Testing Out My New Blog Aid

Image via CrunchBase

Fifteen minutes ago I was introduced to this marvelous little tool, Zemanta. I read a little about what it would do and then couldn't wait to download it. It took all of maybe a minute and here I am. If it works the way I hope it will work for me it should make my posts from here on out much more interesting. Fingers crossed!

There are so many great things being created that help people who are as busy as me become and remain productive. Frankly, my blogging has taken a backseat to my 'day job' as an editor and publisher of three magazines and a fourth on the way.  I hope that by adding Zemanta blogging will become more enjoyable for me and hopefully for my readers.

This will probably spoil me. Someone will soon have to design a program for publishers to use that will do for print publications that are uploaded as pdf's online as Zemanta does for blogs. Hint! Hint!  Hey, if you know of one out there please let me know.

I leave you with my new tag line.  "Do what you love, love what you do and always be marketing!"

Giving Up On Television

May 1^st was the first day of my self imposed – well sort of – hiatus from television. On the prior Thursday my 28 month old Phillips 42" LCD-HD went out and never came back. After calling Dell (from whom I bought it) and then Phillips (who manufactured it) I was told by both parties, 'sorry, nothing we can do about it.' My big question to Phillips was that why does a TV that I paid over $1200 for die in 28 months time? Silence on the other end of the line. I started Googling Phillips and I quickly realized that I would have been better off Googling them 28 months ago and not buying the TV.

According to numerous others, Phillips is not the brand it used to be nor is it the brand of the future. They not only make a shoddy product, they don't stand behind it and worse yet, they don't care. Enough about Phillips; I will never, yes NEVER, buy a product made by them or linked to them in any way. That being said, I always try to look on the bright side of these challenges and realize that I would be much more productive if I quit watching TV altogether.

I didn't really watch TV in real time. I usually set my favorite shows to record and then play catch up at night or during the weekend. I do this to be able to blow through the commercials. I hope that Phillips is spending a ton of money on their TV commercials that others like me fast forward through.

Well, it's been three days and I'm not suffering too much. We do have an entire room dedicated to watching TV and videos so I will have to figure out another use for it. I am looking now to sell my beautiful albeit now useless theater seating. Will we replace the TV? Not right now. My experiment is in full swing.

Have I become more productive? Yes. Instead of catching up on 24, Desperate Housewives, Big Bang and the rest of my scheduled entertainment I spent the time building three websites, catching up on my social media and organizing my desk. I may even blog more regularly now. Who knows what I might be able to accomplish by giving up on television. After all, my trusted internet and computer are still up and running. Life is productive ... and good.