Putting the “OW” in “Power”

At this point, slightly less than a third into Blogathon, I have more or less no idea what I’m going to do in terms of a post to go with that title, but let us not constrain ourselves with linear notions of time, space, logic, and readability, shall we?

marriedtothesea.com

I know! Power is, like, electricity, or rather electricity is a kind of power. Sure, it’s not the kind enjoyed by absolute monarchs or the tyrants of the ancient city-states, but it’s power nonetheless. And so I hereby declare this post to be about power.

Not that most of mine aren’t, in some way, shape or form. In fact, Operation Global Media Domination is one of the busiest categories on my blog, with 238 posts, soon to be 239. Do I hear 240?? Going once, going twice, come on people, you all know I’m going to run out of things to talk about besides myself, and what does that leave us, eh? That’s right. Operation Global Media Domination: going auto-meta. Set phasers for “backlink” and fasten your seatbelts; it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Addison DeWitt: [voiceover] Margo Channing is a star of the theater. She made her first stage appearance at the age of four in Midsummer Night’s Dream. She played a fairy and entered, quite unexpectedly, stark naked. She has been a star ever since. Margo is a great star, a true star. She never was or will be anything less or anything else.

Right, power. It’s a blog post about power.

Those of you who’ve been following the raincoaster sitch closely will know that (digital appearances to the contrary) OGMD HQ has been entirely without electricity for a period of approximately three months. Fortunately, this corresponds exactly with a period of remarkable good weather, and also with the period during which I have a hibachi, a cast-iron stove, and access to an office with a full kitchen 24/7. Essentially, I told Hydro I’d catch them later, when they weren’t asking $300 simply to reconnect the power. After ninety or so days they saw the light (so to speak) and There Was Light. And Heat. And Refrigeration.

Never try to tough it out and outlast raincoaster. I would have burned Canadian Tire flyers all winter to keep warm, if I’d had to.

This is a Blogathon post. Don’t just sit there, SPONSOR ME!

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Blogathon #5: Operation Global Media Domination, the Operation Global Media Domination Situation

marriedtothesea.com
marriedtothesea.com

note to self: remember to start every blog post with a fight.

Looking at my stats just over two hours into Blogathon, I can see that arguing with TPTB at Blogathon is perhaps the single most effective strategy which I could have employed; as I’ve said before, everyone loves a flamewar. Hits are doubling every 15 minutes. Swwwwwweeeeeeeeeetttttt.

Flamewars are, indeed, a cornerstone of Operation Global Media Domination, and we are well overdue for a good one. It seems years (well, it has been years) since that throwdown I got into with the nation of Albania. And nowadays, there are only nutters, not assholes, in the technical help forum. Fighting is a fine Canadian tradition; remember, we looted and burned the White House!

Which brings me to the quote of the day, from Paul Coelho on Twitter:

Love your enemy. But don’t forget he is not your friend.

If you would like to support my Blogathon efforts, but do not have any money, you may pick a fight with me, which will be good for hits at BOTH our blogs. Just be sure to link directly to http://raincoaster.com, and bring your A Game. No blocking, no wimping, no “the lurkers are with me!”

To the tune of “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”:

The Lurkers support me in e-mail
They all think I’m great don’t you know.
You posters just don’t understand me
But soon you will reap what you sow.

Lurkers, lurkers, lurkers support me, you’ll see, you’ll see
Off in e-mail the lurkers support me, you’ll see.

The lurkers support me in e-mail
“So why don’t they post?” you all cry
They’re scared of your hostile intentions
They just can’t be as brave as I.

Lurkers, lurkers, lurkers support me, you’ll see, you’ll see
Off in e-mail the lurkers support me, you’ll see.

One day I’ll round up all my lurkers
We’ll have a newsgroup of our own
Without all this flak from you morons
My lurkers will post round my throne.

Lurkers, lurkers, lurkers support me, you’ll see, you’ll see
Off in e-mail the lurkers support me, you’ll see.

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Blogathon for Federation of BC Writers

Charles Dickens breaks through writer's block

Did I mention that on Twitter I’ve talked two rival gin houses into shipping me “care packages?” Now if only it worked as well with men! All the ones that volunteer to give me their packages are ones I wouldn’t care to have, so it seems. But that’s neither here nor there; it is, in fact, nowheresville.

Anyhoodle…

This Saturday (because I am insane) from 6am I’ll be participating in Blogathon 2009, a 24-hour, 48 blog post postathon, to raise money for the Federation of BC Writers, BC’s home grown support system for Left Coast literati, of which I used to be the Lower Mainland representative, back when I had (what do you call that…that thing…where you can do stuff…) TIME! Oh yeah, and if I sleep in (likely) I’m gonna hafta do a post every ten minutes or so until, like, noon. That could get a little crazy.

What are you waiting for, now that this fabulous news has broken? Reach deep into your heart and your wallet (or your neighbor’s; God knows, I’m not fussy). Sign up to sponsor me by selecting “raincoaster.com” from the list of available blogs. Clicky, clicky! You can sponsor me X amount per post or a lump sum for the entire 24 hour slogathon. For a $50 donation, I’ll make an ego-gratifying post entirely about you, You, YOU, and will even include a link to your Facebook Fan Page (if you insist).

If you want to watch this madness live, you can come on down to Workspace at 21 Water Street in Gastown, where the blogerati of Vangroover will be holed up, typing (or napping) away. Vancouver’s own Mojave band will serenade us with a private concert, and April Smith of AHA Media will be taking video (gee, is 6am too early to get my makeup done?), so you need not feel left out.

A word of warning: I will get my 48 posts up, but I will NOT get them up promptly every goddam half-hour. I AM NOT A BLOODY MACHINE and I am also not cheating by pre-posting and scheduling things, tempting though it may be. I may or may not attend Illuminares and liveblog it; depends if I can catch a ride to and fro; forty minutes on the bus each way is a killer. On the other hand, Miss 604 is judging a bartending contest in the middle of everything, so if she can do that, perhaps I can do this (who wants to be my DD?).

After Blogathon wraps, the procedure is simple: you just tote up your donation and send the cheque straight to the Fed, which will put it to good use on behalf of British Columbia’s home-grown literary talent. And, hopefully, buy me a drink. I’m gonna need one if that gin doesn’t get here on time.

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keeping up with the ‘coasters

Total Information Awareness, baybee

No relation to Edwin Coaster.

You think it’s easy being me? You think it’s easy being raincoaster? Try coasting the way I do some time. This? This is what I do on a typical day. This is, in fact, what I did today:

Posted:

More Shatner Awesomenosity:

https://raincoaster.com/2009/07/16/mc-shat-attack/

Announcing the 3 Day Novel Contest Writer’s Retreat

https://raincoaster.com/2009/07/17/3-day-novel-contest-writers-retreat/

http://raincoastermedia.com/2009/07/17/3-day-novel-contest-writers-retreat/

http://theshebeenclub.com/2009/07/16/3-day-novel-contest-writers-retreat/

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=137381746232&ref=ts

http://events.linkedin.com/3-Day-Novel-Contest-Writers-Retreat/pub/97202

Announcing BookCamp Vancouver:

http://theshebeenclub.com/2009/07/16/bookcamp-vancouver-opens-registration/

What not to wear to your wedding:

http://teenymanolo.com/2009/07/16/what-not-to-wear-to-your-wedding/

I always KNEW Herc was gay:

http://lolebrity.net/2009/07/17/i-always-knew-herc-was-gay/

Participatory Art with Pierre-A. Sonolet:

http://raincoastermedia.com/2009/07/17/participatory-art-with-pierre-a-sonolet-at-science-world-and-waterfront-station/

Oh, and sent out almost 400 invitations to the retreat. And negotiated with the resort to nail down the final details before registration opens. And did this post. And now, seepies.

Operation Global Media Domination: the 5 Questions Situation

OGMD: Donate Today

Well, it’s been far too long since we’ve taken a stroll down Self-Referential Road on the ol’ raincoaster blog, but that situation is about to be rectified. For lo, in addition to having broken into Vangroover’s Social Media Elite for Sale Or Rent (aka Will Tweet for Access) and been asked to some pretty damn-fine swankaliciously exciting events, including some I can’t tell you about yet (for lo, it would endanger my access to the open bar, and since I’m on a liquid fast that could be catastrophic and I know you wouldn’t want that to happen, right? right) and the recently blogged Capones and Bombay Sapphire events.

And as I’ve gotten on the radar for invitations, so I’ve also scrambled and clawed my way onto the radar for interviews, which come with much greater exposure, if far less gin. I’m gonna hafta do something about that: social mediaistas, are you with me? I say we get together and talk about going on strike over a few drinks and then forget all about the movement, as usual.

Anyhoohow/whatever, Kontent Creative just up and emailed me and interviewed me that way. This will sound familiar to some people. Unlike on previous occasions, I actually got back to them relatively promptly and, thus, they put it up promptly as well. Kontent Creative has a snazzy angle: each interview is just five questions, obviously designed to appeal to limited attention spans of the Twitterati. So there goes your barrier to entry.

Click and learn five things about raincoaster which oft were thought, but ne’er so well expressed. If I do say so myself.

a snippet of Kontact Creative’s 5 Questions with the Tentacled One:

2) What is your favourite online resource?
It’s a tie between Fark and The Guardian. The day is not complete until I’ve checked both of them, and on certain days it’s quite difficult to tell them apart, really. Except Fark would never let Polly Toynbee near a keyboard.

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