Oh, will you look at the blog...

Cat on a Roomba!

2008-11-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

This is possibly my favorite YouTube video ever!

Cruelty-free cosmetics on the rise

2008-06-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

While I don't actually wear makeup often, I sure do like to buy it. I like to browse the aisles of Sephora or even Longs to look at all the pretty colors. Part of what holds me back (in addition to wasted money) is that many of these companies test their products on animals. I've felt limited to a few brands that I know are cruelty free because their packaging says so: Urban Decay and Smashbox.

The Mac Mini Home Theatre Saga, Part II: Neena Strikes Back

2008-06-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

I've actually had the Mac Mini Home Theatre going pretty good for about a month now, but I haven't posted. Here's a revisit of the gear:Mac Mini 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo, UPGRADED to 2GB RAM and 320GB hard drive (I did the upgrade myself for about $150)Acomdata Mini-Pal 500GB external driveApple Bluetooth keyboardMicrosoft Bluetooth mouse (it was half the price of the Apple one)Elgato EyeTV Hybrid

Yearning for Humanity: Vampire Mythos in Television

2008-06-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

Spoiler Alert: Before I begin this essay, if for some reason you have not seen the Angel episode "I Will Remember You" (1x08) or the Moonlight episode "Fated to Pretend" (1x13), please be aware that I give away the endings to both. Go watch and then come back.I recently got into the TV show Moonlight, which was unfortunately cancelled by CBS last month. Having previously been a fan of Angel, it

Every 33 years...

2008-05-02T22:17:00.000-07:00

It's round two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sharks lost the first three games in their series against Dallas. In game four, the Sharks face elimination, but pulled off a 2-1 victory to prevent a Dallas sweep.Game 5: Sharks are down 0-2 going into the third period. Finally, they get one past Marty Turco. Then another. Regulation ends, and we go to overtime. This is the third overtime in five

The Mac Mini Home Theatre Saga, Part I: The Search for HD

2008-04-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

My first Mac Mini HTPC attempt was half successful. But let's start at the beginning.Core setup:Mac Mini 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo, 1GB RAM, MacOS 10.5 (Leopard)Acomdata Mini-Pal 500GB external driveQuasar 13" TV/VCR as monitor (can you smell the upgrade coming?)Apple Bluetooth keyboardMicrosoft Bluetooth mouse (it was half the price of the Apple one)What I purchased:Terk HDTVA powered indoor

Rat sweater!

2008-04-24T22:29:00.000-07:00

Is it wrong to blog about a blog? Someone sent me this link, and it's just too cute...a teeny tiny sweater knitted for a pet rat.http://community.livejournal.com/knitting/500242.html

Keep your paws off my keyboard

2008-04-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

My cat loves to walk all over my keyboard. I'm not sure if it's because it's warm (the laptop seems to vent head through the keys) or if she just likes to be the center of attention. While I don't think it would actually work, here's a cute kitty in-box. It clamps on your desk and gives kitty a nice place to sit while you work. It's a nice idea, but I don't think it'll satisfy my cat's urge to

Episode 56: Return of the Blog

2008-04-14T19:17:00.001-07:00

Whew! It took me about 15 minutes of trying various username/password combinations to resurrect and reclaim my blog. And now here I am, ready to spout my various reviews and thoughts, because seriously, what self-respecting techie girl doesn't have a blog these days?Speaking of self-respecting girls (or women), I came thisclose to buying Cosmo today because it had the fabulous Kristen Bell on the

Congratulations! You're an asshole....

2006-03-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Not you, personally, of course. But you must check out these urban asshole notification cards from Glarkware. You can hand them out to people who double park, bring too many items to the express lane, talk too loudly on their cell phones, and so on. I love Glarkware for their cheeky humour (I have a Goth union: Individuality through conformity shirt from them). It's worth a browse.Also from

MySpace will be the death of us all....

2006-03-04T22:11:00.000-08:00

MySpace will be the death of us all....Okay, that was a rather melodramatic headline, but it got your attention. So Jenny said something to me today and again mentioned MySpace, which (while I know what it is) I haven't actually looked at before. I wanted to take a gander at Jenny's page, but I had to sign up first. So now I have a page at both MySpace and Friendster, which is redundant, if you

Just like Starbucks...almost

2006-02-25T20:11:00.000-08:00

Just like Starbucks...almostI've been on a quest to recreate Starbucks' peppermint hot chocolate. While billed as a Christmas beverage, it is available year-round, but why not make it at home? Here's my current recipe:8oz milk3 tablespoons Ghirardelli hot chocolate powder2.5 tablespoons Torani peppermint syrupwhipped cream and red sugar sprinkles (optional)Mix the milk, hot chocolate powder, and

Read this!

2006-01-29T00:00:00.000-08:00

Read this!The Dog Blog: http://www.automatedredemption.com/flavorcountry/dogblog/

Adventures in Vegas

2006-01-28T20:39:00.000-08:00

Well, this is waaay after the fact, but a couple weeks ago (January 6-8 to be precise), I was in Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show (www.cesweb.org). It was my first time to Vegas, so of course I did the whole tourist thing.From Friday night...wandering around Vegas with one of my co-workers. Here's Bally's (duh) with the Paris Hilton's scale model of the Eiffel Tower in the

The consumer electronics blues

2005-12-17T23:24:00.000-08:00

The consumer electronics bluesChristmas is coming, so it's time to go cross-eyed from staring relentlessly at Amazon.com.....hoping for answers. Actually, buying for others wasn't bad, but I drove myself batty researching mp3 players. And today, after watching two-thirds of Superman II, my DVD player revealed its true nature as a piece of junk. I didn't expect much for $36, but the skipping kept

Test entry from a Treo 650

2005-05-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

Test entry from a Treo 650So I've decided to try this mobile blogging thing, but typing is a little slow for me with long nails. Admittedly, I can't type on laptops very well, either. Treo typing tips appreciated!

2005-03-12T22:35:00.000-08:00

You know you're from the Bay Area when....I found this list at http://www.blogthings.com/bay-area.html Here are some of my favorite excerpts: You bought stock in Starbucks just for the free chocolate-covered coffee beans. Almost all of the companies featured on your resume are no longer in business.You make $120,000 a year, yet still can't find a place to live.Your commute time is 45 minutes

2004-11-29T21:23:00.000-08:00

Fun with Firefox My mom read about a new web browser in the San Jose Mercury News today. It's called Mozilla Firefox v. 1.0. The Mozilla people believe in open-source (meaning, sharing) as opposed to the evil empire otherwise known as Microsoft. Firefox is fun because you can customize six ways to Sunday (whatever that means). Oh, and it's free. My Firefox currently sports a theme called Red

2004-11-03T21:30:00.000-08:00

Whenever Jenny does these quizzes, I end up taking them too..... 20 Questions to a Better Relationship eXpressive: 7/10 Practical: 5/10 Physical: 3/10 Giver: 8/10 You are a XPIG--Expressive Practical Intellectual Giver. This makes you a Catch. You are a magazine-cover, matinee idol dreamboat. Parents love you and want to set you up with their kids. However, first dates are tough

2004-09-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

Today, I installed computer hardware for the first time in my life. I'd never even taken a computer apart before two weeks ago...thank you new job with lousy computers. Today, I got my new computer, but it only had one CD drive. The nice folks in IT said it was fine if I wanted to rip one of the CD drives out of my old computer. I got everything installed, turned it on and....nothing. The

2004-08-10T18:12:00.000-07:00

Quzzes...'cause they're fun I AM 17% GEEK!I wanna be a geek. But I'm not. Why would I even want to be one. Do I think it's fun? I should try writting an online test application at 1 am in my underwearTake the GEEK test at Fuali.com I am sooooo less geeky than Jenny! =) I AM 27% PUNK ROCK!Well, I may know what punk is, but... Okay maybe some people think I am punk, but is that enough?

2004-07-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

Please read Khristine's blog (or Xanga, or whatever you call it). The girl is on a rampage through Europe, and it's hilarious. * * * So, I went to the library today and saw Michael Moore's Dude, Where's My Country? I'm about three chapters in, and it is interesting. Perhaps the funniest part so far is Moore's rundown of the "Coalition of the Willing" aka the countries who

2004-07-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

My friend Jenny did this. I don't even watch "Sex in the City," but I figured, why the hell not. You Are Most Like Carrie! You're quirky, flirty, and every guy's perfect first date. But can the guy in question live up to your romantic ideal? It's tough for you to find the right match - you're more than a little picky. Never fear... You've got a great group of friends and a great closet of

2004-07-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

Hey, is it July already? Where does the time go? So, what have I learned lately? 1. There are no jobs out there if you're under the age of 35. Nope. None. And it kinda sucks, since I've finally decided I can take my current retail servitude no more. Everyone wants five to a million years experience. I'm gonna laugh when in ten years there's no one left with experience. Just us

2004-02-15T10:53:00.000-08:00

Wow, first post of the new year. I saw Evanescence Friday night for the third time in 13 months. It would have been three times in less than a year, but the concert was postponed from November to February. It was my first time going to the San Jose State Event Center, and I'd just like to say their website lies! It says the 7th Street Garage is free after 6pm on weekdays, so we got there at

2003-12-30T19:30:00.000-08:00

I love this book.... I went to the library the other day and picked up a book called Haircoloring in Plain English by Roxy Warren. It answers just about every question about hair color that you'd ever ask...and then some. It explains a lot of the chemistry and biology about how and why hair dye works. I thought the book was fascinating and read it in one day. Of course, when Kirk saw me with

2003-12-22T21:02:00.000-08:00

It tastes just like Cherry Coke, only cheaper. I did lots of shopping today....I finished my Christmas shopping in an impressive hour and a half, then I went to the grocery store. While I usually go to Save Mart, I stopped at Albertsons, 'cause it was on the way home. I found some amazing things there. Number one, off-brand cola. The Albertsons brand cherry cola actually tastes like Cherry

2003-12-20T19:00:00.000-08:00

Don't buy Best Buy giftcards! One of my friends bought me a giftcard for Best Buy for my birthday. Stupid me forgot about it (and didn't have it in my wallet) when I bought the car stereo. That's okay, I thought. I need to replace my Dance Hall Crashers Live Record as it was stolen along with Kirk's car stereo. (Theives with good taste.) So, I logged on to bestbuy.com, where they had the CD

2003-12-08T22:13:00.000-08:00

Downtown Snow, the revenge Two weeks after the adventurous three decided against partaking of the San Jose Downtown Snow ritual (i.e. skating on ice that looks like it hasn't seen a Zamboni in a week), we decided to try again. The weather was questionable, so I was smart and called the rink. They said the ice was wet and thus they hadn't run the Zamboni...again. No big this time, 'cause I had

2003-11-25T21:06:00.000-08:00

San Jose's Downtown Snow So, Bay Area people have perhaps heard of Downtown Ice, but Downtown Snow?! Well, the plan on Sunday was to go ice skating downtown, since the Evanescence concert in SJ has been postponed. So Jenny, Kirk, and I met at the rink, got our waivers to sign, and got out our money. Well, then the lady at the register noticed my skates and said, "You might want to take a look

2003-11-12T20:32:00.000-08:00

The not-so-great nail polish experiment: day 7. It finally chipped today. Sure it's three days short of Revlon's advertised 10 days (well, up to 10 days), but for me and nail polish, that's darned impressive. So I went to Wal-Mart and bought another shade of it. What else? I spent way too much money today. I bought Skechers ($40) so I could have another pair of shoes to wear to work.

2003-11-10T22:59:00.000-08:00

It's just another manic Monday. Well, not really. I woke up this morning to the sound of a vaccuum at about 8:30 or 9, which is not much earlier than I usually get up (considering most days I don't work until 3 or 4 pm). I tried shopping for jeans today, as somehow most of my pants are now too big. I'd just like to say I hate the current style. Super-low jeans are not for me, and they're

2003-11-08T18:47:00.000-08:00

Not to be all "miss product endorsement," but I am fascinated by Revlon Colorstay nail polish. I was at the salon on Wednesday, waiting for a haircut, so I started flipping through a magazine. They had a short blurb about this nail polish and how the formula is acrylic-based, similar to car paint. Their tests had it last 12 days. Well, that sounded worth a try, so off to Target I went. For

2003-11-03T13:44:00.000-08:00

Well, I had an interesting weekend...how about you? Friday, it was finally Halloween, so I figured the madness at work would be over. Nope. Can you believe we still had a huge line of people buying last minute costumes until about 7pm?! Get your act together people. I rushed home after work to change costumes (from a Catholic schoolgirl look to a dominatrix-y outfit). Kirk showed up with

2003-10-17T22:57:00.000-07:00

Two weeks to Halloween; then the madnesss will be over. Work is sooooo crazy this time of year. Then again, it's never boring. Apparently now the upper management has decided that having employees wear costumes is good for business. At Sarah's behest, I donned the Snow White costume to go with her Cinderella outfit. While I've never seen myself as Snow White, it was an okay ensemble. (And

2003-10-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

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