As sort of an other-shoe-dropping, sister-post kind of thing, I'm using my space and time today to point out some people doing some significant things.

Because (hangs head, kicks dirt with shoe) I'm ashamed to say that I've been thinking a wee bit too much about ME and how I can take ME to the next level and why aren't more people paying attention to/digging on ME and a whole lot of other annoying, self-involved tripe. And, I mean, all this while people are eating dirt and women on other continents (and possibly areas of this one) are having parts of their lady-areas hacked off and a million other human indignities that one could call "real problems."

Even if we shy away from the area of "real problems," isn't it still better to focus on what other cool stuff there is going on than to bemoan some imaginary, non-existent thing you think should be happening to you? Not that I don't want good stuff to happen to me, and not even that I don't think I deserve it or whatever The Secret-y thing you want to believe. Thing is, if I stop for one second to think about it, I realize instantly that I have an overabundance of blessings, that my (non-specific, agnostic-type) prayers have been answered over and over again, and that I've had so much help from so many hands, both seen and unseen, it borders on the embarrassing.

So you know, I pimp everywhere. I am kind of obsessed with pointing out good stuff. But I mostly do it in places like StumbleUpon or Clipmarks or del.icio.us. Or I forward it to my pal, Michael Blowhard, who has a much bigger audience and gets the word out far more effectively than I ever could.

But I've been wined and dined and guest-bedroomed by my wonderful peeps here in Chicago for a day now, and I'm filled with the spirit of giving and sharing. So...

Meet the FOCs (Friends of Colleen) and someday FOCs!!!

Grant McCracken writes one of the best blogs I know. A terrific mix of marketing, cultural anthropology and inventive thinking, there's always something great to be found there, and every great thing is truly different from every other one. Check out his greatest hits if you don't believe me.
Speaking of faves, my go-to blog for years now has been 2Blowhards. In fact, while I have changed feed readers many times, I have never, ever moved 2BH out of my "always read" folder. Even though they're (gasp!) conservatives!!!
People ask me all the time why the hell I'm on Twitter. I may talk a big game about the importance of social media and staying on top of the game, but the reality is that I love watching the wit of these three guys unfold in real time. Finally, they've gotten together and put on a show: You Look Nice Today!, A Journal of Emotional Hygiene. It takes a while to orient yourself to it, these guys are like an order of magnitude smarter than most smart, funny people working today. But just like watching Shakespeare, after a few minutes, you'll acclimate to the rhythm. And laugh your ass off.
One real-life friend has finally gone online with a public record of one of the more fascinating projects it's been my pleasure to track. Nick Offerman, a wildly funny and gifted performer, is also a master woodworker craftsman-type. And so, finding himself in NYC for a time (sweet boy is there providing moral support as his wife works on a little play), he decided to use it wisely and...build a canoe from scratch! I care as much about woodworking and canoes as I do football and trigonometry (not much), but I'm always thrilled to see a new installment in my inbox. Finally, the rest of the world can share that thrill.
Finally, because I'm getting a little tired of people who say that feminists aren't funny (haha) or that the patriarchy is dead (I wish), I give you Twisty Faster. Her writing has been somewhat more sporadic the past several months, but the archives are rich with radical feminist goodness.

For those of you who might never sign up for one otherwise, I also include Cool Finds of the Month in my free newsletter, communicatrix | focuses. And yeah, newsletters are kinda dorky and sucky, for the most part. Maybe mine is, too, just by virtue of being one. I mean, hey, it is a marketing tool. But for me, it is also an opportunity to write on one topic (best practices of great communicators) in a very specific way, i.e., without swears. If I'm lying, may my motherf*cking tongue fall out of my c*cksucking mouth.

See? Along with gratitude, insights and there will always be foul language here on communicatrix-dot-com.

Some things will never stop...

xxx c