The Kari AnnAlysis

Archive for June, 2009

I had my yearly work review today (actually it was my first) and a lot of talk between me and my boss was about social media. I’ve been on Facebook since it started in 2004 and have had my Myspace account for almost 3 years now. But now my obsession is Twitter. I’ve already written a post about that, so in this one I want to do something different. I want to use this to tell you about some cool websites that you can use with Twitter.

What I’ll try to do is at least once a week find 5 or so websites that you can use Twitter with. Here’s the first set:

1. Twitter Grader. The grader is exactly what it says – gives you a grade out of 100. I have a 96.9%. You put in your Twitter name and it looks at followers, how many you follow, number of tweets etc. It also has a ranking system. Out of 2,335,826, I rank 84, 066.  This site really doesn’t have any use except to show off some cool numbers, but it’s still a cool website.

2. Twitter Buttons. I actually just found this, but can’t wait to find one that goes well with the decor on my blog so that I can add it! It’s the small things like this that make Twitter so cool to me.

3. Twitscoopis a really cool site. It allows you to sign into your account and do everything you can do on Twitter through there. And actually, on a night like tonight when every time I click something, a pop-up about security comes up, this is much nicer. And, something VERY nice, it updates it for you automatically. You don’t have to refresh, you don’t have to download anything! Definitely going to try this one at work. It may be much smoother than Twitter on our computers.

4. Accessible Twitteris very similar to Twitscoop. I don’t think it’s nearly as clean at Twitscoop, but it does all of the same things. I’m a pretty person, so whichever one looks best is what I’ll use, that is until it crashes!

5. This one is for the girls: Twitter Patternsis just what it says. It’s a background for your Twitter. I kept mine simple with the myZ logo so I could keep it work related, but one day I’m sure I’ll want to make it pretty. I like these “patterns” because they are mature. They are colorful and fun, but they’re also not too crazy and not too bright. I like subtle!

Elizabeth Short AKA The Black Dahlia

This book has taught me, if I’m going to read a book about something that really happened, I need to do some research. Let me go ahead and throw this out there: This book uses some facts from the case, but fuses fact with fiction.  I didn’t know that until I got to the end of the book and read that the two main characters, other than the Dahlia were made up.  Before I got that far, I couldn’t understand why the case was never solved because the book told me who did it. Wow, did I feel dumb.

Before the last few chapters, I would have only given this book one bookmark. It was not what I expected. It is kind of dirty (yes, I’m being a prude again). There’s a lot of sex and it’s pretty morbid. I expected the morbidity, just not all the sex. Everything I read about the Dahlia says people speculated she was a hooker but it wasn’t true, so when the book kind of played off that, I didn’t know what to believe.

The last few chapters, however, bring it all together. I was very surprised at who was pegged the killer and even more surprised at how “Bucky” handled the news.

I’m more of a high heel and handbag book kind of girl. I personally would say this is more of a guys book about cops and boxing.

I did think it was written well. When I read it, I really felt like I was in the 40′s. I really like, looking back now, how many facts he used in the book and how he played off them to make this a novel.  Everyone can hear about a murder and put a story together about how it happened, but this was a good story.

Looking back at the writing, especially towards the end, I’m going to give this book 3 bookmarks. If you can push through the first 3/4 of the book, the last 1/4 is great and an intriguing read to find out who’s the Dahlia’s killer (fake killer, they never solved it).

If you would like to read the “Tru” story about the Dahlia, click here.  This site taught me the most about her, even though there really isn’t a lot to know. The 50 year mystery makes it intriguing, but also very sad. It’s not a case that will ever be solved because most likely, the killer isn’t around anymore. The only way I can see it truly coming out is if the person is still alive and on their death bed they spill or a diary comes out after they pass on. Chances of that happening, not likely.

Ever since I was little, I’ve had nightmares. They were so bad, my parents left a baby monitor in my room until I was 5ish because I’d wake up scared all the time. The first one I remember goes like this: My mom used to pick my clothes out for the next day before I went to bed. I would lay them out on the ground in shape of a person. One night I dreamt the clothes got up and started walking around my room and then they attacked me. Needless to say after that night I never left my clothes out again.

Since then, the dreams have gotten a little more mature and a little more hardcore. I love scary movies, but I hate the dreams I have after I watch them. If my mom knew I was watching a scary movie before I went to bed, she would make sure she left the door open for me because she knew I’d crawl in sooner or later so I wouldn’t sleep alone and freak myself out.

When I was little I had a dream catcher. Maybe I need to go to the next flea market and get another one because the dreams are still coming.

I woke up at 5 this morning with my heart pounding like crazy because of my dream. I was living in a trailer in Huntington and for some reason all kinds of bad guys were after me. The Huntington Police made me a special case and had a cruiser on every side of the trailer, somehow though the bad guys got in. Every time I would get up to look outside, a bad guy would see me and come after me. The Police would always snipe them before they killed me, but it always got close. After 4 rounds with the bad guys I finally woke up.

I have always heard that what you think before you fall asleep is what you dream. That may be the case for this one. I’ve been reading The Black Dahlia. Seems like every time I read a mystery/murder novel I have nightmares… looks like I found the source.

I’ve decided though next time I am in need of a new book I want to buy a dream book and see if I can analyze my dreams and figure out how to read scary books without having scary dreams.

Going back to sleep and thinking “bunnies, bunnies, bunnies” doesn’t always work

Do you have bad dreams? What’s the worst one you’ve had?

I have been a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella’s books, but this one didn’t do it as much for me. 

I thought that I would really relate with Undomestic Goddess because as much as I love my job, somedays, I wish that I could do something a little less stressful (I think everyone can relate to this).  But this book just didn’t read as well as the rest of hers have.

I think all of the lawyer lingo was what got to me most. I felt like it was a little above my head.

I normally can figure out who the bad guy is, but it totally caught me by surprise in this one.  I didn’t think there was a bad guy at all, just thought she made a mistake (like we all do).

I would like to think if I was in the same position, I’d be able to forget the 6 figures and stay with what was making me happy, but I think it would’ve taken me much longer to figure out where I wanted to be.

There really isn’t a whole lot to say with this book. I’ve been working on this blog over a week now, and it’s still not coming to me.

It was just …. ok. And for that reason, I give it 2 bookmarks.