RyanHarne.com

I remember the days when the peeved phrase “off the buddy list” was a pronouncement of social execution. That is becoming somewhat outdated as other modes of instant communication are becoming dominant. One recent rise of instant communication is the RSS and Atom feeds that many websites offer (including this one); instead of having to go to the website to view & read updates, your newsfeed grabber will find all recent updates and download them for you. Poi-fect!

CNET News has been in my newsfeed for a while, initially a spontaneous gotta-get-some-content choice. Now, after a website update that turned ugly-formatting-but-manageable CNET.com into brazen-attempts-for-visual-stimuli CNET.com and the afforementioned robo-reviews, another unfortunate mishap has occurred that will grant a vacant spot in my newsfeed.

This article. I am very supportive of professional blogs (well-written weblogs by staff of some respected company or group), but this entry is foolish, ill-informed, and based on someone else’s personal blog entry. Only by reading the quick entry yourself (and the comments) will you understand my now-consummate disdain for CNET.com.

In tandem to this, CNET has been using personal blog entries as sources for many of their recent news articles. For example, the article noting the announcement of “Windows Vista” had multiple references to personal blogs. Clearly, I am not saying that personal blogs are ignorant sources of information - my ego couldn’t grant that interpretation - but personal blogs are insufficient sources for professional blogs. Period. Yes, there are grey areas (Wil Wheaton, for one), but personal blogs do not have a place in providing article information on other, respected weblogs.

There’s more fire in my belly right now, but rather than expel all my rage in one, passionate burst, I will temporarily sooth it with an iced latte.

Update: CNET has posted a side-by-side review of the iPod mini and Creative Zen Micro. It is the clearest example of foolishness I have ever read (oh, and why am I still reading CNET? not sure, kind of fell onto the article). The “Sound and Science” portion of the review complains about the 8-hour battery life of the iPod mini. Huh? Are they using a first generation iPod mini? The latest release (January 2005) has an 18-hour battery life, significantly different from 8 hours. Why did I even link the article… ::sigh::

In preparation for this fall semester, that I am anticipating like thiiiiiiiiiisss much, I made a few Amazon orders to grab the last, remaining essentials. One of the more random items on the list was some faux designer sunglasses. And when I saw “random”, I mean “absolutely essential” accessory for my campus fashion. Anyways.

The purchase went well; it was my first purchase, using Amazon, from an outside seller dealing with the online market giant. The company was called “Saka’s Sunglasses“. I paid for regular 5-7 day shipping, the cheapest option possible; yet, I received them next-day. But that’s just the first layer of icing.

The item was packaged in the exact fashion in which I wrap presents - in a cut-up, paper grocery bag. I felt an instant affinity with these people at the sight of my favorite form of gift wrap. Not only that, but they went way overboard on the clear tape which gave it that “I really care” kind of presentation. If that was the end of my package-opening experience, I would have been elated and jovial for the rest of the night. But IT DIDN’T END THERE.

Not only were the sunglasses wrapped in an assortment of protective layers, but on top of the whole package, as the first item I saw (under the home ink-jet printed invoice), was….. Get This… A Thank You Card. Personalized, hand-written thank you card. While I am not about to get overly sentimental in regards to their consideration, I will forever shamlessly promote Saka’s Sunglasses as my premier supplier of faux superstar shades.

And, as a faux barista, myself, I got a tip from Rianna to crank up the amount of my flavor in my non-Plain-Jane iced lattes. Tonight was a sugar-free toffee iced latte, using the tip. Woah! what a difference. I’m glad I have true, non-faux, friends like Rianna who give me drink tips.

Have you ever received something amazing for free? Maybe someone passed along a treasured novel to you, one which became part of your life’s creed; maybe someone tossed to you a word of encouragement that did unsaid repair to a wounded day. Today I received something for free. Well, precisely, not totally free, but very quite nearly. Almost.

In the cafeteria area at work, there are just over a half dozen drink/food-related vending machines lined up for everyone’s convenience. They provide everything from the daily Diet Coke to a three-course seafood dinner. All in vending machines! imagine that! But there has been one that caught my roaming eye from day one. A coffee/tea machine. I’ve asked myself, “how can that thing brew coffee on demand and then dispense it to a customer?” Today, I took the dive.

For forty cents, yes, only forty cents, I bought a shot of espresso. Of espresso! Instant espresso! Surely, it’s going to suck and I will hold back vomit. Could I possibly be proved wrong?

With my forty cents deposited in the vault and an empty paper cup in the retaining unit/thing/device, I selected “Espresso, strong” with the famous touch of “D” and “3″. Then the magic began. I heard coffee beans (God knows how old they were) being ground, fall into some chamber, and then the famous shot was pulled. In the matter of 30 seconds, I had about 2.5 ounces of “espresso” in my little, previously empty cup. Do I dare drink it? Monday’s call for bravery.

Simply put, it was the best forty cents I spent all day. Granted, a general shot of espresso is 1 ounce, thus the rest of this particular one was water. It was not strong, as I had fallen prey under the advertisement of such, but it was sooooo smooth. I’m generally not one for smooth espresso, in fact I might say I would choose bitter over smooth any day, but in this case, it was superb. A forty-cent shot of smooth espresso to end my day. Brilliant!

I know that sometimes my shy and antisocial nature takes severe hold of me, but I should know better next time to never distrust vending machines.