Monday, June 15, 2015

Monday morning musings

This is going to be a busy week as I’m heading to New York City for nine days on Thursday.  So, I spent as much time as possible this weekend on the water, partly because I like being on the water and partly because it was so dang hot (temperatures in the mid-90s with high humidity and heat index well over a 100.

A team working hard to make the most of what little wind
was available as they ran against the tide 
 On Saturday, I did my duty on the committee boat for our local sail club.  I was glad to be on that boat as I could sit in the shade as it was hot and humid and the wind was almost non-existent.  We had set up a triangle with what seemed to be an upwind start (running at a favorable angle across the tide), followed by a long downwind against the tide, and then back on a reach with the tide.   The reason for the course was to make as much of the race visible from the shore where “Harborfest” was happening.  Normally, we don’t worry about spectators.   On a normal day, the course we had set up would have been completed by the winning boat in 20 minutes.   It took them twice that long and the last two boats to cross took way over an hour.   After the first race, several boats headed in.  We shortened the course for the second race (down and back) and it was still slow.  Other’s dropped out and we were left with just two boats who still wanted to sail, but when the wind completely died, we called it a day, picked up the buoys marking the course, and headed in.
Heading toward open ocean

Normally, when it is hot like this, the sea breeze picks up in the afternoon, which it did on Saturday (as we were enjoying a beer on the porch by the marina).  So yesterday, three of us when out for a pleasure sail at 3:30, hoping to catch the breeze and sure enough, it didn’t disappoint us.  We sailed out (against the tide but with a decent breeze) to the ocean and then back with the spinnaker into the basin behind Wilmington Island, and back to the marina.  It was relaxing and enjoyable.


On another matter…  I am curious if my blog titles play a role in enticing you to read what I say?  I learned of a new program and decided to analyze my last ten posts and found that when it comes to titles, I’m not exactly hitting them out of the park.  Here are my scores according to CoScheduler’s Headline Analyzer.  
HEADLINE HISTORY (with numerical score)
26Going to Ground         
52Paddling Open Water to Ossabaw Island
61The Man with Six Typewriters
26The River Home
52Talking about the weather a few other things with some photos added for good measure...
53and interview with Chrys Fey
64Don't think that I've forgotten: Cambodia's lost rock and roll
64Things that I don't understand, a rant by Nevada Jack
60Things that I don't understand
41Paddling to Daufusaki Island

Almost all of my blogs received a letter grade of B+.  Today's title received a C- and a score of 15!  (I  had previously considered using "A hot weekend on the water and pondering blog titles" which received a rating number of 65, but I thought that to be too long).  How do you chose a blog title?  What kind of title catches your attention?  Did you get to do anything fun this weekend?

33 comments:

  1. never been on a sailboat, that looks so beautiful! I am awful at choosing blog titles, and my blogs always change so I always have to re-title them! They're never interesting enough titles and tags to grab anyone, my brother's always yelling at me to make them better lol. and yay have fun in NY!! :)

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  2. I never feel there's much/any wind here in the summer, unless a thunderstorm blows up. Of course, I'm not by the sea, either.

    I've got to try this headline analyzer for myself! I used to spend quite a bit of time just on the title of posts, but as my frequency of posting has dwindled I think my time spent on coming up with the perfect title has as well.

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    1. The sea breezes are fairly predictable--they happen most afternoons when the land heats up and draws in the wind, but the further you are from the water, the less you experience them.

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  3. Headline analyzer? Oh, I'd fail that for sure. But...I may try it.

    This post about sailing just makes me want to be at the water's edge somewhere. Beautiful pictures.

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  4. hum, I've never really given blog titles that much thought. mine are usually generic. guess I should start thinking more carefully about it.

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    1. It is a "fun" program, but I don't think it will change the way I come up with blog titles which usually involve all of 15 seconds.

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  5. I've got to post about this blog title thing. It's fascinating, but I can't break 84, even when I use their word list. Look for something later....

    Headlines do grab my attention - but this cat seems to be geared for things that are for sale, I think.

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    1. Wow, you can get an 84, you are so much better than me when it comes to writing Headlines as I didn't get out of the 60s

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    2. My headlines weren't REAL. We looked at the list and just made ridiculous titles to see how high of a score we could make. The highest REAL score I got was 71 and for the life of me, I can't tell you why that got a 71. A couple were actually titles that were just names of books I reviewed - so kudos to those authors - they pulled a 72 and a 77, ha ha.

      I wrote about this on my blog today and quoted your site. My son and I turned this into a headline game - we owe ya, sage.

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  6. I don't create entertaining headlines so I doubt that my post titles will rank very high. I tend to be straight forward than to get so crazy with my titles that you can't even tell what the post is about.

    Sailing like that looks like fun. I did nothing this weekend. Nothing. I was one lazy bum. haha

    By the way, I nominated your for a blog award! The details are on my blog. :)

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    1. What an honor, Chrys. And I'd like to have a lazy bum weekend, just to see what it's like! And you do need to try sailing, nothing like feeling the wind and watching it's power in the sails.

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  7. I don't create entertaining headlines so I doubt that my post titles will rank very high. I tend to be straight forward than to get so crazy with my titles that you can't even tell what the post is about.

    Sailing like that looks like fun. I did nothing this weekend. Nothing. I was one lazy bum. haha

    By the way, I nominated your for a blog award! The details are on my blog. :)

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  8. Great pictures! I've never been sailing before, but it looks enjoyable.
    I've never really worried about my titles! I bet mine would rank really low. Usually, it's pretty straight forward. *shrug*

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    1. I wouldn't worry too much about titles (that's what editors are for, I've only had a few articles published in which my title wasn't changed by the editor).

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  9. That headline analyzer is interesting. I'll have to see how my headlines check out. I try to write compelling ones, but who knows if I'm successful!

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    1. Now you can find out how successful you are :) I am not sure I agree that complex and unique words make a title more appealing.

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  10. I need to check out that program. I've always come here as a reciprocation of you having visited my blog and never because of the title. That's usually the case with blogs I visit. If I see an interesting blog title on Twitter or someplace like that I might visit so I think good titles are important.

    Now to check to see how mine rate.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Tossing It Out

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    1. Looking forward to seeing how your "headlines" come out and thanks for stopping by again!

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  11. Your blog is one that I read every post, regardless of the title. But judging from the hits I have gotten in past titles, just add the words naked or nude. The few posts with those in the title have attracted a huge amount of hits because it seems so many people get snared looking for nude/naked (insert any word in your actual post).

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    1. Early on when I watched stuff like blog traffic, I remember seeing how people ended up on my blog in search of something completely different, and I always smiled!

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  12. I didn't know that title mattered! I read blogs for the people, not the titles, but that's an interesting tool. I wonder what it bases its good vs. bad rating system on.

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    1. it seems to be unique and complex words... interestingly, in my last ten posts, three were book reviews and the titles for two of the books were just three words and they didn't receive very high ratings, but I felt that they were great descriptions of the books

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  13. I've never thought much about blog post titles...interesting. I'm going to NYC in a few weeks. Enjoy your stay.

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    1. You have fun, too. I'm not a big city type of guy, but I can handle it for a nine days!

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  14. Funny that you ask about blog titles. I'd posted and had completely forgotten to title my post. So I did that after 22 coments and 80 or so views. What this leads me to believe is that we'll visit you when we want to. I always visit all my commenters, regardless of their most recent post. However, a good title is a good title and is nice to have. I like the alliteration in yours.

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    1. Of all the blogs I read, Robyn, your blog is the one in which I'd love to run your headlines through that program (or better yet, to see what kind of blog traffic some of your "suggestive" titles draw)!

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  15. All this good sunny days with you is wearing a bit thin here. When you were up in Hastings I could empathise and feel a bit 'well things aren't that bad here' when you told us about lakes freezing. Of course there would be no way I'd survive a year, I'd melt. :-)
    In truth though I'm truly delighted your move is so successful and that you are enjoying every moment.
    Watch them New YawKers.

    Oh yeah, titles. I'm not fussed.

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    1. The weather is a little different here, that's for sure. I can handle hot weather with air conditioning and time away on (or in) the water!

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  16. Oh man not blowing the wind out of your sails but going to the city? Oh yeah--get me a slice from Lombardi's will ya. Lately of all the things i miss about NYC it's a folded over greasy slice.

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    1. The good thing about this trip is that the Tigers are in town this weekend and I can go to Yankee Stadium for the first time in my life and cheer for Detroit!

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  17. Have fun in New York. I'm sure you'll miss the water! :-)

    Greetings from London.

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  18. Yeah, but the water will be here when I get back! Hopefully it will be cooler there.

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