Firefox Extensions July 5, 2008

I’ve been playing around with the new Firefox 3.0 since its release date, and I have to say I’m pretty impressed. The configuration is pretty easy to tweak, although I don’t normally do much to it. Perhaps moreso, I’m impressed with the extensions I’ve picked out this time. They just seem more useful. That said, I thought I’d share them. Extensions are, after all, the ultimate way to customize your browsing experience. The PCs at the lab just feel a little naked without …

• All-in-One Sidebar: Oh my, why did I not discover this add-on until FF3?! This is the most amazing thing ever. It makes the sidebar an integral part of the browsing experience. It has bookmarks, downloads, add-ons, source, and whatever else you may choose to load in the sidebar. My only wish is that I could drag more shortcuts into the sidebar menu of buttons.
• FoxyTunes: An absolutely essential tool if you listen to music while browsing. Unless you’re the kind of person who needs to see their entire library at once. But really, I think that’s just silly. All you really need to know is what song you’re listening to right now. It’s expandable if necessary, but otherwise, you can just stick to your main functions. I’ve had this extension for a while now, and I can’t live without it.
• Sage-Too: I used an old incarnation of this RSS reader once upon a time. Then, when I updated to FF3, I found this one, and I have to say I love it. The best thing about it is that it displays all the entries on a single, generated page, allowing the reader to browse through all of the recent entries.
• ScribeFire Blog Editor: This is what I’m using right now. It’s got compatibility with multiple blogging platforms, and the options are impressive. Additionally, it pops up in the bottom of the browser window, so you can still browse/see URLs, and even though it’s kinda tiny, it’s still there. Pretty sweet so far …
• Shareaholic: An amazing extension … makes Digg-ing and adding to my del.icio.us bookmarks easy and painless. Can also be expanded to more networking sites than I know what to do with. My favorite part is that it tells you how many times an item has been dugg or how many other del.icio.us bookmarks have been made. It’s another great way to integrate many things that would otherwise be separate.

There you have it. I know that may not have been the most coherent review, but in my experience, these have been the most exceptional add-ons. Other notable mentions include: Adblock Plus, Download Statusbar, DownThemAll!, and PDF Download.

Oh … and a friend got engaged tonight! Hurrah! But seriously … another one?! More on this later, I suppose. Well, the general theme, anyway. Love in a time of graduation …

Viva Espana! June 30, 2008

Okay, here’s the thing. I had originally wanted the Germans to take the Euro Cup. I will not lie. They had played with such heart, such tenacity. And then, at the end of the semi-final match, I realized that they had muscled their way through that one, and as much as they rocked it, they barely made it. Turkey had much more heart, and Germany suddenly felt to me like a bunch of sore winners.

After that, I watched the Spain/Italy semi … and wow. Both teams played with heart, but Spain deserved that win. When they celebrated, it came from the heart, not from any kind of seeming expectation. Their victory seemed genuine. I had no choice but to love them.

Thus, in the final, I ended up rooting for Spain. Sure, you can call me a bandwagoner, but I fell in love with the fire of this Spanish team. They played hard, they beat the Germans on every count, and they entirely deserved to win. Perhaps this is why the following video clip makes me giggle like a schoolgirl.

Thanks to Kickette … my newest guilty pleasure. It keeps me sane while I peruse the grad school scene.

Archives: Say What? (08/03/2006) May 26, 2008

In the midst of the world around me seemingly falling to pieces, perhaps from the outside in, I thought for a moment. How do we help the world? If we were truly altruistic, taking care of the world would be our main priority. However, from experience, few people are truly altruistic, so, why is it that we cannot be so? Is it because we need to know and love ourselves before we can know and love others? If that is the case, will we ever be able to love ourselves, and will we ever be able to reach out and love a world that has so much hate in it.

This has been a confusing and hopefully deep message of the day. Thank you.

le sigh April 28, 2008

Shortest, cutest date ever.

you were the music, and you were my love March 6, 2008

I’ve been romping around broadway.com, and I’ve stumbled upon a number of lovely videos that I want to archive. For myself and for others, naturally.

Songwriters Hall of Fame Honors Sheik & Sater:
1 of 7: John Gallagher, Jr. – “All That’s Known”
2 of 7: Lauren Pritchard, John Gallagher, Jr. & Duncan Sheik – “Mr. Chess”
3 of 7: Lauren Pritchard with John Gallagher, Jr. – “The Dark I Know Well”
4 of 7: John Gallagher, Jr & Lauren Pritchard – “Left Behind”
5 of 7: ?
6 of 7: ?
7 of 7: ?

I find it interesting that after leaving the show, JG gets to perform his character’s funeral song in a mini-concert. Oh, and do watch “Mr. Chess” as it’s interesting to hear others besides DS take on the material. Also, as they post the last three videos, I hope to add them to this little archive. I’m a nut. I know it. Here’s more proof.

Modern Love: Spending Valentine’s Day with the Cast of Spring Awakening
1 of 4: Romance
2 of 4: Firsts
3 of 4: Dos and Don’ts
4 of 4: Love on Broadway

And!
Rent is closing on June 1! That makes me sad, but watching Anthony Rapp narrate the last commercial and give some commentary makes me sadder.

love you more than anyone February 6, 2008

Henna on back
Originally uploaded by greedus2

There are times when I doubt my purpose. I wonder why I’m in my major, why I’m here at UCSD, what I want out of life. And then it smacks me in the face. Multiple times in one day. I’m running into my friends everywhere, in the most unexpected ways.

First, in the library, catching up with a friend who I haven’t been able to spend time with as much this year as the last. Next, a friend called me with concerns about another friend. I later got in contact with the concernee, and she got to share with me what was going on in her life. Follow that up with Bible Study, where I was proud of the study that resulted. I feel like the study leaders have learned a lot, and we’re finally reaching the potential I felt we could. We’re progressing, and I couldn’t be happier. Finally, tonight, I left study late, after some rousing conversation and ran into a friend. She looked stoic at first, but it was more than I could have ever guessed …

My friends are brave and strong. They are amazing and beautiful. I love them so much, and I am so blessed to have them in my life. I only hope I could be a fraction as inspirational to them as they are to me.

A little cliche, I know, but considering that I’ve been under a lot of stress this week, it has been a wonderful day.

a tribute to things that never were December 12, 2007

This song is amazingly haunting. Enjoy.

pick-me-up October 9, 2007

Butter-pecan thighs, anyone?

a year gone September 4, 2007

I can’t believe that it has already been a year since I studied abroad in Rome (a Roma). Thinking about it brings back all those feelings, the growing up I faced, all on my own. There was nobody else to guide me, to take me step by step to the finish line. I was on my own. I feel that, in those four months I spent in Europe, I grew up more than I had in the past 20 or so years of my existence. It was time. Nobody else had stopped me before, from getting where I needed to be — I just wasn’t ready yet. Europe was a test, and I think I passed. I slept in a tunnel in Venice, rode on the back of a moped in Rome, explored Florence alone, froze my tail off in Budapest, and experienced snow in Berlin. I got a tasted for wanderlust, and now I can’t just give that up. I don’t want to stop moving now. I want to see the world, and I will. (It’s just going to take a while to earn enough money. Ew.)

I just sent SMS’s to friends abroad. I think it’s the least I can do. I mean, after all, I was a lonely kid in Italy. (I often ate alone and rarely went out. Blame it on my unwillingness to compromise myself or risk wearing heels on Italian cobblestones.) I mean, every country must be experienced its own way, but every now and then, it’s nice to know that someone from home loves you and is thinking about you. When abroad, I don’t think I expected the world, but the little things, the sweet things (like gelato! ) were what stuck out in my mind. Things fade, but the knowledge that someone cares for you stays with you.

In essence, I don’t actually know what I’m trying to say, but maybe it’s this: show love wherever and whenever; don’t let distance and time hold you back.

finding the one? May 16, 2007

A friend and I were having a conversation about our attempts to find “the one.” Not “the two,” not “the three,” but “the ONE.” This, of course, followed stories of our various attempts (amusing, surprising, and downright mortifying), all in the hopes of finding someone who fits each of our criteria.

She mentioned a few categories of men, including “‘object of my worldly lust’ or ‘that guy I kind of like’ or ‘he’s kind of endearing’ or ‘oh my dear God I want you in multiple ways’.” This got me thinking, what have the men in my life amounted to?

Oh, let’s see, I wasn’t properly kissed until I was 20, and even that, I would say, was questionable, because, although he was charming, he was an Italian man of indeterminate age who took me up to the Gianicolo (the Roman version of makeout mountain) and promptly proceeded to flirt and lay one on me. I had no idea what was up. I was naive enough to think it wasn’t even a date! Bad choices. Luckily, that all ended there. In short, don’t talk to random Italians on the street and don’t take a ride on the back of their motorini.

The other rather inappropriate physical contact was at a Roman salsa club. A large, possibly Cuban, man started dancing with me. He was harmless at first, albeit a bit weird. He would try to have me put my hands on his face. This should have hinted me to run away. No, I kept dancing. That only made him think I was into him, apparently, because I kept turning away when I thought he was trying to kiss me, and eventually, he licked me! From collarbone to ear. Can you say “gross!”? Right after that dance, I ran to my friend and begged him to hide me. I need to start screening my dance partners.

Somehow, Rome brought out the flirt in me. Other than that, a guy I semi-asked-out turned out to be gay. He’s a great guy, but I worry that every guy I like, even a little, will be gay. This worries me. Somehow, I don’t think it’s going to be a HUGE problem, because I have mostly Bible Study friends, but you never know. Other men, men I can’t have, can be downright charming. And this, this perhaps, is where I get into trouble.

So, returning to the idea of “the one,” I’m far from finding him. I figure he’s out there somewhere, and until then, I’ll have to be satisfied with wildly entertaining and embarrassing stories from my past. I think that what’s most evident here is my bad choices. I need to work on those.