Feb
11
2010
Facebook is still superior…for now.
Basically, Buzz doesn’t make it as easy to connect with people you’re not already connected with, and it doesn’t allow you to communicate in the same ways that have made Facebook fun and popular.
One of the advantages to Facebook is you can ask a person a question or share something with them that is viewable publicly, and then the responses gets communicated publicly as well. It’s far more fun that way, and it allows everyone who can see the post to keep in the loop with what’s going on with your life. It’s sort of analogous with listening in to a conversation at a party. You can follow what’s going on, and even start new topics if you want, but either way you get that feeling of inclusion.
With Google Buzz, the only way to start a conversation is to send someone an email. If you get an email from someone you’re most likely to respond via email as well, so its more like a private phone call. I can’t go into the Buzz feed, find Kevin or Lisa (names changed to protect the innocent), and ask them something via Buzz that anyone that follows them can get in on.
One other thing that is odd about Buzz, is that it’s not easy to find people to follow if you don’t have their email address to begin with. I can’t just search for people by name, because a search for followers only searches through my contacts. My search for Kevin didn’t return anything. I had to wait until he started following Lisa, and then I could follow Kevin. On Facebook I can browse through lists of people that my friends know as a way of finding people that I know as well. I can browse through my mom’s list of Facebook friends, and even though I may not want to add her friends as my friends, I may want to add some of their children as my friends since we grew up together.
Buzz blocks access to those lists until they are followers of the people I’m following or create a public profile. Right now on Lisa’s list, I can see 5 followers, including names, but she’s following 12 people. I may know some of those people (not likely, but it’s possible), and I won’t be able to follow them until they make their profile public or they start following Lisa in return.
Facebook has had years to get these basic things working for them, and Google is just starting out. I’d expect things to change in the future!
Nov
19
2009
It’s been a bit since we posted… Disneyland was a blast, but I came home with a fairly significant sinus infection that had me coughing like crazy. It’s still hanging around but the doctor gave me some antibiotics, and I’m on the mend.
But that’s old news. The new news? We have a visitor in our midst!
His name is Ranger, and he’s a shelter dog from the humane society. He’s SO CUTE! We’re fostering him – on our own terms. After consulting my local experts (namely, my parents and my boss at the doggy daycare), we think he’s about 7 months old, and he’s an American Bull Dog/Lab/? mix. Truly a mystery. The shelter said he was a pit bull, but his head isn’t the right shape for it. We’ll see how he turns out.
I say we’re fostering him on our own terms, because I’m going to train him into a little model citizen before I even start considering finding him a home. Because bully breeds get a bad rap (or even worse, get used a fight dogs!), I’ve made it my mission to make it impossible for people to fear him. I’ve even considered looking into getting him into service dog training.
Even though he’s still very young, so his adult temperament hasn’t come out yet, he’s VERY gentle playing with other dogs and people. He doesn’t bark very often – mostly when he sees a cat (or catlike critter! He barked at my parents’ Westie), or when he’s trying to get another dog to play. He responds well to correction, and is already well on his way to mastering ‘Sit’ and ‘Heel.’ He goes outside and goes potty whenever we let Boris out, but we haven’t worked out a signal with him for when he needs to go out. He’s only had one potty accident since we got him… and he was all drugged up from getting neutered at the time, so we can’t really fault him. He’s got a pretty good idea that we don’t want him on the furniture (but he tries to climb halfway into your lap, or chases Boris up onto the furniture when they’re playing), and we’re working on crate training. He hasn’t been the LEAST bit people shy yet, or dog shy, so we’re going to work hard to keep him that way.
Oh yeah, did I mention that he’s already 50 pounds? Boris is 23 pounds…
Oct
20
2009
So, for those of you who are completely unaware…and I’m not sure who those people would be I’m sure they’re out there…Jessie and I are heading to Disneyland tomorrow morning. Boris will be staying with our friend Richard, and Kegan will be watching the house for us. I’m taking the rest of the month off work, so I’ll have a nice, long period of time when I can simply sleep in and relax.
Jessie and I are bringing enough electronic gadgetry to let us document our trip, so don’t be too surprised if you see updates from on on our twitter feed/facebook pages or perhaps even some photos posted here! Stay tuned…
Oct
5
2009
So, I haven’t been too vocal about it, but I’ve decided to leave the University of Washington’s Design Program (maybe I wrote about this before, but I’m too tired to check, and definitely don’t remember it at this point). It wasn’t a good fit for me, and I spent more and more time pulling out my hair and less and less time going, “hey, that’s something I’d never heard!” It was one big clash: personality, philosophy, design aesthetic, learning style, lifestyle, etc. Instead, I’m going to be taking a Business/Administration degree through Central’s Satellite Campus at Everett Community College. I start next quarter, and will be taking night classes.
I’m bummed that the program didn’t turn out to be right for me, but I think I’m much happier and healthier – and I’m going to learn how to run a business, which is something I would have had to figure out the hard way once I graduated.
In the meantime, though, I had a lot of free time (obviously, judging by the fact that I canned so much fruit and jam that it takes up half the shelving on one side of the garage) – so I started thinking about maybe a job. Brian insisted I get something more interesting than being a barista; so I did what my personal commandment always says, and waited for it to come up. I’ve been watching Craigslist of late – admittedly because I’m looking at all the free/cheap dogs available for adoption – and one day, an ad for a position at a doggy daycare came up! 10 hours a week, 8:30am-10:30am, Monday through Friday. I called about it, and went in for an interview the next day. Cassie, the owner of the daycare, is awesome! She was wearing a Rock Band t-shirt, and we spent half the interview talking about our favorite zombie movies and games. She hired me on the spot, and I started work the next day.
Now I get up, go to work, play ball with 15-20 dogs of all shapes and sizes, clean up after them and love on them. I can honestly say I’m happier scrubbing dog poo from the floor than I was commuting to Seattle five days a week. Boris comes with me (he’s still not sure he likes being forced to share his person with that many other dogs), and every last dog in that place is a character and a half. It’s already really rewarding, and I’ve only been there for a week.
I’ve also been working as a landscaper for Dennis’ mom – her yard needed an overhaul, and man, am I haulin’. It’s tough work, but it’s exciting to see what was essentially a weed patch transforming into a garden! I’ve enjoyed having physical jobs this summer, because they’re such a departure from everything I’ve been doing for quite a while. I got a little burned out on design for a bit, since I felt like I couldn’t get anything right for my classes. Now, I’m easing back into the artistic world via my friend Vicki Carver – who is an all around kick in the pants – and helping her get ready for the Big Red Barn Art Festival on October 17-18. If I can get my act together, she’s offered to let me exhibit in the next season’s art show – what an incentive to get rockin’ again! In the meantime, we’re painting signs and generally having a great time together.
I’m so well taken care of. I’m so loved. I’m so blessed. I’m so happy. And man, am I tired! But tired like a happy, played-out puppy. 
Sep
30
2009
Stranger than Fiction starring Will Ferrel is still my favorite movie. I haven’t watched it for a while, and I’m watching it now. It’s awesome. If you haven’t seen it, go rent it, borrow it, watch it. Right now. Go. Why are you sill reading this? Didn’t I tell you to go get this movie?
Brian Tweeted:- Motivation levels have dropped to zero.
- yay! I get to ride the bus to Seattle that doesn't have working heat! Did I mention its 30 degrees out? BRRRRRRRRR.
- OH NO! Monday morning is back again! Someone should really do something about that. :D
- Jessie Tweeted:
- Listening to the absolute worst Tom Waits cover, ever. Sort of embarrassed to be here right now. #fb
- Public restrooms are somewhat awesome, because it's difficult to place someone at the scene of the crime.
- Yay! Gonna learn me some amigurumi! Gonna make lolbat and twitkid, maybe give them to Scott kurtz. Glee!