Hi Eric. Pretty cool to associate websites to the physical world.

When I clicked your GeoURL banner, it takes me there and then I get a couple of links to maps. The location of your blog shows up on the Google map and on the Multimap as a circle.

While playing with Multimap, I find there is a feature called "local information," near the upper right corner, with a drop-down box labeled "Pick or type a category." This feature lets you choose a kind of information to display on the map and in a table below the map. When I'm looking at your map, and choose "weblogs" from the drop-down menu, your site is not listed in the table. How come? Is there another step to getting FireAnt "on the map" as a weblog?

On Multimaps where I can see weblogs, like in San Antonio, the weblogs show up as numbers in yellow circles on the map, and as items with links in the table below the map.

Too bad Multimap does not let you drag the map around like Google. Dragging is a nice feature. Nor does Multimap have satellite imagery. But I really like being able to customize the categories of features of the map on Multimap.

Hope you and your Midland co-bloggers can make use of the Multimap feature to get your blog "on the map."

I love the fact that you can get a map just by feeding Google a URI like:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=%221600%20Pennsylvania%20Ave, Washinton%20DC%22

Nifty.

Larry, I can't find any input options to categorize a website. I'm obviously looking in the wrong place, but I have no idea if the weblog classification is coming from GeoURL, from Multimap or from some other source.

Hey, Dan! How's it going, amigo? Still on track with the book? You don't have to answer that. ;-) Anyway, glad you find the Google maps link helpful. I figured I was the last one on the block to know about it.

Here's the how-to for getting your blog on the Multimap:

http://www.clagnut.com/blog/371/

Larry, that's the ticket! As you may notice, I've added the MultiMap button along with the appropriate lat/long link, and I've dutifully clicked it. We'll see if the database is still being updated in a timely fashion.

Good work! We're gonna have to start calling you Sherlock...no mystery is safe when you're on the job.

Thank you for asking! Actually, I’m making progress. Let me explain:

When my brother learned to ride a bike, simply riding consumed all of his reserves. The result? He could not stop. The very concept of hand brakes escaped him.

He forgot about the brakes and when he wanted to stop he just ran into things: cars, trees, other people, whatever was handy. Eventually, as his riding improved, his confidence improved, and he found the mental and emotional energy to consider (and then master) not only hand brakes, but swerving as well.

He became quite the swerver.

Writing a novel feels like that. Unless I’m mistaken, I have a handle on stopping. Admittedly, I might be hitting things. I can’t really tell unless I accost people with my work, or let it sit for a few days, and come to it fresh and nearly innocent. Sometimes I see evidence of running into things. Mercifully, it doesn’t hurt too much. Happily, I think the collisions are mostly behind me. I feel like I’m using the brakes more often than I forget them.

And, hopefully, swerving will appear very soon.

Dan, I never knew that writing a novel could be so dangerous. ;-)

I can't wait to pre-order it via Amazon!