web-goddess

Author: Kris

  • More on This Too Shall Pass

    Q&A session with some of the craftsmen involved in that Rube Goldbert video for OK Go. I’m totally in awe.

  • Boudicca: Back from the dead!

    As you may recall – or not – my iMac G5 “Boudicca” died just over a year ago. She was one of the very first unibody iMacs, and she was nothing but trouble from the start. (The one I’m talking about was actually a replacement for the original one that self-destructed within six months of purchase.) When she died the last time, we were given a ridiculous quote from the Apple Store to have her fixed. The logic board was riddled with blown and leaking capacitors. She was out of warranty, out of AppleCare, and out of luck. I found out that there had been a Repair Extension Program for this specific issue – and my serial number was even covered! – but alas, it had expired in December 2008 (about two months before mine died). I bought a new laptop and set her aside, hoping that maybe she’d be worth some money on eBay. One of my resolutions for the New Year was to deal with the issue, so I started calling Apple repair shops to see if they were interested in her for parts. Nobody was interested. In desperation, I tweeted that she was for sale if anybody wanted her. A friend-of-a-friend (who happens to work in Apple tech support) wrote back, suggesting that I call Apple Support again. He said that he still regularly saw machines come in with my issue, and that several of them had been granted “exceptions” to the Repair Program and fixed free-of-charge. It seemed too good to be true. I called up the number and spent half an hour talking to a nice guy, who eventually transferred me up to the manager. They put me on hold for a bit… then the magic words: “You’re approved!” He put it into the system and I took the machine to NextByte the next day. They told me there’d probably be some wait before they could get to it, but I didn’t care. Hey, at this point it’s a free computer, right? Six weeks later, I finally called Nextbyte to see what the heck was happening… and was told that my machine had been fixed for weeks. They just had never called me! (Idiots.) This morning we picked her up. I deliberately didn’t plug her in before heading to the Guild AGM, knowing that if she was still broken I’d just stress about it all day. So when I finally got home tonight, I plugged her in and hit the power button. BONGGGGGG! Success. I was up and running on the network within minutes. It’s so nice to have a desktop machine again! And now DeskCam will actually be from my actual desk again! So huge, huge thank yous to Stu for advising me how to fix it up. I owe him one!

  • Shared today on Twitter

    Brainstorming with @AusVintageGrrl for official Guild hashtag for tomorrow. #guildagm? #kgnswagm? #zomgdrama? #batshitinsane? Undecided.

    More possibilities: #idratherbeazombie #knitvomit #knittingforevil.

    @missamanda I had the same debate six months ago. They are much improved now. Just can’t justify spending 10x the price for salon!

    St. Brigid is blocking… https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/8985

    @SallyPompom Hahaha, no, I mean my office at the house. 🙂

    @Kat13v You think that’s subversive? I think my UOTO laptop wallpaper might be projected during the meeting… accidentally.

    Less than 70 hours til the Oscars start! Don’t forget to make your predictions for the 8th Annual W-G Oscar Contest: http://bit.ly/bWOKgA

    I have become a person who has lots of meetings at work. This is somewhat new.

    @venks79 Yes, but somehow lately I’ve ended up being the one who has to take notes and WORK through the meeting! No fair!

    My Macbook has new wallpaper: http://twitpic.com/16poak. The colour is, of course, Barbie Vag Pink. #spite #kgagm

    @sharre If I actually see you eating popcorn, I am going to LOSE IT! 🙂

    Guild presentations all ready to go. My selfish goal is just to avoid being hassled as much as possible. No drama llamaz for me!

    @pinkarwensocks You can pull things out! Just click and drag the ones you don’t want and they’ll go POOF. (Just icon, not app.)

    @pinkarwensocks You can also add stuff. Just drag icons from Finder onto it. There’s also setting to change how big dock is.

    All set up and ready to go! Bring it on. #kgagm http://twitpic.com/16tqce

  • Shared today on Facebook

    Less than 70 hours til the Oscars start! Don’t forget to make your predictions for the 8th Annual W-G Oscar Contest: http://bit.ly/bWOKgA

  • RunningBlog: Week 9

    Things are getting better! Each run my foot seems to be improving. This morning I only had a little niggle, with no tenderness under the ball of my foot at all. Unfortunately my speed is still way, way down from being sick. If I keep my heart rate below 145, my time per kilometer is anywhere from 30-60s SLOWER than it was a month ago. It’s frustrating, but it’s oddly gratifying to know that I had that fitness to lose in the first place. I’ll get it back.

    Feb. 26: 5.18km
    Feb. 28: 8.06km
    Mar. 2: 5.14km
    Total this week: 18.38km
    Total in 2010: 170.41km (106.5mi)

    To meet my 1000km goal, I should be 173km. So I’m pretty much right where I need to be!

  • St. Brigid is blocking

    The Show is rapidly approaching! Time to get this sucker finished. I started by dunking the front and the back in cold water and making sure they were totally saturated. Then I gently squeezed out a bit of the water before rolling each piece in a towel. Carefully I stepped all over it til the towel was soaked, removing a lot of the water. The pieces were then pinned out to the pattern’s measurements. I freaked out a little bit at first because the squares look so big! But when I compared them to Na Craga, they’re only slightly bigger. (Which is good, as I have boobs and the Snook doesn’t.) So I think that will be okay. It was hard to get a decent shot with the crapping lighting in my office, but I don’t think I’ve lost any stitch definition. As soon as these are dry, I’ll do the sleeves. (I ran out of pins!) Then it’s time to start sewing up!

    St. Brigid - blocking

    Incidentally, I am LOVING that I had the forethought to use spit-splicing on this thing. I have like five ends to weave in there. That’s brilliant.

  • Procrastinators vs. Incubators

    Procrastinators vs. incubators. Yes! I am an incubator! It describes me perfectly. I’ve never been very good at motivating myself unless I have a concrete deadline staring me in the face. I don’t operate well with open-ended projects that just meander along. And when I pull the inevitable all-nighter to get stuff done, it’s always really good. Phew. I’m not the only one. (Link found via this related and fascinating discussion about I.T. industry productivity.)

  • Star Wars Amigurumi

    Star Wars Amigurumi. Neat! I need to learn to crochet better.

  • This Too Shall Pass

    Okay, everybody in the world has linked to the “Rube Goldberg Machine” version of OK Go’s new video “This Too Shall Pass.” And you should watch it, because it’s awesome. But what I didn’t realise is that there’s also a marching band version featuring the Notre Dame Marching Band! The band play along with them in a field with camouflaged musicians popping up and kids running around with ribbons. It’s very cool. (I wonder what the ND association is. The ND band famously played “Here It Goes Again” at a halftime show a couple years ago. Maybe that was the genesis?)

    Edited to add: Okay, I just found another version of Notre Dame’s “Here It Goes Again” routine and the YouTube description clearly states that this led to the collaboration on “This Too Shall Pass.” Man, could I love the ND Band more? I could not.

  • Shared today on Twitter

    AHA! Google retired @GmailMuzzle, so now I see chat status again. This sucks. Is it because of Buzz? I want my minimalist chat window back.

    @witty_knitter WTF? I don’t get it. There’s only one person in that photo. Is that supposed to be the painting?

    @witty_knitter Ohhhh, nevermind. This is the painting: http://bit.ly/brJmPH

    It’s very difficult to stay out of drama when it’s all around you. I always mean to, but then get sucked in. (Not just knitting guild.)

    I’ll be 33 in 11 days. Maybe then I’ll be a grown-up?

    @TimBags Your bus isn’t prepay only after work?

    @venks79 Wow, congrats! See, there’s an upside to having a couple of crappy no-eating days. 🙂

    @venks79 No no, but on stressful days, people usually eat less! And frustration burns calories, right?

    Good run! Still slow, but heart rate was more consistent and – HUZZAH – my foot barely hurt at all. Getting there…

    @steven_noble Is that in Snow Leopard? I just tried it on my MacBook in 10.5 but it doesn’t work. 🙁

    RT @DDsD: RT @RichendaG: Old, Rich and educated = Linkedin. http://ow.ly/1ck2v Great demographic info <- Shame the graph colours aren …