fail.

I had plans today. For a little while there, I was kinda giddy and happy about them. And then it was over. Just like that. Anxiety won, so I cancelled. But more than anything, I failed. Freaked the eff out and decided to remain reclusive in my humble abode. There are multiple layers to this fail, but that is kinda irrelevant. The fact of the matter is that I don't need the awesomeness of Fail Blog to mock fails when I am the very creator of some myself. As such, I plan on posting other people's fails that I've seen on blogs. Hmm, that'll be somewhat of a win. Oftentimes, I find when I see pictures of other people's fails, everyone wins. My fail, alas, cannot be photographed. So, no one wins from it.

Tattoo Fail

Umm, no honey, we all will judge you. Your god may "juge" you, but only you know what that means. Tattoo fails like this reeeeeally piss me off. It bothers me that people can be so negligent with what they choose to have indelibly inked into their skins. I just got my tat a few months ago, and before my tattoo artist (who is awesome, btw) started with the needle, I made sure I carefully inspected his outline. That's how you catch mistakes: quality control. I hope this guys ink deters him from getting laid. Yeah, I said it.



http://www.tattoodisasters.com/2009/05/29/failed-the-spelling-be/


Party Cake Fail


Here's the thing about this party cake fail. I can TOTALLY understand how this decision was made. My dad LOVES his Bud Light. Last year, had it not been for unforeseeable and unfortunate circumstances, I totally would have thrown him the fattest 60th birthday party ever. This party would have included a super awesome cake (preferably somewhat low in sugar, what with his diabetes and all). The idea of bringing one of his greatest loves to life via cake would have been a thought, but it FAILS. This cake fails for two reasons: the idea of Bud Light and cake is nauseating in and of itself, but the premise that decorating it to look as it if has been lovingly showered in that vile alcoholic beverage is just appalling. Whoever thought up the idea of this cake and it's decoration, plain and simply failed.


http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2009/08/buyers-remorse.html



Snack Product Fail


Nothing satiates that mild hunger for a crispy snack like a kick in the balls by a fellow Japanese scuba diver. This product fails to quench any reasonable person's desire for a snack, and somewhat denigrates the Doritos name. Junk Stomping does not equal nacho cheesy delights like we know them here in the states. For that, this bag of chips fails.



http://www.sogoodblog.com/2009/08/19/doritos-like-a/



Mourning Fail

Now generally, I am all about integrating current events and pop culture in our humor and such. But this is a bit much. Maybe I am just in a bad place to truly appreciate it this, but I'm going to have to assert that it is way too soon to do this type of thing after the loss of such an influential and inspirational political figure. Perhaps I am in need of a chill pill, but this is a little too much for me right now. I see it, it is a mourning fail. Kinda funny, though. In a really effed up, guilt-laden way.

http://catchupblog.typepad.com/catch_up_blog/2009/08/rip-ted-kennedy.html

3 things i am looking forward to...

It has been 4 weeks since I last worked. Contrary to the Natalie Dee comic I've attached, it is not awesome. Being unemployed sucks. Yes, the time off is supposed to be fun and enjoyable, but it just isn't. You can't really relax when you're worried about paying the rent. You can't really unwind when that usually means shopping, and you can't shop. In fact, you can't even really take in the peacefulness of being at home when everyone else is at work, because uncertainty is not peaceful. Well, at least to me. I am sure that other people have been much more successful with managing their sanity with their "time off". I covet their abilities to just chill. I usually have an arsenal of things I dig to get me through rough times. But, without income, it is really hard to justify the spending involved. Instead, I will blog about it. The following are blog posts of things that I am really looking forward to doing again.

Making a Delicious Afternoon Ceviche

I realize not everyone likes ceviche, but inexplicably, when I randomly make it for others, I tend to just feel so good. It may have something to do with my love for ceviche and the fact that if I've made some, I'll more than likely have some, but still. Last summer, I made it probably 5 times. It was good times. Circumstances being what they are, I've yet to make it since. It really is a shame, because at the risk of sounding arrogant, I will say that my ceviche is pretty much the bomb.

Anyway, this blog posting caught my eye this week not just because the writer shares my love for ceviche, but also because I read their recipe is pretty different than mine. I bet their version is pretty awesome too. I mean, with avocado in it, they've already won half the battle.

http://numnumchronicles.com/?p=187#more-187

Driving Really Fast with No Defined Destination

Now, this one is a bit trickier because I lack two critical components to successfully conquer this feat. 1. The money to support the gasoline habit my car has, and other incidentals. 2. A bona fide partner in crime. There really is nothing quite like giving in to the often random urge to get up and go. You grab your partner (doe-see-doe...), and an overnight bag in the hopeful event that things go really well, and jump in your supposedly trusty vehicle. And then, just GO. It's best if you go really fast in your initial take off period. But then, after you've driven that way for a while, you sit back and just take it in at a more reasonable pace. Good driving music is essential, and if you're lucky your person will even hold your hand. Man, OH man, that is absolute best. Destination, unknown. But those are the details that don't matter as much when you really launch.

The blog I found to support this is completely unrelated to what I have just described. I just really dig it. It's from Literally, A Web Log... which is an awesome site because it pokes fun at people who inadvertently use the term "literally" oh-so incorrectly. I liked this image because it reminded me of this one time in college when my friend Maritza and I took off aimlessly in her rental car, and I was driving SO fast that she picked up my cell phone and called her bf to tell him "no really, we are reeeeally, really flying." She didn't say "literally" but the effect was the same, sorta. That was fun.

http://literally.barelyfitz.com/2009/08/14/literally-flying-down-the-road/

Going to as Many Concerts as Possible in One Summer

I have been blessed and cursed to have only one real vice: Live Music. She is a bittersweet mistress. I don't think living in her excess will lead to my untimely death, but she is an expensive and heart wrenching habit. It all started 19 years ago, and progressively, I have been able to feed her cravings more and more. I was really lucky to have gotten some of my ticket procurement out of the way before I lost my job. This summer, I have gotten to see: She Wants Revenge, Playradioplay!, Tori Amos, Girl Talk, and of course, after nearly 6 months of clutching my tickets, my beloved Depeche Mode. I have also caught some pretty sweet cover bands, which fed the itch for what it's worth too. I don't quite feel alive like I do at a show, be it a huge event or a small gig. It sucks that among those I missed are: Death Cab, Modest Mouse (this weekend), The Faint (this weekend), Crystal Castles, Underworld, Chromeo, and of course the once in a lifetime NIN/JA show (Nine Inch Nails with Jane's Addiction). Well, better luck next time, I suppose. I have been pretty well off with what I have seen. Next up... the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in about 3 weeks. At the Greek , no less!

Anyway, to support this thing that I look forward to, I turn back to one of my favorite blogs, 1,000 Awesome Things. It really is an awesome blog, and as such, deserves to be listed as one the things they cite. But I digress. Awesome Thing # 706 is The Moment at a Concert When the Crowd Figures Out What Song They're Playing. Yay! That IS awesome. I couldn't agree more. It's even more awesome when in unison the crowd sings along with the artist and all you hear is this massive coming together of the masses over lyrics and music that reverberates in their hearts and are expelled from their mouths. Love. It.

http://1000awesomethings.com/2009/08/06/706-the-moment-at-a-concert-when-the-crowd-figures-out-what-song-theyre-playing/

here pretty kitty...

Last night, as a friend of mine and I were preparing to exit my apartment in search of dinner, I had a strange visitor outside my doorstep. It was a beautiful all-black, longhaired kitty. He looked exactly like a cat I had when I lived with my parents in high school, named Solly. Solly was a great cat. It made me realize how much, despite being more of a dog person, I love cats. They aren't as needy as dogs, but they also aren't as emotionally available. Alas, I unfortunately tend to gravitate toward the emotionally unavailable, which might explain why I am really missing having a cat now. I did for years, until this past May, when I moved and found a new home for Lucy, the whorecat I lived with for a long time. Seeing this Solly-wannabe on doorstep made me really want a cat. Really wanting a cat made me want to blog about it. And, so here we are.

Y! Radish's Top 10 Cat Songs

1. "The Lovecats" - The Cure

2. "Cat's in the Well" - Bob Dylan

3. "Year of the Cat" - Al Stewart

4. "Cat People" - David Bowie

5. "The Siamese Cat Song" - Peggy Lee

6. "Stray Cat Strut" - Stray Cats

7. "We the Cats Shall Help You" - Cab Calloway

8. "Mean Eyed Cat" - Johnny Cash

9. "Three Cool Cats" - The Coasters

10. "Cats in the Cradle" - Harry Chapin

As usual I am digging Y! Radish's list, but have a few to add to it myself. "All Cats are Grey" - The Cure, "De Noche Todos Los Gatos Son Pardos" - Caifanes, and "Kitty in the Middle" - The Presets.

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/yradish/36451/top-10-cat-songs/

Cats That Look Like Hitler

I am by now means a fan of Hitler. I think he is quite possibly the most evil man in the past century. However, I am a fan of a blog that takes pictures of cats and remarks on how the cat's marking strike a notable resemblance to Hitler. These cats are often called "Kitlers". See, that's punny. Anyway, check out this sleeping beauty. My only hope is that this kitty is not sleeping and dreaming up ways to take over Poland and other atrocities.

http://www.catsthatlooklikehitler.com/cgi-bin/seigmiaow.pl

My Cat Hates You

This site is awesome, but also reminds me of my beloved cat, Xochitl. We had a love-hate relationship. I loved her. She hated me. And everyone except my dad. In fact, such was our dysfunction that one day, after much pondering, I came to the conclusion that my love for her was conversely proportional the deep hatred she felt for me. OH, I loved her so. Again, being a sucker for those who do not reciprocate (hey, I'm working on it...sorta), I kept her for far longer than I should have. Many scars and emotionally difficult memories later, I ended up finding her a new home too. Last I heard, she is terrorizing other families, including children (her favorite objects of violence).

Anyway, this blog posts pictures people submit of their cats, looking hateful. Then the caption these photos with funny, witty, and often outlandish remarks. Good times! I highly recommend it and have been a visitor of this blog for years.

http://www.mycathatesyou.com/

...and now for something a little more meaty.

I am thrilled to be back to what my original plan was for this blog. I am also happy to report that I have lost 8 lbs. in my almost 3 weeks of unemployment. How? I have no idea. It's not like I've been working out extra hard (or at all). The only thing I can attribute it to is the fact that I haven't really been eating meat. Meh, not that big a deal, really. I like meat, but I just haven't really had too much of it recently. I've had some chicken a couple times, but does that count as meat? Anyway, in an effort to pay homage to that which I have been missing, here are some blog postings about meat.

Hats of Meat - http://www.hatsofmeat.com/

I love this site and wish they updated it more often. Here we see a gentleman wearing a lovely London Broil Fedora. Why? Because if you could wear a hat of meat, of course you would! Wouldn't you? I know I would. I'd break my no-hat policy if the hat that were presented to me were made of meat.

License 2 Rant - http://www.license2rant.blogspot.com/

This blog is really cool because we can all relate to it. Picture it. You are driving along to whatever destination you may have in mind (work, friend's house, carniceria...) and in front of you, you notice a personalized license plate. But why, WHY, did they select that particular personalization? Case in point, this gentleman from New Mexico. Is he such a carnivore that he required vehicular recognition at all times? He is the MEATMAN, see him yield to traffic. I just don't get it with some plates... and see, that's the beauty of this blog. We can all commiserate over their bad (and often comical) choices in automotive registration.

Bacon Today - http://bacontoday.com

Bacon is delicious. This blog recognizes that and exalts bacon as ruler of meats, so much so that an entire blog is dedicated to it and stories and products related to it. Take, for example, these swanky new shoes. Personally, I'd probably never wear them, but far be it from me to judge the person who feels such love for bacon that they should adorn their feet with shoes looking like bacon. That's dedication.

Fancy Fast Food - http://www.fancyfastfood.com

If you are looking for a blog that takes fast food and deconstructs its components into fancy, gourmet looking food, then look no further. This blog does exactly that! Look at what they did with the McDonald's Big Mac meal. What's especially cool is they provide you with step by step instructions on how to do it yourself, too. I had a big mac about a month and a half ago. The McDonald's I had it at took no time to actually put it together with any dignity, and as such, it impacted my desire to have it again any time soon. I'll stick to In 'N Out, although I usually get a grilled cheese anyway.

LA Taco - http://www.lataco.com - ...And now onto the less outlandish, and more delicious. I love the LA Taco blog because even though the majority of its posts are related to street art and culture, or Los Angeles in general, it always goes back to it's main idea: tacos. I think it's the perfect coming together of a lot of my favorite things: art, music, culture, news, and of course food. Recently, they posted a review of a place that served this delicious looking portion of birria. Man, if I eat meat any time soon, I hope it's as delicious as this meal looks. Que Rico!

my review of MSN's 40 fantastic time-wasting sites, part 4 of 4 ... finally.

I got bored with this countdown days ago. I am sorry if you are also bored. The thing is, I suppose I have quite the short attention span for this sort of thing, and have happened upon several other cool blogs and blog postings that I'd much rather be posting about. But, I made a commitment to review all 40 sites, and this is the final lap. So, without further ado, here are the last 10 sites that MSN recommended as being great time wasters. Yay.

31. Post Secret - http://postsecret.blogspot.com/ - I actually really like this site. I discovered it a while back and have followed it sporadically. I think the clever and often artistic ways that people share their secrets is pretty effing cool. Sometimes you just need to release your secret in some way. This way is lovely. FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

32. Timothy McSweeney's Internet Tendency - http://www.mcsweeneys.net/links/lists/ - So, I'm not really sure what this blog is supposed to be in it's entirety, but from what I can tell it is a collection of really great lists. If you know me at all, you know I love lists. As such, I dig this blog. I guess I just feel sort of inadequate 'cause I don't really "get" it. I suppose it's also because I harbor feelings of inadequacy when I read such witty topics of lists included in all their randomness on this site. I loved it for all the self-loathing it induced, and all the funny things I read. As such, FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

33. Totally Looks Like - http://totallylookslike.com/ - Being a huge fan of comparing appearances of people or things to other people and/or things, it would only stand to reasonable assumption that I would like this blog. Sometimes I embarrass myself when I am out with a friend who is especially gifted at stating who people we see when we are out look like other people from pop culture. Sometimes he re-races them if they happen to be of a different ethnicity. All in all, a really good time. Much like this blog. FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

34. Monoface - http://www.mono-1.com/monoface/main.html - This site was amusing for about 30 seconds. Either it got old really quickly, or I have a worse attention span than I had realized. There really didn't seem to be a point to it. No real customization or story behind the thing. Meh, so over it. FToJ says: Thumbs Down.

35. The Genuine Haiku Generator - http://www.everypoet.com/haiku/default.htm - The premise of this site is pretty cool. Basically, click here and have a new haiku made available for you to enjoy. I don't know if it was the randomness of the haikus I generated, or if it all seemed so lazy to have a simple 5-7-5 poem composed at the click of a link. Whatever it was, it made me feel a little dirty. This isn't how poetry is supposed to be. Not click and read. The office themed haiku generator this site links you to offered no solace either. FToJ says: Thumbs Down.

36. Free Rice - http://www.freerice.com/ - Practice your vocabulary skills and help feed the hungry. What a deal! The only thing is that when you really think about it, how much of a difference are you really making by donating 200 grains of rice. That is such a small portion. But I guess if you think about it, if I answer 20 questions and donate 200 grains of rice, and you do... and your colleague does, and they tell their best friend, and she does it at home with her cats too... well you get the gist of what I am saying. So, keep expanding your word knowledge and sending rice to the hungry. And i will too. FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

37. Archive Dot Org - http://www.archive.org/index.php - I don't get this site. It was ugly and weird. I didn't bother with it too much, 'cause it looked lame. FToJ says: Thumbs Down.

38. Pets In Clothes - http://www.petsinclothes.com/ - I love seeing pets (especially dogs) in clothes. My little baby girl wears a tshirt almost everyday. So, I thought for sure I would love this blog, but the thing is, I only kinda like it. I'm not gonna lie, seeing pets in clothes is a treat any day, but because the quality of the pictures is so shoddy, I don't really dig the site too much. It's ok though. Because I cannot wholeheartedly support it, FToJ says: Thumbs Down.

39. There, I Fixed It - http://thereifixedit.com/ - I am an advocate for Macgyvering solutions to problems that require physical repair. Fixing things sucks. I have duct tape on my car as proof. It's no surprise that I like this site. It reminds me of a more specific genre of fail blog. Good times... FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

40. Homestar Runner - http://www.homestarrunner.com/ - OH NO! Maybe I am just in a weird mood... but I hated it. I am pretty sure this little guy gonna give me nightmares. FToJ says: Thumbs Down.

my review of MSN's 40 fantastic time-wasting sites, part 3 of 4

So my endeavor to review the MSN article's recommendations continues. I've taken some days away from getting on with this review, but I will continue... mostly because it would just drive me crazy to know that I only got halfway through it. But I digress.

21. Twitterfall - http://twitterfall.com/ - If you are on twitter, you'll like this site. The premise is basically a go-to place for trending topics and crap like that. However, if you are like me and hold contempt and general disdain for twitter, then you will see this as part of the problem and not the solution. For this, FToJ says: Thumbs Down.

22. Tweeting Too Hard - http://tweetingtoohard.com/ - If you are in agreement with my reasons for the above stated review, chances are you too believe twitter is part of the reason why the terrorists hate us. Twitter is socially networking for the over-the-top self-absorbed. The argument can be made that all social networking sites are that, but twitter, to me, is the epitome. This site is cool because of that. It captures that sentiment. It's motto is: "Where self-important tweets get the recognition they deserve." Good Job. FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

23. Lunchtimers - http://lunchtimers.com/ - This site may very well be the bee's knees. The proverbial cat's pajamas... but it could not, would not load on my computer. I am low on patience, it seems, so because of that, FToJ says: Thumbs Down.

24. Graph Jam - http://graphjam.com/ - Words cannot clearly express how happy I am that this site exists. I love graphs and charts, and I will be silent about it no longer! Being unemployed makes it really difficult to come up with facts to be supported by data in graph form. But now, after having found this site, I can see that there is value to anything being graphed out, really. I especially liked this one because it referenced zombies, and is about the "Thriller" video. Enough said. FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

25. Songza - http://songza.fm/ - I liked this site a lot. It's a music collection that updates in real time and is supported on the premise of one of my favorite things: PLAYLISTS. I dig it. Plus, you can share them on Facebook (ugh, and twitter). FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

26. Imeem - http://www.imeem.com/ - I learned about this site a long time ago. It's pretty good. Scours the interwebs for music pretty darn well. I just remember it being a lot of effort for some reason. Something about it was just too much work for the pay off. I like it, but I think I am more inclined to go with my FToJ and say: Thumbs Down.

27. Patently Silly - http://www.patentlysilly.com/ - This is a great blog. I often come up with "great" ideas for inventions, but clearly lack the wherewithal to follow through with them and actually come up with a patent for them. Thankfully, there are many people who seem to be quite the opposite of me. This site gathers them. Good times, good times. FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

28. Awkward Family Photos - http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/ - I have already discussed the glory that is this website. It is self-explanatory: a blog dedicated to the collecting of awkward family photos. We all know we have some. This gets FToJ to say emphatically: Thumbs Up.

29. Texts From Last Night - http://www.textsfromlastnight.com/ - I have spent far too long reading this blog. In fact, shortly after I introduced it to my friend, he told me that he often thinks about submitting some of our exchanges too. The thing about this this concept is that the very nature of text messages is that they are immediate thoughts that need communicating to a particular person or few people. The idea is automatically assumed to be private, and often driven by individual context. This blog turns that upside down and all we see is the absolute hilarity of some of the things exchanged via text. Awesome. Everyone wins. FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

30. Truu Confessions - http://www.truuconfessions.com/ - Sometimes, you just need to get that secret off your chest. This site offers you a forum to do just that. There a few sites kinda like this. I like this one, but there are so many others that do it better. Like Post Secret. Some of the secrets I read were really shallow and lame, and since the J in the FToJ stands for Judgment, it says: Thumbs Down.

my review of MSN's 40 fantastic time-wasting sites, part 2 of 4

So, I'm gonna get right to it because I really don't feel all to well this morning. Let the reviewing of the MSN recommended sites on which to waste time continue...

11. Lifehacker - http://lifehacker.com/ - This is a pretty cool blog about a lot of different things. They have geared to be about all the different things and ways that we waste time in our lives, and offers ideas on how to make things better or more efficient. I've had it as a widget on my MyYahoo page for a long time and it has always offered cool tips and information on a lot of different sorts of things. I really dig that they do a top 10 list. It's not super exciting of a blog, but it's cool. My FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

12. Answer Bag - http://www.answerbag.com/ - It's not that I don't like this site, 'cause I do, it's just that it is basically the exact same functionality of Yahoo! Answers, which I love. In both sites, you can post questions and have people respond to them, and then you select which answer is best. You can also, of course, just answer questions. I guess I just like the Yahoo! version of this better. It's fine, but my FToJ says: Thumbs Down.




13. Fail Blog - http://failblog.org/ - One of the best blogs ever. The Fail Blog posts pictures and videos of failures, and then proceeds to stamp them in large, all capped letters that simply say: FAIL. Sometimes they change things up and classify the kind of fail it is. Other times, they post wins. But ultimately, we win the most when things fail the worst. For this, an emphatic: Thumbs Up.

14. Slashdot - http://slashdot.org/ - As a supporter of all things nerdy, so you can only imagine how happy I was to discover that this site's claim to fame is that it is "news for nerds". I really liked the site, but was disappointed to find that most of the news that is posted is related directly to tech. Now, while I realize that tech nerds do make up a large population of the nerd community, they are by no means the exclusive bearers of that term. I dig the site and will probably check it often for my techie needs, but for not being more inclusive of the other facets of the nerd world, FToJ says: Thumbs Down.

15. Fark - http://www.fark.com/ - Yes. You must check out fark. No, really. Fark is a collection of submitted links to articles for really funny or effed up things. It's hard to describe it, but really, there is no other site (that I've encountered) quite like fark. It's funny, because it's real. FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

16. Popurls - http://popurls.com/ - Popurls is a collection of all the popular stuff going on via all the methods of internet-ery. It links you to the most popular videos on youtube, the most tweetalicious tweets on twitter, what's buzzing on Yahoo! Buzz, and soooo many more. It's a little overwhelming, but only in that you'll probably never keep up with it. I like it neatly gathering all the outlets a person may want to check out (much like the goal of Thee Blog Blog only they do it better) and just laying them all out on one simple easy to navigate page. Definitely a time waster. FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

17. Fuzzwich - http://www.fuzzwich.com/ - You can make your own animated videos on this site using their templated backgrounds and characters that you can customize in so many different ways. You can add background music to it and give your characters thought bubbles and everything. Super fun, but could easily rob you of many, many hours of your life if you aren't careful. Because they had "new slang" by The Shins as one of the songs you can use, FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

18. Oh Crap. My Parents Joined Facebook. - http://myparentsjoinedfacebook.com/ - I don't know what the eff I would do if my parents joined facebook. Well, clearly delete my account and perhaps start over under a pseudonym. But still, I LOVED this blog because I can only imagine how mortifying it is for a person to have to friend their parents and then see their quizzes and status updates and wall posts. NO. Thank. You. I empathize with those who have their parents on facebook and as such FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

19. Passive-Aggressive Notes - http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/ - Obviously, you realize that this is my favorite blog ever. I am very happy that MSN recommended it because really, no list of time-wasters is complete without recognizing the greatness of this blog. I don't really need to say much else about it and it is no surprise that FToJ says: Thumbs Up.






















20. Break - http://www.break.com/ - I'll be honest... I didn't spend too much time on it. Why? It just seems like a youtube knock off, sorta. Meh. There are many options out there in our pursuit of viral videos, but none of them will ever compete with youtube... yes, even college humor with it's tv show and everything. I wasn't super impressed, nor was I compelled to keep trying. My FToJ says: Thumbs Down.

my review of MSN's 40 fantastic time-wasting sites, part 1 of 4

 

I was alerted to the fact that MSN posted a list of 40 Fantastic Time-Wasting Sites today, and instantly took action to, well, waste time on their recommendations. I love lists, as most people know, but I also enjoy interjecting my opinions on matters of varying degrees of consequence. As such, I will now do a review of the 40 sites that MSN suggested to their readers today. I will admit, I have gotten a substantial amount of new material from their recommendations. For the MSN article, see: http://tech.msn.com/products/articlepcw.aspx?cp-documentid=20923913

 

But for now, I will begin my four part journey in assessing the quality of the recommendations. For added flair, I will give my Freaky Thumb of Judgment as approval or disapproval.

1. Strip Generator - http://www.stripgenerator.com/ - I don't know if it's just me, or if this like is broken altogether. The premise of this site seems delightful, but I cannot seem to get it to work. In theory, you can go on there and make your own comic strip and then blog about it and things. I wish it would work 'cause that would bring two of my loves together: comics and blogs. But alas, it hasn't worked for me yet. I will keep you posted if/when it does. My Freaky Thumb of Judgement (FToJ) says: Thumbs Down.

 

2. F My Life - http://www.fmylife.com/ - I already posted about this site. I effing love it because I can relate to the feeling that takes so many there more than I'd like to... Yes, eff my life. I appreciate MSN acknowledging the value that a group of people coming together to share their brief stories of woe can have on us, even if only through the world wide web. For all this, and more, my FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

 

3. Live Plasma - http://www.liveplasma.com/ - Wow. I am in awe of this website. See, I like to make comparative charts and diagrams and things. This is a great thing to like to do when you work in HR because a lot of what HR peeps too is compare things for lots of reasons. Anyway, so I logged onto this site and typed in Interpol (since I cannot stop listening to "hands away" for therapeutic reasons), an lo and behold, it beautifully diagrammed for me all these other artist that I may be into based on my interest in Interpol. Most of them I am already a fan of, but some were new to me. I love that! I am in constant pursuit of new music (although nothing can pull me away from this song right now). And because it is for more than just music, my FToJ say: Thumbs (way) Up.

 

4. Cracked - http://www.cracked.com/ - This is an oldie but goodie for me. I often forget about how good this site is, since it's not in my usual rotation. But really, it should be. It's kinda like The Onion in a lot of ways, but isn't. Seems like it would be absolutely suitable for time-wasting of any kind. My FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

 

5. BeFunky.com - http://www.befunky.com/ - I dig it. This site is like a lazy person's photoshop. I'm not a photoshop purist, so I can support it. I suppose they get a lot of hits for people posting photos to myspace and facebook profiles. I can see that being a hit. In fact, I did it too... see above at me and my freakish thumb picture. Meh, FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

 

 

6. Funny Typos - http://funnytypos.com/ - Obviously, I am huge fan of this blog. In fact, you will shortly see it listed in my list of blogs. Why? Because judging people for their inadequate use of words and clear lack of command of the English language is FUN. Also fun is when you get things in print that are just not right, but no editor caught it in time. I once aspired to be an editor, and get a kick out of seeing when things are left so wrong (see photo). Snarky, yes, of course. But, oh, so much fun! I had come across this blog a couple months ago, but lost contact with it. I am so happy to be reunited. Clearly FToJ emphatically says: Thumbs Up.

 

 

7. Safety Graphic Fun - http://juliasmexicocity.typepad.com/safetygraphics/ - When signs fail, everyone wins. It's true. But as we learned in the movie Pineapple Express, "Safety first. Then teamwork." I am truly surprised that this blog has only been around a little under a year. I suppose it had to start somewhere, and I'm glad it did. Safely, FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

 

8. Virtual NES - http://www.virtualnes.com/ - If you are a fan of old Nintendo games and other old school systems, then I highly recommend this site. I played Paper Boy for a bit, then moved on to Super Mario Bros 3, which I have notorious at for many, many years. It has been noted in the permanent record of one of my friends that over 20 minutes of work time were spent playing Tecmo Bowl, and another period of time playing Dungeons and Dragons, and leveling on Contra. Anyway, this site is ideal for anyone who has a bit of gamer-nerd in them and isn't afraid to show it. It's not perfect in it's gameplay, but it surely does the trick. Gaming FToJ says: Thumbs Up.

 

9. Pogo - http://www.pogo.com/ - I'm not gonna lie. Since about 2006, I have given Pogo more hours of my life than I'd like to admit. But here's the thing about Pogo. Yes, it's fun and addictive. Yes, there are lots and lots of games to be enjoyed on it. BUT, if you ever decide to go for a paid account, you can never get the same enjoyment from a free account ever again (Yes, I did have a paid account for a while... Don't judge me, my bf at the time was a hardcore gamer and gaming online is how we hung out when we couldn't in person). While I will kill anyone on Word Whomp or Lottso, believe it or not, there is a fair amount of drama on this site too. I don't know. It's good, really good even, but definitely flawed. Because of this FToJ says: Thumbs Down.

 

10. Omegle - http://omegle.com/ - You would think this would be a perfect site for a lonely, unemployed single girl like myself, but I didn't really care for it. It is a chat site where you are automatically connected to a stranger somewhere out there. You don't have a screen name or moniker of any sort. Just you, and a stranger (who they list as Stranger) chatting. To be completely truthful, I only gave it about a 3 minute chance. I just got the feeling that it was going to be really creepy from the fact that the first person I chatted with immediately went for the age and sex question. I was hoping for a bit more random of a conversation than that. Nope. Creepy. Which means, FToJ says: Thumbs Down.

 

That's all for today. Tomorrow I will review the next 10 from the article.

in memory of john hughes...

I was driving today, and all in all, not feeling too grand on life, when all of a sudden, I received a text from a friend telling me that John Hughes had died. That made me so sad. I am a huge fan of his movies and it saddened me to hear that he had passed. I thought to myself that my homage to him could only be carried out through my blog. In his memory, I present to you 3 cool blogs postings that reference his movies.







# 3 - Pretty in Pink

I love cupcakes. I love to make them. I love to eat them. I love admire their sometimes intricate decorations and charm. I love to give them as gifts. I love to receive them as sweet little surprises. Cupcakes are what all people that make it to heaven (provided that there is such a thing) get to eat at any time. I like to have my cupcakes with milk. Sometimes I prefer them with coffee or tea. I love the Cupcakes Take the Cake blog because they too share my love for cupcakes. For me, the pie vs. cake epic debate is settled whenever the cupcake gauntlet is thrown.

I selected this photo to represent John Hughes' Pretty in Pink because I liked the way the girl looked. The outfit she selected is reminiscent, to me, of something Andie Walsh (the Molly Ringwald Character) would wear. This is actually my favorite of his movies. I hearted Duckie soooo much.

http://cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com/2009/08/pretty-in-pink.html





# 2 Sixteen Candles

I love it that this passive aggressive person referenced the super sweet scene from Sixteen Candles and managed to make it a really sad and angry scene in her life. It's like, really, it was nothing like that scene but she referenced it anyway for the sake of pop culture points. OH, this blog never fails me.

I will say, however, that my 16th birthday was the worst of my life so far. I don't really talk about it much or go into much detail other than my dad tried to make it right by buying me tickets to see Green Day (circa '95-96). As such, this movie has a very special place in my heart. I had my own "Jake Ryan" and I think most 16 year old girls did and often felt like "Sam Baker" in their high school years. Ugh, high school sucked.



http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2009/02/01/you-know-im-getting-input-here-that-im-reading-as-relatively-hostile/



# 1 The Breakfast Club
I wish there really were such a thing as a breakfast club. Breakfast is by far my favorite meal. It is good at any time of the day, which includes the meals for all situations: (traditional) breakfast, (special ) brunch, (celebratory) brinner, and of course, (sobering) fourth meal. I only recently overcame my fear of making pancakes. Of my 20 years of cooking, only the past year have I ventured into pancake making since my Great Pancake-Fail of 1989 is one of the most tragic things to have happened to me in my early, youngster days of cooking. But that's a story for another day... This is from the blog dedicated to 1,000 Awesome Things. In fact it is #965 Building a Stack of Pancakes That Looks Just Like the Front of the Box. Indeed, that is an awesome thing.

But the movie The Breakfast Club is not about that. It's so much more than talk of delicious food stuffs. It is an epic story of the coming together of the most least likely of characters. I effing love that. In theory, it is such a hopeful premise. The thing is, the Seemingly-Bad-Boy never really digs the Good-Nerdy-Girl. Nevertheless, the movie makes you feel like maybe, just maybe, it might work. I only had Saturday school once when I was in high school. The Friday night before I was so nervous because more than anything I wanted it to come even a quarter of the way close to the coolness of that detention depicted in the movie. No such luck.


http://1000awesomethings.com/2008/08/08/965-building-a-stack-of-pancakes/

top 3 new blogs I've found

The cold, stark reality of being unemployed has finally started to sink in for me. Today has been my first full day that would have previously been a workday and is now a non-workday. Bummer. I have applied for about a bazillion jobs already, but the waiting game is really the worst thing ever.

In the meantime, however, I have come across some new blogs that I had previously not been a regular reader of, but now am. Here are the top 3 new blogs I have found:

# 3 - Insanewiches

My friend sent me this link yesterday. It is a blog dedicated to awesomely constructed sandwiches of all sorts. Some are funny. Some are artsy. Some are thematic. It is incredible. I am making it my personal goal to create a sandwich worthy of this blog sometime soon. But what would I make??? There are just too many great ideas to try to make into sandwiches.

This reminds me of a conversation I had a few days ago, in which I came to the realization that sandwiches are inherently better when you ask someone else to make them for you. It doesn't necessarily need to be a Sandwich Artist at a lunch spot. In fact, often the best sandwiches are made by the very people you are most close with, I think. Maybe that should be my new bf criteria: if he makes me a sandwich, it must be good. Sigh.

http://www.insanewiches.com/

# 2 - Dog Art Today



Another friend of mine is having troubles with his dog. He chews up anything left out in the yard, which is especially troubling because my friend's mom is an avid gardener. His dog, Nigel, has been known to dig and destroy plants and as such there is a low tolerance for his behavior in that household. The thing is, I love Nigel. He lived with me for a while and he has got to be one of the coolest dogs I have ever known. Also, my friend is a huge art lover.

This is relevant because this new blog I found is an art blog related only to dogs. I found this picture and it reminded me of Nigel and I am hoping that perhaps an appreciation for art may encourage a higher tolerance of a sometimes bad-behaving doggy.

http://dreamdogsart.typepad.com/art/

# 1 - Eff My Life

I am pretty sure I am among the last people to hear about this blog. For shame. Yesterday, I was perusing books at a trendy store (aka retail torture for the unemployed), and a book called F My Life caught my eye. I didn't really have a chance to check it out much as my tortured shopping companion and I were just about to walk out when I spotted it, but the idea stuck in my mind. It reminded me of my recently established all-girl crew FTP! (Fuck That Puto!), so today in my exorbitant amount of free time, I looked it up.

OMG! Where has this blog been all my life?! If you haven't come across it yet, you must check it out. It is a collection of submitted snippets of people's bad luck occurrences. I can pretty much contribute almost all of 2009 to F My Life. It is a great concept, but even more so, it is a relatable concept. I think most people I know would easily be able to add to the collection as well. Life is hard. Life is really effing hard. I am glad there are blogs to help lighten things up for us. Especially when blogs support what is already going through our minds... eff my life.

http://www.fmylife.com

my dog, marisol... and other related blogs.

I told my dog that I lost my job today. She was not happy with how things happened with my now former employer, and she said it had largely to do with the fact that my boss didn't have a dog and was instead only obsessed with her daughter. Marisol, my dog, may be onto something. I have not yet decided whether I want to one day have a child (this is an question that being hopelessly single easily answers for you), but I'd like to think that if I ever do, I will always still have my dog. She can be annoying at times, but so can I. I assured her that my employment status would not come between us, and that prompted me to come up with my next idea about which to blog.

Top 3 Blogs Related To Our Pets

# 3 - Stuff White People Like # 53 Dogs

I am a huge fan of this blog, and the published book that came as a result of it's great success. It gives me a little speck of hope that perhaps one day I too will write a book. Anyway, part of the reason why I love this blog and this entry in particular is because of the way he writes so matter-of-factly about the way white people feel about dogs. I think it's hilarious that his approach is both informative and encouraging of the reader to use his advice to befriend white people.

I will admit, however, that I am a big fan of the many things listed and explained on Stuff White People Like. I feel pretty conflicted about that. Just sayin'.

I do agree with the blog, however. It is essential to reassure people, including white people, about how wonderful and special their dog is in every way. When people talk kindly about my Marisol, it genuinely warms my heart.

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/02/04/53-dogs/

# 2 - Top 10 Songs Inspired By Pets


I generally feel so much more accomplished on days I have effectively executed a list of some substance. Playlists are so great for that reason. When you create a playlist, you are putting together a story or argument for whatever it is that you are attempting to convey in musical form.

I have many, many playlists of a variety of topics on my zune. Some are funny, some are sad, some are even seemingly unrelated. I wish I had been clever enough to think about creating the playlist that Y! Radish did.

I'd like to add to his list, but my mind is failing me. For shame.

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/yradish/39970/top-10-songs-inspired-by-pets/

# 1 - Playing Possum


Yes, I realize that this is NOT a dog or another socially acceptable pet. But, leave it to Awkward Family Photos to post a family picture with a goddamned possum in it! My friend had told me about it before I saw it, so you would think that I would have had a relatively mild reaction to this posting. But, no. I actually LOLed for an extended period of time after seeing this with my own eyes for the first time.

I loathe all rodentia, and most marcupials, but man, OH man do I love this picture. I cannot even begin to imagine the discussion leading up to this photo shoot. Did the two grown men argue over who would get to hold the possum? Doesn't the boy on the left look like he's had just about enough of his family's tomfoolery? What did the photographer think? Does the possum have his own pet carrier? Oh, my God! Even now as I type, I continue to chuckle aloud. That's a good thing.

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/2009/07/06/playing-possum/

'cause i've gotta start somewhere, my top 3 blog entries.

Having just gotten a pep talk about how to approach what seems like will be the endless abyss of jobseeking and self-pity/loathing, one thing I've taken away from this conversation is to just keep going. Now, in theory, for one to keep going, they must have begun somewhere. This is why I realize if this attempt at blogging Thee Blog Blog is going to ever take off, I've gotta start somewhere.

I have decided to start by posting my top 3 blog entries ever. Actually, I suppose that this is probably just the top three I can remember right now, but still it's a start.

# 3 - When Brides Have No Budget (or taste)

I had already been a fan of the cake wrecks blog, but when I saw this posting, it solidified for me the good work that bloggers do for the world wide web. It also reinforced the fact that weddings suck. Well, maybe not all, but definitely a lot of them. People who may (or may not) have been otherwise normal people turn into monsters with egos and demands far beyond the realm of acceptable behavior (aka BRIDES) or spineless creatures without the psychological, emotional, or verbal capacity to put their foot down (aka GROOMS). This blog entry is the ultimate demonstration of those things, and yet another reason why weddings suck.


http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2008/05/when-brides-have-no-budget-or-taste.htmll


# 2 - She LITERALLY throws herself at men.

Now, I understand how hard it is for a single girl to meet and attract a good guy. I also know that sometimes women need to do things outside of their comfort zone to woo a guy. This includes breaking some of the rules our mothers may have instilled in us about good-girl behavior and what it means to be a lady. I am a big supporter of defining your own good-girl behavior and redefining being a lady... and yes, sometimes that does mean you have to be the pursuer, but GEEEEEZ, not like this. Aside from being dangerous and probably embarrassing, I cannot imagine it was effective either. Hmm, or maybe it was. Perhaps I should be practicing my leaps and bounds in this period of unemployment and single-ness.

http://literally.barelyfitz.com/2008/01/25/literally-throws-herself-at-men/erself-at-men/

# 1 - Southern California - It's Hard Out There for a Goth

I posted this as my favorite blog entry for very selfish reasons. I submitted it. Bwah ha ha... One day, I was sitting at home when I received a photo text message from a special someone. Now, when I saw that I thought "oooh, a random photo for me just 'cause. how sweet." What I discovered upon opening this message was something much more humorous. It was a photo of a sign at Wal-Mart in my beautiful Pomona that was part of the store's attempt at reducing the apparently high shoplifting propensity for black eyeliner. Of course, said sender of this message took it upon himself to write in what the underlying message of the sign was, and as such I was proudly displayed in my ***favorite*** of blogs, passiveaggressivenotes.com.

http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2009/02/24/southern-california-its-hard-out-here-for-a-goth/

The Beginning of Thee Blog Blog...

So, I lost my job yesterday. It really sucks for anyone who is out of work, and being in human resources, I feel the burn in a slightly different way. Earlier this week, a few people mentioned that my witty commentary on the things I see and hear would make a pretty good blog. I chuckled a bit, but realized that with the high demands of my job, I couldn't effectively maintain a blog and do my job. Well, seeing as how the ol' job thing is no longer, I thought I'd give it a go.

What, OH what, would I blog about?! Some suggested my life and time in HR land... some suggested my love of food... other suggested my affinity for the most random of things. What I determined yesterday, as I sat with someone special and cried into my consolatory pizza lunch was that I am good at a few things and that the combination of some of those things (making lists, finding/sharing great blogs, and relatively clever criticisms) would make a pretty good blog.

With that, I present to you Thee Blog Blog. I'll be honest, I wanted it to be The Blog Blog... but at was already taken. Instead, I opted for Thee in an effort to convey an imposed sense of importance that I hope you will relay to others. It may very well be an epic fail, but it's something for me to do as I try very hard to keep my sanity, look for a job, and avoid jumping off the East L.A. interchange.

What I set out to do is to compile a list of excellent (or sometimes excellent) blogs for you to check out. You shouldn't really do this while you're at work because I don't want you to lose your job and as such end up becoming both my fan and my adversary in jobseeking. But I digress... As I compile this list o' blogs, I will link you to some best of a certain theme blogs, and of course, offer you my remarks.

I welcome your comments, recommendations, and ideas. I will accept your judgments, antagonizing remarks, and general disdain, however, I ask that you remember that I am but a lonely single girl on the brink of either something really great, or really awful (did I appeal to your sympathies?).

And now, without further ado, I give you Thee Blog Blog. Enjoy, or something.