YKYW - Nursing Student Blog

I finally signed up at MyBlogLog and set up my sites. Now I just need to decide if I want to put the “Recent Readers” bar on my site. Since a lot of people who read my blog are real life friends, I’m not sure that adding the “Recent Readers” bar would add any value to my site. (Do any of you have a MyBlogLog account?) But, I like gadgets, so I’ll probably install it, at least for a bit, the next time I’m messing around with my blog template.

While I was reading about MyBlogLog, I came across a tutorial from Stark over at FuzzyFuture about adding MyBlogLog images to comments for Wordpress blogs.

I briefly toyed with the idea, but decided against it in the end. Gravatar offers more flexibility and are easy to implement. They also offer the commenter a greater incentive to leave a comment on my site. If the reader has to use the URL field to specify their MyBlogLog account, then they don’t have the opportunity to gain a link to their blog. While some may feel that the link to MyBlogLog can lead people to their blog, I’ve discovered that a shorter path is a better path. Our attention span is just too short to force people through a maze to finally find our home page.

Also, as someone who writes on multiple blogs, it is important to have flexibility. When I am surfing poker blogs, and want to comment, I want to have the ability to send people to my poker blog. If the blog falls under any other category, then I point to this, my personal blog.

In the end, it’s about preference. As a Gemini, I like having choices! But, for me, the choice remains Gravatar for individual images associated with comments.

**Update** Doh. I didn’t realize how it really worked. I thought I had to enter the url to my member profile (like this: http://www.mybloglog.com/buzz/members/Jaxia) instead of just putting the URL that I registered on the site. Hmm. It’s more compelling now, but I’m still interested to see how many people have Gravatar accounts compared to MyBlogLog accounts.

Pointless Things to Ponder:

Do they call it Wii wrist these days?

Is anyone using Blingo? Blingo is a Google-based search engine that offers random prizes to users. All we have to do is search like we normally search. Seems like a good deal to me!

You can also add Blingo to your Firefox autosearch toolbar (and other browsers), which makes it even easier to use. And, if you sign up through my link, then we can both win!

I’ve been messing around with redesigning my sites so that I can use widgets. While looking around at the widgets out there, I couldn’t find one that would let me put buttons (or chicklets) in the sidebar. So, I decided to write my own — Jax Buttons! (Creative title, isn’t it?) You can see a working example of it over at my sandbox.

Instructions
———-

- Unzip the file.
- Upload images to a folder on your server, such as /wp-images or /images.
- If you are not from Texas and would like to include your state,
upload a file named state.gif to your images directory.
- Open jaxbuttons.php and change $icons_baseurl=”http://www.yourwebiste.net/images”
to the website URL where your images are stored. Do NOT include trailing slash (/).
- Save changes.
- Upload jaxbuttons.php to your /wp-content/plugins directory.
- Activate plugin.
- Add the widget to an active sidebar and configure the options.
- Be sure NOT to include the http:// in the URLs.
- Save changes and you’re done!

I’m sure there are more buttons out there that should be included. Please let me know if you have any suggestions, or issues.
http://www.youknowyouwanna.net;/downloads/jaxbuttons.zip;Jax Buttons v0.5;

So, I’ve heard all the hype about free iPods, and I finally decided I wanted to see if there was anything to it. I did some Googling, and came across an article from Geek.com that really made me feel better about the whole thing.

Personally, I signed up for Rhapsody. First month is only 99 cents and I need new music anyway. I can always cancel if I decide I don’t want the service and still get my free iPod.

It’s hard to beat a free color 20GB iPod. If I get 5 people to sign up through my link, I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.

When you bid on eBay and you lose by a couple of seconds…that’s a cool feeling.
When you find another auction and win for less money than the first…that’s a cool feeling!

I learned not to send (or maybe I learned the opposite!) SK a link to something I’m interested in. Earlier this week, I sent her a link to a TiVo auction. Next thing I know, she’s bidding! We were outbid by $5 with 3 seconds left. Gah. She found another one though, and we won it last night – Wahooga! I’ll have TIVO soon! *happy dance*

Silly survey because I’m bored…

Home
Sheets – soft purple
Coffee-maker – Gevalia
Car – BMW 328i
Stationery – I have this fancy blue stuff, but I never use it

Beverages
Bottled water – Deja Blue
Coffee – French Vanilla anything or White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks
Vodka – I’m not picky
Beer – Bleh, none
Soda – Dr Pepper or Vanilla Coke

Clothes
Jeans – Lucky, BKE Mindis or Levi 518
T-shirt – Old Navy
Briefcase or tote – Northface Backpack
Sneakers - Nike
Watch – Skagen

Grooming Products
Shampoo - Nexxus
Moisturizer - Mary Kay
Cologne - Very Sexy
Razor - One of those 3 blade ones
Toothpaste - Crest Cinnamon
Deodorant - Secret

Electronics
Cell phone – Samsung (Cingular)
Computer – One that I built
Television – Don’t own one
Stereo – Don’t own one

Favorite Places
Helen, Ga

Necessary Extravagance
High thread count sheets

Today has already been a long day.  Corbin woke me up this morning an hour earlier than what I wanted to get up.  I like having my ear lobes nibbled on, but that isn’t quite what I had in mind!  But, he’s so cute that I couldn’t be mad.

It doesn’t help matters any that it is been pouring rain here.  Everything outside is nasty.

Normally my company is casual dress but we have some big wigs coming in today.  We are trying to expand globally, and the CEO of this international firm is coming in.  All the guys are in ties – adorable!  So, anyway, trying to get dressed this morning and deal with a muddy bundle of energy was quite the challenge.

Oh – guess what!  I talked to my boss and he is willing to switch my day off to next Friday.  So…I get a 4-day weekend for 4th of July!  Wahoooga!  Now I only have to decide where to go.  Back to Dallas, or to Houston to see my family?  I miss my nephews, but I think I need to work on Corbin’s manners a bit before I take him around a 1 year old and a 2 year old.

(This is a picture of them asleep in my car with my camera phone)

Aren’t they adorable?  *proud aunt*

Well, I remember to get my camera, but I forgot the cord that hooks the camera up to my laptop. Doh!

Guess you’ll have to keep waiting

I did a bad, bad thing…
Oh, I did a bad, bad thing!

I had to stop by Best Buy after work today to get a part for work tomorrow. I just *happened* to walk past the digital camera isle. They were reaching out for me, begging me to take them home!

Yep, I bought one. It’s sitting next to my feet, still in the bag. I’m trying to convince myself that I deserve it. But the good little angel says I should be responsible with the money and pay off a bill or something. But I have soooo been wanting a digital camera for awhile now…and I deserve it!

But should I open it? Oh, the torture!