n e r d y g i r l . c o m

:: Tuesday, July 22 ::

There's a company called PowerGen. They operate out of Italy. So their website is?

powergenitalia.com

That's even better than when Experts Exchange didn't have the dash in their URL.

(Link via punkassbitch.com)

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I just found out that my web hosts have installed PHP on their servers. Last time I asked (around a year ago), the only scripting support they had was for Perl/CGI. This is exciting news, because I've been meaning to learn PHP and redesign my site for at least two years. Now I can combine the two into one grand project that I'll never get around to completing! How lovely!

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:: Friday, July 18 ::

After work yesterday, I stopped by Powell's, the best bookstore ever. I can't actually buy any more books right now, as I've got too many on my shelves that I haven't yet read, but I felt like wandering around and browsing.

My first stop at Powell's was actually the bathroom. The scribblings on the toilet seat dispenser in a Powell's bathroom rates higher than bathroom scribbles just about anywhere. There was a debate with regard to whether or not one should feel comfortable getting their philosophy from bathroom walls, with a quote from someone (I forget who) about how some of the best philosophy is scrawled on the walls of the subway. Someone else wrote, "Math nerds are sexy." I found myself nodding in agreement as I reached for the toilet paper. I vowed to return with my digital camera to record this most excellent example of bathroom grafitti.

After the excitement in the ladies' room, I wandered around and found myself in the etiquette section. I enjoy old etiquette books because, frankly, they're silly. From a historical perspective, they're a wonderful glimpse into days gone by -- or to those who cared about such things in days gone by. I ended up buying a used copy of Emily Post's Etiquette (12th Edition), which was printed in 1969. It has useful advice, such as how to appropriately introduce your spouse to friends vs. acquaintences. For instance, if you have a semi-close friend, you may refer to your husband by name to your friend. However, that friend may not refer to your husband by name unless invited to do so. He/She will have to refer to your husband as Mr. Lastname.

I also leafed through a book called Better than Beauty, which was originally printed in 1939, but was reprinted in 2002. The author describes a face without makeup as being "unnatural", and recommends washing hair once or twice a week. I started reading the chapter entitled, "It's not your I.Q.", and was amused that the author seems to think smart women are social retards. (Of course, that may not have been the actual point of the chapter, but the first couple of pages gave that impression.)

All in all, a very fun visit to Powell's.

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:: Wednesday, July 16 ::

It's one thing to goof off a little at work. I just realized we may have gone too far, however, when someone from the office next door came over to see if she should call the fire department. It seems that our little experiment with the waterproof matches made the whole building smell like burning. All we did was fill up a little sink full of water, light the matches (a total of two) and hold them underwater for a little bit. Then we pulled them out and marvelled that they still burned. Really, they're insanely cool matches. It's just that they're also pretty potent, to the point where the lady across the hall was all ready to call 9-1-1. Luckily, the lady right next door decided to do a little investigative work first and we were able to allay their fears. Of course, knowing that they work in close proximity to people who do these kinds of things might open the door for all sorts of new fears.

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Turns out, I'm the Johnny Depp from Benny and Joon. Except he's a lot prettier than I am.

You Are Sam From "Benny & Joon."

You are very talented at physical comedy. People are in awe of your abilities. However, you have many quirks which can either win people over or completely annoy them. But you're a sweetheart through and through, and it's hard not to love you.

Take The Johnny Depp Quiz!

(Link via chattering magpie)

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:: Tuesday, July 15 ::

Every day, when I get home from work, there is a new present waiting for me in my driveway or on my front lawn. Only it's not really a present, it's garbage. Literally. Deflated, I park in my garage, walk out, and pick up the McDonald's fry container, the discarded yellow fast food napkin, the pudding cup, the plastic spoon, the potato chip wrapper, the candy bar wrapper, the plastic from the new pack of smokes, the receipt. It's something new every day, only it all looks the same. It looks like trash in my yard and I hate hate hate it.

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:: Thursday, July 10 ::

Speaking of things piratical, I just went to see The Pirates of the Carribean. It was a lot funnier than I expected it to be and I enjoyed it immensely. It's not the cinematic event of the century, but it's a fun movie. It be what it be, yar. I thought Johnny Depp was a wonderfully effete, yet heterosexual pirate, and Geoffrey Rush made a way better pirate than I ever expected.

I'll stop writing about it now, as I don't want to give anything away. I hate it when people give movies away. Arr!

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I like the ergonomic keyboard for pirates. Yar. (Link via kungfukitten)

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:: Wednesday, July 9 ::

Video killed the radio star

I'm going to be on the radio on Sunday night. So, if you're looking for something to do, tune in to KBOO at 8:00pm (90.7FM in Portland). My friend Nancy (A.K.A. DJ NChilada) will be leading a discussion about what it's like to be a woman in a male-dominated profession. I'm not sure whether I'll be really nervous or really tired, as I'm also playing volleyball in the State Games of Oregon that day. Either way, I'm sure to say something embarrassing.

Update: Nancy reminded me that the second half of the show is the call-in portion, so if you have a question about our experiences working in male-dominated professions, feel free to call 503.231.8178. There will be three of us answering questions, as well as Nancy. I know one of the other women is an engineer, I'm a web developer/software engineer, and I'm not sure what the third woman does for a living.

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:: Monday, July 7 ::

I spent the weekend in Alturas, CA for my uncle's wedding. His new bride is from Alturas, which is a small town in the Northeast corner of California. Population 3,000. To get a feel for the type of town we're talking about, check out their events calendar. You'll notice the first item is the annual squirrel hunt.

It was actually fun spending time in such a small town. My brother and I walked around and looked in the two shops that were open on Sunday: the photo gallery and The Belligerent Duck, which is an odds and ends store, selling everything from guns and knives to model dinosaurs. We had a good laugh pretending to pick out an outfit for our mom in the clothing section, which was heavy on the hunters orange and camouflage.

On Saturday, we played cow chip bingo.

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:: Tuesday, July 1 ::

Congratulations to Doug for winning the bacteria on toilet competition. I'll confess, I was pretty sure I was going to win as of last Tuesday, but Doug put up a good fight and the glory is all his. Good job, Doug!

Of course, for winning, Doug has to eat nine scoops of gelato. This was his idea, not mine. To top that off, Doug was owed two scoops from another co-worker, Matthew because they had a bet going about the height cutoff for "little people". Doug enlisted Matthew as his manager, promising to eat those two scoops on top of the nine if he won. So, actually, Doug now has to eat eleven scoops of gelato. Because he won. Do you see the kind of insanity I was up against?

I will say that I've learned quite a bit about google search engine ranking. I'm still confused about a couple of things, but I eventually plan to put together a list of the things I've learned. I'll share it with you when I do.

Mostly, I'm just relieved that I don't have to continue to pepper my posts with bacteria on toilet references anymore. That made me tired.

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