We are the Ones

I am becoming more of an Obama girl every time I hear him speak, and this video seems like a good one to pass on. Yay for Adrienne Palicki being in it.

in 25 days....

It will soon be my blogoversary for this here page, back in 2004 when I was getting geared up for The Duchess of Malfi, my last school show, and making sure that I had all of the requirements figured out so that I would finish school in December with a degree. Which, thankfully (and quite possibly due to Mr. TANBI's academic wrangling) worked out ok in the end, because I have the giant C-sheet diploma, and the smaller wallet-sized version, that announces to anyone hanging out behind my bookcase (where I keep the darn thing in its big folder inside the big mailer) that I got by BFA in Drama.

So, I want to have a contest of some sort. The trouble is, should it be an entertainment industry sort of contest, a knitting sort of contest, a get-Katy-a-new-job contest? I liked doing the photo scavenger hunt from Erin's blog, but I also think it would be fun to have a contest where the winner was whoever made me laugh or just a random number generator, so I could get lots of comments.

Then, there are prizes. Not everyone (or even most folks) who have stopped by over here are knitters, so I'm not certain that yarn is a good prize. But maybe yarn for knitters and knitted potholders for non-knitters?

I know that I don't post much, but that's the beauty of the aggregator feeds, you can still leave me on the list, no muss, no fuss. So, for the first round here at the Mixer, for the first 4 days, until the counter says that it is 20 days until the blogoversary (so, midnight Saturday, in whatever time zone I decide I'm living in) I am taking suggestions for a blogoversary contest. The prizes (up to 3) will be based on discussion with the winners. Winners will be determined either by their idea being chosen (in whole or in part) or random number generator. If you get other people to stop on by with an idea and say that you sent them, you get an extra chance towards winning. Points for zaniness, unfeasible schemes, creativity and ease of administration. Also, if any suggestion has the distinct flavor of a J. Milo Train-generated idea, that person will probably win.

Thanks and take care!

Launched

I actually put stuff up in the Etsy shop tonight, and added some Etsymini code to the sidebar of this here blog. I have more record bowls to put up over the next few days, as well as a shop banner to scan, notebooks and flowers to photograph and an application to contribute to the Sampler to put in.

Go, look, heart and give me feedback!

Scalzi is hilarious, Florida is weird... more obvious statements coming up soon

When Stupid People Do Stupid Things, And Then Do Even Stupider Things (Whatever)

Go read this, laugh, shake your head and click the RSS feed button in your browser if you don't already subscribe to Whatever.

Screw, Marry, Kill, err... Tried, Love, Hate?... Always, Sometimes, Maybe, Never?

From Bella Knitting, via Karen via Grumperina:

4. Love it! This is my thing.
knitting, spinning (wheel and spindle), teaching knitting and spinning (but still learning!)

3. I do or have dabbled in it.
baking, book binding, candle making, collage, crochet, drawing, dyeing, etching, embroidery and cross-stitch, felting, flower arranging, gift wrapping, graphic design (blogging, basic web design, image processing), needlepoint, origami, painting, paper making, papier-mache, photography, sewing, weaving, welding

2. I'll give it a try.
applique, basket weaving, beading, blacksmithing, calligraphy, card making, decorating, designing/pattern writing, doll house making, gardening, glass bead making, glass blowing, inventing, iron forging, knife making, lace making (needle lace, cutwork, Hardanger), macrame, millinery, mosaics, pattern editing, pysanky (Ukranian eggs), quilting, stuffed toy making, tatting, video/filmmaking, wood burning, wood carving, writing

1. I have absolutely no interest.
acting, balloon animal making, cartooning, cooking, doll making, jewelry making, lucet, poetry, pottery, rug hooking, scrapbooking, soap making, shibori, stamping, storytelling

0. What the hell is that? Maybe I'd like it.
quilling, straw marquetry, string art

A contest!

Shelly Kang of "let's bury her house in yarn!" and the modular sock yarn blankie fame, is having a contest. The winner gets a copy of Victorian Lace Today and a skein of beautiful white laceweight yarn. She will even dye the yarn if the winner wishes.

So why am I telling you? Because if you go over there, and enter (just leave your email address in the comment) and tell her that I sent you (I suspect that Katy is good enough, but its not like my full name is much of a secret), then I get another entry in the hat.

I know that many of you are not knitters. That does not matter. Go over there, enter, tell her I sent you, and if you happen to win, have her send the prize to me, and I will send you a prize of some sort (TBD depending on who the winner is and what they would consider a good prize) for helping me win.

Go, now, yes, you! Enter the contest, and help me win a book and yarn! Why? Because you love me, and I'm a wool pig.

Clean Design, Meta Search

I just found this site through an ad next to an email exchange on my gmail account, and well, I really do like it. It is Kayak.com and it searches all the travel sites. My favorite part though is how you can tweak the results on the side panel, so that it will just show you, say, the flights that are in the price range that you are actually interested in, or if you want to try adding one of the other airports nearby.

Another nice thing is that it shows you the price on Orbitz and on the airline's direct website, so that you can once and for all know that its a better deal to go direct. I think that I will be using Kayak instead of Orbitz from now on. It satisfies my inner geek more.

Calling all Knitters!

This shirt is out of print at Threadless, but if enough people ask for it to be reprinted, they just might. So make a difference, make some argyle sheep!

Via Theresa

Should've been released on 3-14

How many different kinds of pie can you think of? Mr. Dobson seems to have come up with quite a few. Does anyone know what pork pie is?

Is this me?

If you play with it (and someone obviously did because it changed), please leave a comment, because I'm curious about how many people will do that.

Map of Online Communities by XKCD.com which is very amusing. Some thoughts that this map brings to mind: How are there more people on Xanga than on LiveJournal? Are there really that many teenagers in the world? Who actually uses Windows Live? I wonder what a chart that showed all the overlapping memberships would look like... SourceForge totally belongs in the SE corner of the map, right where it is, in the Focus on the Web-Focus on the Intellectual area... how big of a geek am I that I knew that WoW was World of Warcraft? (thanks to Lisa and Roger, btw)

Found on Threadless

Sandra of I May Be Knitting a Ranchhouse is coveting this as a hoodie, and I don't know how I missed it in the Threadless newsletter, but, well, now I'm coveting it too. I may be a follower, but so are sheep, and I like sheep, so its ok.

This one is also quite fun (and new too!):


This is one that I might consider picking up for a sock knitting pal:


I know another sock knitter who this would be great for (but not because she knits socks):


And this shirt is pretty much showing the reason that I don't play Scrabble anymore:

Its not that I hate getting shitty tiles, its that I cheat when I get crappy tiles towards the end of the game, and that just isn't a good way to play the game.

This is one that I should get for myself:


Mr. Peoples probably said this more than once in school, but he is super with the camera. Maybe this is the shirt for him:


That is all the Threadless fun I will torture you with today.

Just call me Captain Cook!

What Kind of Knitter Are You?

You appear to be a Knitting Adventurer. You are through those knitting growing pains and feeling more adventurous. You can follow a standard pattern if it's not too complicated and know where to go to get help. Maybe you've started to experiment with different fibers and you might be eyeing a book with a cool technique you've never tried. Perhaps you prefer to stick to other people's patterns but you are trying to challenge yourself more. Regardless of your preference, you are continually trying to grow as a knitter, and as well you should since your non-knitting friends are probably dropping some serious hints, these days.http://marniemaclean.com Take this quiz!

Cheaper than the Gap!

If you like to knit socks, or use sock yarn, or wish to encourage others to knit you socks, go check out the Little Knits sock yarn sale. You can get enough sock yarn to make a pair of superwash wool socks with a clever little pattern for less than $7. Can't beat that with a stick.

I have a bunch of sock yarn, but I'm still thinking of ordering some of the more "manly" color schemes for Dad and Uncle socks for Christmas time and future knitting.

Just figured that I'd put this PSA out there for any knitters that happen on by.

I don't get it

I frequently peruse the job listings on Craigslist. There are many jobs that list "Blueprint reading a plus" or "must be able to read blueprints". These are not jobs for nursing or phone answering (where the skill is not necessary, obviously), but instead, they are jobs for working on a construction site or as an estimator or a project manager. Who can't read a blueprint and still has any idea what they are making? A blueprint is a picture, to scale, with some ridiculously obvious and logical conventions, and perhaps some notes, of the thing you are trying to make.

Did you see that phrase? the thing you are trying to make. How would you even think that you could do that job if you couldn't read a drawing? And if you can read (really, that's a necessary job for pretty much every job, and how did you get to a CraigsList posting without that very basic skill?) and figure out how to make the thing, and use a measuring device, how could you not be able to read a blueprint?

I understand that sometimes you have crappy drawings to work with, or they don't all match up, and there is some skill in analyzing a drawing, but I don't really see how this is even something you would put in a job listing or on your resume. I don't write "can do math through pre-calculus" or "mastered high school algebra" on my resume, nor do I add "successfully uses a scale rule on a daily basis" or "familiar with Cartesian plane geometry". That is assumed. Kind of like how you figure that I can read and write to the level that is demonstrated with my resume and cover letter.

For those of you out there in the construction field, or who write such ads, what's up with even mentioning blueprint reading?

When I'm feeling blue

This is my favorite flickr! search these days just for general happiness.

*****************************

A small list, instead of ellipses: (warning to the boys, I was observing stuff in the drugstore while waiting for a prescription last night)

• What are "Sport" tampons and why does anyone need them? Do they wick the sweat out of your hoohah? Are they more aerodynamic? Can you jump higher and run faster?
  
• How did the product testing work to end up with "mistable" personal lubricant?
• Who cares if something is manly or not if you like it?
  
• What would happen if you use the Anti-Poof Shampoo and Conditioner and the Anti-Flat styling creme? Would it be like you did nothing at all?
• If I don't knit socks (see: too loose of gauge for everything) why am I so drawn to sock yarn?
• Does Meg Swansen have an unmarried son or grandson or nephew? I want to be related to that family. (can you tell I've been re-reading EZ books this weekend?)
  

All in one Clearance Sale

I'm not as cool as Sarah Louise, so I didn't tweak the text at all, but look, my brain is blue! I like the color blue.

Your Brain is Blue

Of all the brain types, yours is the most mellow. You tend to be in a meditative state most of the time. You don't try to think away your troubles. Your thoughts are realistic, fresh, and honest. You truly see things as how they are. You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about your friends, your surroundings, and your life.

What Color Is Your Brain?

You Are a Mac

You are creative, stylish, and super trendy. You demand the best - even if it costs an arm and a leg.

Are You a Mac or a PC?

You've Changed 48% in 10 Years

You've done a good job changing with the times, but deep down, you're still the same person. You're clothes, job, and friends may have changed some - but it hasn't changed you.

How Much Have You Changed in 10 Years?

You Communicate With Your Body

This isn't as bad as it sounds, it just means that you're a "touchy-feely" person. You need a lot of affection in your life. And for you, this means both giving and receiving little touches. Warm hearted, you bond with people easily. In fact, you often feel a little sad when you're not in the company of others. A little moody, you tend to be controlled by your emotions. But a bit hug always comforts you!

How Do You Communicate?

You Are 37% Sexy

Your Sex Appeal Is: Average You're about as sexy as the average person on the street. There's no secret to gaining more sex appeal - you just need to be a bit bolder!

How Much Sex Appeal Do You Have?

You Don't Hold a Grudge

You're willing to give almost anyone a second chance, even if they've really wronged you. Incredibly forgiving and compassionate, you understand that people sometimes change for the better.

Do You Hold a Grudge?

You Are Indigo

Of all the shades of blue, you are the most funky, unique, and independent. Expressing yourself and taking a leap of faith has always been easy for you.

What Color Blue Are You?

Your 1996 Theme Song Is: Ironic by Alanis Morisette

It's like rain on your wedding day It's a free ride when you've already paid It's the good advice that you just didn't take Who would've thought ... it figures

What's Your 1996 Theme Song?

Your Movie Buff Quotient: 48%

You are well on your way to becoming a movie buff. You've seen many of the great films, and you have even probably developed an expertise in a few genres.

Are You a Movie Buff?

Your Preppy Name Is...

Stockton Danforth Corcoran the Third But most people know you as Babs

What's Your Preppy Name?

How green is your school?

How green is your school? Here is how mine stack up: (warning, grades link to PDF documents)

Fall 1998-Spring 1999: University of Minnesota, B-
Fall 2000-Spring 2003, Fall 2004: Carnegie Mellon University, C+
Fall 2003-Spring 2004: Yale University, B+

The word university in each line links to the main school page, the name of the school links to the program/department that I was in. The grades are how the schools' endowments do on environmental sustainability issues, not what my GPA was.

Halved!

I tend to compulsively save email addresses in my GMail contact list. It has clearly gotten out of control, so I just went through and deleted all of the addresses that fit any of the following criteria:

• Anonymous Craigslist address from answering an ad
• Old CMU address for someone that I know hasn't been affiliated with the school for quite some time
• Entries with nothing that clues me in to why I would know this person or ever need the address again

With just those three criteria, I deleted 288 entries with 289 remaining. Some of the remaining entries are questionable, but I didn't want to accidentally delete something that I would need again in the future.

quick and lame

But in my continued google fangirlness, I have registered a domain for the sole purpose of setting up a website using Google apps for your domain.

I am planning a knitting roundup post in the very near future (probably this weekend), and in the mean time, a short ellipses:

beer after knitting guild is a very good idea... we "go live" with the new rental software tomorrow... Mrs. TANBI has a new, full-time gig, yay for her!... its finally seasonal weather here in Chicago... The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is top notch, well, at least as much as I've read (350 of 487 pages)... I think that I should get the starter in my car replaced... how does one become a software developer??? I think that with all of my strong opinions about user interface and human-computer interaction, I need to learn how to fix the problems myself... which is why, in the end, I don't like being a manager very much... Rose Brand East is moving to NJ, no phone or email on Friday... definitely need to go grocery shopping tomorrow... Natalie leaves for Denmark on Saturday