When I first joined Twitter, it was an under the radar micro-blogging tool to share quick updates about my life. Little did I know just how big its role would be globally.

When I heard about the Iran elections, I knew things were bad. However, I read very little about what some are now calling a revolution. I did this because, being the wife of an Iraq war veteran, it takes very little to stir up images of unrest, rioting, and death, especially within the Middle East region. Not that I have ever been to or spent time in that region, but after hearing first hand accounts of war, there are imagined images that are burned into my memory. I’ve been there – the worrying, no sleep, no word. I was trying not to get too emotionally involved.

Then I saw the YouTube video of Neda Agha-Soltan.

**Excerpt from my blog on The Daily Vine for TheOnlineGrapevine.com (TOG). Interested in reading the rest? Stay tuned for TOG's launch on August 18th!**

For the longest time, I blocked out my high school years. I wasn’t part of the “popular” crowd nor was I part of the “teased and bullied on a daily basis” crowd. But, I still hated it. I was the geek (in a good way) who was also an athlete (volleyball and tennis). Let’s not forget yearbook. I was trying my best to “succeed” so that I could leave and get into college. One of the things I was trying to get away from the most was the popular crowd. Let’s just say we had different values. I thought that through hard work and education I could get to the top. Even after two degrees, as I am starting to build my business, I can’t help wonder, did the “popular” kids have it right in high school?

**Excerpt from my blog on The Daily Vine for TheOnlineGrapevine.com (TOG). Interested in reading the rest? Stay tuned for TOG's launch on August 18th!**

SEO the crap out of your name. When you Google your name (you know you’ve done this before!) are you the first search result? Or is your name John Smith?

I wrote this blog as a writing sample for TheOnlineGrapevine.com bloggers to take a look at for reference. This by no means is a perfect blog post, but it does have a framework. It asks questions, which aim to encourage comments. It pulls in links to current related news and websites. This helps to provide more information and resources for readers as well as improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO). And it provides a view on a thought provoking topic. So TOG bloggers, take a look and let me know what you think.

How far can you go on the Internet before its too far? There has been a bunch of buzz lately about the Perez Hilton and Wil.I.Am altercation. Hilton, who has an extremely editorial gossip website, got in a heated conversation with Wil.I.Am and their entourage which resulted in the Black Eyed Peas manager, Polo Molina, allegedly punching Hilton in the face.

Two things that stick out for me regarding this whole situation are:

1. Is it OK to use expletive words regarding an association (race, sexual orientation, etc.) if you are part of that assocation? and

2. Is it ever really OK to turn to violence?

Over the past few years I’ve been involved with half a dozen startup or nascent organizations and have done small business consulting. This is the first of 5 blog posts that will cover observations across the board I have made, done research on, and have also taken advice on. This blog's topic? Email & Technology Overload.

Because startup organizations are usually small, close nit, and on really REALLY tight budget, anything that can be done for free or cheap is going to be done for free or cheap. My first job out of college was an engineering position at a software company who had an IT manager their Intranet was all setup, flowing, and working pretty well. However, this isn’t the common case for burgeoning startups. 

I joined Facebook in 2003 when it was still only for college students. I was a Friendster fanatic so when I created my Facebook profile for the first time I thought it was kind of plain and simple. I stayed on, passively, for the next several years. There were some short bouts of activity – accepting Friend requests and updating my Profile, but for the most part it wasn’t a big part of my online experience. And then something changed.

Yes, I was there when the new homepage and redesign was introduced. And when the Facebook applications era began, I too, jumped on the bandwagon. (Go Little Green Patch!) But I still was not logging in every day. Facebook wasn’t a homepage that loaded when I opened my web browser.  So what changed? 

So this past Sunday I partaked in a time honored great american tradition. I ran Camp Pendleton’s 10k Mud Run! Yes, I paid money to run, crawl, and swim through mud… and it was great! I had first heard about this race through Katharine and signed up immediately when we learned that registration opened. Apparently it’s so popular that the 4,000 spots per day (it’s a 3-day event) fill up in just a few days! And after I experienced it for the first time, I can see why.

I arrived there that morning and the energy was so contagious! People were wearing sports wear, swimwear, one guy even wore a suit. I have no idea if he finished but it was entertaining to see him at the start line. As we lined up for the start I realized that I had drank way too much water and had to run the first 2 miles with that jarring feeling of “Crap, I have to pee really badly”.  But besides that the trail running was exciting. We stayed at the front of the pack for a while, breaking off desperately as the portopotties started popping up.