John Passarella Author Blog

• One more day of this brutal heat to get through. Tried our OLD central A/C and it was not up to the task. I only going up to 86 tomorrow. #
• Lots of trouble with Facebook using Firefox. Always get unresponsive script messages. Long waits, etc. My wife uses FF w/ FB w/ no problems. #
• LOST kind of sideswiped me tonight. Yes, it's coming to an end, but WOW! They're taking no prisoners now. #
• Started using FourSquare today. Do you need to CHECK-OUT when you leave a venue? Don't see that option. Added 2 new places. #
• @DeborahKuhn Facebook drives me crazy on a regular basis. in reply to DeborahKuhn #
• @jessicamcminn I checked into the Commodore Barry Bridge. Twice. in reply to jessicamcminn #
• Just wrapped up client's weekly podcast & mass mailing; next up, round 3 of helping my daughter learn to ride a bike. #

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• The lopped-off-skull-top scene in The Pacific (part 7) is one of the most disturbing scenes I've watched in a while. #
• Wrapping up some invoicing, watching Phillies with one last chance to catch the Giants. Off night for Doc Halladay. #
• Senators see privacy problem in Facebook expansion – Yahoo! News #
• Adobe tosses in Flash towel after Apple limits iPhone dev – #
• 10 must-have Firefox extensions for business – #
• Anybody have problems with Yoono & Firefox? FF crashed twice in one day after Yoono install. I disabled it for now. #
• Finished Ground Zero (Repairman Jack) PW a bit unfair in their review. R. Jack fans will enjoy it. http://amzn.to/9CTjpW #

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• @DarkWoofer That's crazy pricing! in reply to DarkWoofer #
• At Philly Book Festival, #1 NYT Bestseller @HarlanCoben (web client of mine) signed CAUGHT (his latest) for our @MMFundRaiser auction. #
• Signed up for Foursquare & downloaded the Blackberry app. Will this prod me to get out of the home office more often? TBD #
• Working (through a head cold) on various client website updates, wearing virtual blinders to stay on point. #
• Word is we will get a baseball bat signed by Phillies second baseman CHASE UTLEY for our @MMFundRaiser auction! #
• Our dog Bailey loves her new Proportions meal plan (3 packets) but the anticipation drives her crazy: #
• If you're having trouble with the Bailey bit.ly video link, here's the YT link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9ZkPiw2e-U #
• I uploaded a YouTube video — Bailey Wants Her Proportions Meal NOW! http://youtu.be/i9ZkPiw2e-U?a #
• @twignest For the most part. They have stare-owns now and then. I think dog wants to play, cat thinks it's a threatening move. in reply to twignest #
• Did you miss video of our dog Bailey's backwards circus walk & vocal anticipation of her Proportions meal: #
• YouTube – Our Bailey REALLY Wants Breakfast, but starts her day with a downward-facing-dog stretch: #
• I uploaded a YouTube video — Bailey REALLY Wants Her Morning Proportions Meal http://youtu.be/Gq0REcae184?a #
• Analyst: HTML5 far from killing off Web plug-ins | InfoWorld #
• Better change your passwords pronto. 1.5 million stolen Facebook IDs up for sale – InfoWorld #
• Launched a new client's website today. Always a good feeling. http://www.authorjoycurtis.com #
• Forgot Dr Who was on tonight. BBCA re-airs at 3am. DVR to the rescue! #

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• RT @TechCrunch I Admit It, The iPad Is A Kindle Killer. I Just Wish It Weren’t Going To Kill Reading. http://tcrn.ch/afOR7T #
• Congratulations to the Flyers! Took a final game OT shootout to get a playoff berth, but they're in. #
• Settling in with some client web work, with Phillies playing in the background. #
• New agency model pricing has had a chilling effect on my Kindle purchases. Anyone else delaying or canceling purchases until prices drop? #
• @DarkWoofer I created eBook formats for SHIMMER, so I know too! It's a substantial jump, 9.99 to 12.99 is a 30% price hike. in reply to DarkWoofer #
• @DarkWoofer What is the link you're referring to? in reply to DarkWoofer #
• Some of these challenges are ridiculous: `Twilight' series on list of challenged books – Yahoo! News #
• @angiebatgirl They might LIKE that aspect. They don't want kids to think too much! in reply to angiebatgirl #
• Reading 'The Ultimate Free Web Designer’s Icon Set (750 icons, incl. PSD sources)' (via @smashingmag) http://tinyurl.com/y5vt9zz #
• The tax man has taken his pound of flesh. Now, if I don't remember to course-correct, I'll walk in circles. #
• Thanks to Detra for ordering NINE copies of SHIMMER (Dark Quest Books edition); helps takes some sting out of tax day. #
• Has anyone had any problems using WordPress GUI with AOL's browser? Client is reporting bad screens using AOL. #
• Back from the Phila Book Festival. Got to meet (1st time) #1 NY Times Bestseller Harlan Coben, who is one of my web design clients. #

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• Working on client web sites, with Phillies & Roy Halladay about to get started in the background. #
• Users experiencing iPad technical issues | Mobilize – InfoWorld #
• Finished front & back postcard design for a web client. #
• ABC Readies Its New "Desperate Housewives Meets Buffy" Series: The Gates – #
• Finally have copies of Dark Quest Books edition of SHIMMER at my author store: (Amazon: ) #
• @angiebatgirl They haven't done Angel in a while. I think S&S is printing omnibuses (omnibi?) of past Buffy books. 3 per edition. Reprints. in reply to angiebatgirl #
• Just took advantage of the @sitepointdotcom 5-book eBook bundle for Kindle, iPhone, etc. #
• Okay, everyone here needs to make a commitment to read more books in 2010! Book Sales Fell 1.8% in '09 #
• "Teen readers… an age group that is not afraid to love a book." – The Future of Teen Reading – PW #
• This ridiculous APR heat wave is sapping my productivity. Way too soon to resort to A/C. Glad tomorrow will bring some relief. #
• @DarkWoofer hearing more and more about the glare, that you can't read in sunlight or even strong light. in reply to DarkWoofer #
• @DarkWoofer Think I found the culprit. I was using VersaTool (30 day trial); removed it two days ago. Since then, battery drain much better. in reply to DarkWoofer #
• @DarkWoofer Got burned waiting on Black Magic Sanction. Waited 40+ days for Kindle release, then the price jumped $8.99 to $12.99! in reply to DarkWoofer #
• @DarkWoofer I did NOT pre-order, though. That's the problem. I never expected the Kindle price to RISE. It's supposed to go down over time. in reply to DarkWoofer #
• @DarkWoofer Agency model is giving me a headache. They can discount hardbounds 40% or more but Kindle editions? Not a penny. in reply to DarkWoofer #
• After a mass mailing & some minor client web work, descended into Turbo Tax land. One day lost to taxes; tomorrow will be another. #

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• Trying to limit computer time today to give my eyes & mouse hand (RSI) a break; working on spring "honey do" list items instead. #
• DVR'd Dark Relic on SyFy last night. Can anybody tell me if it's worth watching? Or is it another SyFy cr@pf3st of a movie? 🙂 #
• @DarkWoofer I figured it would be. IMDB is still waiting for 5 reviews to post an average. in reply to DarkWoofer #
• IPad could be Kindle's first big threat in e-books – #
• Proud of my 3rd grade daughter who will be one of the students representing her school in this year's Doodle 4 Google contest. #
• Free Desktop Wallpaper Calendars: April 2010 (Easter Edition) – Smashing Magazine #
• Amazon Agrees To Let Publishers Set Prices for E-Books – #
• Just finished working up some comp logo samples for a client. #
• Trying to come back from 2 blue screens of death in the past 3 hours. Sigh… #
• @wordpress I'm a web designer who uses WordPress for multiple website clients. #
• As as a web design, this made me laugh. And could apply to many MySpace pages! (Dilbert 4/1/2010) #
• Working in some income tax prep in between client website updates. #
• Hope my brother-in-law has fun with his new iPad! And Happy Easter to all my Christian followers. #

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• Installed Turbo Tax Home & Business, and that always fills me with anxiety, thinking of all the time I'll lose doing taxes. #
• Busy MON, worked on client's mass emailing, bunch of errands, picked up dog from vet, another mass email on deck, another errand or two. #
• Google Strikes Back, Claims Viacom Secretly Uploaded YouTube Videos – Publishers Weekly #
• Debut Author Lands Deal with Help of AgentInBox – Publishers Weekly #
• Amazon Kindle Apps for Tablet Computers, including iPad: #
• Can Google Chrome only remember one user name & password combo per site? Tried to save a separate login & it forgot the first saved one. #
• Now that's it's all but over, I can honestly say today was one of the most frustrating days I've ever had in terms of getting work done. #
• @comcastcares Any way I can use my picture in picture (Sony TV) if I go through newly installed set top box & Comcast remote? #
• @ComcastBonnie Looks like I've lost PIP & the ability to use VCR on different channel, unless I split line, then only get basic channels. in reply to ComcastBonnie #
• @ComcastBonnie Is this switch to digital adapters & set top boxes going to affect everyone with PIP TVs? in reply to ComcastBonnie #
• @ComcastBonnie Do you know if the DVR boxes support PIP? They are $15.95 vs $9.95 for set top boxes. #
• YA Hot, Digital Not at Upbeat Bologna – Publishers Weekly #
• @ComcastBonnie I thought they might since they have two tuners built in. At least our HD DVR has two tuners. Don't have a non HD one. in reply to ComcastBonnie #
• A Supernatural "horsemen" episode with an absentee horseman? Obviously, it felt like something was missing. #
• Scholastic's Robinson Calls for Global Literacy Campaign – Publishers Weekly #
• '24' to end after current season – Yahoo! News #
• Anybody know how to check which Blackberry app may be running the battery down extra fast? Ubertwitter set to NOT run in b'ground. #
• @DarkWoofer The battery drain seems much more egregious lately. in reply to DarkWoofer #

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• 'Angelology': Supernatural thrill ride USATODAY: At Amazon [Kindle too pricey]: #
• Created a twitter acct for my family's pediatric brain tumor awareness event: @MMFundRaiser – Our walkathon benefits ABTA. #
• Baldacci says he has 'enriched' e-book on the way – Yahoo! News #
• Grisham releases 'The Firm,' 22 others as e-books – #
• Was going to re-watch all of LOST before we got to the end of the line, but now realize I'll never make it. Only 9 episodes left. #
• Writing some marketing copy for an author client has got me in a fiction-writing mood. Reminds me I need to get on track with the new novel. #
• Just wrapped up a bunch of client website updates. Time to switch from hot to cold caffeine. IV drip optional. #
• Eagles cleaning house: release Darren Howard & Kevin Curtis #
• Authors Guild Warns Again on e-Book Royalties – Publishers Weekly #
• RT @mashable Apple vs. Amazon: The E-Book War Rages On #
• What's Happened To Torchwood? – io9 #
• Spring has (practically) arrived and the bicycle pump attachment is missing. Compressor attachments also missing. No joy in kid-town. #

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• Did Tom Hanks have a plane to catch when he announced last night's best picture Oscar winner w/o mentioning the nominees? #
• @pinkelephantpun Good for you. Have you ever needed any serious care for you, or for your children? Or just doctor & rx co-pays? in reply to pinkelephantpun #
• Amazon graphic novel deals were too good to be true. Glitch Offers Super Discounts – PW #
• @SOCMusic Weirdly rushed. He almost jogged to the podium to blurt out the winner. in reply to SOCMusic #
• Energizer Bunny's software infects PCs | Security Central – InfoWorld #
• What to expect from HTML 5 | Developer World – InfoWorld #
• Amazon Drops Colorado Associates Program – Publishers Weekly #
• HP’s Windows 7 Slate Strikes at the iPad – Wired.com #
• Just worked up an email safe HTML newsletter for a client. We'll be doing an e-mailing any time now. #
• Got my copy of @sitepointdotcom 's JQuery: Novice to Ninja today. Started reading… #
• Profits Jump at Hachette; December E-book Sales Soar – Publishers Weekly #
• Vodafone HTC Smartphone Ships With Malware – #
• Our shelter dog underwent final treatment for heartworm today. Pick her up later, after observation. Week from now, they'll check for worms. #
• RT @TechCrunch TechCrunch Friday GiveAway: An Apple iPad #CRUNCH http://tcrn.ch/dva2yw #
• Wrapped up some billing work plus a client's mass mailing. Conditions outside are equal parts monsoon & swamp. "Spring" version of blizzard? #
• Re: Dinoshark. Should have followed my rule about never watching SyFy channel movies about underwater monsters. #

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• Tried to take it easy today but it was too much work. #
• My time has been scattered over various clients' website updates. I've decided I need to put more weekend in my weekend. #
• Just noticed in Audacity that one of the MP3 export ID3 tag options for genre is Porn Groove. Guess that means it official. #
• Just noticed in Audacity that one of the MP3 export ID3 tag options for genre is Porn Groove. Guess that makes it official. #
• Making the Case for iPad E-Book Prices – NYTimes.com http://nyti.ms/9RxYVk (The final quote by Anne Rice is telling.) #
• Now that I've read 11 books on my Kindle 2, it feels strange to be reading a "traditional" paperback book again. #
• I'm downloading the "fastest browser on earth": http://www.opera.com/ (finally out of beta) #
• @jessicamcminn Barely looked at it. Downloaded & installed some widgets. Chrome is closer to becoming my dev browser. Needs No Script though in reply to jessicamcminn #
• Google toolbar keeps offering to translate pages from Italian, Portuguese, etc. for me. Problem is, the pages are already in English. #
• @jacobhaddon Not sure iPad will hold up for novel reading: LCD vs e-Ink. Are Nook eBooks DRM'd? Can you convert to mobi & read on Kindle? in reply to jacobhaddon #
• @jessicamcminn Opera decided to make itself my DEFAULT browser. I hate when programs change file associations. I just changed it back. in reply to jessicamcminn #
• Publishers Weekly SF/F/H Reviews for 3/1/2010 – SF/FAN/HORROR Web Exclusives #
• My Blackberry Facebook app msgs won't OPEN in messages area. Tried reboot/reset. Still won't work. Reboot usually fixes quirky behavior. #
• @DarkWoofer Yep. Yanked battery. That fixes the bug where a chat stream won't open (usually Twitter's 40404 but always); didn't fix this. in reply to DarkWoofer #
• @jessicamcminn Maybe it's a server problem. Hope so. Because other than yanking the battery, I'm out of tricks. Guess could reinstall. Ugh. in reply to jessicamcminn #
• @DarkWoofer Good point. Facebook w/ Firefox has been a nightmare lately. in reply to DarkWoofer #
• Hulu, RIP…? Charging fees for Hulu comes with its own problems – #
• Barnes & Noble to Test Bundling e-Books, p-Books – PW: #
• Having son with inoperable brain tumor, this story interests my family. Vaccine may shift odds vs. deadly brain cancer #
• Burn Notice season finale was bad-ass. Great seeing Garret Dillahunt of Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles. New BN season starts June! #
• Harper Teen Pays Seven Figures for Debut YA Trilogy – PW #
• @jacobhaddon Seems to be working today. in reply to jacobhaddon #
• After the buzz saw that went through the Eagles' linebacking corps last year, I'm surprised they released Will WItherspoon #
• @twignest Yep. I watched it again with my sons, who missed the first airing. in reply to twignest #

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