JoshsBlog.greenfamily.net

Over 3 weeks ago, my 'week of Twitter' began and I promised a follow-up. That means this post is more than 2 weeks overdue - oops!

So Twitter... Twitter has proved itself at times to be equally useful and annoying; depending on how you want to use it. While online 'social networking' has never appealed to me, I do find myself not wanting to end my Twitter 'week'. I guess I'm hooked!

A quick side note - I cant stand the use of Twitter being called 'Tweeting' or sending 'Tweets' - I call it 'Twitting' or sending 'Twits'. I feel this gives it the appropriate connotation while keeping it product specific.

Here are some specific pros and cons that I have found:

Text Messaging. We all know that email is no longer the instant way to communicate. Text Messaging on a cell phone is the equivalent of IM'ing on a computer and odds are that you spend more time with your cell phone each day than you do with your computer. While reliability is an issue (you dont always get your text Twits), Twitter has done a great job of giving you control of your Twits instantly via Text Messaging. Turning text updates globally off and on is fast and painless (simply send a Text of 'off' or 'on'). Also having the granular ability of choosing whos Twits will send you a Text help keep the annoyance factor low.

Wide use and useful adoption. While a lot of Twitter users are typical 'I need as many online friends as possible to be cool' people, many are not. I have been very surprised and pleased to see that there are plenty of legitimate users and uses! For example, about 25% of my Twitter Friends are News and Blog entities. As a big user of RSS Feeds & Google Reader I love to absorb news as it comes out. CNet News, My Fox Tampa Bay, Bay News 9, and TV on Your PC are all good examples of sites that I have configured to instantly text me.

Limited Support. I have had several issues with the service and have yet to have any of my Support tickets answered. Considering its a free service, theres little complaining that I can do but it doesn't change the fact that its annoying. I would prefer that I not even be able to open a Support ticket - at least then I wouldnt have the expectation that someone will get back to me.

3rd party integration. This is my favorite bullet! If you use Twitter then you know there are hundreds of third party websites, computer applications, and cell phone applications out there to improve your Twitting abilities. TwitPic for example allows you to post pictures with your Twit (which Twitter doesnt natively do). TwitterMail is a website that will give you a Twitter email address (which Twitter doesn't natively do) to which you can email in your Twit's. I love TwitterMail because I email in most of my Blogger posts. With TwitterMail I simply email both my Blog and my Twit addresses and viola - I can post to two sites simultaneously! Twitter has made it so that any programmer, from novice to expert, can build a Twitter application - therefore expanding its use and footprint. The best part? Because of this you do not need to sign up for a separate account for each of these sites! Since the API (application programming interface) ties directly into Twitter all you need is your Twitter username and password. Oh man I love single sign-on!

In the end, Twitter is a keeper. I'm glad that I chose to give it a test run and I encourage you to do so as well. If you already have a Twitter account, I hope that you have found the right balance for its use. It certainly has its purpose - well beyond counting the number of online friends you have. Ku-dos Twitter. Ku-dos.

I knew Florida drivers were dumb. Now its proven! http://relink.me/d1oaf4z

Lauren, in her crazy desire to eventually run a full marathon, has begun posting weekly fitness goals and updates. Are you interested in virtually joining and getting healthier? Check our her posts, add your goals, and good luck!

http://laurensblog.greenfamily.net/2009/05/week-1.html

Get your free PF Changs Lettuce Wraps! http://pfchangs.com/briny

Just a couple of months ago we thought May 18th would be so different. Today was the 34 week goal for our Quads.

I'm supposed to be running around like a crazy man, planning for the big move to our new home and waiting for 'the call'. Lauren is supposed to be in the hospital under monitored bed rest. Our babies are supposed to be past all of the hurdles and almost here.

This of course is not the case.

Today we did a walk-through of the new house - a 4 hour check of every single nook and cranny. Our new house is amazing - after being there for so many hours today it seemed like we were already home. While it is and will be a place we will call home for a very long time, it is far too empty. 5 bedrooms - for two people. 3 bathrooms - for two people. Empty.

Tonight we attended a 'community design review committee' meeting - a fancy name for getting permission to do something to your house - in preparation for the fence that we will be putting up. One of the board members asked 'Are you the couple having the Triplets?'. Of course she didn't know. Our answer was of course a questionable 'No.'

We got through Mothers Day. We will get through this day. We will continue to get through.

First Celebrity Casualty from Swine Flu

LOL I'm watching Josh Sneed (www.joshsneed.com / @joshsneed) on Comedy
Central Presents. I forgot how friggin funny he is!!

*Sent from my iPhone*

Did you hear? Next week is a 4 hour 'Deal or No Deal', 5 hour 'My Name is Earl', 6 hour 'Office', 7 hour 'Lost', and 8 hour 'Greys Anatomy'!

Seriously - how long do they think they can make TV episodes before people just get ticked off? The Apprentice last night could easily have been one hour (I know it took less than an hour to fast forward the TiVo ;)). And tonights Biggest Loser MIGHT have taken an hour and a half.

Stupid writers strike really f'd up TV. Hope youre happy now!

Wanna know Twitter-eze?
http://www.brentozar.com/archive/2008/08/twitter-101/

Our new home passed the last Energy Star test making it Energy Star certified. Woo hoo!

Got a sore throat and head cold - staying home and resting today

Trivia Q: In what year was the first text message sent from a cell phone?

Argentinean Beef Filets with Chimichurri - Mmmm

KFC Chokes the Chicken - Halts giveaway.. http://tinyurl.com/pwjjwy

Call it my mild OCD, but I hate having to sign up all of these friggin new accounts on all these new friggin websites. If I have to sign into a website to read the data in it, chances are I wont be using that website. The same goes for putting data onto a website - if I have to log into it, and its not critical to functioning (such as work sites, etc), chances are I wont use it. This is what I love about Google Reader (RSS) and Blogger. Google Reader provides the data consolidation (from a single login) and Blogger allows me to send in updates via email (including pictures).

Now both of those sites have thier limitations of course. I guess you can't get everything you want unless you build it yourself. Or can you?

If you haven't noticed from previous posts, I've taken an anti-Twitter stance - refusing to sign up for a Twitter account. My good friend Perno was kind enough to remind me yesterday that I've actually had a Twitter account since 2007.. Doh! Although never used, he was correct. I signed up for an account after he began using it over 2 years ago.

On the (long) drive to work this morning I thought, 'Why couldn't I update my Blog and my Twitter account at the same time?'. Hmm. If I could communicate with my friends and family on two separate websites but not add any additional work for myself, why not? But how easy will it really be? How many other sites will I have to sign up for? How many workarounds will I have to implement?

And so the week of Twitter begins. I'll use Twitter to its fullest for one week, integrating it into my blog, using it daily, and documenting the pros and cons. Then we'll see. Hopefully it will serve as a helpful guide to everyone else - maybe it wont - either way in the end it gives me something else to do ;)

Nothin like a haircut!

shweew. @twittermail makes me feel much better about using the twit. I
can update the twit and the blog at the same time - and via email!

If you have an iPhone or Blackberry, you should download iheartradio! Free nationwide radio - a nice break from the ipod library.

Scrubs finale was tonight. Damn I'll miss that show. =\

Yup.

*Sent from my iPhone*

Click to Find out More!

I would hate to see what they do during a game of 'flip cup'... Ha I crack my self up.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,518994,00.html

Until about 10 min ago I was all ticked off about the gridlock on
I275. Then I read on the Bay News 9 feed that someone threw a baby out
onto the highway this morning. Just sick.

*Sent from my iPhone*

I found this article today and had to share. Considering my recent
departure from MySpace and stubborn refusal to join Facebook or
Twitter I think this article is pretty good.

It's not that I'm opposed to these other sites, I just get tired of
having to sign up for yet another website. Blogger works just fine
thank you :) I can post from my phone (with pictures) anytime via
email, text, or web.

How do I stay up to speed with Friends Twitter updates if I don't use
Twiiter? How do I read breaking Tampa news if I don't read Tampa
websites? How do I do all of this from either my mobile phone or home
PC? Easy. And with only one username and password. Did I mention no
junkmail? RSS feeds and Google Reader. (http://reader.google.com)

http://m.lifehacker.com/site?t=Ze4nCkyVjmKQ1E9PdMROxw&sid=lifehacker&tcid=QWC2f92e542747b4da6815772ce46a7137d

*Sent from my iPhone*

In my continued 'fight' against using Twi**er, I will now be using Blogger for 'MicroPosts'. You can easily tell a regular Post from a MicroPost by the image in the title. We'll see if this catches on... ;)

T-Minus 28 days and counting! All that is left is pre-carpet paint, carpet, landscaping, sod, and irrigation.

I snapped these today with my iPhone. They aren't the best of quality but they'll do =)

Kitchen from Living Room


Kitchen


Kitchen from Stairs


Double Shower!


View of Park Across the Street

"Minnesota orders ISPs to blacklist gambling sites"

I dont want to make this sound like an anti-government rant, but seriously how are we allowing the government to block access to websites?? And here I thought that only China was doing this...