tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67102750900501580892024-03-13T18:54:38.647-04:00View from the BottomYou could be getting your advertising commentary from a more experienced, higher-paid, and prettier ad exec.
But the downbeat and bass line are in our hands--
the adstar wannabes climbing the corporate ladder.
As yet uncorrupted, somewhat uncouth, and utterly unrestrained, this is the view from the bottom, laid down by a first-year copywriter.
Admit it.
You're jealous I just might be prettier.
According to advertising tradition, that makes me a more viable source of information.the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.comBlogger239125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-28897559353778866952009-01-14T13:39:00.004-05:002009-01-15T12:32:04.706-05:00youtube, copyrights, & music sucking life.my brother had mentioned to me that <b>YouTube was slowly taking down videos of copyrighted content</b>, and it was a discussion topic over dinner a ways back as to how they were tracking the videos. well, now it's at an outright record high, as <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/youtube_deletes_audio_tracks.php" target="_blank">YouTube is no longer giving removal notifications</a> to users. this time, the videos are just soundless.<br /><br />---<br /><br />this is indicative of a number of concerns. <b>sure, legally, it makes sense. kinda. but only in this atmosphere where i feel like the RIAA is scarier than Big Brother.</b> the music folks are on everybody's minds wanting to save a failing revenue stream, so they're cutting off other avenues of listening--like YouTube. i don't know <b>why film isn't also up in arms</b>, legally speaking--oh right, their revenue doesn't suck.<br /><br />ANYWAY.<br /><br />sure, mash-up culture will find another way to thrive, it always does. but <b>i'm looking at you, YouTube</b>: do you really want it to? the community there is great and could you really live without your favourite parodies and ridiculousness that circulates through the intertubes? <b>it's not like the users are making anything off this</b>, most of 'em, anyway.<br /><br />SO. <b>all YouTube is doing is alienating the user without directly contributing to the aching revenue stream of the music industry. it's a roundabout solution.</b> that is, i don't see there being a huge correlation between increase in music sales and decrease of information available on YouTube. all you wind up with is more pissed off people.<br /><br />RWW suggests: "<i>It would make a lot more sense for the music industry to provide a blanket license to YouTube so that users could use copyrighted sounds tracks on their homemade videos, while the record labels (or the artists) could get a share of the advertising revenue.</i>"<br /><br />---<br /><br />i leave you with one of my brother's old AMVs. i asked which one he would prefer me to post, but he never txted me back, the little bastard ;) so i'm showing the one with most views. say goodbye to anime mashup videos forEVER! [full disclosure: i love my brother more than i love pretty much everything else ever.] [edit: he made me take down Third Eye Blind in favour of Rise Against.]<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q0UaXRkWxow&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q0UaXRkWxow&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-41361944202258403552009-01-13T12:39:00.004-05:002009-01-13T12:59:48.672-05:00sea kittens? as if cats didn't have enough issues.i like animals, but this is not the first time i am going to have to tell PETA to give it. the hell. up. case in point? <a href="http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2009/01/would-you-hook-filet-and-eat-a-sea-kitten.html" target="_blank">sea kittens</a>. that's right, you heard me. SEA KITTENS. not to be confused with the sbux 'Melusine'/mermaid issue, this is not a feline with questionable lower halves. <b>this is PETA's attempt to make fish cuddly</b> so you may not want to EAT THEM.<br /><br />because, as the <a href="http://www.peta.org/sea_kittens/about.asp" target="_blank">site says</a>, 'who could possibly want to put a hook through a sea kitten?'<br /><br />there are a few things fundamentally wrong with this:<br /><br />1 -- we eat fish. short of rumours in Chinatown, we do not eat cats. it is hard to link my eating habits between the two. i will not suddenly go vegetarian (and even some vegetarians still eat fish) because i <b>look at Mahi Mahi and think "meow." </b><br /><br />2 -- not to mention, i don't fish (as in, the sport). i also don't hunt cats, which i suspect is even less of the population than fishers. <b>so the specific target is...</b> what? fishers? vegetarians who need to go all out? all people who should stop eating fish? the idea is to stop the fishing of 'sea kittens' but the application falls flat.<br /><br />3 -- the website looks like it is aimed at 5-year-olds. design my own sea kitten? ...for real right now? hard to resist when the link is <b>a cartoon of a girl bear-hugging a trophy fish.</b> yes. because when i go fishing, it's my 5-year-old daughter who's helping me get the hook out of the mouth. do it for the kids.<br /><br />4 -- and the clincher for me -- <b>cats have their own branding issues</b>. PETA is rebranding fish as sea kittens. if they really wanted to go all out, they should have been "sea puppies." man's best friend. as it is, the cat people are trying to <a href="http://www.catchannel.com/contest/cats-rule.aspx" target="_blank">rebrand cats</a> in order to house them. <br /><br />that's at least somewhat noble. or intelligible. rebrand cats as companions instead of loners to house felines, since they are notoriously harder to get adoptions for than dogs. but fish? <b>i can't tell what the message is that i can act on</b>. stop fishing? give a stuffed fish to my 5 year old? stop eating fish? open an aquarium? ...<b>get a colouring book?</b><br /><br />[PS: speaking of that, how about a <A href="http://www.peta.org/Sea_Kittens/book.asp" target="_blank">sea kittens bedtime story</a>?]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-36089676191638788232009-01-07T12:36:00.005-05:002009-01-07T13:32:50.172-05:00accountability with a DRM-free iTunes?<b>give me accountability or give me Amazon</b>.<br /><br />i speak as a very loyal iTunes user/purchaser. i rack up bills in the iTunes store like you would not believe. <b>that 4-day mix tape i made over holiday? that cost me a pretty penny there, like $40, give or take, for one day of downloads. of DRM material.</b> [if you aren't aware, DRM--digital rights management--is an encoding on music that limits distribution, including what players it can be played on].<br /><br /><b>Amazon has had DRM-free music for some time. but i am lazy. i use iTunes to play my music, so i use iTunes to buy my music.</b> a committed .99 per song made it painlessly easy. what's one more song? it's only a buck, right? [to the point where paying 1.99 for Rock Band 2 song downloads seemed like 'too much,' which is illogical.] <b>so <a href="http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20090106/confirmed-itunes-going-drm-free-unclear-does-anyone-care/" target="_blank">DRM-free music on iTunes</a> should be wicked awesome for me, queen of mix tapes, right?</b><br /><br /><i>...right.</i><br /><br />and it is. but i'm <b>very skeptical of this tiered music iTunes now offers. i want to see a PLAN.</b> in order to give up a little rights management control, the labels want kick-back. so we get DRM-free, while per-song-pricing changes. Yanni can go for .69, while the new Beyonce can go for 1.29. it's said that more songs will be .99 and .69 than 1.29, <b>but let's look at the theoretical math</b>.<br /><br />[i say theoretical cos it's not really math. i suck at math.]<br /><br />obviously the combined amount of (nearly) ancient stuff that (nearly) no one listens to, combined with slightly dated material going for .99 <b>would account for more catalogue space than the 1.29 songs.</b> DUH. so you're not selling me on that promise. <b>i am concerned.</b> labels want kick-back because not everyone is as brave as <a href="http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2008/12/nettwerk-ceo-terry-mcbride-puts-fans-in-charge-of-bands346.html" target="_blank">Nettwerk</a>.<br /><br /><b>so how long before any song i actually give a shit about is 1.29</b>?<br /><br />i get they want money. in a weird way, i MAY be persuaded out of laziness to spend 1.29 on a song because, as i said, iTunes just flat out 'does it for me.' but i want something that is going to <b>say to me that in 6 months, or 3 months, or some short TIME ALLOTMENT that this 1.29 song is going to become .99</b>. if any of you can find me this, i will be happy. i haven't yet.<br /><br />i want to see a plan, a promise, something, that says we're not still getting it up the ass from the labels. you give me DRM-free, but pardon me if i look a gift horse in the mouth. pps. it's too much to ask, but i want to trade in my 100+ purchased songs for DRM-free ones. otherwise i just feel penalized/gypped for supporting before.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-49460166667908247752009-01-02T12:20:00.006-05:002009-01-02T13:55:00.342-05:00kickin off 09: things you didn't know about me.the fabulous <a href="http://twitter.com/darrylohrt" target="_blank">Darryl</a> over at <a href="http://www.brandflakesforbreakfast.com/2008/12/seven-things-you-didnt-know-about-me.html" target="_blank">brandflakes for breakfast</a> <b>tagged me for the 7 Things meme a few days ago where you need to share 7 things about yourself, and then ask 7 people to do the same</b>. so. uh. here are 7 things you don't know about me. which is hard, if you follow my twitter stream. where i kind of don't shut up. then again, i've also been called <a href="http://12seconds.tv/channel/Aronado/23253" target="_blank">a mystery on 12seconds</a>, so perhaps not...<br /><br /><b>01. i love acoustic versions of songs. i collect them.</b> i like having both versions. mainly i collect post-punk, pop-emo, and screamo. my favourite kinds are ones where there is still screaming along with the sounds of the acoustic guitars. <b>there's something more raw about the "unproduced" versions in an over-produced genre that i appreciate.</b> lately i've been listening to the acoustic version of Shady Business by theAUDITION on repeat (34x and counting). email if you want the .mp3.<br /><br /><i>01a. i live in mix tapes.</i> i am addicted to music, like most people. i make soundtracks to my life. i have mix tapes almost as old as i am. including cassettes, but mainly i listen to ones on CD, meaning high school through now. when i make a mix tape for someone else, i will take DAYS. DAYS to make sure that i am happy with the mix and tailor it to the other person. <i>the longest i ever worked on a mix tape was two weeks.</i> "all my favourite singers have stolen all of my best lines" -- Alkaline Trio.<br /><br /><b>02. my mom came with me to get my first tattoo.</b> it's a story i love to tell and i love that she came. i now have 5 tattoos. the last one i got was 2 weeks ago. i believe that the best tattoos are ones that have meanings that won't change. <b>all of my tattoos are "boring" but incredibly meaningful.</b> ie. my first tattoo is a tiger paw print on my hip. it symbolizes my origins. i was born in the Year of the Tiger and my first sentence was "i wanna meow." some things never change. ;)<br /><br /><b>03. i am a butterfly graveyard.</b> butterflies come to me to die. i have no idea why. this has been going on since i was very small. <b>over the years i have collected over 7 butterflies who've died in my presence</b>; a small number, but considering i'm just one person, it's a little strange. i don't have all of them any more, sadly. i didn't know how to take care of them and beetles ate some. i preserved 1 (a monarch) and have 2 others left (swallowtails).<br /><br /><b>04. i have a weird thing with numbers.</b> i'm not OCD in the least (unless you count organized), but there are some numbers i like, and some i just don't. numbers i like include 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 20, 21, and 22. usually the rules are most odd numbers, multiples of 5, and multiples of 11. 17 and 21 are two of my favourite numbers, but my favourite is 7. i was born on the 7th and it is a number of rebirth. <b>however, selecting a volume on the TV is incredibly difficult when i'm with my best friend, who only likes even numbers.</b><br /><br /><b>05. for a long time i only wore boys' clothing.</b> about 4 or 5 years. i still only own 4 pairs of "girls'" jeans, 2 of which were purchased just this past year, 1 of which i stole from the girl i'm seeing (she doesn't know she's not getting them back). however, regardless of this, i only own 2 pairs of sneakers--<b>but over 15 pairs of high heels</b>, all of which have heels only 4+ inches. i don't get to wear them very often, but i do have a thing for impressive heels.<br /><br /><b>06. i prefer phone calls to texts.</b> texting can make me anxious the way phone calls make people anxious. there's too much to misunderstand. <b>and if i'm waiting for a text and it's "not coming fast enough" for me, i actually put the phone away from me</b>. i physically have to move the phone so i'm not constantly staring at it wanting to get a text message. yeah, it's fucked, i know.<br /><br /><b>07. my first real kiss was in the bathroom of an all-girls Catholic school.</b> i was fifteen. it wasn't my school; it was a co-ed dance thing. i was working at a movie theatre at the time and a bunch of my coworkers went to the school. so a bunch of us went, about 4 or 5 from my own school. <b>it was also the night of my first breakup, with the very person i had kissed (oh teen relationships)</b>, the night i met the guy she'd choose over me, and the night i met my next girlfriend whose claim-to-fame quote would become "these slippers are complicated."<br /><br /><b>NOW I'M TAGGING</b>:<br />@<a href="http://twitter.com/mtart" target="_blank">mtart</a> - <a href="http://thetagline.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a><br />@<a href="http://twitter.com/jaredwsmith" target="_blank">jaredwsmith</a> - <a href="http://jaredwsmith.com/blog/" target="_blank">blog</a><br />@<a href="http://twitter.com/AdeleMcAlear" target="_blank">AdeleMcAlear</a> - <a href="http://www.adelemcalear.com/" target="_blank">blog</a><br />@<a href="http://twitter.com/faris" target="_blank">faris</a> - <a href="http://farisyakob.typepad.com/" target="_blank">blog</a><br />@<a href="http://twitter.com/gregverdino" target="_blank">gregverdino</a> - <a href="http://gregverdino.typepad.com" target="_blank">blog</a><br />@<a href="http://twitter.com/strawberrycough" target="_blank">strawberrycough</a> - <a href="http://chunkywedgepie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a><br />@<a href="http://twitter.com/caff" target="_blank">caff</a> - <a href="http://caffeinegoddess.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a><br />[& @<a href="http://twitter.com/juliaroy" target="_blank">juliaroy</a> - <a href="http://juliaroy.com" target="_blank">blog</a> if she magically hasn't already done it]<br /><br /><b>THE RULES</b>:<br />* Link to your original tagger(s) and list these rules in your post.<br />* Share seven facts about yourself in the post.<br />* Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs.<br />* Let them know they’ve been tagged<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-47624557981959406332008-12-08T13:28:00.003-05:002008-12-09T16:53:14.550-05:00make up Scrabble words this holiday.<img src="http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn217/thegirlriot/blog_images/scrabbletiles.jpg" align="left">face it, you'll likely be subjected to game night at some point this month. it just comes with the territory of more food than you need and family members you may or may not want to see. it's about the only thing every can decide won't be overly offensive to do together. so be prepared. <br /><br />--<a href="http://www.askoxford.com/worldofwords/newwords/?view=uk" target="_blank">know the new words</a> that made it into the Oxford English Dictionary this year. PS if you're playing with Merriam-Webster, you're a pansy. break out the big book.<br /><br />--be hip with the youngsters. modify the rules a bit and bring out the lingo. brush up using <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/" target="_blank">Urban Dictionary</a>, otherwise known as the directory for word vomit (check the page title).<br /><br />--throw caution to the wind. get your <a href="http://www.addictionary.org/" target="_blank">Addictionary</a> on. this is a favourite in my family. it's when you just make words up. you get to keep the word on the board if you can convince majority of players of a meaning for it.<br /><br />happy holidays, Scrabulous addicts, copywriters, and wannabe English types. this one's for you.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-44372042071375874862008-12-08T12:27:00.002-05:002008-12-08T13:24:34.758-05:00lost your i/denti/tee? get a new one.<img src="http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn217/thegirlriot/blog_images/identitee.png"><br /><br />this is a pretty sweet idea: lyrics on tee shirts. novel, i know.<br /><br />the concept is <a href="http://www.identitee.com" target="_blank">it has to start with "i."</a> because... they like that.<br />i'm not really sure why. <br /><br />i know it has nothing to do with iTunes other than that you get a free 10 iTunes songs with every tee purchase. that's pretty cool, admittedly, but that's also cos i'm a (legal) music download addict. a definite plus when their tees are $35 + S&H. <br /><br />it's socially conscious, too. from their FAQ:<br /><i>'Grow-to-sew' African means that from the cotton they source, through the spinning and knitting stages, all the way to the final logo print on the inside of every music tee - the benefit of each goes back to the people working on the product in sub-Saharan Africa</i>.<br /><br />only dilemma here? their lyrics are LAME. <br />of their <a href="http://www.identitee.com/shop.php" target="_blank">current 9-tee line</a>, the only one i can maybe relate to enough for purchasing... ok, well, none of them. and i even like Joan Jett by a lot. but for personalized feel, these "i" lyrics aren't really doing it for me.<br /><br />i actually went through and read all 200+ song lyrics you can vote for. i submitted another 20 or so (odd that you can't also say who the artist is). i have not yet seen any added to the 200+ choices for the new line.<br /><br />my suggestions included but were not limited to:<br />i am flawed if i'm not free [rilo kiley]<br />i won't sit nice & be quiet [the trucks]<br />i swear by my wrists that we're better than this [park]<br />i choose light i choose love [the submarines]<br />i want to be the car crash [snow patrol]<br />i am better with a pen [fall out boy]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-86786220789464360122008-12-08T11:58:00.003-05:002008-12-08T12:25:55.147-05:00Microsoft tries to be cool, again.<img src="http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn217/thegirlriot/blog_images/dos-1.jpg"><br /><br />avert your eyes, if you must, or see more <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10116530-1.html" target="_blank">here</a>. with a pun that would make <a href="http://copyranter.blogspot.com/2007/04/cole-drops-another-dirty-bomb.html" target="_blank">Kenny Cole jealous</a>, Microsoft is trying, yet again, to be relevant and cool <b>with "Softwear," 80s inspired Microsoft clothing</b>.<br /><br />to be fair, i owned a Microsoft PC up until this year. i do not hate Microsoft. i think Vista ("Mojave") was a terrible mistake of epic proportion and handled poorly, but that's about the extent of my hatred. <br /><br /><b>the bottom line is that Microsoft just isn't cool and they desperately, desperately want to be.</b> we have a computer company making clothing now. and a "conscious" rapper (whom i actually like, mind you) backing it up (that's a head trip). <br /><br />people make Apple and Microsoft tee shirts for the hell of it anyway. because they're fans. because they support the brand. but Apple is that kid who's cool without trying too hard. <b>Apple doesn't mean to throw epic parties... it just happens.</b> elegant, sophisticated, well-dressed. <br /><br />with Softwear, Microsoft is the less cool younger brother who wants to emulate and get a piece. <b>but Microsoft is automatically positioning themselves as 30 years old</b>. explain this to me. nostalgia? alright, maybe a little. but i just don't see it helping in the long run.<br /><br />...unless Microsoft really does start throwing parties.<br />maybe in Williamsburgh. so <a href="http://www.nypost.com/pagesixmag/issues/20081207/Bill+Murray+NYCs+New+Party+Boy" target="_blank">Bill Murray</a> can come.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-2137869671650601812008-12-08T11:30:00.004-05:002008-12-08T11:56:52.478-05:00you, my friend, are hella awkward.<img src="http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn217/thegirlriot/blog_images/i-was-an-awkward-kid.jpg" align="left">let me set a few things straight. yes, i'm a GenYer. yes, we are <A href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/guest-post-generation-y-in-the-workplace-explained/" target="_blank">wicked awesome</a> and good for business. but we are also hella awkward. and, my friend, most likely <b>you are too</b>.<br /><br />GenYers spend most of our days on the internet. but let's not kid ourselves. if you're reading this, you probably do too. you have a digi-positive 9-5; <b>you write emails, texts, and generally communicate with words first--voice second</b>; it's faster, sure. short of being Grandma who still (bless her heart) can't quite get all this new fangled stuff, <i>you are in danger. </i><br /><br />that's right.<br /><b>you're becoming more awkward.<br />and likely, less understood.</b><br /><br />that's the irony in this day and age. social networking. all points access to your friends 24/7. transparency to the enth. and yet, <b>you still have no idea what i'm saying.</b> and i'm an highly educated word-person-thingy. <br /><br />half our country is still leaving 'h' out of "wat" and using "c" in place of 'see,' etc. there is no diction, no word choice, to convey emotion behind the txting, beyond maybe an ambiguous ":)"--<b>and that is the primary mode of communication</B>.<br /><br />we're losing our body language, our vocal tone, our inclination to have conversations in real life, in person <i>as well as the skills needed to decode those aspects</i>.<br /><br /><b>we're just stuck in our heads</b>. the Googling of thoughts, we read and intonate what we want to. personalized communication, it is what i want it to be--not necessarily what you mean for it to be. <b>or so i'm noticing</b>.<br /><br />i had this issue this weekend. wanted to have a semi-serious chat with my sig other, who prefers only talking in txt (i prefer in-person). compromised, chatted on AIM (...no joke). and you know what? <b>i 'walked out' of that chat not at all confident that anything i said actually was understood.</b> the responses were just not on the level.<br /><br /><b>how do you combat your 'awkward' in an increasingly text-only driven world</b>? do you feel less understood more frequently, or does the "140 character limit" just get you off? are you more in your head, or less? can you even tell if a person is lying by looking at them any more, or do you trust the transparency of consonants and vowels?<br /><br />things to think about.<br /><br />[img <a href="http://draw.joshmillard.com/" target="_blank">via</a>.]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-251068692604071622008-12-05T14:26:00.003-05:002008-12-05T14:27:59.876-05:00friday feline: kitty cat dance<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DpA2tMrQ4RU&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DpA2tMrQ4RU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />epic, if only because of the voiceover. and i dance dance dance and i meow meow meow. that could be my theme song. anyway. i'm sure you are all tired of insubstantial (or absent) posts. i have 5 thoughtful ones coming. promise. it's just that my office is hella busy. tis the season? <br /><br />[via @<A href="http://www.twitter.com/irockiroll" target="_blank">irockiroll</a>, one of my fave people.]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-51775628758874679412008-12-01T14:52:00.004-05:002008-12-01T15:34:05.240-05:00twitter Secret Santa results & Feline Intervention<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlriot/3074298071/" title="Finishing up Blue Batch by thegirlriot, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3140/3074298071_c581e80fb8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Finishing up Blue Batch" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlriot/3074298375/" title="Almost done! by thegirlriot, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3015/3074298375_7cb57d5231_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Almost done!" /></a><br />so by popular vote, <b>my cat did indeed arrange the Secret Santa names</b>. it took me a few days to sort out just how i was going to do it, but i did indeed pull it off. if you followed my twitter stream, you know that by 11:11pm on Black Friday, all the names were matched up and i began sending out all the emails. <a href="http://twitter.com/jaredwsmith/status/1021244787" target="_blank">Jared</a> coined this process <b>feline intervention</b> and i am much amused by the term.<br /><br /><b>so how did my cat do it?</b> you can see the process on Flickr <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlriot/sets/72157610544773241/" target="_blank">for the photoset</a>. Phase I constituted getting her ready with a pregraming of catnip. i then sprinkled catnip over the "Blue Group" which had the names of all 21 participants as the recipient group. <b>as Socks licked a (catnip covered) paper, i put it to the side, in order.</b> did the same with the "Red Group" which was the giving group, again the same 21 names. Socks got bored halfway through the Red Group and had to be re-inspired with kitty treats.<br /><br /><b>a big thank-you to the 20 people who participated in the twitter Secret Santa along with me! your gifts should be to you by December 21st, if everyone is good. give our Santas all a follow and spread the love:</b><br /><br />@<a href="http://twitter.com/ValeriaL" target="_blank">ValeriaL</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/nalei" target="_blank">nalei</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/lovebabz" target="_blank">lovebabz</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/jaredwsmith" target="_blank">jaredwsmith</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/dnadeau" target="_blank">dnadeau</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/kylecameron" target="_blank">kylecameron</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/Adrigonzo" target="_blank">Adrigonzo</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/Faris" target="_blank">Faris</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/Dan_rosenberg" target="_blank">Dan_Rosenberg</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/fawndue" target="_blank">fawndue</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/Chells" target="_blank">Chells</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/ldwatters" target="_blank">ldwatters</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/elfster" target="_blank">elfster</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/samwithans" target="_blank">samwithans</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/heidirettig" target="_blank">heidirettig</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/AllisonNadeau" target="_blank">AllsionNadeau</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/caff" target="_blank">caff</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/windo" target="_blank">windo</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/jasonoke" target="_blank">jasonoke</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/cassondra" target="_blank">cassondra</a><br /><br />have a great season all! drink up on the egg nog, ravish the gingerbread, and stay away from the pasta necklaces <3<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-68839161138681449432008-11-24T17:00:00.001-05:002008-11-24T17:00:00.153-05:00funny after 5: Shiba Inu Dude Cam<img src="http://www.27bslash6.com/images/spider.gif" align="left">this is the funniest thing since <A href="http://www.27bslash6.com/overdue.html" target="_blank">the spider drawing</a>. if you thought the <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/channel/shiba-inu-puppy-cam" target="_blank">Shiba Inu Puppy Cam</a> was epic (and it is--it was even mentioned in Wired), or the supporting <a href="http://mightyreal.tumblr.com/post/58498433/puppycam" target="_blank">drinking game</a>, then you need to check out the <a href="http://www.stephenpetronis.com/dudeCam/" target="_blank">Shiba Inu Dude Cam</a>. guaranteed to make you giggle, and sometimes "aww," as much as the original. these guys are crazy and i love it.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-39230690801973425492008-11-24T12:02:00.009-05:002008-11-24T13:00:56.821-05:00Twitter Secret Santa<img src="http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn217/thegirlriot/blog_images/gift2.jpg" align="left">or Secret Snowflake, or whatever. basically, your shot to give & get this holiday season. <b>i am hoping that it will also encourage you to meet new people on twitter--especially if you get someone that you aren't already following!</b> <br /><br />this will be done in "real life," so the only mandates are that <i>you're on twitter and that you send me your real life address</i>. only 2 people will know it: me, and whomever your Secret person is who sends you stuff. <b>me, i'll burn my copies in my fireplace Christmas Eve and put a picture up of all the addresses burning.</b> :D<br /><br />here's who is in so far:<br />@<a href="http://twitter.com/jaredwsmith" target="_blank">jaredwsmith</a> @<a href="http://twitter.com/ldwatters" target="_blank">ldwatters</a> @<a href="http://twitter.com/windo" target="_blank">windo</a> @<a href="http://twitter.com/kylecameron" target="_blank">kylecameron</a> @<a href="http://twitter.com/faris" target="_blank">faris</a> @<a href="http://twitter.com/caff" target="_blank">caff</a> @<a href="http://twitter.com/Adrigonzo" target="_blank">Adrigonzo</a> <br /><br /><b>want in?</b> DM me @<a href="http://twitter.com/thegirlriot" target="_blank">thegirlriot</a> or email me @ thegirlriot[@]gmail[dot]com.<br /><br /><u>you CANNOT spend over $20 on the present.<br />you also should not spend less than $10.</u><br /><br />ALL PARTICIPANTS DM or email me the following:<br />--Your preferred address<br />--3 things you like. <br />(not items, but <i>things</i>... like knitting, True Blood, and candy corn.)<br /><br /><b><s>my cat will then pair us all up</b></s> i mean <a href="http://www.elfster.com/" target="_blank">elfster</a> (thanks Kyle!) and i will send each of you your secret person. you will be paired up by Black Friday (this Friday, the 28th). i can't monitor when you send out your gift, but it would be nice if you could have it <b>arrive by December 21st, in time for the full holiday season</b>. any questions, just comment! thanks.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-87991609116342912762008-11-24T11:11:00.007-05:002008-11-24T13:33:27.984-05:00on that live-streaming suicide...<img src="http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn217/thegirlriot/blog_images/love.jpg" align="left">some people found the whole thing repulsive, some folks blamed social media, but i just got really depressed and decided to watch PuppyCam after reading <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5203176.ece" target="_blank">an article on it</a>. after reading David's <a href="http://www.thesocialpath.com/2008/11/livestreaming-your-death-suicide-in-the-age-of-web-video.html" target="_blank">post</a>, i decided i did want to talk about it.<br /><br />i don't think it's about the fact that it was online, really. he was depressed from the outset. being online didn't make him more depressed. <b>i really think being in a chat room didn't make him more or less likely to commit suicide</b>. he seemed pretty intent on that, anyway. he talked about how he was going to do it, just as many people tend to do beforehand. in fact, it just seems like many other teen suicides:<br /><br />"<i>I have let everyone down and I feel as though I will never change or never improve. I am in love with a girl and I know that I am not good enough for her.</i>"<br /><br />and i don't mean that in a belittling way. as some of you know, i'm a major supporter of <a href="http://www.twloha.com/" target="_blank">To Write Love on Her Arms</a>, which is a charity in support of getting people help who deal with suicide, depression, and self-mutilation, among other aspects (you can donate via PayPal <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=kYwlJDvLNrGnpur08ybHGeHNqE0H2HR9ciUGCmeh4CvUechmMcAiO9Q-bsu&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f9fecf49521b3f5af8500b6262ba08c6a6c42096c47a6d044" target="_blank">here</a>). he loved a girl and didn't love himself enough (or didn't get enough love through relationships, hat tip to @<a href="http://twitter.com/mtartag" target="_blank">mtartag</a>) to discover whether or not he was 'good enough for her.' <b>and that just makes my heart hurt</b>.<br /><br />i think perhaps it was executed on justin.tv mainly as a last act of attention, of a version of love-seeking. i think the intent here was different, and in some way intriguing (after all, i favourited it on twitter), when @<a href="http://twitter.com/anniemal/status/849347690" target="_blank">anniemal said</a> "<b>if I'm going to die, I'm going to broadcast it. I'm not going out without an audience</b>." <br /><br />and yet, the heart of it isn't the broadcast. it's just bringing it to your attention because so many eyes are on it. <b>for once, you don't have to die alone</b>. you can die with a thousand people watching. you are not alone. <b>but you need to tell the kids that before they die</b>. the take-home message <b>isn't ban social media</b>, but instead <b>reach out and help them</b>. it's in your face. don't you think it's time to believe this isn't some "stupid teen thing"?<br /><br />"<i>But love is the answer to a question That I've forgotten But I know I've been asked And the answer has got to be love.</i>" - Regina Spektor <3<br /><br />PS: another effort in loving your fellow stranger, brought to you by zoomdoggle. <a href="http://zoomdoggle.com/2008/11/you-send-the-address-well-send-the-love-letter/" target="_blank">check it out</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-85070529855093135472008-11-24T11:07:00.002-05:002008-11-24T11:09:46.143-05:00interlude: just beautiful image<img src="http://i34.tinypic.com/verd3t.jpg"><br /><br />via <a href="http://leloveimage.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Le Love</a> via @<a href="http://twitter.com/andreafjeld" target="_blank">andreafjeld</a><br />check out Le Love if you want to feel all warm and glowy. or just jealous.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-33928310655000017092008-11-24T10:48:00.002-05:002008-11-24T11:06:03.770-05:00$20 if you can find me that Prego commercial*<img src="http://www.yummy.com/images/products/prego-marinara-orig.jpg" align="left">i have been scowling the net <a href="http://twitter.com/thegirlriot/status/1014896062" target="_blank">since last week</a> for the "newish" Prego commercial. <b>lemme set the scene for you.</b> medium shot of bowl of spaghetti. you understand it is spaghetti. a jar of sauce--literally, a jar--is dropped onto the spaghetti. bounces. unappetizing. pan right. bowl of spaghetti. SAUCE is poured on it. mmm. sauce. Prego. <b>"for when you want sauce, not a jar."</b> (paraphrase, but the intent is the same). <b>WTF?!?</b> hi. Prego IS IN A JAR. YOU EVEN PICTURE THE JAR. NEXT TO THE SAUCE ON THE PASTA. what creative director says, oh yes, let's use our unique selling point! we're not a jar sauce! we just happen to be <b>in a jar</b>. dumbasses.<br /><br />PS--want to laugh? i got more images of <a href="http://images.google.com/images?q=prego&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi" target="_blank">pregnant women</a> when image searching Google for Prego than the jar sauce. on the first page, Prego appears only once, at #3.<br /><br />*and by i will give you $20, i mean that <b>i will give you a <a href="http://www.27bslash6.com/overdue.html" target="_blank">drawing of a spider</a>.</b> for real, click that link. it's one of the funniest things i've seen this month. maybe ever. i'm half in love with Jane Gilles. because it wouldn't be anywhere near as funny if she hadn't gone along with it. <b>we need more people like her in the world. or at least in customer service.</b> so cheers to you, Jane and David.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-19493548889865386672008-11-24T10:16:00.005-05:002008-11-24T11:22:33.605-05:00it's Monday & i feel like complaining.i'm not one for complaining.<br />no really, i'm not. i may be cutting and snarky about shortcomings of things, but very rarely am i actually discontented and willing to chew your ear off about it. but in this case, as i'm procrastinating more substantive posts, i feel like complaining.<br /><br />1. <i>RESPECT VS AGENCY BATHROOMS.</i><br />i just went to the bathroom (congrats, i know). i walk in and the toilet... oh well hold on and let me explain. i work in a small agency. 2 bathrooms. 1 assumed as "men," the other "women," mainly due to <b>placement of urinal</b>. now. there are more men here than women (shockerrr!) and sometimes the men use the ladies' bathroom because their own esta occupado. i'm all for gender fluidity. so whatever. <b>problem?</b> put the goddamn toilet seat down. don't pee all over the place. or if you have to, <b>clean it the fuck up, gents, cos i'm not your mommy and i don't feel like it</b>. <br /><br />that being said, because of this i cannot attribute this morning's bathroom issue to male or female. all are suspect. bottom line? <b>if you take a crap, flush. wait. maybe flush again out of courtesy. because Monday morning i don't want to see a ring from the unflushed crap lying there after a whole weekend of fermentation</b>. thank you. and i approve this message.<br /><br />2. <i>POST ANXIETY & FEELING LIKE A DUMBASS</i><br />it is hard to get back into daily blogging. i didn't think it would be. i mainly blame this on the copious amount of braincells my fever killed. because i don't think i lacked opinions for a whole week (as i now have 8 posts in the docket). now that i'm back on my "A Game" (ha!) a few things have come to my attention and <b>remind me of my own stupidity:</b><br /><br /><a href="http://www.brandflakesforbreakfast.com/2008/11/behind-that-famous-o.html" target="_blank">the Obama logo</a>--there was an O in it? fuck me. i must be lame. i feel just like i did when i realized there was an arrow in FedEx. on another O note--i can't look at the Overstock logo without thinking of Oprah. <br /><br />secondly, most of you know i'm an Alice in Wonderland obsessive. my VHS broke like 6 years ago and my Disney copy has long since gone unwatched because of it. i don't know why i don't have a DVD copy. <b>it only dawned on my stupid ass yesterday that i could watch it online.</b> yeah, i'm a winner. social media ftw.<br /><br /><b>i suppose this is a good thing, because sometimes my ego and self confidence is larger than my body weight</b>. it's humbling to realize i'm still as stupid as i ever was. rock on.<br /><br />3. <i>TWILIGHT: A WASTE OF $27</i><br /><br /><b>WAIT HERE LET ME SUMMARIZE IT FOR YOU</b>: 40 minutes close up shots of two peoples' faces saying trite lines that are supposed to make me connect with the INTENSE DEEP EMOTIONS in their eyes. another 40 minutes of bullshit filler where we meet people who suddenly become friends for no reason. <br /><br />and then the rest of the godforsaken 2 hour movie is composed of a sparkly-faced man trying to save some chick's ass. but the only worthwhile part--<b>the fight scene</b>--is quick and anticlimactic, 20 mins at best. <b>please blow some more shit up</b> because it's boring me to tears.<br /><br />i realize that for fans of the books the movie may have been better, <b>because you read the story and know innately, in that way you can recite, exactly what Bella and Edward were "saying" during those scenes where to me it just looks like they're eye-fucking each other</b>. but for me, it was just tedious and lame. i can has money back nao? for a funnier, more accurate summary of the movie, <a href="http://bigaction.blogs.com/big_action/2008/11/twilight-for-guys-kinda.html#more" target="_blank">check out this guy</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-90905380522821275662008-11-13T14:38:00.002-05:002008-11-13T14:44:21.000-05:00what runs at a speed of 104?<img src="http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn217/thegirlriot/blog_images/sicknov.png"><br /><br />my brain, boiling. ok, not boiling. but my fever is pretty intense. nyQuil and i have again entered into a secret, torrid love affair.<br /><br />i swear i will be back in full gear shortly. please, please bear with me =/ i will catch up on followers and blog posts when i can type a coherent post without needing spell check every 2 seconds.<br /><br />meanwhile, i have had a lot of time to compare and contrast various soup commercials... i enjoy how they're as targeted as video game consoles. oh niche.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-66512662609777687802008-11-07T13:31:00.006-05:002008-11-07T16:13:00.513-05:00i can has change nao?<img src="http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn217/thegirlriot/blog_images/FQrCVmcHUfxovwm3Ad79MCUNo1_500.jpg"><br /><br />it's official. lolcats have made it to the white house. alright, clearly not. but it enabled me to have a good friday feline giggle at the same time as address the new <a href="http://www.change.gov" target="_blank">change.gov</a> that debuted. <br /><br />of course there's been <b>considerable buzz around the launch of the presidential-elect blog and website</b>, since it carries his campaign past his election, which some folks thought would end when the road to the white house did. granted, people are still wondering what he's going to do with his new phone list.<br /><br /><b>i like this "transparency"</b> and carry-through... though it does make me wonder how it will effect the reception of his years as President. if he makes good on promises, it could be a great thing. if he doesn't, it could be detrimental, moreso than previous politicians' promises.<br /><br />but back to the "phone lists" and all the involvement the Obama army has had. will there be a way for them to <b>continue to stay involved?</b> i'm sure that will be resolved if the folks running his web2.0 stuff are as clever as they've been so far. "tell us your story" is <b>a typical, if nice, gesture.</b> as of right now, you can't leave comments on his blog.<br /><br /><b>how much involvement do you think is appropriate in this new "2.0" presidency?</b><br />UPDATE: & then there's this... <a href="http://obamachangefor.us/" target="_blank">obamachangefor.us</a> and his <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/barackobamadotcom/" target="_blank">flickr</a>.<br /><br />&PS>> if you're still here just for kitties and puppies, someone made up a drinking game to go with the live puppy stream i mentioned yesterday. find it <a href="http://mightyreal.tumblr.com/post/58498433/puppycam" target="_blank">here</A>. i chose Autumn. happy weekend! <br /><br />[<i>img <a href="http://ranajune.com/post/58196230/omfg" target="_blank">via</a>.</I>]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-67818171533739435762008-11-06T15:49:00.003-05:002008-11-24T12:00:15.328-05:00busy sucking at life.hey kids. i have not disappeared. things just got massive busy. i will be doing posts tomorrow. even some of substance. to make up for the silence this week. big projects eat my life. <br /><br />but i have comments on things, including Andy Warhol and how he applies to social media. so there. in the meanwhile... check out <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/channel/shiba-inu-puppy-cam#" target="_blank">a live stream of these puppies</a>. they will make your life better. <b>8000+ viewers at a time can't be wrong.</b><br /><br />and if for some reason you still need me, want me, oh baby, oh baby, then as always infiltrate <a href="http://twitter.com/thegirlriot" target="_blank">my twitter stream</a>. sometimes i say valid advertising and social media things. sometimes it's just a better look at my own randomness. but it's always entertaining ;)<br /><br />xxo<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-17336247133450467622008-10-31T11:00:00.002-04:002008-10-31T11:05:57.638-04:00friday felines: cutness will always win.<b>Breaking Bad News with Baby Animals</b>.<br /><br /><img src="http://breakingbadnewswithbabyanimals.com/ecards/images/image-517fbf9455068e6d2e72368550b9abc0-dontmatter.jpg"><br /><br />got some bad news? grandma's dead? <a href="http://breakingbadnewswithbabyanimals.com/ecards/test.html" target="_blank">say it with a puppy</a>. oh, you mean your 401k is royally fucked and you're now paying its loans? <a href="http://breakingbadnewswithbabyanimals.com/ecards/test.html" target="_blank">say it with a kitten</a>. it's a far cry from the sophistication of <a href="http://someecards.com" target="_blank">someecards</a>, but i do think they're on to something.<br /><br />[via <a href="http://www.brandflakesforbreakfast.com/2008/10/everything.html" target="_blank">brandflakesforbreakfast</a> via <a href="http://www.yesbutnobutyes.com" target="_blank">yesbutnobutyes</a>.]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-22122210856945625722008-10-31T10:27:00.004-04:002008-10-31T10:59:41.680-04:00good, bad, ugly: all hail the pumpkin king<img src="http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn217/thegirlriot/blog_images/JackHesSoCool.jpg" align="left">other places to be! Halloween link haze, loves.<br /><br /><b>THE GOOD</b>:<br />+ <a href="http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2008/10/joshua-hoffine-brings-your-nightmares.html" target="_blank">Joshua Hoffine's Horror Photography</a> -- badass. take the look. i love the wolf one and the clown one... least fave is probably baby with spider or hands under the bed.<br />+ <a href="http://pzrservices.typepad.com/advertisingisgoodforyou/2008/10/swedish-media-c.html" target="_blank">Swedish Dawn-till-Dusk Ads</a> -- i like the split effect; freakin' sweet. almost makes you want to turn into something at nightfall. almost.<br /><br /><b>THE BAD</b>:<br />+ <a href="http://geeksofdoom.com/2008/10/30/four-real-life-things-that-are-creepier-than-hlloween/" target="_blank">4 Real-Life Things That are Creepier Than Halloween</a> -- arguable. i actually don't find most of this creepy, except maybe that last bit, about the cat feces.<br />+ <a href="http://www.cubpack81.com/images/carve_pumpkin.swf" target="_blank">Online Pumpkin Carving</a> -- tricky, like most .swf type "fun." you just wish you could make one puke like <a href="http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn217/thegirlriot/blog_images/image001.jpg" target="_blank">this</a> (photo courtesy coworker, Steve).<br /><br /><b>THE UGLY</b>:<br />+ <A href="http://wtfcostumes.com/" target="_blank">WTFCostumes</a> -- dot com, of course. but omfg is that doesn't house some of the worst costume ideas ever... i don't know where does.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-6751056368591963282008-10-30T17:00:00.000-04:002008-10-30T17:00:17.301-04:00is that a banana in your pocket......or are you just happy to see me? <br />--why yes, yes <b>it is actually a banana in my pocket.</b><br /><img src="http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn217/thegirlriot/blog_images/1028081854.jpg"><br />[<i>noticed on the Dole bananas chillin' on my dining room table.</i>]<br />[<i>apologies for blur. env2 phone not the most awesome at photos.</i>]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-3357009604669622182008-10-29T15:26:00.002-04:002008-10-29T15:31:18.911-04:00music videos now online via mtv.in case you are living under a very tiny rock and haven't yet heard about this, i give to you <a href="http://www.mtvmusic.com" target="_blank">mtvmusic</a>.com. that's right. <b>mtv has become so NOT about the music that now their digital is about the music</b>. so really it should be monline? mcom? mnet? digim? im? oh wait, that's taken. anyway. <b>point being</B> all those music videos you love and miss and only see shitty quality of on youtube, they're all at mtvmusic.com now. party on. <b>as a halloween gift, here's the extended version of Thriller</b>, using mtvmusic.<br /><br /><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtvmusic.com:26726" width="320" height="271" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashVars="dist=http://www.mtvmusic.com" allowFullScreen="true" AllowScriptAccess="never"></embed> <div style="margin:0; text-align:center; width:320px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:10px;"><a style="color:#000000;" href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/jackson_michael/artist.jhtml">Michael Jackson</a> |<a style="color:#000000;" href="http://www.mtvmusic.com/">MTV Music</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-13868969552320158612008-10-29T15:04:00.002-04:002008-10-29T15:23:02.616-04:00money, myspace, & music, oh my.on another note, i've been playing around a fair amount with the new Myspace Music interface. and since Myspace is clearly trying to position--<a href="http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com/2008/04/music-and-myspace-who-would-have.html" target="_blank">as it should</a>--itself as a big player in music sharing&caring, i have had thoughts on the matter.<br /><br />as it currently stands, <b>users can add songs listed by bands' pages to their own playlists, which display on their profiles</b>. previously, a user could only have 1 song on their profile page. now you can have whole playlists. that is the one major change given by Myspace Music. but <b>i think they can push it farther.</b><br /><br /><img src="http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn217/thegirlriot/blog_images/myspacethekills.png"><br />as you can see above, "Download" is not available. this is often the case.<br /><br />they're still entrusting me to purchase songs from iTunes, Amazon, or however else i might get them. <b>this is problematic</b>, especially as many of Myspace's bands aren't signed, or more underground--that's, you know, that thing they're trying to foster along with the bigger names. <b>i should be able to buy my music from Myspace</b>, especially from the lesser known bands that <b>i can't get</b> from iTunes etc.<br /><br />also, it would be a big community pull if there were band-user incentives regarding music. like if a band has a new album coming out, i should be able to buy songs off that album at a discounted price <b>providing</b> i put those songs on my profile page for X amount of days (say, 7). that way, you get advertising, i get discounted music. things like that.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710275090050158089.post-85275067613031705682008-10-29T14:26:00.004-04:002008-10-29T15:01:56.846-04:00you make me wanna... LaLa.com?it's time for 3 music posts. first on the menu: <b>muxtape meets iTunes</b> for your online music needs. if you haven't already heard about this new it-toy, you should look into it. it hasn't converted me from iTunes yet, but it has me poking around and it's definitely worth the curiosity invested.<br /><br /><u>the short of it:</u><br />6 million tracks (+counting). you can listen to any song <b>once for free</b>; no "thirty second preview." currently there are no ads and no subscription fees. just sign up and listen. if you want to <b>listen again, you pay</b> based on <b>what</b> you're licensing for... <b>web only</B> is 10 cents, mp3 <b>download</b> is 79--cheaper than iTunes. if you already own a song, they 'move' it to your purchased tracks for free. <br /><img src="http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn217/thegirlriot/blog_images/lalagraph.png"><br />oh and yeah, there's that <b>social aspect</b> where you can add friends, and a last.fm style <b>graphic</b> aspect where i know what kind of style of music a person is into on a sliding scale. it also has this "CD trading" feature you can do, but i don't know what that is yet. and for what it's worth, so far they seem to have most of the stuff i've looked for, including my more esoteric choices. <b>okay, they didn't have Emily's Sassy Lime,</b> but at least they knew the band existed.<br /><br /><u>and so forth...</u><br />so this is being hailed as something of a <b>breakthrough in music distribution</b>. i mean, it's cheaper, and that's a plus, but since it's newer, it's not as integrated. i will need more time before i surrender the awesome that is iTunes. it does seem like a step forward from last.fm and muxtape, merging the social with the purchasing directly, <b>as well as offering a space for all of it to be held purely online</b> if one should so desire. this is a plus for organizational types and i'm sure a few other 'types' as well; the lack of a subscription fee with an iTunes-like purchase system is just an added bonus.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://thegirlriot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></div>the girl Riot™http://www.blogger.com/profile/00752151144196332429noreply@blogger.com1