Daily Links - 8/28/08

4D - Seeing things in four dimensions.

Fake Restaurant - Looks like I'm not the only one who gets BBelievers.

Sexist - There's a fine line between stupid and clever.

Coffee Grounds - 11 good uses for your used coffee grounds.

Worst Colleges - The worst colleges in America.

Steampunk - Why you hate it.

Portal Physics - Portal's teleportation physics demystified.

BBspot TV? It Could Happen

A couple interesting things today. As if I didn't have enough to do, there might be a Web video show based on BBspot, or at least part of BBspot. My friend Bill Doty who did Fark TV, has contacts in the biz now, and pitched a show based on BBspot (with my approval). We got the go ahead to film a pilot. I can't get into too many details right now, but hopefully I will be able to soon. He made a small post about it on his Web site if you want to check it out.

In other news, I had my toughest assignment for my therapy today. I went in and did a reading of The BBook of Geek to about ten doctors. The first time was just a straight reading. The next time, they ratcheted it up a bit by not laughing or paying attention. And finally, we did one run through where they were downright rude (throwing things at me, making snide comments, cell phones going off). It was pretty nerve wracking for me to start, but I got through it. By the end I was enjoying it.

I'm ecstatic to report that this group of nongeeks enjoyed the BBook a lot. I don't get a lot of face-to-face feedback on my stories. I know people must like them from the traffic I get, but to hear people laughing when I read the stories was fabulous. They asked to be informed when I do a book signing, and several mentioned they had friends they'd be recommending the book too. I'm much more confident now about doing public appearances, and about the success of the BBook.

The great thing is that it's so exhilarating after these exercises are done. The possibilities aren't frightening, they're exciting.

That's all I've got for today. Stay geeky!

Daily Links - 8/27/08

Annoying Email - Email addresses that it would be annoying to give out over the phone.

Famous Trips - Follow along some of the most famous journeys of all time.

Grid Illusion - Prepare to have your mind blow. OK, probably not, but it's still pretty cool.

Future City - All I have to say is that they better keep Mario away from it.

iRiffs - So you think you're funny?

Planet Disappears - Did anybody think that maybe the planet isn't there any more for a more sinister reason? I want to believe.

Research Facilities - Five cool research facilities with pics.

My Next Challenge

For those keeping track of my progress in dealing with social anxiety, I went to another gay dance night on Friday. This time with more people and for a longer time. I kept my shirt on though, and it had no fishnet on it. My next task has me a bit anxious. I'm doing an interview on the BBook with my therapist in front of a bunch of people. Good exposure and good practice. I also have to say that a month ago, I would've found a way out of this situation, but not it seems doable.

In the interview vein, as I've been practicing I've been struggling to come up with questions to practice on. If you have any questions you'd like to hear me answer about BBspot or the BBook of Geek in a possible interview any good book interview questions you've heard, please email them to me. Thanks.

I did some searching to find out what kind of talking Yoda I was given, and found it on ebay. I doubt this is a "rare" item, but it goes well with the decor down here.

If you get a chance please digg and reddit today's story. It would be appreciated.

That's all I've got for today. Stay geeky!

Daily Links - 8/26/08

Grammar Nazis Busted - For reals.

Bird's Nest 360 - An image of the National Stadium 30 minutes before the 100m final.

Fighting Back - Against your oppressive printer!

Baconhenge - How to make it explained with pictures.

Celebrity Endorsements - Jerry Seinfeld isn't the only celebrity to do endorsements for a tech company.

Dark Game Theory - Game theory in The Dark Knight. The movie is geekier than you thought.

Virtual Outsourcing - There's gold in them there hills.

Passersby Were Amazed by the Amount of Blood

I spent all day Saturday helping two people move, that's two separate moves for the price of one. Only one of them involved stairs, thankfully. I lost around 20 lbs worth of water during the hot and humid day. I also lost a few ounces of blood (of course). I was in the middle of disassembling a heavy computer desk. I looked down and my finger was covered in blood. Surprised, I asked for something to keep it from soiling the carpet.

People there unfamiliar with my proclivity for injury were a bit frightened, but I reassured them that I survive this kind of blood loss on a regular basis. They didn't seem to reassured. Unfortunately, the bandages had already been moved to the other apartment, so I had to settle for a makeshift bloodstopper for a few hours. I also suffered a few more scrapped knuckles, but nothing else that required medical attention.

One of the movees, donated a talking Yoda for my son, but I think I'm going to appropriate that to the geek sanctum in the BBasement. It's not life-size, but he can keep the talking Vader company.

That evening, I had my first taste of Korean BBQ from which I have determined that I will not be starving in Korea. Not that I was too worried about that. If you're unfamiliar with Korean BBQ, it's the kind of meal that you cook yourself at the table with built-in gas grills. Absolutely delicious. I know it sounds dangerous to have a gas burner so close to me (especially in my weakened condition from the moves (we also skipped lunch during the moves and I was ready to gnaw off a leg)), but I made it through the meal unscorched.

Another online retailer is carrying the BBook. This time it's Blackwell in the UK. I'm not familiar with them, but it looks like a pretty big place. The network is growing. Soon it will be available everywhere. This is so cool.

That's all I've got for today. Stay geeky!

Daily Links - 8/25/08

The Vorpal Blade - John McCain as a D&D player.

1+1 - =2 The proof.

Untouched? - Which of these images have been touched by Photoshop? I scored a 60%.

Moon Landing - I'm going to make my kids watch this one after they asked me about the moon landing being fake.

Rogue Monkey - It's only the start people. The monkeys are rising up!

Use Windows - Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Daily Links - 8/25/08

Jott Replacements - Jott is going to start charging for its services. Here are some replacements if free is what you need.

The Vorpal Blade - John McCain as a D&D player.

1+1 - =2 The proof.

Untouched? - Which of these images have been touched by Photoshop? I scored a 60%.

Moon Landing - I'm going to make my kids watch this one after they asked me about the moon landing being fake.

Rogue Monkey - It's only the start people. The monkeys are rising up!

Use Windows - Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Daily Links - 8/22/08

Hacking the Olympics - Who would've guessed that China would expunge information of cheating from the Internet?

Small Islands - Insanely small islands with houses just big enough to fit.

Class of 2012 - The things that have always been true for the class of 2012. Man, do I feel old.

Reformat the Planet - Making music with old hardware.

Hit Me Later - A snooze button for email messages. This could be useful.

Slashdot Mailbag - Slashdot gets a Mailbag.

LEGO Sushi - Yummy!

Losing the Touch

So with looming book appearances and another long haul trip to foreign lands, Mrs. BBspot and I have embarked on another journey to reduce the size of the BBspot family without losing any members. My try earlier this year to lose some weight stalled (as these things often do). This time, with both of us working on it, it should be easier. We both know what needs to be done, it's just a matter of doing it. Here's to success (with some nonfat milk).

I'm starting to work on the marketing for the BBook. I've contacted one local book store for a signing, and they seemed receptive to the idea. It's all pretty new to me, so it'll be a learning experience, but hopefully it will go well enough that I get a chance to become an expert at it.

I discovered where Mrs. BBspot hid the Rubik's Cubes last night. Sadly, my weeks of neglect have left the cube more difficult. I can still solve it, but some algorithms that I had down pat have slipped away to neverland. Time to start practicing again.

That's all I've got for today. Stay geeky!