#atozchallenge Getting to Know the Hosts - Nicole Ayers

Name: Nicole Ayers

Blog: The Madlab Post
Other Online Info: My Twitter, My Pinterest, My IMDB, My Flickr, My Tumblr and My YouTube
Films: ABYSS ; Lighten Up
Publications: The Madlab Post Zine and Bulletin; My Journey to Bare Bones

1. Where do you hail from? (D.G. Hudson) 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or otherwise known as The City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection – which is a questionable nickname, depending on who you ask.

2. Would you rather have your own personal sailing ship or spaceship? What would you name your ship? (L.G. Keltner)
I’d rather have my spaceship named Captain Data, as homage to two of the coolest “Star Trek” characters ever!

3. How do you comment? - if someone posts 5,6,7 times a week .. once - or 3 times .. then each time or once or twice .. then each time I can't keep up .. but hate not supporting everyone .. (Hilary Melton-Butcher)
I comment in a manner that directly correlates with the amount of time available to complete all tasks laid out in my day. If my time is limited, I just comment on the most recent blog post. If I have more time to spare (or if I really like the blog), I’ll read through a few of the recent post titles and then comment on the ones that peak my interest.

Just because a blogger posts multiple times a week doesn’t mean that I’m going to comment on them every single time. It also depends on the frequency of my visits to a blog. If I visit more often, then it is more likely that I would comment on most, if not all of the blog posts but if I only visit the blog every now and then, I will usually comment on whatever is present on the page.

4. How do you use those HTML tags? .. and I've yet to learn about the signature line too ..(Hilary Melton-Butcher)
I searched for the HTML tags and then tested them out by creating a draft post under the HTML tab and not the “Compose” tab, in one of my least active Blogger blogs. When I got to a point when the links worked and appeared to my liking -- after previewing them in “Compose” and also as a live post preview, I created a document file with the proper HTML tags that fit my needs such as text links, bold, photo links, etc. and I keep that file handy so that I don’t have to keep searching or reaching through tutorials every time I need to create a hyperlink quickly.

It’s sorta like my own HTML Template file that also includes a template of code that I made for my signature. So now, all I usually have to do is go to the file, copy the tags that I want to use at the moment and then paste it in the comment box or blog post draft page or online forum or wherever I need to create HTML links.

5. If you were a contestant on the CBS show "Amazon Race" and could pick ANY movie character to be your partner, who would it be and why?
It’s a toss-up between Jason Bourne from “The Bourne Identity/Supremacy/Ultimatum” and Bryan Mills from “Taken.” Bourne keeps himself in shape, meaning he can run fast, lift heavy things, climb building structures and bounce back quickly if he falls. Mills on other hand is very meticulous about gathering information -- a quality that could be very useful in our team’s ability to complete tasks that involve assembling items that contain several different pieces of a puzzle or gathering activities that involve repetitive routines where I could easily forget a key step.

Bourne and Mills both have a very special set of skills that they’ve acquired over long careers and would each be an asset in helping me advance to the next Pit Stop. I’d be more likely to go with Bourne, however, because he knows how to live off the grid and get himself out of a jam without always needing aid from technology, friends in high places and fancy gadgets.

6. Describe the last Halloween costume you wore.
I dressed as Uhura from Star Trek, complete with the red dress and black boots. Now, I wonder if I should have worn a homemade costume because I have this Star Trek dress sitting around and no reason...or place to wear it.

7. What is the most unusual thing you have ever given as a gift? (Matt Conlon)
A fanny pack; and get this...the recipient gave it back to me!

8. If you could make a recommendation for a book for World Book Night (awesome event on 4/23), what book would it be? (Tracy Bermeo-A2Z Mommy)

How to be Black by Baratunde Thurston. It is a funny, insightful and surprisingly relatable read.


9. "Where do you go to "Get away from it all"?" (Matt Conlon)
To the land of alcohol. It’s cheaper than health insurance, requires less of a commitment than therapy and the bartenders/cashiers never ask for a referral when ordering a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon! When that fails or is not available, I simply rock out to Lenny Kravitz.

10. "When writing, do you prefer to compose your first-draft by hand, on your computer, or using Morse Code?" (Mina Lobo)

My writing methods vary by the nature and purpose of whatever it is I’m working on. I tend to write blog posts on a computer so that they’re ready to be published when necessary. I do jot down random notes for future posts in notebooks as well as on napkins and store receipts. I write the first drafts of my screenplays by hand because distractions like email, Words with Friends and YouTube aren’t a click away. It’s healthier to spend hours in front of a notebook than a bright computer screen. I also write songs on both and would be down to try some Morse Code for a project, just to get the experience.

Writer and Director Nicole Ayers on the Set of "ABYSS" 

If you have any other questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below. In the meantime, I’d appreciate your contribution to my film festival campaign for ABYSS and convincing of your friends to do the same!

Getting to Know Me... Co-Host: Jeremy Hawkins

Okay I want to say "Hello" I have been a ghost lurking in the shadows of the Challenge, so I thought to get to know me better by the question you all had a hand in writing. I have been dealing with some "life" issues and sometimes that gets the better of all of us. I thought I might share a photo with my good friend, him and I talk all the time. So on with the show and tell... if you have more questions please ask...

Jeremy [Retro]
AtoZ Challenge Co-Host
Oh No, Let's Go... Crazy


"What rock star would you be?" (The Warrior Muse)
I would be an Alice Cooper type, singing like Cheap Trick meets Rob Zombie with Rush playing background.

"Favorite childhood memory" (Tina)
Meeting Spanky McFarland from The Little Rascals... or meeting Batman at a convenient store he was signing autographs to about 1000 kids.... the good ol' days.

"Would you rather have your own personal sailing ship or spaceship? What would you name your ship?" (L.G. Keltner)
Spaceship... U.S.S. Something... I want to really see what is out there.

"Which is your favorite fictional character and why?" (Mayflow3r)
Oz from the Wizard of Oz... he stood for what we should all stand for, but hidden behind a large curtain.

"Name a movie you watched that exceeded your expectations." (Nicole)
The Avengers... I was able to loose myself for 2hours and 5 minutes.

"Do you know how to 'Gangnam Style?'" (Nicole)
I am still trying to learn the "Macarena" so no and no!

"What is the most unusual thing you have ever given as a gift?" (Matt Conlon)
On my first date with my wife, I gave her a baby pumpkin... she knew then I was the one.

"What makes you cry? (Emotional reasons. Onions don't count.)" (Matt Conlon)
Lately everything from the government to gun violence to being jobless...

"Where do you go to "Get away from it all"?" (Matt Conlon)
Score music, I don't get away too much... I would never find my way back.

"If you could sing any song with the artist who wrote/performed it, what would it be and with whom?" (Tracy Bermeo-A2Z Mommy)
"Love Me" with Elvis... I sang it once at a convention around 30 people who spoke no English, it was the worst/best thing ever.

Thank you for making it to the bottom, if you would like please check out my t-shirt store at "Neatorama"... coming soon some of my newest designs and guess what they are?

The Dreaded Conversation About Word Verification

M.J is back! She's one of Nicole's “friends” that is, administrative assistants. She's a blogging machine and agreed to write the post we dread the most...PLEASE TURN OFF WORD VERIFICATION DURING THE CHALLENGE. I think you'll find her entertaining and encouraging as opposed to how we as co-hosts have come across in the past. Sometimes it just takes a new voice...

by M. J. Joachim  (click to read her bio)

Bang! Bang!

You’re dead!

You spent all that time – wasted time, reading, then writing your comment…

To no avail, I’m afraid.

The jury’s still out – you’re deemed unworthy, scary, even quite possibly –

DEADLY!!!!

Quick! Bar the windows! Lock the doors!

Rampant commenters are on the loose in the A – Z 2013 Challenge!

Check your security! Update your software – only the best virus protectors will do!

Now, go into your blog account and work behind the scenes. That’s right, find each and every security measure you can find and…

ACTIVATE THEM ALL!!!

A – Z Challenge participants will be stopping by in droves, and they want to leave comments on what you shared with the world on your blog!

You simply can’t let it happen! You must stop them at the gate! You must secure your tiny little world in cyberspace and protect your blog from the onslaught!

I mean, if you don’t…

If you don’t…

If you don’t – YOU WILL SURELY BE INVADED BY UNENDING AMOUNTS OF A TO Z TROLLERS, READING YOUR POST AND LEAVING THEIR MARK WHERE THEY HAVE TROD!!!

…and we wouldn’t want that to happen now, would we?

Just post this little ditty instead, and forget I ever said a word!

Thanks!

Best to all and wishing you every success with the A - Z Challenge this year!

M. J. 

Photo credit:  Indoor Firing Session, Sobor, Creative Commons Attribution; Presos Para Sempre, Celso Pinto de Carvalho, Creative Commons Attribution; Captcha Free Blog Badge, Charmaine Clancy.com – permission granted to share and use

©2013 All Rights Reserved

Have You Scheduled Your #atozchallenge Posts Yet?

Sign up to Reveal Your A to Z Theme!

As A to Z Challenge co-hosts, one of the biggest challenges we face is how to keep our own blogs going while taking care of a whole host of behind-the-scenes activity.

Last two years, I've gone with one blog. This year, I'm being brave and have submitted two, Amlokiblogs, and Daily (w)rite. I know of people who have submitted up to five blogs!

Before we know it, April would be here-- we have less than a month left! Where did all that time go? Seems to me we were just announcing the challenge and the co-hosts in January!

So, how many of your AZ posts are done? And how can you get them done in a way that is relatively quick and painless?

The most important thing, imho, is to decide a theme.

This makes it easier to pre-schedule posts.

For those of us doing the challenge, deciding a theme is half the job done, and if you've done this job, you can showcase it too, before the challenge starts: Mina Lobo has announced the "Big Reveal Bloghop" where we all reveal our themes a week before the challenge: March 21st. So go ahead and sign up and get to know/ renew acquaintances with a few other A to Z participants!

If you have all your A to Z posts done and dusted, and I know a lot of you have got just that, stupendous! Just make sure you spread the comment love. As DL Hammons tell us in his post, this is the one good way to make your blog part of the community!

If you haven't got your A to Z posts scheduled yet, what are you waiting for?

The A to Z Challenge Guide to Defining Adult Content

If Disney/Pixar studios called you today and offered to make a film adaptation of your blog, what rating would the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) give the movie? 

Ready. Set. Rate it! 

The answer to this question provides a general idea of whether or not your blog belongs in the Adult Content (AC) category – where participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2013 is concerned. Blogs that have adult content are REQUIRED to add this category to their blog title on the sign-up list. Like any other category, this should be done when first signing up to the challenge, as Damyanti explained in January. All other categories are optional for participants to add to their blog during the signup process.

The guidelines and enforcement procedures for Adult Content categorization, where necessary, stem from our concerns that there is no age limit on who can participate, so long as they have a blog. So with that in mind, we decided that our definition of what constitutes “Adult Content” is based on whether the blog contains material that would be inappropriate for teens.

Adult Content – The A to Z Challenge Co-Host Dictionary Reference:

We define Adult Content as anything that might be something a teenager shouldn’t be viewing. By “Adult,” this means nudity, frequent use of harsh language, gore, sexual content, and overtly violent content. By “Content,” this includes blog posts, images, graphics and any other related material that is on display at your blog.

Adult Content Checklist - Does your blog contain any of the following material? If the answer is YES, then it should be marked as such with the (AC) category code:

• Nudity
• Frequent use of harsh language
• Gore
• Sexually oriented language
• Explicit Violence

Again, does your Blog contain any of the above material? If the answer is YES, then it should be marked as such with the (AC) category code!

As our guidelines are fairly simple to follow, this is not rocket science; it should be easy to figure out whether your blog fits into the Adult Content category. If your blog contains any of the above listed material, you MUST have your blog labeled with (AC) on the signup list. Otherwise, your blog will be flagged and removed.

Our thought right now is also that a few profane words in some blog posts don’t require the blog to be listed in the (AC) category. Those of you who may be one of the many Non-AC blogs, however, are not out of the woods regarding the nature of the content you publish. That said, if you are among the Non-AC bloggers who do happen to have some harsh language here and there, we urge you to at least put a Disclaimer/Warning at the top of your posts with questionable content. The Disclaimers/Warnings can help to protect you if a teen participant happens to come across your blog during the A to Z Challenge.