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On the Internet #7

July 17, 2010 By

This is the big clean out edition of On the Internet. I’ve been keeping track of all sorts of links, but I don’t get to these posts nearly as often as I’d like to, mostly because it’s time consuming. I’ve been sitting at the computer since 10am and spent most of the day going through my starred items on Twitter and Google reader, along with a bunch of links I emailed to myself. But I think I found a way to keep up with it all – Tumblr. I’ve been trying to post things there, and I might be able to avoid the huge backlog of things if I can use that more effectively.

Anyhoo, here goes with the huge link list. This should keep you busy for awhile if you have a compulsion to click on every link you come across, like I do.

  • The Guild season 4 has finally premiered!
  • This is Why I’ll Never Be an Adult. You may have seen this on the interwebs already, but I LOVE it. Also, can someone please buy me this mousepad? I need it.
  • The Old Spice Guy has been making tons of videos in response to fans questions. Here’s a proposal he did on behalf of a fan and a bit of a look at how it’s done. If you haven’t seen these yet, you should. It’s the most brilliant marketing campaign. Ever.
  • Beavis and Butthead are coming back! I spent way too much time watching this show, and can’t wait to hear what the boys have to say about today’s music. Heh heh. Oh, and Daria is out on DVD – the whole series. This is on my wish list as well.
  • It’s after 8pm as I write this, and the current temperature is 107°F (that’s 41°C). This article from the Las Vegas Review-Journal sounds like they’re kidding about what this kind of heat feels like, but they’re not.
  • My blogging friend Ben Barden has launched a new blog called The Blog Cop. It’s a bit of a snarky commentary of things that are seen on blogs and other websites that can annoy readers. Hey Ben, here’s an idea for a post – I tweeted about auto-start music earlier today.
  • Ben is also the author of the Top Ten Blog Tips blog, and recently compiled some of the best tips into a free e-book. I downloaded the book and it has tons of great ideas in it.
  • I recently got a Droid phone and I love it. It kept me sane when I went on vacation on the wrong day because I was able to check my email the minute I got off the airplane. The Android Market has tons of apps, so there’s really not anything your phone can’t do.
  • My friend Fresh Peaches over at Such Cool Stuff recently featured Women of Substance, an internet radio station. It’s no secret that I’m a fan of what Mister refers to as angsty chick music, so this was a brilliant find. I’ve been listening when I’m at my computer at home (like now) and signed up for their mailing list and was automatically entered to win a free CD – which I won! I got an autographed copy of One Day by Arlene Kole, which I’ve been enjoying very much.
  • Facebook privacy has been an issue lately – here’s how to lock down your profile.
  • Need to get your Twitter under control? ManagerFlitter makes it easy to see who’s active or not, and lets you do a mass unfollow. I cleaned up my list a bit with this.
  • I got a Kreativ Blogger award from Jen at The Stylish Thirties. Thanks for the award, and I’m sorry I suck so bad at following up with this sort of thing!
  • I watched Tosh.0 on TV the other night. It’s a blog, but on television. Strange concept, when you think about it.
  • Amanda Palmer is awesome. Check out this video of a song she whipped up in no time, about art and creativity.
  • Speaking of creativity, here’s 201 Ways to Arouse Your Creativity. It’s geared towards writing, and since I read a lot about blogging and writing, let’s also include 10 Ways to Blog When You’re Not Blogging, Blogging Your Personal History, The No. 1 Habit of Highly Creative People, and 1066 Links, Lessons, or Tips for Bloggers. It’s a list of links that lead to more lists – just the kind of thing to keep you busy on the internet for days!
  • Our friend Zac is at it again. Part 1 of his latest film, The League of Extraordinary Industrial Retards, has finally been released. Also available are parts Two and Three.
  • I don’t play WoW, but Mister does and I guess you could say I’m a fan (see The Guild). I’m also a MythBusters Fan, so this video that blends the best of the two was genius.
  • I Write Like analyzes a sample of writing from your blog (you have to copy and paste) to see what published author’s style your writing is most like. I keep getting different results based on what I put in, but it’s interesting – plus, I’m finding more books that I need to check out.
  • Just in case I haven’t wasted enough of your time yet, here’s Time Magazine’s Best Blogs of 2010 and for those who seriously love link lists and never want to see the light of day again, Blog.com’s big list of Top 10 Lists. You’re welcome.

Besides the entire day it took me to go through all the old stuff and get it organized, this post took me about 90 minutes to write. These things are time consuming. Look for more frequent updates on my Tumblr.

Do you do link posts or have somewhere that you share your internet finds? Please share them with this internet addict!

Filed Under: On the Internet

Seven Links

July 15, 2010 By

I’m a personal blogger (duh), but that doesn’t stop me from having lofty dreams of making a ton of money by giving the world a glimpse into the depraved depths of my mind. That being said, I do read a few pro blogs to try to take a few tips and apply them to my little blog.

Today, I saw that ProBlogger is having a 7 Link Challenge. It looks like a fun exercise, so I thought I’d participate. Here are my seven links:

  1. Your first post: I decided to take my journal out of my bedside drawer. Putting It All Down was published on March 14, 2006.
  2. A post you enjoyed writing the most: I wouldn’t necessarily say that I enjoyed the process of writing this post, but I enjoyed the results, and it’s representative of what I wanted my blog to be when I started – a place to let it all out. I was scared of what was to come when I was packing up my life to merge it with my then-boyfriend (now known as Mister).
  3. A post which had a great discussion: Searching for Inspiration. I had a bad case of blogger’s block, and got some great ideas out of it.
  4. A post on someone else’s blog that you wish you’d written: I can’t narrow it down to a single post, but I love the way Miss Britt is able to pour her heart and soul out on her blog. She says things with the depth that I feel but wish I was able to express.
  5. Your most helpful post: That would probably have to be Disrespectful Credit Card in Common. I blogged about a fraudulent charge on my card, and I still get quite a few hits to that post via Google. I hope it’s helped people in determining whether or not their charges are fraudulent and getting them removed.
  6. A post with a title that you are proud of: Jekyll and Hyde because it helps reinforce the point I was trying to make in that post.
  7. A post that you wish more people had read: Cuts Like a Knife, because it’s something that has had a very strong influence on who I am today, and good or bad, I don’t think things like this should be ignored. Also, it’s my secret (or not-so-secret) hope that people who teased others mercilessly will read it and realize what jerks they were and take steps to remedy that by trying to be better people.

That was fun, though I have to admit, it took a long time. Any other takers? I’d love to read your Seven Links and get to know you better.

Filed Under: My Blog, On the Internet

Jekyll and Hyde

July 10, 2010 By

Every now and then, I transform from the sweet, lovable person that I am into a total bitch. This seems to happen about, oh, once a month, and lasts nearly two weeks at a time. Yes, it’s what you’re thinking. I was complaining about my period and the hormonal roller coaster more than two years ago. Since then, it’s not gotten any better. It’s gotten worse, actually. So much so that it threatens to ruin the one thing I value most – my marriage. I don’t have run of the mill PMS. I have PMDD, which is an extreme form of PMS.

I was on the pill for awhile, thinking that it would help. There’s one pill that claims to help this sort of thing, so I took it for about a year. It seemed to help at first, but then again, I did start taking it a few weeks before my wedding. I think it was more the whole newly wedded bliss than the pill helping. Plus, I’m over 35 now, and have a family history of breast cancer, so I don’t want to subject myself to any more health issues than I have to. Out with the Pill.

I tried taking vitamins – a cocktail including a daily multi, magnesium, and calcium. I hate taking so many freaking pills. I wish I could just order up ONE pill that has everything I want in it, and nothing I don’t want, but I haven’t found it yet. Besides, have you seen how BIG vitamins are? I’m talking horse pills here. Between the size and sheer quantity of pills involved in a vitamin regimen, suck at taking them, even if they take the edge off a bit.

You might remember that a few years ago I was taking Paxil for a bunch of crap and thought I needed something. I didn’t want that particular pill, but the doctor gave it to me anyway. I gained 40lbs before I was finally able to get myself off it, and stopped gaining weight when I stopped taking it for good. My doctor said the weight gain was unrelated. I have a new doctor now.

Since Mister and I got into another fight the other night in which one of our dishes lost its life, we talked about it again. Mister is not a huge fan of mental health medications, and after my experience with Paxil, neither am I, but we both agreed that I need to do something. I don’t like the split personality. I did some research, talked to some online friends, and decided on Zoloft. I would have preferred Lexapro, since it looks like it would fit a lot better, but my insurance company doesn’t prefer it, so the final decision came down to what my wallet said.

Mister came to the doctor with me – they really like him there, and I get better care when he’s with me. It really helps having an advocate if you have a hard time talking to doctors. My back had been hurting for about a week, which was the main purpose of the visit, so I got something for that, but we also talked about my PMDD. The doctor took me seriously, validated my concerns about Paxil and hormones, and wrote me a script for the Zoloft. I started taking it yesterday, but won’t know its full effect for a few months. Sometimes I’ll have a good month or two after a particularly bad month.

Part of me feels like a failure for having to take a pill to manage my natural cycle. The other part of me feels hopeful that this will really help. I’m sick of being two totally different people depending on where in my cycle I’m at. I may be a Gemini, but I don’t want to be Jekyll and Hyde.

Filed Under: Health