ButchBits3 videocast

Rich People Die Unhappy

Butch's video is pretty dark, and I guess I should've lightened it up a bit, ohwell. My aim was to figure out how to get a couple of pictures and my voice in there since the video track replaces the podcast track. Dunno if it was actually the "right" way, but it worked!

ButchBits2

My second attempt at podcasting is online and on iTunes. I think I'm sounding less doofus-like. Helps to have some idea what to talk about.

I sound like a doofus

The more I listen to myself in that podcast, the more I don't like what I hear. At first I had no idea what I'd be talking about, so I rambled on a bit until I decided to narrow the subject matter to Butch. I edited a bunch out, but I still sound awkward and unsure of what I was doing -- which was exactly how I felt!

I'd like to eventually get it going where I can create education-related podcasts, but for now I'll stick to butchbits or whatever comes up.

For what it's worth, the podcast is now a free download at the iTunes Music Store!

First podcast

HissyFitz and ButchBits

Gotta keep up with the cool kids. Unfortunately, the cool kids probably have something cool to talk about, while I just wanted to see if I could do it.

Created my first podcast today, with Butch Walker content, of course. Don't like how I sound, but it wasn't that easy while leaning over the desk with my face practically against the monitor of the iMac. Gotta pick up an external microphone someday. I purposely tried to speak slowly since I tend to rattle on quickly, but the effect makes me sound half-asleep.

The best things in life are...

..redeemable with Rewards Points!

Nuthin' like closing a rarely-used credit card account and discovering there were enough rewards points on it to get five $25 Macy's gift cards -- and receiving them in the mail just before heading out for a combo birthday celebration/Macy's shopping night. Cute stuff from that night:



A close second: finding out the person you'll be traveling with to SF has more than enough rewards points for a free car rental!

I was phone-phished by Sam-I-Am!

I received a call from a male with a heavy pseudo-sounding accent today. At first I thought it was a joke.

Sam: Hello, I am [garbled] from [garbled] [garbled] [garbled] calling about your domain ***.com.
Me: I'm sorry, who is this?
Sam: My name is S-- (garbled again, but definitely started w/an S), calling from Domain Registry [garbled] about your domain..
Me: Who? Calling from Domain Registry what? (By now I figured this was either a joke or a scam, so figured it was OK to be a bit rude.)
Sam: I am Sam (I think) calling from Domain Registry S-- [garbled]
Me: OK. I understand Domain Registry, I get your junk mail all the time, but what is that word that you're saying after that?
Sam: S-- [garbled] (his obvious attempt at enunciation made it even worse)
Me: Sorry, please spell that.
Sam: s-u-p-p-o-r-t, supppououurrrt
Me: Oh! OK, support! Don't tell me you guys are now actually CALLING people??
Sam: Yes, this is about your domain, ***.com
Me: Heh, ok, what are you trying to ask me?
Sam: We need your fax number to send you more information.
Me: More information about what?
Sam: We need your fax number to send it to you.
Me: But what kind of information do you want to send? Can't you tell me what it is now, over the phone?
Sam: No, we need your fax number...
Me: Hey, this is actually getting pretty funny if you're for real. Can't you at least tell me what kind of information you want to send?
Sam: silence
[disconnect]

I was actually a little disappointed the guy didn't try harder. Did a little bit of research after I hung up, and found that others have had similar experiences. Turns out DomainRegistry.com knows about it this scam (they even received a phone call from them!) and says their company has nothing to do with these guys. They just want to spam-fax owners of domains in hopes of transferring them to their company -- the same thing Domain Registry does, but by email and snail mail.

They probably got my phone number by doing a whois, but I already had a fax number listed. My other domain names don't show my phone number or any other personal information, and thought this one didn't either. It doesn't anymore!

What's your guilty pleasure?

My definition: An indulgence that wastes time and money, makes you feel a tad guilty but waaaay too good.

Some people have certain food fetishes, shopping pleasures, trashy reading preferences. Mine is going to concerts.

Living on a rock in the middle of an ocean makes it difficult to feed my habit (with the exception of the four Eagles concerts, along with The Who, Steely Dan, Motley Crue, and Elvis Costello shows that managed to stop here recently..and U2 who will reschedule later this year). I usually have to fly out to see my favorite bands or artists, but I try to keep it financially reasonable, so it's off again to California for my Butch Walker concerts!

Bought the last of my tickets today, booked my airfare to LA, and am working on the SF portion of the trip. This is already consuming me, even though the concerts are a few months away. I want to make the most of my SF trip: wine country tour, ferry ride to Sausalito, shopping, good hotel. It all adds up, but the travel costs that accompany the concerts are a necessary part of the splurge, aren't they?

The damage so far:

concert tickets: $80

airfare/hotel/car: $750

seeing Butch again: you know it -- priiiceless!

Yes, I survived

Someone posted a comment on my other blog today, wondering if the diet had done me in since I hadn't blogged since I started it. It's just that I haven't had much to say the past four weeks, but now that school's out I'll probably start talkintomyself again.

A quick update of the past few weeks is below..might be WAAAY BELOW, depending on what browser you're using. Blogger did funny stuff w/the HTML table. Shows up fine on my other blog!

	The diet's officially over but I'm going to continue parts of it. Didn't lose quite what I wanted, and the get-together at Todai, a huge all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant, on the last day of the diet sure didn't help. That's OK, I just want to lose a couple more pounds.
	Summer vacation has begun, no more dirty looks til July 27th!
	Celebrated the end of school with yummy lychee martinis (and more) last night. Lychee's a fruit, so that's OK on my diet. Not too sure about the vodka.
	Butch recently announced four concerts in California -- see ya in September! His new CD will come out next month..but I'll be at a conference in Oregon when it's shipped to my home :(
	How'd my eyeball get here?