tfl: The Flatiron Life

I have had a link to my Twitter account on the right for a while, but I was not Twittering much. Then a couple weeks ago I learned about the TwitterFox plug-in for Firefox. Having greater visibility into the tweets from the people I am following has made me tweet some more and want to encourage others to tweet.

To that end I have added the Twitter badge on the right, replacing the link. I have also added buttons to allow you to tweet (or digg or some other stuff) our posts. I am also going to start tweeting links to posts every time I post.

In a down economy self-marketing is very important, or maybe I am just being self-important. Either way, follow me!

I was finally able to get all my old Blogger posting into Wordpress.  If you want to check out all the old posts they are on the right in the archives.  If you want to start at the beginning, go here.

For the last few days I have been setting up and primming a new blog. This one is dedicated to my journey in learning German and I am calling it ‘Lass uns Gehen’ (Let’s Go). I am writing there only in German. I am hoping German speakers of all levels might stumble upon it and point out where I mess up and give me more examples. I am also going to give the URL to my former teachers and see if they can correct me.

At first I was not sure if it was going to be effective. But over just the last few days, I feel what I know and am learning being reinforced by using it in different ways.

My hope is to one day be able to write everything I post here over there. However, my vocabulary is still very very low and my grammar is not very well developed. Unless you want to have much much simpler posts over here. I have not formally learned future or passive, and writing about things happing in the future in an agent-less way is what I am all about.

I have wanted tfl to grow for a long time. However I have not had the time I would have liked to really nurture it. A few weeks ago I finally pestered Joscelynn enough to join me and I think it has done a lot of great things for the site. Most people agree she is a better blogger than I.

Now the next step. Jos told me last night that she wishes there were more participation from our readers. I have being trying to find ways to do this for a while. I think if there is more interaction with our current readers, the site will look (and be) more alive and more new readers will join in. To this end I have added a widget on the right rail to advertise the recent comments. I encourage you to subscribe to the comments feed to see what everyone is saying in your aggregator, but this is a nice way to see how people are reacting when you check out a new post.

I think we have a good mix of topics here. However to be more focused and more regular, perhaps we need to specialize. I think a healthy mix of personal information along with our take on politics, economics, and philosophy. (BTW, our take is they are inseparable and pretty much indistinguishable.) Do you think this is the right direction? Is there something more you would like to see?

Finally, if you want a voice to react to something on or off tfl. Anything really. Email us or leave a comment. We would love to have guest writers and even full compatriots someday.

I am please to welcome the beautiful Joscelynn Gagnon Tomaw, also know as my wife, to tfl. Welcome her on board and be prepared for some excellent content.

After only 188 days and two furniture companies, the Family Tomaw has a new couch and arm chair to boot.  It has been quite an ordeal and I will try to post some pictures this week.  I am also hoping Jos will write a guest post about what we have been through and why you should not patronize Domicile Furniture.  If you want to read more about it, help me convince her to do it.

There is now a voice of Truth, Justice, and the American Way in Hampton, Minnesota.  Check out Kristoffer’s new blog.

Joscelynn and I have been living the “Saga of the New Couch.” This saga has lasted 146 days. It has also resulted in us hating our old couch and unlikely to ever buy anything from Domicile again. The clerks at the Diversey store have routinely lied to Jos. It was with great skepticism, we learned out couch is in. With most companies that would mean, soon to be delivered to you. We are not holding our breath. Until the couch is in our living room and I can post pictures of George molesting it, the counter will remain and the saga continues.

If you hear Orbitz is going public, again, all I can say is true.  The SEC requires a 90 day quite period.  We have been instructed that durring this time no one can say anything.

Will it make me rich or poor, I dunno.  Will I be fired or promoted, I dunno.  Will things stay exactly the same for me, probably I dunno.  Maybe I have already said to much.  Hogan!  I see nothing, I know nothing.