I have an unusually strong sense of smell these days. One sense compensates for another being lost, but that is another topic altogether. This is a questionably good thing as I have recently starte…
Source: Smells
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Smells
I have an unusually strong sense of smell these days. One sense compensates for another being lost, but that is another topic altogether. This is a questionably good thing as I have recently started working in downtown Miami.
Mornings on the way in are difficult. There are crowds, traffic, everyone rushing, also avoiding ~ the SMELLS. My first few walks from the Metrorail to the office building were a continual assault on my nose. Constantly twitching my nose, holding my breath, “Oh heavens what is that smell, or that one?! I must find a different path to take.” Usually morning smells are on my daily walk; flowers, trees, fresh air, just mowed lawn or even fertilizer on a garden.
Afternoon, evenings on the way home seem not quite as difficult. The restaurants are open, preparing dinner menus. Bars are filled with patrons having after work drinks, meetings, hellos. The smells are different, cologne, perfume, food…. More pleasant, less assaulting.
It took me a few trips into downtown to understand what the smells actually were; for the force of it to hit me, the ripping sadness, the questions, the abrupt awakening. I live in the suburbs, and have worked there for most of my career. I took me several walks through the streets of downtown to more than just smell but to see ~~ the homeless……….
How did I not know it was human smells assaulting my nose……excrement, vomit, urine, body odors, dirty clothes, old food, alcohol? How did I not see the people? The PEOPLE are everywhere; sleeping on the ground, sitting in doorways, begging from the well-heeled businesspeople adroitly ignoring them, pleading with those of us who have…… How did I not feel the sadness, desperation, helplessness?
But most importantly, what do I do now? How can I not do anything? I can’t clean the streets, the doorways, the sidewalks, the trash, the bodies. I cannot possibly feed them all. I could give money, clothing or food to each person I see. It is overwhelming. Is that why others ignore it all, the smells, the sights, the faces, the eyes ……the inhumanity, because it is just too much?
I can join an organization that helps homeless people, a shelter, a food bank, a clinic. I can write letters to the papers, to organizations, to the politicians. But it doesn’t seem enough, not even close. I can start by writing this piece.
This is a GLOBAL issue, a HUMAN issue. The reasons for homelessness are many, varied, some not reparable or avoidable, however understand most are not usually there by choice. But we all need to do something, somehow, somewhere, someone ~~~~~~~ JOIN ME? HELP ME?
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
― Margaret Mead
Inspired to write a blog!
the reason for Grimniens……
I have just read a blog post written by@Kirsten124 I
It was an interesting read and it got me thinking………….
Kirsten manages Robb Murphy, a lovely lad and a great songwriter who is featured in our ‘Hidden Gems’ series. She was prompted to write the blog after receiving a comment from someone advising her that:
“…you have the wrong understanding of how the music business works”
Some of the points Kirsten made in her blog resonated with me. I will put a link to her blog at the end of this one so that you can read it in full but it got me thinking that much of what she said in her post applies to what we Grimniens do on Twitter.
I think it’s fair to say that none of our team are ‘experts’ at what we do but we are learning as we go along. The…
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Why, Why not
Recent trip to the UK had me feeling at home. As if I belonged there, now the question is why am I not there still. Or why not?
Miami Social Media
@localmiami
@thebestofmiami
@whatsonmiami
@sobetimes or @thesobetimes this covers all of the county and will publish an article if you provide it
@artsbizMiami
@NewsTalkFlorida
@MiamiPicks
@BlackCrowne
@SoFloridaTweets
@onlineMiamiDade
@SunSentinel
@Floridabuzz
@newsdayMiami
@hashoffMiami
@fl_FtLauderdale
@theSceneMiami
@The305
@SocialinFlorida
@SocialalertsMIA
@visit_MIAMI
@Miami_FL1
@BigMouthGirlz
@Miamicom
@MiamiLauderdale
@miamifun
@MiamiandBeaches
@MiamiNewtimes
@socialMiami
@MiamiAllAround
@Miamiinfo1
@My_Miami1
@groveGrapevine
@itsinmiami
@miamicheap
@flavorpill_mia
@TheFeastMIA
@MiamiBeachEvent
@Miamiclix
@cultistMiami
@sceneMiami
@Miamitude
@InSouthFlorida
@InMiamiNetwork
@MiamiLive
@MiamiPlaces
@MiamiArtzine
There are more, and people who tweet about Miami all the time. I will grow the list as I accumulate them
So you want to be a what??? (For all aspiring writers out there)
Excellent advice for aspiring writers
This morning I woke with the idea this was going to be a normal, productive, writing day. I knew I wanted to add a couple of things to my website, and I had some non-writing stuff to get out of the way first, but my main idea was to sit down in front of my computer and write for ten or twelve hours. Well, things didn’t quite work out that way.
I did my non-scribbling things hastily, driven by the need to take up the current novel where I’d left it last night. Then I spent an hour on my web update. Then the day-changer happened.
I e-mail with fellow fiction writers and my own readers fairly frequently. I spend quite a bit of time responding to the latter group. Hell, if they have taken the time and made the effort to write to me, I should do the same…
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Publicize Crash Course: Facebook, Google+, and Twitter
WordPress crash course part 2
“I’m publishing posts every day, but where are my readers?”
While there’s no exact science to successfully building a readership, you have a number of built-in tools on WordPress.com to share your work with the world. Our advice? Hook up your various social accounts to WordPress.com and let us do the rest. We want to emphasize, especially to our newest users, that no blog is an island. Clicking Publish is just the first step, and sharing your work across the internet is key to expanding your audience.
What is Publicize?
With Publicize, you can automatically push out your new posts to social networks: Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and Path.
Connecting to your accounts is easy, and you can select which ones to link to your WordPress.com account. To get started, head over to Settings → Sharing. At the top of the page, you’ll see the options pictured…
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New Year’s Resolutions for Writers…
By way of an intro I must tell you that I found these on my computer while looking for something else. They were written for a column in 2007! And the shameful thing is, they are just as pressing – with minor updates (see notes in italics) – now, as they were then. Proving that Old Writers Never Learn – they just get bigger arses…. (or something!).
Whatever you resolve, I hope it comes to pass. Happy New Year!
New Year’s Resolutions for Writers
1. Writers’ Bottom
I will finally face the fact that Writing does not use up 500 calories an hour and that food eaten at the desk does count – particularly when it is two packets of Kettle chips dipped in houmous, a bar of chocolate and half a bottle of white wine. The excursion from computer to sofa to watch EastEnders does not constitute exercise. Writers Bottom…
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Getting Your New Blog Off on the Right Foot: Setting Up House
Congratulations, it’s a blog!
It’s January 1st, and we know what that means: lots of you are starting your first blogs, and many more are re-committing yourselves to blogs you already have. The next few weeks here on The Daily Post are all about tips and tools to help you kick off your blog resolutions (blogolutions? resoblogs?), starting with a two-day crash course.
Even if you’ve been blogging for a while, it’s worth revisiting the building blocks — there’s always room for improvement. And if you want a blogging immersion, check out the Zero to Hero 30-day Challenge, starting tomorrow.
Okay, enough yakking. Time to blog.
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Blogging in 2014 Just Got Easier: Introducing 365 Days of Writing Prompts
Do your New Year’s resolutions include blogging more frequently? We sure hope so.
Are you the ebookish type?
Here at The Daily Post, we’re all about helping you make a regular habit of publishing on your blog (The Daily Post: see what we did there?). To get everyone all geared up for a productive 2014, we’re excited to launch our very first ebook today: 365 Days of Writing Prompts!
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anmarie63 