http://www.mariva.com this that | the other thing Mon, 18 Feb 2008 10:55:57 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I accidentally invited bleeding-edge tech journalist Robert Scoble to a private Kyte party. How it unfolded is a little embarrassing, but suffice it to say that the moral of the story is, don't be Twittering first thing in the morning when you should be busy getting some work done anyway. After ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/media/music/2008/01/u2-3d.html Only days after my initial careless omission of TWiT (this WEEK in TECH) in the list of the best free tech industry podcasts, I was fortunate enough to see Leo Laporte -- who has a background in media, including radio and television -- give an insider's talk about podcasting at ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/resources/2008/01/leo-laportes-podcasting-tips.html Over the years I've developed a pathological fear of boredom, and subsequently a fear of mundane activities that lead to boredom, like waiting at the airport (especially at night), exercising (if it's routine and not, say, a hike in an unfamiliar area), or cooking and cleaning in the kitchen. I ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/resources/2008/01/best-free-audio-podcasts.html You know you're wearing something distinctive when strangers -- men, women and children -- approach you on the street and say, "Cool shoes! Where'd you get those?" Crocs makes a variety of slip-on active footwear, each model available in a rainbow of colors. I wear my Cayman Crocs (an updated version ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/fashion/2006/04/crocs.html VH1 used to be the second-rate music video channel, targeting an audience about a decade older than MTV's. But now VH1's programming generally comprises time-wasting, guilty-pleasure filler shows, like I Love Toys. The show's pointless exercise in conjuring nostalgia inspired me to dredge up my own memories of the not-too-distant ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/fun/2006/04/1980-nostalgia.html In the mood for romance? Or various other tomfoolery? Oh, by the way: don't forget to spring forward tonight. No foolin'.   http://www.mariva.com/guide/fun/2006/04/april-1.html work, home, health, friends, sleep not enough hours in the day just treading water   Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen The Time Trap: The Classic Book on Time Management by Alec MacKenzie Time Tactics of Very Successful People by B. Eugene Griessman The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (and other ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/innovations/2006/03/time-management-haiku.html It's hard to imagine a better -- or funnier -- gift for the parents-to-be who already have everything than Safe Baby Handling Tips by David and Kelly Sopp. This novelty picture book is basically a series of contrasting dos and don'ts with regard to taking care of an infant. For ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/fun/2006/03/baby-safety.html I realize that advertising represents (and sometimes causes) many of the ills of our society, but I can't help it -- as something of a pop culture aesthete, I love me a good commercial. I think this is because I appreciate good design, clever concepts and creativity in any form. ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/innovations/2006/03/feel-good-commercials.html Remember "The Future"? When our environment was supposed to have become so technologically advanced that machines would do virtually everything for us, leaving us with many hours of free time to pursue various leisure activities? It turns out that the exact opposite happened, and so we're left with less time ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/fun/2006/03/do-it-yourself.html Whoo-hoo! Happy spring. http://www.mariva.com/guide/fun/2006/03/gravity-defying-boots.html A couple of years ago, I co-founded a major book club in my city. Because I was the facilitator, I felt it was my duty to read not only the chosen books but the study guides as well. It was like taking a literature class, without the term papers ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/innovations/2006/03/book-clubs-and-reading-resources.html So many paper crafts, so little time. If you're cutting paper (or even cloth!), you can -- safely -- get clean, straight lines with a Fiskars rotary paper trimmer (available with a 12-inch or a 24-inch cutting board), which is surprisingly affordable for quality home office/crafting equipment. Perhaps the best part ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/fun/2006/03/cutting-straight-lines.html Sometimes the perfect thing to say has already been said by someone else. Lunch Mail has encapsulated this concept in an attractive product designed to uplift and inspire. Each Lunch Mail pack contains a set of thirty colorful business-card-size "surprise" messages. (Think fortune cookies or Cracker Jack prizes without the ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/fun/2006/03/quote-gifts.html Thank goodness Fats Domino was found alive and well after the Katrina disaster in his native New Orleans. He was found in his home in the Ninth Ward, although some say he was actually found on Blueberry Hill. Domino is 78 years old, and despite losing his home, he's in ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/media/music/2006/03/found-my-thrill.html If you've ever read the scandalous classic Peyton Place -- now in its fiftieth anniversary -- or seen the movie, you'll no doubt be fascinated by the backstory. The death of author Grace Metalious seemed similar to that of Jack Kerouac. As long as they shared that tragic ending, it's ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/media/entertainment/2006/03/peyton-place-50th-anniversary.html In the spacious but homey split-level basement of Cody's Books, I always find myself drawn to the tables displaying the Cavallini & Co. stationery products. I can't seem to keep my eyes off the passel of varicolored notebooks, notecards, carte postale (postcards), flashcards and magnets and accessories, among other products. Many ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/home/decor/2006/03/cavallini-co-stationery-products.html    The Treo mail alert Swoosh sounds a lot like the background piano drops in Kanye West's song "Heard 'Em Say," which is Track 2 on Late Registration (also available through iTunes). Every time mail is received, I start singing: Nothing's ever promised tomorrow today Nothing ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/media/music/2006/03/geek-meets-hip-hop.html I hear all sorts of business ideas at the monthly Entrepreneurship Meetup -- some OK but need further development, some not so good, some downright ill-conceived. At the last month's Meetup, I met the CTO of Prosper.com, an innovative financial startup that facilitates person-to-person lending -- for example, a blogger ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/innovations/2006/03/prosper.html Oh, man. With all due respect to Crash, Reese Witherspoon and, um, Three 6 Mafia -- Brokeback Mountain, Felicity Huffman and Dolly Parton were robbed. Oh, Oscar, I wish I knew how to quit you. Also overlooked -- by critics and the Academy alike -- was Memoirs of a Geisha. While ... http://www.mariva.com/guide/media/music/2006/03/geisha-fashion.html