Bloggity blog

The NYT had a couple of articles on blogging this weekend, focusing on the potential pitfalls, all kinds of drama and psychodrama. It was interesting that there was no discussion of new forms of netiquette evolving to deal with this relatively new media. I suppose that doesn't make as interesting a story as the woman who posted about her job and got fired, or the woman who blasted her family (believing the technophobic family would never find it), and started a family rift. There was a greater emphasis on voyeurism (an 18-year-old's adventures with sex and birth control) than an emerging form of more accessible personal writing, which in the long run is more interesting to me. (Side thought: In some ways it will be a lot easier to do social history about our period, with such a wealth of documents.)

Also interesting was that they said that about 3 million people have blogs. About a million people have LJ accounts (ignoring the active/inactive distinction); are these included in the estimate? I couldn't tell, since the article only mentioned people with their own sites.

Signs of the weekend

I went for a walk on Shabbat, and saw two signs I wasn't sure how to read.

"Zero Balancing" made me think of balance scales with zeros on either side. Of course, this wasn't likely to be right. It couldn't have anything to do with credit cards, or weightlifting. I doubt it has to do with juggling nothings. Pilates? Perhaps. Still, it remains rather mysterious.

A warehouse-y brick building had "Squirrel Brand Company" on it. I'd think they'd have to make pretty small brands for those squirrel herders. I wonder how easy it is to make distinctive brands small enough.

Misc.

Rule No. 958 of Boston driving: never drive in Dorchester on the day of a parade. At least half the streets are closed off, and no one is giving directions. You will never escape. I think if I hadn't meandered over the line into Milton, I'd still be driving around Dorchester this morning. Oh, except that the gas would've run out, so I'd be stuck at the side of some road.
Nothing personal, Bitty...

On the upside of Sunday, Castle Island is a pretty place, and I got to indulge my condiment habit at Lambert's.

Thanks to Queue, a link to a description of a kosher feast, a 20-course meal with as many off-beat-yet-kosher animals as possible (yes, even locusts).

I saw a yellow bird with black wings flying around outside my office. No idea what kind it was, but the color was nice to see against the green.

I've never been to see one of those decorator show houses before, but thanks to an orker having a spare ticket, I'll have my chance.

Spammers are getting more innovative: I've gotten multiple copies of the same spam with completely different subject lines.