Thursday, December 30, 2004

week 30 : 30 Dec 2004

This is the week where I clear all the new items I scribbled into my PDA this month. Deal with it!

 big D
Local Venture Capitalists/Incubators: Austin Ventures; InterWest Partners; StarTech Early Ventures (Richardson)

Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas

Barbara Baynham is the Big Cheese at the Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest
travel & exploration
city-data.com: Stats about all US cities - maps, race, income, photos, education, crime, weather, houses, etc.

Maryland got its name from Henrietta Maria; she was the daughter of King Henry IV of France and Marie de Médici of Italy. In 1625, Henrietta Maria married King Charles I and became Queen of England.

if you're ever in Fredericksburg, Texas: der Peach Garten will lead you to the Hog Stop Inn (B&B that caters to bikers). If you don't cotton to the roar of a Harley @ 6am, you may consider the Full Moon Inn which includes a log cabin. Yee ha!

del.icio.us: is a social bookmarks manager (social bookmarks is what Sundry on Thursday is all about)

map24.com is supposed to put MapQuest and MapBlast and Yahoo! Maps to shame

The Past Whispers is about whisperin' history, I think. Every website should have an "About" page, for people like me who wander across stuff at 0:dark:30
 job hunting
The DMN carries a column called "Kate and Dale talk jobs". Kate Wendleton's site is fiveoclockclub.com and Dale Dauten's site is dauten.com

JobCenterTV - channel 68 (KPXD) is shown weekdays from 6am to 6:30

I'll be watching the Super Bowl for the advertising. Go back to last year's post for the pointer? Here's a perennial favorite: Monster
 politics and/or religion
Clinton Birthplace Foundation is in Hope, Arkansas (SW corner of the state, on I-30)

The Federation of American Scientists website includes such gems as Secrecy News

Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA)

2005 Presidential Inauguration Balls (thanks, The George!)

Council for American-Islamic Relations

Dubya's World

Muslims Against Terrorism has changed their name to Muslim Voice for Peace

President's Council on Physical Fitness
 entertainment
The Daily Buzz - is this syndicated?

I suppose if you get tired of the Internet Movie Database, you can go to AllWatchers.com
 just plain weird different
hyperhidrosis is discussed on ExcessiveSweating.org

whoa! why did my Head-and-Shoulders shampoo come out of the bottle in orange? It lathers normally, though.
 tree huggers
If you want to know what companies still test their products on animals, see Cruelty Free Companies

Radio Flyer : remember the Little Red Wagon?

Cook's Thesaurus is a cooking encyclopedia that covers thousands of ingredients and kitchen tools. Entries include pictures, descriptions, synonyms, pronunciations, and suggested substitutions.

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

Carnival of the Cats

Purina Cat Chow - Vitality formula

Scottish sculptor Andy Goldsworthy - Rivers and Tides: Working With Time Universe
 wonders of the nerd|geek world
When I lived in southern California, there was a chain of retail software places called Egghead Software, which eventually went out of business. Now I see NewEgg.com - could this be their rebirth?

The Newted Community allows Newton users worldwide to keep in touch with one another

Straight Dope Staff Report: Why do we have so many temperature scales?

Why is it so hard to find a good Computer Stand? The one I like above all others is Chenbro's ES160 Computer Stand, available from Cyberguys. Pity I can't find a local source for these.

v-chip.org (anti violence, etc.)

beyond zettabyte: yottabyte (2^80). I spotted this on Parade magazine's Ask Marilyn column.

TV-B-Gone™ from Cornfield Electronics allows you to turn off most any TV (such as a public one that annoys you, but you didn't think to bring the remote for that brand of TV with you)

konfabulator.com explains itself: Widgets: they're even cooler when they're onyour desktop.

Heavily advertised is the $350 Ionic Breeze (plus $22 for shipping). I read somewhere that it accounts for 50% of Sharper Image's profits, yet Consumer Reports is adamant that it basically does nothing. One of the Breeze's features mentioned in the ad is the Zenion Effect

Thursday, December 23, 2004

week 29 : 23 Dec 2004

travel & exploration
Airport Status - South Central States (includes Texas)

Dallas local guide (good luck remembering the URL)

The Mystery of Rennes-le-Château

The Official Amelia Earhart site (not endorsed by Amelia, though)

The (Hermosa Beach, California) South Bay St Patrick's Day Parade And Festival
 job hunting
MENG - Marketing Executives Networking Group

I spotted Open Business Club (OpenBC) on Constantin's blog: it's the European equivalent of LinkedIn

Thunderbird MBA in International Management

TENG - Technology Executives Networking Group (no relation to Tang, the drink that the astronauts imbibe)

Dice.com - Job search for Technology Professionals
 politics and/or religion and/or military
The Official Kwanzaa Web Site - Kwanzaa African American Celebration of Family, Community and Culture by Maulana Karenga (related trivia: Kwanza (with only one trailing A) means "currency" in Angola)

MilitaryCity.com vectors to Army Times; Navy Times; Air Force Times; Marine Times

The 43 Presidents Song -- Lyrics & Sound File

USS Chancellorsville
 entertainment
Whatever Next - The Offical Publication of The Jasper Fforde Ffan Club (Tthanks, Mmary!)

Rate My Kitten (certainly better than Pull My Finger)
 just plain weird different
The Original Old Time Radio (OTR) WWW Pages. Old-Time Radio at its Best (don't miss the OTR FAQ)

Swearsaurus : Swear Words: Swearing, Cursing, Cussing and Insulting!
 tree huggers
Diet Riot: a humorous non diet weight loss site that integrates Nutrition, Fitness, and Hunger Healing

National Fatherhood Initiative

The World Health Network - Anti-Aging and Longevity
 wonders of the nerd|geek world
Electronic Frontier Foundation's Press Room: the latest news about EFF, as well as their reactions to current events

Fire Extinguisher 101

Google Scholar

Nauticos specializes in deep-ocean search and underwater problem solving (does this mean they can do analytical geometry underwater?)

njabl.org: "Not Just Another Bogus List"

Panaband Wireless Internet

PHPlist

TIGHAR: The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery

Thursday, December 16, 2004

week 28 : 16 Dec 2004

the joys of Texas are upon you
Road Rage Cards: not recommended in Texas, where many of us are packin' heat
 travel & exploration
Sister Cities International (thanks, Tad!)

Nogales, Arizona
 job hunting
The James M. Kilts Center for Marketing has nothing to do with Scottish clothing
 politics and/or religion
why isn't it MOMINT? Metroplex Organization of Muslims in North-Texas (aka MOMIN)
 entertainment
Boy they were good but ... lists many food products that are no longer in production (like BubbleUp)

Consumer Reports - Best Buy Drugs

Lab Tests Online has all sorts of information about medical tests
 just plain weird different
Gang Signs
 tree huggers environment issues
Bureau of Land Management's National Wild Horse and Burro site
 eat me foodstuff
Chain Leader is about the food industry

Local Harvest: find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area

Prepared Foods Magazine: Development Trends & Technologies For Formulators & Marketers

Seafood Business: The Magazine of the Seafood Industry

Professional Cutlery Direct and Cooking Enthusiast
 wonders of the nerd|geek world
"Is this person really interested in buying my domain?" from Ask Dave Taylor!

E-Mail Suffix List

AllExperts.com: the oldest & largest free Q&A service on the Internet

Thursday, December 09, 2004

week 27 : 9 Dec 2004

world culture
Africa Within bills itself as a primary reference tool or research tool for African studies

British Museum of Political Incorrectness

History America Tours: Taking You Where History Happens
 wonders of Texas
Texas Department of Insurance includes Agent, Consumer, Industry News and Assistance (if it doesn't put you to sleep first)

Dallas Relocation - Dallas Texas Real Estate

Dave Perry's JFK Assassination Pages

Texas-Certified Online Defensive Driving & Comedy Driving Safety Class

Texas Department of Public Safety - Crime Records Service

Texas Dog Clubs

Texas Windstorm Insurance Association

Texas Women in Law Enforcement
 politics and/or religion
Catholic Youth Organization

we're Half the Country - and we're not going away

Iraq Coalition Casualties

Islam.com is a One-Stop shoppe for all your Islamic needs

Jewish Funerals: Burial and Mourning

Power of Prophecy: Texe Marrs (don't make me come down there and smite you!)

Socialist Action
 you call this entertainment?
GolfCourse.com, The GOLF MAGAZINE Golf Course Guide, Search over 20,000 course worldwide!
 just plain weird different
Mary liked The Grinch Doll : Landover Baptist Blacklist (Toys Banned From Church Property)

Although they never existed (except in the authors' mind), some people swear they saw and remembered that episode! See Whatever: The 10 Least Successful Holiday Specials of All Time which includes The Lost Star Trek Christmas Episode: "A Most Illogical Holiday" (1968)

Cluster Balloon Flight
 tree huggers environment issues
Politically Correct Rudolph

Michaels of Oregon | Hoppe's | Innovative Products For Shooting and Law Enforcement Markets
wonders of the nerd|geek world
DeadJournal (versus LiveJournal)

Thursday, December 02, 2004

week 26 : 2 Dec 2004

travel & exploration
Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District

Coppell, Texas

Dallas Historic Tree Coalition

Dallas County Community Colleges

McKinney, Texas

Metrocrest Chamber of Commerce serving Addison, Carrollton and Farmers Branch

Metrocrest Medical Foundation: a charitable
organization established to support the initiatives of the Metrocrest Hospital Authority


Metrocrest Social Services is a United Way Affiliate serving Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Addison, Coppell, and area code 75287 in southern Denton County
 job hunting
NAPFA - National Association of Personal Financial Advisors -- (Fee-Only)

USpersonnel
 politics and/or religion
Afro-Nets

The Christmas Resistance Movement!

Chrismukkah Cards for Interfaith Families

MixedBlessing: Greeting Cards for Interfaith and Multicultures
 entertainment
TV Tome - guide to the television shows you love
 just plain weird different
Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts: CDFA

The Trilateral Commission

Illuminati
 tree huggers environment/health issues
A9.com Search: tankless Hot Water Heaters

Earthship Biotecture - Putting Housing Back into the Hands of the People

Real Goods - Products For An Ecologically Sustainable Future

Volunteer Center of North Texas

Calorie Restriction - Fewer Calories, More Life

when I lived in California, there was a chain of restaurants called The Good Earth. Now, all that appears to remain are their Good Earth Teas
 wonders of the nerd|geek world
it's not the original (by Rich Hall) but Bert Christensen's
Truth & Humour Collection appears to be all about Sniglets

Thursday, November 25, 2004

week 25 : 25 Nov 2004

travel & exploration
Washington DC Sightseeing Map
 job hunting
Cambridge Human Resource Group
 politics and/or religion
Swift Boat Veterans Still Hounding Kerry says "John Kerry is a threat to every American he comes in contact with"

I've heard of Seventh Day Adventist, but never a Seventh-day Baptist church until I read about PE.net : Internet Access for the Inland Empire

Australian Catholic University
 entertainment
Facts About Debt (everyone can't spend the way Washington does) made me laugh: what did the rest of the world expect? Dubya couldn't even manage a baseball team. Since the GOPhers only know how to cut taxes (and give the proceeds to their cronies), expect this to get much worse before (or if) it ever gets better.
 just plain weird different
ASP Space Aquarium (if you have an extra $6000+ laying around)
 tree huggers environment issues
The Wilderness Society

SNIP a pet (Spay Neuter Incentive Program)
 wonders of the nerd|geek world
PHP is nothing new, but it's nice to find so many resources about it in one place

Thursday, November 18, 2004

week 24 : 18 Nov 2004

travel & exploration
White Rock Lake Dog Park

Bark Park Central

The Navaho indians call themselves the Diné
 media watch
Society of Professional Journalists / Fort Worth

Columbia Journalism Review - Journalism Tools (includes "Who Owns What" listing of media ownership)
 politics and/or religion
Tolerance.org

Southern Poverty Law Center

All Hat, No Cattle (not to be confused with Big Hat, No Cattle

Interstate 69 is a new proposed highway from Laredo/Brownsville, Texas to Port Huron, Michigan - word is the GOPhers want to change the number, but they won't say why
 just plain weird different
Recipes Of The Damned -- The Back of the Fridge (Archive)
 tree huggers health / environment issues
Complete Sun and Moon Data for One Day

America on the Move: Walking, healthy eating program for weight management / weight loss

In the past week, I had a taste-off between the single-serving bowls from Richard's Cajun Foods and French Market Foods (verdict: yum yum to both)
 wonders of the nerd|geek world
Online Engineering Standards

F-Secure: : Be Sure. Data Security Solutions virus protection spam control SSH network encryption

FILExt - The File Extension Source

RFID Tribe

Thursday, November 11, 2004

week 23 : 11 Nov 2004

Dallas civics
Texas Pecan Company: Gifts and Nuts

Volunteer Center of North Texas

Volunteer PowerCrew - Dallas and North Texas Student Volunteer Program (I was amazed to see that all students must perform volunteer work in the community)

Forward Dallas! deals with the Dallas Comprehensive Plan (fail to plan? plan to fail!)

hav you been served? North Texas Process Servers Association

need a private eye? Texas Association of Licensed Investigators

White Rock Heritage District

The Cedars is "Just south of downtown - one of the oldest neighborhoods in Dallas"

North Texas Food Bank (an excellent charity)

Penang Nyonya Malaysian Cuisine & Sushi Bar (Frisco TX)
 travel & exploration
One China Policy: the mainlanders are fixated with The Taiwan Problem

Language in India: how well do they converse with American Indians?

Directory of California State Propositions

 job hunting
CreativeCats: Freelance Commercial Writing Services - The Right Words to Improve Your Business

Voices Voices (voiceover talent; voice coach)
 politics and/or religion
Conversion Aggression

JesusLand.com (the red states)

Selective Service System (do you feel a draft?)

National Crime Prevention Council

Dummocrats
 entertainment


mycomicspage.com offers customized, online comic strips - for a fee

cin-o-matic (film ratings, etc.)

Marry an American

 just plain weird different
Dads & Daughters

Abu Ammar (aka Yassir Arafat) cheese-flavored potato chips

Smokey Robinson's 'The Soul is in the Bowl' Gumbo

not for red staters: Outlet Radio Network™ is a commercially licensed webcaster providing a 24/7, nationwide source of news, information, and entertainment for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and friends
 tree huggers environment issues
Sweatshop Watch

Clean Clothes Campaign

Sweet Maria's: Home Coffee Roasting Supplies

Nespresso (owned by Nestlé)

Ageless Iron - the site for tractor collectors
 geek stuff
zend: "the PHP company"

blog ads

tailored mail

Blogthings - Cool Stuff To Put In Your Blog

IBM Lotus Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing (Sametime)

Thursday, November 04, 2004

week 22 : 4 Nov 2004

travel & exploration
Louisiana Travel

Big Weekends.com: "stag & hen" parties in the UK
 job hunting
Institute of Management Consultants - Dallas/Fort Worth
 politics and/or religion
You Forgot Poland.com - Politics Makes You Stupid

DemocracyNet
 entertainment
Groovy Candies.com: "Nostalgic and Retro Candy from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s (spotted on one of those "Food Network" shows)
 just plain weird different
Out magazine: for those no longer In The Closet
 tree huggers environment issues
Juan Valdez.com: National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia
 cliff claven would be proud (more trivia than you can imagine)
cyberchondria is when you surf medical websites, and think you have every symptom

found in the Free Newspaper Rack at Dallas City Hall: Elite News: "The Official Voice of the Church and Community" and
African American News & Issues (Houston)

phone code -> time zone conversion (i.e. what time zone is area code 973?)

Thursday, October 28, 2004

week 21 : 28 Oct 2004

travel & exploration
The King Ranch (in south Texas) is larger than the entire state of Rhode Island.

Save the Scottish Regiments

Profile: Black Watch: "the premier Scottish infantry regiment in the British Army and one of the most famous fighting forces in the world"
 job hunting
Hotgigs (consulting)
 politics and/or religion
Iraqi Interim Government (test site)

Vietnamese American Votes
 entertainment
Software Company Using Child Labor to Filter Spam
 just plain weird different
Naugahyde

Allerca : The Hypo-Allergenic Cat
 tree huggers environment issues
BEHEMOTH : Big Electronic Human-Energized Machine ...Only Too Heavy
 cliff claven would be proud
The DigiBarn Computer Museum

CAPTCHA Project (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart)

Thursday, October 21, 2004

week 20 : 21 Oct 2004

travel & exploration
Militia of Montana

The American Air Museum has nothing to do with American Airlines (go figure)
 job hunting
American Ethical Union (I wonder how much their dues are, and if Karl Rove is a member?)
 politics and/or religion
The Rise of Pseudo Fascism is perhaps the saddest thing I've read in a long time.

Enjoy the Draft.com has pretty pictures of Jenna and NotJenna Bush ("the twins")

Bush Relatives for Kerry

Voter Call is a Get Out The Vote site
 entertainment
Dallas chapter of the American Institute of Architects (note that AIA isn't defined on their site: tres odd)
 just plain weird different
Hand University
 tree huggers environment issues
Don't Mess with Texas

Dallas Dirty Air

Architecture for Humanity
 cliff claven would be proud
ScanAlert rates the Tao of Herbs (and I don't even know anyone named Herb)

Thursday, October 14, 2004

week 19 : 14 Oct 2004

travel & exploration
Animal Attraction.com - online dating, friendship, romance and community for pet lovers, pet enthusiasts and pet owners

Google Desktop Search - if that ain't exploration, I don't know what is! (Windows only)
 job hunting
The top 200 employers in Dallas-Fort Worth
 politics and/or religion
GWB in 3D (the infamous "4,000 Hours" and "Shame on Me" quotes)

Operation Truth
 entertainment
The Perfect Stranger Movie (thanks to Matthew Peanut Butter)
 just plain weird different
The Wonderful Wankometer - "measure the quantity of Management Wank in a piece of text or web page"

Microsoft Online Crash Analysis - " If you experience a blue screen crash event, or Stop error, while using Microsoft Windows XP, you can upload the error report"
 tree huggers environment issues
Metroplex Animal Coalition

Addison Texas airport monitor
 cliff claven would be proud
Pluck - yet another RSS reader - Windows only

American Diabetes Association

Cholesterol 101

Thursday, September 30, 2004

week 17 : 30 Sep 2004

travel & exploration
Greater Dallas Planning Council

The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture
 job hunting
Eliyon Technologies
 politics and/or religion
Annenberg Public Policy Center has some interesting survey results, including the item below about The Daily Show (with Jon Stewart)

No Joke: Daily Show Viewers Follow Presidential Race says viewers of Comedy Central's show are more likely to know the issue positions and backgrounds of presidential candidates. Yeah, I know .. I watch every night.

American Forensic Association (real debaters)

eVoteInspector
 just plain weird different
Facts on Farts
 tree huggers environment issues
FDA/CFSAN: Guidance on How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Panel on Food Labels

IN HEAT SCENTS TexasBoars Dripper
 cliff claven would be proud
Anti-Phishing ("Phishing attacks use spoofed e-mails and fraudulent websites designed to fool recipients into divulging personal financial data")

Firehouse Subs (sandwiches, not undersea contraptions)

Kold Vest Mascot Accessory keeps you nice and chilled while wearing that stuffy Giant Chicken Suit

Thursday, September 23, 2004

week 16 : 23 Sep 2004

travel & exploration
North Texas Technology Council is either nttc.ws or hrdpt.com, both of which just roll off the tongue

Dallas Sights has some very cool old Dallas maps and photos (watermelon kid.com)

Preservation Dallas is the group trying to keep old things old
 job hunting
Keep In Touch (KIT) List for people liberated from SGI (Silicon Graphics)
 politics and/or religion
TakeBackTexas.com: Cleaning Up The House For Texas Families
 entertainment
UNCOVERED: The War On Iraq: a film by Robert Greenwald

RatherBiased.com: Documenting Dan Rather and CBS News
 just plain weird different
Rooster Booster poultry lighting, for free range and organic chickens (no relation to the soft drink being sold at Quik Trip
 tree huggers environment issues
Melissa's World: Variety Produce - Organic, Specialty & Recipes
 cliff claven would be proud
Every week or so, I check the Social Security Death Index to make sure I'm still alive.

I've thought about calling the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators to see if they know where I left my sunglasses, or my keys, or ...

I saw somewhere that the Firefox browser is likely to gain even more converts, after Microsoft announced that improvements (read: "bug fixes") will be limited to the Internet Explorer browser that's for Windows XP, and not prior revs. Hmmm. SpreadFirefox.com and mozilla.org are the download sites





When you are Tracking People or Their Stuff, there are Accurint.com (25c/basic search); PublicData.com ($25/year minimum); Urapi.com (Texas law firm centric, $100 minimum).

RipOffReport.com says these two are a waste of time and money: NetDetective.com and WebDetective.com

Here are a few lesser-known search sites:
DocuSearch.com
SearchSystems.net
Lycos People Search
Infospace White Pages




There's an entire category of Campaign Management Software, including Fundraising: Campaign Headquarters; Campaign Office; Complete Campaigns; ELECT; GeoVoter; Trail Blazer Campaign Services; VoterTrack Online and of course, there are the Lists: knowledge.com and Google

Thursday, September 16, 2004

week 15 : 16 Sep 2004

travel & exploration
Jeepney (in the Philippines) and Gerard's Jeepney Collection
 job hunting
Avoid These Mistakes In Your First Few Days after landing a new job

North Texas American Production and Inventory Control Society

Women in Executive Leadership - Dallas

North Dallas American Business Women's Association
 politics and/or religion
Society for Technical Communication - Lone Star Chapter

Dallas Junior Chamber of Commerce
 entertainment
Finding stuff you didn't know you lost is always entertaining, hence these sites:Unclaimed.org; National Unclaimed Property Database; US Treasury - forgotten US Savings Bonds and Missing Money.com
 just plain weird different
George W. Bush Resume (well, maybe the unofficial version)
 tree huggers environment issues
Hitchhiking, Road Travel & subCultural Movement
 Master Yoda would be proud
Genesis Women's Shelter

Flickr - Photo Sharing

BlogFusion - by countersink

BumperArt.com: My blog is so much better than yours. Bumper Sticker

Thursday, September 09, 2004

week 14 : 9 Sep 2004

travel & exploration
Texans going to Iraq to be killed

ePodunk: Profiling more than 25,000 communities across America

International Museum of Cultures in Dallas?!?

Wisconsin State Fair

Northern Michigan University (in Marquette, which is near, uh .. the North Pole, I think)
 job hunting
WorkSource for Dallas County

Worker Profiling Orientation

WorkInTexas.com : Helping Texans Work Better

Dallas Job Net

Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)
 politics and/or religion
Bush and Kerry Side By Side

American Civil Liberties Union : In New ACLU Television Ad, Ordinary Americans Urge Curb on Extreme Portions of Patriot Act and Government Gag Exposed: "National Security Letter (NSL)"
 entertainment
*38: circumvent CallerID, for a price
 just plain weird different
no entry
 tree huggers environment issues
Organic Style (magazine)

Natural Resources Defense Council : Guide to Greener Living
 cliff claven would be proud
Beowulf.org: The Beowulf (Linux) Cluster Site

Thursday, September 02, 2004

week 13 : 2 Sep 2004

travel & exploration
Dallas Goethe Center is for those interested in German culture, but don't try looking for a physical center - this one's virtual
 job hunting
Career Transition Workshop (not for those who don't like a dose of religious training in their job hunt)
 politics and/or religion
NotBush.com - - informed talking points from mainstream media

John Kerry Is A Douchebag But Im Voting For Him Anyway.com

Zabihah: your guide to halal eating
 entertainment
DallasBlue - Dallas Technology, Internet, and Entertainment Newsletter
 just plain weird different
Blabble - Thought Parsing
 tree huggers environment issues
American Partnership for Pets: their sole existance appears to be a request of the USPS to reprint the 37c Spay/Neuter stamps
 cliff claven would be proud
This shouldn't have surprised me, given the American seniors who regularly travel to Canada for cheaper prescription drugs. Now pet owners can get cheaper pet meds via Canadian web sites: PetMeds.DoctorSolve.com and PetDrugs.Canada are two of the larger ones.

Try not to confuse the American Library Association [ALA] and the American Translators Association [ATA]

Tuesday, August 31, 2004

month 2 : August 2004

bootscoot

specialty technical job-search websites: FlipDog and dice.com

salary.com : "the technology leader in providing employee compensation data, software, and services to enterprises, small businesses, and individuals"
Online Wall Street Journal

google for "salary surveys"

Herman Group: "advises corporate leaders regarding employee retention and organizational development to help them build workforce stability"

book: "The Impending Crisis" forecasts a shortage of 10 million skilled workers by 2010.
2010 target

AstroFish.net

Lovejoy Independent School District

SpinSanity.com

DallasBuilders.com

Addison Arbor Foundation

Risk Grades.com (stock riskiness)

World Chicken Festival (London)

ethical wills

Arizona State Parks

Transform Magazine : content and business processes

Risk Assessment Tool for Estimating Your 10-year Risk of Having a Heart Attack

Men's Fitness (Sep 2004) says every medicine cabinet should have:
Motrin
Robitussin DM
Band-Aid Liquid Bandages
Betadine
Sudafed
Benadryl Itch-Stopping Cream
Mylanta Maximum-Strength Liquid
Orajel Medicated Swabs

movies: Goodfellas (1990) and
Scarface (1983)

Etiquette grrl style
Home Automation magazine
Sharing Your Experiences
Vote Your Sport
Mens Fitness magazine

Microsoft TechNet RSS Feed

Thursday, August 26, 2004

week 12 : 26 August 2004

travel & exploration
Old Mill Century was held last weekend in Oregon, Illinois (I wonder if there's an Illinois, Oregon?)

La Tomatina (Buol, Spain's attack on Teresa Heinz-Ketchup)
 job hunting
Dallas Business Journal says that Fiesta (Mexican) grocery chain has been sold to a Houston company. There goes the neighborhood.
 politics and/or religion
Right Wing News made me laugh, especially the FAQ:
"In the US, the terms right wing and conservative are largely synonymous. Conservatives in the US support small government, capitalism, a fairly strict reading of the Constitution, and traditional American values."
It's odd that they don't mention the connotation of Right Wing and Death Squads, but I guess that omission can be chalked up to poetic license.
 entertainment
The AllGood Cafe is as close as Deep Ellum comes to a breakfast spot. It seems out of place to Deep Ellum's association with live music (see Deep Ellum Blues), bars and an occasional tattoo parlor. I'll have to mosey down there sometime for some migas.

Not far away is the Barley House, "where beer is a way of life". Sounds like Addison's Flying Saucer, only less boring.

Willhoite's (in Grapevine) is a converted gas station (Willhoite Garage) which doubles as a restaurant and a bar (complete with Tuesday night karaoke). Downtown Grapevine amuses me: it's an oasis of nostalgia in the Metroplex. I wonder if the Fab Five (from Queer Eye) will mosey thataway while they're in town (filming 3 episodes). Unlikely.

Diana Krall: who's that?
 just plain weird different
Sexist beer ad takes Gold Ernie gong: "Dr Burgmann started the (National Pay Equity Coalition's) Ernie Awards 12 years ago to mark the retirement of Ernie Ecob as president of New South Wales (one of Australias's 6 states) Labor Council."
 tree huggers environment issues

John WorldPeace: candidate for Texas' Governor in 2002
 cliff claven would be proud
Texas Neighborhoods Together

Smithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives

Thursday, August 19, 2004

week 11 : 19 Aug 2004

travel & exploration

Greek Food is a nice guide, when all you think of Greek food is lamb and .. uh ..

Matt Barrett's Greece Photo Album when you couldn't travel to the Olympics

The Tristan Times Newspaper - Tristan da Cunha is perhaps the most remote place on Earth

City of Dallas Trinity River Corridor Project (it's an unnavigable river, folks .. more twigs and sticks than real rivers like the Colorado, Mississippi, Ohio ...)

Microsoft Across America isn't really about travel. Spin-doctoring, maybe ...

QSR Magazine : America's Hottest Fast Food Chains lists the Top 50 (39 are in the DFW Metroplex)

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is located in what town? Anyone?

worldsurface.com - sustainable tourism for backpackers and independent travellers

job hunting
VML may be "one of the best small businesses in the country" but they didn't even have the courtesy to acknowledge my résumé
politics and/or religion
National Lampoon's MoveOnPlease.org: Democracy Inaction (not to be confused with the GOP's lame MoveOver site, or the original MoveOn site)

Allah Made Me Funny is about Islamic Stand-Up Comics. I bet they don't get no respect.

LiberalOpoly - The Game of Ass-Backward Politics was developed by one of the Regressive Party, er .. GOP

Kinky Friedman is running for Governor. Yeah, right.

Texas Taxes breaks it down. No state income tax: check!
entertainment / athletics
International Wheelchair Basketball Federation - Europe

Dallas County District and County Courts
just plain weird different
Southern Poverty Law Center : White Supremacists have started an all-white dating service. What's next -- car washes and bake sales?

American Merkin Company: pubic hair toupees
tree huggers environment issues
Turf Wars
cliff claven would be proud
QSG : GPT&A in the DMM [Quick Service Guide - Glossary of Postal Terms and Abbreviations in the Domestic Mail Manual]

Lockable Post Mount Mailboxes

What does your phone number spell?

Westlaw offers free trials of their legal database

Thursday, August 12, 2004

week 10 : 12 Aug 2004

travel & exploration
The Spot: where Bob and I once dined in Hermosa Beach, California. The place comes complete with a screen door, and Free Range Carrot Juice.

A Stonner is explained in "THE MOST DANGEROUS SUPPER IN SCOTLAND?"

Plano (Texas) Conservancy (don't miss their pompous Mission Statement)

International Airport, Airline, Currency, and Weather Information - Now With Seatmaps!
 job hunting
Texas Workforce Commission
 politics and/or religion
The League of Conservation Voters

Swift Boat Liars?
 entertainment
nothing interesting spotted
 just plain weird different
johnny.ihackstuff.com :: I'm j0hnny. I hack stuff.
 tree huggers environment issues
The company that made a name for itself re: West Nile Virus is Clarke Mosquito

EcoFish - our mission
 cliff claven would be proud
Gene Change Makes Fat Burn Itself Away explains about beta-beta mice (no relation to Beta The Wonder Dog)

Thursday, August 05, 2004

5 Aug 2004 - week 9

travel & exploration
Maeda-En Ice Cream: I sampled the Plum and Lychee flavors - Yummmmmm. These are available in Asian groceries, and supposedly Whole Foods Market, too.
 job hunting
Career Connection is sponsoring a new initiative: Hire DFW First
 politics and/or religion
Chart: Bush Ratings vs. Terror Alerts (Julius Blog)

A Republican with Integrity? No way!
Arizona Senator John McCain: Anti-Kerry ads 'dishonorable' (commentary: lemme get this straight .. the soldiers who served on the same boat are less qualified to say what happened than others who weren't there? Oooo-kay Memo to GOP: can you spell D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-I-O-N ?)

Moms for Kerry-Edwards

Republican National Committee headquarters (aka GOP.com)
 entertainment
Bush's Broken promises
 just plain weird different
Joey Skaggs unveiled on Urban Legends Reference Pages: Dog Soup Recipe
 tree huggers environment issues
NO FAT CHICKS!
 cliff claven would be proud
SystemNews (John McLaughlin)

Saturday, July 31, 2004

month 1 : July 2004

National Association of Insurance Commissioners

eHealthInsurance.com : "the leading destination where individuals, students, families, and small businesses can find and buy the health insurance plan that is right for them"

Joe Sent Me.com

appliance411.com has lots of appliance owners manuals

http://www.ss-tours.com (Copper Canyon)

Diet Gourmet.com (Alpha Rd, Dallas)

spotted in Addison Walk (near CD World): Buffalo Wild Wings

Thursday, July 29, 2004

week 8 : 29 July 2004

travel & exploration
Urban Legends (travel) debunks the rumors about travel
 job hunting
Baker Botts LLP has a nice Texas Technology Calendar, which are downloadable as PDFs
 politics and/or religion
Electoral Vote Predictor

Democratic Presidential Candidate Lyndon LaRouche
 entertainment
The Entertainment Collaborative "conceives, develops and manages concepts". wow: how unbelievably revolutionary!
 just plain weird different
ACLU - Pizza
 tree huggers environment issues
Toxin du Juor debunks the "dire warning about the latest poison or toxin"
 cliff claven would be proud
Metafilter: "self-policing since 1999" and "more addictive than crack"

North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) has more information than you can shake a stick at

Thursday, July 22, 2004

22 July 2004 - week 7

travel & exploration
Burkes Backyard (Australian site with lots of entertaining vectors)

Better Home & Gardens (Australia style) - Food A-Z has recipes for kangaroo, Vegemite and so forth.  Fortunately, I didn't see anything for wallaby, platypus, koala bears

Bullet Trap is an indoor shooting range, training center and gun store - Plano, Texas

DFW Gun Range (Dallas)
 job hunting
right-from-home is only accessible via controlled login.  so there.
 politics and/or religion
civilian casualties in Iraq (and related links)

Iraq Body Count.com

Iraq Coalition Casualties
 entertainment
Smirnoff Music Centre has a really hard to remember address.  Until a few years ago, this had a Coca-Cola name on the marquee.  Still, it's at Fair Park (not the high rent district) and not near other local music venues, such as the Eisemann Center (in the Art District).

Better Homes & Gardens : Food (yeah, I know .. you're thinking "Gene Bob thinks food is entertaining?" .. well, it can be.  Ever see the "strawberry scene" in 9-1/2 Weeks?
 just plain weird different
"Happy thumbs use the Magic Carpet" (hey, it's their slogan, not mine)
 tree huggers environment issues
the nice man from Terminix put DeltaGard G (Deltamethrin) around my foundation, so I Google'd to Read All About It
 cliff claven would be proud
Submarine: SUBNET is billed: -- Cyberspace Association of U.S. Submariners (CAUSS) -- of submarines, by submariners had much interesting details about those beasts. I once sat atop the cliff at Point Loma (San Diego) and watched them come and go from the Pacific.

blinkx (a search tool) didn't work for me, but then it is still in Beta (not the Wonder Dog)

my recent CD purchase arrived intact in a Jiffylite Mailer

Thursday, July 15, 2004

15 July 2004 - week 6

travel & exploration
Dogwood Canyon - where the Audubon Society is planning a 250 acre park

Buses By Bill - Charter Bus Service in the Dallas Fort Worth Area
 job hunting
Right Management Consultants
 politics and/or religion
Newt's Playing Cards - The Card Playing Superstore
 entertainment
Trees (in Deep Ellum, where They Might Be Giants are playing this weekend)

Etymologic billed as "the toughest etymology (word origin) game on the Web
 just plain weird different
is Dick Cheney dead yet? (Good Spot Award goes to The George)
 environment
HP and Dell going green
 cliff claven would be proud
Sarah Vowell was on The Daily Show (Comedy Central) last night, but the DirecTV menu thought she was Spike Lee. Hmmm.

IBM to launch new line of powerful Unix servers

Thursday, July 08, 2004

8 July 2004 - week 5

travel & exploration
aNiceCupOfTeaAndaSitDown is billed as "the premier web site for tea drinkers who are keen on sitting down and biscuits". Uh, right.

Kidos Blueberry is a product of another country - Mexico?
 job hunting
The Dollar Stretcher (while there's no money coming in)
 politics and/or religion
Christian Exodus (to North Carolina, which will then seceed from the United States)

This site is so Ludditic that I had to laugh: Computer Ate My Vote
 entertainment
Texas School Performance Review : Dallas Independent School District
 just plain weird different
Roll Your Own Magazine, RYO, The Magazine of Roll Your Own Cigarettes, Tobacco and Product Reviews, Smoking Issues, Winter 2004, Peter Stokkebye Memorial
 tree huggers environment issues
Viral Marketing is not a disease! See the Six Simple Principles of Viral Marketing
 cliff claven would be proud
Home Made Simple is done by Procter & Gamble, who want to sell you stuff to keep your home all fluffy and warm. Indeed.

Thursday, July 01, 2004

1 July 2004 - week 4

travel & exploration
The Dallas Center for Contemporary Art
 politics and/or religion
well, that will be the last time a US President visits a place as hostile as Ireland: President Bush accidentally allowed to be interviewed by a real journalist ... and then there is Bush Flash.com (via I Switched.org, via Green Party)
 just plain weird different
Watercloset Aperture Kinetic Mechanical Activation Handle [WAKMAH] (and don't miss the Mark One Wakmah)
 environment and/or health issues
Peyote cures hangovers! (to be precise: an extract of Opuntia ficus indica)

 cliff claven would be proud
The Patent Busting Project

Psychological Warfare

European and Pacific Stars & Stripes (yes, the military newspaper)

CELL FOR CASH - Get cash for your old cell phone

PRESS RELEASE: What Should You Do About Unprofitable Customers?

National Society for Experiential Education

The Unique Brutality of Texas:
Why the Lone Star State leads the nation in executions

Wednesday, June 30, 2004

month 0 : June 2004

Rand McNally

Bureau of Prisons

Free Background Check - really?

Mythbusters: Hyneman & Savage (Discovery Channel)

FACTA: the Fair & Accurate Credit Transactions Act

random fact: AAA gets 20% more service calls when temp hits 100F

Customs & Border Protection (part of Homeland Security)

Plano TX Convention and Visitors Bureau

Money Factory

Dallas Theatre Centre

tickets.com

Benefits Checkup.org

AARP : beyond 50

Bag Lady Prevention : " Realistic Strategies for Retirement Security, Fulfillment and Fun"

Votenet online voting software

Liquid Lense Eyeglass Scratch Treatment - epinions.com ?

The Freedom Forum (war correspondents)

The Discovery Channel's High Definition Theatre

Blisswood: bed & breakfast about an hour west of Houston (in Cat Spring, TX)

bad movies recommended by Dave-Bob and Brian-Bob:
Galaxy Quest (1999) starring Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver
Kingpin (1996) starring Woody Harrelson and Randy Quaid

Innovative Signal Analysis

"yuppie biker hangout with $5 beer pitchers" : Duke's Original Roadhouse is at 4180 Belt Line Rd, Addison TX

O'Reillys British Rose Pub : 8989 Forest Lane, Dallas TX

Jasper's is at 7161 Bishop Rd (in the Shops at Legacy), Plano TX

John's Backyard Grill is at 17604 Davenport Rd, Dallas

The Gingerman is at 2718 Boll St, Dallas

new seafood place to try: Fish on Fire is at 6006 Belt Line Rd, Dallas TX

Village on the Parkway originally had Sakowitz Department Store; old timers still call it Sakowitz Plaza.

Rapid Bottle Chillers

heard on scanner: "family violence camera kit"

Home Movie Day

home water test kit: Watersafe (about $15)

Iso-HEET is an additive to eliminate gas tank condensation (it contains isopropyl alcohol)

Whole Health MD

who2.com

Ask an Expert.com

Local Harvest.org

Thursday, June 24, 2004

24 June 2004 - week 3

nerd|geek stuff
an article in the Houston Chronicle (Getting Gmail put them on the A list) pointed me to gmailswap.com where you can trade a Gmail invitation for something useful. Wonder if I can get a pony for my remaining invitations?

I was tracking down Adam Stiles' site (stilesoft.com) which pointed me to Yet Another Browser: NetCaptor

You can somewhat circumvent sites which force you to register first: Bug Me Not.com

I've played with the AT&T Privacy Bird for several days, and it's sometimes insightful, but mostly irritating (until more sites support P3P [Platform for Privacy Preferences] (thanks, Alec)

a free password manager and one-click web form filler "with some serious Artificial Intelligence": roboform.com
travel & exploration
In an attempt to prove there are websites for nearly everything, I stumbled across SeatGuru.com ("your enlightened guide to airline seating") which lists the best and worst seats on any given aircraft configuration. Fascinating.

I suspect they're talking about places like Addison Circle, or the West Village: New Urban News "focuses on building mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods instead of conventional suburban subdivisions, shopping centers and office parks".

Roundabouts USA (aka traffic circles). My favorites were in Canberra, Australia (the capital); I visited there in 1993.

The Showcopters are the helicopter equivalent of the US Navy's Blue Angels
 job hunting
Right Management Consultants

Ciber.com

M&A Technology has locations in Dallas; Houston and San Antonio. They appear to integrate Intel and AMD systems, including thin clients.
 politics and/or religion
Evil Bible includes the essay "Hitler Was a Christian" which led me to the book Hitler's Pope (apparently well researched)

Conservative Pulse -> The Reagan Dollar Petition (any excuse to get women off our money, eh?)

The Complete Bushisms - Updated frequently. By Jacob Weisberg: "[B]y the way, we rank 10th amongst the industrialized world in broadband technology and its availability. That's not good enough for America. Tenth is 10 spots too low as far as I'm concerned."

DubyaSpeak.com : Fresh Dubya
 just plain weird different
Hiroo Onoda (the Japanese bloke who was still fighting World War II into the 1970s)

Cats and Kittens Magazine: Iams Service Center Funnies
 tree huggers environment|health issues
smallstep.gov is a site done by the US Department of Health & Human Services; it appears to be a 52-step program aimed at reducing obesity.
 useless facts Cliff Claven would be proud
The Slot ("a spot for copy editors since 1995")

US newspaper lists: NewsVoyager.com

Control Your TV.org "provides parents and caregivers with tools to control and manage the programs that come into their homes" (I suppose this means it learns us [sic] to set the rating threshold).

great time waster: SelectSmart.com Selectors Quizzes Tests Decision Makers Select Quiz Test Surveys

Watching late-night television [TV], I saw ads for Liquid Lense (a liquid which purports to repair scratched eyeglasses). The local Fox affiliate (KDFW) says that I should Save My Money (navigate to ON YOUR SIDE/Deal or Dud).

Here are online infomercials, if you're in need of a laugh: As Seen On TV.com; Best Deals on TV.com; Infomercial Goodies.com; J L Ryan.com and TV Has Everything.com. Indeed.

Mystery Shopping Providers Association (both Europe and the USA) bill themselves as a "trade association dedicated to improving service quality using anonymous resources" .. which pointed me to the The Mystery Shopper's Manual. I wonder if the book will tell me How To Spot A Mystery Shopper And Ask Her On A Date?

Thursday, June 17, 2004

17 June 2004 - week 2

travel & exploration
El Paso, Texas Named Sweatiest U.S. City and Corpus Christi was #4. Woo hoo - Texas has 2 of the top 5 spots!

James Lileks' American Postcards: Motels: "Most of these places are gone or renamed. But we still have the cards."

Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge: "Hardwicke Interpretive Center is open from 9am to 4:30pm Tuesday through Saturday"
job hunting
Joyce Lain Kennedy: "nationally-syndicated twice-weekly column, CAREERS NOW"
politics and/or religion
Any profits from Bush/Zombie Reagan 2004 will be donated to Alzheimers research.

JewishPress.com's Islamist Barbarism And The Western Media follows the pattern of not being able to criticize Israel without being branded an anti-Semite. Pity; discussion is good for the soul.

William Rivers Pitt's Planet Reagan
entertainment
tonight at the Gypsy Tea Room: "Legendary Pink Dots / A Tiger Named Lovesick"

Corky and the Juice Pigs were on Fox's Mad TV

Film Threat - Truth in Entertainment

Texas Music Events Calendar 2004

Movies: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle
just plain weird different

Pork Pie Appreciation Society (animation with audio)

Here's something the PETA Nazis will not find funny: Maxigumee Land: Society for The Protection of Plants

Compare your face to anyone else's (such as a descendant or ancestor): Visage Physiognomy Demonstration
tree huggers environment issues
Biotechnology Industry Organization
norm peterson would be proud
Inspired House magazine

Meet Joe Blog: "Why are more and more people getting their news from amateur websites called blogs? Because they're fast, funny and totally biased"

Only a certain species of mosquito carries West Nile (oddly enough, only in the Denton County section of the DMN)

"crikey" and "for Pete's sake" are explained

This is True's Bonzer Web Sites of the Week (bonzer == Australian slang for 'great | excellent')

Thursday, June 10, 2004

10 June 2004 - week 1 (it's a whole new blog)

Quite a few items caught my eye this week, and rather than wait .. well, here is sundry on Thursday:

there you go again

1. Are spammers going to take Friday off? Highly unlikely. Direct Marketing Association Urges Halt to Telemarketing, E-Mail for Reagan Remembrance

2. Family Circus Predicts! is Truly Great Stuff; each day, the Family Circus cartoon (about As White Bread As It Gets) is "interpreted".

3. I Google'd for [most important meal of the day] and the results were consistent: Breakfast - Most Important Meal of the Day. I didn't see any sites advocating brunch, lunch, supper, dinner or even bedtime snack. So ... mom was right?

4. The prior search led to Get in the Breakfast Habit (in the UK) which mentioned Egg and Soldiers (a British breakfast delicacy). Then there's the British Egg Information Service. My heart, be still.

5. Elena Lappin's haunting item regarding The Patriot Act: Welcome to America describes a systemic policy of harassing media representatives from friendly countries. With friends like us, who needs enemies?

4. Silly me, I must've missed the day in school where they discussed forbs. I encountered this term while trying (unsuccessfully) to find out the name of the mystery plant I saw growing along the roadside last Sunday, in Wise and Throckmorton Counties (apparently part of the Rolling Plains). Dallas appears to be on the Edwards Plateau (see the map: 11 natural regions of Texas) on the Texas Parks and Wildlife site.

5. Dallas, Texas Scanner Frequencies. This is riveting stuff, not for the faint of heart.

6. OddSpot of the week: TexLUG (Texas LEGO Users Group)

7. UrbanDictionary.com defines sheeple (aka the Hoi Polloi, aka the Silent Majority, aka .. aw, who cares? -- they don't vote.)

Monday, May 31, 2004

month -1 : May 2004

KNON-FM 89.3 MHz Dallas : pledge drive months are February, May, August, and November

myjumpsuit.com : "men's jumpsuits and casual pants"

movies: Hester Street (1975) and The Odessa File (1974)

CookWorks (near The Container Store) : "fine kitchen and cooking supplies"

Impressive Signs & Graphics - "all kinds of signs"

ComputerWorld magazine

Newspaper Job Fairs (Expo Experts)

Xeriscape information, courtesy of Texas A&M

spotted in the History Channel: intermarium; The Odessa Network (SS)

ultrasonic stain remover: Tide Buzz

Russia's Lubyanka Prison

Internet dating sites: eHarmony and Addison (Texas) Singles

book: Hitler's Table Talk (1941-4) records the private conversations of Adolf Hitler

Friday, April 30, 2004

month -2 : April 2004

In this month's MaGaW meeting, Eric-Bob held us spellbound with Tales of 7-11, including:
  1. the thief who overheated the nachos in the microwave as a distraction to steal a case of beer
  2. the clerk who (on St Patricks Day) was too scared to walk through a group of drunks
  3. the pit bull terrier in the server room, protecting the computer hardware (in the southside of Chicago)
  4. the clerk who was asked to perform a floppy BIOS flash, but didn't have a diskette, and said it was "too dark to find Wal-Mart"
stilesoft.com (Adam Stiles) now directs to NetCaptor : "the original tabbed browser"

SmallStep.gov (healthy lifestyle)

Mystery Shopping Provideers Organization

choose your airline seat: seatguru.com

RoboForm is a free password manager and one-click web form filler with some serious Artificial Intelligence.