It's another Noon 30 day and the only thing I'm behind on is this.

rah-ful-mao BD

[10-09-2008]

A.B.S.R.D. [A Big, Scary Raggedy Andy Dream]

- As a proud new bberry owner, I found this relevant to my interests. The one thing I miss most about my old razr is that it's a flip phone. I love flip phones because (1) if you don't have pockets or a bag, you can just easily put it on the waistband of your shorts/pants/whatever [def used this techinque a lot for places like disney and six flags] and (2) you can put them in your back pocket and not worry about pressing 5 million buttons. While I love my bberry curve, I'm really afraid I'm gonna break it if I put it in my back pocket which is a total bummer cuz where else am I gonna store it?? [@msnbc]

- If for some reason you haven't heard/seen, facebook got a facelift. The new format that's been around for about a month and a half now is supposedly becoming permanent some time today. I was in the first wave of users introduced to the new format and I've been using it since late July. At first I was VERY opposed to the new layout [re: 1-800-INTERNET] but I'm pretty much used to it now. I still have some complaints but it looks like we're all just gonna have to deal. [@msnbc; @rah-ful-mao]

- Good news! Yesterday the LHC [Large Hadron Collider] was turned on and there was no blackhole and we didn't die. Success! For those of you who don't know what the LHC is, it's a proton accelerator at CERN that can collide proton beams at nearly the speed of light. It'll be used to simulate and study the conditions of the moment after the Big Bang. [@national geographic; @scientific american]

- The only people I know who still use AOL are my parents and really that's only because they still use their AOL email as their primary email. Granted, I have to go to aol.com to check my AIM email too. But still, I don't see why aol.com is updating the page to include other email providers. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. I'd say this is lol-worthy but I pity the ancient internet provider more than anything.. [@nytimes]

- Oof. The GOP is at it again. According to Jane Swift, Obama called Palin a pig and McCain a fish in his speech in Lebanon, VA and the McCain campaign is expecting an apology. I guess they've never heard the phrase "You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig" before even though I'm pretty sure one of their own has used it. Hmmm. This time, instead of my mind exploding, my head can't stop shaking at their silliness. [@the new republic; @youtube]

- OMFG, if you aren't friends with me on facebook or twitter [which is highly unlikely cuz I know where all my traffic comes from.], then I need to tell you: I REALLY, REALLY WANT TO GO TO SAN FRANCISCO LOVEFEST! I don't care if it's the first weekend after school starts. I don't care if it's the same day as the Oregon v. USC game. I want to go to SF and party in the streets during the day and then go to the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium for the afterparty that night. I love techno. I love dancing. I love people. So OBVS I'd love LoveFest. [@sflovefest]

Come on! You've got to build your brain bigger for the memories!

rah-ful-mao BD
[28-08-2008]

A.B.S.R.D. [A Better Solution to Rainy Days]

- US Open Update: I'll admit I'm not a *huge* fan of Jelena Jankovic [Hello, I have two other Serbians to la-la-love] but I'd expect better game play from her. Way to pull an Ivanovic? It also seems as though Novak "The Joke[r]" Djokovic is doing well [as was expected] despite being treated for an injury during his match against Arnaud Clement. Why am I talking about the Serbians I don't cheer for? Where's Ana Ivanovic? Better yet, where's Janko Tipsarevic??! [@bbc]

- Highlights from Day Three of the DNC: Barack Obama officially wins the Democratic Presidential Nomination, Joe Biden accepts the VP nomination, and Former President Bill Clinton speaks to further unify the party and support Obama's presidential campaign. [@wall street journal]

- "Don't just do something, sit there." An interesting piece on the importance/power of noticing. [@aiga]

- They better put my wisdom teeth to good use once I get them pulled if they have to ability to produce stem cells without the controversy. [@national geographic]

- I.. um, wow. A movie about facebook? Really Aaron Sorkin, really? [@bbc]

1-800-INTERNET

I'm not one to complain out loud. I don't like face-to-face or voice-to-voice confrontation. It unnerves me and forces me to think on my toes. I have one chance to say what I need to say. When it comes to any minor issue I just sit behind my computer screen and immerse myself in the simplicity* of the internet and written word. It gives me time to think, edit, delete, wait, and disappear. But right now, I'm on a medication that heightens my emotions. It makes me bold, irritable, and somewhat passive-aggressive. So when I saw the new facebook format, I felt it best to send them some feedback.

"Oh facebook. There are so many things that I love about you. You allow me to live vicariously through the internet. I'm not sure if you're aware, but you're actually real life. It's true. Nothing is real or concrete without it being real or concrete on facebook first. For the most part, I've been pleased with the way you work. Sure, there was that uproar when you opened your doors to more than just college and high school students. The news feed was a little unsettling when it first appeared on our homepages. Despite it all, we still loved you so much. We learned to accept your flaws. We convinced ourselves that you just wanted to share the joy with new demographics and help us keep tabs on people we'd forgotten about on this world wide web.

But facebook, this new format, this isn't a little change. This is a big change. Frankly, I'm unimpressed. I'm unimpressed to the point that I am taking time out my life to write to you. There are so many things that I do not like about this new format that I feel it most appropriate to simply bullet point and make a slight commentary on each component.

The Homepage: Maybe it’s the minimalist in me, my desire to keeps things concise, my issue with wasted space but I was a fan of the skinny sidebars and the compact news feed. I was a fan of the thin gray lines that bordered everything. It assured me that you were under control – that you had boundaries, limitations, etc. Now I feel like something is missing [re: left-hand sidebar] and it’s been replaced with an unacceptable amount of white space between text and images.

The Profile [Tab Navigation]: The thing about the old facebook profile is that it was simple. You went to the page and everything you wanted to know was right there in front of you. It allowed you to learn about somebody without feeling too invasive. I understand that you think we go to other people’s profiles so we can write on their walls. For the most part, that holds true. However, it is not the only reason. After we’ve commented, it’s nice to just browse. I scroll down, I scroll up, and I’m done and satisfied. Clicking tabs is a nuisance. It’s profile browsing with a purpose and whether you like it or not, on facebook, there is no purpose. When I click on a tab to get to a specific location, I feel lazy. I know it’s on the page, I can find it myself. I’m a big kid now! Facebook says so.

The Wall: Walls are for writing. Walls are not for “stories.” This is why we have a news feed.

The News Feed: Ok, I get it. Bobby Teenager is now friends with Mary Adolescent. How do I know this? I saw it on the news feed on my homepage. But facebook, you have my back. In case I forget, you have it right there for me in the middle of Bobby Teenager’s wall. It’s a good thing Bobby can’t get rid of the news feed on his wall either, otherwise I’d have to go back to my homepage to see whose wall he wrote on or if he discussed something on the “i ♥ The Office" group. Thank goodness you did that because for a minute there I almost completely forgot that I don't care. But I do care - I care so, so much.

The Boxes: I do not like applications. I think they’re annoying, overused, and eventually neglected so when I actually add an application, I want it to be seen. You’ve gone and packed away all my applications into a little box. Granted, I’m actually glad my profile isn’t as cluttered but I want the ability to get my LOLcats back on there. I don’t think you realize how many clicks I made to find the right one.

Facebook, you’ve turned my cyber-world upside down. I do love you. I’m just glad you gave me a button to take me back home."