing I have a weakness. However, this propels me forward into better acquainting myself with the subject matter.

I wish programming was so easy to get into, because, by now, I'd already know how to program! Well, maybe one day ;o)

Yoga For Sitting Aches and Pains

One of the many reasons I chose to pursue a yoga practice back in March, was the pain caused by my sedentary lifestyle and extended sitting. Did I mention the pain?

I first went the chiropractor route, last year, and it did just what it was supposed to, but I wanted to change my lifestyle to match this new understanding of cause and effect.

When I started doing yoga I was incredibly out of shape, a little clumsy, overweight, and had incredibly tight hips and hamstrings.

The two private classes I took before the fundamentals class, did a lot to establish a foundation of understanding why and what poses did in my body. Since then, I've been reading various online articles and magazines, to help build up my body of knowledge and understanding. I also think critically of each and every pose in the classes I attend, and examine how one pose helps expand into the next to warm up the body for more advanced poses towards the end of the class.

I was recently reading about groin pain, because we had an extremely vigorous class last night. I found an article about the sacroiliac joints (Practice Tips for the Sacroiliac Joints) on Yoga Journal's website.

I expanded my reading to include what exercises are needed to help pain in the sacroiliac and lower back. There are A TON of articles on this website! Love it!

I learned that with hip and lower back pain or tightness, the areas you need to focus on are: the sacroiliac, psoas, pelvic floor muscles, periformis, and gluteus. In my particular case, it looks like poses such as fish, reclining hero, and bridge pose can help slowly and carefully build tone and loosen up tight areas. I need to protect the sacroiliac bones, tighten my core, and make sure I relax in poses. On the other hand, poses that include widening the legs and thighs apart, such as goddess pose, cobblers pose, wide leg forward bends, etc., can cause problems.

I got stoked by the info I learned, and took the initiative to email my yoga studio and suggest a workshop idea to help tight sacroiliac folks like myself. I wonder whether they'll take it into consideration.

My very favorite pose for hip opening is one-legged pigeon. The longer I'm able to stay in it, the more relaxed I feel after. I have difficulty staying in a seated cross-legged position for long, my groin muscles and ligaments start aching.

I love finding educated and well-researched articles on Yoga Journal's website. It should definitely be counted among your go-to references and resources if you are a yoga student.

Cheers!

Recommended readings:

• Sequences for beginners
• Protect the disks in forward bends and twists
• Fish pose
• Poses for anatomical focus: hips
• Locating the groin muscles
• Tips for tight hip flexors
• Opening the groin and inner thighs
• Practice Tips for the Sacroiliac Joints

In Search Of: Food Discoveries

Ever since I read The Millennium Books by Stieg Larsson, I've been liking Northern European snacks and cooking. There are a variety of quick sandwiches mentioned in the series that pique my interest as a foodie.

So much so, that I've been reading up almost everything available online that regards smorrebrod, or Scandinavian open face sandwiches. I'm working to collect highlights of my search via bookmarks on Delicious.

I've purchased the Ikea food book and The Scandinavian Cookbook and even refreshed my fondness for a television show called New Scandinavian Cooking (tons of great recipes and videos on the site) that I had so long ago watched on PBS.

One of the items that I see written about time and time again, in Scandinavian recipes and cookbooks, is the versatility of hard boiled eggs in sandwiches and with smoked salmon.

Hard boiled eggs are not something I've loved during my childhood (I used to gag and throw up even), but that I've grown to appreciate as I've aged. And these little orbs are definitely not something that I cook every day--scrambled, omeletted, and fried yes, but not hard-boiled.

I must have tried to make hard boiled eggs a grand total of 3 times in my life. My avoidance may have something to do with scorching my fingers very painfully, and therefore, attempting to obliterate the practice as a result.

Yet today was the day I would be successful over this pitiful little task. Yes sir. I made hard boiled eggs that rocked. That is, armed with a simple recipe from Martha Stewart! The trick was peeling the darned things. In enter eHow and its unending supply of amazingly useful tips and tricks.

Once the egg has been peeled, there's a number of serving options. The Scandinavians love to pile their open-face sandwiches high with thin slices of egg near the bread layer or on top as decoration.

Today, I chose to use my egg slicer for the first time. It features two slice options and regrettably, didn't figure out how to use one at a time until after I made a mess of my first, perfectly boiled egg. It was still delicious tough! Particularly with some HP sauce.

Sliced eggs can top a salad or open-faced sandwich adding a wonderful splash of color (white and golden) while beefing up the protein quotient. You can also make a simple egg salad sandwich by mixing chopped egg with giardiniera or chopped pickles and some mayo. The options are endless. Oh and don't forget that you can simply dispose of the yolk if you're watching your cholesterol, and just use the white part. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and off you go.

This has been an amazingly busy three-day weekend, where I've done a ton of house chores, built two Ikea furniture pieces, and began learning JustBASIC...not to mention learned to finally make hard boiled eggs and use my egg slicer. I feel productive! ^_^ Now for a nap. ;oP

Recipe: Broccoli Quiche

before oven

I bought 8 mini tartlet/pie tins (they kind of look like this) from Cost Plus World Market, and felt it was the perfect opportunity to get pie baking.

I've been mulling over pie made from scratch ever since I saw a video on the New York Times about easy pie crust for Thanksgiving.

So inspiration hit. Tonight's dinner just had to be quiche. I got the broccoli quiche recipe here, and the pie crust recipe here.

after oven

I'm also testing out a new way of cooking up recipes, by placing all the ingredients out on containers ready to use, before I start mixing stuff up together.

I think this way, which is how usually all the great chefs on TV do it, makes it easier to plan out the ingredients ahead of time--versus starting to mix and realizing something is missing midway through.

Can't wait for the next crusty experiment. ^_^

A Cappuccino We Will Make

I got cappuccino crazy after I came back from Italy. Over there I only had 2-3 total during my trip, but the taste is so unlike any coffee you have in the US that it really does merit its very own obsession. At least I think so!

So the day after I came back from my trip I went to the Italian grocery store by my office, Frankie's, and purchased Segafredo Deca Crem. The next day in Naperville, at Caputo's, I purchased a Bialetti Mokka Express 9-cup espresso stove-top pot.

I've had a tiny stove top model since '01 or so, which was not branded and which made way too little coffee.

everything tastes better in Fiestaware
but we already had a good start here!

I've also had a full-on cappuccino machine that I got one Christmas back around '02, before we were married. But there's really no experience quite like frothing your own scalded milk in my Bodum french press. Yes. That's how I'm frothing milk. It works!

And...the organic demerara sugar makes it delicious in a way that white sugar simply cannot. I noticed that in Italy they give you the option of white or demerara sugar when you're at an autogrill or standing at the bar. My parents have been using demerara since '99! ^_^

I love the entire experience from setup to clean up, with this new little ritual I developed. And it's breezy enough to do on mornings before heading out of the house. Plus, really, when you consider how delicious the resulting coffee is...there's no hassle at all really. Trust me!

Everyone needs a little ritual in their life, especially if it makes them happy! ;o)

I Wish...

I knew how someone can get this sort of education/experience:

• knowledge of instructional design for online environments
• understanding of Web usability methods, Web architecture concepts
• Web courseware (Moodle)
• Web 2.0 tools/technologies - social media and blogs?
• MediaWiki software - online posting and use of wikis?
• experience working with content management systems (CMS)
• Collage preferred - huh?

Neater Note Taking

I'm always ashamed of how my notes look. Yes it's true. I have a complex about it.

Other people in the office have all sorts of note taking systems...multiple, labeled notebooks; essay notebooks; Covey systems; etc. But you know what makes me feel the worst? When I see people take notes and do it so neatly I want to cry.

So, as you can imagine, I have two reactions: appreciation, and disgust. Yes disgust. How much time they dedicate to their systems and so little to implementation/work!!

Whenever I take notes...I always seem to start on the right foot, but somehow get lost before I know it. No GPS can save me then.

I have been thinking about this for a couple of months actually. It really has been bothering me that much. I've noticed that...I end up writing stuff in the margins, underneath, over things...it's just a hot mess. I've never had neat writing to begin with, but when I get mentally confused too during note-taking, that's really too much!

I think that part of taking good notes...
1) is having a clear agenda to begin with that progresses to a logical point,
2) using a numbered and alphanumerical outline system to take notes,
3) being clear mentally about what one needs to capture and how/why.

So I'm essentially blaming the people I meet with for not having a clear agenda, and rambling all over the place for confusing me. How's that ^_^

But on a more serious, and practical note, how do you go about taking better notes?

Well it's important to have the right tools and mindset to start off with. Perhaps have notebooks with topic areas neatly labeled at the top, and a pen attached or handy nearby. Post it notes for tab dividers of time periods or to mark action items. Pen inks of different colors, notebooks of different colors, different labels, etc. It can get as creative or as cheap and basic as you want it to be. These could help keep you and your notes a little neater.

It's important to ask for or suggest agendas and/or schedule of events for meetings, phone calls, and conference calls. I think this can help make you a part of the solution, and by at least taking the initiative, makes you feel better and brings the idea to the organizer to keep the meeting more organized. People also get to think about the different topics ahead of time and pipe up at the right time during the conversation.


I studied project management and decided the strict forms and processes are definitely not for me. Each project provides a new opportunity to think outside the box, and a form doesn't allow me enough space to stretch my own boundaries and flex my intellectual muscles. At least that's the brochure version...

In real life, folks have unspoken agendas that sprout during a meeting and grow to gargantuan size by the end of the conversation.

Many folks go on tangents of multiple projects/topics/personal life events and end up hijacking conversations (and air time)...among other occupational hazards of meetings.


I did a quick Google search for "write notes neater" and found some pages that were of use:

• Men with Pens - Get a Rush from Your Writing [just four quick suggestions]
• Pysics Class forum - I envy other people's handwriting and notes [me too! LOL]
• Mactalk Forums - How to Have Neat Handwriting
  

But you know what? It's not really about handwriting or typing things out. It's about keeping things straight in your mind, having a process for action items and reminders, and just being able to stay on top of multiple pots on multiple burners.

What is your favored process for keeping your note taking neat?

A Walkin' We Will Go...

Benny and I have been going on our longer walks each afternoon when I get home and I've begun feeling better already. It helps clear the cobwebs, I capture some intersting shots with my iPhone or camera, and Benny pants a lot. Actually, I think he's out of shape, he pants a lot and doesn't sniff out the bunnies as much as he used to.

It's all good tho!

So I was reading up uber quickly some tips on the REI website, and thought these might help you as well, so here they go:

• Walking for fitness - includes info on benefits, gear, technique, and exercises
• How to choose walking shoes - foot factors, construction elements, and trying them on
• When to replace your shoes - how to tell, and how to make your shoes last longer

The Cutting Edge in Knives

It’s never a good sign when an amateur cook grabs their favorite knife to begin slicing into some vegetables, and instead spends several seconds staring at the blade in their hand. “A knife should feel comfortable in your grip, it should act as an extension of your fingers, hand, and arm—much like a painter’s brush,” says the senior kitchen director at Sur La Table in Naperville, Illinois. She adds, “it’s a very subjective feeling, but you know when you have the right one.”

Chiffonade, brunoise, julienne, batonnet…they all sounded like the names of exotic dancers before I started reading about the different ways of slicing and cutting foods. What prompted this latest research frenzy? Like many other American foodies, I was taken by the onion-cutting scene from Julie and Julia. Although movies count on prepping staff, you can be sure Meryl Street studied some knife basics to feel more comfortable in the role of Julia Child. So what is the first step in learning pro knife skills? Purchasing the right set of tools.

It’s not uncommon for someone looking to purchase a new knife or set of knives to be very confused about where to start. I myself stared as wide-eyed as a deer in the headlights confronted with a vitrine replete with glistening blades of all origins and for all purposes at my local gourmet cooking store.  Luckily,I happened to also notice a sign announcing a knife skills workshop scheduled for later that week.  I had to sign up right away.

Attending a class led by a professional is a great way to familiarize oneself with the basics: selecting the appropriate knife, identifying what each knife is meant for, and practicing basic cutting techniques.  As I walked into my store’s knife skills class, I was immediately put at ease by the instructor, introducing herself as a chef with 25 years of cooking experience and,  pointing a knife at her assistant instructor at the opposite end of the cooking island, mentioning he had been with some of the better restaurants in Chicago.

The first step in understanding knives and their value proposition to the beginning or experienced chef, is to understand how they’re made. Knives come in either European or Asian style, and in machine made or hand forged blades. European knives are typically either German or French and have a thicker spine and a sturdy bolster. On the other hand, Asian knives are thinner, have a unique curvature of the spine from handle to tip, and are typically hand forged—making them expensive and versatile.

The second step is to better understand the types of knives that are available. There are two knives any chef really needs: a chef’s knife and a paring knife. No need to acquire an expensive butcher block full of knives then! Chef’s knives can help you tackle a stack of chops or a pile of lettuce, and paring knives help you peel and decorate fruits and vegetables. For cooks who enjoy breaking down their own meats and fish there’s the very flexible fillet knife, which is very pointy and has a unique blade curvature.

The flexibility of the fillet knife brings to mind another important factor: blade flexibility. Only fillet knives should have some give in the steel’s side-to-side movement. In other knives, this is a sign of poor craftsmanship…and the opportunity to harm oneself.

The third step, is to understand a proper knife grip: pinching the blade spine where the bolster meets the handle, assuring a tight grip at all times. This pinch, however, is also how many professionals develop a little trademark callus on their index finger where the spine rubs during the cutting and slicing motion. This is why it’s important to test out knives before buying them. Not chopping actual food, but holding and gripping to determine whether the weight and balance match one’s grip, and whether the bolster and spine are comfortably pinched together or cause some strain.

But finding the knife that best suits your needs and grip preferences aren’t the end of the story. As you may have realized, all proper tools need some TLC to assure longevity and safe use. Honing the knife’s steel just before each use helps keep the blade true. Mind you, there is a difference between an European and Asian honing tool, so make sure you purchase one from the same manufacturer to complement your choice of chef and paring knives.

Sharpening should be done periodically, and can be done at home or by a professional. However, since the careful use of a water or oil sharpening stone and an eye for degrees of blade incline (20 to 25 degrees usually) are something that turns an inexperienced cook off, there’s manual and electric sharpener tools with foolproof systems that won’t wear down the steel ahead of time. But the recommendation is to trust a professional. In Chicago, many professionals entrust their tools of the trade to the Chicago Cutlery company.

Whatever your choice, make sure you only grab for a sharp and honed blade: there’s few things as dangerous as a dull knife. So what are you waiting for? Pick your new favorite knife and get slicing!

Places I've Visited

I'm always sad about the fact that I haven't been traveling as much after I got a proper, full-time job. However, it's fun to reminisce about the places I did visit when I could. And of course, who says I can't travel to new and undiscovered (for me) places in the years to come!

I discovered a map that helps tag the countries traveled to. So I created an embeddable one to add here:

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

You can use this sort of map to tag countries for all sorts of reasons, and it's quite intuitive and easy to use. Just log on to http://bighugelabs.com/map.php and start checking the boxes for the countries you need highlighted on the map. Then, when done checking off countries, just scroll up to the map and copy the code and paste it wherever you'll be showcasing the map. And...fini!

Give it a try when you need to create a map for things such as travel, countries your music collection comes from, places you'd like to visit, countries your company has taken you to, etc. This could even make an excellent tool to create graphics for books and whitepapers since you can tag whatever countries you need displayed, for, say, the European Union 10 years ago versus the European Union today. Or countries who still have the death penalty. The uses are endless.

Njoy n Happy Travels! :)

Content Scrapping Online

I posted on online content scraping on my jedasinterwebs.blogspot.com blog.

Is your online content being scraped and used without attribution by third parties? Learn how you can turn the tables on scrapers and make it work for you with a few tricks.

Hiking in Illinois

I've been meaning more intently to research hiking. I've taken up something close to it since Benny's come into our world. Significant other unit refuses to take these sorts of walks, and the couple of times he's come along has been vocal about the difficulty of walking on such terrain *sigh*

So what is there to hiking? Are there any guides? What about trail guides or guides to hiking in Illinois? What about a guide to local flora and fauna? Could I find hidden edibles in the area while hiking? Hmmm all these questions set me thinking and searching.

So my search produced a number of interesting resources, though I'm still not satisfied with what I've found.

A "Hiking Website" tells you what there is to hiking and what to look for when starting it up. Here you learn that hiking's about being conscious of 1) your body, and 2) your surroundings. Make sure you don't go beyond your limits, and that you're always aware what situation you're in (yes that means no texting while hiking!). So what goes with these two main elements to hiking? Well you should always hike with someone, make sure you have the appropriate gear (#1 is appropriate footgear and apparel), make sure you ask questions, and above all watch and learn. Be a walking sponge. And whatever you do, don't go to the grand canyon and climb dangerous rocks thousands of feet above sea level in wedgey/platformy slipons like I did Dec 31 last year. Scary. Then again, the adrenaline rush was thoroughly enjoyable ^_^ I live for stuff like that ;)

Then there's Gorp.Away.com which is an awesome links resource for all hiking related stuff, like
what to look for in hiking gear. The Get Started link is quite useful, in a "make a list, plan, then hit the road" kinda way. I also liked their Illinois hiking guide.

So what's the resources arena like for Illinois in particular? Any forest preserves or other govt-type agencies educating people out there? Eh...not so much apparently.

I first searched the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website and didn't find much, with the exception of a list of trails in my particular area (there's different pages for different areas within Illinois). Eh. Maybe I'll take a look if I ever want to venture out of my back yard. There's lots to do right here for now.

The DuPage and Kane counties forest preserve websites are interesting too. DuPage has had more resources it seems, and their websites are uber friendly to use. Their recreation section has a page personalized to hiking interests, including maps and other info of particular areas of interest. I actually found Kane County Forest Preserve's Twitter account to be FAR better than its website. Its Facebook page isn't that bad either.

I'll keep checking this and Enjoyillinois.com out. I have had on my to-do list Starved Rock State Park for what seems forever. I was almost interested in going to the Mississippi Palisades a long time ago, but any interest never quite materialized.

I'll keep checking all these resources out to broaden my knowledge and maybe, one day, take a peek at some of these cool hiking trails and places. But for now, I enjoy my 45min-1hr long hikes with Benny the Baying Hound. We have our very own favorite places and our own way of communicating silently with each other, as we explore together.

Happy trails y'all ;)

The Marketing Mix and Telesales

I don't often talk about work on here, but this is a lesson worth sharing. Sharing it also helps me explore the concept further in my own mind and make connections that can become useful while developing this idea further. So without further ado...

At work we've been discussing the role telesales (better known as telemarketing) can play in the marketing mix we use to target our audiences. As a nonprofit specializing in education and growth opportunities of all types for our members, we've also been seeing some negative trends as people, departments, and companies cut budgets. Education is usually the first to go, immediately preceded by unnecessary travel. Sometimes followed by the public relations and marketing people.

Apparently, it seems that telesales are very useful for re-engaging expired memberships. The trick is to target each and every conversation so that you aim for what the member needs, right now. I find it interesting that telesales trainers and specialists that I have come in contact with either as an end user or behind the scenes, are usually manic individuals who push without appreciating the subtle line separating assertive and overbearing. I've yet to meet someone in the telesales market that sounds as polished and convincing as the NPR hosts during one of their fund drives--for proof I'm not the only one who thinks those work, see Slate's March article titled Let's Get Those Phones Ringing!The cunning genius of the public radio fundraising drive. It's radio-telesales.

I recently, and very apropos, ran into an article by Ben Stein on the New York Times titled The Sales Profession: Attention Must Still Be Paid under the Everybody's Business column/category.
I like Ben Stein, he's a smart guy. I know he only speaks up when there's something important to say, so I listen. One of my favorite quotes from his article follows:

Sales — when done right — is more than a job. It is an art. It is a high-wire act. It is, as Arthur Miller immortally said, being out there “on a smile and a shoe shine.” It is learning the product you are selling, learning it so well that you can describe it while doing a pirouette of smiles for the customer and talking about the latest football scores. It is knowing human nature so well that you can align the attributes of your product or service cleanly with the needs and wants of your customers.

At its best, selling is taking a doubt and turning it, jujitsu style, into a powerful push. Selling is making the customer feel better about spending money — or investing it — than he would have felt by keeping his wallet zipped.

Blog Trifecta and Revamp

(this has also been posted on my Interwebs blog)

Starting this past Thursday I revamped my two blogs (this one you're reading and, this other one) and added a third. My third blog will focus on Internet, related book reviews, and other assorted andrelated matter I run into on my cyber-wanderings.

If you look at the right-hand side of any of these three blogs, you'll notice:

• a chiclet to add this to your technorati favorites
• a chiclet to share this blog to any amount of social sites
• you can subscribe to my blog RSS or via email updates
  
• my adsense box
• my Google Associates store link -- check out my store and suggested items!
  
• the about me blurb and pic
  
• Each blog varies in the content from here on down: and a number of links, favorite blogs, RSS feeds ofinterest, my twitter feed (@jeda_21), etc.
  

I'm very proud of myself for having figured out how to add adsense to blogger, how to create an amazon associates store **and** link it to the blogs, and for having figured out how to add an RSS feed or email option for subscribers (courtesy of Feedburner). This is an achievement for someone who has moderate-to-high old skool HTML skills and a lot of persistence and investigative skills... if I do say so myself ^_^

*pats self on back* ^_^;