"Why should we hear about body bags and deaths? Oh, I mean, it's not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?"
- Barbara Bush, 3/18/03

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posted 19 October 05 & filed under lots of links, web-talk

i can now track and see who visiting this page using google maps, see? [via rogue librarian, yay she’s back]

and another new online knitting mag: menknit! i’m already thinking about the lacey tank ~ for me ;)

i love web voyuerism: people posting pictures of their kitchens. the only rooms that are more fun to look at are craft & studio rooms (what’s in my bag is fun too.) [via etches-johnson].

in his latest alertbox, jakob nielson writes about Weblog Usability: The Top Ten Design Mistakes. some of the ‘mistakes’ i don’t really pay much attention to (coughnumbers3,7and8cough) but the last two definitely caught my eye:

9. Forgetting That You Write for Your Future Boss
10. Having a Domain Name Owned by a Weblog Service

the last one, because when i set up my first site (uuf, that takes me back. there used to be a lot more there, some of it you can see here) back in 2002, i was always bothered by the popups, hated the limitations geocities put on me (no php!), and felt pretty uneasy about having all my hard work be somewhere else, where i didn’t control it. i definitely kept backups, though to a certain extent, i forced myself to say fuckit a lot, just to be prepared for the worst. once i moved to my own domain, i felt much better. though, if some disastrous problem ever happens and i didn’t make a timely backup, there’s no one to blame but myself. gulp.

number 9 caught my eye because it’s the same question i keep thinking about on and off for months now. for now, my full name appears on this site, as well as my employer’s name, my general geographic location, etc. i used to post my whole resume, including phone number and address, but i got rid of that. i just don’t know which way to go in terms of privacy versus disclosure.

i sure wouldn’t want to work somewhere where i could be fired for the things i’ve written here, that would be ridiculous! but i also know that as more and more people in my ‘real’ life (no offense, dear readers!) know about this site, the more nervous i get about posting about sad stuff or really anything negative. in reality, i tend to be a person who keeps her cards close to her chest, you know what i mean? so here, this very public thing is such a release, an escape. but in some ways now, that’s diminishing. hm.

anyhow, no answers, just out loud wonderings.

when i was little – like all kids, i’m thinking – i loved loved twinkies. i tried out a few months ago and it was disgusting. now, i still love junky food (i.e. sour candy of any type!) but i was really surprised with how bad that twinkie tasted. ugh. and for some reason, i still keep thinking about it.

i want a “organize your life” software. really! at the very least, any recommendations on good and cheap/free mac applications that help with any/all of the following: budgeting, schedules, to-do listing, shopping, etc?

thanks ~ and on the horizon: an actual finished knitting thing! some pics of my ugly but fragrant soap (i’m thinking soap felting..) & more.

Comments

Huh. I just got that google map tracker thing too. It’s a little scary though when you think about it – I zoomed in on one of your visitors from Toronto and you can go right to the friggin’ spot on the street!! It doesn’t give numbers or anything but… Wow!! Big Brother! LOL I love Google Maps though so this is another cool toy.

~ peggy (Oct 19, 08:28 PM#)

That was such a thought-provoking post! I hadn’t seen Google map tracker..I’m going to try it out.

~ moni (Oct 20, 11:03 AM#)

I just found your site a few weeks ago, and wanted to let you know that I really enjoy it. I admire your blog designing skills. I’ve been wanting to revamp my blog to do the “still picture with text scrolling through it” thing for months, but I need to find the time. What is the technical name for that anyway?!

Anyhoo, thanks for all the cool links. I was glad to hear about Spindlicity and the google maps thing is cool, though a little freaky. I’m the dot in Pasadena.

~ Julia (Oct 20, 11:37 AM#)

I signed up for gvisit too. Wowie that is some weird stuff. My friend Sandy just wrote about a Google/Geocaching tool too and the line in her email was “You can not hide from Google.” I guess we better just surrender.

Yes, that work/blog thing is always on my mind still too. Especially now as I kind of look for a new job. Are the places I’ve applied to not calling me because they found my blog and didn’t like my use of cuss words (which I have really tried to leave out lately), or the fact that I’m pregnant, or who knows what? It is really hard to say. But at the same time I’m not ready to make some stupid disclaimer on the site yet. It’s 2005 and I should be allowed to have a personal site—if they’re not progressive enough to hire me because of it, then I don’t want to work there anyway. (Nice in theory, I hope we all can stick to it…)

~ Heidi (Oct 21, 11:26 AM#)