2001-12-01 - 6:51p.m. 9 while 9 Hmmm...I shouldn't be posting on the site again right now considering how little i've accomplished today. I finished the first part of the PR project, but am still in my PJs, haven't written the brochure copy for my designer friend, etc. And I could stand to do some laundry. Oh well. The reason I'm writing now though is I stopped by epinions to check out my reviews and see what's up with the site. I still have a bunch of notes and photos from my trip to Italy this Spring and planned to write some reviews with them. I've since reconsidered and will be posting my travelogues here instead. What I saw on epinions wasn't favorable. They're no longer paying people for reviews; instead, income share is the only remuneration a writer will receive for their hard work. So, if you write some great cheerleading fluff about a product that causes someone to click on a banner ad for a new credit card, then you'll rack up a few pennies. No consideration will be given for witty reviews and helpful hints and tips. Your writing must compel site visitors to buy buy buy. ugh. No wonder none of my favorite writers have posted there in ages. Oh well -- it was good while it lasted. I'll have to start archiving my content from their site before it's no longer accessible...and when I receive my last eroyalties check in 6-8 weeks, I'll buy a nice bottle of Merlot. Side note: reading through their Member Center, I see that epinions in October decided that "reviews may not be edited or deleted after they are published on Epinions." Although it appears they changed their mind about that a few days later, I'm shocked to read such an ill-advised and shortsighted announcement on their site. Maybe I'd better get my archiving done tonight. Hot off that irritation, I went to listen to 91x, the alternative radio station I listened to constantly when I lived in San Diego, but found my Real Audio link didn't work. Neither did my Windows Media Player link. Finally, I gave up and visited their Web site to find out that... They've been purchased by the Clear Channel media conglomerate To listen to their station now, I'd have to download some dodgy proprietary software I've never heard of... I won dozens of concert tickets from that station. I met the Wonderstuff in the 91x studios the year after I broke my nose at their show. I requested Jesus & Mary Chain songs on Robin Roth's 10:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. show at least once a week and she always played them. Now Robin is on 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and does an all request lunch -- and my workplace policies and firewall won't let me listen. DAMN!!! If it weren't raining, I'd go out and obtain mu sa mun curry and chicken sate with peanut sauce. Instead, I guess I'll order some chicken tikka masala from the awesome Indian restaurant near my house -- they'll deliver right to my door...One plus is I found the Web site for one of the dance music stations I listened to while driving through Tuscany this Spring and am now listening to it (and am craving a glass of a Montepulciano vino nobile.) It was when Gorillaz where hot in Europe (before they broke here). I heard �Clint Eastwood� so many times it got stuck in my head�ditto for Daft Punk�s �Aerodynamic.� The Gorillaz tune though, will always stick with me since it was what I kept repeating to myself to stay calm in light of the unpleasant time I was having with my travel companions: I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad I got sunshine, in a bag I'm useless, but not for long The future is coming on But I digress. You�ll have to read my Florence, Venice, and Tuscany travelogues for those details�the lights keep flickering so I think I�ll turn this infernal machine off before we lose power. Have a lovely evening. any comments? (0 so far) previous - next recently on almostgoldsf... in defense of an email box I came to do battle with SPAM - 2008-05-17 hello 2006 - 2005-12-31 Happy Thanksgiving - 2005-11-14 bon voyage - 2005-11-05 October already? - 2005-10-09