Random Friday #28

xmlchar with an Attitude
When you look up Xmichra on Google, you get one smooth-talking Canadian. Actually, you get a suggestion that you really meant xmlchar, and it drones on about xmlchar stylesheets. But then if you surf to read about stylesheets, you miss Xmichra 's Life List.

Hostess with the Mostess
WIXY invites new people to his blog, and well, I just don't do it. I am not that much of a hostess. I used to be a great hostess. I have had posts in the past that have been clever, and also have given back to those who read my posts (which is essentually what WIXY does). Once, I had a post where I gave "virtual Christmas presents" to some of my frequent commenters. The post went over really well, as I knew a bit about them from their blogs and made the gifts personal. I also made a post for Academy Awards, and which of my blogger buddies would win which award (again, being bother personal and hopefully funny). It may have all started with a post about assumptions I make about the people who frequently comment on my blog.

I have not done a similar post in some time, for two reasons: (1) these posts take a lot of work, and (2) I have a much smaller audience now. For those of you who have a loyal following, this is a way of giving back to your most frequent commenters. Granted, it does not have appeal outside of your group, unless of course, you incorporate a bit of humor into the post. This suggestion will not drive traffic, but may help ensure that your readers stay loyal to your blog.

Funny YouTube Video
I saw this video, or more precisely, someone who had linked to it. It is all about smelling undies, and it is not disgusting at all. It is actually kinda humorous. Which led me to another video. The second video sort of creeped me out a bit. And I sort of wondered if my panties have been sniffed before. I mean, with me out of them.

Walk Scores
I was on Zillow the other day, and they have incorporated "Walk Scores" into their site. Way cool. So now I not only know that my house has lost 12% of its value over the last . . . month (kidding, year), I can also find other faults with the location.

Hyper Hyperlinking
This will be my worse/best hyperlinked blog entry . . . ever.

Recommended Books
I have five or six books, all recommended by others, that I hate. I have thought of saving them for book exchanges, but I am just too kind. I just don't want to unload them and look kind doing it. I will do the world a favor by burning them. You see, if I recycle them, someone may read the books, and I can't take that chance. I know there will be a little more carbon in the air, but that is going to be the deal I make to keep these books away from other people's eyes. I make better decisions just thumbing through a book in a used bookstore and thinking, "I think I want to read this treasure."

Cosmo
I was reading Relationship Underarm Stick last week. This is a blog that is about . . . hating Cosmo. I mean, I am sure there are other subjects. Actually, I am not. But it got me to thinking about Cosmo.

When I was growing up, I would see Cosmo in the newsstands and if I was not reading the words, I would have thought it was a men's magazine. I remember my grandfather ogling over the big-breasted women on the cover (please insert a disgusted "ewwwww" here). I really don't want to know that my grandfather ever thought about women. And the covers have not changed all that much. I read Cosmo in college - but really read other people's mags or when I was waiting for the dentist. I had no cash for magazines or tennis shoes (my father always bought me shoes when I would come home; always). Enough of tennies, back to Cosmo. In Cosmo, I would read about moves to make to make him feel better (and by him, I am talking about the Cosmo guy that we all have to have in our lives or else we are not fulfilled women. The magazine may cast some men in a bad light, but it was normally all finding the right site to put him through the roof, easy ways to look good for the date with him, or how to catch his eye at a party. Jan Brady has a Marsha complex, and Cosmo has a him complex.

Fast Fingers
I was typing so fast an erratic the other day, that the web browser, instead of going to blogger.com, brought me to blogbus.com. I have no idea of the site is work safe. It is written in . . . Chinese (I think). So I have either gone to a blog site or a porn site, and I can't really be sure which. Well, let's hope the Chinese government is still doing something about squashing the Internet for its people. Well, not really.

The Cook, the Thief, the Wife & the Lover (and the Liar)I so like a new television show, Lie to Me. The main character is Tim Roth, and as I was trying to figure out how I know him, I searched IMDB. While looking for something I saw him in, I noticed a film I had seen while in college: The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover. I remember seeing it in a different city because it had a small engagement. It was an extremely controversial film, and Time Roth happened to play Mitchel, a dim-witted goon in the thief's gang. The movie was artistic, powerful, and sick. Anyway, it was an important film, which is indicated by for the movie connections for the film.

Chatting
I occasionally use the Yahoo Chat as sort of a email account, just responding quickly to messages. Never thought I would write this, but to one response, "Sorry. Gave up watching guys blowing their load for Lent." Not sure the Pope would be happy with that one. And, no, I had never chatted with the guy before. Or since.