joeruggeri.com | recent blog entries

Just the facts ...

Saturday, October 16, 2004

Cut through the distortion, lies, spin and other manglings of reality during this election season.

Check out factcheck.org

URL of the Day: Factcheck.org

Posted on: Saturday, October 16, 2004 at 9:53:43 AM

Night of the emailing dead ...

Sunday, November 23, 2003

It may be a bit on the morbid side, but I've always been fascinated with the concept of delivering my own euology -- via videotape, of course.

The premise would be to tape my eulogy and then ensure, through some legal means, that it is played back at my wake or funeral.

In fact, back in college, I fleetingly toyed with the idea of starting a business that would provide just such a service to others. Like many other youthful fancies, this idea vaporized. And I haven't given it much thought since then.

That is, until this week, when I came across a website that offers the Internet-Age version of post-mortem communication.

Mylastemail.com, launched earlier this month by a company called LifeTouch, bills itself as "a unique online service ... which allows you to leave messages for those you care about – to be emailed after your death."

For a subscription fee of roughly $3.00 a year, mylastemail.com allows its users to store up to five emails apiece; these emails can be updated and edited at will to keep them current and up-to-date. And when you die, the good folks at mylastemail.com will send them along at whatever point in time after your death that you deem appropriate.

While a part of me is smacking my forehead in "why didn't I think of this?" admiration, the other is wondering about how many heart attacks are in the offing when people start seeing their "in" boxes peppered with emails from dearly departed spouses, parents and friends.

Isn't enough that we get spam from the living?

Posted on: Sunday, November 23, 2003 at 8:53:45 AM

And now, for a complete waste of time ...

Thursday, November 20, 2003

Even though I'm online like 12 to 14 hours a day, I don't get much time to aimlessly surf the web. Always making websites instead, something my friend Andrea jokingly likens to "making the doughnuts."

So when I come across a gem of a site, something completely and utterly useless, I have to pass it on.

The days of the singing telegram are numbered, as the 21st century version has arrived to take its place: "Let Them Sing it For You".

Posted on: Thursday, November 20, 2003 at 7:20:10 PM

How the world ends ...

Wednesday, November 19, 2003

There are as many theories about how the world will end as there are religions, philosophies and other belief systems.

However, I like this one best of all.

Posted on: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 at 6:56:05 PM

MAMA MINI Ramble

Monday, October 13, 2003

This past weekend (Saturday, 10/11), I ventured up to New Hampshire to take part in the 1st MAMA (Monadnock Area Mini Association) Ramble. What a blast!

Got to drive 80-plus miles of hilly, twisty roads on a gorgeous fall day in a caravan of other MINIs. (Here's the route, in case you're interested.)

I've posted photos for all to see. Didn't get as many pics as I'd like because, as PinCity will corroborate, shooting with one hand through the sunroof and the other on the sterring wheel, negotiating the winding roads, was more difficult than expected!

The foliage was nice ... not at peak yet, and a bit blurry, as we were all a bit too busy whizzing past it! But our hosts John and Rick made sure we stopped a few times on the more scenic overlooks.

For those interested in more photos, mini2.com buddy Iancull has also posted some pics of the day's activities.

Next spring, I do Minis On Top!

URL of the Day: Monadnock Area Mini Association

Posted on: Monday, October 13, 2003 at 10:22:12 AM

PR Flaks & Hacks

Thursday, October 09, 2003

In today's New York Times' Circuits section, you'll find an interesting write-up on press releases and a site (PR Bop), that chronicles the weirdest and funniest of them.

Definitive proof that corporate society takes itself far too seriously.

URL of the Day: Watch out Starbucks; Here comes 7-Eleven!

Posted on: Thursday, October 09, 2003 at 8:28:58 PM

Introducing ... The Blog

Saturday, October 04, 2003

This blog started as a project to help me hone my ASP skills in the web development software package Macromedia Dreamweaver MX. For those of you not in the know, a 'blog' is shorthand for web log, a sort of online journal/diary, except for the fact it is for very public consumption. (Sorry to sound so pedantic, but there may be readers here who haven't a clue what Dreamweaver or a blog is.)

In the coming weeks and months, I'll sporadically be adding entries to this blog, which, despite the "byte" in its title, intends to deal with more than bits and bytes and computer technology.

Expect rants and raves and plenty of whining, as well as the occasional and sometimes incomprehensible commentary about the state of the art of web design, personal technology, digital photography and interpersonal relationships (are there any other kinds?).

Big deal, says you!

Big deal, indeed.

URL of the Day: Rebecca's Pocket - A short history of blogs

Posted on: Saturday, October 04, 2003 at 7:04:24 PM