Author Archive

Journalism 101: What do I use to record an interview?

April 20, 2009

Reporter

Last week, one of my dear readers posted this comment:

Hey Aliya (and fellow writers), got a totally non-blog-related question for you:

I got an interview tomm with sonia sanchez. Is there a way I can record the conversation while on my blackberry (conducting the interview on the phone and also record on the bb)?

I immediately broke out in hives when I read this. I love this dear reader. (She was the first person to make me feel like a real blogger by screaming FIRST! in my comments section. Heh.)

But her comment was perplexing.

She wanted to know how to record an interview…on her Blackberry?

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Searchin’ Sundays…

April 19, 2009

onesearchglass

I’m fascinated at the search terms that bring folks to my blog.

It’s an intimate look into the minds of my readers. (Assuming they actually stick around and check me out after clicking through…)

It feels a bit voyeuristic, to see an exact web search, mispellings and all. Occasionally, it creeps me out. I’ve seen stuff like my name and the word “husband” linked in a search. What’s that about? I’ve seen “Tog” and “TG” in searches. (Ha. That’s funny.) I’ll see the occasional search for Donyale Luna or “Rick Ross’s babymamma.”

But mostly, I just see my name. Since my web address has all that annoying middle initial stuff, and the whole .wordpress suffix , folks have to search to find my blog.

(Sidebar: you can now find me at plain old aliyasking.com. Yeah!)

For the past few weeks, one term has brought hundreds of folks to my site. More than my own name.  Wanna guess? I’ll give you a hint:

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The Agony of Defeat…

April 18, 2009

superstock_1647r-91085

So I get up this morning. And all of a sudden, out of no-freaking-where. I can’t walk. The heel on my left foot screams out in pain as soon as it hits the floor.

I’m thinking…what in the?

I’m talking serious pain. I’m talking, maybe-I-should-just-walk-on-my-toes-although-that-seems-insane kind of pain.

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Eating Better Forever: Update

April 17, 2009
This is called The Fifth Third Burger. It's made with nearly 4 lbs of beef, cheese chili, sour cream and FRITOS. This is not part of the eat better forever campaign.

A minor league baseball team in Michigan offers this at the concession stand. If you finish it, you get a t-shirt. That you can be buried in. This is called The Fifth Third Burger. It's made with nearly 2 lbs of beef, cheese, chili, sour cream and FRITOS. This is not part of the eat better forever campaign.

It’s been six weeks since I confessed that I needed to drop a few pounds.

And guess what?

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Late Night Ruminations: Tax Night

April 15, 2009

latenightneonsign

I had to get my tax returns done early this year, back in February. Farc completed my return for me. And as always, he sent them to me via email in a password-protected PDF file.

For three months, my taxes have been done. Waiting. Sitting in my Inbox.

So why, why, WHY, on April 15th at 11:00PM, was I speeding down Route 280, trying to make it to the post office by midnight?

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