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Just came across this viral marketing tool for referrals to your Twitter page.
Here are a few examples

Do use graphics in your posts much?
Should you?

Do you use Twitter?
Should you?

If you use Twitter, do you think TwitStamp is a beneficial viral marketing tool?

- Val Spangler, Mister Senior Blogger and SeniorTweet on Twitter

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What an historic time! What a challenging time! So I challenge you to write about it.
How do you feel about today? How are you going to rededicate yourself to making
this world - the world where you live - better? What thing - what small thing can
you do today to make this world a better place?

Where to start? What to do?

Once as a naive college student, I asked the Nigerian Ambassador to the United
Nations, “What can one person do? ” His response was simple yet profound -
“Do whatever you can wherever you are whenever you get the chance.” Small
steps.

As I have gotten older, this senior has taken the “water on stone” approach to
many more things in his life - particularly exercise. Small steps, those drips of
water, that eventually wears away the stone. Whether it be losing weight or any
other challenge that we find personally difficult, very often the size of the
challenge keeps us from getting started - or from continuing when progress is
not quickly seen.

To those of little faith I say, “Water on stone!” Believe in small steps. Believe to
the point of taking action. Persist in the small steps that move you forward.
On this historic day believe as a multi-racial child must have believed - perhaps
not consciously, but instinctively. If I do what I should do - the small steps - the
small drops of water - I will wear away the stones of life that challenge me. Not
knowing the outcome, not knowing how much time you have to do what you must
do - you just drip on those stones.

To those of faith, I say, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, nothing shall
be impossible unto you!” Today is a day of affirmation. A day to reaffirm your beliefs
and act upon them. No action is too small. Act with faith that if you do as the small
drop of water you too can overcome your challenges.

To all writers I say, “WRITE!” Write as if your life depends on it - it does. It does.
Be selfish in the good sense - write for yourself. Write to yourself. But write. Even
if the writing is nothing but a “tweet” on Twitter. Write! Twitter confines you to
140 characters. Even that limitation is a drop of water. A force to make you think
in brevity. A force to make you choose your words carefully - not a bad practice
for a writer. The world is going to be impacted by those 140 character limited
messages - let some of those drops be yours. Write.

For this writer, the challenge of being brief is an ongoing one. So I will go tweet for
practice and end this post far sooner than I normally would.

I can hear you thanking me now … This big drip has dropped.

- Val Spangler, Mister Senior Blogger and “SeniorTweet” on Twitter.

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While working on another new blog, Comics Cartoons and Creativity, I got this kind
of strange idea. Because I was in the graphics mode with the cartoon example I was
creating, I created this little balloon to capture the thought …

There is an old memory cliche, “The dullest pencil is sharper than the sharpest mind.”
Well, whether that is true or not, you get the idea. But taking notes and being
organized is not what this post is about. (I am sure all you writers and would-be
writers all have your own system of capturing your great ideas.(???)

What struck me was the rediculousness of the thought. Or, the impossibility of the
thought. Sorry sci-fiers and precogs, until I am able to do it myself I can only model
“The Mentalist” of new TV fame - being an astute observer and a student of human
behavior. Having been a professional negotiator and mediator, my chances at being
like him are much better than being a precog myself.

Unfortunately, I am more in the realm of Mickey Mantle who is said to have
remarked, “If I knew I was going to live this long, I would’ve taken better care of
myself.” (Pardon me if my thinking appears a bit disjointed - I think I may be getting
arthritis of the mind.)

So much for the mind - now to the repurposing. The graphic and text above was just
used in a post to my Mister Senior Blogger blog. The key thing for repurposing is to
be a good editor as well as a decent writer. Whether it involves your own writing or
repurposing/editing that of other writers, the key is in changing, not only the words,
but the style. Use your own voice (no matter how hoarse it is). Imagination helps
but it most important that you keep in mind both your audience and the purpose of
your writing. Make it fit within the scope and feel of your own blog. Be true to
yourself as well as your audience.

You will have to confer with your own sense of morality and honor as to how much
you rely on the other’s talents and how much value you add on your own.

In this post I have just followed my own advice with my own content and changed
it enough in focus and style to be of value to my audience and true to what they
can rightly expect when coming to this site. (And, to satisfy G–gle.)

At the least, I try to make my content amusing to myself - it keeps me at the
keyboard longer and with more enthusiasm. Like most writers I waver between
writing for myself and writing for others. It’s really just the story. Or, the post.
You be the judge. I hope you enjoy the effort enough to come back again and
see if I am able to improve what I do. However it comes to be described by others.

- VS

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This weekend I read two reports - the first is a report that all serious bloggers should
put on their must read list: Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere 2008. Interesting
and informative as well as motivating reading. And what does it say to blog writers.
Well, I’ll share what it said to me and, after you get a chance to read it, please share
what it says to you.

The Report was organized serially as follows:

• Introduction
• Day 1: Who Are the Bloggers?
• Day 2: The What And Why of Blogging
• Day 3: The How of Blogging
• Day 4: Blogging For Profit
• Day 5: Brands Enter The Blogosphere

Who are bloggers? See if your information agrees with Technorati’s findings.

The Blogosphere Report provides a Global Snapshot of Bloggers with some
interesting if not surprising demographic data. Most bloggers are well educated,
upper income and younger. Globally, two thirds of bloggers are male. Women in
the US participate at higher rate than globally.

A segment snapshot breakout of personal, professional and corporate bloggers is
provided with an interesting add-on of the percentages of those with advetising on
their sites. A gender breakout is also provided with few surprises there. One to note
is that women tend more towards personal blogsand men to professional. On the age
front, bloggers (ages 45-54) represent 15% of the total senior bloggers (55+) represent
8%. If you confine yourself to writing to these two groups they only represent a total
of 23% of the blogosphere. Keep in mind that represents 17.7 million bloggers. Also,
other sources indicate the two older age groups (boomers and seniors) participation
in the blogosphere is growing at a faster rate than that of the younger ones.

On another note, while I was also doing some research on “long term care” this
weekend (my wife and I are 68 and 70 respectively), I came across some life
expectancy charts and related articles that made me rethink my blog writing audience
and blog mission. In 2008, the boomer generation was defined as being between the
ages of 44 and 62 (those born after WW II from 1946 to 1964). Seniors include
anyone over 62.and and and The generational (by age) breakdown helped my focus
my writing and blogging. My focus has been on seniors (alone) - however, after
looking at these charts (and with all of the “financial crisis” news all around), I realized
that the same issues facing seniors today are also there for the “boomer generation”.
Many boomers get a double whammy - they have senior parents who are ill prepared
for retirement and for the rising costs associated with aging. So for boomers the
perspective is a bit different but the issues are still the same: retirement income,
health insurance, long term care possibilities, and on and on. And some may have to
provide for the needs of their parents.

As if you needed another sobering thought these days, find out where you are on
this life expectancy chart and see what general statistics indicate is your present life
expectancey. If you have living parents, chart their stats. Good news - bad news!
The good news is that you have a lot more years to live. The bad news is that you
have a lot more years to live. I know, I know, that’s not bad news - it just means
that you have a lifetime in front of you, … so you better prepare.

Writers! That’s opportunity. That’s content.

Senior Bloggers and bloggers who write for an audience of boomers and/or seniors.
They have challenges and problems that you can help them with. They can use some
help in finding quality of life answers. Given these uncertain times, they can also use
some entertainment and encouragement. Humor can also help.

See where you and yours fit on this 2004 statistical chart of life expectancy averages
(Source United States Department of Health and Human Services) Note: life
expectancies continue to increase in the US and in many countries around the world.

Food for thought? Material for writing?

What do you think?

- Val

Link to: Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere 2008.

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Need inspiration? Wish you could have been with me this morning. It was Grandparents Day at my grandaughters elementary school. Along with the end-of-month assembly where they gave out citizenship awards for “caring”, we were invited to our granddaughter’s classroom where we were allowed to observe their regular Friday assignment. This weekly assignment involves having each child write sometime during the week and then read their “story” or essay in front of the class on Friday.

The common topic for the assignment was “autumn leaves”. I was impressed - almost 100% participation with some well organized and written stories. The image I will take away from that experience is the one of a young boy who had to tack on extra sheets of paper to complete his “extra effort” story. There he was with arms outstretched above his head reading the last few lines on the bottom of the second extra sheet of paper (Everyone agreed he need longer arms!).

Think he will be a writer for life? I hope so - how about you?

On a more personal note - two items: first, my grandaughter was recognized as one of the citizens of the month for “caring”. She received a certificate and a plastic medallion that was attachable to her back pack. She was very proud of that and put it on next to the several others she had received in the past. Interesting how we can be motivated to do good things for so little. Kids too!

Secondly, the real highlight of the day was in Hannah’s classroom when the grandparents were introduced by each child. When it came Hannah’s turn, she said, “This is my Grandma and my “Spoofer” Grandpa. One of the great blessings of my life is the relationship I have with this beautiful, intelligent, creative young lady. The “Spoofer” part? We have a good learning time sharing our observations and stories with a bit of imaginative and playful “spoofing” (exaggeration or double entendre wordplay) to see if the other person is listening well enough (and smart enough) to “catch” it. Yes, this from a second grader - and even before that. Marvelous and very enjoyable.

She writes well - think there is any connection?

Well, enough for now. Thought a bit of 1st rate 2nd Grade writing and “front-of-the-class” story telling might be a bit of motivation for you.

Be well and enjoy the holidays.

- Val

PS: Is there a child in your life who could use a bit of writing or story telling encouragement? Think about it - a few words at the right time or maybe a “high-five” at the appropriate time? Mentoring?

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Whooda thunk it? Someone not only came up with the neologism: “viagravation” ahead of me but they also registered the term as a domain as well ( www.viagravation.com ). Next time I’ll check that out ahead of time - how solipsistic of me to not do that this time.

Perhaps my muses were amusing themselves with me and my solipsistic tendencies.  Muses bad. My bad.

Apologies.

- Val

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