Wednesday, September 20, 2000
I just helped my brother, Benjamin (I call him Ben, but he insists that everyone else calls him Benjamin) set up a weblog. Ben is a great graphics designer, way better than me! Go check out his 'blog: Almost Real World

Monday, September 18, 2000
Some of these tips might be worth using, but the name of the site, "Miserly Moms," seems rather harsh, although there is nothing wrong with living frugally! Speaking of which, I went to the local thrift store and bought two pairs of pants and a shirt for $9! They're all in great condition. I love "thrifting"! :)

Saturday, September 16, 2000
It's hard to believe it, but some people actually put a domain name, along with the ".com" (for example, "amazon.com") into a search engine to find the site. Arggh, how can they not know that you don't have to use a search engine if you already know the address?!

I watched a bit of the Olympics tonight. Ian Thorpe (the "Thorpedo." LoL!) won whatever swimming event it was. You can probably tell I'm not much into sports. Ah, well. It was a good race (swim?) I was actually rooting for Ian, an Australia. How unpatriotic of me ;)

Friday, September 15, 2000
I have a little gray kitten sitting on my lap. She's nameless, poor thing. I didn't have the heart to name her since we have to give her away. She's such a cutey, though!

I can't believe that The Watcher was the number one movie last weekend! From the previews, it looks like just another serial killer/cop movie. B-O-R-I-N-G!

20 Questions is now online. It's not quite as fun as playing with another person, though.

Have I mentioned that Eve 6 is one of my favorite bands? ;)

Oohh, they are mean! Fight back!

I was listening to the Michael Medved radio show last night (yes, I listen to call-in talk shows!) It was "conspiracy night," where anyone could call in with their conspiracies, no matter how wacky they might be. The only one that really caught my attention was the one about the TWA 800 crash back in '96, mostly because there always seemed something suspicious about it to me.

Al Gore and G.W. Bush are finally going to debate, which is fine. I just have one problem with the debates: Why don't they let some of the third party candidates debate also? One excuse that I heard recently is that they don't let them debate because they "distract from the real choices." Hearing that made me totally indignant! Sure, maybe third party candidates have little to no chance of being elected, but that does not mean that they can not be voted for! How are they ever going to get more votes if they are not given any publicity?! I am definitely not voting for either Gore or Bush this November, you can be sure of that!

I envy those of you who live in Portland, Oregon or anywhere near it. There is only one cool bookstore where I live and it's nowhere near as wonderful as Reading Frenzy!

From the looks of this government chart, it seems that people around my age will be the parents of the "Millenni-boom."

I've become addicted to solving riddles; too bad I'm not very good at solving them! ;)

More fun: Tongue Twisters

Interesting: 75 Years of Band-Aid.

SUVIVORblog. What will they think of next?! Heh.

Thursday, September 14, 2000
It's raining, something that hasn't happened around here in a long time! I love thunderstorms!

Back in '96, I was rather excited about the Olympics, probably because it was going to be held in the U.S and the media was really hyping it. This year I'll probably watch the opening ceremonies and a few events but that's about all.

Speaking of the Olympics, check out the new sports added this year! Heh.

The Visual Theasaurus is one the coolest things I've seen in a long time!

I've been hearing about The Sims, a game from Maxis, for a while now and I just looked into it. It definitely looks like the kind of game that I'd play! I love simulation games. In fact, Sim City Classic was the first computer game that our family bought, way back in about 1993 or so. The only problem is that I balk at paying more than $30 for a game. Yet, The Sims looks like it may be worth the $40-45 price tag.

I found an awesome 'blog today: NewsPages Weblog, "The Alternative Guide to New Books, Magazines & Music along with News from the Net of Interest to Booksellers, Publishers, Librarians, Writers and Readers."

My true flavor is "mocha." Mmm, yummy :)

Uhm, Britney does it again?!

Tuesday, September 12, 2000
I don't know exactly why I stopped updating. I guess I got apathetic. Oh, well, I'm back now! :)

Bits of conversation: InPassing.org. Be sure to look at the guestbook too; some of the funniest ones are there. [LINK VIA BTW]

I think every one in a while, Americans should re-read the Bill of Rights.

The grim reaper will try to guess your age based on the answers you give to certain questions. It guessed that I'm 22. I'm almost 20, so that was only two years off. Not bad.

I only caught parts of the VMAs on MTV, but I did see the part where Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit got on stage with Christina Aguilera. He says that he did it because of his attraction to her, but I don't think so. It just looked too staged.

The 50 State Quartars Program is pretty cool. I just wish it wasn't going to take until 2008 to get them all minted.

Cool quote: "To the youth of America, I say, beware of being trivialized by the commercial culture that tempts you daily." -- Ralph Nader

I share my birthday with Sisqo and Nick Lachey?! How is that possible? Arrgghhh!!

What?? Why, oh why? Heh.

Monday, September 11, 2000
I'll update soon, I promise :)

Saturday, September 2, 2000
It's much, much too hot to 'blog: 99° with a heat index of 113°! Ah, the joys of south Texas. Heh.

One thing, though: I'm thinking of getting a domain (I no idea what I'm going to call it, yet) and I think I'm going to use AMHosting.net. They have some really good deals and look like they're professionals.

Friday, September 1, 2000
Genetic Savings & Clone wants to help you store your pet's DNA for cloning later on. If you ask me, it's rather sick. A clone is not the same as the original, even if it has the same DNA.

During the space race back in the 1960's, NASA was faced with a major problem. The astronaut needed a pen that would write in the vacuum of space. NASA went to work. At a cost of 1.5 million they developed the "Astronaut Pen". Some of you may remember. It enjoyed minor success on the commercial market. The Russians were faced with the same dilemma. They used a pencil.

MyCaster.com is another site that allows you to broadcast (or as they say, "cast") a station. It seems comparable to the other broadcast sites.

All my favorite journallers seems to be getting their own domains. First Katie got DigInk.net and now Jan has 12PointFont.com. Makes me want to get my own domain ;)

Thursday, August 31, 2000
"I think the fans want to hear the same record over again. They'll buy a band that sounds just like another band. And I've never been like that. I've liked so many different types of music that I feel like I'm running in place, and I don't want to do that." Art Alexakis, lead singer of Everclear [article/interview]

There is this commercial for MTV's Video Music Awards that I find absolutely hilarious: There is this guy in a subway, playing a guitar and singing, when along comes Conan O'Brien. Conan gestures that he'd like the guitar so the guy gives it to him; Conan then begins to sing Big Pimpin'! It might not sound very funny but it is! You can now adopt a cartoon Conan! Heh.

Said: It's like sanctioned eavesdropping! [VIA MARC'S PITA]

Wednesday, August 30, 2000
Matchbox 20, one of my favorite bands, debuted the video for their new single, If You're Gone, today. If you didn't happen to catch it, you can view it online here.

I find the idea of self-publishing appealing. I have an idea for a book and I think it's the ideal sort of book for self-publishing, since it deals with DIY. CyberGrrl has a short but useful article about self-publishing. The Small Publishers, Artists, and Writers Network (SPAWN) has even more information.

Everyone "loves" Gen Y (those born from 1977 to 1997) We have money (well, as a group, anyway); therefore, we have power. It's digusting to me that the people who care most about us are the market researchers, and it disgusts me even more that we buy into their materialistic spiel.

PopPolitics.com: Commentary on Popular and Political Cultures.

Tuesday, August 29, 2000
I saw Frequency last night, at the local Dollar Cinema. I thought it was probably going to be stupid; it's not like the idea of some sort of "time travel / contact with the past" hasn't been used before, but it turned out to be enjoyable. There were enough twists in the plot to keep it from becoming too trite. And hey, it was a Monday night and it only cost $1!

Another personality test, this time from The Spark. This one says I'm the Accountant (How boring, but mostly correct)

"IShouldBeWorking.com is dedicated to slackers, goof-offs, procrastinators, loafers, 'long lunchers', and web addicted employees worldwide." Hey, they said it, not me :)

Monday, August 28, 2000
I am a pro-life feminist. Yes, there is such a thing. I believe that killing a person, whether they are born or not, is wrong. That's why I am also opposed to the death penalty. In keeping with that, I should probably be a vegetarian or even a vegan, yet I admit I have double standards: It seems less wrong to me to eat animals than to kill human beings. But this has been gnawing on my conscious for a while now, so I'm seriously contemplating assuming a vegetarian lifestyle.

If you're under the impression that all pro-lifers are wackos who will kill abortionists at any given opportunity or are only rich, white, homophobic men, you really should check out this site.

New personality test: Ansir.com. This is a great test. It goes much more indepth than most online personality tests, and I thought the results were accurate. My personality: Thinking - Evokateur; Working - Visionary; Emoting -Sentinel; with Visionary being the "boss" profile. It might sound a little confusing, but if you're really interested, just check out the test yourself.

Since I'm going to have my own place in six months or so, I was happy to find Digs Magazine. They bill themselves as a "living guide for the post-college, pre-parenthood, quasi-adult generation." Well, I'm not post-college, but I am definitely pre-parenthood. I especially like their recipes and decorating tips. Those are the two things I've been worried about most: cooking and making my place look decent, if not cozy and inviting.

It's Stewie! His plan: Take over the world.

I just submitted Eclectica to be added to The Weblog Color Wheel. All you have to do is take the True Colors Test @ Emode and then email your results to GitM. I'm a brown, but I wish I were green, since it's my favorite color.

Max Collins, lead singer of Eve 6, turns 22 today. Happy birthday, Max! ;)

Someone found my site by looking for "hairy Survivor." (I don't even want to know!)

I know I haven't been updating as much as I used to; sometimes, I just need a break.

Friday, August 25, 2000
Heh, it's kinda funny, now Rich really is rich!

I was kind of disappointed by the Survivor finale. It just degenerated into an acrimonious hate-fest. Sue really had a problem there; I had no idea she was so bitter. I sure hope she and Kelly made up. Sue's whole speech made me feel sick to my stomach. I guess she forgot that it was just an inane game.

Now that Survivor is over, you need some way to satisfy your voyeuristic tendencies, right? If so, you'll love WebCamSearch.com! ;)

I really like the BNL's new single, Pinch Me. It reminds of some of Jars of Clay's songs. It's really mellow, but then it kicks in with an almost ska-like chorus.

More music: An article about Eve 6, one of my favorite bands. These guys truly rock and to make them even more cooler, they're young: all under 22!

A New Mexico cop had to kill his K-9 partner after it inexplicably attacked him.

Britney Spears plans to give advice to teens online for two weeks next month. Uh huh. [rolls eyes]

$5,400 ransom demanded in exchange for return of Benedict XIII's skull.

A new book claims Irish have Egyptian ancestry. That would be cool; I could say I am part Egyptian, then ;)

Once I get some extra cash, I'm dying my hair hot red! I can hardly wait; I'm extremely tired of this orangey red color, and almost 2 inches of the roots of my normal medium brown color are showing through. It doesn't look bad, but it doesn't look very good either.

My brothers found this picture somewhere. I'm not sure if it's funny or pathetic.

Tuesday, August 22, 2000
This makes me so sad. What a horrible way to die! All week I was hoping that maybe at least one or two of them could somehow have survived, but that was not to be so.

For some reason, I've become addicted to online hard drives. I probably don't need all the extra space, but just like extra email addresses, I can not resist signing up for them! Some of my favorites: xDrive, iDrive, Driveway, and MySpace.

"Dr. Sean" once again makes a fool of himself. "Baywatched." Heh.

Enter the X-Props Sweepstakes and you could win a tour of the X-Files set! I wanna win ;)

IdeaDollar.com wants to buy people's ideas. I don't think I'd sell them any of my ideas. Who knows, one of them could turn into a multi-million dollar venture and they'd have all rights to the idea! Of course, it's not like I have the resources to market any ideas, so maybe it would be worth it to sell them ideas.

"'The hyperlink is not a natural reading experience," he says. "The goal is to end up with electronic devices that are no more cumbersome than a magazine or book.'" -- e-Paper or "Paper 2.0" is an awesome idea! Think of it: You have a sheet of e-paper, about the size of a newspaper and every day (or every hour) you can wirelessly connect it to the net and get updated news.

I'm definitely going to watch the last episode of Survivor tomorrow night. A lot of people seem to think that Rich is going to win; but I think Rudy's going to win. Why? Because he's quiet, he stays out of people's way and for the most part, is not annoying to the others.

I'm so glad I'm leaving my teen years behind in less than 3 months!

I created a message board for Eclectica. You can sign the guestbook thread, or answer today's question: How old are you? [Please do; I'm really curious to know!]

Monday, August 21, 2000
The demise of MP3 has arrived. At least, that's what they say. There's a new music encoder out there, called Ogg Vorbis. It certainly seems like something to pay attention to, but the name is rather odd.

Worried that Napster is going down? Check out these five Napster alternatives.

Let your musical opinions be known; visit PickTheHits.com and tell them what you think!

Papa Roach, a relatively new band from northern California, seem really down to earth. I like their single Last Resort, and I've downloaded some of their other songs via Napster. I'm definitely thinking about buying the CD. Read the interview with them from Rolling Stone.

Umm, why can't actresses stick with what they do best? Do we really need any more Jennifer Lopezes around? Gwyneth tries her hand at singing.

The Hollywood and musical worlds collide: Beck and Winona Ryder are allegedly a couple.

If you've ever worked a customer service job or currently are working one, you'll want to visit CustomersSuck.com! If you don't laugh about your problems, you have to cry, right? :)

Papa Smurf was a communist and would have indoctrinated all of us innocent American children, but fortunately we had "...other cartoons such as G.I. Joe and Richie Rich who's goal it was to instill in the children of the western world the morals and values of Capitalism." LOL, another example of extreme paranoia.

The Survivor Mini-Fame Audits @ FameTracker. LoL!

I can hardly believe this; it's almost too ludicrous to believe: A girl killed herself and her parents and pastor say it's because she listened to Nsync, which they call "acid-rock" and "punk-rock." (Where do they get their musical definitions?!) The girl was obviously mentally unstable; she thought Justin Timberlake was dating her, just because he wrote back to her fan letters, sent her a autographed photo, and yelled, "I love you!" to his fans at concerts. Too weird.

I just took the "Which Real World Character Are You?" quiz, and my results indicate that I'm most like Sarah (from the Miami season) Here's what they said:

Why do we love you? 'Cause you're so totally chill, that's why. If you were on The Real World, you'd be the housemate everyone would wanna hang with -- you're genuinely interested in getting to know new people and you aren't all into yourself, either. You're not a wallflower, but you're by no means desperate for attention. You have enough self-confidence to know that there are more important things than being the center of the universe -- like having your head on straight. The way we see it, you're the Real deal! See also: Julie (New York), Cynthia (Miami), and Janet (Seattle).

Wednesday, August 16, 2000
The ants have been invading my house lately, looking for water and food. They're quite a nuisance, but they're such amazing little creatures.

The Garden of Origami is a nicely put together and useful site. I'm not really into making origami, but it's nice to know how to do it, just in case I ever take an interest in it.

We're just a couple of months away from the presidental election, so if you haven't decided who you're going to vote for, you'd better decide soon! Of course, you may not be voting or you may not even live in the U.S. If so, disreguard this :) Visit Vote-Smart.org to learn more about the candidates.

Tuesday, August 15, 2000
I'm back from a brief hiatus. I hope you didn't miss me too much. Heh ;)

I just signed up for Diary-X.com. It's a service quite like Diaryland.com. I'm not sure if I'll start an online journal; I just wanted to see if the site is better than Diaryland.com.

Speaking of journals, Katie just bought a domain for her journal, Digital Ink. I was hoping she'd try a re-design, but she said she couldn't come up with anything satisfactory. Anyway, I like her site for the writing, so the design part of it is negligible.

Creed said "goodbye" to their bassist on August 10th, ostensibly amicably.

Interested in wacky Americana? Then you'll want to check out RoadSideAmerica.com!

Build your own roller coaster on Discovery.com and then have it rated. Pretty cool. I scared the heck out of them. Heh :)

I've read movie. The book goes more indepth and is definitely scarier. You can read the true story of the murder that happened in the house here and here.[LINKS VIA PCJM]

Monday, August 14, 2000
I just archived. It makes everything look so bare! Make sure to check out the archives. A lot of the links are still active and they're interesting :)

ARCHIVES: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

eclectica, a weblog © 1999-2000 by Joanna Blackwell