Yay! Blog! http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/ Vocalist Kim Novak's not quite daily postings about stuff she's thinking. en-us Kim Novak Copyright 2009 2009-06-11T19:56:32-06:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Twitter Frustrations and John Larroquette http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/archives3/2009_06.php#003677 I enjoy Twitter. Lately, I've started following some celebrities which is VERY cool because it feels like I'm hanging out with them in a way. I can't really put it into words. I'm following Ellen Degeneres, Lisa Loeb, Kal Penn, Rob Thomas (from Matchbox 20), Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe from 24), John Larroquette and some of the American Idol contestants. The AI contestants are fun because they're tweeting about rehearsals for their upcoming tour.

One of my frustrations with Twitter is that sometimes I don't check it but once a day. At that point, I have hundreds of tweets to wade through. But wait... that's not the frustration. The frustration is, they're in reverse order. It wears me out to scroll through several pages of tweets to find where I left off and then start going back the other way. I wonder how hard it is for blind people who have to read one and then backtrack to read the next, etc. Or maybe I'm just weird and everyone else is happy reading them backwards.

Today, John Larroquette did something that made me very happy. He tweeted a quote that was too long for one tweet. He tweeted it in reverse so it showed up in order:

Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself or from holding certain views which others find inadmissable.

Thank you, John Larroquette. The first Twitter client to solve the reverse order annoyance is my new favorite client.

]]> 3677@http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/ I enjoy Twitter. Lately, I've started following some celebrities which is VERY cool because it feels like I'm hanging out with them in a way. I can't really put it into words. I'm following Ellen Degeneres, Lisa Loeb, Kal Penn, Rob Thomas (from Matchbox 20), Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe from 24), John Larroquette and some of the American Idol contestants. The AI contestants are fun because they're tweeting about rehearsals for their upcoming tour.

One of my frustrations with Twitter is that sometimes I don't check it but once a day. At that point, I have hundreds of tweets to wade through. But wait... that's not the frustration. The frustration is, they're in reverse order. It wears me out to scroll through several pages of tweets to find where I left off and then start going back the other way. I wonder how hard it is for blind people who have to read one and then backtrack to read the next, etc. Or maybe I'm just weird and everyone else is happy reading them backwards.

Today, John Larroquette did something that made me very happy. He tweeted a quote that was too long for one tweet. He tweeted it in reverse so it showed up in order:

Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself or from holding certain views which others find inadmissable.

Thank you, John Larroquette. The first Twitter client to solve the reverse order annoyance is my new favorite client.

Comments (5)

Comments on this Entry:

(Rob on Jun 21, 2009 1:34 PM) I'm giving Twitter another try. I doubt I'll ever log back in to Facebook, though. Has John explained what a "yat" is?

(Rob on Jun 21, 2009 6:56 PM) Oh, and Good Luck to the Horns. :)

(kim on Jul 2, 2009 9:31 PM) John has not explained what a "yat" is!

(Rob on Jul 3, 2009 8:21 AM) A yat is a person from the lower 9th ward of New Orleans. The residents there and pretty much everywhere else in New Orleans use an expression that sounds like "where yat?". Where are you at? Kind of a universal expression when you see someone or get them on the phone. Where yat, Kim? :)

(kim on Jul 3, 2009 12:05 PM) ha! Good one.

]]> Technology 2009-06-11T19:56:32-06:00 Dragonslayer http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/archives3/2009_06.php#003676 I'm singing on a new song from Osiris the Rebirth which is a reunion of the band, Osiris, that Miles Walsh (aka Milo Black, the silky half of Raspberry Silk) used to work with. It's called Dragonslayer, and it's available on the Osiris the Rebirth MySpace page. More to come.

]]> 3676@http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/ I'm singing on a new song from Osiris the Rebirth which is a reunion of the band, Osiris, that Miles Walsh (aka Milo Black, the silky half of Raspberry Silk) used to work with. It's called Dragonslayer, and it's available on the Osiris the Rebirth MySpace page. More to come.

Comments (3)

Comments on this Entry:

(Rob on Jun 7, 2009 2:34 PM) YAY, Kim.

(boogaboo on Jun 11, 2009 5:24 AM) In my opinion the music was a bit overbearing. Your voice should have been "way" up there in the mix, specially on the first part. When that chorus part comes in, where there are a lot of voices singing harmony, that should be louder too don't bury the Kimster ;) my new boog rule, lol ;)

(kim on Jun 11, 2009 7:45 PM) You're just biased and jealous, Boog. :) I love the music. I'm happy to work with Milo again. I always thought he was brilliant, and still do.

]]> Music - Mine 2009-06-07T11:08:36-06:00 Panda Express Online Menu http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/archives3/2009_05.php#003669 I'm thinking about going through the Panda Express drive through for supper tonight. I wanted to look at the menu before I go, so I can consider ordering something different than usual. Drive throughs aren't conducive to thoughtful consideration of menu items.

They must have hired some fancy animated graphics person who knows nothing about good Web design, though, because it's freaking annoying. I wanted one page where I can scan the entrees. What I got, is game-like. There are little bowls that move when you try to click them. Chasing them with the mouse gave me a headache.

I suppose the people who approved of this site don't actually need to USE the site. Screw Panda Express.

I'll still eat there because it's fast, and I like the food. But their Web site sucks a$$.

See for yourself and let me know what you think.

]]> 3669@http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/ I'm thinking about going through the Panda Express drive through for supper tonight. I wanted to look at the menu before I go, so I can consider ordering something different than usual. Drive throughs aren't conducive to thoughtful consideration of menu items.

They must have hired some fancy animated graphics person who knows nothing about good Web design, though, because it's freaking annoying. I wanted one page where I can scan the entrees. What I got, is game-like. There are little bowls that move when you try to click them. Chasing them with the mouse gave me a headache.

I suppose the people who approved of this site don't actually need to USE the site. Screw Panda Express.

I'll still eat there because it's fast, and I like the food. But their Web site sucks a$$.

See for yourself and let me know what you think.

Comments (6)

Comments on this Entry:

(Rob on May 17, 2009 10:02 AM) Hate to say but I didn't have a lot of trouble navigating it. Is it any good? The closest one to us is too far away.

(kim on May 17, 2009 11:14 AM) I didn't have trouble navigating, either, Rob. I just don't see why I have to chase the little bowls and click 25 times to see 25 items. Good to know it's probably just me, though. A lot of things are like that... my own personal problem. I like the food a lot. I'm addicted to the chow mien noodles.

(Rob on May 17, 2009 2:08 PM) I misunderstood. I'd much prefer to have all of the menu items laid out on one page. I prefer fewer clicks, too. Hovering doesn't bother me, though.

(Mary (MFM) on May 17, 2009 5:45 PM) The bowls were annoying in that they all looked the same and I would have preferred to ALSO have a list with a brief description along with their craziness idea of a fun website. But was the site enough to stop you from hitting the drive thru?

(kim on May 17, 2009 6:08 PM) I still went through the drive thru, Mary. I'd only hurt myself with a boycott over annoying Web design. I'm glad to know you and Rob would prefer an all-in-one, fewer clicks option, and that it's not just me being a Web snob. Thanks for checking it out.

(boogaboo on May 23, 2009 3:12 PM) I wanna take you for dinner someday, lol :grin

]]> Food 2009-05-16T18:55:13-06:00 Spam Attack! http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/archives3/2009_05.php#003667 I got hit by a spammer yesterday. He wasn't sending e-mails to me. He was using my domain as the "from" address on his e-mails, and I was getting all the bouncebacks from bad "to" addresses. Luckily, I have Mailwasher, where I can see the e-mails on the server before I download them and delete them before they go into my Outlook.

When it was happening, I could click "Get Mail" and it would add 10-20 e-mails to the list. A couple of seconds later, I'd click it again, and it would add another 10-20 e-mails. It was crazy. I ended up blocking the e-mails at the server after that, so I wouldn't have to deal with them in Mailwasher.

I had an aggravating exchange with tech support until someone who speaks English well finally took over my ticket. I'm not disparaging people who don't speak English well... I'm just saying it was a very frustrating conversation because I had no idea what the guy was saying. His responses didn't connect to my questions and concerns.

I also noticed a lot of referral spam in my Web stats. That's where a spammer makes it appear as if someone clicked on a link from their site to come to my site. That's supposed to make me say, "Oh look! Someone links to me!" and go to their site to see. Then they've got me on their site.

Sadly, most of the referrals in my stats now are spam, so the real referrals get lost in a long, long list.

The third kind of spam I've been aggravated with lately is Twitter spam. I said something about a RAV4 on Twitter yesterday, and shortly after, someone sent me a message to check out their site where I could watch video demos of RAV4 or something. So I blocked them. Not that they care. They already spammed me.

]]> 3667@http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/ I got hit by a spammer yesterday. He wasn't sending e-mails to me. He was using my domain as the "from" address on his e-mails, and I was getting all the bouncebacks from bad "to" addresses. Luckily, I have Mailwasher, where I can see the e-mails on the server before I download them and delete them before they go into my Outlook.

When it was happening, I could click "Get Mail" and it would add 10-20 e-mails to the list. A couple of seconds later, I'd click it again, and it would add another 10-20 e-mails. It was crazy. I ended up blocking the e-mails at the server after that, so I wouldn't have to deal with them in Mailwasher.

I had an aggravating exchange with tech support until someone who speaks English well finally took over my ticket. I'm not disparaging people who don't speak English well... I'm just saying it was a very frustrating conversation because I had no idea what the guy was saying. His responses didn't connect to my questions and concerns.

I also noticed a lot of referral spam in my Web stats. That's where a spammer makes it appear as if someone clicked on a link from their site to come to my site. That's supposed to make me say, "Oh look! Someone links to me!" and go to their site to see. Then they've got me on their site.

Sadly, most of the referrals in my stats now are spam, so the real referrals get lost in a long, long list.

The third kind of spam I've been aggravated with lately is Twitter spam. I said something about a RAV4 on Twitter yesterday, and shortly after, someone sent me a message to check out their site where I could watch video demos of RAV4 or something. So I blocked them. Not that they care. They already spammed me.

Comments (0)

Comments on this Entry:

]]> Web Mastering 2009-05-10T19:54:31-06:00 Reasons people ask why http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/archives3/2009_05.php#003666 I didn't sleep much last night. Too many things going through my head that won't gel into something cohesive to allow me to get to a better place.

One thing I thought about is why people ask why, and why I get so defensive when they do. I think there are two reasons people ask why:

  1. They genuinely want to learn something.
  2. They want to gather evidence to mount their defense.

When someone asks me why I do something the way I do or why I'm telling them they need to change the way they do things, I tend to assume it's the second. A patient person would assume the first and go from there.

When people ask the second kind of why, I feel extremely disrespected. I'm not patient when I feel disrespected. They put me on the defensive instead of making me feel accepted.

I think if they said it differently... if they said, "Really? That's interesting. Why should it be done that way?" And then finish it with a reaction of appreciation for the new knowledge. But I can't control people, so that's just a nice dream. I just have to try to learn to not get defensive when I feel disrespected. Or get away from the people.

I'm tired.

]]> 3666@http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/ I didn't sleep much last night. Too many things going through my head that won't gel into something cohesive to allow me to get to a better place.

One thing I thought about is why people ask why, and why I get so defensive when they do. I think there are two reasons people ask why:

  1. They genuinely want to learn something.
  2. They want to gather evidence to mount their defense.

When someone asks me why I do something the way I do or why I'm telling them they need to change the way they do things, I tend to assume it's the second. A patient person would assume the first and go from there.

When people ask the second kind of why, I feel extremely disrespected. I'm not patient when I feel disrespected. They put me on the defensive instead of making me feel accepted.

I think if they said it differently... if they said, "Really? That's interesting. Why should it be done that way?" And then finish it with a reaction of appreciation for the new knowledge. But I can't control people, so that's just a nice dream. I just have to try to learn to not get defensive when I feel disrespected. Or get away from the people.

I'm tired.

Comments (2)

Comments on this Entry:

(boogaboo on May 8, 2009 3:45 PM) Kim have a nap, it does wonders! :P and hugs, and don't ask why, lol

(kim on May 8, 2009 8:34 PM) Can't sleep, Boog. hugs back! :hug

]]> People 2009-05-07T05:55:17-06:00 Someone doesn't get social media http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/archives3/2009_04.php#003665 One of the buzzes around the Web world is social media. Social media are fun ways to connect with people online. Facebook and Twitter are big ones right now.

I really hate reading articles and blog posts about how to use social media, though. I especially hate reading articles about how companies can use social media to get more customers. As a consumer, I would rather they keep their marketing scheming behind closed doors.

I think in the public eye, they could talk about how to use social media as a customer relations tool... to get feedback... to help solve problems customers are having. That tells the customer that they have their interests at heart. That's what I want to believe. What I don't want is to be spammed.

I was spammed by the Director of Public Relations at Frito Lay the other day on Twitter. His profile said he is a fan of social media. He doesn't get it. Here's what happened.

A friend of mine posted a picture of some Giant Cheetos. I responded, saying I'd never heard of them. He said he was kinda scared to open them. I laughed.

Two days later, I got a message from the Director of Public Relations at Frito Lay telling me I can get a big 7.75 oz bag or a single serve sleeve. I hadn't asked that, and it ticked me off that he butted into the conversation.

I thought about it a minute and decided if he was going to spam me, that I would ask for something in return. I asked if I could have a free sample. The response? Crickets. No response at all. He doesn't get it.

On another note: Dear ABC, Please don't cancel The Unusuals.

]]> 3665@http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/ One of the buzzes around the Web world is social media. Social media are fun ways to connect with people online. Facebook and Twitter are big ones right now.

I really hate reading articles and blog posts about how to use social media, though. I especially hate reading articles about how companies can use social media to get more customers. As a consumer, I would rather they keep their marketing scheming behind closed doors.

I think in the public eye, they could talk about how to use social media as a customer relations tool... to get feedback... to help solve problems customers are having. That tells the customer that they have their interests at heart. That's what I want to believe. What I don't want is to be spammed.

I was spammed by the Director of Public Relations at Frito Lay the other day on Twitter. His profile said he is a fan of social media. He doesn't get it. Here's what happened.

A friend of mine posted a picture of some Giant Cheetos. I responded, saying I'd never heard of them. He said he was kinda scared to open them. I laughed.

Two days later, I got a message from the Director of Public Relations at Frito Lay telling me I can get a big 7.75 oz bag or a single serve sleeve. I hadn't asked that, and it ticked me off that he butted into the conversation.

I thought about it a minute and decided if he was going to spam me, that I would ask for something in return. I asked if I could have a free sample. The response? Crickets. No response at all. He doesn't get it.

On another note: Dear ABC, Please don't cancel The Unusuals.

Comments (6)

Comments on this Entry:

(brykMantra on Apr 27, 2009 10:12 PM) Wow, that was kind of aggressive of the Frito guy ... I realize he was just doing his job, but if he's going to butt in and micro-target a commercial, he should have offered a coupon for a free sample without you having to ask! Now, on an unrelated note: Ha! I get to be the first to say: HAPPY BIRTHDAY tomorrow!!! Hope it's a good one!

(karlyn on Apr 27, 2009 10:27 PM) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUUUUUU HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUUUUUU HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KIMMMMMMMMMMM HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!

(k-sue on Apr 28, 2009 9:03 PM) i hope you have a wonderful day, kim. many happies to you! :clap

(kim on Apr 29, 2009 4:36 AM) Thanks everyone! :party

(logtar on Apr 30, 2009 3:47 PM) Our local interwebs (KC) have been going on and on about the subject. I might have to write something about it... stopping over from Bryk :) HBD!:party

(Rob on May 2, 2009 10:00 AM) Happy belated, Kim.

]]> People 2009-04-26T20:23:56-06:00 Just Some Stuff http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/archives3/2009_04.php#003663
  • I got a tiny tree a couple of weeks ago. It started as a stick with roots, but shortly after I planted it in a pot on my back porch, the leaves started sprouting. It was a real joy to see the progress every day. One evening this week, I watered the little tree and marveled out how much growth it had. The next morning, all the leaves were gone. My best guess is that something ate them. It really took the wind out of my sails that day, and I'm not sure that I've recovered. I don't know why it affected me so much.
  • My out of the house adventure today will include Waterloo Ice House for chicken fried steak and eggs, and Target for toilet paper and Lipton onion soup mix.
  • I watched the pilot of The Unusuals. Amber Tamblyn and Adam Goldberg attracted me to it. It's quirky and looks like it has a lot of potential.
  • I wish networks would stagger the television season. There are months when there's nothing new on. And then months when I can't keep up.
  • It wouldn't be April in America without taxes and my song Tax Lady Blues.
    • ]]>     3663@http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/
  • I got a tiny tree a couple of weeks ago. It started as a stick with roots, but shortly after I planted it in a pot on my back porch, the leaves started sprouting. It was a real joy to see the progress every day. One evening this week, I watered the little tree and marveled out how much growth it had. The next morning, all the leaves were gone. My best guess is that something ate them. It really took the wind out of my sails that day, and I'm not sure that I've recovered. I don't know why it affected me so much.
  • My out of the house adventure today will include Waterloo Ice House for chicken fried steak and eggs, and Target for toilet paper and Lipton onion soup mix.
  • I watched the pilot of The Unusuals. Amber Tamblyn and Adam Goldberg attracted me to it. It's quirky and looks like it has a lot of potential.
  • I wish networks would stagger the television season. There are months when there's nothing new on. And then months when I can't keep up.
  • It wouldn't be April in America without taxes and my song Tax Lady Blues.

    • Comments (1)

    Comments on this Entry:

    (Rob on Apr 14, 2009 5:33 AM) Sorry about your tree. I know that sad experience. It's happened to me. I'm with you on the TV scheduling. The DVR helps in that regard but it seems to me that seasons are shorter and there are too many breaks. They run four to six episodes and then take a six week break. Hard to keep up.

    ]]>     Just Some Stuff 2009-04-11T12:34:15-06:00     It's CSS Naked Day! http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/archives3/2009_04.php#003660 CSS Naked Day is the time to strip away all style information and show off your Web site in it's most natural form. As they say on the CSS Naked Day Web site:

    The idea behind this event is to promote Web Standards. Plain and simple. This includes proper use of (x)html, semantic markup, a good hierarchy structure, and of course, a good 'ol play on words. It's time to show off your .

    For more information, see CSS Naked Day.

    ]]>     3660@http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/ CSS Naked Day is the time to strip away all style information and show off your Web site in it's most natural form. As they say on the CSS Naked Day Web site:

    The idea behind this event is to promote Web Standards. Plain and simple. This includes proper use of (x)html, semantic markup, a good hierarchy structure, and of course, a good 'ol play on words. It's time to show off your .

    For more information, see CSS Naked Day.

    Comments (2)

    Comments on this Entry:

    (Shann on Apr 8, 2009 10:31 PM) Yay! Naked! Blog!

    (kim on Apr 11, 2009 12:49 PM) It sure was ugly. LOL

    ]]>     Web Mastering 2009-04-08T19:28:54-06:00     Just Some Stuff http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/archives3/2009_04.php#003659
  • One of my favorite TV shows was "Cupid" with Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall. It was canceled the first season and was named by E! Online as #4 in the top 10 shows canceled before their time (My So-Called Life was #1). Now they've revived it with different actors. I watched the first half hour and decided I wasn't going to keep watching. Then I kept watching and now I guess I'm sucked in. Bobby Cannavale is no Jeremy Piven, but maybe he'll grow on me.
  • No, I'm not on Myspace.
  • iTunes changed the name of Party Shuffle to iTunes DJ. I like Party Shuffle better.
  • I paid off my student loans!
  • Now I want a Wii Fit.
  • Or an iPhone.
    • ]]>     3659@http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/
  • One of my favorite TV shows was "Cupid" with Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall. It was canceled the first season and was named by E! Online as #4 in the top 10 shows canceled before their time (My So-Called Life was #1). Now they've revived it with different actors. I watched the first half hour and decided I wasn't going to keep watching. Then I kept watching and now I guess I'm sucked in. Bobby Cannavale is no Jeremy Piven, but maybe he'll grow on me.
  • No, I'm not on Myspace.
  • iTunes changed the name of Party Shuffle to iTunes DJ. I like Party Shuffle better.
  • I paid off my student loans!
  • Now I want a Wii Fit.
  • Or an iPhone.

    • Comments (3)

    Comments on this Entry:

    (Rob on Apr 4, 2009 8:58 AM) Congrats on the student loans. That HAS to be a relief.

    (brykMantra on Apr 10, 2009 11:28 PM) Yeah, I thought that sounded like the exact same plot as the Jeremy Piven version ... You're not on MySpace?? You WERE ...

    (kim on Apr 11, 2009 12:53 PM) @Rob - A great relief. Better than paying off a car loan because it won't ever come back. :) @brykMantra - Yep... I was on Myspace. Never really liked it, so I purged it.

    ]]>     Just Some Stuff 2009-04-03T20:40:15-06:00     Veggies First http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/archives3/2009_02.php#003654 They've started a program at work where, once a week, a farmer brings seasonal produce to our workplace. We can pay $25 for a crate full. I've participated three times, and it's changing the way I think about meal planning.

    We're in winter veggie season, so this week's haul was:

    • kale
    • mustard greens
    • cauliflower
    • brocolli
    • collard greens
    • salad greens
    • 3 tomatoes
    • 3 grapefruits
    • 3 heads of cabbage (red, green and savoy)
    • green onions

    There were also turnips and some other kind of greens, but I traded those for two of the grapefruits.

    I'm really enjoying the program. It's making me cook more and learn to cook different things. For example, I used some of the green onions in a bacon and cheese frittata last night. The night before, I made sweet and sour red cabbage.

    steamed brocolli and bacon and cheese frittata

    The most interesting thing to me, though, is that when I start to plan a meal, I think of the veggies first. I used to always think of the main dish first, and then get stumped on what veggies I want to go with it. Sometimes, I would just skip the veggies. No more skipping the veggies. Veggies first!

    ]]>     3654@http://www.ssmrocks.com/kimnovak/mt/blog/ They've started a program at work where, once a week, a farmer brings seasonal produce to our workplace. We can pay $25 for a crate full. I've participated three times, and it's changing the way I think about meal planning.

    We're in winter veggie season, so this week's haul was:

    • kale
    • mustard greens
    • cauliflower
    • brocolli
    • collard greens
    • salad greens
    • 3 tomatoes
    • 3 grapefruits
    • 3 heads of cabbage (red, green and savoy)
    • green onions

    There were also turnips and some other kind of greens, but I traded those for two of the grapefruits.

    I'm really enjoying the program. It's making me cook more and learn to cook different things. For example, I used some of the green onions in a bacon and cheese frittata last night. The night before, I made sweet and sour red cabbage.

    steamed brocolli and bacon and cheese frittata

    The most interesting thing to me, though, is that when I start to plan a meal, I think of the veggies first. I used to always think of the main dish first, and then get stumped on what veggies I want to go with it. Sometimes, I would just skip the veggies. No more skipping the veggies. Veggies first!

    Comments (1)

    Comments on this Entry:

    (k-sue on Feb 16, 2009 3:53 PM) that sounds great! wish there was something like that around here.

    ]]>     Food 2009-02-16T10:29:55-06:00