LolaGeek

One of my goals for this year is to be a better blogger. I used to write multiple times a week, sometimes multiple times a day! Lately, it’s more like a couple times a month. Sometimes I have a topic I really want to write about, but I just never get around to getting my thoughts in order. And more often, between Twitter, Facebook, etc., there’s just a quicker, easier way to share. But one of the things that I really like about being a blogger is that I can go back to almost any day (actually, between all my old blogs, as far back as 1999!) and see what I was doing, what was going on in my life, what I was thinking about, etc. And by being a bad blogger, I lose that ability. So primarily, I am keeping this journal for myself. But, I also like sharing my opinions, and writing about things I enjoy (or don’t enjoy). Some of my most popular posts have been on specific TV shows or products I’ve reviewed (that eShakti review really took on a life of its own for a while!), and if I can steer someone toward something good or away from something bad, I enjoy helping out.

So… I have developed a quick, eight-question survey for readers of this blog! (And really, three of those questions are your name [optional] and comment boxes.) Please take a moment to tell me what you like reading here and what you could do without. Also, I know I’m connected with a lot of my readers via other social networks, and I try to post different things in different spots, but I’m sure there’s overlap (and even more now that it’s so easy to post from my phone). So let me know if that bugs you, too. Thanks!

I will assume that by this point, unless you’ve been under a rock for the past several weeks, you’re familiar with the explosive Korean hit, Gangnam Style. I’ll admit, when I first saw my friends posting the video on Facebook, I didn’t click the link, because it looked like some kind of spam thing. I finally watched it myself a little over a week ago. I have no idea what he’s saying or even really what’s going on in the video, but most of the rest of America, I’m hooked. Here’s some of my favorite parodies and covers:

• SNL: Lids (This sketch inspired me to watch the video for the first time, so I could get the joke.)
• Gandalf Style
• Ohio University Marching 110 (If this doesn’t bring a smile to your face and make you wish you were still in marching band…)
• The Office Gangnam Style
• At the wedding we were at last night, it was played unironically on the dance floor – and I believe people did do the dance.
• Bay Area Wedding Music Video (Speaking of weddings, this couple took it a step, or two, or five, further…)
• NBC Olympic Style (Really good parody, just a few weeks too late, guys.)
• Vote Obama Style

Manhattan Shoebox Apartment: On one hand, I appreciate the amount of organization and minimalism people need to be able to live this way. On the other hand, I just can’t get past keeping dishes and sneakers together on the same rack, or storing shampoo and tea on the same shelf.

This Is Why I’m Broke: Get ready to find a million things to buy that you didn’t even know you needed. I started listing some of the funny/interesting things I was noticing, but the list was too long.

The Worst Things for Sale: You may see some things here you saw on the previous site, but basically, Drew (of Toothpaste for Dinner and Married to the Sea) finds weird stuff for sale on Amazon and makes fun of it.

23 Terrifying Movie Adaptations of Children’s Books: Some of these are really hilarious/creepy. There are a couple I’d like to see actually made into movies.

Pintester: This person does projects and recipes from Pinterest, then reports back (hilariously).

Best Of MetaFilter: No need to read anything else – this blog will bring you the best of the best of the web.

ifttt: Stands for “if this, then that,” and is an awesome way to link up your social networks to have them automate each other. For example, have all your tweets that include a certain hashtag posted to your WordPress blog. Automatically post all your Instagram photos to Flickr. Every time you update your Blogger blog, have it create a tweet. Have all your Foursquare check-ins added to a Google calendar. There are tons of possible recipes…

“Shia Labeouf” by Rob Cantor: Tally Hall’s yellow tie guy built himself a portfolio site, but one song stood out above the rest. I like to think I have something to do with that, since I wished for this song about Hollywood’s “actual canibal” to become viral…

Amazon customer images for Horse Head Mask: I have no idea how this got started, but clearly a lot of people are having fun with their $20 horse head mask. Some of them are hilarious, some are really disturbing…

Titanic: The Sequel: With the release of Titanic in 3D, there’s been a lot of parodies going around, but this one is great. I would go see this if it were an actual movie!

I have been very bad at Linky Thursdays for a while because lately when I see interesting links I usually just send them to the people I think would enjoy them. Maybe nobody will enjoy these but me, which is why I need to post them here.

How to Make Lip Scrub at Home: I’m obsessed with scrubbing my lips. I recently bought a container of that Fresh sugar scrub, which is great, but way too expensive for a little container of sugar. So I’m eager to try out some of the other lip scrub recipes I’m finding.

Long-Awaited Olive Garden Receives Warm Welcome: I can’t decide whether or not this is supposed to be a joke. Sadly, I think it is not. The saddest line: “Instead of the raspberry lemonade she suggested, I drank water.” Wasn’t there an article almost exactly like this in The Onion once? [Edit] Author Marilyn Hegarty responds to her sudden viral fame! [/Edit]

Cool Like Pie: I know this is supposed to be for kids, but there is a lot of really cool stuff on this blog! I was about to try to list out some categories of things you might see posted here, but they really have some of everything, you just have to check it out :o)

My Body Gallery: Want to feel better about yourself (or… worse)? Put in your measurements and see how you compare to other women of your height and weight.

I think GG has a new hobby: he’s calling his own Google Voice number, speaking song lyrics, and seeing how they turn out.

He just called and recited Public Enemy’s “Welcome to the Terrordome.” Here’s what Google thought he said:

I got so much trouble on my mind refuse to lose here. George tickets. Susan from my kid wicked the crew to you to push it back a black at Texas A separate Jack and slacum act now I’m ready to mike it. You know I like it. Here my favorites is in a little never be able to like me to give us a little. Louisa anesthesia major we still believe your brain, injuring it the way he I’m looking for, given what I’ve given up, X, On the blacks hear me now. I don’t know about later, but I know how to avoid the paranoid man, I’ve added I’ll be here Dear. I. We’re gonna go on in fear.

“Louisa anesthesia” especially cracked us up. By the time he got to that sentence, we were both laughing so hard we were crying and couldn’t breathe

For such a technologically advanced company and product, Google Voice sure does come up with ridiculous text transcriptions of voicemails. GG has a friend who for some reason can’t remember his cell phone number, so he calls on the Google Voice number GG uses for his business. This goes straight to voicemail, which means we get a hilarious transcription every time.

Example 1: GG’s friend A was calling to say that he’d be late coming over to hang out because his grandfather had a heart attack.
Actual Message: “Yo [GG], this is [A], um, I got horribly delayed today so I probably won’t be there until late afternoon, early evening, something like that, ’cause uh, there was, my mom had car trouble after picking up my grandfather with a heart attack, and everything’s all messed up. Ok, so, I guess, gimme a call when you can. All right, bye.”
Google’s Version: “Yo [GG], this is our I would be a hardly believe today so I’m probably won’t be there til late afternoon early evening so like that cos. There is But it might. Mon card for what occurred to come by. Grandfather was heart attack and My name is all messed up. Okay so. I guess. Gimme a call when you can bye. ”

Example 2: GG’s friend calls to see if he wants to get together (this one is especially ominous…)
Actual Message: “Yo [GG], this is just [A], uh, I was reaching out to see if you could do something spur of the moment but, uh, I guess now’s a bad time. All right, bye.”
Google’s Version: “Yo [GG], this is our past. I just got to see the reasons for that long. But. If you know that that’s alright. Bye.”

Canon EOS C300 = Awesome: GG sent this to me. I don’t understand 95% of the technical stuff he’s talking about, but still found it funny. “This guy is upset because he dropped his ice cream cone and he’s not handling it like a man.” “Canon Log sounds like a turd.”

Correlation or Causation?: I love infographics. And babies named Ava caused the U.S. housing bubble!

George Takei Wants to Unite Star Wars Fans and Star Trek Fans in War Against Twilight: “What’s needed today now, more than ever, is Star Peace.”

Single White Feline: My BIL says his favorite part of this video is “the constant purring.”

From the Vault: A History of High-low Fashion: An interesting look at how Target has been promoting “high-low” style since the ’80s. As Target Addict pointed out, the 1990s prices are pretty much on-par with today’s prices!

baconlube: So… This exists.

Black Friday Shopping Prank: It was a mistake to try to watch this at work, because I was already crying laughing at “daddy butter.”

The 12 Most Baffling Genres of Stock Photo, Explained: “Because you know my name and we talk all the time, friend. Please stop feeding me.”

I Want My Hat Back: This book is adorable.

Boiled Omelets: This is a neat idea, I’d try it if I weren’t so wary of boiling things in plastic bags :o/

Samuel L. Ipsum: I wish I had more occasions to use Lorem Ipsum in my life, because there are some really funny generators out there…

Worst Missoni for Target Web-Order Horror Story: Target screwed up majorly with this designer release. Maybe they shouldn’t have scheduled it so soon after the launch of their (still buggy) new web site…

Men Photographed in Stereotypical Pin-Up Poses: These are pretty hilarious. I like the power tool guy, he looks surprised to be there.