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Vacation Rentals vs. Hotels
I’ve always loved the idea of vacation rentals, especially on longer vacations. It’s like staying in a home instead of the sterile environment of a hotel (or noisy hotel as some cases have been). I’ve stayed in a few vacation rental properties over the years, but I never realized how affordable they could be until a couple years ago when I was in Puerto Rico for my friend’s wedding. The best man had rented out a huge place for his family and another family for $600 for a week. If they had gotten a hotel it would have been more than that per night for everyone!
If you’re planning a trip in the near future (or next summer) and want to start planning on saving some cash check out VacationRental.org. The website features vacation home rental listings and vacation rental managers.
If you’re headed out my way in Los Angeles you could rent this gorgeous mansion or a condo in Hollywood! Want to head up to Vail for some skiing? There’s a beautiful cabin available for rental!
It’s nice to have a website with a one-stop-shop for rental listings. I found some of the cities I looked up didn’t have any postings, but it is a great start. If you have a rental property it’s pretty easy to post a listing. So if you need a place make sure you check out VacationRental.org.
Disclosure: I’ve been compensated for this post through PayPerPost. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.
Category: Internet 
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CBS.com Launches CSI-Inspired Application Through Facebook Connect
(Press Release from CBS.com)
Just in time for the CSI Trilogy week, CBS.com announced the launch of the CSI Zeta Casefile site, dedicated to bringing fans exclusive content from three CSI series. The Website features a new application that lets fans be part of a CSI-inspired video and create customized suspect dossiers pulling images and information through Facebook Connect. The site will also feature exclusive interviews with cast and real CSI experts, virtual tours of the three CSI crime labs, and the chance to win a trip to the set of CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION.* To access the Zeta Casefile site, please visit: www.csicrossover.com
The Cadillac sponsored site will debut in conjunction with the highly anticipated CSI Trilogy episodes. The three episode story line involves an interstate trucking ring that specializes in human cargo and black market organ harvesting set to air on Nov. 9 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT (CSI: MIAMI), Nov. 11 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT (CSI: NY), and Nov. 12 at 9:00 PM ET/PT (CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION).
This CSI Zeta Casefile application uses Facebook Connect to pull photos and information from the user’s Facebook account to produce a personalized criminal file and video, including artificial information on past crimes, aliases, and last known locations. Fans can share their experience with other fans and friends in their Facebook network.
Fans can also visit the CSI Zeta Casefile site to watch interviews with real CSI experts, who discuss the evolution of technology and innovation within CSI crime solving. Fans can take virtual tours of the labs featured on each of the three CSI series, allowing them a deeper look at the special effects, set designs and other various technologies used on the shows. The video content is complemented by a comprehensive photo gallery, showcasing stills and images of the set locations and cast interactions.
“Each of the CSI series continues to be among the most popular shows on CBS,” said Bill Binenstock, Vice President and Manager of CBS.com. “The upcoming CSI Trilogy has caused enormous buzz throughout the CBS.com CSI communities, and we wanted to build a site that would give fans a fascinating and exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the three series. The Zeta Casefile program is a creative and fun way to keep users engaged, while the behind-the-scenes content will give fans a deeper look into how the fictional CSI series are the most realistic looking shows on television.”
*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of one of the 50 US or DC, 18 or over or age of majority in state of residence. Sweepstakes starts on Nov. 9, 2009 and ends at 11:59:59 am ET on December 31, 2009. Void where prohibited by law. See Official Rules and details at www.csicrossover.com or www.zetasyndicate.com
(Press Release from CBS.com)
Tags: CSI Comments so far: 1 -
Video of the Week: What if the Matrix Was a Silent Film?
Video from Russian actor’s group “Big Difference” (Bolshaya Raznitsa / Большая Разница). Find out what would have happened if the Wachowski Brothers had lived in the silent film era.
Category: Internet Comments so far: No -
Open Letter to My Email Box
Dear Email Inbox,
While I’m extremely pleased with my Gmail email and the lack of increased spam I receive I’m tired of you. Every day I get hundreds of emails, most of them are great from friends, relatives, and collective colleuges in the new media world. There’s more from websites and blogs I’ve signed up for. The problem with all of these types of emails? They want me to do something.
Click here, sign up here, buy this, edit this, and etc. All of them require me to do something. Emails from Facebook saying that someone commented on a post (and I’d better write a reply). Another email from Twitter saying that So and So has started following me (and I’d better hurry up and follow them back).
So, email box, I grow weary of you. I want a filter that will just go click, flip, add, burn and butter just as you want me to without me having to think about it. Of course, the problem with most automated systems is what if I really don’t WANT to follow that person or write the other guy back? The auto-filter does not have my capacity for reason.
Instead, why don’t you stop giving me so much to do? Why don’t you go bug the other folks who get 5 emails a day? It might be fun to start seeing other people.
Don’t think of this as the end. Just the end of the beginning.
Love,
Me.
Category: Internet Comments so far: No -
Remember GeoCities?
GeoCities: This was probably one of the first popular webhosting sites. I just wanted to take a minute to mark it’s end. GeoCities closes today (26 October). To commemorate, xkcd.com did a redesign at makes me nostalgic for webpages circa 2000 CE.
Category: Internet Comments so far: No -
Video of the Day
Ukraine has talent…. oh yes they do. Check out this awesome live sand animation done to an awesome set of music via chello. Reminds me how much creativity comes in a lot of different shades. I dare you not to be moved to tears like the members of the audience.
Category: Internet Comments so far: No -
China bans shock therapy for Internet Addiction
A article posted to the Discover Magazine website relates how the Chinese government has banned the use of shock therapy in the treatment of Internet Addiction. This happened after local media had picked up the story stemming from events in a hospital in Shandong province. My ‘favorite’ line from the article (i.e. the most ironic): “In what might be an indication of the clinic’s effectiveness, its practices came to light when former patients when online to complain.” Also mentioned in the piece is a recent UK survey that resulted in a working definition of Internet addition, amidst the debate about whether or not this is a real syndrome. Go read – http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/07/15/china-bans-electroshock-therapy-for-internet-addiction/
Category: Internet Comments so far: No -
Who Needs Superman When You Got the Super-Goode Friends?
From Clay Robeson comes this hilarious pilot episode of The Super-Goode Friends, a web series inspired by the Murphy-Goode social media campaign – A Really Goode Job. Clay was recently announced as one of the top 50 competitors and, if this video is any indication of the projects he’ll be working on if he gets the job with Murphy-Goode, we’re in for some real treats.
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Bozeman, Montana wants your Social Media Passwords…
In a Associated Press (AP) story written by Matt Gouras and posted yesterday, it is reported that job applicants to the city of Bozeman Montana, are asked for their usernames and passwords for such social networking sites “to include, but not limited to: Facebook, Google, Yahoo, YouTube.com, MySpace, etc.” (from the article). Usernames and Passwords. Already, job and business sites such as CareerBuilder, CNN Money, and others (links below) advise job seekers that potential and current employers may already be checking out your online persona, but this is something that – to their credit, in my opinion – has the ACLU and at least one Montana House Representative, Brady Wiseman, very critical of this practice.
The original AP story, hosted on Google News.
careerbuilder.com: “Will Your Social Networking Profile Get You Hired or Fired?”
CNN Money: “Fired for Facebook: Don’t let it happen to you”
Permimeter Knowledge Center: Will Facebook get you Hired or Fired?
Category: Internet Comments so far: No -
Rachel Maddow on Diggnation
The folks of Diggnation recently did an episode at the MSNBC digital cafe and guess who was there to make them breakfast drinks? The ever lovely and talented Rachel Maddow. Of course, she couldn’t just make drinks.
Category: Internet Comments so far: No -
Let me tell you a (short) story about Ficly
Ficly (formerly “Ficlets”) is one of the best sites for writers and readers alike that I have ever come across.I wouldn’t have used this description over a year ago, but Ficly is like Twitter for fiction writers. And like Twitter, there is great freedom in restraint.
A long time ago, I followed a link recommendation from Wil Wheaton, which brought me to the most wonderful, awesome site for writers I’ve ever known: Ficlets.com (I won’t link because that site is now dead.) Ficlets restricted your story to 1,024 characters, or a few brief paragraphs.
Some of the things you could do with it included prequel or sequel any author’s story and hopefully get a chain of different authors adding to one story; issue writing challenges; write your own little series; comment/rate stories (leading to one of the most instructive, constructive feedback sites I’ve ever used); use creative commons pictures from Flickr as inspiration for a story; or use quotes or starters as inspiration. Most of these wonderful features are back on the new incarnation.
Category: Internet Comments so far: 1 -
Mobile Internet for Your Car
File this under the things Tabz salivates over: wireless internet for your car. According to an article on MSNBC: “By 2016, consumers will consider such Internet connectivity as important as traditional features such as safety and fuel economy”, said Thilo Koslowski, vice president of the Automotive Manufacturing Industry Advisory Service at market researcher Gartner, Inc.
Currently the wireless router for your car is a bit pricey ($499), but it is an option on some Chrysler and Cadillac cars, and it can be installed on cars after being bought.
Now, this may seem like a bad idea for folks who are invisioning Tabz driving in a car and using her laptop. But you forget the ONE crutial fact. Tabz doesn’t drive.
If you are concerned about folks using the internet and driving, it really is a boon for listening to internet streaming radio stations or stopping for Google map directions. I can think of a hundred times I wish I could just park somewhere and open my laptop and solve a work problem. Or comparision shop on something I just saw in the store. It’s all fine and good to do that on your iPhone or Crackberry, but having a full keyboard and mouse is nice too.
Category: Internet Comments so far: 2 -
Granada America Launches Contest for Bloggers: “I’m a Blogger… Get Me Out of Here!”
“I’m a Blogger… Get Me Out of Here!” Pits Bloggers Against Each Other for a Grand Prize Trip Behind the Scenes of NBC’s “I’m a Celebrity.. Get Me Out of Here!”
Embracing the social media sphere Granada America launched a blogger contest today to help generate buzz and excitement about “I’m a Celebrity.. Get Me Out of Here” which premiers June 1st, 2009.Running until June 11th, the competition will consist of three separate challenges for participating bloggers, each consisting of a research or experience assignment that they’ll have to blog (300-500 words) or a video blog (2-3 minutes) about. Topics may range from the finer points of insect eating to the mating rituals of some of the furry little things the celebs will soon be calling their neighbors. The posts will all go up on imabloggergetmeoutofhere.com, where they will be voted on by America. Half of the competitors will be voted off of the blogosphere island after each round, leaving the final three to compete for the grand prize: a trip to Costa Rica to live blog from the set of the reality show “I’m a Celebrity Get me Out of Here!” from June 17 – 22nd.
Premiering June 1st, “I’m a Celebrity Get me Out of here” is the ultimate Swiss Family Robinson-style competition. Ten celebrities will be dropped into the heart of the jungle to face fun and comedic challenges designed to test their survival skills. America is the puppet master, controlling their favorites by putting them into challenges and tasks to win food, supplies and luxury items. In each episode, friendships will be tested, patience tried and hilarity will certainly ensue. Viewers will decide which celebrities stay or leave. While all participants will be playing for their favorite charities, the last remaining star will be crowned King or Queen of the Jungle, winning the largest share of the prize for donation.
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