Yes, yes, the LG 9800 is indeed a thing of beauty…but I just don’t think that I can get past the “form factor.” Having the phone keys on the outside of the phone - unprotected - is just weird now, after having experienced the joy of the clam-shell style flip-phones for the last couple of years. And the 9800 is, quite plainly, a bit bulky. So. Did a little more research and found what I think is the ideal phone: the LG VX-8100. Like the 9800, it sports the Mobile Web 2.0, which is what I’m really after with my next phone; it also has a 1.3 mp camera, an MP3 player with stereo speakers, a mini-SD slot, and the other standard features. I don’t need the full QWERTY keyboard of the 9800; my T9 skillz are adequate for phone-based texting. The only thing that I’ll miss with the 9800 is the slightly larger screen. So the 8100 is likely my present to myself this holiday season, and the price is right: free (with on-line discount and New Every Two discount). Unless, of course, you good folks have any cautionary tales or horror stories about the 8100…?

I watched “From Dusk Till Dawn” last week for the first time, and was absolutely amazed. See, that’s the thing about Tarantino…until I saw “Pulp Fiction,” it never even occurred to me that I might enjoy a film about a washed-up boxer, drug-using overdosers, and wise-talking hit men. And until I saw “Jackie Brown,” it never even crossed my mind that a movie about a simple robbery, international smuggling, and small-time hoodlums might be right up my alley. And of course, until I saw the “Kill Bill” movies, I never would have imagined that I would love a martial-artsy, samurai-wielding, Yakuza-loving, blood-drenched action flick.
And so for several years, I avoided “From Dusk Till Dawn” because, well, I’ve never once enjoyed a vampire movie. Vampire movies, along with their related werewolf, mummy, and Frankenstein-monster movies, weren’t all that appealing to me. Of course, exceptions were made for large monsters, such as Godzilla. But in general, vampires suck - pun intended. And don’t get me started on the whole Ann Rice crap and sub-culture of wannabe-real vampires.
Anyway. Once I sat down and watched “From Dusk Till Dawn,” I again became a True Believer in All Things Tarantino. The scene when Tarantino (as the actor) turned into a vampire and was snuffed by his loving brother - you just know that QT had been living for that moment his whole life. And yes, I know that Rodriguez directed FDTD, but it has QT all over it, so it’s also considered a QT flick.

You know that wonderful phone I drooled over yesterday? At the Verizon Wireless store, it’s retailing for $299.99. But after logging in to my VZW account this morning, guess what? There’s a $100 online discount, and I qualify for the “new every 2″ discount, too…which means that I could purchase it for $99.99. While I absolutely love the screen and the keyboard and the camera, it is a bit bulky (as JJ pointed out in the comments), and as I said yesterday, I like being able to flip my phone closed to protect all of the keys. Decisions, decisions… (more…)

Stopped in at the local Verizon store today to take a look at the new LG VX-9800 phone…and once the store staff mopped up my drool, I snapped this picture:

Full keyboard, 1.3 mp camera w/flash, MP3 player, Bluetooth, mini-SD slot…nice. I tested the Web 2.0 feature, and punched up my site, and was quite impressed with the display. The only downside of this phone is that I really love the flip-open feature of my current phone, that keeps all of the keys safe…with the 9800, the keypad remains accessible at all times, while the full keyboard is hidden when the phone is closed. Still…to have the Web 2.0 access at all times…mmmm…sweet!

Thanks to the magic of the Wayback Machine, I was able to locate Allison’s delightfully whimsical entry from February 2003, which I have decreed to be the Best Blog Post Ever. And it even has a turkey in it, so it’s especially appropriate today on Thanksgiving!

Strolling through a store last week, just poking around, and suddenly I came to a full stop. Look at what is on sale right now for only $29.95: the Atari Flashback! I wonder if any of the kids today would enjoy it - it’s so different from everything that they’ve experienced, maybe they would actually like it. And the professionals sure are impressed!

OK, after attempting several spam-busting options, I finally settled on Spam Karma 2. It *seems* to be working properly. If you would be so kind, can you - yes, YOU - please leave a test comment on this entry so that I can find out if SK2 is able to determine Friend or Foe? Much obliged. (and don’t forget - you can always register here at BLTB to ensure that your comments ALWAYS get through; if you register now, you will receive absolutely nothing more than peace-of-mind that Your Voice Will Be Heard!)

Aimee Roo took a very short personality quiz the other day, so I’m following her lead…and when I say that it’s a short quiz, believe me, it really is! (more…)

*bump to top*

Aimee Roo, thanks for reminding me about making a Fluffy Pigeon button!

And here’s a very special button for Karbon Kounty Moos!

Another special request:

OK, everyone, don’t panic: your blog is worth more than you think it is. Well, not in REAL dollars, but still. You see, this on-line “blog valuation tool” has been popping up on several sites lately, and naturally I tried it…on Saturday, my blog was worth approximately $63,000. Not too bad, I suppose. But I didn’t post it, because it seemed only marginally interesting. But then, after seeing even more folks posting about it today and all of them getting a value of ZERO, I paused…and then clicked over and typed in my URL again, and got a value — you guessed it — zero. See, even Glenn is clocking in at zero. So something has gone wrong with the tool…if your site is worth zero, according to it, don’t despair — it’s probably just experiencing an overload, or some other equally techie problem that is preventing it from giving you an accurate (so to speak) value.

UPDATE: as pointed out in the comments by Big Mike, it seems to be working again…so here’s my modest take: (more…)

*bump* First seen over at Allison’s, and now presented for your use — this is Frapper, and it’s similar to the push-pin style maps that people use to display their location (Bravenet among the more popular), but once you integrate Google Maps into it, well…now you’ve got something! So go ahead — tell me where you are!

Over at Aimee Roo’s place is a quirky meme: type your name and the word “needs” into Google, and see what kind of results you get. Here we go:

1. David needs…a wash. (well, I did return from the gym about an hour ago)
2. David needs…Tony’s love. (uh, no thanks)
3. David needs…prayers. (uh, no thanks)
4. David needs…your help. (got any hot stock tips?)
5. David needs…a student. (blech…academia…I’ll pass)
6. David needs…to roar with pride. (*roars*)
7. David needs…to become more tolerant. (a criticism often leveled at me, I’ll admit)
8. David needs…to be able to do this work independently. (I work better alone)
9. David needs…dusting often. (lemon-scented Pledge, if you please)
10. David needs…support from a stable and harmonious family. (already got it!)

Now it’s your turn - what does Google think that YOU need?

If you ever get bored with the current theme here at Better Living Through Blogging (known as Journalized Sand, and courtesy of Mike Little), you can always switch to the modified Bionic Jive theme (courtesy of Theron Parlin). I’ve got the Theme Switcher over on the right column; just scroll down a bit.

Found over at Give/Get/Take/Have (a fascinating place) comes this adorable gizmo that will translate any given website into Pikachu-speak — mine, for instance! Pikachu is so cute — my daughters got caught up in the craze several years ago, and even dragged me to the first movie. Try it yourself by entering your URL here!

*ps - why doesn’t the Pikachu pic appear when I view in MS IE?*

Whoa — somehow my fifth anniversary just sorta slipped by me on Wednesday! I am now officially into Year #6 of “Better Living Through Blogging!” Do you see any wrinkles or gray hair on this page? Heh. And yes, it’s a bit schmaltzy, but here’s the link to what I posted on my anniversary two years ago — it’s all (mostly) still true, only even Better now. And if you look at my first few entries back in 2000, you’ll notice that even then I was excited about cold(er) weather and the approach of Autumn and Halloween!

Thanks, everyone, for making this such a nifty avocation - hobby - obsession - craft - joy - and so on. Without you, this would not be nearly as enjoyable, and arguably not worth the effort. Thanks.