October, 17, 2005 archives

jakob nielsen’s list of the top ten design mistakes in weblog usability are generally reasonable advice, but i think it is funny that cory at boing boing decided to call out the one i probably pay the least heed to: #3, nondescript posting titles.

it’s not that my titles are nondescript so much as non-sequitors, or inside jokes so inside that i’m the only one who could possibly understand them. some recent highlights:

• “mostly the truth” came about because i noticed i had several strategic uses of the weasel-word mostly in this entry. and now i’ve applied it to the whole thing.
• “not bursting into tears” is a reference to the fact that there were numerous times during the day where i was literally on the verge of bursting into tears. (mostly because of my back, which appears to be fine now. knock on wood.)
• “don’t get the wrong idea” is the antidote to the content, which is really deliberately crafted to feed various people’s suspicions that shannon and i are involved.
• “let’s all go to the lobby” is a pop culture reference, of course, to the classic movie theatre advertisement.
• “mmm, rabbits,” besides being a part of the quote i was calling attention to, is sort of an implied simpsons reference.
• “solid gold” is what the students in the film say the professor is made of, because he is so pure.
• “i say hello” is about as obscure as i can get — i originally wrote a bit about how my back pain had flared up to the oh-my-god-where’s-the-vicodin level, and this is a line from a song called “vicodin” by the trainables, a band you’ve never heard of (unless you’re marcus, who was in it).
• “tax that fellow behind the tree” is a fragment of a quote from russell long: “tax reform means “don’t tax you, don’t tax me, tax that fellow behind the tree.’”
• “the soul of this man is in his clothes” is a quote from william shakespeare.
• “more on me and friends” is actually a bit of a play on words — say it out loud, and it is “moron me and friends.”
• “she sets the summer sun on fire” is a line from “i want candy” by good charlotte.
• “looking minnesota, feeling california” is a reversal of a line from “outshined” by soundgarden.
• “flat denial” is one of those titles that i look back on and don’t understand. as i said there, it was in reference to what i started writing about, but i don’t remember what that was any more.

and then there are all the entries i don’t even title.

at the end of the day, i’m (mostly) writing for me, so i like to think that gives me license to flaunt jakob’s list.

it looks like we’re going to be in for another wet winter here in los angeles, if the last day or two is any indication. just as i made my way back from shopping during lunch, the rain really started coming down (again). i also saw some lightning off towards the east side. we’ve gotten almost an inch of rain in the last 24 hours.

i know you know but you don’t talk
you let it all go by
you won’t kiss so you won’t get hurt
here on the other side
you turn away and won’t look, like you’d rather be alone

i bet you wish that you were made of stone
i bet you wish that you were made of stone
i will, you won’t cause you don’t try
i wonder what you see
looking out your window dreamin’
dreamin’ what could be
it’s hard to find a soul here, in this crowd of skin and bone

i’m something to believe in
let me take you far away
never stop your dreamin’
cause dreams are what the world is made of

someday you’re gonna wake up
and you won’t be there alone
and you won’t wish that you were made of stone
you’ll never wish that you were made of
never never wish that you were made of
you’ll never wish that you were made of stone

— “made of stone,” by susanna hoffs, from when you’re a boy one of the things i like about putting my whole music collection on shuffle is how songs that i wouldn’t otherwise seek out can just pop out at me. i guess that means i’m opening a little bit of a window to my subconscious when i post the lyrics that do that.

o is a modern take on william shakespeare’s othello. while it is apparently quite faithful to the plot, the setting has been shifted to high school with basketball as the backdrop. it’s quite good, although it isn’t nearly as aggressive as baz luhrmann’s romeo + juliet.

i actually own a copy of the complete works of shakespeare, of which i have embarrassingly read very little. i’ve certainly seen more films based on shakespeare’s plays than i’ve seen as plays. but i would still put myself down as someone who likes shakespeare. go figure.