Demystifying the web and more. Come join me.

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.

by William A. Ward, shared by Matt Maresca.

Matt’s, aka @Matthew_Joseph, has a tweet stream full of inspiration and positive attitude. He says this about himself:

Passionate in Personal Development, Inspiring the lives of millions by being my crazy self and having fun.

Go Matt! If you need a lift in your day, I recommend following @Matthew_Joseph.

Dr. Haggis, my Steampunk hero, shares another great video. This one chronicles the making of a replica of Jayne Cobb’s Gun.

Please click through to the Jayne Cobb gun video.

Anyone can surf the ocean, but how many can surf at work? Enjoy.

NOTE: This photography by EvaXebra.

Short story version for tonight.

• Tuesday afternoon having chest pains.
• Wife takes me to emergency room.
• Blood work. Xray. Questions (dozens).
• Late late admission.
• Late night blood work.
• Early morning blood work.
• IV.
• Stress test – involves imaging w/thalium, treadmill, more imaging.
• Wait. Wait. Wait. (no water, no food) Wait.
• Hours later doctor comes. “the tests are negative” “if it’s not heart problems, what is it?”
• Me: How would I know?
• Lunch arrives moments after I sign discharge papers. I eat half of it anyway.
• Home.

I could tell you stories though about how wonderful the staff was. There might be some cool things I could tell you about the procedures or the equipment. Heck, there’s always the wheel chair rides.

Love though, that’s what I’ll talk about. The pure outpouring I received from friends via Twitter. I couldn’t get on my computer but I had my Blackberry and Twitterberry. Therefore I had my tweeps.

Offers of prayers, positive thoughts, and more came over the ether. Wow. My wife and I were blown away. Folks offered to come to the hospital even.

To compare? I called coworker last night when I found out I was going to be admitted and left message at work. No one called at all today.

I challenge those of you who think Twitter is just about reporting bowel movements and breakfast to honestly put some effort into building relationships and come back and tell me that you can’t do more than that online.

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Compassion should be unbiased and based on the recognition that others have the right to happiness, just like yourself.

by Dalai Lama, shared by Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama and I go way back. Well, at least I’m a fan. I may not have the exact religious beliefs he does but he’s a man I respect and admire.

From his Twitter account:

Welcome to the official twitter page of the Office of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama Official Web Site.

From the Dalai Lama website, the story of the Dalai Lama joining Twitter.

Skyward by Tojosan, on Flickr

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.

by Pericles, shared by Joanna Young.

Joanna and I met at SOBCon in 2008. We shared more than a lesson or three. She joined me and several others for a walkabout and dinner on Saturday night. The restaurant, food, and company will stay in my mind for years.

Joanna says this about herself:

Writer, blogger, daydreamer, photographer, poet, life long learner, life wide explorer. Creating space for people to write. Including me.

She’s a bright and well spoken person. Not afraid to engage even a stranger like me. I heartily recommend following Joanna Young.

Two hearts of stone yet passion known by Tojosan, on Flickr

The course of human history is determined, not by what happens in the skies, but by what takes place in our hearts.

by Sir Arthur Keith, shared by Andrew Badera.

Andrew is a long time Twitter contact. He’s a fellow geek and book hound. His bio says:

Technology Consultant, CTO, Geek, Sushi Lover, Avid Reader, Revenue Generator for Scotch Distilleries

Well, if he likes scotch he can’t be all bad right? I suggest you follow Andrew Badera.

I can’t think of anything truly better than a good hug.

by sh3n3rd.

Misti, self styled nerd and fan girl, is a web designer and more. She communicates her smarts and energy well online. Misty has this to say about herself:

Web Designer – Rockfish Interactive, Founder – Evil Tomato Media, rock climber, music lover, book snob, typography nerd, serial optimist, Mad Men addict.

I recommend following sh3n3rd. You might learn something.

Note: sh3n3rd is leet speak for she nerd.

St. Louis is home to some interesting people, not the least of which also blog. Each week I’ll highlight a few of our metro area bloggers. You’ll find the serious, the fancy, and the fun, and hopefully you’ll find a connection with them.

First up is the American Red Cross St. Louis Chapter. This blog is not only a multi-author blog, but allows anyone to submit an article. A recent article covers the Red Cross Earthquake Preparedness and Response guidelines. The blog is updated frequently and is content heavy. Check them out.

Next up is a fairly new blog, Hello My Avocado. The blog description says this:

This is the blog of a 28 year old vegan while she lives, cooks, eats, and tries to lose 30 pounds in Saint Louis. Welcome.

Carol shows her smarts though. This isn’t a whiner’s blog. It’s a real person sharing her life. I’m interested to track her success via the blog as well as get to know her better. So why not drop by at the link above and cheer her on.

Third and final for this week is brought to us by Terry Blastenbrei, The Bosque. The Bosque is home to Terry’s manifestos as he calls them. A professional courier, Terry comes across a world of interesting. A recent adventure found him at an autopsy room. Cool stuff.

If you’ve got more cool, unique, or even regular joe blogs you’d like to see here, drop me a comment, send me a tweet, or shoot me an email, tojosan//gmail.com.

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