Not happy.

Okay, I just wanted to warn you, if you run a weblog with comments that you might fall prey to a nefarious type of spamming.

I just came on to check my site and noticed that my recently commented section had some really crazy text in it that had to deal with porn and other none to pleasant topics.  When I went to that post I found that a spammer had commented on one of my posts with some sort of script that inserts text into the name, an email into the email, and then some more text into the comment section.

They are taking advantage of the fact that I don't require verification of email before you can comment.  This sucks... bad.  I don't want this to keep happening and have no desire to police my posts to make sure that someone hasn't done this again so I now have a decision to make on this subject; do I disabe comments, which is one of my favorite parts of this blog, or do I just keep deleting crap like this if it happens again?

Anyway just be forewarned that if you run a blog with comments that this might happen to you.

The Karl Thienes Interview

Well Mr. Hibbity Gibbity and I are the newest addition to the blog interview phenomenon sweeping the 'sphere.

I will begin with the rules and regulations.

Official Rules

1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying "interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person's will be different.
3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions
6. I will answer reasonable follow up questions if you leave a comment.

Well here are my answers to the questions posited:

We all want to know this: What is up with the "Mr. Hibbity Gibbity" name tag? Where does it come from? Are you really just Chris in disguise?

No, Mr. Hibbity Gibbity is in fact a real person.  I will leave it to him to fill you in on the particulars of his monikers origin.

Have either of you gone skydiving? If not, what are you waiting for?

No, I have not been skydiving, mostly because of the probitive cost.

What is your most embarrassing moment? (Bwahaha!)

I have no real embarrissing moments; I don't embarrass easily.

What do you *really* think of Katie?

Well that is an interesting question.  I think she is a very intelligent, well spoken incredibly goofy person.  We need more people like her making things interesting, if not a little too poor pitiful me.

If you could go back in time and live for a year (with, of course, no serious ruptures in the space-time continuum) what time and place would you go?

Hmm... I would probably live in Paris in the heyday of the real Bohemian revolution, before the faux revolution that began in 1830.  There were so many interesting people and events that occured during that time and it would be interesting to have experienced some of it.  To sit in the foyer of the Impasse du Doyenne, or the Hotel Pimodan and see the emergence of Apollonie Sabatier, or the first meeting of Baudelaire and Gaufier.  To discuss Literature with Roger de Beauvoir.  That would be worth the trip.

Well that is it for my part of the questions.  Hopefully MHG will get around to answering them sometime soon.  Yeah and thanks for the linkup Karl; finally getting on your site for some reason was a real bonus.

Not like I have been linking you for like months and months.  Sheesh.

Postcards from the edge

In todays edition of site spotlight, I am showcasing the digital home of my favorite author Terry Brooks.

Now I wold like to go on the record as saying that I am showcasing this not for its design and attention to standards, which are pretty bad, but for the wonderful content that Shawn aka Web Druid is able to post.  Shawn and Mr. Brooks have formed a unique relationship partly due to their close proximity (they both reside in Washington State) and the urging of Mr. Brooks children.  This relationship allows Mr. Brooks to directly connect and interact with his fans in ways that no other author today has attempted.

From the e-signings they hold for every new release, to the answer and question section that is updated almost every month, to the live online chats with Mr. Brooks, you are afforded every opportunity to connect with him on an intimate a level as you wish.

One of the newest gems was the addition of a "postcard" section that chronicles the adventures of Mr. Brooks and his wife Judine as they embark on an Italian Book Tour!  It is a witty and well written little diary of the surprises and differences between and American Book Tour and an Italian Book Tour.

Enjoy.

Oldy but goody...

Wow, I just noticed after commenting on this post, that I wrote that almost one year ago.

What is so amazing to me is that it is still an active thread.   It is up to 32 posts now and probably will still grow over time.   To me that is one of the most powerful aspects of the blog, not this one perhaps, but of those blogs that are really worth the screen realestate they occupy.   That something pithy or important once said can be expanded on and exlplored for months or even years to come.

This is a very exciting medium to be a part of, if as I said before, your blog is actually worth anything.

It makes me wish that I had decided to make this a more serious forum; and that I actually had something pithy or intelligent to say.   Oh well.