Lee.org

Bought a “Calder” bed from Room and Board.

Bought “Benton” shelves from Pier One.

Both will arrive within the next two weeks.

The hike was cancelled due to rain :-( but I drove all the way there anyway. The fog and steep hills and rain and twisty roads and winds were intense. I decided not to try hiking myself after I walked 50 feet from my car, turned around and couldn’t see the car or any distinguishing features of the landscape. Intense.

Got a running shirt and stuff to waterproof my jacket at REI. (a shirt that is fairly warm, light, breathable and does that moisture wicking thing)

Helped Dorty with her computer today.

Helped Samantha with her secret project yesterday.

Friday, I broke the new Feed Automator at work (that’s a good thing when you’re QA :-)

I got a mattress. I slept well last night. The Swedes are helping feel a bit more at home with their Sultan Hasselbäck. And thanks to Linden for helping me get the bed home… again! He helped get the first, failed bed home as well.

Next up, a bed frame that costs almost 3 times what the mattress costs.

But I’m returning the $1,500 rug. I just can’t conscience walking on something that expensive in this place. I’ll buy a vacation in the desert or something with the money saved.

Tonight I met crism, who I had been introduced to by Charlotte, who I had been introduced to by Fiz and Jeremy. He held a whiskey tasting party. Twas a good time! There was whiskey and bread pudding with whiskey and salad with whiskey flavored dressing ;-). The bread pudding was actually excellent!

I gave Sean (who had just tried out for Jeopardy in LA and sadly just missed his shot) a ride home and met a bunch of nice folks. Crism even plays Cosmic Encounter. I’m going to have to ping him on that!

Wee!

Bed time now.

Running/urban hiking in the morning. I’m going on a hike in Sonoma County Sunday and want to be as ready as I can. This is my last chance. I might try to tackle Twin Peaks. I’ve already gotten my running times in the last 3 weeks down from a hopeless 18 minute mile to a pitiful 11 minute mile.

Then testing the latest server-side feature of TVTonic, sucking blogs into our distribution system (with permission, of course). And trying to do some good marketing for TVTonic. I’m liking the marketing stuff.

I may be soon buying weights to excercise at home. But then my apartment might get stinky sweaty and my downstairs neighbor might think the sky is falling…

I’ve been feeling pretty good lately. Running has taken off a few pounds and Laura even said my arm muscles felt tighter (flattery is the devil’s food cake (-; . I’ve been eating/drinking lots of veggies with the Veg-o-mat^H^H^H^H Magic Bullet that Carmen gave me (in response for me giving her a Magic Bullet).

There is even a good chance that I’m getting a bed tomorrow!

Pony Trouble is a very werid movie from my good, werid friend Warren. You should watch this movie while on drugs.

See the new Pony Trouble trailer

Last night I saw Emperor Norton: A New Musical at The Dark Room with Laura. I thought it was going to be fun by wacky. I was so wrong. The show was terrific! The musical numbers were very well composed and excecuted, the storyline was fairly tight (and mostly historically accurate, we are told!) the talent was top notch, the message was upbeat and very well delivered, and our seats were excellent!

It really was a most enjoyable show!

For this, I resolve to go to more shows at The Dark Room, especially shows producted by this team. I hear The Gong Show will be a fun thang.

I went with Laura to the Fancy Food Show with Laura today. What a great time. And yum! It’s all about the samples. I think I might end up buying a few pallets of yummy things. Oh wait, I’m not in the industry.

I was most impressed with:
Bongo Microwavable donuts – It’s got Krispy Kreme appeal, from your freezer! They’ll be in Costco shortly.

Walnut spread..butter – From this Italian company who has no distribution in the US :-(

Peanut Better – They had some powerful savories there. Though the Spicy Southwestern 0wnerized my palate for 10 minutes.

Delallo antipasto – great selection, great taste (doesn’t that sound like an ad for them)

New Tree Gourmet Belgian Chocolate – 73% chocolate bars that weren’t bitter at all. They also had these 99% chocolate covered somethings that kicked savory ass.

Pizza Romana from North La Brea Ave, LA, CA had pretty awsome pizzas. I think they just sell “frozen imported par baked wood fired pizza crusts”.

Mark & Stephen’s Handcrafted jams & mustards – Wasabi Lime Mustard, Hot & Sweet Mustard, Course Grain Mustard with Garlic and White Wine… lemon marmalade that wasn’t bitter. All very good.

Western Specialty – has all manner of containers in glass, metal and plastic

Remember the movie Chocolat? Chuao Spicy Maya Hot Chocolate is a good candidate for that ultimate hot chocolate drink. I’m getting some.

Labels West makes labels of all types

Macarob has a very interesting carob syrup and powder from Australia.

Highland Sugarworks is a Vermont producer of maple syrup (think “American Grade B”!) and they have a northern California distributor called Renaissance Speciality Foods in SF. I’m gettin me some.

We saw Yan (who Can Cook) and Chef Paul Prudhomme hanging out and then Yan cooking and joking.

Kevin Bacon –> Bobby Jacoby –> Laura –> Lee Sonko

I know Laura through Holly who went to summer camp with Bobby years ago, who was in the movie Tremors with Kevin.

I have 2 tickets to Burning Man 2006.

:-)

I’ve been thinking about what kinds of technologies have been extremely effective in the last several years. I had also heard some things about this on a couple podcasts… I can’t remember which.

The kinds of things that do well are things that “bring it to the people”.

eBay – sell it yourself

Amazon – trusting in the recommendations of other purchasers

blogging – lee.org/blog, boingboing – indivuals and little guys as news & entertainment sources and sources of discussion.

music file sharing – people exchanging popular music freely (of course, saving money by stealing is also a factor here)

podcasting – Adam Curry Daily Source Code – individuals as audio program sources

video podcasting – Rocketboom, Michael Verde – written by individuals and little businesses

social networks – Friendster, Match.com, Tribe – people meeting people

Craigslist – The newspaper classified ad killer… written and edited by its users

wikipedia – written and edited by its users

Open source software – written and modified by its users

XML – “extensible” is in its name. It’s designed to be added to.

Direct to consumer advertising of pharmacuticals

I suppose an obvious omission is Google as a search engine. That’s the tasty school glue that holds loose collaberation together… and when Googlezon gets going, it will be all about the people again.

—————–
So, our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to find or create the next “take it to the people” application. It doesn’t take a billion dollar company to make this happen. Actually, taking a look at all those trends above, I noticed that none of them existed 10 years ago. So, what do you say? Wanna brainstorm?

I’ve been on Match.com for a couple months. In that time, I’ve gotten 3 spams. I don’t even know what they are trying to sell me, but they sure bother me.

Here’s today’s spam from “markinazaokk” on Match.com

Hello!
My name – Ekaterina, me 28 years.
I loved your structure on site Match, and I at once have decided to write to you the letter.
I very much loved yours the image, I while do not have the but if you will answer me
I shall try to send you the structure. I as well as many people simply want
To find to itself the person, for a life and for the father of children and love.
I hope, that my letter will be interesting to you, and you will answer me!!!
With impatience I shall wait for your letter!!!!
Please write letters on mine e-mail: katvolkova@rambler.ru
Katya.

And one from Jan 5th from “freefromall7v7 ”

I am a recent member of this site and like others looking for love. I decided to write you and see where it goes… If you are interested, I would feel more comfortable if you write me to sweet_cherry357@yahoo.com I hope to hear back from you soon.
Bye.