Blogs got Madlibs?

Got this from Stephen today... so he deserves the mention he gets! Here goes...

A day in the life of bill

On a typical day I wake up, wash the foam insulation tape from my pinky toes and put on my boxers. I say goodbye to Mickey Mouse and I float to Nirvana where I am a systems analyst. I feel crazy excited about what I do; sure, I'd rather be a barista in Pocatello, but this pays the bills and buys me lots of sensitivities that I can shout about. My morning is pretty splendid. Aside from my 22 trips to the hallway to squash zits and my mushy encounter with Jason it's just the same every day.

I break for lunch and draw with Bruce Willis over a heavy plate of magic mushrooms. A quick jaunt to Johnny Oceans to thumb wrestle with Teevio, who's a total Tigger, and it's back to the grind until 1:30 when I jump on my monstrous taupe tricycle and head for home.

My evening is spent balancing the checkbook and listening to jget while romping around the family room wishing I was David Robinson and drinking all sorts of decaf skinny iced mochas. Then it's off to bed where I dream of cockroaches and Elmo in a turban.


OK, so in the spirit of the thing, I'll pass this along to...
David
Jason and
Chance (which should be really interesting because he has no idea who I am - just found his blog by accident...)

On Being "that" Family...

You know the ones. They are always there when you fly. You've been in your seat for what seems like an hour, your seatblet is buckled and the tray table is in its "upright and locked" position, everyone is quiet (except the "professional" in seat 8C) and waiting for the flight to depart...

...and then, out of nowhere you hear some frantic muffled voices and the sound of something big and blunt banging the aisle seats. You know you shouldn't look up, but like a watching a wreck you really have no choice. Your eyes wander to the aisle and up, up, up toward where the front where "that" family is making their way toward you. One car seat, maybe two, carry on baggage and children making mom and dad look like pack animals, ticket stubs scattering like leaves.

If you're lucky they pass by you and drift away, forgotten until the next flight...but if you are the chosen one....

...my apologies. Believe it or not, we did the best we could.

Just for Fun

Going on vacation soon, feeling kind of casual and came across a new iPod gimmick - iGuy. Although it is in no way worth $35, I have to admit that personifying the little white unit is an appealing thought. Why is that?

My kids would certainly like it - kind of like the Gumby action figure they have, but "cooler". I guess the next accessory would have to be a little seat so iGuy could ride on your shoulder...

By the way, where is the iGirl? Or the androgynous iGuess? ;-)

A View to a Soul

Recently on a business trip I and was killing time by clicking through the "Next Blog" button in Blogger (my life is filled with this kind of excitement). That is how I stumbled across a blog called PostSecret which really touched me. The concept is that anonymous folk all over the world send a postcard to the blog's owner (Frank Warren) revealing their most private secret(s). Some of the cards are adult content stuff, but many are simply "unscripted honesty" as my friend Jason said.

Anyway, it is a very moving and profound site. A glimpse into how lonely and hurting many people really are...

Geographic Overlay Maps

Ever wanted to easily search for a house that is in a specific school district, near a certain highway, in a certain tax area and with specific zoning allowances? All at the same time? Its a sure thing that all that data is available, but to get it in a format where you can see it and understand it easily is a vexing problem. Well, a solution is in the works. The Land Information Access Association has created software that allows multiple land databases to be queried and then displyed as a series of overlays - allowing pretty quick viewing of property lines, school districts, environmental areas, etc - all based on public data sources and referencing GPS data.

For a working example, check out the map page of the county where I grew up - Hillsdale, MI.

Very Cool ZIPcode Map

Saying that a zipcode map is "cool" sounds pretty outlandish, but you really need to check this site out. I discovered it by accident while looking for a way to easily (and freely) get all the ZIP's in a specific geographic location.

I still don't have all my ZIP's but I had a nice distraction!