17 December, 2008

I've Matured (as a web designer)

Maybe I haven't, but my blog has definitely grown up over the past year+ that I've been blogging. Check out this blast from the past layout that I created back in the day, before the current one:

Old blog layout circa November 2007

Let me know what you think of the updated look!

pollcode.com
What do you think of the new layout?

Great! It was time for a change.
It's nice.
Less pink is a good thing.
I don't see the difference.
The old one was nice enough.
I liked the old one better.
Molto bello!
It's alright.
Very slick, modern looking.
Prettyyyy.

  

 

13 December, 2008

Tagged in a Meme! 5 Things

I got tagged in a meme by Sasha of Yankee in a New World, a resource for people living or traveling in Europe, targeted specifically to Americans who want to stay connected with home.

This is just for fun and has little to do with travel. Here are the Five Things Meme questions:

What are 5 things you were doing ten years ago?

  1. Studying in unit 6B at SBUES (South Brunswick Upper Elementary School) with Mr. Miller as my homeroom teacher.
  2. Dating a boy for 2 weeks, my longest relationship to that point.
  3. Hanging out with Mashaal Ahmed, Shweta Desai, Christina Amatto, Crystal Stepp, and a bunch of other now-distant friends.
  4. Being a smartie pants in math class.
  5. Looking forward to the next bomb scare so we could all get out of class early and go to Pierre's Italian Deli. This was pre-9/11 and post-Columbine.

What are 5 Things on your to do list for today?

  1. Work on my Technology in Marketing paper that's due Tuesday. I need to come up with an ethical issue in marketing that involves technology (such as privacy issues, security issues, etc) that is not terribly dry or boring to write about.
  2. Figure out a killer outfit for tonight's Heinously Atrocious Christmas Sweater Party.
  3. Update Facebook photos - people are bugging me and I'm only up to September.
  4. Eat dinner.
  5. Go to bed at a normal hour so I can be productive tomorrow.

What are your 5 Favorite Snacks?

Photo upload from Flickr: Food blog pictures 576
  1. Avacoado in any form - guacamole with tortilla chips, sliced on a salad, etc.
  2. Cheese. Especially the Cracker Barrel cheddar sticks, but any kind I can get my hands on will do.
  3. Smartfood white cheddar popcorn.
  4. Almond Joy, when I'm in the mood for chocolate. Or Andes chocolate around the holidays.
  5. Dried cranberries. They're good for you (especially if they're "no sugar added" and easy to pack for on-the-go snacking.

What would you do if you were a Millionaire?

  1. Like Sasha, I'd love to pay off my student loans first.
  2. Buy an apartment so I wouldn't have to rent anymore. NYC would be nice, if a million dollars would even cover it.
  3. Invest some so I'd have an income with the interest.
  4. Go on a shopping spree.
  5. Buy a hybrid car.

Where are 5 places you have lived?

  1. My parent's house
  2. Several college dorms
  3. A sorority house / mansion on the side of a mountain
  4. An apartment in Philadelphia
  5. In Second Life
  • And bonus: An apartment in Rome, Italy

12 December, 2008

Hope's Chest: Do You Have Old Prom Dresses?

The teens at my church in NJ are working with the community to collect lightly worn, cleaned prom dresses, long evening dresses, nice bridesmaid dresses and accessories (evening bags, shawls, formal shoes and costume jewelry). These will be given to juniors or seniors who may not be able to afford new gowns for the 2009 Proms. Please help give these young ladies the prom of their dreams by bringing your lightly-used dressed back from the winter break with you.

Primping Girl

I will accept your donations during the spring semester before the donation days on Sat., 3/21/09 and Sun., 3/22/09. St.Barnabas Church is located on 142 Sand Hill Road, Monmouth Junction NJ, 08852, so you can also bring them there between 9am - Noon if you are nearby. For more information, visit the Church's website at www.stbarnabas-sbnj.org or get in touch with Wanda Garrin wandagarrin@verizon.net or Linda Grant lindag@comcast.net.

Girls from the expanded community (South Brunswick, North Brunswick, Trenton, New Brunswick, Franklin etc…) are welcome to these dresses until our inventory runs out. Students must present a valid ID. "Shopping" days are Sat., April 18, 2009 and Sat., April 25, 2009 from 10 am – 1 pm at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church.

09 December, 2008

5 Signs That You're a Tech-Savvy Individual

  1. You know the difference between a mouse and mice.
  2. You know at least the first step in double-sided printing.
  3. You can send an e-mail with an attachment, without any attachment.
  4. You have thought about saying "lol" out loud, rather than actually laughing.
  5. You can put a white sock in the washing machine and take out a pink sock.

For those of us getting a bit stressed out over finals and life. I thought I'd write this to lighten the mood. Pass on if you liked it!

06 December, 2008

Happy 4th Birthday, Numa Numa Dance!

This is a silly entry with a purpose.
  1. The Numa Numa dance has its fourth anniversary tonight, actually at this very moment because I am posting the entry exactly 4 years after the original was uploaded on Newgrounds flash community, back when webcams still pixelated your face if you moved too much.


  2. The Romanian, "Dragostea Din Tea" song used in this video was recently resampled in Rihanna's song, "Live Your Life," a credit to its ubiquity and legacy.


  3. According to many sources, the Numa Numa video has been seen a few HUNDRED MILLION times around the web, making it one of the most popular "viral" videos of all time (according to a few sources, the second most popular). However, according to other statistics, such as the "NewNuma" channel on YouTube where this was found, Gary Brolsma didn't do as well in subsequent attempts at stardom. I think part of "viral" is how organic it all is. Many marketers are now realizing that you can't PLAN viral. Viral is a thing which occurs, not a thing that is. So, enjoy the laugh and the spontaneous entertainment provided here, and "miia hii miia haa" along.

If that's not enough, read Cesar Brea's "Dissecting Numa Numa" for some in-depth analysis and pondering on whether this Brolsma video may have been a bit more than just a happy accident.

04 December, 2008

Gadget I've Been Dreaming Of

Just learned of a new gadget via this press release: "SANYO Internet Radio Makes It Easy to Listen to Thousands of Free Internet Radio Stations, With No Computer Required."

Sanyo Internet Radio

Silly me, I've been searching "bluetooth speakers" for so long now I was beginning to give up on the idea of a wireless music-listening experience. But this solution uses your existing wifi connection to connect directly to the internet, giving you access to internet radio stations and your own shared music from anywhere in the house.

It's so quiet downstairs right now. We don't have a CD player / radio / mp3 dock. Just a TV with basic cable. And the only noise from that contraption comes on Sundays during the football games, now that the political debates are over. I'd love to bring some music into our lives without having to burn CDs all the time, or relying on traditional FM radio to play the songs we like. Unfortunately this Sanyo thingamajig (omg: ff spellchecker knows thingamajig - did I add that myself?) won't be out in the US until January 2009. So no pleading with Santa possible :-(

01 December, 2008

Happy CyberMonday

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday break. Did you shop on Black Friday? I didn't make it out this year but I hope the sales continue to Christmas so I can shop in peace! All the "door busters" and "last minute sales" and "today only" things drive me a little nuts.

I saw a lot of good deals on Thanksgiving, but I haven't been in the shopping mood lately. There's a lot of stuff I'd "like to have" but I think I'll wait until December 26 to spend my hard-earned savings from my internship this semester. Plus I have to get my car fixed from the fender-bender I had a few weeks ago. I don't know if the economy is contagious or what, but I've been in a SAVING mood lately. So strange! (Che strano!)

Did you go out and shop or did you buy online? According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent an average of about 7% more this year than last over the Thanksgiving weekend. So despite this declining economy, retailers did well this weekend. They say online shoppers helped a lot.

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