How would you like to make a difference in the life of a public school students?
For the second year in a row, Six Apart is participating in the DonorsChoose.org Blogger Challenge. The challenge runs all throughout the month of October, and we'd love for you to participate along with us. Just as we did last year, Six Apart is sponsoring the award for the bloggers who reach the most kids.
The Blogger Challenge is a friendly contest amongst bloggers to raise money for low-income public schools. Here's how it works: teachers from all over the country post items for which they would like funding, such as writing supplies for a journalism class, equipment for a science lab, or music instruments for a band class. Bloggers choose their favorite projects and link to their challenge page in a post or via a giving widget on their blog. The bloggers who raise the most money or reach the most kids will win an award.
Here's how you can participate:
- Go to the Donors Choose Blogger Challenge page and find a blogger's giving list you'd like to support.
or
- Set up your own challenge and let your readers know in a blog post or by installing the widget (it just takes a few clicks).
No matter which way you choose to participate, you should feel incredibly proud of yourself for helping to bring resources to students in struggling classrooms.
Donors Choose will announce the results in early November, and we'll reveal the winners of the Six Apart award for bloggers who reached the most students shortly thereafter.
Are you going to accept the Blogger Challenge? Tell us about it (and link to it) in the comments!
You asked for it...so here it is...
CONTENT.
There.
Be back in a few months.
The BlogWorld & New Media Expo in Las Vegas on September 20th and 21st is the largest blogging conference in the world and Six Apart, Vox's parent company, will be there in full force. The only question we have is: Will you be joining us?
If so, we hope you'll be sure to attend the opening keynote where Six Apart's CEO, Chris Alden, and VP, Anil Dash, will speak on "The State of the Blogosphere." Considering over 12 million American adults currently maintain a blog, and over 57 million Americans read blogs, we're very curious to find out what they have to say!
There are so many amazing speakers and panels at BlogWorld, we know you'll be incredibly busy, but we'd really love to meet you, so please take time to stop by the Six Apart booth and introduce yourself. While you're there, you can meet other Six Apart Voxers, learn more about our new website, Blogs.com, and get any questions you may have answered.
Are you attending the BlogWorld Expo? Let us know in the comments.
See you in Vegas!
One of my favorite things about working at Six Apart is that it's a company founded by bloggers, for bloggers. As a result, not only do we want to provide bloggers with the best tools (like Vox, TypePad and Movable Type), we're also committed to helping bloggers find a broader audience, and helping readers find the blogs that matter to them. And with over 175,000 new blogs created every single day, this is no easy feat.
Luckily, with the launch of Blogs.com, Six Apart is making it easy for you to find the best blogs on the web. Hand-picked by a team of passionate editors, and organized by the topics that interest you, Blogs.com will help you find blogs on a variety of topics from Life, to Entertainment, to seasonal topics like Student Life. You can also catch up on the latest buzz on the web by reading featured editorials or checking out the top ten lists.
Wondering how you can submit your blog to the Blogs.com editors for consideration? It's easy -- Just fill out this quick form. In the meantime, check out Blogs.com and let us know what you think in the comments.
Thanks for reading!
I hate being afraid of bugs, I really do. I recognize it as objectively irrational, but still cannot calm the terror that wells up inside me. I've said it before, but I always feel compelled to reiterate. This is not a girly "ew, gross!" type of thing... I get very worked up when people imply I need to just "get over it". Oh trust me, I've tried. I've begun breaking down the fear a little, realizing which situations/bugs/etc cause the reaction more strongly and which I can talk myself down from. This has helped a little, but sometimes the bugs still best me.
If you want some background reading here is a link to a post from last Feb about a similar run-in.
Before I left for Chicago, I had a run-in with a Palmetto bug in my apartment. I was horrified and terrified and had no idea what to do. I was talking to myself (out loud, probably) and telling myself... "There is a thing that rational people do in this situation. Regular people don't have a panic attack right now. I am an adult. I live on my own. I have a great job. I pay my bills and keep two cats alive. There is something to do in this situation. Now... what is it??" I eventually got through it (with the aid of a couple friends on the phone and a Dyson vacuum cleaner), but it took like 2 hours of my life. Ridiculous.
Today was almost worse. There was an upside down palmetto bug on my kitchen floor that I believed to be dead. I was sort of avoiding dealing with it so walked by it several times (in large arcs) thinking "later". One trip past though caught my attention because I thought I saw it twitch. Sure enough, I looked again and it was wriggling trying to turn itself back over.
*breathe*
I got my Raid in hand, shooed the cats away and sprayed with what might have been a little too much wild abandon. Bug killed dead. As advertised. But now I have poison all over my floor and a dead, wet roach. I lock myself and my cats in my bedroom and try not to think about it.
This isn't an effective long term plan since i do eventually have to let my cats out and I have to clean up all the poison before I can do that. Anyway to make a drawn out and stupid story less drawn out (but no less stupid), I come to realize that even though the bug is drenched in poison and I KNOW it is dead, I still can't get near it.
I ended up scooting a paper bag on the floor with a swiffer stick along until it half scooped it up, and got it out of the wet-with-Raid area, then put a bucket upside down on it. Then I cleaned up the Raid and let my cats back out. I'll deal with the bucket later. Or I'll hire a maid.
Brilliant.
Anyway, here is my highly scientific list of what makes my run-ins with bugs worse.
1. Contained spaces. Being inside (even inside a large space) is always worse. Being inside my *own* space (my home or to a lesser extent, my office) is on the more extreme panic attack version of the scale.
2. Things that fly at me. Or run toward me. Especially in a spastic manner. I have yet to be afraid of a roly poly. I'm even not afraid of spiders. They're smart, they keep to themselves or run away. Thumbs up to snails and caterpillars. Biiiig thumbs down to cicadas, palmetto bugs, flying crickets, grasshoppers, june bugs and bees.
I have learned that my current nemesis, the Palmetto bug (aka fucking huge flying roaches) flies at people because they believe people to be trees (and they live in trees when not scaring me to death in my home). It is comforting to know they aren't trying to attack me, but I do doubt I will be able to remember that rational fact next time I am faced with the situation.
3. I do not think that bugs are gross. I do not wish for bugs to be dead. I just want them to be alive, away from me. Or I want to be alive, away from them. If I am able to, I will catch them and release them outside. If someone else is dealing with it for me, I strongly encourage them to do the same. Still sometimes, it is inevitable and while it does actually, um, bug me to kill them, sometimes I just have to move on with my life.
4. Body mass and exoskeletons. If they have weight when they hit me or make a crunch that can be heard and really felt when crushed, I will have nightmares. 'Nuff said.
5. Ears. Please, bugs, stay away from my ears. Even the smallest gnat can send me into a panic if I hear it buzz right next to my ear.
6. Nighttime. I can deal with everything better in the daylight. Even if it's inside, I can still deal with it better if it is daytime.
I think my point is that I need to move somewhere that doesn't have tropical insects.
Guess who I got to spend today with???
"When was the last time you were at a wedding that had a death defying hike, rogue waves, a luau, ultimate fighting, a presidential candidate and a budding bromance?" asks Papi Chulo. For most of us, the answer is never, but luckily, Papi Chulo and Secret Agent Scotch took the time to Vox all the amazing moments during their unforgettable Hawaiian wedding on 08.08.08 so we could all take part in the festivities.
The story began last February, when Papi Chulo popped the question and Secret Agent Scotch said yes! Since then, they've kept us in the loop about all the details, from the bride's veil to the wedding song to the final To-Do List. And throughout it all, they inspired us with their love for each other. (I'm pretty sure it doesn't get any better than knowing your future husband thinks you are The Perfect Girl.)
It's an amazing love story and we are thrilled they shared it with us. Watch the video of the ceremony and please join us in wishing Papi Chulo and Secret Agent Scotch the fairytale ending they deserve.
And What's a Team Vox Post without New Themes?
Spice up your Vox blog with one of our latest themes (found in the design area under "New") or any of our hundreds of themes. From shopping to sushi, comics to cycling, there's something for everyone.
Can't get enough of the wedding? A few lucky Voxers - Krissy, djchall, and Beau Smith - made the trip to Hawaii to take part in the celebration. Check out their Vox blogs for more pictures and stories.
Congratulations again to Secret Agent Scotch and Papi Chulo! Enjoy the Honeymoon!
At Vox, we believe that change is a good thing. After all, you wouldn't wear the same t-shirt day in and day out, so why should your blog have to suffer the same fate? Give your blog a new look with one of our latest themes (found under "New"), or pick from any of our hundreds of themes designed with your passions and personality in mind.
Until then... Enjoy!
-daisy
Gimme a V! Gimme an O! Gimme an X! What's that spell? VOX!
What better way to tell the world how much you love Vox than to announce it on Facebook? That's right: Vox now has an official Facebook page! Become a fan of Vox.com on Facebook and let your friends know what you really care about: staying connected with friends and family through blog posts, photos, videos and comments.
Once you're a fan, you can also add photos and videos to the page, write on the wall, and connect with other Voxers in ways you may not have previously. Plus, it's a great opportunity to let people know about your Vox blog, or start discussion topics. To become a fan, just visit the official Vox.com Facebook page and click the "Become a Fan" button in the upper right hand corner.
Once you've joined, why not post a response to the current discussion topic? Just post a link (and a brief description, if you'd like) to what you consider one of your all-time best Vox posts.
What are you waiting for? Become a Vox.com fan on Facebook today!
Although we typically post on Team Vox to let you know about things that are going on with Vox (to, uh, state the obvious), once in a while, we like to let you know about other cool things that are happening around the blogosphere. And we think the idea of four hilarious mommy bloggers traveling across the U.S. on their way to the BlogHer '08 conference - all the while blogging and video blogging the journey - is one trip you will not want to miss.
Four adventurous bloggers from the Silicon Valley Moms Group were selected to participate in the Summer Road Trip '08 and blog about their travels, hotel stays, media appearances, time away from their families, and life on the road. Six Apart helped them partner up with General Motors, who provided the blogging mommies with a Chevy Tahoe Hybrid SUV to help make their journey comfy, safe, and a little more green.
In case you're not familiar with them, SV Moms is a group of over 200 bloggers who showcase the ups, downs, outrages, struggles, victories, and everyday humor of motherhood. There are currently nine regional and demographically tailored sites that give mothers from D.C., New Jersey, the Deep South, Rocky Mountains, L.A., and Silicon Valley a powerful voice and sense of camaraderie across the country. Whether you're a mother, a child, or just a person who enjoys a good blog, you'll really love reading the words of these amazing women.
The moms buckled into their Chevy Tahoe Hybrid SUV on July 11th and even got an encouraging message from Katie Couric to kick things off! They are currently somewhere in the middle of America making their way to San Francisco where they'll attend an SV Moms Group Party, as well as BlogHer '08.
You do not want to miss these entertaining and irreverent bloggers -- or their spontaneous contest giveaways! -- as they blog from the road. Experience the journey at MomRoadTrip.com.
And let us know about your summer road trip - or plane/boat/bus trip - in the comments! (I like to live vicariously.)
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