Go Here

After tomorrow...or today...just go here for updates. It may take a couple of weeks to get it up to speed so to speak, but go here.

Happy New Year all.

Today's Short Post...

is brought to you by magazines who want you to write articles without paying you. They offer this to you under the guise that you'll get a lot of referrals or clients by doing this for free. Yet, they likely can give you no hard numbers.

So, don't do the work for free...especially if they want you to be an 'expert.'

Just say no.

They sell really expensive ads to pay for their editorial staff and owners. They should also pay you to write an article, even if it is only $100.

If you pay your authors, then I'm clearly not talking about you. In fact, I only have one publication in mind, but they've offered the same great deal to two people that I know. Both people thankfully turned them down.

I Love Forums

Maybe this should go on the TBB blog, but it's a bit of a rant, so I'll keep it here.

I was reading a forum the other day. Triathlon Forum. And, I'm on twitter, so it's some of the same. The internet has allowed us to become virtual friends and experts, generally anonymous folks who hide behind screen names. Me, I am a little active on two such forms, and my name is either in my signature like or is my screen name. I generally post on things that I am confident about or more informational posts. And, I've been accused of being one of the folks I am ranting about below...which is why I have ALWAYS had my name attached to my posts. The internet has become a a great avenue for some people who normally might just be "socially awkward".

This gist of the forum post was like this...and this is a recent example as there have been numerous others...

Pro triathlete X fails to complete a race or does poorly. In this example Internet Expert A chimes in and basically says Kharma sucks huh? Or more commonly, the race gets armchaired, and Pro triathlete X gets drug through the mud for not finishing, etc. Then pro triathlete X comes onto the board, posts some stuff, rational or not...and lo and behold Internet Expert A is now their best friend and was suddenly wrong.

Basically you got called out for being a jerk, and now you are trying to backpeddal to fix it.

I realize some of it is inevitable. People in the public eye are scrutinized and analyzed. Pro triathletes are in the public eye to some degree. The triathlon media, love them or hate them...I personally love them!!, ensure that some pros are in the public eye. Where you live plays a great deals as well...so does whoever your manager or coach may be.

This happens a lot. So, think before you type or grow a pair and associate your actual name with your screen name because we all know that you seem to have little issue posting about someone that 'everyone' knows.

Troubadour

I had lunch with a friend of mine the other day. We talked and solved the problems of each other as well as the world. We talked of the 'woes' of our current professions. Yeah, my life is pretty good, but it's not without a little bit of stress and worry. Anyway, we came around eventually to people who make snap judgements. This line came to mind...yeah it's from a country song!

Well, the truth about a mirror,
Is that a damned old mirror,
Don't really tell the whole truth.
It don't show what's deep inside.
Oh read between the lines,
And it's really no reflection of my youth.

So, chew on that for a bit. As usual, it was a good time to catch up, and even though it had been months, it seemed like days.

Change of Direction

Here are some thoughts of mine. They will mostly come across as rants. Stay tuned.