Recently in Peeperie Category

Facebook friends have started commenting, a few of them, on the decline in blogging. Most seem to be melancholy, and one person actually resurrected a defunct blog of his today.

That got me to thinking about my blogs, and the blogs I followed, and then updating my RSS feeds, and fixing some broken things in my own blog and ... It's a bit like when you go to fix a sandwich and notice that something smells in your fridge and next thing you know, it's hours later, all the contents of your refrigerator are strewn about the kitchen, you're elbow deep in suds and rags but you still haven't had a sandwich.

The reasons I have slowed way, way down on my blogging are many and include the time I now spend on Facebook. When I'm not working, or working out, or walking the dogs, or going out with friends for hot stone coconut oil Swedish massages, I can probably be found faffing about on Facebook. Nearly all my bloggy buddies are there. My old Usenet buds, too. Lots of real life friends. Family members. Cow-orkers, present and former.

Here's the deal: blogs are navel-gazing one-to-many deals. I write. You (might) come and read. You get to comment and maybe others will comment, but in the end, it's massive amounts of me versus little bits of you. While I adore that y'all're coming here to see me, it's not quite as fulfilling as it could be. If I want to go see you, I have to, well, go. See you. I maintain a "blogrole" of peeps to make it a bit easier for me to go over to where you all are, but I still have to go there. If you haven't written anything new, it's a bit of a wasted trip. If I use an RSS feed I don't have to waste the trip, but it's still something "outside" of my own blog. So my blog is contained and a bit lonely.

Facebook manages to retain that navel-gazing aspect, but becomes a many-to-many deal. I write smaller capsules. You are there already, commenting and your own capsules of self-indulgent information are all there. We have multiple conversational threads going. I get notifications of when someone has said something. The world has expanded manyfold. It's fractal living.

Nevertheless, the format is a bit restricting. My capsules of me-ness are limited. When I have lots to say, I have to say it in many takes. To edit, I have to delete the previous one and try again. Facebook has its downside as well.

Maybe there is room -- and time -- for both.

Bacon. Or Ancho and Chipotle. Or ginger, wasabi and black sesame seeds. Or hickory smoked almonds and gray sea salt.

And chocolate. Each of the above, with chocolate.

Who knew?

These guys apparently do, and, thankfully, so does a peep at my company who introduced me to these odd delicacies.

I'd share, but I'm afraid I ate all of mine. If you get some, you'll share with me, though. Right?

Ummm, Paula, maybe you shouldn't serve teh flying choccie pig during your holiday festivities.

I guess I am. I've been playing with Wii Fit -- my son and I are in a sort of competition.

For those who do not know what a "Wii Fit" is -- or even what a Wii (pronounced "wee") might be -- lissen up. First: get out of that cave. Now. Second: Wii is a game console by game maker Nintendo. It differs from other game consoles (such as Sony Playstations 1, 2, or 3, GameCube, XBox, or, for you geezers, Atari) in that the device you use as a controller is wireless, you grip it in your hand, and interact with the game by aiming it at the television screen (or whatever you use to display the game) and moving it. So games like bowling, tennis, and boxing are naturals for it. It enables the player to mimic the moves he'd make if he were really playing that sport. While gripping the controller tightly (with a wrist strap, just in case you accidentally let go), you swing your hand in an underhand toss as you might a bowling ball and watch the ball on the screen roll down the alley. You can put some spin on the ball by flicking your wrist. You can throw a fast ball or a slow one, depending on your swing. The controller has feedback, too. It rumbles, buzzes, and makes sounds that go with the game, depending on what you do.

You create a Mii -- an avatar that represents you in the game.

So Wii Fit is a fitness game. For this, you need to purchase a different controller -- a balance board you stand on. It senses the weight you're placing on it at different points, calculating your center of gravity, and you can engage in a variety of games and exercises and have it "correct" your stance. You earn points by how well you perform the activities while maintaining a steady center of gravity. The more you use it, theoretically, the stronger your abdominal muscles get enabling you to have correct posture and strong "core" muscles.

So I totally school my son at the various yoga poses (nearly -- I am not so steady on one legged poses), but he's got me beat when it comes to jackknifes, push-ups, and other more physically intense activities.

I like the rhythm step aerobic activity, and the hula hoops. I also like the rhythm boxing. It's a fun way to exercise.

Anyway, you can share your Mii with other game consoles. The Wii is capable of connecting to the Internet -- over a Wii-fi connection, or directly wired to your router. If you have a Wii, and want to play with my Mii, send me your console # and I'll add you to my Wiidress book.

Archer found this thingie. Archer rocks. So I aimed it at my blog.

The independent and problem-solving type. They are especially attuned to the demands of the moment are masters of responding to challenges that arise spontaneously. They generally prefer to think things out for themselves and often avoid inter-personal conflicts.

The Mechanics enjoy working together with other independent and highly skilled people and often like seek fun and action both in their work and personal life. They enjoy adventure and risk such as in driving race cars or working as policemen and firefighters.

Yes, I usually drive my race car to both my cop day job and my firechick night job.

There's a brain activity chart they show, too, that covers most of the left half of the brain, what with Thinking (logic 'n shit) and Practicality and Sensing (Order, Habit and Details). So troo, so troo. It also has a wee lobe shooting over to iNtuition (imagination). So maybe I only imagine that I drive a race car to my adventurous jobs.

Gotta question the "avoid inter-personal conflicts" result. Troll here, hello?

But I often like seek fun and action. That's the credo of Geek Girldom.

Go do your thingie and report back, 'k?

Get yours here: http://www.sp-studio.de/

Hat tip: Sylvia, Supreme Ruler of Usenet newsgroup misc.writing

[hattip] Miz UV

r00lz:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you've eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart (gaaah! reconstituted canine guts!)
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (plum wine)
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese (ITA w/UV: gak)
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper (hhhhhaaaowww!)
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi (prolly not cuz watery yogurt sounds icky)
34. Sauerkraut (ew! ew ew ew ew EW!)
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (but I hates cigars, so ...)
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (bugs flying into your mouth don't count)
43. Phaal
44. Goat's milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel (my fave sushi)
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin (but it was icky, so I won't do it again)
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi (pickled sour plum -- is good!)
53. Abalone ('nother icky one)
54. Paneer
55. McDonald's Big Mac Meal (But after the Teeny Beanie craze a number of years ago, never again. Mickey D's truly makes me feel ill)
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV (not a fan of beer anyway)
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S'mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin (only little kids eat dirt)
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs' legs (way greasy, though)
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis (I'd try it at least once)
69. Fried plantain (nom!)
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiun
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail (yik!)
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare (assuming rabbit counts)
87. Goulash
88. Flowers (great salad toppers!)
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam (yucky)
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake (sans rattles)

I had a choice: write a blog entry, or fix the reCaptcha thing so that boots could have his precious "preview" when he deigned to leave a comment.

So the comments should work now, with the reCaptcha spam-avoidance thingie, whether you are self-secure enough to just send your words winging through the wires, or like bootsie and you have to review them before you can let them go.

Maybe I'll write a real blog entry tomorrow.

Least I have one. boots isn't man enough to have a blog ... <grumble>