This is my blog.

Every time I pile too much on my plate, my friends must endure a week or two of me saying, "Once this is done, I won't commit to anything else, I'm becoming a hermit." They're used to it by now and if it garners a reaction, it'll be a well timed *eye roll* at most. I don't know if it's healthy, but I do know that I can't change it, no matter how many times I buy you a coffee and make you sit through a pretentious lecture about how only stupid people have a shot at being happy and how I also want to be blissfully unaware (apologies...you know I'll do it again...to all of you). Here are the top reasons I can't seem to say no when an idea for something new comes to me:

5. I get inspired. I read stuff. I hear things. Then I realize that the things that inspire me aren't happening where I am. So I want to change it. I blame Google for making it so easy for me to see what cool things are happening in the rest of the world.

4. I meet a lot people. You know how sometimes, you go to a conference and meet someone who reminds you why you do 27 things at a time and love them all? Yeah, me too.

3. I cannot stop doing. "Less talk, more action" has never been a problem for me. Although I talk a lot (hey, I get paid to talk), if something needs to happen, I am 100% cool with rolling up my sleeves and getting down to business...and I see a lot of things that need to happen. Accountability is probably my most employable skill (which is good, because the employable ones are few and far between).

2. I spent a year in constant existential crisis mode. I am still not quite sure I know who I am, or what my purpose in life is. As such, I keep trying. I know there are several things that I like (who's kidding who, there's a top 5 of things that I like) and I keep trying them on. Keeping multiple pots going on the stove is a way for me to keep working on who I am - the only alternative is to sit around, paralyzed by fear.

1. My parents never told me I couldn't. Ah, that GD paradox of choice. My parents told me I could do anything I wanted when I grew up, and I believed them. However, I'm such a Spoiled Little Brat (SLB, as my bro calls me), I can't pick just one thing and want to do it all. Color me Veruca and buy me a pony. 

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5. December is not the time to get anything done. 

4. A failure to plan is a plan to fail. Sweet Georgia Brown, I guess those sayings get repeated for a reason. I had sourced the first part of MONM ahead of time, so it was easy to listen to an album when I already had it ready to go. As soon as it was a two part process, I had a total breakdown.

3. I like music that is almost exactly the same as other-music-I-like. This is upsetting to me. I had a vision of me being old and doing one of those old people rants to my children, "Turn that racket off! You know what's good? Here, let me play some Kylie for you." I need to be more open to new. I mean, my musical tastes rock (obviously), but I want to evolve.

2. I am more interested in music my friends have noted as *good* than music music-experts have noted as *good.* While there's usually some overlap, I"m far more likely to check something out based on what the dude that sits on the other side of the office from me (HI COLIN) recommends than any industry insiders tell me to like.

1. The threat of having to be consistent paralyzes me. I probably listen to at least 10 new albums a week - far more than the requisite 1 per day for Month of New Music. ...but as soon as it becomes a rule, I cannot do it. This probably says something about my blatent disregard for authority. Every so often, I experience a wave of sympathy for my parents and a wave of joy that I will never have to be in the army.

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5. Eat! Eat! - Always give exactly what you'd expect for a breakfast joint. Moderately lame coffee, great daily specials, mean omelettes.

4. Main Dish - If I lived in Bridgeland, I would never buy groceries.

3. Galaxy/Belmonte - Gets a nod because of their apple pie milkshake. I dream about it. All the time. 

2. Laurier Lounge - The best coffee in town, great atmonsphere, inside or out, possibly the best potatoes.

1. Big Fish - This place can do no wrong.

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5. Go camping with my friends. I've only been with a boy. I'm appropriately embarrassed for myself.

4. Build something out of fireworks and blow it up. Yeah, yeah...I've wanted to do this for a while and I feel like I'm all talk and no action. I don't even know where to buy fireworks. 

3. Blow an entire paycheck on something ridiculous. I'm far too practical, but I do love impractical things...

2. Spend an entire weekend without leaving the house. This one must be a sign that I'm getting old, but I'd love to just read and putter for an entire weekend.

1. Shoot a hand gun. I know, I'm the biggest pacifist in the world. However, I still want to bust a cap in...something.

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...that aren't anywhere close to real, but it'd blow my mind if they weren't in the movies. For example, 

5. Raise the force fields - obviously, if the enemy is re-attacking your damaged ship, you have to make a crucial decision - do you redirect power to the force fields, or do you use all the power you've got to...

4. Travel at the speed of light - which doesn't seem at all green. How much fuel/power would going that fast take? And why? Especially if we've already figured out...

3. Teleportation - forget travelling at whatever speed necessary, just teleport. Are there limitations that I'm not understanding?

2. Tractor Beams - If only parents had tractor beams that worked on children.

1. In the future, women of all species have huge racks

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5. Phoenix - Lisztomania, I could listen to this Alex Metric Remix on repeat, repeat, repeat

4. Bon Iver - of course. Seriously...and then Bon Iver and Lykke Li? That's just showing off. 

3. Passion Pit - OH SO MANY REMIXES, SO LITTLE TIME

2. Discovery - I heart it all, but I want to be your Boyfriend featuring Angel Deradoorian from The Dirty Projectors...Killah!

1. Dirty Projectors - all of it. Gosh those kids are cool. 

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5. Theme from Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Paul Cantelon

4. To Build a Home - Cinematic Orchestra

3. Good Disease - Aim

2. Wow - Kylie Minogue *giggle*

1. re: stacks - Bon Iver

I thought they'd be all super depressing, but Kylie made it in! No real surprise really...

This feels like a cheating Top 5 list, because I didn't really think about it, I just opened iTunes. It is kind of cool to see though. I kind of want to go to coffee shops with wifi and snoop on other people's most played list :)

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Dear Team,

If all of the world is a stage, community managers are not the stars of the show. They're the ones behind stage, making sure everything is running smoothly. WIth everyone and their twittering plant being a social media expert these days, I'm coming up with my own parameters to decide who I think is amazing. Some new universal truths I've noticed (you know, like how all girls like candles and Dirty Dancing):

Great community managers don't ask you to buy their book

Great community managers get media attention for interesting community members, not for themselves

Great community managers ask how they can help - and actually mean it

Great community managers know metrics, but couldn't tell you how many people follow them on twitter

Great community managers make you feel as though you've got a friend

I'm going to keep these in mind and hopefully, they'll help me better at what I love to do :)

Huggles,

Blue

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Well, this HAD to follow the 2 previous posts

5. Try not to yawn. I know it happens to everyone, you probably stayed out too late last night or whatever, but it is hard not to take it personally. 

4. Don't be loud. Is this one too obvious? You'd think.

3. Give feedback post-session/conference. Organizers like hearing what'll make you more/less likely to fork over cash next time. Don't be shy (but hold off on being a jerk - just be honest).

2. Ask questions that solicit great answers from the speaker(s). Don't ask specific questions about your situation - those are offline discussions. Corner the speaker later (but at least buy them a drink while you are looking for free advice).

1. This is not the platform to solicit funding for your company. No one cares about you. If they did, you'd be on the panel. Ask a smart question or sit down. Those are your only 2 options.

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Yeah, this post kind of goes with yesterday's post about being a good moderator.

5. uhhh... know what you are talking about. Know what the panel is about, be good at pitching your company, know your other panelists, know what their companies do. You should probably check the news that morning so you know about any catastrophic events, too.

4. Give us blogger-type people a hand. Come prepared with at least 5 awesome lines of wisdom to drop. You'll probably be able to use at least one of them. Quotable gems don't just happen magically, you know.

3. BUT WAIT! Listen to the conversation. Make sure all your pre-planned genius fits the talk. If it doesn't, take 2 minutes and think of something that does. There is nothing worse than the numpty that's still on topic A when everyone else is on topic K...

2. Don't think, "How can I sell these people?" think, "How can I help these people?" Trust me, you'll make more friends this way.

1. Be yourself. Unless you have no personality or you are a total chump :( People don't pay to listen to facts, they can read those online, they pay to listen to you.

Tomorrow... how to be a great audience? All signs point to yes.

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