The Transparent Hypnotist

This tardiness is terrible, but with good reason. I an trying out mobile blogging (with an iPod touch app.). It looks like this spring and summer promise grand hypnotism adventures and this is one way to stay connected, though it is slow going currently with one finger typing.

Best to keep this short for now, so here is the Sunday Question (this is more toward the blogging crowd): what do you do when you are going to be away from your blog for a period of time?

Photograph by  .mands.

It is April 1st. There is talk of Entrecard being awarded a defense contract and I think I too should announce some monstrous thing here on the the Transparent Hypnotist. The cat is meowing at me as though she has ideas like telling the world that I am forever leaving the human hypnotism industry to work specifically with cats who want to be hypnotized. Her other suggestion is less enlightening. I should give up hypnosis all together and become a cat food manufacture (I suspect if I knew much more about cat food, just opening a tin of it would be harrowing).

So what to do about this April Fools Day?

Sigh.

I will merely think about it like a child looking wistfully at the impulse candy displays beside the checkout in the grocery store. I will let it go and enjoy the antics of others like those creative souls behind entrecard. I had a session yesterday and had enough trouble with the barrier of expectation (control issues, she just could not believe she would remain in control…no matter what I showed her and she experienced). It reminds me that no matter how mischievous I ever feel, no matter what day lurks about on the calendar, I need to keep what I do, yes, that would be hypnotism, on a good par with its realities. No joking around (without a million and one codicils).

Today in loo of said antics, I will instead continue my tradition of thanking my readers for sticking with me (ads, sponsors and all). Also thank you to the entrecarders who faithfully drop your cards here. Even if I lurk on your blogs without comment, please know that your words are being read and enjoyed.

Special thanks to ik.my/blog/ (thoughts of ik), that is a web site idea kind of blog who also offers the very handy service of shortening long urls andImamKhalid, a web tech sort of blog. Both dropped their cards here everyday for the past two months! Special mention goes to Mr Soleh’s Outburst, who in honor of dropping his card here everyday for four months has a special place on my blog roll this month.

Also, a huge thank you to Carly at confoozled.com for sending me an Amazon gift card! I won it for participating in her survey.

Even if I am not participating in April Fool shenanigans, if you see any good ones, please feel free to leave a comment. I still enjoy a good one…

Do this, do that, go here, go there, meet with so and so, and on and on it goes. Life. Wow. It can be amazingly busy when you least expect it. I was intending to sit down with you and get involved in some wonderfully hypnotic subject, but I find myself more rushed than I had hoped. When this happens my brain for writing turns mushy.

But what I do have time to do with more coherency is help out a fellow blogger. When I recently did David Mason’s hypknowsis.com Affirmation Method one thing that came up was the idea of community. It was a broad category that you could put your affirmations, but I found that my piles of affirmation did not really fill up this category. I suspect this blog goes well into that category, but I can always do a little more. 

So, I am going to try to be a little more communal (this will be a slow process). And to start out, I am going to make you aware of a blog called confozzled.com, written by Carly. It is described as a:

Personal blog of a twenty-something woman living in Rhode Island. Topics include music, disabilities, digital art & photography, pets, computers & technology.

Anyway, she did a post a few days ago called how would you support your favorite blogs? In this, she discusses her own blog revenue for February, but she is also doing a blog survey on the subject. She needs to get more feedback, and even though you might be here at the transparent hypnotist for hypnosis interest, please consider helping her out. Hopefully she will consider doing an update post that averages her responses.

In every life a little gratitude must fall. Fall? Hmmm. Let’s try another word. Fall sounds a little negative in this context. Maybe “uplift” is more suitable - uplift those people for whom we are grateful. In every life a little gratitude must uplift…or something like that. Hopefully, you get what I mean.

I have been doing way too much scholarly reading and writing as of late and find that it is all leaking into my everyday life, and rather than making me brighter, I feel like it is mushing me and making me less coherent in general.

Enough.

Let us commence with gratitude. I am so grateful to all of you who read and participate on this blog. You all really make me want to get up in the mornings and write. Thank you for that!!!

For the past five months I have been tracking entrecarders who visit here everyday (or at least drop their cards everyday). I am so appreciative of the commitment that I am in awe and would like to recognize them. The entrecards at the top of this post are both bloggers who have consistently visited here for three months. Please consider visiting them.

Also, please take a moment to visit www.computer-aid.com.au/blog/. Though I am a Mac person and this blog is more toward PCs, I really appreciate Luigi and Frank’s prowess and knowledge. Occasionally if a client comes in and mentions a PC problem, I direct them to this blog. These guys have been here everyday for two months.

And then there is Rambler at Lofty Matters. She has been a companion for four months now. You will also notice I have added her to my blog roll.

There are also several others whom visited everyday for February. I have sent them a token for my gratitude and hope they will continue to visit.

So, for the Sunday question - how do you show your gratitude?

Well, it is an Esoteric Saturday here at the Transparent Hypnotist. I think I will use this space to say thank yous and to talk about a few blogs I really enjoy.

First, you will have noticed the above award. It was given to me by the lovely and most positive Leslie Smith from the blog Inner Sanctuary. I believe this is the first such award I have received from another blogger and I am actually completely flattered. So, thank you Leslie for the wonderful compliment.

Now, upon my choosing, I am to pass it along to ten other blogs.

MJG’s Rambling Thoughts - You have to like a blog that wishes you a “happy dulcimer day.” (MJG has also dropped his entrecard here everyday for three months).

Lofty Matters - A blog about this and that, but always interesting (and has dropped an entrecard here everyday for the past two months).

Hypno Blogs I Read:

Adam Eason’s Hypnosis Blog - A definite kindred spirit!

Debbie Lane’s Wisdom Hypnosis Blog - Debbie is a fabulous friend and hypnotist.

What’s On My Brain - Josh Hougton’s hypnosis blog. Josh is somewhat of a regular here, so of course I am a fan of his blog.

Blogs I Plain Out Enjoy:

Annie Spandex - If I were a blonde, I would want to dress just like Annie.

The Junk Drawer - A funny, funny lady.

In the Stream - Because Francis’ art and writing always makes me think.

Art Constellation - She breaks my heart and charms me at the same time. She is an amazing example of a survivor who uses her pain in a creative and through provoking way.

Origins: Room 237 - I love this blog. I love this blog!!! I LOVE THIS BLOG (do you get the message?)

Should any of these bloggers choose to accept this award from me and wish to pass it on, here are the rules:
1. Put the logo (the award) on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
3. Link 10 other bloggers of whom you want to give this award to.

Photograph by DO’Neil (GNU Free Documentation License)

One tissue. Two. Pause for a sip of tea (the last tea bag in the box of Constant Comment - drat). Another tissue and sip, again.

In spite of my tissue habit (I cleaned out a bookshelf last night and those wonderful dust particles are showing me their thanks for providing an air current party), the morning looks full of promise. There is so much to be done. Darn, another tissue. Will I ever be able to stop blowing my nose long enough to tell you my good fortune?

Ah, there is a breathing reprieve.

Last week, I posted about my weight loss group and some of their issues with having their photographs made. I also mentioned a fun little tool called the xshot. Basically it is like a tripod extension device that allows you to take pictures of yourself in a way that I hypothesized would be more flattering and inclusive. Well, JOY! I get to find out. I won Izea’s contest for that very product and am pretty excited to share it with my weight loss group. Depending on their feelings, I hope they will allow me to post pictures here.

So, huge thank you to the people at xshot and Izea for this opportunity.

Now I am off to bathe. No photos, please.

Arianna Huffington photograph by jdlasica

The channels clicked by as rapidly as the television set could handle the change. I cannot blame this random activity on stereotypical male scenarios (my partner, in other words), but on my own nightly restlessness. It was late and even though I had ending the caffeine transfusions earlier, I was no where near ready for sleep.

That left me sitting on the couch with a television remote control in hand, shivering because I had preprogramed the heat to lessen to a cooler temperature for sleeping. That had already kicked in and was taking the heat down a notch. Not in the mood for sitcom levity or the depression that comes with various dramas, I ended up on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Arianna Huffington, bloggesta extraordinaire was the evening guest. She is renowned for her blog, The Huffington Post, which is more like an internet newspaper (that is even in the tag line) with several writers. Anyway, she is very pro-blogging and has a new book out called The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging. Have any of you read it? And if so, what do you think?

She kept telling Mr. Stewart that he should blog, but he was very resistive because he writes all day for his show and has to concentrate on refining ideas. He would not have the time for blogging and only wishes to put out good quality work. Sounds reasonable. Blogging is not for everyone. On the idea, I am reminded of Micheal’s post here about coming up with daily ideas to write about when he guest posted for me for awhile. This is the exact reason I write about things like Ms. Huffington’s interview. Though it does not pertain to hypnosis (only on the periphery as this is the blog of a hypnotist), it does pertain to this daily task I have set for the blog and that is to discuss what is going on with me (yes, it is about me as much as about hypnosis) and my career as a hypnotist - living my passion, which is exactly what Ms. Huffington says is key to blogging. Blog your passion.

I used to have similar conversations with people about how everyone should blog, but despite the popularity of blogging, it is not for everyone (obviously). I guess I have grown used to this idea and realize this is battle not worth pursuing. If someone is going to blog, they will blog. If not, the world still manages to keep going. But it is refreshing to know that there are high-and-mighty people out there who do advocate the cause.

Now we need someone to advocate reading blogs.

The world, dark as it still is as I write this, is cranking along. In the hypnosis world, not much has pinged into my inbox since I did an update last Wednesday. There was one really good interview with hypnotist Kathryn L. Maxham, from Westminster, MA, in the Worcester Telegram.

So to start our week, let us center our attention on another Blogger’s Unite Day. If you are wondering why I have been posting a few posts in the last few months about Blogger’s Unite Day, it is because the program has gone monthly. Today’s topic is World Aids Day. How odd it is to think about the progression of HIV through time and how the younger generations, waiting in line for their own maturity, have not known a world without AIDS. I do remember a world without its threatening tentacles destroying homosexuals and now the drug-user populace, and other loved ones. But, life has adapted. We have adapted and it is just a part of how we think - some of us protecting ourselves, others choosing Russian Roulette.

To learn more about AIDS prevention, treatment, and research, visit these links:

• Learn the Link - from the NIDA
• blog.aids.gov

On another tangent, I would really like to make a mention of Mike Golch and his blog Rambling Stuff. He is a fellow entrecarder and has faithfully stopped by here everyday for the past two months, even though he is not a hypnotist (as far as I know). A few months ago, I actually began to pay attention to my entrecard statistics. Rather than just listing my top droppers, I have begun sending tokens of credits to those who drop everyday for a month (I know what a big commitment that is). I wanted to do something extra nice for those who do it for consistently for longer periods, so this is how I am beginning that process. Thanks again, Mike.

Photograph by mikebaird

There are no birds chirping outside my window, in fact the only real noticeable sound is the hum of the heating system. I guess the birds have migrated and have left me here alone (for the time being) to contemplate artificial tweets. Yes, I am talking about the chirp, chirp, chirp of the busy internet nest known as Twitter.

Last month when I was busy with my journey of apple fasting, I thought it would be fun to give Twitter a go, thus letting people know in a short succinct way what was happening with the fast. As the week progressed I began to lag on my tweets and have not really gone back to it (until today when I began writing this post).

I am apparently missing something. I notice lots of short one-liner repartee that goes on between people. Is that the draw? The idea of being connected and only having to write short amounts in volley to what someone else writes?

Debbie Lane, a few months ago mentioned she had gone to a seminar on blogging and they suggested Twitter as a must. I know she is busy Twittering now as I write this (Debbie did you leave entrecard?), but I am not sure I get this whole phenomenon. I read about it constantly. It seems to always be somewhere in the internet news. So what is the deal?

My question for the day is what purpose does Twitter serve for you? Why do you or do you not Twitter? How has it benefitted you?

P.S.

If you are looking for me on Twitter, I am ellieblunt.

The Tetons and Snake River
by Ansel Adams source Wikimedia license Public Domain

Ah, the pleasure of an old friend - Constant Comment tea. I lived on it during my university years. But, it too has aged a bit. It taste different than it does in my memory. It is more bitter now. Maybe it is just me. Sigh.

I must indulge my pleasures another way, but before you become too creative in helping me move that thought along, I shall not linger here for long. Rather, I shall infuse my sight sense with beautiful imagery. There is something so satisfying about beautiful art and photography. When you find something that causes pause and you want to look at it longer than it takes to click off a web site, well…it is a true pleasure. And there are so many wonderful things out there to discover. I equate it to shopping. We browse through the racks, seeing this fabric, that texture. We go quickly until something seems worthy of a longer look, and there is joy in that find.

I write about indulging the sight sense today because I get a fair amount of email from people who enjoy the images I choose for my various posts. There is something so pleasing about hearing from people who may not have no interest in hypnosis, but the images lured them into my web enough to read a few lines of the post, and some even read the entire paragraph sets. Then they return. Is that hypnosis? Maybe. The images act as an induction that allows the conscious mind to focus on something else, while the subconscious mind takes in the suggestion (to keep reading).

Many people ask me where I find the images, especially those new to blogging. I would love to take credit for them all, but the only notice I deserve in the matter is having good taste. LOL. I use a variety of sources to locate public domain or creative commons imagery, meaning that both allow me to share other people’s images with you here. I wish I could afford to pay photographers and artists for their work, but hopefully the link to their work is something. The main thing that one needs to remember though, is that the work remains the intellectual property of the artist, therefore it is never really a good thing to chose a random image off of a site that either says “All right’s Reserved” or has the good old copy write symbol. If you become so enamored of an image that has such things, best to write to the artist and ask for permission.

So, I have found a new site that allows bloggers to freely use the photography on the site. Acobox has a collection of blog pictures. To use them, you must sign up for an account. Then you can either scan through their collection or you can search using key words. Currently their image bank is somewhat small, but classy. The image above was found on their site, meaning that they have found some excellent public domain work from the big daddys of photography, such as Ansel Adams. It is a clean site (both in design and in content for those who are concerned about such things) and pretty easy to use.

If you are a photographer and care to share your work, thus getting more exposure, you can also register to do so. I believe unlike some of the other photo sharing sites, this one may be more monitored. Not sure what that means in real terms. They may screen for quality and content (one can hope).

So, feel free to join me as I peruse my pleasure. Also, if you have any sources for images that you enjoy, please consider sharing them.