Annie's convention survival guide: Part 3

For my final installment of my convention survival guide, I'm going to offer tips for making networking easier and rocking the parties!

• Make friends by carrying a power strip
  There are never enough outlets. Ever. The person brings a power strip is the most beloved of all convention attendees. It's a great way to make friends while waiting for panels to start.
• Wear or carry something distinctive at the parties
  At South by Southwest this year I bought a rainbow lightsaber at one of the parties, and something amazing happened. Every party I went to, people would walk up to me and start conversations. Networking made easy! Now, a rainbow lightsaber certainly isn't for everyone (though if you go that route, be sure to prepare a witty comeback for all the "gay Jedi" jokes that'll be lobbed in your direction), but if you have an interesting or funny t-shirt, wear it! Anything that sets you apart and offers a conversation piece is a good thing.
• Turn any waiting time into a networking opportunity
  Whether you're waiting in line or waiting for a panel to start, take the time to chat with your neighbor. You'd be amazed at the cool people you'll meet!
• Find a crew to roll with
  There's no need to be pushy, but if you hit if off with someone, ask what parties they're going to or invite them to come along party hopping with you. Networking is easier when you have someone to introduce to others and can introduce you in turn.
• Use Foursquare
  Once you make friends, Foursquare is the best way to keep track of them!
• Look up
  It's tempting to always be in the thick of the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, etc. but if you're always staring at your electronic devices, you give off a "don't talk to me" vibe. Look up now and again. Talk to people. And smile!

That's all I've got, folks. Do you have any great convention tips to share?

Developing your voice in social media: Three recommended books

(My latest post on the Small Act blog. Enjoy!)

Does your organization have a soul, a personality, a culture? Is it one people love engaging with? If so, does that personality translate into your online presence and motivate others to promote what you do?

These are questions I often wrestled with when I was working at nonprofit organizations. "Having a personality" or "being authentic" online isn't as easy as it sounds, especially when you have lawyers and traditional PR executives watching your every move. Three books have really helped me with the concept, though, so I thought I'd pass them along. All three are relatively quick and enjoyable reads with concrete case studies you can use to implement your own social media plan within your organization.

Continue reading at Small Act.

Annie's convention survival guide: Part 2

Going to your first convention? Need some help pacing yourself and keeping your energy levels high? Here are more tips from yours truly:

• Stay hydrated
  Keep a bottle of water on you. Spending a long day on your feet, with lots to see and do and lots of cool people to talk to, it's easy to forget to stay hydrated. But it is vital to keep drinking water to keep your energy up.
• Eat
  It seems obvious, but with all the excitement, sometimes it's easy to get caught up and forget to stop, take a break and eat a regular meal. Again, you need to keep your energy up...and if you plan on drinking in the evenings, having plenty of food in your stomach will help mitigate the effects of alcohol.
• Carry hand sanitizer...and use it frequently
  You'll be shaking a lot of hands. 'Nuff said.
• Carry your cell phone and laptop charger
  This goes double if your hotel is far away. Your electronic devices will likely drain faster because you'll probably be using them more often than usual.
• Only grab the swag you actually want
  Consider how many t-shirts you really need. Everything you grab, you have to haul around with you for the day...and will have to haul home. Carrying too much can be a real energy drain.
• Prioritize sleep
  "But the parties are so great!" I know. And this goes back to the idea of knowing your priorities. Are you there to network? Networking is about making a good first impression, and personally I don't do that well when I'm short on sleep. You know how much you need to be at your best...try and get that much every night if you can.

And speaking of networking, the next set of tips will revolve around ways to make networking easier! Stay tuned!

Plans for future fun

Annie's convention survival guide: Part 1

Earlier this month, I had a blast at South by Southwest Interactive, a huge technology conference. Having been the year before, I knew a few things going in that would help me survive...well, more than a few, to be honest, which is why this is a multi-part series.

In the spirit of full disclosure, despite my best efforts I still came down with the "con crud" following the event - a nasty cold that is still lingering as I type this, nearly two weeks later. There's only so much you can do when you're surrounded by that many people and that many germs - despite our best efforts, even the airborne stuff gets some of us in the end. But I do contend that by following these tips, you'll not only stay healthier, you'll have more fun and be more productive.

Before you go:

• Clarify your goals
  Why are you at the conference? Just for fun? Because your work sent you to network? Because your work sent you as a continuing education opportunity? Figure out what's most important before you get there, as it'll determine how you plan your days. In my case for this particular conference, my work sent me there to network, so I knew that the most important parts would involve meeting people and talking to them, and as a result spent less time in panels and more time in the various lounges, on the exhibit floor, and at parties. I still went to several of the panels, but I didn't hesitate to skip one or two sessions if I needed to work or if my time would be better spent meeting people.
• Pack herbal tea
  Even if you're not big on it, it's a lifesaver after an evening of talking loudly over music. Keep your voice in good shape, and help cleanse any nasty chemicals out of your system after a rough day of eating unhealthy food and having the occasional alcoholic beverage.
• Pack clothes that set you apart
  Especially if you're shy, having a funny t-shirt or two in your arsenal can make the meet-and-greet scene a lot easier. Or, in my case...a rainbow lightsaber. But that's another story.
• Pack vitamins
  And actually take them, every day. Even if it's just a multivitamin...though I recommend extra supplements of Vitamin D and C as well.
• Leave room in your suitcase, or bring an additional bag within your suitcase for swag
  More on swag later, but this is always a good plan.
• Pack a comfortable tote or backpack you can carry around during the day
  Usually you'll get a tote bag at these events, but they're not often built for durability or for comfort. Bring a bag that fits all your essentials with some room to spare for swag you pick up along the way.
• Pack comfortable shoes
  You'll be on your feet. A LOT. Even if you're comfortable wearing heels around the office, bring sneakers. Trust me, the slight decrease in stylishness will even out when you're comfortable and confident meeting people, as opposed to having "Man, do my feet hurt" going through your head in a loop.
• Sign up for Foursquare
  It's the best way to find out where the parties are, where your friends are, and more. Being on Foursquare made South by Southwest party hopping so much easier, because I could find my friends at a glance.
• Consider buying a netbook if you don't already have one
  You're probably going to be carrying around a lot of gear (chargers, etc. - we'll get to that later), so anyplace you can lighten the load, take it. If your laptop is heavy, either leave it in the hotel room or consider getting a small, lightweight netbook to carry around. This goes double if your hotel is far away and you can't easily drop off your bag before parties.

Stay tuned for more tips tomorrow!

First impressions: Netflix "Watch it now" content on Wii

Our Wii Netflix disc arrived in the mail yesterday, and Josh and I spent a good amount of time last night messing around with the "Watch it Now" content.

First off, if you're looking to get a disc yourself, here's how you do it:

1. Log in to Netflix.
2. Click "Your account & help" at the top of the screen
3. Under "Watching Instantly on a TV or Computer," click "Watching instantly via Wii"
4. From there, you should be able to order the disc for free. If you've already ordered one, it'll be indicated there.

Secondly, here are our impressions. The movie-selection interface could be improved...it lumps all the genres into the same area as your "Watch it now" queue, which really should be pulled out somewhere more obvious, or bolded, or something. But once you've made your selection, the content comes up after a brief loading period. Some are complaining about the load times, but I found a one-minute load time for two hours of content to be completely acceptable.

The quality was surprisingly good, too. There were moments where I could tell the fps was a bit lower than our usual television programming, and the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode "The Girl from Lover's Lane" had some framing issues (the theater seats were off the screen - you could only see their heads), but I didn't detect any "bitmappyness" or buffering issues. It was easy to pause and restart the content whenever we wanted to, and to rewind, fast forward, and skip around within the program.

The variety of available content is great, too. We were able to watch the first episode of "Saturday Night Live," an episode of "Xena: Warrior Princess," a "Saturday Night Live" special featuring their funniest commercial parodies, and the aforementioned episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000." They've got lots of movies and stand-up comedy routines we still want to see, too.

So thumbs up from us - it's so much more pleasant watching the "Watch it now" content on a television as opposed to a laptop screen, and since the Wii is our only current-generation console, it's great that we finally got the option that PS3 and Xbox 360 owners have had for awhile.

Foursquare: You might be doing it wrong

In my ongoing experiments with location-publishing software Foursquare, I've discovered a few things it's actually good for.

1. Finding something to do in the evening by checking out where your friends are
2. Finding your friends at conferences like South by Southwest, where there are a ton of people and they're scattered across a myriad of panels and parties
3. Feeling mildly superior when you discover you have more badges than your friends who have been using it longer than you have

Things it's not good for:

1. Trying to make yourself feel superior on a regular basis by becoming and retaining the title of mayor for someplace. There are enough cheaters now where this is more trouble than it's worth.
2. Relaying your every move during a completely average day on Twitter and Facebook.

Seriously. Nobody cares that you're at the Post Office. Why are you checking in there? Nobody cares you're at work, as you always are Monday through Friday. If you must check in someplace mundane, at least just keep it only visible on Foursquare and don't blast it to your other social networks.

Furthermore, there are some places you should never, ever check in on Foursquare.

• The free clinic
• The bathroom
• Your ex-girlfriend's apartment
• Jail
• Bed (this may seem innocuous or cute, but results in a tweet that reads something like "So-and-so is in bed (with 97 others))"

I'm just sayin'.

Update 4/12/10: Foursquare is now cracking down on cheaters.

Heck yes!

Awesome new t-shirts

If you recall the very first lines of the very first episode of "The Big Bang Theory," you'll love this one:



Muppets fans and physics nuts overlap in this shirt:

Thoughts on Augmented Reality: AKA "The Internet is Everywhere"

Whenever I see the phrase "augmented reality" in a news story, it catches my eye. I'm admittedly fascinated by the idea.

For the uninitiated, basically "augmented reality" can be summed up as "The Internet is everywhere." Everywhere you look, that is. Augmented reality software offers you additional information about what you're seeing, whether it's a person or an object. Currently, the technology is largely being developed for cell phones, but in the future, we could see augmented-reality features built into car windshields and even contact lenses.

I was initially very resistant to the idea of augmented reality devices offering up more information on people, but after being at South by Southwest last week, I'm starting to warm to the idea in limited circumstances. Assuming such services were opt-in and could be turned on and off, how cool would it be to be at a networking event or party and be able to get very limited information about the people surrounding you? I'm picturing a box hovering over somebody that says "Bob: Raises chickens, enjoys windsurfing." Now it's easier to go up and talk to Bob, because I know something he's interested in. (And by the end of the event, Bob will be entirely sick of discussing both those subjects.) The hardest part of networking is figuring out what to talk about, and I tend to stick to the old standards of "What brings you here?" "Where are you from?" "What do you do?" which just gets old after a point. Cafe Press was actually giving out these cool buttons that encouraged you to write a true or false fact on them. Mine ultimately said, "True or false? I once toured the set of Mystery Science Theater 3000." Wearing that button on my backpack during the last couple of days of the event was sort of like a very limited, analog version of augmented reality. (Although, truth be told, only one person actually asked me about it.)

What do you think of augmented reality? Creepy software to invade our privacy, or potentially helpful?

Top three ways to get the most mileage out of social media

(My latest ramblings on the Small Act blog. Enjoy!)

While social media is a "free" tool for your organization to use, it still consumes staff time. The question is, how should that staff time be allocated? Here's my recommendation for the top three activities that will get you the most mileage out of social media, especially when you have limited time to devote to it.

Continue reading on the Small Act blog.

Netflix-recommended gem: Alice

Another gem Josh and I stumbled across on Netflix is the SyFy miniseries "Alice," which is a...well, it's hard to explain. It's sort of a sequel to "Alice and Wonderland" but it definitely takes a modern twist on the tale.

SyFy original movies aren't known for being good, but both Josh and I agreed this was the best "Alice and Wonderland" story we'd ever seen. (And, no, we haven't seen the Tim Burton version yet.) Alice in this version is an adult...not the same Alice as in the original story, though. She's a karate instructor who knows how to handle herself, but falls for the wrong guy and unwittingly ends up on the other side of the looking glass, mired in a political struggle and holding the key to its resolution - the ring that powers the looking glass and allows people to pass through it.

Her guide through the craziness of Wonderland is the Mad Hatter, who is completely reimagined as a character (and for the better, I might add). The real scene-stealer is the White Knight, whose valiant quest for justice and propensity for inappropriately-timed dramatic monologues will not be denied. (Amusingly, the White Knight is played by the guy who played Max Headroom in the '80s.)

The dialogue is sharp, the plot takes a lot of unexpected twists and turns, and the reimaginings of some of the characters are simply inspired (for example, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are interrogation agents for the Queen of Hearts). It's clear whoever wrote the movie had not only a deep respect for the source material but also a lot of creative energy and desire to form it into something very new and refreshing.

It's a miniseries, so the runtime is about three hours...but it's well worth the journey. Check it out!

Netflix-recommended gem: The Gamers: Dorkness Rising

Once in awhile, Josh and I like to roll the dice and watch something Netflix recommends for us, even if we've never heard of it. Much to our surprise, these experiments usually work out pretty well.

For example, "The Gamers: Dorkness Rising." Netflix recommended it, and it was a "Watch it Now" option, so we decided to fire it up. I'll admit I was pretty skeptical at first, and we decided to give it a half hour before we decided whether to continue watching or not. It's low-budget to be sure, and the acting is...well, let's just say occasionally amateurish. But the soul of the movie...the plot, the writing, makes up for everything else in spades (and honestly, the low-budget special effects ultimately add to the charm).

It's the story of a group of friends playing a Dungeons & Dragons campaign...the same campaign...over and over until they actually emerge triumphant. They decide to bring in some new blood, and so a girl (gasp!) who has never played D&D before (double gasp!) joins the group, much to the shagrin of some of the players.

We had more laugh-out-loud moments with this film than with your average mainstream comedy. Even our minimal dabbling in Dungeons and Dragons gave us enough background to really appreciate a lot of the more specialized jokes. So if you've had any experience with D&D, good or bad, give this movie a try.

Just learning D&D? Here's a useful learning tool.

Been playing D&D for years? Then this is just amusing. Batman makes everything better, and here he illustrates the various alignments. Hive five to Brian for posting this on Facebook today!

Why I do what I do: An illustration

Explanation about where the data came from is here.

Nifty little insights from South by Southwest Interactive

Originally published on the Small Act blog 3/17/10.

Lots of people have already covered the "big insights" from the famed South by Southwest Interactive Festival (also known as SXSW), which just wrapped up yesterday. They're talking about Twitter's new @anywhere announcement, how find-your-friends services Foursquare and Gowalla were everyone's favorite toys, and probably a lot of other really cool things that I missed because I haven't yet mastered being in six places at once.

Instead of talking about big insights like everyone else or reiterating what others have already said, I thought I'd share some nifty little insights that might help you in your work in social media.

Continue reading the post at Small Act.

Need some great pirate/wench garb?

Check out the high-quality stuff my friend Jade is selling.

Noodling on social search

(Note: Josh has been awesome at running the blog while I've been adjusting to my new job, but now he's tired and passing the reigns back to moi. So here goes!)

One of the panels I attended at South by Southwest was all about social search. I guess I hadn't given a lot of thought to it beyond this blog post from a few weeks ago, but the panel gave me some things to think about.

The idea of social search is that instead of asking a machine for the answer to a question (i.e. Google), you're asking your friends. In traditional search, you're asking a machine for the answer to an objective question (i.e. "What is the population of Paris?"), whereas in social search you're asking your friends for qualitative answers (i.e. "What's a great cafe near the Eiffel Tower?").

This kind of behavior has existed since way before social networks, but social networks make it easier to do. It's pretty common for folks to pose a question on Facebook or Twitter and seek advice from friends (like I did recently), but there are services popping up to make this a more standardized and less ad hoc web experience - something more akin to Google in form and function.

Interesting services like Aardvark and OneRiot take different approaches to the concept, and have interesting monetization strategies. I have to admit that after listening to the panel, I was most intrigued by how Aardvark works, because it looks through your social networks to find who might be the best people to answer the question and pings a handful of them (how this works, I don't know), instead of blasting everyone you know.

But these sorts of ideas require people to answer questions, not just pose them. The biggest aha moment for me was when the Aardvark representative said, "People do not need artificial incentives to be helpful if there's no friction involved [in the experience of helping]." So in other words, if you make it super simple for people to help out, don't require them to jump through a lot of hoops, they'll do so. In theory, at least.

So my question, after all this wandering exposition, is what this means for the future of search. Do you think services like Aardvark and OneRiot will end up being incorporated into services like Google, so that one day you'll have relatively seamless experience where you type a question into a box, the machine determines who/what would provide the best answer based on the type of question, and then pops up with an answer, be it a system-generated one or a series of responses from your friends and connections? Or are new tools for social search unnecessary when we're already doing it, ad hoc, every day, without special services like Aardvark and OneRiot?

I am not as Google Reader Awesome as I thought.

At the Google party at South by Southwest this weekend, they were giving out Google Reader t-shirts...but only to those who had read over 50,000 items in Google Reader.

I've been using it for a couple of years, so I figured this would be a piece of cake. Turns out I've only read 25,000 items, which is still a lot, but not the level of awesome they were seeking. I felt a little inadequate, especially when my friend Rick had over 300,000 read items (for the sake of argument, though, he does WORK for Google). And to add to my feelings on inadequacy, I come home to this image on the right...sigh.

(I should note, though, that the Google staff were nice and gave me a shirt anyway...thanks, guys!)

Men are from Tattooine, women are from Naboo

Just in case you needed added incentive to attend this year's CONvergence, know that Annie and I are joining our friends Tim and Melanie to host a panel on making geeky relationships work.

Affectionately titled "Men Are from Tattooine, Women Are from Naboo," our session is intended to tackle some of the unique challenges that geeks face in their quest for love. For example, what do you do when you want to go out, but your love has blown his budget on "Magic: The Gathering" cards? And how can you share your love for "Star Wars" with someone who doesn't know a Trandoshan from a Cardassian? Here's how this year's CONvergence programming guide describes the session:

Most relationship books are geared towards...you know...normal people. Meet two geek couples who will share their down-to-earth tips to create successful, happy (and geeky) relationships.

We won't exactly be doing couples counseling, but we will do what we can to make our fellow geeks a happier bunch. Tim and Melanie will bring the added perspective of how things need to change — or need not change — once a child enters into the equation. We're hoping for a good time with lots of questions and as many answers as we can provide.

Mega awesome!

It's official. "Mega Man 10" is my new favorite Mega Man game.

After downloading the game this weekend, I quickly found that Capcom wasn't kidding with its addition of an easy mode. I breezed through the game and beat it within 90 minutes. And this from a guy who's never toppled Dr. Wily unless he's used password cheats to stock up on energy tanks. Truly, the easy mode in "Mega Man 10" is exactly what the franchise needed to welcome new and lapsed players. It is teh awesome.

But if the game is so easy, will I play it again? You bet I will. For one thing, this kind of simple relaxation is exactly what I need some days. For another thing, the game allows you to alternatively play as Proto Man and, if you pay $2 starting April 5, Bass. Add to this the many skill building exercises in challenge mode and you've got a game I'll log many hours playing.

If you're on the fence about "Mega Man 10," like I was before I bought it, do yourself a favor and get it. We need more games like this one.

That's one strong 'Legacy'

The funny thing about the new trailer for "Tron: Legacy" is that it shows the program world as I've always envisioned it. Full of awesome and win.

I watch the original "Tron" movie from time to time and generally enjoy the ambitious — albeit dated — production. But I've long wondered how that world would look if it were redone today and given the flashy overhaul that benefitted "Battlestar Galactica." Now I know. Those imposing Recognizers look sweeter, those speedy Lightcycles look cooler and the female programs look hotter.

Wow. I am such a geek.

Seriously, though, I love the look of "Tron: Legacy" and consider its visuals more than a worthy successor to the classic "Tron." Early indications of the sequel film's plot show the movie is headed in an interesting direction, too. (And not "interesting" like you say in Minnesota when you're trying to avoid saying something derogatory; "interesting" as in genuinely intriguing.) If this film plays in theaters even half as good as it's playing in my head, Disney will have successfully rejuvenated this franchise.

"Tron: Legacy" hits theaters Dec. 17. Is it going to be a long wait? As good old Bit would say: "Yes."

Do not do the Dew

I learned a valuable lesson last weekend. I learned that my body does not respond well to energy drinks.

And this is coming from someone who once routinely drank Mountain Dew because I simply liked the taste. Those days are now behind me, but I thought I'd take one more trip down that path Sunday when I accepted a free canned energy drink from some company promoting them outside the Verizon Center in D.C. I have no recollection of the drink brand — probably because that knowledge was lost as my head vibrated itself to sleep that evening.

I actually felt no ill effects after drinking the concoction at 3 p.m. Sunday. But when it came time for bed, I tossed and turned for an hour before I abandoned the notion at 11 p.m. I plopped down before the computer and proceeded to cruise the information highway. For three hours. I forced myself back to bed at 2 a.m. and tossed and turned some more before finally falling asleep somewhere around 3 a.m.

To say the drink made me twitchy is like saying Congress has time management issues. You're grossly understating the problem.

So as my body ages, I find that I must now put intensely caffeinated drinks on the Dead to Me list. I consider that a good move, though, if it keeps me from having some Sheldon Cooper inspired breakdown.

One more chance

You'd think as much as I enjoy video games, I'd excel at beating them. But you'd be wrong.

I rarely finish the games I begin, partly because I lack the time needed to refine my skills at each game and partly because I frustrate fairly easily. My lack of skillz were brought most starkly into focus when I attempted "Mega Man 9." A notoriously brutal game, I couldn't finish a single level. It nearly killed my enthusiasm for the franchise and made me unabashedly uninterested when "Mega Man 10" was announced. Even with the addition of an easy mode, I was unenthused.

But then two things happened to change my mind. The first: Nintendo let me demo the game at their store in New York. I didn't spend much time on it, but I found the easy mode did indeed make the game easier. The second: This review from Original Gamer, which affirms the easiness of easy mode. The author notes that he, too, was unable to beat a single level in "Mega Man 9," but waltzed through easy mode in "Mega Man 10."

So I shall give the "Mega Man" series one more chance. Capcom will get another $10 from my pocket. And I, hopefully, won't regret this.

Buy, borrow or steal

I kick it old school when it comes to movies. I buy them or I borrow them. I never steal them. And that apparently makes me an oddity.

There's a great many people who have illegally downloaded from those notorious file sharing sites all the kids love. Whether it's the latest blockbuster, a niche film or something that hasn't even yet hit theaters, movies are being downloaded through these unorthodox means with increasing frequency. And whatever their rationale, these modern day pirates are costing the industry millions of dollars each year. Call it a problem, call it a plauge, it's all the same to me. It's stealing. And it's wrong.

I'm curious, though, about the thought process behind these actions. Knowing that the fine readers of Think Lynsen would never commit or condone any illegal acts, I'm curious what you might have heard from other people about why they pirate movies. I'm not so much looking for the "because I'll never get caught" answer as I'm seeking to resolve the "it's mine because" riddle.

Can anyone help me crack this nut?

Making your tweets readable and retweetable

I once took an English class where the teacher promised to fail anyone who went more than 10 percent above or below the required word count for an assignment. And most of the assignments were limited to a mere 500 words.

Accustomed to blathering on for pages, working within this constraint actually made me a better writer, because I knew every word had to count. Much the same can be said about Twitter.

Having only 140 characters in which to express yourself can be limiting, especially when you’re just starting out. But it’s an excellent opportunity to learn how to get your point across concisely. The trick is to do it in a way that’s clear and readable.

Continue reading my latest musings on Small Act's blog.

Function over form?

Longtime friends might have noticed in yesterday's post that I'm wearing the same winter coat I've worn for years. Many, many years.

The parka I got in Minnesota has served me well and kept me warm. It's done its job and it's done it well. But because the coat is, well, less than fashionable, it's drawn some odd looks and derogatory comments from some of my fellow Washingtonians. The critiques have led me to consider retiring the parka — a thought that's somewhat foreign to someone who's known to wear clothes until they're fraying at the edges.

So much like my old clothing survey, the question I pose to you is this: Is form more important than function? Is it time to go shopping? Or is function more important than form? Should I keep wearing the coat despite the eyerolls?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Thanks!

A momentous occasion

Congratulations to our friends Jeremy Moon and Bryan Legaspi, who wed today in Washington's first same-sex civil marriage ceremony. I attended the ceremony and made this video marking the occasion for DC Agenda.

How big is 30 Rock?

That big. And for added perspective, here's a shot of me in front of the building. I am but an ant before this 70 story behemoth.


The buildings in New York are supersized. Annie and I must go there together and see them. We must buy tickets to the top of the Empire State Building and gaze upon the Big Apple's skyline. We must wander the streets, look up and channel The Tick as we say with awe, "Tall…"

Here's hoping fortune smiles upon us and we're able to get there later this year.

Nick Kral = awesome

If you'll forgive this moment of self indulgence, I just wanted to share with you how much fun I had reuniting this weekend with an old friend.

Nick Kral of Nicreations, perhaps known to you for having a fantastic short on the "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" DVD, was my best friend and constant companion for many years in elementary school. We were in Cub Scouts together, we staged intergalactic warfare with our Star Wars toys, and he introduced me to the wonderful world of video games. We shared some great times those — oh dear — 25 years ago. Those times ended only when we went to different middle schools.

Nick and I recently got back in touch via Facebook, though, and we made plans to share a meal when he next visited D.C. He came to town this weekend and we met at my favorite brunch spot, Matchbox. We had such fun catching up, sharing stories about all the curve balls life threw at us during the last decade, that I lost all track of time. After chatting at the restaurant for more than two hours, we spent another two hours walking around D.C. and talking some more. We swapped personal and professional tales, exchanged more than a few funny stories, and talked at length about politics. I felt so relaxed talking again with Nick that the conversation came as easily as it did at age 6. He was an awesome guy then and he's an awesome guy now. I'm so glad that we were able to get together during his visit.

I hope that fate has given or will give you a similarly fun reunion with someone from your past. It's a great way to regain perspective — and remember just how important it is to have good friends.

OK Go makes another jaw-dropping video...this time with a Rube Goldberg device

See how this amazing Rube Goldberg device was made.

Watching "The Princess Bride" again for the first time

I managed to discover two fellow geeks who had never seen "The Princess Bride" (which I've always seen as a veritable initiation ritual to geekdom), so a movie night was arranged and on Sunday, I watched the movie with them and another friend.

I tried to watch it through the eyes of the newbies. To put this in perspective, the only piece of artwork in our living room is a framed, autographed poster of "The Princess Bride." And if you've read prior posts, you know swashbucklers were pretty instrumental in the development of my psyche.

So watching it without my nostalgia glasses was hard. And a little disconcerting. How can one justify the admittedly-hokey special effects, the overdramatic acting and over-the-top music to people seeing it for the first time as adults? Sure, it's a self-parody, but how does that hold up in the era that brought us "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Matrix"?

I think for me, the movie will always hold up, because it's such a part of who I am. But I have to be honest...I don't see the generation following mine gleefully crying out, "Have fun stormin' the castle!" And that makes me terribly sad, because I don't think this generation really has a similar common thread, a movie all geeks know and love that speaks their language and is oh-so-quotable.

Am I wrong? Tell me in the comments.

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Also known as "See if Annie can successfully invoke T-Rexes, Marcel Marceau, squid, Venus Flytraps, bananas, and Dr. Seuss in ONE BLOG POST."

Check out my latest ramblings at Small Act.

Spidey gets sacked

I was initially rather pleased — and impressed — to learn that Marvel Comics is throwing Peter Parker to the unemployment line.

The man in the Spider-Man costume has long been the publisher's most relatable character, having struggled in the past with girlfriend troubles, paying rent on time and worrying about the health of his cherished Aunt May. It would make sense, then, for Peter's continuing adventures to reflect the plight of many Americans who have lost their job during the Great Recession.

But then I realized his situation in no way reflects the plight that many Americans face. Because instead of being laid off, downsized or otherwise placed into a position where "your services are no longer needed," Peter was fired for cause.

The newspaper photographer was rightly dismissed after doctoring a photo. Among photojournalists, there is no greater sin. It's the equivalent of knowingly publishing a lie. And we all know how well that worked for former New York Times writer Jason Blair.

This fact, however, seems lost on Marvel's talking heads. Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada portrays the situation as just another time when "the old Parker luck" came calling. No. This had nothing to do with luck and everything to do with ethics and integrity. Usually one of Marvel's most steadfast pillars of wholesomeness, Peter acted so wrongly in this instance that he deserved what he got. He also deserves a staggeringly uphill battle to rejoin the industry, because that's what any news photographer would face in this situation.

It's not that I expect realism from my comics, but I expect Spider-Man books to be grounded in reality. And I think Marvel squandered a unique opportunity to tell a story that better reflects the terrible situation that too many Americans face. Yes, some people lost their jobs because they were fired. But so many more lost them through business downtowns, job outsourcings and similar means that in no way reflected on their performance.

That's the audience Marvel should have been looking to engage. Instead, the takeaway seems to be that you can do wrong, but that's okay, everything will turn out fine in the end. That's not the kind of lesson a superhero should be imparting.

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Photos from NYC

I'm still playing catchup following my weekend trip to New York for DC Agenda, but I wanted to quickly share some of the images from that excursion with you. Enjoy!

As a fan of "30 Rock," I got a big kick out of seeing 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

A view of the skating rink featured in oh-so-many television shows and films.

For those who believe art imitates life, I offer this fitting NBC store photo.

Just one block from 30 Rock is the promised land. Err, I mean the Nintendo World Store.

A classy joint, the Nintendo World Store gobbled up about two hours of my life as I played "Glory of Heracles" and "Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn," and perused the amazing clothing selection.

This proud lion should look familiar to all "Ghostbusters" fans.

Other sights from my trip included a (hasty) walk through Hell's Kitchen...

...a spin past Radio City Music Hall...

...and a short detour...

...to the Empire State Building.

I'll reflect more on my trip in the days to come. Suffice to say for now, though, that I really think it's time Annie and I finally start planning that weekend excursion to New York City we keep talking about — and putting off. It's just silly that we've lived in D.C. as long as we have and not yet been together to the Big Apple.