GZ Expat, Part II

Banners!

My banner is back...and the headlines work!  Thanks Typepad!

Performance and Visibility

Everything TypePad: Update from TypePad's CEO.

This morning you may have experienced some downtime on TypePad. We know you rely on us to provide superior service and performance, and this morning we let you down. Downtime on your blog is obviously frustrating, both for you and for us, and we are very sorry. I'm writing to assure you that this is unacceptable to us and explain some of the background for the disruption.

So, now I understand why you cannot see the banner or the headlines on my sidebar.  I'm going to leave it for a bit...I've sent a request to Typepad and am awaiting feedback on if there is anything I can do to fix it...but in the meantime, here is to a blank banner!

A Re-Shuffled Look

I've been feeling the need to alter the blog a little, hoping it would spur a bit more creativity in myself to build content on the site.  I've got plenty to say, but want to try and stir it up a little.  So, a walk through a few of the changes...

• A new banner.  A bit more colorful. 
• Photo albums on the side bar.  I want to try and get this site a bit more photographic in nature...I shortly had a Shutterchance site in which I uploaded photos on a daily basis.  The quality of the upload was pretty good, but the free account I signed up for was only good for 30 pictures...so I ran out of space fairly quickly.  I'll try and keep up to date with the most recent photo albums I upload and you'll see them on the side bar.
• Reduced the clutter.  I nuked some of the eye candy from the side bar and simplified a bit.
• Blogroll.  I updated my blogroll to reflect what I am pretty much looking at today...be sure to to check out whats there and if I have missed something, let me know.
• Networking.  I've got a short list of the other web accounts I have...I don't have a bunch of them, but there are a few that I use sparingly.
• Headlines.  I've added some headlines from a couple of sources that I read everyday; Danwei for all you China related news/interest stories and The Hockey News for...what else?! 

There ya go...as usual, every blog is a work in process.

I Won!

Venomous Kate holds her weekly caption contest and I won!  I don't usually participate, because I get in late and what usually inspires me has already inspired someone else by that point.  But, this time, I got in early and took home the prize...which was...ehhh...nothing.

Doing the Lip Dub Thang

Ever since I saw this video posted on Rebecca's blog, I was hooked on the possibilities of doing something similar in my office.  The challenge of trying to get my very stiff and proper staff of nationals to stand in front of a camera and lip sync a song they are unfamiliar with.  But, heck, this is the land of karaoke, right?

I've been kicking around ideas and trying to figure out the right song for the occasion.  FlyRice even stepped in to help out with some suggestions:

• I'm Ready; Jack's Mannequin  I like this song and love the album.  But, the video I want to do is not only a lip sync but also would tell a bit of a story too.  I cannot picture a story with this song...creative block, I guess.
• Dance, Dance; Fall Out Boy.  Hmmm...don't like it. 
• Brink of Disaster; Mae.  Brand new album with a brand new song.  Great album...and a good song.  But, I actually like Crazy 8s better! 
• The Future Freaks Me Out; Motion City Soundtrack.  Great song with great possibilities. 
• Lights & Sounds; Yellowcard.  I keep coming back to this song, because it has the fastest tempo and when I listen to this, I can picture the video in my head.  Is that wierd?

So...what song do you think?  Let me know and I'll contemplate your deep thoughts on the reasoning behind any given song.  If you have another suggestion...it's gotta be fast, its gotta be rock n roll and its gotta be less than 5 yrs old. 

Unblocked!

The net nanny has released Typepad from its clutches...I can actually view my blog without a proxy.

Pages

Typepad recently introduced 'pages' as a part of its interface.  This allows me to type up a 'post' and place it in one location, for all eternity.  I've always wanted this for photo albums...so not I have it.

Take a look at the top of the right hand column and you will find 'Other Stuff', thats where you will find the photo albums, as well as some contact and general information too.

Rantings of a Sandmonkey: Done

Another great voice is being silenced by the intimidation of its own government...

Today is going to be the day that I've been dreading for quite sometime now. Today is the day I walk away from this blog. Done. Finished.

Read the entire post.  It is sad to say goodbye to a great blogger.  And to say goodbye to a blogger because he feels threatened is even worse...I'd rather say goodbye to a blogger because they are bored.

Take Care, Sandmonkey...

Why Do You Blog?

There is a blogging conference in Vancouver for Canadian bloggers, but there is a survey that one of the attendees is conducting to try and get a feel for bloggers by asking the simple question:

Why Do You Blog?

Go ahead and take the survey if you wish, if you blog, of course. 

I'll tell you why I do...because it's fun.  Initially, it was to inform family about what we were doing 1/2 way around the world in China.  But then, I had visions of Instapundit in my head and I just didn't think that it was working.  About 4 months ago, I changed the tone and quite frankly, I like the blog much better.  Now, I blog to give me that writing release that I had always had in high school and college but had lost over the course of my career.  This is that release that allows me to bang out a few words that hopefully mean something to someone (at least they do to me!).

ht John!

Podcasts

One of the things I miss from the states is...brace yourself...the morning/evening commute.  Yeah, I know...bear with me a minute.  There were two types of commutes for me; by bike and by car. 

The bike commute was a very early start with an immediate 10 mile ride...followed by a 30 minute train ride...and then another 2 miles on the bike.  It was brutal in the nasty, cold weather of Oregon.  But in the summer...it was great.  I was in great shape.  And, I miss hopping on the bike for that ride.  I don't dare do it here.  Even though most people envision China as the country of bikes...not any more.

The car commute was a 30 minute drive through, mostly, moving traffic.  It was easy.

It's not really the actual driving I miss...it was the time spent being alone with my music or sports talk radio to get the juices flowing.  Today, I spend my time in a van, with a driver (our company will not let us drive here...more on that in a later post maybe).  The music is generally restricted to the MP3 player and headphones...not the blasting, pounding I would put my own car and ears through.  But the talk radio has been difficult in a city in which there is only 1 English language station, and all they do is play horrible 70-90s pop tunes and give you the latest economic forecasts for the country.  Air Supply anyone?? 

A couple years ago, I had heard about podcasts and I tried to download and listen to a few.  For the most part, the were amateurish and filled with ranting and raving of whatever calling.  Uhhh...no thanks.  In the past year, however, podcasting has come a long way in terms of quality and content.  These little slices of radio give me information and a sense of being 'home' that I never had before when we lived here.  It's just another example of how our world has shrunk because of the information age.

I give you the list of the Podcasts that I listen to...

The Face Off Hockey Show.  This was the first podcast I began listening to and got hooked on.  This is a show that takes some getting used to.  Basically, its a group of buddies talking about all sorts of stuff, other than hockey...and they throw in some hockey related talk with special guest Lyle Richardson from spectorshockey.net.  It strikes the balance between geeky hockey information and fun...and I like the fun part.

The Glenn & Helen Show  This is the show for issues.  Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit, and his wife, Dr. Helen, interview high profile subjects and talk about issues that interest them.  It's well produced and gives you a load of information.  I love it when they interview people in the local BBQ/Brewery joint in Knoxville.  People are relaxed and chat freely with them and it makes for a compelling podcast, no matter what the subject.

The Crazy Canucks  This gives me what The Face Off Hockey Show does not...Canucks.  They have all the fun of the above mentioned show, but its all about my favorite team, the Vancouver Canucks.  Again, the format is just a bunch of hockey friends sitting around talking puck.  The key is, none of them whine and moan about 'Trade Naslund' or any of that...its just discussion of the latest games and fun stuff too.  This is my favorite and most anticipated podcast each week.

From that podcast, came my introduction to the next two...

Canucks Outsider  A really off the wall look at the Canucks.  No other way to describe it.  Dave's journey's to games and his interviews with the average fan are great...I really get the sense of being at the rink.   I usually have to listen to these twice to catch everything going on.

RadioZoom  John & Rebbecca provide a variety of podcast experiences through music, talk and also video.  John does a frequent 'Six-Donut Song Spectacular' which includes a load of indie music he has picked up through a variety of sources.  Some good stuff.  Their tours and chats about Vancouver have my interests piqued to make a real visit someday. 

Finally...

The Diner.  James Lilek's venture into podcasting.  I have been off and on about listening to this one, mostly because his format is m4a and my podcast download software doesn't really like that format...although it downloads.  This podcast is set in an old Diner, where he shares with us old music, radio shows, commentary, etc.  Very retro...and very cool.

There are others I have discovered and listened to, but they haven't captured me as a listener.  It's usually one listen and then delete. 

These few keep me going for the week.  Most are produced at the same time of the week, so I download and then pop them into my phone or my mp3 player and listen to them on my commute to or home from work. 

Thanks to all those that put these things together.

UPDATE:  I forgot to give a hat tip to Rebecca for getting me thinking about a post like this