To shine a spot light on Noël ILL is akin to pointing a flashlight at the moon; so many features -vs- so little light.
I have been following the work of Noël for a couple of years now and am still learning about her many talents and areas of interest.
I first discovered Noël as the earthling behind "Saucer Time" and soon found that "Independent UFO Researcher" was just the proverbial tip of her iceburg proportioned resume
From NoelIll.com:"Noël ILL earned her BFA in illustration from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Her personal artwork has been displayed in art galleries around the U.S. Throughout her freelance design and illustration career, she has had the opportunity to apply her artwork and tasteful design sense to the publishing and entertainment media fields. While working as a character artist on the animated series, The Life and Times of Tim, she provided a voice over on one of the episodes that kick started her voice acting career. Noël's hobbies include performing on-line puppet shows, writing and playing music, blogging for her UFO blog Saucer Time! and watching history documentaries on Youtube."
A source for UFO and extraterrestrial independent research: SaucerTime.com is maintained by UFO witness and
independent UFO researcher, Noël ILL.
Alissa Grosso is one of those folks that seem to have the internet all figured out. It was her serious diversification into all the social media avenues that suggested to me that this is an individual connected and in touch. I first learned of Alissa via Twitter so I can honestly say that Twitter does have at least one redeeming quality.
So what is it about Alissa Grosso that sets her apart from others who rely so heavily on social media? Is it the fact that she is an author? Oh heavens, no - show me an author and I'll show you someone social media savvy (more than likely) - Alissa is not the typical in-your-face, buy-my-book, author/promoter. She is however, persistent, powerful and oh so Awkward™
Of course Alissa did not just wake one morning and decide to affix the label "Author" (awkward or otherwise) to her name; she has earned the title through the hard work and "dedication to craft" that has resulted in the publication of three very well received novels that have brought her much acclaim.
There can be no dispute that her very first novel was Popular. We all know not to judge a book by its cover but I think that this cover points to cleverness by virtue of the title alone. "Popular" - a killer title by any measure; but in the genre of YA? This is a pick-it-up-and-flip-through-it type of book cover if ever there was one. However, since I did not discover Alissa Grosso in the book store it was other equally effective techniques that ultimately resulted in my having consumed the work. And now I feel compelled to recommend that you do likewise.
So how did she do it? How did she get her "High School Clique Drama - YA Fiction" into the hands of a 50+, fiction adverse, creepy old man? Well, it all started with a book trailer:
Video book trailer for the YA novel Popular by Alissa Grosso, available from Flux.
For reigning popularity queen Hamilton Best, the very idea of graduation is filled with fear. She's always been the star of Fidelity High's most exclusive clique, idolized for her perfection and her fabulous parties—you know you're "in" when you make Hamilton's guest list. As high school draws to a close, Hamilton is about to lose everything that makes her who she is.
To make matters worse, the clique is slowly coming apart at the seams. Although the hand-picked members—Olivia, Zelda, Nordica, and Shelly—all have their own agendas, desires, and secrets, they do have one thing in common: they're desperate to break away from Hamilton. Yet Hamilton has the biggest and most shocking secret of all, one that only her devoted boyfriend Alex knows. If the truth got out, it would completely destroy her fragile world.
And she'll do anything to keep that from happening.
And then there was the offer to begin reading:
I thought, "hey this is nice..." and jumped right in and started reading; thinking all the while I would stop at some point and return to my pre-Grosso activities. Before I knew it I was enthralled with this author's unique style of story telling and soon found myself at the end of this rather generous excerpt and eager to turn yet another page. Alissa you crafty trickster you! I was hooked, and soon (metaphorically) hit the streets in search of those high school girls that had so innocently gotten under my skin.
Not being the independently wealthy sort - of course I am rich in love and happiness (and all that) but did not find where Amazon was accepting those methods of payment - I went online to my local library and entered a hold request for the public copy owned by the citizenry of Indianapolis. Before too long I received notification that the book had arrived at my local branch and drove on over to pick it up. Trying my best not to put forth an "Aqualung" vibe I collected the item, allowed the swipe of my card and left the institution with the balance of that Fidelity High tale right there in my (really not greasy) hands.
If I thought Alissa Grosso was a "Crafty Trickster" before - by simply getting the book into my hands - I was not aware of the mere "half" nature of that perception. With book at hand the only thing standing between me and "the end" was finding the time - in a very busy schedule - to read. This was a page-turner to be sure. A genuine hate-to-put-it-down novel that taunted me whenever I would see it setting idle beneath the reading lamp, daring me to think I knew how it would end, mocking my priorities to the point I would often shirk responsibilities so that I could catch-up with the clique; just a few more chapters - I promise.
I really can't say more than the publisher's description for fear of spoiling what the author has so brilliantly constructed. However, I will add that although this is obviously targeted to the YA reader - who will no doubt, eagerly share this with all their friends - it represents an admirable work of fiction, sure to entertain anyone with a proclivity towards clever writing. It took me back to my youth and taught me a lesson or two. Let's just leave it at that.
I am now the proud owner of Alissa Grosso's second novel "Ferocity Summer" - I confess I am avoiding all excerpts for this one and will instead wait to crack it open until I can devote the attention that I am certain it deserves. I'll let you know how it goes...
In the mean-time, you too should get to know this lovely, talented, multiple-hat donning, internet dweller and Awkward Author:
I have really been hoping to find something worthy of shining the BlogDogIt spotlight upon. Lately I have been doing good to visit my friend's websites not to mention exploring cyberspace looking for gold. As it happens, so often one thing leads to another and before you know it you find yourself on a website that threatens to steal the rest of your morning...
Giggling In The Gutter is exactly one of those sorts of discoveries. I want to share with you the following post regarding Max Planck, since it was the article that caught my attention. I invite you also to read About gigglinginthegutter. The website is a cornucopia of deep thinking and thoughtful expression - if you have ever pondered the meaning of life you are sure to discover a kindred spirit while gigglinginthegutter.
“As a man who has devoted his whole life to the most clear headed science, to the study of matter, I can tell you as a result of my research about atoms this much: There is no matter as such. All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter.”
Max Planck was the originator of Quantum Mechanics, and gives his name to the Planck Constant, relating energy to frequency and to the Planck Length – the smallest measure of length, below which nothing is knowable. He was a committed Lutheran; like many great scientists, one who questioned the nature of God’s knowability – but not God’s existence. “I am a deeply religious man, but that does not necessarily mean that I believe in a Christian God or even a personal God”.
He took issue with Pauli, Heisenberg and Bohr on their “Copenhagen Interpretation” of the results of quantum mechanical experiments – holding that eventually all matter would be found simply to be wave form. Odd, of course – given that it was his work that showed that photons behave as packets or quanta (it had much earlier been shown that light behaves as a wave). He eventually was proved wrong and the duality of existence at the fundamental level – both material and immaterial has now been proved.
He held that science was capable of answering only so much:
“Religion belongs to that realm that is inviolable before the law of causation and, therefore closed to science”.
And again:
“We might naturally assume that one of the achievements of science would have been to restrict belief in miracle. But it does not seem to do so.”
He most certainly would not have tolerated the current lazy assumption that in some way science and religion are incompatible or opposed to each other:
“There can never be any real opposition between religion and science; for one is the complement of the other. Every serious and reflective person realizes, I think, that the religious element in his nature must be recognized and cultivated if all the powers of the human soul are to act together in perfect balance and harmony. And indeed it was not by accident that the greatest thinkers of all ages were deeply religious souls”.
And:
“the movement of atheists, which declares religion to be just a deliberate illusion, … eagerly makes use of progressive scientific knowledge. It is the steady, ongoing, never-slackening fight against scepticism and dogmatism, which religion and science wage together . The directing watchword in this struggle runs from the remotest past to the distant future: ‘On to God’”.
So maybe he is not the funniest comedian you've seen all year. He may well be one of the funniest Autistic comics you will come across though. Watching him perform is a bit like walking around blindfolded in a minefield; you know they're out there... not sure where you're going... then BOOM! Comic Genius!
Brent "Tinfish" Warkentin maintains a Youtube channel [MegaTinfish] that is like none other. Visit him there and you will see what I mean (words would not do it justice.) I found this little gem among the collection and I think it is utterly priceless.
To continue your introduction to Tinfish
I recommend the following:
The BlogDogIt spotlight shines today into my own corner of the world. I have recently undertaken to update and manage the website of Mt. Zion General Baptist Church (my "church home" since the days of my youth.) It is a Wordpress website so I finally get a chance to see what all my cyber friends are always on about [smiley::D]
As anyone who has followed the BlogDogIt Spotlight Series will tell you - I would not draw your attention to a site that I did not think you would all enjoy. This one is no different.
The featured post encourages members to invite someone to Church - I would like to officially invite anyone in the world-wide audience of BlogDogIt.com to "Come to Church" (even if only virtually...)
So don't be shy; listen to the featured "podcast" - the very one that prompted me to create this post - or browse the sermon audio archives (linked below.) Get to know Pastor Mike - this guy is awesome! [smiley:thumbup]
Enlightening and Entertaining, Pastor Mike Stephens delivers insightful and edifying messages that motivate, educate and inspire on a variety of topics important to the Christian and Pre-Christian alike. [smiley:;)]
Have you ever invited someone you know to church? If not, why not? Did you know that most people, if asked, would go to church with you? Most likely, someone asked you, so why not “pay it forward” and ask someone else? Pastor Mike discusses this and many other ideas in this weeks sermon called,
A Podcast With A Purpose - Please browse our burgeoning Audio Archive featuring sermons preached by Pastor Michael Stephens, Pastor Billy Davidson and even the occasional guest speaker. Listen to one, listen to all. Free to download and share or enjoy with our handy on-site player! (Click Link on Right)
You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that’s in the side that’s in goes out, and when he’s out he comes in and the next man goes in until he’s out. When they are all out, the side that’s out comes in and the side that’s been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.
When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay all out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!
While belly-crawling my way through some of the narrower passageways on the ragged edges of the interwebs, I emerged one day (several months ago) only to find myself perched upon a cloud. This was not like the usual cloud of vaporized hydrogen-dioxide no, this was a living, thinking species which permeated my existence causing me to momentarily forget all the muck and mire from which I had previously emerged. Fresh and refreshing, new and nuanced, strange and strangely inviting.
You know me, I was quick to tell the BlogDogIt'eers of the wonders I had found; when thundering rumblings from the clouds on high rebuked me with authority for the transgression I had made. For Sonmi's Cloud was not interested in being found out about. Of course I am nothing if not sensitive to the desires of clouds and promptly acquiesced; removing all traces of this Shangri-La from the prying eyes of the internet public at large; content for a season to privately follow the activities of Sonmi's Cloud via covert RSS feed.
Come with me,
Blindfolded,
Hands bound
With only myself there,
The sudden centre of your senses.
Focused intently, entirely on where I lead you.
You might be pushed off a cliff,
Descending face first,
Smashed to a bag of bone fragments,
The air still holding the remnants of your scream.
Or led into a field,
Pollen tickling your nasal passages,
A red flag tucked neatly
Into the back of your trouser waistband,
Hanging down to knee level
Flapping merrily in the wind.
Nothing to hear but the hammer of your heartbeat
And the drumming of the Bull’s hooves
As they bear down on you.
As you become the china.
A level crossing,
Ducking your head quickly under the barrier,
Then stock still.
My hands resting on each of your shoulders
Push down and have you sat on the rails,
Zen-like with legs crossed
Awaiting the coming express in 60 seconds time.
The gritty smell of salty air.
Into Sea World we go through a sneaky side gate.
One sharp shove of the elbow
And off you fly.
Orca has her luncheon provided.
Nothing left of you bar your watch,
Ticking away obediently.
Or into the trees,
The whispering thicket.
Till I halt you in your tracks.
My hands gently holding your face,
Lips brushing your mouth softly,
Knots untied, and eyes unmasked
To take in a picnic laid out in the shady glade.
Food to be consumed greedily
After greedily consuming each other.
Finger licking nirvana.
Syracuse, NY – As we go throughout our day-to-day business, there are constant distractions that tend to pull us away from whatever is in our dish. Local canine Nellie Meyers, a self-defined “person dog,” is dealing with a problem that tends to take her off the beaten walking route. Just two years old, Nellie has found that she’s had these strong urges since puppyhood. “I’ll be walking down the street, occasionally eating my own business, when I see a human and just can’t help but smile and want to touch it!” the chocolate lab exclaims, staring out the window and contemplating whether or not her tail is part of her, or if she is part of her tail. Nellie has found that she goes so far as attempting to touch the human if allowed and even considering getting a person like that for herself once she has a job and her own place. “My partner is allergic to humans so it’s unlikely I will ever be able to keep one. I guess I’ll have to settle for these brief encounters on the street,” states the pooch, who hopes to one day discover if it is she who really is a good dog.
I am a single 67 year old Englishman living in the mountains of Southern Spain for 10 years. I have an apartment with great views of the mountains near a river overlooking fields with different animals and birds. I have 2 rescued cats. I try to have fun with my blog http://bluefishway.com/ . I must get a life ! lol
Living, as I do, in a quiet rural village in the mountains of southern Spain NOTHING should be happening. A goat escaping on the road should be the highlight of my blog. But, quite the opposite has happened. I am on my 196th post, have 989 followers, we have made 12,981 comments, but most of all we have had fun, haven’t we ?
I have had bloggers Ute and Manny visit me. I had a great time in Israel with Heila and live close to my friend David. On top of that I have made so many blogging friends throughout the world. Yes, you !
It’s been a wonderful two years. Where I get the ideas from for posts ? I usually don’t have a clue except when something personal happens. Sometimes traumatic, such as a lumbar puncture turned into fun when I opened my pain clenched eyes and found myself staring at the polka dots of a nurse’s knickers six inches from my face.
Most of all, I love to comment, we love to comment. I try to have fun with you and most of you are game for a laugh even though some of you are in extreme pain and are going through or have been through extreme traumas. I like to visit your blogs, some fantastic, some mediocre, but you are brave enough have a go in getting your skill or point of view online so I can read about your expertise or thoughts. Well done !
Thank you for 2 years of friendship and fun my friends [smiley:<3]
I’m Emily G. my daughter is Eloise G. We were appalled by the litter in our community and we decided to do a little something about it. We found littered plastic bags and filled them with trash we found while walking around. We put recyclable items in the city’s recycle containers and the trash in the trash cans. It was simple and easy. Doing this little thing made the city look better and all sorts of people noticed.
You can do this, too, and make your community a better place to live.
PLEASE don’t litter.
If you see trash where it should not be and you are able to pick it up and PUT it where it belongs (recycle or a designated trash receptacle), please do. This simple act of caring and responsibility will make your community a nicer place to be.
"You may not instantly see why I bring the subject up, but that is because my mind works so phenomenally fast, and I am at a rough estimate thirty billion times more intelligent than you. Let me give you an example. Think of a number, any number." "Er, five," said the mattress. "Wrong," said Marvin. "You see?"
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Okay, clickbait title, you got me. Firefly Aerospace’s maiden launch of this rocket didn’t turn out so well, unfortunately. Here’s the explanation and analysis by Scott Manley — and if you like anything even remotely space-related, you need to be subscribed to him. Stay shiny, Jeff
Renard believes that all bloggers have a much better chance of standing out if they embrace their uniqueness.Check out his blog post for further details.
Winnipeg has a building with a very rare and unique design. The Canadian Grain Commission Building on Main near Portage has a bulge that makes the top floors wider than the bottom floors. According to Wikipedia it is called “Setfront design.” Ernest J. Smith of Smith Carter was the principal architect of the Grain Commission’s … Continue reading Two Buildings with Very Unique Designs
Them All!
