New Laptop.

I'm calling her Minerva; 'cause she's so shiny.

On a completely different note:  no updates here, because the next updates on the Tabulas are going to be chapter-ish chunks of hot sweet fresh steaming novel.  I don't know what that means for the BWSNotW, but I'll try to do both.

Set your counter for 14 days: the next assault on the ages-old novel project commences in less than two weeks.  --M. 

Best Web Site Name of the Week
for the week of 25 June 2007

Best Damn Blog on the Planet -- Pearsonified

To be fair, the domain name is merely pearsonified.com. Short, easy to remember, has the guy's name in it. And maybe a touch boring. If we check out the title tag on his homepage, however, it is in fact the "Best Damn Blog on the Planet"

who knew?

The guy in this case is a GT grad who manages to do something completely unrelated to his degree: web/css design. And he has a lot of good points to make about blogs, whether you're a free-account user or someone who is trying to make a go at it on a "professional" level -- I put that in quotes because a professional blogger rarely makes a living off of just blogging. (is anyone making money off of blogging?)



(about the award -- past winners)

If Cee-lo Green has any competition, I guess it has to be the theremin:

http://laughingsquid.com/theremin-cover-version-of-gnarls-barkleys-crazy/

this is worth linking not because it's Gnarls Barkley, but because it shows what someone who knows how to play the theremin can do. (the theremin is so damn cool I don't even know how else to describe it: wiki

Best Web Site Name of the Week
for the week of 18 June 2007

Snowflakes in Hell

A friend of mine sent me a link to Snowflakes in Hell, to an article on his home-built kegerator. (lovely. I used to own a chest freezer just like that, in college. We never drilled a whole in the top for a draft arm, but it did hold many a keg for draft in its short, overworked, much abused lifetime.)

We're not giving the award for the draft set-up though; in fact, it seems Snowflakes in Hell is some kind of conservative blog mostly about libertarian leanings and guns. Which is OK, too, I guess... and of course, the name is genius.



(about the award -- past winners)

I accidentally invented taco-flavoured nasal decongestant tonight.


*wow*. Just... it's been a half hour, my face is still flushed, and my nose is still running. I liked it. "oh yeah, the burn, the burn...."

Word to the wise, when dealing with your spice cabinet, especially if your rack is full of 1 1/2 pound containers of spice (a size not often seen outside of a restaurant kitchen) is to not go with what you *think you know*

but to always check the label.

particuarly if you have cayenne pepper in a container next to the taco seasoning mix. Oddly, for this brand, the two are very similar in colour.

"[*whistling*] and two tablespoons, and three tablespoons, and four, and [*whiff*] Sweet Zombie Jesus What In The Firery Pits of Cajun Hell Is This Stuff?"

Chemical warfare. Tasty tasty chemical warfare. I added the usual amount of taco seasoning on top of the excessive cayanne and, everything said and done, I actually like it -- but I'll be eating this batch of taco filling rather sparingly and cut with a fair number of beans, and the bulk of it is going into the next batch of chili (that's going to be one very fine damn batch of chili, I already know) so no wasted food, just a lesson learned and some very clear sinuses at the moment.

...actually, I think it needs a little hot sauce. (I'm going to regret this in the morning.)

Bender is still my personal life coach (I need to get a "What would Bender do?" wristband) but I think the role model for my life up to this point has unconsciously been Sir John Falstaff.

That story ends tragically. His friends go on to great things though he is left behind. His cohorts and the other barflies who were grinding it out in taverns when he was known as Sir John and the Prince was merely Hal -- they were part of the scenery. Not all ended well for them. But Hal, his one true friend, was a shining star and went on to become king: Henry V, of England and big chunks of France. John was proud and happy to see young Hal grow into his title, I know, even as he was cast off as one of the trappings of Hal's "youthful indescretions".

John was a huge figure in his own small world, "all out of compass" as the pun had it, but able to keep court as his own sovereign in the Boar's Head Tavern, Eastcheap, London. Neither noble nor rogue, but always "Sir Jack".

Never successful on his own, and his real import known more by his shadow, or his absence. I feel that a lot, these days.

Best Web Site Name of the Week
for the week ending 16 June 2007

free pint

mmm.... free pint. Pint of what they don't say... and it's because it all a big fat TEASE. The site has nothing to do with *beer*, let let alone Guinness.

I'm tempted to sue for false advertising. Free Pint, my ass. Still, great web site name. (Which is what we give the award for, after all) I wish I had thought to register the domain name before they did.



(about the award -- past winners)

Best Web Site Name of the Week
for the week ending this week (yeah, I'll figure out a new posting schedule and dating nomenclature later...)

12 Angry Men

Not the movie. This is a Blog. And it seems to be only 8 angry men, and one "Mildly Piqued Academic." I suppose the other 3 (4?) are fuming in the background, just waiting for some issue to incite further anger and inspire a post.

Round-the-clock ranting is the order of the day over there -- kind of like Fox News, except it can only be enjoyed by folks who can read.


(about the award -- past winners)