attention californians

If everybody who's ever bitched about Pac Bell DSL on their weblog reads this article and emails the PUC commissioners, we might just make some progress.

{ more » }   { 11:53pm }

link: nervousness

Today I'm having fun at NERVOUS Industries, a new site by Erik (who also runs Seattle Stories) and friends. Here's the basic idea: it's a virtual community of people exchanging real things. Things you can buy, exchange, or pass along.

{ more » }   { 3:27pm }

the pups

{ 12:31am }

love and weblogs

Congratulations go out to Jesse and Rebecca!

{ 10:33pm }

notable others

I've always wanted to be gallant.

{ 10:11pm }

fd5: 8 and counting

Make that 8! Announcing Fray Days with confirmed venues in Boston and Kyoto. Yes, as in, Japan. Color us stoked.

{ 2:28pm }

consumer alert

I just got this note forwarded to me and it seems legit:

The four major credit bureaus in the US will be allowed, starting July 1, to release your credit info, mailing address, and phone number to anyone who requests it. If you would like to prevent this, you can call 1-888-567-8688. It only takes a minute, and you can take care of anyone else in the household (you just need to know their social security number). Be sure to listen closely – the first option is only for two years, so make sure you wait until they prompt you to press 3 to opt out permanently.

{ more » }   { 2:08pm }

fd5 news: 6 venues confirmed!

So far there are six venues confirmed for Fray Day 5: Austin, Cincinnati, Grand Rapids, Los Angeles, Melbourne, and San Francisco all have announced their locations and dates (September 7, 8, or 9). If you're near one of those cities, mark your calendar! Fray's coming to town.

{ 12:03pm }

instant messaging bots and your phone

An especially fascinating conversation in MetaFilter got me thinking about instant messaging, bots, and wireless devices. We're just at the beginning of something very interesting, indeed.

{ 2:02pm }

bitbet news

The irrepressible Ben Brown is sporting a new look that features my ancient experiment in blocky type through gif files, Bitbet! And Taylor at Sinphonic did up a white version for his Bitbet Machine. Awesome!

{ more » }   { 12:58pm }

the reality of my surroundings

I love her even when she's wrong.

{ 1:41pm }

five winners and counting

So far five people have won my little game and five envelopes have gone out in the mail. Will you be next?

{ 1:53am }

webby photos

The scene: Me in seat G2, at the Webby Awards, quietly taking a few photos of my surroundings with the flash off, without bothering anyone. When suddenly She arrives.

She: Looking official, feeling important: "Is that a camera?"

Me: Glancing at the active screen: "No."

She: "Because you can't take pictures in here."

Me: "Oh."

She: Wanders away to warn people about going swimming without waiting a full hour after eating to avoid stomach cramps.

Me: Resumes quietly taking pictures.

{ more » }   { 10:39pm }

dreads today, gone tomorrow

Greg is going bald soon – check out his dreads while they're still there!

{ more » }   { 1:57pm }

the fat lady sang

The Webbies are finally, blissfully, over. Thank goodness.

I can say quite honestly that I had a great time. Tiffany clearly knows how to throw a party. (She's got lousy taste in modern dance, but why quibble.) I got to dress up and go to a swanky show, I got to sit in row G (or, as Halcyon called it, "the g-spot") with my friends and fellow {fray} contributors, I got to get a great big hug from Halcyon, and, in the end, I got to get drunk on their dime. Not bad.

{ more » }   { 9:35pm }

more radio fun

It's been a good week for radio! I woke up this morning to my voice on the California Report. It was a brief story on the Webbies, nothing Earth-shattering, but loads of giddy fun nonetheless. And they even pronounced my last name correctly!

Then, today, I drove over to KQED HQ to be interviewed by Laura Sydell for Marketplace! We has a short talk about the Webbies and the myth of the dotcom crash (yes, the market dropped; no, the web isn't dead). If you're in San Francisco, I'm told the report will air on Thursday at 4pm. Other places and times are listed here.

{ more » }   { 2:27pm }

countdown to the webbies

So tomorrow night is the Webby Awards. I'm starting to get a littke wiggy. I re-read Halcyon's story from last year, but I have a feeling my experience is going to be a little different (I'm not wearing fur, for one thing). And thinking back to my experience at the Cool Site of the Year awards doesn't help, either. There'll be (thankfully) no Robin Leach tomorrow - the emcee is Alan Cumming and I actually really like him.

{ more » }   { 7:23pm }

new pow prod schwag!

I got my new Powazek Productions bookmark stickers today!

{ more » }   { 4:48pm }

tomorrow: the california report!

I'm a huge fan of KQED, our local NPR affiliate. So you can just imagine how stoked I am right now, since I just got off the phone with Peter Jon Shuler, who interviewed me for tomorrow's California Report, which is about (you guessed it) the Webbies.

I tried my best to be evenhanded about the Webbies, but head over heels excited about the web (which, really, is the point). If you're in California, you can catch it on your local station tomorrow morning!

{ 1:09pm }

link: chip and chris on the road

My friend Chip and his girlfriend Chris are on a road trip. Somewhere outside of St Luis, Chip had a flashback:

At 1 a.m. heading west on Route 70 just outside of St. Louis, in a very unfortunate move, the driver of the bus followed suit and also fell asleep, asleep at the wheel while driving. The bus went off an overpass, falling 35 feet nose first into a stream.

{ 11:53am }

musical hypertext free association

"There's some tomatoes
Chemically engineered
They come out square
To fit in boxes

There's some people
Chemically engineered
They come out square
To fit in boxes"

– Dan Bern, "Go to sleep"

{ more » }   { 6:25pm }

my morning surf

Any week that begins with a fresh batch of exploding dog is going to be a good week. Personal favorites: Making life better and I tried to hold on.

What's the difference between faking online and faking in real life? About 55 years in prison and up to $2.25million, apparently. [ via MeFi ]

Sigh and sigh again. How does the saying go? If you love something, set it free. Rest up M, Toke, Per, and Josh. And don't worry, we'll still be here when you come back.

{ 12:55pm }

powprod in syndication

So, thanks to this article, my humble log now automatically creates an RSS file in XML. Which, I suppose, is nifty. But can any of the more accomplished geeks in the audience tell me what to do with it?

And for anyone out there scratching their heads at all the acronyms in the paragraph above, I feel your pain. I suggest we both go on as if none of this ever happened.

{ 3:45pm }

product placement

MetaFilter superstar Matt Haughey was recently interviewed by CNN about web hoaxes. Today he posted this pic of the screen. Check out that cool shirt he's wearing! Rock!

{ 2:56pm }

New in SF Stories

Today I made a hundred bucks for drinking a cup of coffee. Only in San Francisco....

{ 8:04pm }

relaunched

The City Stories Project has a whole new look and a buncha new features. Stay tuned for exciting things.

{ more » }   { 4:05am }

fd5 news

I just redesigned the fray day 5 site with a glorious backend (thanks Noah!) that most of you will never see, but with which the Fray Day Organizers can post the latest news and happenings on the Fray Day in their town. Definitely one to bookmark.

Oh, and please give a warm welcome to Fray Day Minneapolis, the latest city to join in the fun.

{ 6:24pm }

new in {fray}

New in {fray}: "People who like to travel love to play the wanderer, the visitor, and even the victim. I am one of those people." I like to travel by yours truly.

{ more » }   { 6:07pm }

got fired?

Dotcom Follies! Are you a dotcom refugee? Have you been downsized? Wear your economic status with pride, thanks to Copyleft. And even better, a percentage of the proceeds go toward worthy open source projects.

{ 1:16pm }

ouch

{ 2:27am }

variation on a theme

In a twist on the City Stories theme, Neil Lee has started Moving Stories. Do you have a story about picking up and splitting town? Send it on!

{ more » }   { 10:02pm }

fd5: location location location

Fray Day 5 has a new member city: Cincinnati, Ohio! This event is being organized by {fray} contributor Mary T. Helmes, who penned Real. If you're in Cincinnati and would like to lend a hand, please contact Mary.

We've also recently gotten nibbles from around the globe, including New Zealand and Japan! Stay tuned.

{ 9:33pm }

right on

Silicon Valley diary: "For some of the best writing on the web, go find something written purely for pleasure by an amateur who speaks in a real voice about a real experience." Bingo!

{ 2:43am }

artificiality

The few minutes it will take you to read "Super-Toys Last All Summer Long" will be much better spent than the two and a half hours you'll have to spend watching A.I..

{ more » }   { 12:56am }

last chance to vote

Okay. So. We all know that popularity contests are meaningless. And that the freaks and outcasts are always more interesting. And that there's something cool about being the underdog. But if you found yourself in such a contest, wouldn't you at least try?

Tomorrow is the last day to vote in the Webby People's Voice Awards. And {fray} is a nominee in two categories: personal and community. If you'd like to help us out with a vote, that'd be awesome.

Here's why this is important to me. And here's how you can vote.

You can also leave a comment in the {fray} threads here and here. I suggest we all use these forums to tell a story or two.

Thanks, everyone.

{ 12:23am }

shoutouts

Today is my mother's birthday and the day my little sister comes back home to the city of angels after two years in New York. I wish I could be there to celebrate with them.

Happy bday, momma! Welcome home, sis!

{ 1:14am }