For years I’d wanted to stop eating meat, but my stomach always found a way to convince my brain that I couldn’t live without barbecue or turkey sandwiches. Despite going through a period where I didn’t eat beef, I just kept coming up with excuses not to go vegetarian.
Until one week this August when I realized that, without even trying, I hadn’t eaten any meat for three days. I figured then was as good a time as any, and I’ve been a lacto-ovo vegetarian ever since (lacto-ovo meaning I consume egg and dairy products).
But I’ve come to realize that despite not eating meat products, I’m still not doing the planet any favors by buying my vegetables at the grocery store, where they travel hundreds of diesel-burning miles to get there. So today I signed up for my very first CSA (community supported agriculture) program! Not only will I be getting organically grown vegetables with no genetic modification (and minimal pesticides), I’ll be supporting local farmers, too.
I’ve got a couple of weeks before my first shipment comes, which I’m going to use to scour the Internet for good winter vegetable recipes and make plenty of room in my kitchen for the canned tomatoes, green beans and fresh pasta that I can’t wait to get my hands on.
Posted on November 17, 2009 in Social media, by Hammock Inc.
As Twitter continues to roll its new “list” feature, they’re quickly becoming a popular tool for users. Not only can you create your own lists to help you keep track of groups of people you follow (although your lists can include Twitter users you don’t follow too), you can also follow the lists that others create. For example:
New to town? If you’re relocating, you won’t have to look very far to find great lists of city-based Twitter users. Local lists created by other Twitter users will give you a good snapshot of activity and the people to follow in your new hometown. For example: Rex and 125 other folks are followed on a Nashville list curated by Jenni Leeds. That’s 126 opportunities to make new local connections.
Web content. At Hammock, we’re already showing how Twitter lists can become great content on a website by creating an entire new section on SmallBusiness.com. Each day we’re featuring a list of a different city’s Twitter list using local merchants, shops, cafes and entertainment venues. It’s a great way to get a feel of small business in that town without going to the trouble of even setting up a Twitter account. (Also, you get to see Twitter-only special bargains.)
Local news. If you want a one-stop source for getting news from multiple sources, a simple list is all you need to create. Regina Davis keeps such a news list and with one click can be updated on the news around her.
Industry peers. Twitter has always been a valuable tool for staying connected to professional peers all around the country (and the globe). Linda Owens recently created a list of her counterparts from the association industry.
Coworkers. Rex keeps a “Hammock Inc.” list where the tweets of employees show up in one spot. It’s easy for him and others to keep up with us with just one click.
Experts. Over at SmallBusiness.com, we also keep a list of “influencers” in the small business world. These folks are at the top of their game when it comes to small business marketing, startup and news.
“I’ve always viewed Internet list-building a great service one person can do for someone else — and some very entertaining content,” Rex says. “For example, I have some people I turn to for curating new music I might like — who make it easy for me because they create their lists on the iTunes Store.”
Having an understanding of “list curation” as a service or personal expression can make it very easy to see how powerful Twitter Lists can be. It’s especially great for a person who doesn’t want to “tweet” but who will now be able to have a better understanding of the power of Twitter.
Posted on November 16, 2009 in Awards, by Bill Hudgins
Hammock’s work honored as best of the best with major awards from two high-profile organizations.
On Nov. 12, Hammock scored in three categories of the Pearl Awards sponsored by the Custom Publishing Council. “Live SNAP ’09″ took top honors with a Gold award in the Best Use of Community/Social Networking category and Silver in Best Microsite. “Live SNAP ’09″ created an online space where attendees and those who couldn’t be at the Association Media & Publication Conference could follow the schedule of events along in real time. The goal was to provide a place for members, attendees, speakers and exhibitors alike to interact, participate and communicate through social media tools such as Flickr, YouTube, Twitter and blogging during the event.
