On Music: At Last And More... Etta James. RIP

Etta James – At Last

Etta James – At Last Lyrics via RomanticLyrics.com
At last, my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
Oh, yeah, yeah, at last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clovers
The night I looked at you

And I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At last…
Do you have songs that make you stop and smile or perhaps, cry? When the mind is restless, nerves frayed, and the body tired, a little music or perhaps a lot of great music helps us settle back into our groove again. Etta James gave us great music. Etta was a dynamic and powerful singer who didn’t hesitate to speak her mind when she saw fit. She was as passionate about her tumultuous life as she was about her music, and in her autobiography, “Rage to Survive,” she shared parts of her darkest hours. Even though she started her career singing gospel songs in church, her musical range covered a number of genres from rhythm & blues, to jazz and pop. Etta left this world on Friday; leukemia-related complications took her from us all. She was 73 years old. RIP Etta…

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” Plato

On Music: At Last And More... Ella Fitzgerald in 1947

Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall In Love) by Cole Porter – Ella Fitzgerald singing Let’s Do It…

Last night, I watched the Woody Allen movie, Midnight in Paris, starring Owen Wilson, Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Carla Bruni and Marion Cotillard. It’s a complex story about a young couple, who travel to Paris, and have their lives transformed; especially the man who happens to be a writer. No spoilers here. What I loved about the movie, aside from all the great artists/creatives who show up, was the music – Let’s Do It by Cole Porter, performed at one of the parties in Paris. Enjoy Ella’s version above. A little nostalgia goes a long way…

“Music is well said to be the speech of angels; in fact, nothing among the utterances allowed to man is felt to be so divine. It brings us near to the infinite.” Thomas Carlyle

On Music: At Last And More... Ernest Ranglin

Ernest Ranglin – Below The Bassline – Live in NYC November 2010

Sometimes, words don’t do justice to our articulation of the beauty of a musical piece. We just have to listen to it and delve deep into the magic. I love this piece… Jazz guitarist, Ernest Ranglin’s music will calm your heart and soothe your soul… so divine. I believe Marsha of Inside Journeys introduced me to this one.. Enjoy! More below.

“A note of music gains significance from the silence on either side.” Anne Morrow Lindberg

On Music: At Last And More...Yeh Dooriyan movie wallpaper.

Yeh Dooriyan song – Love Aaj Kal Movie (Love These Days)

Yeh Dooriyan translated lyrics via Superhindi.com
These distances
The distance of paths
Distance between our eyes
Distance between companions
May all the distances vanish
Why someone is close
Why someone is far
Nobody knows…

Am I moving closer or apart?
I don’t know where I am
There was a time
You were with me even on empty streets
Sometimes, even after meeting you, my heart was not content
Sometimes, just like now, this also happened
That I met you in everyone
This distance makes me closer to you
The distance is suffering
Distance is longing
May all the distances vanish…

Didn’t I tell you?
Without you, I don’t want to live
Even unknowingly, I don’t want any distance from you
Only the distance remains
It tells and echoes
That our Love blossom
This distance between us should vanish
Distance feels strange
Distance should be gone
May all the distances vanish…
Lyrics by Irshad Kamil

This is a bitter sweet song about love and all its complications; especially of the long distance kind. It is from a beautiful movie of the same name, and it makes me wistful whenever I hear it… I’ve added the translated lyrics for your enjoyment. Have a blessed weekend you all! What are your thoughts? Do you have songs that make you stop and smile? What music calls you tonight? What songs are on your current playlist that you repeat again and again? Do share! Thank you.

Positive Motivation Tip: Music is the bridge we cross from sadness to joy and all the places in between… embrace it!

Related articles

• Farewell Etta James (juiapte.wordpress.com)
• Etta James (thecandyshoppe.wordpress.com)
• Beyonce on Etta James: ‘This is a huge loss’ (laobserved.com)
• Etta James Dies at 73 | Etta James, RIP : Just Jared (thehiltonburnellfiles.wordpress.com)
• The Death of a Legend: Etta James (1939-2012) (grizzlybomb.com)
• Music Monday-Etta James “At Last” (dickstersrandomthoughts.com)
• Melissa Polinar feat. Matt Cusson “At Last” An ETTA JAMES tribute (cover) (filipinofestival.wordpress.com)

PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos Etta James, Ella Fitsgerald, Ernest Ranglin, Yeh Dooriyan Wallpaper, via Wikipedia or via Flickr

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet

On The Environment: Thirty Go Green Tips... Help reduce our environmental carbon footprint

“We all moan and groan about the loss of the quality of life through the destruction of our ecology, and yet every one of us, in our own little comfortable ways, contributes daily to that destruction. It’s time now to awaken in each one of us the respect and attention our beloved Mother deserves.” Ed Asner

What do you do to conserve energy, reduce your carbon footprint, and support the planet? By now most of us are aware of the need to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle our stuff to ensure the longevity and sustainability of our planet. Every day, even in smal ways, we consume and discard billions of stuff that add to our landfills, waste energy and deplete our environment. Did you know that at 18 mpg, a gas guzzling car emits about 6 tons of carbon dioxide per year? Below are thirty commonsense, easy to remember tips to help us go green and protect our environment.

♥Buy local produce from your farmer’s market.
♥Fix water leaks
♥Share rides by carpooling
♥Turn lights off when not in use
♥Choose to walk
♥Bring your own grocery bag to the supermarket
♥Use energy efficient “energy star” appliances
♥Do an energy audit of your space
♥Take short showers
♥Buy food items with the “Fair Trade” label

“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”  Aldo Leopold

On The Environment: Thirty Go Green Tips... Our carbon cycle

Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff – Conversations
The Story of Stuff

This afternoon, I went to the post office to mail off a package. As I stood talking to the lady behind the mail room counter, she suggested I look at the new selection of novelty, forever stamps on file. The one on the environment (see first picture above) caught my eye because it was easy to read and offered practical, smart tips that we often forget.  I bought a booklet, took some pictures, and created this post… The muse was working overtime reading up on biochemical cycles.  Of course, the irony is that while we are encouraged to conserve energy, protect the environment, pay bills online, and cut back on mailers and paper usage, our post offices continue to offer commemorative stamps for our enjoyment and use.  The day will come when we’ll have specially designed, reusable, receptacles for our mail…

♥Create compost with leftovers and use it for gardening/farming
♥Hang clothes out to dry and let nature do the work
♥Recycle more
♥Ride a bicycle
♥Plant trees
♥Pay bills online
♥Use cloth instead of kitchen paper towels
♥Check if your utility company offers green power options
♥Switch off & unplug unused appliances including your computer
♥Stay educated and informed: subscribe, watch, read important information on the environment; Story of stuff, Food Inc, TreeHugger, Worldwatch Institute, Simple Organic, Keeper of the Home, The Daily Green, The Freecycle Network
Happy Australia Day! Read more on it on Barb’s blog.  More  on going green below.

“Take a course in good water and air; and in the eternal youth of Nature you may renew your own. Go quietly, alone; no harm will befall you.” John Muir

On The Environment: Thirty Go Green Tips... The water cycle

Water is one of our most precious elements and also a commodity that has helped create multimillion dollar businesses around the world. As we abuse and pollute our water supply, waste it on excesses, we will slowly but surely be creating a future shortage that could have a deleterious global impact.  It’s not enough to drink water out of taps/faucets instead of plastic bottles, we must also reduce the many wasteful ways we use water in our homes and businesses; running the faucet while we brush our teeth, endless trips to the car wash, watering the garden without a timer and more… What are you doing to change?

♥Insulate the home properly
♥Use public transportation
♥Use energy efficient light bulbs – 14 watts instead of 60 watt bulbs
♥Adjust the heat thermostat in your home and office
♥Maintain the pressure of your car tires
♥Buy reusable water bottles not disposable plastic ones
♥Turn your car engine off while you wait to pick up the kids
♥Wash clothes in cold water to save 90% of the energy spent heating the water, don’t keep faucet running while brushing your teeth
♥Dump Junk Mail by registering on the Mail Preference Service on the Direct Marketing Association Website
♥Print copies on both sides and save on paper waste

What are your thoughts? What is your carbon footprint? Does the environment matter to you? What do you do to conserve energy and support the planet? Do you have other tips to share? If you could change the future to make the world a better place, what would you change first? Do share! Thank you.

Positive Motivation Tip: The environments matters not only because it sustains us, but also because our children will bear the brunt of the environmental legacy we leave behind.

Related articles

• Have You Watched The Story of Stuff Project? (ellefeeney.com)
• Annie Leonard and her Wonderful Stories of Stuff (oneplanetsustainability.wordpress.com)
• Wave technology used in green car (autonetinsurance.co.uk)
• Towards a green new deal on the island of Ireland (slideshare.net)
• Saving more green (goerieblogs.com)
• Story of stuff (hed320.wordpress.com)

PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos: Forever Stamps on the Environment from my personal collection. Carbon cycle,  Water cycle, via Wikipedia. And/Or via Flickr

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet

Serendipity helped me strike gold today. I was contemplating the idea of not writing a post, when Erica V, one of our Daily Post coordinators, posted a brilliant piece on using inspirational quotes as a way to stimulate our creative juices. Her post was the impetus for this one; plus I loved the quote she shared and have used it above. I always use quotes on my blog, and I enjoy searching both online and offline for the right quotes to fit a post. However, as we all know, there are days when nothing quite registers and we have to keep an open mind/eye to other possibilities.

Part of empowering ourselves involves trusting that we can accomplish the goals we envision, and that guidance comes through many channels. We must move our feet first… How do you empower yourself?
As I read Erica’s post and followed her link to Brain Pickings, one thing led to another, and, including the picture above, I found the following inspiring sites worth visiting:
Work Is Not A Job:  An Inspiring concept and design studio owned by Catharina Bruns
TentBlogger:  A fellow blogger offers a great post with inspirational quotes
Holstee.com:  An Innovative store that encourages us to consider a lifestyle design with a conscience.
When we take action to enrich our lives and minds, we are empowering ourselves… More below.

“I keep the telephone of my mind open to peace, harmony, health, love, and abundance. Then, whenever doubt, anxiety, or fear try to call me, they will keep getting a busy signal-and soon they’ll forget my number.” Edith Armstrong

Inspiration: Empower Yourself... Explore your options...

What The Bleep Do We Know: Down The Rabbit Hole ( Full Length Movie )

Do you know you have control over your reality?  What The Bleep… explores the subject in great depth. When we allow negative thoughts and ideas to permeate our space, we create pockets of doubt that can grow and become debilitating. It takes commitment and a conscious effort to stay attuned to the positive, and to believe that we are capable of making lasting changes in our lives. Speaking up, sharing knowledge, and keeping the company of good thoughts are empowering. The words on the poster above exhort us to stand up for what we believe. That too is empowering…

What are your thoughts? How do you empower yourself? Do you know you have control over your reality? Are there some doubts that keep surfacing because, maybe, you don’t trust yourself? What do you do to gain clarity? Do share! Thank you.

This post was inspired by a prompt from WP Daily Post: Where do you find inspirational words? Better yet, what’s your favorite quote that you’ve written yourself?

Positive Motivation Tip: Explore each door that comes your way; wisdom and divine jewels can be found there: Empower yourself.

Related articles

• Creative Manifestos (dailypost.wordpress.com)
• Inspiration: Lessons We Wish We Had Learned Earlier… (eof737.wordpress.com)
• The Holstee Manifesto (lifeinwanderlust.wordpress.com)
• Manifesto for Life (neatorama.com)
• You Don’t Have to be Brilliant to be Creative, Just Combinatorial (customerthink.com)
• The Holstee Manifesto: A beautiful declaration for life ! (empreendersaude.com.br)

PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos Holstee Manifesto via Holstee.com Or via Wikipedia And/Or via Flickr

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet

Happy Chinese New Year: Ten Blessings & Ten Things To Know... New Year Dragon

Happy Chinese New Year: Ten Blessings & Ten Things To Know... Traditional lion dance

Ukulele Video: US billionaire Warren Buffett sings for Chinese New Year

♥The Mythology of The Chinese New Year
According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nian (Chinese: 年; pinyin: Nián). Nian would come on the first day of New Year to eat livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people. One time, people saw that the Nian was scared away by a little child wearing red. The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid of the colour red. Hence, every time when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian. From then on, Nian never came to the village again. The Nian was eventually captured by Hongjun Laozu, an ancient Taoist monk. The Nian became Hongjun Laozu’s mount. Chinese New Year Wikipedia

Kung Hei Fat Choi! Happy New Year of the Water Dragon! Gōng Xǐ Fā Cái. Gōng hè xīn xǐ! Happy merrymaking to everyone! It’s a blessing to meet another New Year, and as a way to help us remember our gifts and dreams for the year, I’ve added ten auspicious, good luck blessings that people shower on each other during the Chinese New Year celebrations. Enjoy the ten blessings, the two videos, and ten important facts about this special event.

Below are 10 popular and auspicious blessings/sayings for the Chinese New Year. They consist of four Chinese characters and special blessings.
金玉滿堂Jīnyùmǎntáng – “May your wealth [gold and jade] come to fill a hall”
大展鴻圖Dàzhǎnhóngtú – “May you realize your ambitions”
迎春接福Yíngchúnjiēfú – “Greet the New Year and encounter happiness”
萬事如意Wànshìrúyì – “May all your wishes be fulfilled”

♥ The Chinese New Year is the longest and most important of all the traditional Chinese holidays. It is also known as the  “Spring Festival,” marking the official end of the winter season.
♥ This year, we celebrate the Year of the Water Dragon: from January 23, 2012 – February 09, 2013. It is considered a symbol of good fortune and a sign of intense personal power.
♥The tradition of the Chinese New Year  is to encourage people to reconcile, forget all grudges and sincerely wish peace and happiness to everyone.
♥The biggest event on Chinese New Year’s Eve is the Reunion Dinner.  People eat special foods that represent good luck; pigs, ducks, chicken, sweets and fish. Also Niangao, a Chinese New Year cake.  In the morning, children  greet their parents by wishing them a healthy and happy new year, and receive money in red paper envelopes. The night ends with firecrackers.

“Each age has deemed the new-born year. The fittest time for festal cheer.” Sir Walter Scott

Happy Chinese New Year: Ten Blessings & Ten Things To Know... New Year food; Nian gao nin gou

Happy Chinese New Year: Ten Blessings & Ten Things To Know... Chinese good luck character; Zhāocáijìnbǎo

MesAyah – Perfect World (Official Video)

THE WATER DRAGON 1952 AND 2012
Water has a calming effect on the Dragon’s fearless temperament. Water allows the Dragon to re-direct its enthusiasm, and makes him more perceptive of others. These Dragons are better equipped to take a step back to re-evaluate a situation because they understand the art of patience and do not desire the spotlight like other Dragons. Therefore, they make smart decisions and are able to see eye-to-eye with other people. However, their actions can go wrong if they do not research or if they do not finish one project before starting another. The Dragon

吉慶有餘Jíqìngyǒuyú – “May your happiness be without limit”
竹報平安Zhúbàopíng’ān – “May you hear [in a letter] that all is well”
一本萬利Yīběnwànlì – “May a small investment bring ten-thousandfold profits”

♥The New Year consists of 15 Days of Celebration and recognition of the festivities; from welcoming the gods on Day 1 to celebrating the Lantern Festival on Day 15.
♥ The Chinese New Year is celebrated in many countries and in Chinatowns with large Chinese communities; countries include Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam.
♥People collect money to buy each other presents, and families clean out their homes as a way to cleanse their space, to welcome the new, and to sweep away any ill-fortune.
♥The color Red is an important color in Chinese culture, it symbolizes prosperity. People decorate their doors and windows with red paper-cut outs and positive messages on “wealth,” “happiness” and “good fortune.” More below.

“The new year begins in a snow-storm of white vows.” George William Curtis

Happy Chinese New Year: Ten Blessings & Ten Things To Know... Water dragon

Happy Chinese New Year: Ten Blessings & Ten Things To Know... Dragon banner..

NYTimes Video On Chinese New Year Fireworks – Watch it!

The New Year by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
“What can be said in New Year rhymes,
That’s not been said a thousand times?
The new years come, the old years go,
We know we dream, we dream we know.
We rise up laughing with the light,
We lie down weeping with the night.
We hug the world until it stings,
We curse it then and sigh for wings.
We live, we love, we woo, we wed,
We wreathe our prides, we sheet our dead.
We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear,
And that’s the burden of a year.”

福壽雙全Fúshòushuāngquán – “May your happiness and longevity be complete”
招財進寶Zhāocáijìnbǎo – “When wealth is acquired, precious objects follow”
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year.

♥A major part of the New Year celebrations include Fireworks. Firecrackers are lit everywhere to help drive away Evil spirits. The belief is that these malevolent spirits can’t handle loud noise, so the Chinese New Year is also a time of very loud celebration.
♥The origin of the New Year is not fully known, however, there are many popular myths and stories on how it all started At the top of the post I added The Mythology of The Chinese New Year. Enjoy it! What are your thoughts? Do you celebrate the Chinese New Year? What do you do differently? What memories come to mind when you think of this holiday? Do share! Thank you.

Positive Motivation Tip: May your Chinese New Year be abundantly blessed!

Related articles

• Six Things You Want to Know of Chinese Spring Festival (hotpottimemachine.wordpress.com)
• Kung Hei Fat Choi – Chinese traditions and saying Happy New Year in Different Ways (innocentdaydreamer.wordpress.com)
• Happy Chinese New Year! (evasmith.wordpress.com)
• Happy Chinese New Year!!! (awindowintomyworld.wordpress.com)
• Chinese New Year Celebrations, The Symbolism and Mythology (writersinthestorm.wordpress.com)
• Ushering in the Year of the Dragon (maizebread.wordpress.com)
• Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy Chinese New Year! (resilientlivelihood.com)
• Happy Chinese New Year!!! (foodphotosforthought.wordpress.com)
• Happy Chinese New Year 2012! (leeandchongchambers.wordpress.com)

PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos Chinese New Year Dragon, Nian Lion Dance, Chinese New Year Food,  Chinese Character Zhāocáijìnbǎo,  Chinese New Year Water Dragon, Chinese Dragon Banner, via Wikipedia or via Flickr

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet

Reflections: A Winter Eden... Tree meets home and snow...

Reflections: A Winter Eden... The family gathers in the snow...

Reflections: A Winter Eden... They look for bright berries...

A Winter Eden by Robert Frost
A winter garden in an alder swamp,
Where conies now come out to sun and romp,
As near a paradise as it can be
And not melt snow or start a dormant tree.

It lifts existence on a plane of snow
One level higher than the earth below,
One level nearer heaven overhead,
And last year’s berries shining scarlet red.

It lifts a gaunt luxuriating beast
Where he can stretch and hold his highest feat
On some wild apple tree’s young tender bark,
What well may prove the year’s high girdle mark.

So near to paradise all pairing ends:
Here loveless birds now flock as winter friends,
Content with bud-inspecting. They presume
To say which buds are leaf and which are bloom.

A feather-hammer gives a double knock.
This Eden day is done at two o’clock.
An hour of winter day might seem too short
To make it worth life’s while to wake and sport.

As Robert Frost aptly said, “You can’t get too much winter in the winter.” In lieu of words, of which I’ve said too much, I offer you pictures and poems on winter… Thank you for your kind and supportive words yesterday. Tomorrow I’ll resume connecting and commenting.

“Even in winter an isolated patch of snow has a special quality.” Andy Goldsworthy

Reflections: A Winter Eden... When ice meets snow...

Reflections: A Winter Eden... More deer do show up when it snows...

Reflections: A Winter Eden... The wind-chimes call us to see the height of accumulated snow

The Snow Storm by Edna St. Vincent Millay
No hawk hangs over in this air:
The urgent snow is everywhere.
The wing adroiter than a sail
Must lean away from such a gale,
Abandoning its straight intent,
Or else expose tough ligament
And tender flesh to what before
Meant dampened feathers, nothing more.
Forceless upon our backs there fall
Infrequent flakes hexagonal,
Devised in many a curious style
To charm our safety for a while,
Where close to earth like mice we go
Under the horizontal snow.

A curious thing happens on the way to meet winter from fall… The snow slows us down, the winds still our minds, and the starkness; the barrenness and the biting cold make us appreciate all that we see… Then we long for the lull to end so we can meet spring. More below…

“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.” William Blake

Reflections: A Winter Eden... Snowy heavy leaves ...

Reflections: A Winter Eden... Strolling in the snow...

Reflections: A Winter Eden... Even the birds in the trees can see eden...

Reflections: A Winter Eden... Happy New Year of the Water Dragon! - Gōng Xǐ Fā Cái gōng hè xīn xǐ

In snow thou comest by Emily Dickinson
In snow thou comest –
Thou shalt go with the resuming ground,
The sweet derision of the crow,
And Glee’s advancing sound.

In fear thou comest –
Thou shalt go at such a gait of joy
That man anew embark to live
Upon the depth of thee.

The snow invites us to come join in and have some fun. Sometimes we choose to let loose, and, at other times, we pull ourselves together and choose to rest by the open flames of a hearth fire. Especially when it snows…     Reflections: A Winter Eden – Happy New Year ! This is the Chinese year of the Water Dragon! – Gōng Xǐ Fā Cái gōng hè xīn xǐ
What are your thoughts? Do you love the snow and winter? What type of winters do you get? What are your winter pastimes?  Do share! Thank you.

Positive Motivation Tip: As we slow down in the winter time, our senses become acutely attuned to the sights and sounds around us… enjoy the moments.

Related articles

• Snow!? (thegrumpygerman.wordpress.com)
• Snow on the way as cold snap brings winter weather to UK (dailymail.co.uk)
• Winter returns with a vengeance: Seattle to be hit with biggest snow storm in decades (theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com)
• 10 o’clock list: The Dos and Don’ts of Eating Snow (thekenyonthrill.com)
• Winters Can Be Difficult (jackiebates.wordpress.com)
• Photographing snow; winters quiet invite (karenmarieimages.wordpress.com)

PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos from my personal collection. Chinese New Year Dragon via Wikipedia

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet

Musings: A Spamification Situation... Ham I am, Not Spam...

Periodically, a glitch causes our comments to get flagged as  blog spam but then it self-corrects in a few days or so.  I can be a bit of a ham but spam I am not! Yesterday, I used my Photo Challenge post to bring attention to this issue. I used humor to inform you that my comments on your blog posts were being tossed into your spam box by Akismet; owned by Automattic. One way to correct it is to open your spam box and unspam comments from legitimate sources and fellow bloggers. Some of you did and some have not. Please check your spam boxes regularly as legitimate comments do end up there… Some of mine are still there. I have sent a note to both WordPress and Akismet support about my disappearing comments on your blogs. Those comments are in your spam box and you can retrieve them; unless you’ve already emptied your spam box. I check mine regularly because some of your comments have ended up there too. Since reading/liking/commenting takes a lot of time, I’d like you to know that I’ve visited many of your blog posts. Thank you!

“Who has time to manually spam web sites? That can’t be very cost effective.” Eric Cheng

Musings: A Spamification Situation... Spam bugs us all ....

What have I done so far? I wrote to both WordPress and Akismet Support. When I didn’t hear back… as I suspect the weekends are not the best time to reach them, I sent Matt Mullenweg a friendly note too. I’m learning a lot from this event, like the fact that Matt’s sister, Charlene, had something to do with the name Akismet. I love the word kismet and, of course, my first intuitive response is: What is the universe trying to tell me? OK, no jokes even as I’m tempted to crack one. Below are my letters.
Hello WP Engineers/Akismet,
I follow a lot of blogs and usually when I leave a comment, it either appears right away or a message shows that it is being held in moderation. Today I noticed that my comments were disappearing; even the replies on my own blog which then showed up in my spam box. I do use both of my names and have never had a problem. Please advice as I have a lot of blogs that I need to catch up on with comments.
Thank you,
Elizabeth
Hi Matt,
I love WordPress and support all the wonderful innovations you bring to us regularly. I have a personal blog that I started in 2008. Yesterday, out of the blue, all my comments were flagged as spam. I have reached out to WordPress and Akismet support, even paid $ for an API key and no one has responded. The problem persists. This is incredibly frustrating as I follow a lot of blogs and I’m trying to catch up on commenting on others posts… Please Help. I don’t know what else to do!
Thank you!
Elizabeth
If you believe that your comments are being trapped by Akismet and should not be, you should contact Akismet support. I hope they will be quick to respond to you.  More below. Yeah, more later…

“No one bill will cure the problem of spam. It will take a combined effort of legislation, litigation, enforcement, customer education, and technology solutions.” David Baker

Musings: A Spamification Situation... Typical Spam we don't want.

The last 24 hours have been a great learning opportunity as I read everything on the Akismet site and learned a few things. I have some thoughts about this situation that I will not voice quite yet… But let’s say it is a lesson on the downside of what we do. Blogging is a joyful and creative endeavor. We take it seriously enough to want to support each other and, when things get complicated, we feel the pinch.  I will “Like” all of your outstanding posts in my email box, leave some comments, and start afresh with you. In the coming weeks, I will change my blogging efforts and downscale my schedule.  Love to all! What are your thoughts? Have your comments been flagged as Spam? What did you do to correct the problem? What lessons were learned? Do share? Thank you!

Positive Motivation Tip: Spam stinks but being called one is a real drag… Keep striving to correct erroneous labeling.

Related articles

• Weekly Photo Challenge: A Simple Request… (eof737.wordpress.com)
• Akismet slices comment spam and ham (sciencetext.com)
• Over 1,000 Spam Comments In 24 Hours! (friendswhocare.us)
• Who’s wearing her New Year’s Eve party dress? (gypsyroxylee.wordpress.com)
• Should Akismet Really Ship with WordPress? (pressography.com)
• Akismet: Akismet Partner Program: Help Reduce Spam and Get Rewarded (akismet.com)
• How to Fight Spam on a Self-Hosted WordPress Site (progressivemediaconcepts.com)
• WPMU and Akismet (evenfromhere.org)

PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos  No Spam, Sphaerophoria – Spam Bug, Viagra ad, via Wikipedia and/or Flickr

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet