Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 172

Thank You to August 2010 Commenters

Thank you to the 172 commenters who left 242 comments in August. Your comments extended the conversation and added value and interest, and I enjoyed replying to every one of them

Every month when I post thanks to commenters, I get questions about how I compile this list. I have explained my system in detail in Compiling Thanks to Commenters
Top Contributor (13
Custom Harley Davidson Handlebars for
Major Contributors (5-8

Patriot Day 2010: Remembering 9-11

Today we honor and remember those who died on 9-11-2001, the people who responded with heroism and compassion, and the men and women of the Armed Forces who fight to protect our freedoms. See more at United States Army Patriot Day 2010.

ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead; we remember today all those who lost their lives on 9-11 and all those thy servants who have laid down their lives in the service of our country. Grant to them thy mercy and the...

International Literacy Day 2010

Imagine not being able to read. Imagine looking at words on a page and seeing gibberish. Imagine never being able to lose yourself in a story or find the answers to your questions in a book. Imagine not being able to fill out a job application or read a map.

According to the International Reading Association, "The World's Leading Organization of Literacy Professionals":

More than 780 million of the world's adults (nearly two-thirds of whom are women) do not know how to read or write, and...

Happy Labor Day 2010!

I hope you are resting from your labor today.

Enjoy good food, great friends, tons of laughter, and heaps of joy.

photo credit: Seth W.

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Has Anybody Here Seen My Old Friend Threaded Comments?

I have used Brian's Threaded Comments for a very long time, even after WordPress came out with the threaded comments feature. I never could get the WordPress feature to work and decided my theme didn't support it. For years, the plugin has given, as advertised, "threaded comments and a 'wandering' comment form."

After the last WordPress upgrade, threaded comments have wandered off and must be lost in a maze somewhere. It looks like it should work—commenters have the choice to "reply to this...

International Freelancers Day – September 24, 2010

[image error]International Freelancers Day is actually two-day online conference. The event features 25 speakers in 24 sessions (45 minutes each) on Friday, September 24 and Saturday, September 25, 2010.

You must register to attend the event, but registration is free, and you will have access to replays of the presentations if you can't attend all the sessions live. Registration also gives you access to six pre-event videos.

The event bills itself as "the biggest ever free online conference exclusively for ...

E-Readers Read More

The Wall Street Journal recently reported on a study of e-reader owners.

People who buy e-readers tend to spend more time than ever with their nose in a book, preliminary research shows.

A study of 1,200 e-reader owners by Marketing and Research Resources Inc. found that 40% said they now read more than they did with print books. Of those surveyed, 58% said they read about the same as before while 2% said they read less than before. And 55% of the respondents in the May study, paid for by...

Gaining Inspiration from the Greats: Ten Tips for Great Writing – Guest Post by Cathryn Johnson

Have you ever wished that you had a writing mentor?  Someone who could show you the ropes?  Have you ever wished for advice on writing?  Inspiration when you are feeling down? 

I have found that the greatest inspiration and the most valuable advice comes from viewing the lives of those who have walked in our shoes because it is those who can truly understand us. It is those who can show us the way. So, as we as writers persevere to write on, why not turn back and gain inspiration from other...

Bowker Reports on the Book Industry

Bowker® assigns ISBNs, maintains Books In Print®, and provides what it calls "bibliographic information management solutions."  The agency just released its 2009 U.S. Book Consumer Demographics and Buying Behaviors Annual Report. You can read a summary of the report on the Bowker Web site. 

Here is a brief excerpt from the summary:

It's the demographics of book buyers that make the Report an essential read for any book industry maven. The report reveals income levels, age, generation and more...

Thanks to July 2010 Commenters

(My apprentice who will be posting here starting next month responded to comments on...