For people local to the Baltimore area, I just heard about a really neat project in Waverly that will take place for something like 10 days starting April 7.

[link]

It's the Our Playground at Stadium Place Project. Basically, it is a community playground building on part of the old Memorial Stadium site.

I've been on Gmail less than two weeks. 50 invitations. Like Betsy, will gladly share. (profile addy good.)

Presumably this is a google viral marketing strategy -make every gmail customer an unpaid salesperson.

Thessaly's new open stage/charity concert series, Where Your Mouth Is, has a new mailing list. Sign up for it here.

That's right. I've got a big huge TV now, so what better way to break it in than to have people over to watch The Academy Awards.

So, Sunday Feb 27th here at my place we'll be watching the show. If you want to watch in silence, I'd say this is not the place to come. I can pretty much guarantee there will be snarking and fashion commentary involved. We may even start an Oscar drinking game. Show starts around 5, so folks can start arriving around 3 or 4 to watch the red carpet. There will be some munchies and beverages.

My place in Burbank. If you need directions just ask.

Hunter S. Thompson, perhaps one of the most provocative voices in American history, committed suicide yesterday.

This is why I firmly believe that I have the best friends ever--for the second year running, my friend Liza has solicited submissions from my musically-inclined Boston goth/rivethead scene friends (and in one instance, a friend's father), assembled a compilation album, produced the album at home herself, and is donating 80% of the proceeds from its sale to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

I've been looking for a long time for a site that recced and reviewed just Spuffy fanfiction - that being my sole fannish interest and, with limited time online, not wanting to wade through tons of other stuff. I can't seem to find what I want so I've decided to give it a try myself. I've started a live journal where I'll be developing what I hope will be a fairly definitive list of good Spuffy fanfic (and some not so good). If anyone is interested, please wander over to:

[link]

The much anticipated Buffistas/Bronze paper is finally completed and ready for your viewing pleasure.

The Chosen One: How Online Discourse Communities Become Their Own

A couple of quick thoughts to keep in mind, before you read it:

1) I was not able to explore everything I wanted to or thought I needed to in this project. The scope just was not large enough (it was supposed to be an 8-10 page paper...it ended up 12 as it is). So, there will be another project expanding on this one. I'm very excited about this and am in the process of working with my advisor to find the right professors to work with as project advisors. So, if you're reading along and thinking, "Hmmm...she sure didn't explore this much." or "Why aren't there more questions from the survey answered in the paper?" That's why. I will be getting to it. Specifically, the next project will look more closely at how discourse is built, using the two communities as examples; how this online discourse is different from other discourses; the personalities of the communities; demographics of the communities; etc. I don't have a specific outline yet, although, I'll probably be developing one in the next few days so I can put together a proposal for my advisor.

2) I worked very hard to be as factual as humanly possible in the paper. If you find something, though, that you believe is not factual, will you please let me know? It can't be fixed at this point in this project, but I can make sure it is fixed for the next project.

3) I am a feedback whore. Please let me know what you think (good and bad)...either in Natter, Bitches or by e-mail.

4) Here comes my Oscar's speech. Thank you everyone for your support with this project. I specifically want to thank those who completed the survey, and more specifically, Deena, Allyson, Ginger, Polter-Cow and anyone else I'm forgetting. You guys have all been fabulous.

Saw this announcement, thought I'd post it because we have so many writers. I would think that the company is in the DC area, but I don't know if they'd be willing to work with someone elsewhere.

Freelance Writer

We are looking to develop a long term relationship with a writer who will help us address a small business audience. Projects will include e-newsletters, magazine articles, press releases, books, program materials, case studies, web copy, marketing materials, etc. The content is non-technical and management-oriented.

We are flexible and experienced in working with writers. If you are a woman with small business ownership experience (that's our target) it's a plus. No whiners or prima donnas please. This is a team effort.

Research us at www.geminieffect.com and send a sparkling cover letter, bio, samples, etc. to us at info@geminieffect.com to get things rolling.

For those who have multiple sclerosis, and/or those concerned with multiple sclerosis, a major bit of news: tsyabri has been yanked from the market after two patients who'd been using it with Avonex developed fatal side effects:

[link]

edit: during its clinical trials, it went under the name of "antegren".