When surfing around the Internet this evening, I found the following video clip that rings really close to home on my privacy paranoia…

I’ve had so many hits lately on searches for “Superbowl Adds” that hit this site since my blog on the local MSN video search entitled “Wanna Watch the Superbowl XL from the Sky?? Local Live Adds Detroit to the City List” went live. Since it’s so easy to hit that “d” twice on a keyboard, I decided to help those visitors looking for Superbowl ads. Here’s where you can view them online or… on your iPod (of course!)…

Your iPod can display mini-versions of the Superbowl darlings by subscribing to the Superbowl Advertisements PodCast or by going to iTunes and doing a search for that term in the podcast menu.

If you don’t “do” the iPod thing yet, it’s ok, you can still see your Superbowl Ads here: www.iFilms.com (just search for Superbowl ads — and spell it with only one “d”) *grin* You can also spend hours on the iFilms site just enjoying yourself — so you stand warned.

You guys probably like the Jessica Simpson take-off on the “These Boots” for Pizza Hut. Personally, I prefer the Miss Piggie version. Love the Fabio ad too. LOL. And the ad for the mobile phone with a personal defense system that I saw while at iFilms left me cackling. My son says it’s just plain violent. I find it more than slightly amusing. :O)

There, now you know.

The majorsearch engines now give less “weight” to keywords on your index page’s keyword meta tags. This is good news for those who have quality content, first-rate incoming and outgoing links and for those with thoughtful, effective URLs and excellent metatags in general. Here is how choosing the right domain names can make a big difference in your Web visitor count.

For those relying on heavily on the keyword metatag, those still stuffing location names
into links on the index page, and those still cooperating with “link farms”… the day of
reckoning (and loss of ranking) is probably already upon you.

However, keywords in your domain name and in your title meta tag still carry a great deal of “umph” with the search engine crowd. So…

• If you are rethinking your focus…

• If you are concentrating on your best services in a busy real estate office…

• If you are targeting your ideal client type…

• If you are planning to accomplish your 2006 goals with your website…

…you should carefully consider the URL you plan to use.

(more…)

Today was one of those days when I was able to completely shock and disappoint myself with a totally judgmental attitude. I hate when that happens. It’s been awhile (thankfully), but I’m apparently still subject to such unexpected and, well, horribly judgemental views from time to time (unfortunately).

But, this provided a perfect opportunity for my belief in Karma to be reaffirmed…

I was fussing to my mother, who was irritated by my judgmental attitude (and rightly so)… it was one of those “I’m on a rant and I can’t shut up” moments that you can only have with your parents and REALLY close friends. (Because they have to love you anyway, even after the stupidity passes, you see.)

Anyway, mid-rant the UPS man arrived. He had the dollhouse I’d ordered from eBay for Alexzandria. It was a steal on eBay. Lovely woman packaged it up and sent it to me right after the auction ended. I was so excited for her — she’s wanted one for ages, and this was going to be a fantastic surprise.

But, apparently UPS was the great equalizer for my bad karma-making today… the box looked like it had been through a war zone. And, when I opened it up… it was broken in three places. (It’s not really repairable either.)

So, on the day I planned to devote to catching up on projects that are bearing down on me… I’ve been on the phone with UPS, trying to get this resolved. It’s blown a hole in my day. I was getting really upset until it hit me…

I deserved this.

Dang! Karma strikes again!

That will teach me to be all negative and judgemental, won’t it? I should have learned this lesson already. Sometimes I’m a really REALLY slow study. *sigh*

Alexandria
Alexandra
Alexandro
Alexandr
Alexandre
Edit…
Revert to “Alexzandria”

war zone
war-zone
Wezen
Warner
rezone
Edit…
Revert to “warzone”

You know, lately… once I finish work… I most want to close out my files and …

SEARCH FOR REALLY COOL iPod content for my 60 gig video iPod. Yeah, I’m quickly falling in love with my iPod. I’ve always been a bit staunch. I like bending more traditionally “work oriented” tech tools to go the proverbial “extra mile” and take on some entertainment value.

But then, I bought my hubby an mp3 player… and it had to be the best, you know… so I went with the somewhat overpriced video 5th generation iPod. I did cut back and got him only the 30 gig — after all, he would never fill the 30 gigs of space… or so I thought.

Then, I got all envious. I started taking this cool little thing of his and I tricked it out for him.

He works nights, so I could have it uploading while I was doing other stuff and still have it complete in time for him to take it on the drive to work. He thinks I “rock” because I keep him in fresh content and cool stuff… truth is, I’m just having fun.

If you are looking for a few things to put on your own iPod… check out the first episode (pilot) of Conviction. It’s currently offered for free at iTunes. If you want good video content for free (and you like cartoons…) Try the following podcasts on iTunes:

(more…)

Just bought the upgrade for QuickTime Pro! Wish I had hit my finger with a hammer instead. It would have been less painful.

To read the review on the product that I left on the Apple site (a review that will probably never see the light of day)… click “read more” below.

*Still shaking my head and wanting to kick something*

Furious with Apple, QuickTime Pro and the False Advertising

Written by AP from Dunnville

No, it won’t (as you may believe) take online content and make it available to your iPod. Not in one step, not even in two or three steps.

What they DON’T tell you in the marketing hubbub here is most online content is “Muxed” — meaning that it’s in one “channel” and you will get video and no audio — and you too will feel something akin to (and rhyming with) “Muxed” if you buy this. You will find out for yourself what a shoddy piece of work it really is.

And, BTW… they don’t offer the software required to make it work, and the purchase of QuickTime Pro is non refundable. They do say you can buy another software (but won’t tell you where, or what it’s called, or how much it costs) to “unmux” files so you can then convert them (maybe) to the iPod format. Thanks, Apple support! I feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It only took two emails and three calls to find out that you were not willing to do anything. Hope you are amused. I’m not. (I’m not supposed to mention support in a review, but if there is no help from anyone, what are you supposed to say? It’s not like I didn’t try for a reasonable resolution).

I would not have given it ANY stars, but to post a review, at least one star is required. It should be zero.

Gimme back my dang money or fix the “Muxing” product!

Ok, I’ve admired my hubby’s iPod enough. I finally broke down and got one of my own. It’s a pretty little 60 gig thing.

They had a Valentine’s Day special which included free engraving (mine now has my full name and my main url www.WickedWordCraft.com on the back). They also offered free shipping — AND…. because I’ve purchased a few things for Wayne’s iPod, I had a $30 off coupon on any order over $300.

Now, with the stuff I want to do to determine how to use this little thing to do virtual pocket-sized home tours for real estate agents, brokers and Realtors… it only makes sense that I have one, right?

(more…)

I’ve got a little weekend treat for those of you needing a bit of diversion. How about a site that not only offers free downloads on classic movies (and B movies), but also preformats them for use on your Treo 600 and Treo 650 and Treo 700, even your iPod with video???

Interested?

Then take a tour of PublicDomainTorents.com and see if there are any old movies you would like to download. Classics like The Last Man on Earth, Flash Gordon, Night of the Living Dead, Little Shop of Horrors, Gulliver’s Travels (to name a few). There are also classic cartoon selections - Betty Boop, Little Lulu, Tom and Jerry and Popeye and a slew of other family, horror, drama, comedy, musicals, sci-fi and even classic westerns and old war movies. And try: http://www.archive.org/details/opensource_movies.

What a cool place to spend some extra time!

Be sure to get the freebie player TCPMP to make it all work — and you have free (albeit classic) video entertainment on your Treo at absolutely not charge. Legal is required. Free is good. Free and safe and legal is REAL good. ;o)

The Internet is a wonderful place. . . REALLY.

I’ve been doing a bit of research on a couple of new projects and I’ve found some pretty interesting stuff (as I usually do when I’m poking about). And, I thought you may be interested in a few of the sites I’ve found that rock my “coolness” chart…

First, while looking for more on iPod video info to incorporate into my pocket-sized real estate information ideas… I found these two sites:

http://www.archive.org/details/movies (where you can download freebie open source and creative commons movies).

I also found this site: http://publicdomaintorrents.com/ a freebie movie “bit torrent” type site. This site also allows a person to decide if they want a full-sized, DVD quality movie (huge file) or a smaller iPod format or even… you guessed it, a Treo movie format (.avi). I’m downloading the old Vincent Price Movie “The Last Man on Earth” and a short “Betty Boop” cartoon as I type this. The Vincent Price Movie, I’m getting in full DVD quality format, the Betty Boop will be for my Treo (to entertain my daughter). Video is an exciting new toy for me on the Internet — thank goodness for fast Internet!

This is my first voyage into online movie downloads (other than iTunes) and it’s pretty fascinating. I’ve always worried about the “bad” stuff that comes in with movie downloads, but these two sites are quite reputable for safe, free movie downloads — so go give them a try. (You need another distraction from work, right?)

If you are more into the reading life, I thought you may enjoy the book version of wikipedia… called wikibooks. At this site, you not only read cool books, you help to write them!

As I continue my research, I’ll be sure to share the treasures I find… but for now… back the the old grind *giggle*. (I love my job!)

All across the web, there are rumors about upcoming new models on the Treo … including a new Palm version.MyTreo.net reports that several rumors have been spreading, and that at least one of them has proved false. The site says that stories of a new Palm OS version is most likely, of any, to be real.

I look forward to seeing the figures on Treo 700 sales, to see if the Microsoft version was as popular as anticipated. But, for now, we will have to wait a bit longer to see what improvements are offered to make buying a new Treo worth the bucks.

Now normally, around this time of year, I get the urge to update my look. But, it’s usually an update of my website’s appearance. Something new added, a new touch, something to make things work a bit better or look a little more attractive. (more…)

I’ve been watching with some interest lately as the podcasting phenomenon has entered into the mainstream.

During my research I’ve found some excellent examples of the use of podcasting and, more interesting to me personally, the use of video podcasting. (more…)

Ok, I heard about this new-age cowboy movie Brokeback Mountain. I even watched the trailer on iTunes.

Now, I must admit I was a bit surprised by the trailer. Not being a TV viewer, I miss some of the big controversies sometimes.

So, I’m thinking… this shouldn’t bother me. I need to go see it. And I asked my hubby to take me…Mistake number one.

Apparently, the “I’ll do anything in the world for you” attitude that my sweetie has exhibited for the nearly two years of our marriage and the year of dating before that… well it ends with movies about homosexual cowboys.

So, I pout.

It does me no good.

I give up and call my father. He’s always so hopelessly out of the loop on things, I figure I can “rope him into” it before he’s aware. He’s always wanting to spend ‘quality time’ together and it’s been ages since we hit the theaters.

So I call him and say “Let’s play hooky this weekend from life and go see a movie!” Now, usually this approach is awarded with “Great! Let’s go!” But this time, not so much…

“Sure!” he says, “So long as it’s not that damn gay cowboy movie.” So I set my jaw and tell him that he’s not REALLY that closed-minded, and that I want him to go with me. I insist. I get turned down flat.

So, I go to my son. My son who is always up for anything. He’s the child that will go on all-day treasure hunting trips to antique shops, Goodwill, etc. He doesn’t even complain when I get a wild hair and decide that I’m going to FIND that *whatever-it-is* I’ve been needing or wanting forever and that I will not come home without it, even if it takes all day and a trip to Lexington to find it. He’s always got the “I’ll go with you and help” attitude.

“Wanna go see a movie,” I say, “just you and me?” And Wayne quips from the other room “Say NO Derrick, she’s gonna drag you to see gay cowboys.” My son looks shocked, betrayed and then all disgusted with me. He’s not going. He digs in his heels.

So, I call my best buddy. Her fiance is still in the “make a good impression” mode. He’s told her that he will do anything for her and for me and Wayne (by extension as her best bud). I tell my friend that I want to see this movie and that NO MAN I KNOW will take me, go with me, or even SPEAK with me about it.

I tell her my plan. I ask her to ask him to take me. She calls back the next day to report that he would be HAPPY to take me!…

And drop me off, and pick me up when the movie is over, but that there’s no way in blue blazes he’s gonna WATCH that movie with me.

I dunno. I thought my own surprise at the trailer was a little uncharacteristic. I’m an open-minded person. I’m a live and let live type. But… it seems that cowboys don’t mix well with same-sex relationships in many people’s minds.

So I’m really interested to see how this plays out… at the awards and in public opinion.

According to www.Hitwise.com, for the week ending January 21. 2006, searches for “Brokeback Mountain” were over 57 times more prevalent than the next most searched on nominated movie, “Crash,” and over nine times more prevalent than all other nominated movie titles combined.

So even if it’s not being accepted, it’s being investigated.

And, ironically, I’m watching episodes of the new “South of Nowhere” series on Wayne’s iPod that is delving pretty heavily into the theme of teenage girls determining their own sexual preferences.

But, I think (as usual) girls with girls is much more “accepted” in our culture than boys with boys — and the cowboy imagery throws many folks into a new low in acceptance levels. I know that it has in my recent experience. And just try to get a straight (pun intended) answer on why homosexuality is one thing, but homosexual cowboys is something else altogether.

I went to visit my son on Wednesday - spent the day with him in his first apartment. It took me back a few years. I had a lovely time, and it will help keep me from worrying about him for… uh… a couple hours at least.

Then, I went by to spend a bit of time with my Grandmother. I’ve made a decision this year that I’m going to spend more time with the people I love and spend less time in front of the computer. Life is good, business is booming and it’s time to quit working 18 hours a day, and to have REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS.

Now, I know I’ve been preaching this for years, but as usual, I’m terrible at taking my own advice. So, this year, I’ve started. And… (more…)

Good news for those of you addicted to your satellite radio subscription… who have purchased the new Treo 700.

You can now have your cake and eat it too!PalmGear.com is announcing a new juicy little piece of software that lets you listen to your XM radio on your Treo 700 for $16.95.

Visit:

http://www.pocketgear.com/software_detail.asp?id=20551

to learn more.

I got a copy of the first season of Battlestar Galactica for hubby for Christmas, got the second season for him for his birthday. And, I got both in the iPod format so he can take it with him wherever he goes.

That was all well and fine… until I watched this remake of an old, cheesy series… and got hooked!

The new one is amazing. I’ve really enjoyed it. (I got hooked while letting one episode play while I was finishing up the download on the other episodes.)

Now, I’m checking iTunes to see how often the new ones are available and I’m paying for them by the episode. Hubby thinks I’m doing it for him… but the truth is, I see them several hours before he does these days. He thinks I get them while he’s a work to surprise him when he gets home by downloading them into his iPod while he sleeps.

The truth? I get them for me (and hide my guilty pleasure by having them preloaded for my less than technologically-infatuated hubby so his own experience is seamless — which keeps him from asking that one question… “Do you watch these BEFORE I do each time?!?!”)

I cannot tell a lie, but if I keep them uploaded and keep him surprised… maybe he will never ask. *big grin*

If you want your own version on DVD, you can get them at AMAZON by searching for Battlestar Galactica. If you want them portable on your Treo, use Pocked DVD studio to convert them to .avi files.

If you want them in iPod’s format, you can get a conversion program, or download them directly from iTunes.

Ahhhh… now it’s time to go see if THIS week’s episode has hit the broadband yet.