Answer #3 - I Google Myself

It's snowing. I like the snow - my dogs like the snow. Southcentral Indiana is a fairly temperate place, considering it's in the Midwest, so the occasional snow shower is a treat. The rest of the winter is a cold series of snapshots: sticks against gray background. Snow helps.

Yesterday, I saw that Rich Warren picked 'The Darwin Songproject CD' as his pick of the week last week. This is a nice thing, 1) because Rich's show broadcasts out of Chicago on WFMT and also XM Radio and 2) I was part of the project & am on the CD. I'll take 5 points for that since I'm the one who sent him the disc in the first place. Still waiting to talk to my lawyer (who's in New York) and today I'll update my tour schedule for the U.S. Agency, while waiting for the U.K. tour to completely firm up. In the interim, I'll try to stay on top of who might be playing my stuff, who might be talking about me, who might be pushing shows already - which, of course, leads to the question:

How Do You Keep Your Finger on the Pulse of What the World Thinks of You?

I Google myself. Try it! It's fun and safe. Every reference made to me (or you) just about anywhere in the universe can be found within the Googleplexity. But be careful - someone out there is bound to refer to you in terms that will cause you to reconsider amassing weaponry - and then begins the hard work of balancing impulse and rationality. 'Do I grab a piece from my weapons stockpile and go find this person and let him know that a rapier wit is never really as effective as a loaded gun?,' is a question you might have to ask yourself.

God knows I have.

Or maybe I'm all wrong about the fantasies of showing up on strangers' doorsteps wrapped in bullets and duct tape. Maybe I should consider the wise words of Roger Rosenblatt (Garrison Keillor and I think he's the bees knees):

"Ignore your enemy or kill him... the idea is not to care, not to pretend you don't care, but to really not care. Trust me. You have just extended your enviable life."

Of course, if I follow this advice, I'll most likely have to stop Googling myself. Or not care what I may or may not read in Google, and see it strictly as a barometer of activity or inactivity. Okay. I'll stop Googling myself. Soon. Really soon.