Fake Plastic Noodles

Left-handed Toons: Almost as good as Toothpaste for Dinner. Almost.

I am planning on getting a 3G iphone when it comes out in June, but to be honest, they’ve always scared me a little. While in Florida, I had a chance to use my friend’s to check my e-mail (and check it way too often considering I told myself that vacation was a time to cut off technology, I might add). It was my first real experience tinkering with the device. Shocking, I know. Well, I certainly have some complaints, but 75 percent of them have to do with me being dense. Mainly:

1. The Internet connection is not really that fast.
2. I’m bad at typing.
3. Probably because my fingers may just be too fat to do so.
4. It took me far longer to get the hang of it than I care to admit.

The last point is particularly important as I came across this video of a 2-YEAR-OLD doing a bang up job of demonstrating the iPhone’s many features.

Way to rub it in, cutie.

via Geek Sugar

I remember probably about a month or so ago a blogger giving kudos to Big Bad Comcast for monitoring Twitter conversations for any cable or Internet problems from disgruntled customers. The blogger complained via Twitter about Comcast and a couple minutes later received an out-of-the-blue response from Frank Eliason, known in the Twitterverse as “Comcastcares.”

Now for most people who have had to deal with Comcast customer service, Comcast Cares is a complete and utter oxymoron. Whether it’s the video of the repairman falling asleep on the job, their acquisition of Plaxo or just general bitching about the customer service, Comcast is an easy target for American consumers. Personally, I can’t even tell you how many awful experiences I’ve had with that company over the phone.

When I heard about the Twitter monitoring I thought it was definitely a cool idea (if not a little Big Brother-ish), but didn’t really give it much thought. That is, until I came home a couple weeks ago to find the Blue Screen of Death on my television.

It was a Friday. All I wanted to do after a long week of work is sit down and watch 30 Rock. When I found that I couldn’t, I took my anger to Twitter. Within five minutes, I got this:

W00t! Someone does care. Or at least is being paid to care. On a Friday night, no less. Frank and I chatted on the phone, which was an even more personal touch. Turns out my credit card expired and I forgot to update my information for my auto debit. We even had a little conversation about the vitriol Frank is exposed to every. single. day. He’s doing his best to convince people – one Twitterer at a time – that not everyone who works at Comcast is the devil. Being in PR, I can certainly identify with that.

With the exception of a few complaints, most people are completely onboard with Comcast’s digital efforts. I can give full kudos to Frank for being so personable, and as much as it pains me to say it, I have to acknowledge Comcast as a whole for bringing customer service to the digital age.

::shudder::

Last week BlogHer and Compass Partners published a new study examining the online habits of women. Most of the findings are predictable (the majority of women engaging in the blogosphere are in the 18-24 age range, more people are reading blogs than writing them), but the one that’s making headlines is the “Would you give up ______ for blogging?” question asked of the participants. Here’s what they found

• 55% would give up alcohol
• 50% would give up their PDAs
• 42% would give up their iPod
• 43% would give up reading the newspaper or magazines
• 20% would give up chocolate

Chocolate? Really? Maybe I’m being overly sensitive, but I’m somewhat offended by this. I mean, I love chocolate just as much as the next woman, but gah, could we be more stereotypical? I’m surprised they didn’t ask how many women would give up Sex and the City.

Only thing is I can’t tell if I’m more disappointed at the women who wouldn’t give up chocolate for blogging or the surveyors for asking such a loaded question. Do you think they’d point it out if it was something like 80 percent instead of 20? I highly doubt it.

Photo Marina Oliphant

I meant to write a Florida post last week, but as what usually happens when you come back from vacation, I spent the last two days of the week catching up on e-mails from the previous three. It went by quickly though!

So, yes. Florida was lovely. The weather was perfect, Radiohead was amazing (as usual) and Busch Gardens got me really psyched for Cedar Point on Saturday. Enjoy a few pictures. You can see the rest over on the Flickr set.

If you have a moment today, please click on over to From Dates to Diapers for a peak at my first ever guest post. Christine, one of my favorite Mommy bloggers, asked me a couple days ago to write a little bit on how PR selects certain blogs for engagement; Never one to miss an opportunity to talk openly about blog outreach, I was happy to do so.

It has just been insane around here lately, although I have to admit it hasn’t just been with work. I’ve mostly been spending my free time avoiding blogging. Instead, I’ve been basking in the sunshine on restaurant patios and attending a ridiculous amount of amazing shows in the Detroit area.

It’s been great to veg out for a little while. I’m wrapping up this work week in anticipation of next, when I’m off to Florida for a Radiohead show and to sit out on the beach with an umbrella-adorned drink. I will not be bringing my computer with me

Vacations can be trying, though, if not simply because of the work that seems to accumulate while you’re gone. Well, I’ll probably kick myself for saying this later, but ::knock on wood:: I don’t think that this time around will be too bad. There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot going on in the social media scene and my day-to-day work (for once) has not been overwhelming.

And even though there will only be light posting on here the next few days, you will be able to find me elsewhere (albeit not by e-mail, Facebook, work phone or this blog). Tomorrow I’m being interviewed by David Strom for the MediaBlather podcast and I will also be doing a guest post on one of my favorite Mommy blogs.

And no, I’m not a Mommy. Just thought I should put that out there.