Mamacita says:  Welcome to the Education Buzz, where parents and instructors and good citizens find out what’s really going on in the world of education by actively participating in the sharing of ideas, information, and suggestions. Remember, if you don’t keep up on what’s happening, you won’t KNOW what’s happening. And if you choose not to know what’s happening, you forfeit all whining rights. Yes, ALL of them.

Polski3 presents I Heard. . . and I Wonder. . . . posted at Polski3′s View from Here.

Allison Coates presents MSMI 2011: Fractions and Rational Numbers posted at kitchen table math, the sequel.

Sage presents Academically Adrift posted at Free the Sage.

Joanne Jacobs presents Lashing the anti-testing backlash posted at Joanne Jacobs.

Maud Aaron presents 33 Terms Every True Grammar Geek Should Know posted at Online Colleges and Universities.

sophia Dell presents Health and Medicine Open Courseware: The Ultimate Guide posted at Nurse Debbie.

Socratez presents This Is Why Life Is Simple posted at Socratez Online.

Pamell Androsen presents 17 Surefire Tips for Substitute Teachers posted at online masters in education.

London Jenks presents What is that? QR Codes in the Library? posted at digitalteach.

Mathew Needleman presents Reading Remedies for iPhone and iPad posted at Creating Lifelong Learners.

vh presents I Hate Blackboard posted at Funny about Money.

Carolyne Hall presents What do you want to be when you grow up? posted at Lady on a Roof.

Pamell Androsen presents 22 Fun Facts About Electricity You Didn?t Know posted at Masters in Electrical Engineering.

Darren presents Community Service as a Graduation Requirement posted at Right on the Left Coast: Views From a Conservative Teacher.

Pat presents 8 Ways to Avoid Procrastination posted at Successful Teaching.

oldandrew presents The Aim of Education posted at Scenes From The Battleground.

Steve Spangler presents Science Fair Boot Camp – An Intense Training Program That’s Changing the Science Fair Experience, posted at Steve Spangler’s Blog.

Susan Wells presents It’s Time For Spring Science, posted at Mile High Mamas.

Cybrary Man presents A Catalogue of Educational Websites.

T_Shaka Zulu presents Cologne and Coming of Age, posted at Dads Talking.

Mister Teacher presents Looks Good on Paper, posted at Learn Me Good.

Siobhan Curious presents Character=Behavior: A Lesson Plan, posted at Classroom As Microcosm.

Every Tuesday at noon and 7, EST, the Twitter EdChat – #edchat – a collaborative conversation among educators from all over the planet, overflows with useful tips, hints, advice, plans, and links galore. You’re sure to be more and more enriched every time you participate.

Pat Hensley presents To Dream the Impossible Dream, posted at Successful Teaching.

Ms. Cornelius presents So You Think Teachers Are Overpaid, posted at A Shrewdness of Apes.

Mrs. Chili presents What Would Jesus Teach? posted at A Teacher’s Education.

Bellringers wants us all to know that Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Nancy Flanagan encourages us all to sing I’m A Bee Eater, with apologies to the Monkees, over at Teacher in a Strange Land.

Larry Ferlazzo presents Earth Day Resources, posted at Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day.

Finally, right here at Scheiss Weekly, Mamacita presents Audio-Visual was Cutting Edge, and the Projectionists Ran the School.  And NASA. Shades of the past!

That’s it for the Education Buzz.  I hope I haven’t left anyone out, except, of course, for the free essay people and the salespeople and the “10 Things” people and the people with a political agenda and that same guy who submits his business catalog every time.  I also didn’t include any posts that didn’t accept comments, because the Education Buzz is about interaction, not lecturing.  If anyone would like to duke it out with me over any of these factors, bring it on.  If I have omitted your perfectly good post, however, PLEASE let me know right away, for it was not my intention to leave out anyone who actually had something relevant to say.

The next Education Buzz will be hosted by the one and only Steve Spangler.  Here is the Education Buzz submission link!

Oh, tis a wondrous thing to be Irish, although the same could not be said earlier in our country’s history. Many people do not know how unwelcome the Irish were here, in those days. We’ve since learned wisdom.

I loved to read about Beany Malone for so many reasons, some of which were the casual ways their Irish ancestry was a part of their everyday lives.

Click here for some cool St. Patrick’s Day experiments for you and your kids to do, stolen borrowed from the Master Magician Scientist, Steve Spangler.

What’s a little green water between friends?

(This picture is by Tim Nyberg, a fantastic artist who draws awesome things for the Wittenburg Door, which is a wonderful thing in and of itself.) (Don’t click the link if your corncob makes you walk funny.)

What is it supposed to be?

Why, it’s St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland, of course.

It was no mean feat, and I should know.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all. If you’re not wearing green, strangers are allowed to pinch you.

What’s that? I can’t hear you. Come a little closer. . . thaaaaat’s right. Gotcha.

I repost this, adding a little here and there and subtracting a little likewise, each March 17, so if it looks familiar to you, you’re not crazy. Well, not about this post, anyway.

Pogue Ma’Hone to you all, for you know why you deserve it even if I don’t.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, and one – of many – things I am eternally thankful for is the fact that here in America, education is for everybody. People tend to take this amazing fact for granted, and often, people don’t take advantage of it, but the fact remains that in many cultures, education is only for the wealthy and/or those in high social positions. We here in America have amazing resources at our fingertips, and dedicated, knowledgeable people to help us find new worlds to conquer.

Let us never cease helping one another to soar!

Pioneer Woman steps into her role as Mean Ol’ Schoolmarm to remind us of a few basic grammar rules.
It’s for our own good, you know.

Over at What It’s Like on the Inside, the Science Goddess is of the opinion that our students can do no better than the work they are given.

Jonathan Martin is curious: just what IS this “reverse instruction,” anyway?

Mamacita, of Scheiss Weekly, ie Jane Byers Goodwin, thinks it’s important to understand the difference between “profanity” and “obscenity.”

Cybrary Man’s many online educational pages are an invaluable resource for any educator, any level!

If you drop by the fabulous DadsTalking website, you can read Jim Turner’s post about the dumbing down of our children’s education, and join him in worrying about it.

Looking for some excellent educational gifts?  Steve Spangler has the solution to your problem!  Discover the Top 20 Educational Gifts for the Holiday Season!

Erin Lenderts has made a fascinating list of  15 Famous Books Inspired by Dreams posted at Bachelor’s Degree Online.

Tom McCauley presents Students Learn and Serve in the Big O posted at Omaha Serves.

Over at Learn Me Good, Mister Teacher and his students are “getting back into shape.”

Looking for an online course to hone your skills? Leslie Yoelson presents 21 Educational Open Courseware Classes About Communication posted at Masters in Communication.

How smart is your phone? It’ll be a lot smarter with some of these apps! Bernice Frankel presents 20 Free Essential Web Apps for Librarians posted at Master of Library Science.

Are our students growing up digital and distracted? Read all about it at Joanne Jacobs’s blog.

Online courses can be good or bad. Allen presents Online Education posted at Technology In Class.

Siobhan Curious wishes there were some way to grade everything online! Why Teachers Need Something Better Than Microsoft Word posted at Classroom as Microcosm. Oh, and those instructor-student emailexchanges? Heaven help us all! Check out  It’s Funny Because It’s True !

Over at Right on the Left Coast, Darren proposes that if single-payer insurance is a viable option, why not do the same for education? Right on the Left Coast: Views From a Conservative Teacher: Publicly-financed Education posted at Right on the Left Coast: Views From a Conservative Teacher.

Polski3 is wondering if the union is worth the hassle.

Steve Spangler has one of the best and most inspiring websites on the ‘net, and if you sign up for his awesome Experiment of the Week, he’ll send you a new experiment, complete with instructions, list of ingredients, and video, every single week!

How much do you know about Pakistan’s educational system? jibran jamshed has a very informative post. Education System of Pakistan, Problems and Solutions posted at Views, News, Reviews, Articles and Information.

Every Tuesday at noon and 7, EST, the Twitter EdChat – #edchat – a collaborative conversation among educations from all over the planet, overflows with useful tips, hints, advice, plans, and links galore. It’s open to all parents and educators, and you’re sure to be more and more enriched every time you participate.

Pat Hensley wants you to know that she isn’t busy, no, not at all! I’m Not Busy posted at Successful Teaching.

Kyle McNamara shares a list of excellent poetry books for young people.

Cookie cutters are great if you’re making cookies, but not so great if you think students should be uniform, too. Marsha Rakestraw presents We Need to Move Beyond Cookie-Cutter Schooling & Embrace Diversity in How We Educate Our Children posted at Humane Connection.

Ms. Cornelius believes that the rules should be enforced, and consistently!

Boiling frogs and Skype? A typical day for Mrs. Chili!

Hobo Teacher is being driven crazy by all the jack-a-ninnies!

On December 8, the Education Buzz will be hosted by the awesome science educator Steve Spangler! Submit your posts by 7 p.m. on December 7.

That’s it for this edition of The Education Buzz. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, and may each of you be safe, healthy, and happy, forever.

KNOWLEDGE IS, INDEED, POWER!

Oh, tis a wondrous thing to be Irish, although the same could not be said earlier in our country’s history.  Many people do not know how unwelcome the Irish were here,  in those days.  We’ve since learned wisdom.

I loved to read about Beany Malone for so many reasons, some of which were the casual ways their Irish ancestry was a part of their everyday lives.

Click here for some cool St. Patrick’s Day experiments for you and your kids to do, stolen borrowed from the Master Magician Scientist, Steve Spangler.

For another foin Irish activity, why don’t you and your kids make a leprechaun trap and see what you catch in it?  And what’s a little green water between friends?

(This picture is by Tim Nyberg, a fantastic artist who draws awesome things for the Wittenburg Door, which is a wonderful thing in and of itself.)  (Don’t click the link if your corncob makes you walk funny.)

What is it supposed to be?

Why, it’s St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland, of course.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all. If you’re not wearing green, strangers are allowed to pinch you.

What’s that?  I can’t hear you.  Come a little closer. . . thaaaaat’s right.  Gotcha.

I repost this, adding a little here and there and subtracting a little likewise, each March 17, so if it looks familiar to you, you’re not crazy.  Well, not about this post, anyway.

Pogue Ma’Hone to you all, for you know why you deserve it even if I don’t.

Remove a marble from the vase, and it won’t be green; it will be clear.  It’s magic!

As long as the jelly marbles are kept hydrated, they’ll stay large and round.  If I let them dry out, they’ll revert to their teeny, tiny form and will barely cover the bottom of the vase.

It was Christmas, so I stuck some candy canes in the vase.  When I start bringing fresh flowers into the house, the jelly marbles will keep the flowers healthy far longer than plain water will. 

Now THESE jelly marbles are in a tightly sealed candy jar, so they will last pretty much forever.  I like the look of this jar so much, I’m going to keep it out indefinitely.  Notice how the green coloring has settled on the bottom of the jar?  If I shake the jar, all of the marbles will be green, but I think I’ll keep it this way.  I like its looks.

If you come over, though, I’ll give the jar a shake so you can see all the marbles turn green.

Later in the season, I’ll tell y’all how awesome jelly marbles are for gardening, and repotting plants.  Seriously, I don’t know how I ever got along without them.

Oh, yes.  I remember.  Most of my plants died from lack of watering.

Not any more, though.

Jelly Marbles. They’re awesome in every way.

P.S.  At Halloween, you can make ghosts with them.

Just think of all the lessons we can sneak in, with this activity! Holidays, following directions, scissor usage, where paper comes from, recycling. . . . I’m SO using this one with my summer program this year!

Thanks again, Steve Spangler. Teachers and parents can always count on you to give us wonderful ideas for our children.

In fact, it’s not just kids who love Spangler Science “stuff,” either. My college students have had their share of wonder, and I haven’t met an adult yet who wasn’t fascinated!

This “tree” activity is free and simple and fun and educational. Just make sure your children are old enough to handle scissors safely, and if they aren’t, let them watch YOU do it! That moment of making/watching the tree grow will help instill a sense of magic and wonder and desire to find out HOW and WHY and WHAT IF and shouldn’t those be a goal of any and every lesson?

This would be an excellent annual Christmas Eve activity, wouldn’t it. Why not gather up some of those old newspapers, grab a roll of tape and some scissors, and have some fun with your kids tonight?

I recommend that all teachers and parents sign up for Spangler’s Experiment of the Week; you’ll get a new experiment – every detail of it – in your inbox every week. Your kids will blow the Science Fair out of the water!

Did I mention that it’s free? All Spangler videos and instructions are free. Absolutely, positively, 100% free, and with no obligations to buy anything. Most online instructors, particularly the science guys, charge for their knowledge and experience, but Steve Spangler gives it away. Yes, he’s got an awesome catalog where you can purchase a lot of his amazing science toys and more complicated experiments, etc, but the bulk of what he offers our children is free. FREE.

I’ve met Steve Spangler. He’s the most enthusiastic and sincere instructor I’ve ever encountered, and his passion for our children’s understanding of and excitement for the wonders of the universe is unsurpassed by anyone in my considerable experience. Take advantage of what this man has to offer your family, my friends.

I stand behind every word I’ve said here. That’s considerable bulk, my dears.

Have a wonderful Christmas Eve. Make trees with your children. Hang ‘em from the ceiling! (The trees, not the kids.) Decorate them. Make party decorations. This activity is a great show-and-tell for your kids, too. Why not encourage your children to share what they’ve learned with other kids? Our children are bursting to learn and share, if only we give them the outlets!

No, not THAT kind of outlet. Keep their fingers AWAY from them.

If I tell you that my kitchen is now covered with newspaper trees, you wouldn’t be a bit surprised, wouldya. Nobody here was, either. In fact, the little neighbor kids are coming over here in a few hours to make trees with me. They’re used to me by now, but it’s still a surprise for their parents every time.

Science is awesome. Too bad most school systems don’t think so. But then, if science were important, it would be TESTED, now wouldn’t it. But you really don’t want to get me started on that. Not at Christmas.

Have fun! Post pictures!!! I’d LOVE to see your kids’ newspaper trees!

Teaching – done right – isn’t an 8-hour day. It’s not even a 12-hour day for some of us.

How many people would willingly put up with some of the stuff teachers have to put up with? I mean besides you uppity folk who throw summer in our faces, and who can’t understand why another adult would not appreciate the adorable way Corralleighna stomps her foot, scratches, and uses Uncle Daddy’s cuss words in that little baby voice when she doesn’t get her way? So cute.

Teaching- done right- is standup. Every time the bell rings, the teacher has a new audience. Each audience is different and must be approached and handled individually. The better classrooms are like an interactive Rocky Horror midnight showing; there is as much action from the audience as from the headliners. However, just as a good interactive audience knows when to sit quietly and wait for instructions or permissions, a good classroom knows when to do the same. Badly behaved audience members are escorted OUT; what a shame our badly behaved class members don’t get the same. But I digress.

Key word there:  interactive.  A demo is not interactive.  A demo is just a demo.  Students should be interactive participants, not deadpan watchers of a demo. (Unless the next step is interaction.)  Instruction, participation, interaction, and then the student does the demo all by himself/herself, with full understandingof what’s happening, and eager to show someone else.

To some people, such skills come naturally.  To others of us, these skills must be taught.

We all need a hero to keep going. Without these heroes, we have no proof, sometimes, that “it” CAN be done and done right and done so well we’re left gaping in awe.

There is that one someone in each profession who is so good at what he or she does, so awesomely absolutely good at it, that we think of this person as a kind of professional idol. A celebrity in our field. We strive to – not imitate, for that never works in any profession – but to use as a good example of what we are ALL trying to do. . . that person who has figured out how to do “it” right, whatever “it” might be. Every profession has an icon.

Here is mine:

Of course, you all probably already know that if you mix candy corn and salted peanuts together in a big bowl, you’ve got handfuls of PayDay bar goodness.

Peanuts are a meat substitute, and candy corn is pretty much fat-free (paraffin never hurt anybody) so really, a big bowl of candy corn and peanuts is GOOD for you.

Eat up.

Oh, and THIS IS HALLOWE’EN!

In case you are wondering, the word “Hallowe’en” is SUPPOSED to have an apostrophe in it. It’s an old spelling, but I like it so I use it.  I think you should, too.  It would help us all remember what the word actually means.

I learned it from the literature book my mother used when she was in the third grade.  I loved that book as a child, and I still do.  Wonder of wonders – and oh MY, how veddy, veddy politically incorrect – that book contained actual, honest-to-pete LITERATURE!  Yes, actual literature, not those stupid, insipid, limited-vocabulary travesties some teachers call “literature;” heck, I wouldn’t even call that stuff “stories.”  It’s most certainly not literature.

But that third grade book had excerpts from Peter Pan, and Les Miserables, and Little House in the Big Woods. That little schoolbook is why I read those novels when I was in lower elementary school.

Back then, schoolbooks were purchased, not rented, and Mom loved that book so much, she kept it, and re-read it many times.  Once I learned to read, so did I.

I don’t think I ever had a Language Arts book I liked well enough to want to keep, even if it had been permitted.  Watered-down abridgements are the devil, and I mean that in a truly satanic way.  And you really don’t want to get me started on “limited vocabulary” selections. Kids learn new words by exposure to new words.  No exposure = no new words added to one’s vocabulary.

No wonder so many of our kids today aren’t interested in reading for pleasure.  Our schools don’t give them anything worth reading.  Some of them graduate – or don’t – without ever having been exposed to a single interesting, challenging thing worth reading.

And this from someone who actually liked Silas Marner.

But speaking of Halloween, my favorite person, my mentor, my idol, Steve Spangler, will be on “Ellen” again tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 30!  Check your TV Guide for the time in your area, and be sure to watch!  Then go to his blog and tell him how breathtakingly beautiful awesome he was!

Here are some things Steve Spangler has done on “Ellen” in segments past; sit up straight and pay attention when he gets to those pumpkins – it’ll knock your socks off, if you’re wearing socks.  If you’re not, it’ll curl your toes.  If you have no toes, well, I cried because I had no shoes.

If you go thou and do likewise, don’t forget your goggles.

Remember: You simply MUST watch Ellen tomorrow – Friday – because Steve Spangler is her guest.

There will be a test. There will also be prizes.

I’m not kidding.

I’m hooked now on writing conferences.  Social media get-togethers have become my crack cocaine.  No longer do I have to cook my meth in my neighbor’s front yard, over an open flame in full view of passing state cops – hey, it IS Indiana, remember, and near the river to boot – for now I can get my high by mingling with and listening to smart people talk about blogging, writing, social media, and all things such as them there.  Not to mention honing my mad grammar skillz which have gone to poop pot in just these past few days of what might euphemistically be called “My Vacation.”

WordCamp got me hooked.  BlogHer made it worse.  Science in the Rockies helped me realize just how important social media connections can be; besides which, it was an absolute BLAST, and the most educational of all educational conferences I’ve ever attended. (Hurry and sign up for 2010!!)    BlogIndiana will give me a much-needed fix. (It’s not too late to sign up!)   And in October,  I’ll be getting my blogging high on in Las Vegas at Blog World Expo, the Big One.

Someone recently asked me WHY I was so keen to go to the Expo. I highly respect this person and have for quite a while, so even though I answered her directly, I’ll answer her here as well, and not merely by saying “please see above.”  Although I guess I just said that.   I will then add that even though the social media thang is a few years old, it’s still pretty much brand-new, and those of us who are addicted are hooked pretty hard.  Around these parts, at least, it’s impossible to find others with whom I can squee and ooooh and exchange points of view about social media and blogging and making all kinds of connections for my clients and doing the business thing with it and using it for things other than the “My babies are so beautiful this morning and I just HAD to tell everybody here” or “I’m having scrambled eggs this morning; what are you having” kind of communication, although such Twitters are interesting and informative to be sure.  There is also so much more to it than having a My Space and selecting the appropriately goth/sparkly/NASCAR/DisneyPrincess/Hogwarts/polka-dotted background and making the dizzying decision as to who will be your TOP FRIENDS this week.

Side note:  If you have a business and have no online presence, you’re losing out on a lot of connection  opportunities.  Get with it, old-timer.  Put down your slide rule, slip that cover over your typewriter, get a phone that isn’t fastened to the wall, replace your Windows 95, and hire somebody who knows how to make your existence known without shelling out tons of money.  Some money, thankyouverymuch, but not tons.  Seriously, you’ll save tons and get megatons back.  Hello, my email is on the sidebar.

Do you like baseball?  Then you’ll LOVE Ultimate Baseball: The Game.  Seriously.

But I digress.

School has already started for many of you. . . . nah, that’s another post in and of itself.  “Never mind.”

Writing conferences.  Come on, meet me there!  You’ll also meet JustHeather, and maybe she’ll take a picture of YOU with a pickle hanging out of your mouth!  If you’re lucky, that is.

Don’t be afraid.  I’m harmless.  I’m nice, really I am, apart from my terrible taste in pie, and. . . no, wait, that’s from Love Actually.

I am nice, though.  Harmless, nice, eager to learn everything I possibly can about social media, business, giving YOUR enterprise an online presence to be valued and envied, blogging, and looking forward to next week for many, many reasons.

One of those reasons is the people.  It would be really awesome if a lot of YOU were there.

Hey, Tumorless Sister, two words:  Project Runway.  Honest.

It’s almost 4 a.m. and I just got home.  Amtrak, you rock!  And, you’re cheap!  It was a winning combination I’ve never been able to resist.

Already I miss Fausta and Shannon; heck, I miss KARL!    Lindsey, I’m so glad I was able to deliver Hoss’s message; he made me promise, although I would have told you anyway because it – and he – were just so blazingly sweet, as are you.  Yvonne, you really ARE as beautiful as all the men in my family tell me constantly.  Sigh.

Adrienne, two words about our game of pool:   NEENER NEENER!  (Thanks, I LOVED IT! )

Busymom, this has got to stop.  Why don’t you just come to visit me in Indiana?  We’ve got years of hugs and conversation to catch up on.

Table For Five, I love you.  Period.

It was wonderful beyond description to see my Spangler Science peeps at BlogHer this year.  When you call to order stuff, please tell Julie, Alyssa, and Susan to come again next time!  And to get tiaras! They have to have tiaras.  We all need a tiara in our lives.

Em, I understand now why Fausta loves you!  I do, too.

I met and talked with the BlogHer scholarship winners, and they are all fantastic!

Oh, and Grace. . . my darling, wonderful Grace.  How can I tell you what you mean to me?  I can’t.  There are no words good enough for you.

Not to go into detail or anything, but it had been a long time since I was at a party cool enough to be busted by security.

Question:  Do I sound enough like an 8th grader?  No?  I shall try harder then.

Next year, BlogHer will be in. . . . .drum roll. . . . .NEW YORK!  I’ve never been to New York, but after next year’s BlogHer I will never be able to say that again.

As for the bunch I sort of let my hair down with. . . . um, what happens at BlogHer stays at BlogHer, right?  RIGHT?  Oh, please say I’m right.  Besides, I took a few notes about y’all, too.  And wasn’t it FUN!!!!!!!  I’d wanted to meet you for soooo long, and it was worth the wait because you all rocked. As for men with shaved backs, I like them.  Shaved, not waxed.  But I digress, for nobody wants to hear about that conversation, for it was just too dirty personal.  Right, Leslie?  Miss Nancy?  Fausta?  I’ve been boring all my life.

I go to BlogHer every chance I get for several reasons, and they are all good reasons:  BlogHer helps me hone my skills, and not just technically.  BlogHer unites – and reunites – me with friends I read regularly and love dearly and see at no other time or place.  BlogHer introduces me to new friends and new blogs to read.  BlogHer allows me to travel to new places.  BlogHer expands my heart and soul and mind in too many ways to mention.  BlogHer helps me remember that women can do anything men can do.  As my wonderful tango-ing friend Fausta can attest, women can do that  backwards and in high heels, like Ginger Rogers!  Heck, we can even pee standing up if we want to, and if the toilet is nasty, we want to. And, BlogHer tells me which big businesses are listening to me.

BlogHer gives businesses the chance to woo and win me with PROOF THAT THEY CARE ABOUT WOMEN.    A business that understands social media is a savvy business that will build a solid community of loyal customers.  Remember, the best advertisement is word of mouth, and a business that understands that the Blogosphere is the absolute BIGGEST word-of-mouth advertisement for its products/services will reap the benefits of such intelligent discovery.  Awesome samples never hurt, either.  I’m far more inclined to purchase something if I’ve been given a viable sample first.  Woo hoo, samples!  SWAG!  Oh, and there was all that free food everywhere.  Cute waiters with trays of skewered chicken and h’orderves, and people constantly asking me if I would like a glass of wine – duh – and bowls of nuts and m&m’s. . . and I think my months and months of dieting were put to the test and I failed it.  But it was all out of town so nothing counts, right?  Well, that’s how I rationalize it anyway.

I had my picture taken with the Michelin man for comparison purposes.

How much swag this year?  I couldn’t pack it and carry it, even on a train.  I had to box it up and let FedEx – which set up a kiosk at the conference because it KNOWS how to get our business – take care of it for me.

How many boxes of swag?

Four.  Four boxes of scintillating loot that I can’t wait to paw through.

Thank you, BlogHer.  I love you, and not just because you’re all purty.

P.S.  Shannon, I love you so much it makes my heart vibrate.  You know, like my phone in that special pocket.  Heh.

P.P.S.  I’m a nice lady with a dainty, lacy, moral turn of mind, but, dear ME, did you ever see a weiner that looked more like a WEINER in your LIFE?  I swear, I was laughing so hard during lunch on Sunday I could hardly, um, swallow.

Plus, it was almost a foot long.  But then, aren’t they all?

Elisa, Jory, and Lisa:  You did a breathtakingly fantastic job once again.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

(The crappy WiFi in the hotel was NOT your fault.)

Next stop:  BlogIndiana.  (You don’t have to live in Indiana to go!)   After that, the big one:  Blog World Expo!  Come on, BlogHers, sign up!