Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Razorfunfish update

Razorfunfish - is it word
So, I ask my legions of blog readers (all 5 of you) to repost, retweet, and otherwise spread the word (literally).
Oh, sometime tonight would be best :)

Friday, April 03, 2009
Spontaneous order
First of all - WAY cool concept...
"Spontaneous order is the spontaneous emergence of order out of seeming chaos; the emergence of various kinds of social order from a combination of self-interested individuals who are not intentionally trying to create order." (Wikipedia)
Second, seems to have roots in the Scottish Enlightenment, my FAVORITE enlightenment of all time.
Third, seems to be a good match to what happens in Twitter, but I need to mull it over more.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Need 4 more Fantasy Baseball teams to join league
So this presents me with a chance to do a little test and see what tool works better to fill these last four spots... Twitter, my blog, Facebook, or the MLB message board.
Here is how to join:
http://tinyurl.com/c6o2ga
League ID: 16833
League Password: need4more.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
15 most disturbing movies
Audition... yikes.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Skittles
Each version has augered into the ground. Just showing you are aware of these tools and and turn them on is meaningless to me.
There Twitter-base version rapidly pointed out what happens when you stride in with self-serving intentions and a desire to be "cool" - and then let anyone respond.
And respond they did.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Pun 2.0
Blogs spawned... Vader's blog
Facebook spawned... a Civil war page
Twitter offers.. history, Batman, and a mime.
I have to admit, each of these made me smile when I first saw them, but wonder how they will age. Vader's blog holds up the best for me right now, but that is one part clever writing by the author and one part I am a hopeless geek.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Email data points
- 86% of the homeowners provided an email address
- 50% wrote them so I could read them
- Gmail and Yahoo are the most popular web mail addresses. Live & msn are barely present
- AOL is the Jason of email. Several still out there and they just don't die
And for the gang trumpeting the death of blogs (hope not) and email (I wish); while Twitter is cool and along with Facebook gets first attention from me when I am online - pretty darn sure I am going to need to count on emails verses tweets to engage the gang online for some time.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Parable 1: Scarcity
Eating all the hay
Hay's all gone
The cow run away
credit: Erik Messamore
BTW, he and I did a killer rendition of this in song with dueling acoustic guitars
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Stimulus package
NASA $600 million
Digital TV coupons $605 million
Broadband 6 billion
(House version)
Think I need a trip to Mickey Ds.

Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Bubba Nosferatu
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Kosmix search
A little Hulu, Twitter, blogs, Yahoo, etc... all in the mix. If you have not played with it - I recommend a look see.
Friday, January 23, 2009
My Amiga was MUCH easier to work with
Some progress, and deeper understanding that these are not things I am gifted in managing.
However, if you are in need of some low resolution animations in Deluxe Paint 2 - I am SO a candidate :)
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Very cool social networking tool
http://www.usernamecheck.com/
Great way to seen were your user name, or your company's name is registered. I have only come across a few "false positives".
Also not a bad tool to gauge your depth of involvement in social computing as well as flagging a few site worth looking into.

Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Happiness is hacking Twitter
Monday, January 05, 2009
Friday, January 02, 2009
IE, Firefox, or Chrome
For me at home it is still Firefox and the use of their IE tab when needed. From some reason I think I would be cooler (low bar) if I used Chrome, but just not clicking for me yet.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Fembots and the geeks who love them
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Disney - day 2
Friday, December 19, 2008
Disney day 1 - the travel
Flight canceled at 10am
3 hour drive to new airport.
Waiting to see if we actually leave from here.

Thursday, December 18, 2008
Pierced gothic kittens

Sunday, December 07, 2008
12 Living Fossils
So, here are 12 living fossils (no, Keith Richards is NOT featured). Worth a peek just to see the purple frog.... geez.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Monday, December 01, 2008
10 Worst Holiday Albums
I had totally forgot about the Twister Sister one. Actually I had forgotten about Twisted Sister entirely. Kinda sad that is no longer the case.
In their defense, they did shoot a mildly creepy video with Alice.

Thursday, November 20, 2008
Recounting ballots
1. Voters needed to fill out an oval by the name of the candidate they wanted to vote for. The ballots provide evidence that this process proved to be a steep "brain" teaser for some. Apparently Minnesota is Canada's Florida.
2. Each candidate pulled ballots that they feel show the "intent" to vote for them. Each candidate shows a remarkably broad definition of intent.
3. You can vote to say which way the ballot should be counted (for fun only... I hope). I tried to be 100% objective. Either I need to go back to intent school, or many of the other online voters are letting where they want the vote to go color their selection.

Monday, November 17, 2008
Adobe working to get Flash to work across multiple platforms
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Product placement
But is product placement the answer? Have you been compelled to try a soda just because Batman is drinking it -- hand twisted to fully reveal the logo?
I think a company's people are the best product placement in the social computing world. Make sure they know what your company is about, encourage them to play nice, and get back to the DVR.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Web 2.0 start ups

Tuesday, November 11, 2008
TroopTube
It also seems to be driven by a sincere desire to connect those serving our country with friends and family. Good for them. They consider it a "retention tool". Corporations might want to take note.
On the geeky side, TroopTube uses Delve to make the magic happen. Seems like Delve introduces some interesting improvements to search across videos. Video has tended to be an opaque medium to search across - maybe this solution will make some inroads.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Semantic web and the market
Everyone is a content producer now, more can now be a developer as well. As the pile of all of this grows and grows we have to find better ways to store and search it. A hint for me that this is real - I have to go get a 500 gig hard drive to better support my back-up needs now. 500. Gig.
At a high level web 2.0 is people-centric, web 3.0 is data-centric. In economic(ish) terms, web 3.0 implies more authoritative involvement in the information marketplace. I remain a free market kinda guy and I am buying the hard drive to prove it.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Squidoo

Thursday, November 06, 2008
Election map
I highly recommend the "bubble" view and the comparisons to past results. Great way to understand the data and trends.
Monday, November 03, 2008
I am cursed
I eventually pick up Kyle Orton. Surprisingly enough, Bears QBs are ALWAYS there to be picked up. Started him before the first Lions game, and again, dumb luck makes me look smart... for awhile.
This week I was worried the score keeping system might not keep up with my "Kyle points" as the Lions and Bears met once again. Then Kyle went down and I lost to a last last team again.
As the ancient Chinese proverb so aptly puts it..."Life is sad when Jeff Garica is your best option".
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Handy websites
Now why I need more fonts??? Hmmmm, didn't think of that.
Unrelated, McCain was actually pretty good on SNL last night - where has that version of him been for the general election?

Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween
Monday, October 27, 2008
Tweeting towards terror
I was also struck by an specific section in the article....
"Twitter has also become a social activism tool for socialists, human rights groups, communists, vegetarians, anarchists, religious communities, atheists, political enthusiasts, hacktivists and others to communicate with each other and to send messages to broader audiences,"
First - "hacktivists" - first time I have crossed paths with that term.
Second - first time I have seen vegetarians lumped in with socialists, communists, and anarchists. Kinda speaks to me :)
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Alice Cooper - Samsung ad

Five simple things to do to stay sane

Saturday, October 18, 2008
Buckypaper
Still, "buckypaper"? Just not the type of name that a possible replacement for steel should have.
"Here are your Pittsburgh Buckypaperers!!!"
"You are a magnet and I am buckypaper"

Wednesday, October 08, 2008
An open letter to the Chicago Cubs
As a life long, Ralph Garr was under-rated, the shorts were not THAT bad White Sox fan, I usually take great delight in the failings and soul crushing results annually produced by the Chicago Cubs.
I was perplexed this year, when after a particularly spectacular collapse, the amount of joy I felt was remarkably lower. I almost felt empathy.
Let's not get crazy... I did say ALMOST.
A friend (well "friend" might be a tad strong - she is Cubs fan) of mine sent me her thoughts on this year. I found it to be a great read, and with her permission, I now share....
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHICAGO CUBS
Dear Sweet Lou and the team ~
You brought your 2008 season to a humiliating end on Saturday, being swept by the much-inferior Dodgers you brought up as another one of the kick-in-the-gut experiences to which yours fans have become accustomed … 1984, 1989, 1998, 2003, 2007 … and that's just in my lifetime. As a lifelong Cubs fan, I am forlorn. Heartbroken. Depressed. What's more, I'm mad ... and I've decided I want a refund.
I was at opening day this year, and I was at the NLDS Game 2 ~ so I opened and closed the season with the Cubs. I went to at least nine games, bought at least 30 beers, ordered new gear, used lots of gas getting to Wrigley … worse yet, I lost hours and hours of my life to this season, not just in person at games, but watching on TV, listening to the radio, reading websites ~ not to mention the 3 of my measly 10 vacation days last week alone for the NLDS … Finally, I invested my heart and a significant portion of my liver in hopeful love for this winning 2008 team … and what did I get as a return on my investment? An ulcer and another year of taunts from St. Louis fans. So I want it back. I WANT IT ALL BACK!
Let me know how you're going to make this right. I'll be sitting here nursing my wounds, making plans for all those days I'd blocked out to watch the NLCS and (just maybe) the World Series, and secretly counting down the days until opening day 2009. 182 … 181 …
Sincerely,
Jenny
Monday, October 06, 2008
Searching
I really have never had Ask.com in the mix for my personal searching. My model is usually Google, then Clusty, then Yahoo.
Tried out their new stuff - was interesting.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
VP debate online tool kit

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
20 Dumbest TV Shows
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Size of the planets
How ya feeling now, Zaphod?

Monday, September 22, 2008
Web history
Oh gee, since we are back in 2005, might as well share this as well.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
6 recommendations for measuring blogs
Thanks to Jeff for pointing this out to me.

Monday, September 15, 2008
History of the Joker
Saturday, September 13, 2008
White Sox and Cubs trivia
Friday, September 12, 2008
Test your tech knowledge

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Chrome

Friday, August 29, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Upgraders beware

Friday, August 22, 2008
Election map
Surprised to see Chicago had not already voted... twice :)

Thursday, August 14, 2008
7 lamest super heros

Monday, August 11, 2008
ALice Cooper shakes the world

Sunday, August 10, 2008
Pluto revisited

Thursday, August 07, 2008
In Wii We Trust
I used to think the Wiimote was the hands down (no pun intended) winner in redefining human/machine interaction.
Then Surface comes along, and cool games on the iTouch/iPhone like Dizzy Bee. Game on :)
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
REVIEW: Along Came a Spider - Alice Cooper
At the end of the day, I really like this album. Probably Alice's best constructed concept work. There are hints of humor, but by and large this is pretty dark stuff. Every song is from the point of view of "Spider"... a serial killer... a pretty unpleasant one at that (not that there are exactly LIKABLE ones of course).
I could have used a break by means of a song sung from some other point a view - a victim, passerby, family member, Mayor McCheese, etc... 11 tracks of quality time with Spider can be somewhat of a bleak journey.
Alice has gone dark before (Brutal Planet, Dragontown), but always allowed us to come up for air by providing some comic relief ("Its the little things" on the former, "Disgraceland" on the latter).
Most of the first half of the album features a healthy dose of the snarling guitars and/or snarling Alice we have all come to know and love. Then things get quirky and some strange broadway/Lennon-esque/stadium anthem hybrids emerge.
Bottom line -- this album rocks, features Alice's WAY underrated wordplay, and is interesting.
We don't get that a lot anymore. Buy it. Help get Alice back on the charts. He deserves it.
Song comments....
- "Prologue / I Know Where You Live" - 4:21
I remember a review of the Who's "Its Hard" in Rolling Stone that said when fans first hear the "Just a girl, just a girl, just a girl" in Athena, they will be in Who Heaven. Well, when Alices kicks this song off with "I like to watch from my car"... Alice Heaven - totally. - "Vengeance Is Mine" - 4:26
Slash appears on this song with the expected killer guitar results - "Wake The Dead" - 3:53
"Send me a redhead, send me a brunette, send a blond to me. When I unwind, I'm colorblind, they're all the same to me".
Ozzy Osbourne co-wrote and play harmonic on this track. Probably my favorite track. - "Catch Me If You Can" - 3:15
Meh - "(In Touch With) Your Feminine Side" - 3:16
"Its your world, but its my street".... sweet :) - "Wrapped In Silk" - 4:17
The creepy apex of the story arc. The song seems to fight off a dual possession by AC/DC and Whitesnake during the chorus. Successfully. Eventually. - "Killed By Love" - 3:34
Ballad. 'nuff said. OK actually. - "I'm Hungry" - 3:58
I love 88% of this song. Problem is, I can't get past hearing Spinal Tap's "Hell Hole" each time the "I'm Hungry!!" chorus rolls by. - "The One That Got Away" - 3:21
Only Alice would kick off a love song with "You look like you'd fit in the trunk of my car". That is why he is a national treasure. - "Salvation" - 4:36
Complex. Good. Not real Alice-y though -- it has moments that sound like the wrap up of an Andrew Lloyd Webber project. And Webber is the anti-Alice. Somewhat. - "I Am The Spider / Epilogue" - 5:21
Welcome back Steven. We have missed you.
AT&T get cloudy
As cloud computing joins the world of over-used and ill-defined terms (web 2.0, social networking, mash-ups, Beatlemania, etc.), I did come across this helpful tidbit in the article
RedMonk analyst James Governor asserted that services without features such as an API, or that require installing software, are not clouds.

Monday, August 04, 2008
Complete privacy does not exist
The Smoking Gun is not a source I cite often, but they had the goods on this topic. Plus you can check out our nation's finest in mugshot form if so inclined.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Space suits over the years
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Mesh is free

Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Legos
Friday, July 11, 2008
Civil War Facebook page uncovered
OK, I lied, but a cute page none the less.

Thursday, July 10, 2008
Defining social media marketing
Good post here offering several cuts at a definition of "social media marketing", a link to an article with more opinion, and a request for readers to offer their defitiions.
Camp Closure seems so far away :)

Tuesday, July 08, 2008
YouTube ordered to turn over data
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
States I hate
I was reviewing my blog traffic. Now, I am at peace with the fact that I am not exactly a high traffic destination, but I notice several states were providing NO monthly traffic. I looked deeper and I am sad to say the following states have opted out for THE WHOLE YEAR:
Nevada, Idaho, BOTH Dakotas, Mississippi, and West Virgina
At least I am winning the big states... NY, Texas, California, and Illinois all have been pretty kind to me.
BTW - love Google analytics :)

Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Word art
www.wordle.net
Fun stuff. Here is one way a very cool Capt. Beefheart song turns out.
Thanks to Jeff for sharing.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Enterprise success with Web 2.0
Yahoo, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Best Buy all seem to be making progress in actually using web 2.0 capabilities. Others you would point out?

Friday, June 20, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Creative business cards
Sunday, June 15, 2008
One year of iPhone

Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Lists on Blender
I really enjoyed the Dastardly Villains list, including the Jabba-esque Lou Pearlman.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Social Networking fatigue
Thanks to Joe for sharing.

Friday, June 06, 2008
YouTube Warp
Productive time, I will miss ye.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
A cautionary tale

Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Million rounds per minute crowd control
- The manufacturer is described as a "troubled electronic gun producer"
- This thing fires a million rounds a minute
- "Crowd control" and "border control" are listed as a potential uses
- There are defense trade shows

Monday, May 26, 2008
Mars lander

Saturday, May 24, 2008
Weezer part two
Friday, May 23, 2008
Weezer's "Pork and Beans"
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Joe Torre
BTW.. Joe Torre always reminded me of a more pleasant version of Jim Fergosi (low bar, I know)...
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Mr. Lazy

Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
101 - Zombies
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Björk's 3-D Video
Of course you will need to scare up the old stylish red/blue 3-D glasses, but you KNOW you have a few lurking around your place. I won't give the final count of what I found here, but it does look like I could have a nice 3-D party sometime and few would need to BYO3DG.
For this video, I sported my vintage ones last used for watching Elvis Presto.
And speaking of Mr. Presto... here a 10 more Superbowl halftime horrors.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Smell you later
"scent technology is increasingly attractive."
Really. :)
