I’ve ridden the Day-Tripper to work three days this week. That made the most mileage in a week (95 miles) for my entire 2010…Oh, how different this year is to last…

I had a job interview in June…Still with Camp Lejeune’s IPAC, but a much better position. I missed out, though, and they selected someone else. Here’s to hoping for more opportunities.

I’m trying the WordPress for iOS app again. I’ve become frustrated with it’s lack of advanced functions, inability to save changes in posts and a strange new quirk: It’s refused to stay in a particular folder on the Home screen and jumps to a new page all by itself. It’s got a week…Then I’ll be done with it forever.

Other than this few hiccups, my life is pretty good. Hope the same can be said for you!

There’s no good reason, so I’ll leave it at this: I’m back and I’ve got some stuff to say.

I’m sure it’ll clear itself up as Spring comes along.

Thanks!

So, I have this idea for an iPhone app. It’s not groundbreaking or even anything more than maybe ten people would want.

The idea: A BrockNet app.

The specifics: It would provide access to all BrockNet blog posts with ability to comment and access to writers’ Twitter/Facebook feeds.

It doesn’t sound very complicated. And I bet all the functionality is available in different apps. But how can I create my own app with the functionalities I want?

Unfortunately, my local libraries don’t have an iPhone programming books and it’s not something I want to spend money on…Yet.

iPhone programmers, how hard would this be?

It’s a move I’ve called sexist, ignorant and foolish.

Certainly, moms have a particular perspective on raising children. Certainly, in Jacksonville and Onslow County moms have to deal with particular issues that other moms (you know, the non-married-to-military kind) don’t. But, also certainly, dads have particular perspectives.

Dads in Onslow County deal with particular issues that other dads (you know, the non-military and non-married-to-military kind) don’t. Further, some  dads are dealing with being a “part-time” dad, whether it’s because of military deployments, separation or divorce and some dads are single parents.

Dads in these circumstances (in all circumstances, really…) are not just being ignored by Onslow Memorial, but relegated to a completely secondary role as a parent in most of American society. That’s pretty jacked up, isn’t it?

Back to Onslow Memorial’s search for bloggers…

I thought about sending in my own application and qualifications through their online form, but I imagine that I’d either be completely ignored (though, interestingly enough, there’s no “gender” box) or accused of fraud or…Something. Either way, it probably wouldn’t work out well for me. Instead, I’ll copy/paste the questions and answer them here. Follow the jump for the “application”.

Below are the questions from Onslow Memorial Hospital. My answer will be added as an indented bullet.

• Which blog would you like to write for? Check all that apply.
• TummyTime
• CuddleBugs
• TweenBeat
• RealiTeen
• TweenBeat (described as: “Conversations for, by and about Mothers of Kids 6-12”). Mini is 9 going on 16. It’s something I’m not looking forward to, but I seem to have been left out of the decision process on this.
• Have you contributed to any blogs in the past? Please describe briefly.
• I have indeed contributed to blogs in the past. In addition to having been the primary writer on three blogs (Brock Log was my first attempt at blogging; Onslow County Politics was my attempt at blogging local politics; and Bloviations, my current blog in which I cover just about anything), I’ve contributed to BlueNC, the foremost progressive/Democratic blog in NC. I also participate in many other blogs by way of comments.
• Are you currently writing and/or editing for any blogs? If so, please describe briefly.
• I am currently writing a blog. My blog is titled Bloviations (http://blogs.brocknet.net/blovations). I use this blog to write about my life, local events, local, state and national politics and just about any and everything else. I act as a webmaster/editor for several blogs in the BrockNet family, the premier blog is Eriepressible (http://blogs.brocknet.net/eriepressible).
• What is your previous writing experience?
• I have extensive writing experience as a blogger, as detailed above. I also have experience as a writer of government letters, awards, reports and training curricula over a nearly-14 year career in the United States Marine Corps, in and out of uniform.
• Submit 300 word autobiography.
• My biography is here. If I were submitting the online form, I’d paste it.
• Submit sample blog entry #1. Each entry should be at least 300 words.
• Interview: Delmer Asks Me Questions – If I were submitting the online form, I’d paste excerpts and links.
• Submit sample blog entry #2. Each entry should be at least 300 words.
• An Assortment of Dissociated and Disjointed Thoughts – If I were submitting the online form, I’d paste excerpts and links.
• Submit sample blog entry #3. Each entry should be at least 300 words.
• It’s not the worst day imaginable, but man, it’s been close. – If I were submitting the online form, I’d paste excerpts and links.

That’s my application to be a mommy-blogger for Onslow Memorial Hospital. Not that it matters, because I’m not a mommy…

– Jacksonville City Council Candidates’ Yard Signs and What They Say About The Candidates and Voters

– Jacksonville City Councilman Jerome Willingham Learns Not to Mess with Lindell Kay from the Jacksonville Daily News

– Day Trip to Duplin Winery

– A Failure in Commuting by Bicycle

Have suggestions for other blog posts? Leave then in the comments.

I’m going to stop publishing the weekly riding reports. They’ve gotten boring and, hopefully, they’ll stay that way.

This isn’t the end of Bloviations, just the end of the commute reports. I’ll have some stories to tell, but they’ll come in time.

The subject of her post, cyber stalking, is something I’ve never had to deal with, as I have always written online by my given name. I do so for two reasons:

• I believe it lends more creditibility to my writing
• It requires that I think a little more about what I write

There is, though, a risk associated to writing by name and, to be completely honest, I really hadn’t considered it before I began writing. By using my name, I’ve placed myself in the public view. People of “authority” read my blog. Media outlets (Hi JDNewsers!), City of Jacksonville staff and, even, folks at the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate have visited and read my writing. This means that the people I’m closest to (Mini and AM) could become targets of their attacks (should any of them decide to do so). When I first posted at the Brock Log, I had never thought any of that possible.

I’ve been fortunate that I’ve never been victim of “cyber stalking” or it’s real world counter-part as a result of my online writing. I’ve been even more fortunate that my friends and family have been spared any sort of stalking.

It’s not something I’ve really worried about in the past…But now, as I become more public, it’s something I have to consider and be more watchful.

The House Diaries will be about the day-to-day life of a house in Mayberry and the people that live within.

So, you know, check it out and stuff.