2004 December

Mother nature has been in the front of people's minds, tongues, and hearts. This tsunami impacted more than life in the Indian ocean – reminding all of us that Mother Nature always gets the last word. Quite a few netizens have been offering some kind of disaster relief through their sites, including a fellow Gnomie, Mark Poblete:

Read more on Mother Nature Always Wins…

Sweaters used to be my “thing” (years before flannels became a perennial favorite). Since my mom favored finances over flair, I usually wound up wearing steel wool sweaters. They were slightly itchy, to say the least. Eh, I thought I was stylin'. This year, my fiancee got me a couple of Cashmere sweaters. Oh my! They're quite soft – the hallmark of high quality clothing. Cashmere is everything it's cracked up to be, and I'm saying this while I'm wearing my brand new Cashmere sweater. It has a red dot on it, but… I love it, nonetheless. Besides, I think she got it on sale? I'm not ready to dump the plaid, though. My wardrobe is just a little more diverse, since I've got someone who knows what I like (comfort). I wonder what other kind of Cashmere clothes are out there?

Read more on Feels Like Cashmere…

As usual, I left the computer running last night when I went to bed. When I turned the monitor on this morning, I was greeted with a Blue Screen of Death:

Read more on Blue Screen…

We're enjoying the views of Bellevue here in Seattle; I hope to start exploring the local cities a little more in the new year. Ponz sent me links to Seattle's Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame and the Seattle Space Needle. Too cool! Yes, Seattle has definitely been a bit rainy – but today was a welcome exception to that rule. To celebrate, I took a few photos from our deck. Yes, that's really Mt. Rainier. And yes, that's really Bellevue below the moon. A few folks have asked for wallpapers of these Seattle images, so… okay.
If you can't travel to Seattle, try: a Seattle symphony… a Seattle sky… a Seattle sight… a Seattle sonnet. So, they're actually not Seattle – but the photos were taken while I was standing in Seattle!

Read more on Seeing Seattle…

http://www.thechrispirilloshow.com/ – and its first entry.

Produced independent from those who rule your radio dial, even our partners know the value of letting you take this knowledge with you wherever you may roam. It's a “gnomecast” recorded in MP3 format – freeing you to become a knowledge nomad with any portable device. Podcasting, broadcasting, netcasting… ultimately, you just want the content on your own terms! No longer will the consumer need to rely on retail salespeople to help them make decisions that may or may not suit their needs.
People don't know where (or who) to turn to for help – because few are telling them where to turn. They'd just as soon not call tech support because they're afraid of being on hold and eventually talking to a person who doesn't quite understand the problem. There's no Emeril for technology, no Martha Stewart for computers… yet. Chris has one of those personalities that is both authoritative and approachable – making for one great show host!

At least, I'd hope so.

Read more on The Chris Pirillo Show…

We signed up for another American Express card a few weeks ago, hoping to consolodate this month's other American Express balances. American Express doesn't work that way, apparently – despite what the salesperson told us. I've been a cardholder for about a year now, and have had few complaints about AmEx. Well, there was that ONE time, but… after reading the documentation and fine print, I'm beginning to think that the American Express Open Business Network is anything but. It works, and you get “cash back,” but only if you go through their partners. Feh! Whatever. I don't see this particular American Express card lasting very long. I gotta find a good one with great rewards. We're looking at Discover's options again.

Read more on OPEN: The Small Business Network?…

I needed an easier way to stay in touch / meet new folks in the Seattle area, but nobody knew of a discussion list that could be used to share or ask for personal and professional recommendations. So, I set up The Seattlist. Any “local” is more than welcome to join, so please pass the link on to as many folks as you might think would be interested. A Meetup is great once a month, but what about the other 30 days? Craigslist is working well for buying / selling stuff up here, but that's about it. There's too much happening in Seattle (and the surrounding communities) to stay out of the loop for too long.

Read more on The Seattlist…

I missed Seuss. I got this book from my fiancee:

Looking for a laugh after a hard day of corporate takeovers? Seuss-isms for Success is chock full of clever quips on topics from micromanagement to market speculation. Didn't know Dr. Seuss wrote about the business world, did you? You'll be surprised at just how well his simple rhymes have adapted. In this pocket-sized hardcover, perfect for tucking into a desk drawer, you're sure to find a quick comeback for any naysayer, like “if I wait long enough, if I'm patient and cool, who knows what I'll catch in McElligot's pool.” Just right for a recent MBA or graduate, these Seussisms will keep you smiling no matter how irritated you are with your boss.

It apparently started with this book:

Read more on Seuss…

I've officially eaten my weight in popcorn tonight. No microwave was used, though. Ponzi cooked it on the stove with special popcorn oil. I think we used a pinch of regular salt, but it was enough. Popcorn is one of those things that you just gotta have every once in a while – and if you already snack on it regularly, try it fresh. That is, the popcorn that doesn't come in a bag. You'll be surprised what a difference the classic method makes in the popcorn's flavor. I like my popcorn in three minutes or less, but would much rather stretch the wait time a few more seconds for something that tastes infinitely better. It's getting close to impossible to buy popcorn off the shelf without hydrogenated oil, so we're kinda forced to doing popcorn this way. Again, I'm not complaining – I've got popcorn coming out of my ears. Or, its ears?

Read more on Popcorn!…

Check it out: Home Computer Magazine!

Home Computer Magazine is FREE to its readers and is sustained by advertising revenue. Home Computer Magazine is a monthly computer magazine, written by professional journalists. We have over ten years experience in publishing consumer computer magazines. Contributors to these pages have worked on a wide variety of titles including Microsoft Windows XP: The Official Magazine, PC Plus, PC Format and many more.

Each issue is downloadable in PDF with no account required. Its quality definitely rivals that of the magazines you've probably been paying for all these years. David Taylor has raised the bar for all PC magazines – including the one I write for. Magazines are sprinkled all over our house like they were potpourri; I've been trying to convert my fiancee to digital, but I don't think it's ever going to happen.

Read more on PC Magazine? Not!…

I'm officially engaged to Latthana – she's wearing this diamond. More details in tonight's GnomeREPORT.

UPDATE: We've received countless wishes through e-mail today. One of the niftier messages came from one of Lockergnome's regular contributors, Sherman:

Read more on A Diamond Ring…

Festivus, Kwanza, Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice… doesn't really matter to us what you choose to celebrate this time of year. May you all have a happy and healthy season this year – from Latthana (Ponzi), Wicket, Pixie, and myself. We hope you get everything you ever wanted and more. Keep love in your heart and kindness in your mind – not just now, but forevermore.

Read more on Best Holiday Wishes…