dooce!

a couple of weeks ago i went to a book reading by the one and only heather b. armstrong.

having been to readings before and gotten stuck in the waaay back, i made sure to get there early, and was fortunate enough to snag a seat for me and also one for marcy. it was definitely cool to see heather in person, and even cooler to see that she's just as irreverent in person as she is on her blog -- she mimed giving the microphone a blow job when someone mentioned she should get closer to it to improve the sound quality.

the crowd was amazing! i don't think books, inc. in mountain view expected as many people to show up as did, and among the many people i spotted a chick i went to high school with. (actually, i had to text vanessa to ask what the chick's last name was because it was driving me crazy.)

i didn't buy her book, but i did go up with marcy and say hello, and of course snap a couple of pics.

happy birthday...

to this blog!

4 years and counting today, folks.

seems silly to celebrate the existence of a blog, but in the "everything is temporary" internet world, it sure seems like a milestone.

hello, gorgeous

ya gotta see the baby!

karma chameleon

I read an article on consumerist that amazon was refunding $50 in amazon credit to people who purchased an HD DVD player before February. I never received an email from amazon, even though I fit into that category. So I sent them a witty email saying I wasn't trying to be (too) greedy, but hey, where's my credit? I got an email back less than an hour after I sent it saying I now had $50 to spend on amazon.

There are a couple of things that thrill me about this.

The first is, of course, that it brings the total cost of the HD DVD player and 10 HD DVDs down by $50. And for "dead" technology, that's doable. Especially since I sold all but 1 of the 10 DVDs on eBay and thus brought the cost down even further.

The second is that now I have an extra $50 to spend. It's like free money, even though it's not. But the trouble now is what to spend it on.

Y'know when you get a gift certificate you don't just want to buy any old thing? You have to make sure it's something you realllly realllly want so you don't waste it.

Do I get all the books on my amazon wishlist? Probably not. How about towards the new camera? Maybe. I'm just glad the credit is good 'til 2009 so I don't have to worry about making the decision now.

blog bard

i had an amusing time putting in several blogs and having them be read by the blog bard. not sure if it's the most useful tool, but definitely worth a look.

too bad, so sad

ah, yes. it appears i've chosen too soon.

certainly, i knew the risks of choosing a format during the so-called "format wars." this is not to say i don't fully enjoy my HD-DVD player and its capabilities, only to say that it will likely be a long time coming before i purchase a Blu-ray player.

reader it

marcy wrote about it ages ago and i've been using it for at least that long, but google reader is pretty much the best thing since sliced bread. if you read blogs, or like to keep tabs on other sites that have feeds, it's an invaluable way to keep tabs on things without obsessively checking to see if sites have updated.

it requires a google account (use your gmail account if you have one) and from there it's super easy!

atelier v.

They have some wonderful life hacks, but most of them aren't practical (hello, cactus pacifier?) even if they are cool. My favorites are the paintbrush doorstop and the dominos .

one ringy dingy, two ringy dingys

I'm a one-number kinda gal, but had this been around a couple of years ago when I was saddled with both a home and cell phone I would have immediately snapped it up. Immediately!

best. download. EVER.

not words to throw around lightly, of that i'm sure.

this definitely fits into "top notch" category, as i've converted some episodes of "run's house" (my fave) for my trip to maui on friday. best of all, it's fast and user-friendly.

perhaps i'll save tonight's episodes of "entourage" and "the sopranos" until then. nah, who am i kidding, i'm too impatient to wait.

put it to good use. i know i did.

technological

Netflix. "Net" "flix." Getting flix from the 'net.

Better yet, WATCHING flix on the 'net, as part of your subscription. I'm currently watching "Postcards from the Edge" in my unpreferred browser (it's only currently available for IE, meaning I've had to use IE for the second time since I got this new laptop, ick) but I'm looking I've found a Firefox hack to remedy this.

Granted, there are only about 1000 titles currently available, most of which I've not heard of ("Infant Massage: The Power of Touch," anyone?) and don't care to watch, there are a handful of titles that are in my queue. I have not yet encountered a delay, and the video quality is top-notch.

I may be doing another focus group for them next week (fingers crossed!) at which I'll praise them for this addition. No, I probably won't, but I'll be thinking it.

I love technology.

scrantonicity

Is this not the coolest?!



I love that they're all spot-on.

Looks like Mr. Miyagi has some competition eh, Tim?!

the wayback machine

It's on, bitches.

'Member when this was the height of computer sophistication? Shoots, we used to play this at school. Computer video games, albeit educational ones, at school. We were waaaay ahead of those kids playing "Dance Dance Revolution" in lieu of P.E.



The Oregon Trail

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to be late for work. Again.

blogiversary

Happy Two-Year Blogiversary to me!

(ain't nothin' wrong with a little patting yo'self on the back)

don't be "that guy"

New Mobile-Device Purchase Makes Asshole More Versatile

google and...yahoo?

Anyone else find this interesting, as Google owns Blogger and Yahoo owns Flickr?

I have the urge to sing the Beatles' "We Can Work It Out."

"the ultimate blog post"

Oh, those writers at Wired are funn-nay!

Here's an exerpt from this article:

""Blog" itself is short for "weblog," which is short for "we blog because we weren't very popular in high school and we're trying to gain respect and admiration without actually having to be around people."

Creating your own blog is about as easy as creating your own urine, and you're about as likely to find someone else interested in it. One popular technique for building readership is to send e-mail to more well-trafficked blogs offering to exchange links with them. One popular response from those blogs is to laugh derisively and hit the Delete button."

Ain't that the truth!

snakes calling

Ohmigawd.

If you haven't yet seen this get on over there and do it NOW! The best part is, when the call is placed, if the receipient has caller ID it shows as the sender's phone number. She sent me one yesterday morning and I spent the last evening laughing hysterically while sending it to everyone in my address book.



The comapny, Varitalk, that provides this service looks poised to really take off.

comedy genius!

Oh, that Merlin Mann cracks me up!

5ives ' Five Favorite Things on Your Blog hits the nail on the head.

Five favorite things on your blog

1. The kitty photos (especially that fourth set)
2. That one post where you were really drunk in Devan’s room
3. The time you ate that amazing pot pie but then got totally sick
4. Your series of charcoal drawings of Jonathan Frakes as a sword-wielding furry
5. That post where you promised to update more often

Genius!

express yourself

This meme is making the rounds, so here goes:

Post a pic of your desktop.


(click for larger image)

How exciting is that?! :)