Secret, Secret

Although I love PostSecret.org, I never thought I'd ever want to send a secret in. Why? Because I have a big mouth and had not secrets to share. Or so I thought. I spent some time this weekend thinking about it, and came up with at least a dozen secrets--some barely a secret at all, some I wouldn't share with anyone.

So I sent my first card in on Monday. I have another waiting for next week. Several more are lurking in the wings. (I'm saving the juicier stuff for later).

If any of my cards are posted, I'll mention it here. I won't tell you which card is mine. You'll have to guess that on your own. But it will probably have a shirtless man on it.

Just saying.

Photoshoplifting

Another Photoshop scandal in the works. And another reason not to believe anything you see. Hat tip: BuzzFeed.

The Social Network Tango

I'm not much of joiner. I don't belong to any clubs. I don't do organized volunteering. I've only rarely been involved in any kind of professionial organization. I never even liked the chatrooms when I subscribed to AOL. So this social networking gig is like pulling hair.

But I'm forcing myself to do it, both as research for work and, frankly, because it's not healthy to be a hermit. I've signed up for Facebook already. This weekend, I joined Linked In. I hope to find a few others to jump into--such as Change.org.

Already I've noticed a few interesting things about these spaces. The relationships these sites foster really are different. Specifically, they spend enormous energy to support, encourage, maintain, and grow very tenuous connections. These are the "friends of my mom's boss" kind of connections.

In the old days, we'd relegated those people to our contacts file or Christmas card list. Now they can be right in front of your face, all the time, any time. Just like real friends. Only this is a new kind of friendship. Perhaps a better description would be "deep acquaintances" or "close contacts."

I'm not the first to notice this. But it's new to me. And like new boots, it's gonna take some time to get use to it before I can kick ass.

Interestingly enough, when I search for old friends or school friends on these networks, I find none. Birds of a feather, guess...

Facebook

So I've signed up for FaceBook and spent a fair amount of time exploring. To quote a co-worker: I'm still not sure why this is fun. Maybe one day, I'll have a FaceBook epiphany. Until then, it's in the "research for work" category.

If you want to find me and manage to do so, give me a poke.

A Photo or Two

My friend Tony is an accomplished photographer who's been moving from traditional landscapes and portraits into more "abstract" territory recently. (I had to use quotes because my photography instructor said that a photograph, because it's a representation of the real world, can never be truly abstract. Oh, whatever.)

Call them what you will, these pics are awesome.

Could You Survive a Zombie Apocalypse?

39%
Clearly, I'd have difficulty. Discover your own chances of survival here.

(BTW, this link takes you to Mingle2.com, an online dating site. Which may be scarier than having a zombie eat your face off. Just saying.)

And If You Need More Beards

You can go to Beards.org, your online guide to everything--and I mean everything--beardy. Topics include how-to's, photo galleries, and even videos. Yes, videos. Of beards.

I found the beard style guide particularly handy, because I like to change up my whiskers often. Currently, I sport an "extended goatee." Wonder how a "chin curtain" would look?

The Cuddly Menace

While reviewing old IE bookmarks and letting fate take me where it will, I found this: A remix of a kids' book--My Little Golden Book About God--with a Scientology-worthy tale of invasion and control. Or as the author tells it

...a primer for the parasitic offspring of an invisible invasion! For the safety of our race (if any still remain) I have translated this book in the hopes that a resistance may arise. Read the baby powder scented Final Solution of our enemies from beyond...

Over 90 Online Photography Tools and Resources

This amazing list includes online photo editors, how-to blogs, image storage sites, and lots more. Some of the sites are well known--any one heard of Picassa? But others, like the mobile device sharing sites, are news to me. I guess I know what I'm going to be spending my Sunday doing.

Hat tip: Mashable.com.

Architecture Porn

I can't get enough of this website. If only I lived in Italy. And had a $billion. Sigh.

DC Is Still Being Observed

I promised to upload one image per day on my photoblog DC Observed. Unfortunately, work got in the way of that for a while. But I just caught up, adding the pics to the days I forsook. Thank you, amazing time machine!

Other Things Ecstatic

I stumbled upon this site while I was redesigning Everything Ecstatic. These kids take the idea of a blog, add their own fetishes and mediated experiences, mix it with MySpace, and end up completely blowing the concept of a "webpage" out of the water.

Not all are cutting edge: Some still have links in a recognizable order. But others look like the electronic version of a 16-year-old girl's brain. If you want to see the future of online design, communications, publishing, community, and your own teenager, look no further.

Consider It Done

The new Everything Ecstatic template is done. I've finished up a few last tweaks last night--moving some margins, building a new header, adding a second robot acrobat, and fine-tuning the white screen under the copy. Husband's verdict: The robot is distracting. My verdict: Ecstatic! (What did you expect me to say?)

Now I can focus on content. Hmmmmm. What to write, what to write--oh, I know. I watched Snakes on a Plane last night. And, um. Hmmmm.

I wonder if I should add another robot acrobat. . .

Insult of the Week

How Tories see the world. You have to see it to believe it. Best part: Portugal is part of the South Africa, and the East Germany is renamed Commie Federal Republic of Sausage Eating Krauts and Lesboes. Yes, it's old. But it's still mean.

Hat tip: Daily Dish

Found

I'm a very nosey man who loves to read those abandoned receipts at my ATM. So of course I dig Found magazine, where visitors mail notes, photos, grocery lists--pretty much anything--to the editors, who post them without comment.

As with stars in the sky, the more you look, the more you see. Ain't life sad great weird.

My Favorite Photography Blog

Strobist is one of the coolest and most practical blogs around. I rank it up there with Lifehacker for it's consistent "wow, I never knew I could do that" factor.

An example? It taught me how to build an in-home studio for $12 that actually works. Can't beat that.

What the Hell Is a "lolcat"?

That would be: Laugh Out Loud Cat.

Sometimes I think I get this whole internet-y thing. I've been working on it for more than 10 years, so I should know something, right? Then I hear about LolCats, scratch my head, and think "WTF?"

So what is a lolcat? A cute picture of a cat or other pet, with a humorous caption, written in some weird pidgeon English. And here's a shocking tidbit for you. The lolcat site I Can Has Cheezburger accounts for one-third of the Wordpress blogging bandwidth.

WTF?

Laugh out loud here.

Gabba Gabba Hey! It's the Punk Zine Archive

Take a peek at your fav punk zines from 1977 to 1998: Suburban Voice, MaximumRockandRoll, HeartAttaCK, and Flipside are all here. I've never loved reading zines, finding them a little too difficult to actually deal with, but I loved that fact that they existed. Kind of like vampire bats. From Operation Phoenix Records.

DC Observed

I've spent the last few years really trying to become a better fine arts photographer, even to the point of considering an MFA in photography. So it's no surprise that I've created a personal photography blog. Actually, it's more of a personal photography art object project: I'll be posting one image each day for the next year taken in and around DC. It's been up one week. Check it out.

Kreepie Kats

Gawker is a cornucopia of delights, none more delightful than the Kreepie Kats cartoon. Vulgar and hard to explain--I think that sums it up. If you want to know what this week's comic is about, take a look at this Village Voice story.