Want a free .com domain?

No really. Completely free from GoDaddy just for signing up for a newsletter. I thought there'd be some sort of catch, too, but I did it last night and didn't even have to put in credit card information. If you already have a GoDaddy account it's even easier because you don't have to register....sign in, pick your domain, put in the source code it sends you, and voila!

It covers registration for one year ($9.99) plus the ICANN fee. After a year, you'd have to renew, but hey, if you no longer want it or you didn't ever get around to using it, no big deal...let it expire and you still don't have to pay anything. There's no harm in snatching up your domain now, though, so you might as well grab it -- at least that was my reasoning and I didn't need any more domains than I already have! Lol.

Here's the link.

It'll ask you to put in a friend's email address, too, but you can simply put in another email address of yours if you don't want to share. They can get a free domain or other discounts, too, though, so if you know anyone who is interested, pass it on. There's also IndyCar discounts (which is what this promotion is all about....IndyCar Series), so you might want to check out the link regardless of your domain desires.

And just so you know, I don't get anything out of giving you the link other than being excited about new domain names because I was thrilled to get a free one myself. There's no affiliate link, no spamming, no extra bonus for me. I just think it's really cool and I know some people are hesitant about getting their own domains or putting out the upfront money....but it's like a free year trial here, so I'm sharing the wealth, hehe. Enjoy! And let me know if you run into any problems or need help.....and especially let me know about your new sites so I can come check them out once they're up and running!

Special thanks to Kat for mentioning it in the first place. :)

You guys should be so proud of me!!

With all the stuff that's going on right now, I was beginning to wonder if I'd be able to post ahead like I was hoping to.

Well wonder no more! A couple nights ago, I spent a few hours getting posts made up. Yes, I should've been packing or writing papers or preparing for the summer or doing all sorts of other things.

But I didn't. I sat down, opened up my folder of "things to blog," and went at it. I wrote up 15 posts (still shocked I got through that many!) and spaced them out so that I have posts no more than 5 days apart (they're 2 or 3 days apart in June, and more spaced in July in case I have some time to make up more posts).

I'm quite happy with all the stuff I got posted about, but now I'm antsy because I want you guys to see some of it 'now', not 2 months from now, lol. If you want a sneak peek, you can get a taste of the pictures I'm using for some of them in QJ's photobucket account.

Automatic posting finally!

So I haven't had the chance to really stack posts yet and I haven't in the past because if I have to stop by to manually post it, then I could just write the post then.

Now that Blogger has finally made it possible to future date posts so that they'll automatically post on that date, I'm thrilled. It's been my biggest, and pretty much only, complaint about Blogger. It seemed like every other blogging platform had the feature, so even though I preferred using Blogger, I was always jealous of that feature.

Once again, this summer I'll be away working at a camp, and won't really be here to post a whole lot. I'm really hoping to have the chance to get at least a few posts made up in advance, though. I haven't been here much lately because life is too hectic, but that means my "to blog" folder is absolutely overflowing. I have so many things I want to post about -- it's insane!

Cross your fingers that I'll catch a break between now and the time I leave, so I can get a few more posts ready to go and this place won't fall apart while I'm gone.

Creative Blog Titles--Part 2

Back in November 2006, not long after I entered the blogging world, I made a quick post about creative blog titles I'd run across. There were only three and it was a tiny post, but little did I know that it would bring daily traffic here as I'm the top search result for "creative blog titles."

Given that the previous post doesn't do the topic justice at all, I want to do a revamped version, with more of a "how-to" twist, because that's usually what people are looking for. I have another short list of blog titles that fit the category of "creative" like llamib....or "llamas are missing in bangladesh."

But before I start, I want your input. What are some "creative" tips you'd give and are there any really out-there blog titles that are worth mentioning and I might not know about? Here's your chance to give some blog love to your pals or even toss out your own blog name (I know you lurkers are there, hehe).

Meet me (and all the other bloggers) at Bloggeries

Bloggeries

I really meant to get this posted sooner guys and the delay has been for the simple reason that I wanted to put an in-depth review and reasoning for posting it.

But that hasn't happened and I'm never going to get this out here if I don't just write something up and post it.

I previously posted about a forum and later on, decided that I didn't want to support it after all. I'm not one to make the same mistakes twice, so I've given this one plenty of time before endorsing it.

And by "endorse," I mean, "give free linky love because I can't offer much else," lol.

So what is Bloggeries? The main site is a blog directory, but it's the behind-the-scenes forum that really has my attention. I've been posting there for months and met a lot of great people while gather tons of helpful information. It's one of those places where it doesn't matter how new or old to the world you are (in this case, the "blogging world"), you still have a blast and get something out of it.
Rob is running a contest this month for referrals and while I don't usually jump in on referral contests, I figured it was perfect timing to let my blogging friends here know about it. The idea is to get people to sign up and make at least 10 posts, which is easy to do once you get in there because there's tons of stuff to post on and you won't even notice you're doing it. The 10 posts is so you can post in the section to "show off your blog" and avoid those spammers.

You'll get hooked before you know it anyway because it's not one of those forums where it's all about spamming your link all over the place. If you're into making money tips, it's there. If you'd rather learn the basics of blogging, that's there. Considering podcasting or selling your blog? There are sections for those, too.

The best part is, I'm there, hehe. Okay, so maybe that's not the best part, but it's a perk, right? Please say yes, lol. Within a few weeks of actually posting there, I earned the name "resident smiley queen" because I add in quirky smileys where ever I deem appropriate around there, so I've got the fun and games part covered, too. If you're into just hanging out and getting to know other bloggers (like me!) in an atmosphere different than blog posts or following around comments, head on over.

Let me know you're there, too, so I can bring a quirky smiley just for you. ;-)

Unsent Letters--Quirky Style

Just wanted to let you guys know that I've finally started working on one of my other blogs. I don't have much time to dedicate to any one given site right now, but I hate just having a dead domain sitting there with no life.

I'll be offering up the chance for people to guest blog and post their own quirky letters at some point (with links back to your place, of course), so keep that in mind for the future. :)

Unsent Letters

Check out Ferox

Ferox and I cross paths on a couple of sites, but I don't think I've ever linked to her blog here before. After seeing the image above, though, I couldn't put it off any more. Isn't that amazing? She has a couple different blogs (including one she writes as a vet student and another on D&D) and writes for Associated Content, so be sure to look around and explore all she has to offer. You won't be disappointed. :)

~Edit~ I had this postdated for today, but it looks like Ferox is the first guest blogger over at BlogEngage now, too. Perfect timing, I suppose.

PJC--T-Shirts for your blog

B-Tees has several t-shirt designs for bloggers with catch phrases like "I blog to myself." From what I heard through the grapevine, he'll do requests, too, so if you're interested in, check him out!

(Are you guys open about your blogging practices to the "outside world"? Would you wear blogging related products? The site also has bags and such, but I know a lot of people don't talk about it offline...)

Photo Journal Challenge

February was a slow month around here and part of it was because I decided I'd jump on the bandwagon for March. NaBloPoMo has gone monthly, but posting every day, all year long, is not my thing at all. I just don't have the time for that. Allison decided that for March, why not just do photos, though? Pictures are worth a thousand words....so why not just let the photos speak for themselves?

Well, knowing me, I won't do too well with 'just' posting a photo, but I don't think I'll be writing novels this month either. I'm gonna do what I can to post a photo a day, with or without words. Considering the majority of this blog has a photo with every entry anyway, that part won't be hard at all. This time, though, I'm gonna 'start' with the photo, and go from there, I think. Depending on my time and schedule, though, there will likely be non "PJC" posts along the way, too.

I probably should've told you ahead of time, but it's just now the weekend for me to get around to it! If you want to join in, come on in and start posting those photos! It'll be fun. :D

My Brand New Brand--Having Trouble Coming Up with a Domain Name?

Having trouble coming up with a site name or just wanna see how many variations a keyword comes up with? My Brand New Brand seems to have it all. If you're interested in the domain part of things, you can also quickly check to see if each name suggestion is available. It's a UK based site, so the price quotes aren't right for many of you readers, but you get the idea. I wish I would've seen this site before because I probably would've used some of the names instead of quirkyjessi. So many choices!! (200 suggestions using the word "quirky"....I never would've been able to decide!)

Wanna Be Lazy at the Office but Not Get in Trouble?

This gal links to a YouTube video that shows some funny tips about how to look busy, but not really 'be' busy. Most of them look like so much work that I might as well just work and get it over with!

The exception to that rule that many of you bloggers/blog readers might appreciate is this site, though. It's a website that will transform any website to look like it's in a Word document! She gives some great screenshots over there with the video, so go check it out.

The YouTube link won't play within the post, so here's the direct link to it.

New Year's Non-Resolutions

I considered doing an "end of the year" type post, but then put it off long enough that I didn't have the time to....and was glad I hadn't after seeing everyone else in the internet world doing a million and one lists of "end of the year" type compilations.

But then I was tagged.

I was called out.

I was infected.

Ew.

And now I feel this strange urge to follow the instructions I was given. I blame this chica.

It's all Emily's fault.

Hmph.

Alright, so enough whining, pouting, fussing, link lovin', line draggin', puttin' it off. Here's the meme:

What you do is list 7 New Year’s resolutions you are not going to do in 2008 year based on 2007’s results......~Well, and then a bit of instructions about who I'm supposed to tag, but I don't tag, so uh, nevermind.

I haven't really done resolutions the last few years....but these are non-resolutions, so they're okay, right? Stealing Emily's format with a quick copy and paste, I'm also going to steal some of her non-resolutions, too. How's that for creative laziness? :P

1. I will NOT check my multiple email accounts, blog stats, discussionboards/forums every chance I get. The world will not come to a crashing halt if I do not reply to something right away. (This is so hard to do with a straight face/cooperating fingers....)
   
2. I will NOT spend my every waking hour either online or thinking about the online world.
   
3. I will NOT break out into hysterics the next time I talk to the tech lady who informs me that she doesn't know when my internet will come back...and suspects it'll be at least a few more hours (after almost all day of it already being off!!)
   
4. I will NOT dehydrate myself because I don't want to part ways with my computer to go fill a water bottle down the hall.
   
5. I will NOT break every healthy eating rule in the book because I'm too comfy in bed with my laptop to bother to move for something more complex.
   
6. I will NOT spend my time at work doing menial things online instead of working hard on my school work.
   
7. I will NOT base whether my day is good or bad according to what happened online or whether my day was "online-worthy."

Okay, so they all revolve around my online activity...what can I say? I'm addicted. And I'm okay with it. Hehe.

Win a Blogging for Dummies book--Confession of a Housewife

For all you bloggers out there, this is your chance at an easy belated Christmas gift for yourself. Confessions of a Housewife is holding a contest where you have various ways to earn chances to win a copy of the book. You can:

1. Subscribe to her RSS feed for 5 entries.

2. Write a post on your blog about this contest linking to her blog for 10 entries.

3. Stumble this post for 2 entries.

What can be easier than that? Nothing. So go check her out for your chances to win. And if one of you win the book, you can thank me for tuning you into it later. ;-)

The 'Real' History of Blogging

Actually, it's just the origins of the word "blog" and a few other little tidbits, but I still thought it was rather convenient to run across this today after my post yesterday. I didn't go searching for the history...didn't even consider it actually....but this was a quick, informative read.

(Comic found here.)

The History of Blogging

I found this on Indecisive Peach (she shows Demon Kitty, too, so click on over there) quite a while ago and tossed it into my "Things to Blog" folder. Well, I'm just now getting back to it, so here it is. The history of blogging, all summed up into one image. Pretty cool, huh? Hehe.

Custom Domain on Blogger.....And What Should It Be Called?

Alright, so I've been doing more research and now I've come to a dead-end for the time being. First of all, I checked out a few of the different recommended hosts for my site and found a few that similar really similar in terms of service, satisfaction, and prices.

(Speaking of which, April, you recommended Bluehost. I can't get to your blog because you have your Blogger profile set to private. All the reviews I read for Bluehost complained of downtime....do you experience much of that or is it exaggerated by huge businesses losing money by a tiny bit of downtime? Also, if you stop back by and comment again, leave me a link to your site so I can come by and see you. :) And so I can link to you when I say stuff like this! Hehe.)

Anywho, all that aside, I remembered that Blogger now allows us to publish to our custom domain without actually having to host it somewhere ourselves. I'm seriously considering this as a first step for me, so I don't have to devote the time to completely rebuilding a new site and maintaining it. I can keep my blog, continue tweaking the HTML, and have my own domain as I originally wanted in the first place.

Two questions, though:

• One--Has anyone done this and how did it work out for you? Okay, so that was kinda two questions on its own, but it was the same sentence and the same subject, so leave me alone! :P
• Two--What domain should I use? Any of the basics like quirky.com or quirkiness.com are of course taken. QuirkyJessi.com is open, but do I want that? (Shush it...still on the same subject/question...it doesn't count as more than one.) The name of this place is "The Quirky World of Jessi," but it's rarely about me anyway, so I'm thinking something more like TheQuirkyWorld.com might be better. I say that because it's available and other combinations aren't necessarily. Neither is that memorable, in my opinion, especially since most people end up spelling Jessi with an 'e' or 'y' or 'ie', so if they heard it or were trying to remember it instead of just clicking a link, they're unlikely to end up at my place. It's directly linked to my name and even though people I meet across blogs/forums know me as such, it's quirky 'stuff' that I blog about (that's taken, heh). I know the simplest of solutions would be to buy both and forward to one or the other, but if I'm keeping with Blogger, then they only automatically forward to one place, and I'd have to deal with the other. And then, which is it that I would want as the main site.

Your guys' turn to help me out again! Which domain should I buy?

Amerideutsch Has Left the Blogging World Without a Trace

So Amerideutsch is gone. I don't know why. I don't know what sparked it. And I don't know if she'll ever be back....but it doesn't look like it. I can't link to her because the site is completely gone....not even archives are left and the post I saw last night that briefly told that it was over and she was headed back to reality has even disappeared by this evening. I'm glad I saw it or I wouldn't know what was up and I'd just assume the site was down and would be back shortly. Sadly, that is not the case.

Here's the first time I mentioned her (and the second when I give her a shout out).....the first time I randomly linked to someone and was shocked to find them commenting on my post within days. I was kind of embarassed because I really didn't think she'd follow me back...after all, I hadn't contacted her....but I was new to blogging and she was the first blogging 'friend', of sorts, that I checked in on frequently and we often commented back and forth on each other's pages. Of course, neither of us really knew one another and we never spoke outside blog comments, but it's disheartening, nonetheless.

I suppose the most shocking part is that there was no warning. There was no post about how she wasn't sure she'd want to continue blogging. In fact, she'd just posted about how she'd signed up for NaBloPoMo....which meant she'd be posting for 30 days straight, starting in a couple weeks. And now the site is completely gone without a trace of her ever being there or a hint at what happened. This isn't just a blog that gets tossed into my hiatus blog folder to be checked back in on in a few months.....it's gone. And it's sad. Bye bye Lisa. ;-(

Blog Surfing

So for the four hours of my shift at work, I've been blog surfing. Not only did I check every single one of the blogs that I have listed in my bookmarks and in RSS feeds, but I also spent much of the last 2 hours flipping through last year's NaBloPoMo Randomizer.

I'm posting here sparingly at the moment because I have so many ideas and would like to save some of them for November....but that, of course, means the anticipation is slightly getting to me and I'm browsing everyone else's blogs twice as much, lol. I've found a few new additions to my regular readers, but I'm not sure that's a good thing....how will I find the time??

Anywho, just a quick meaningless update to warn you of the time-draining blog surfing addiction. Be careful!

More Blogaversary Fun Part II--Visitor Facts

Hey, my blog birthday/anniversary only comes once a year, so I might as well use the time to see how it went this last year. Here are some facts about the people who visited Quirky:

• Depending on which site I check, there were approximately 4000 'different' people who clicked in. (The highest quote was for 6100 different people, so who knows?)
  
• 51% of those were Firefox users. Woohoo Firefox!!
  
• 1 visitor used the browser "gzip" which I've never heard of, heh.
• 9 unlikely visitors were actually still on dial-up. I wasn't even sure if that was still around. I'm sorry for all the graphics that probably lagged up this minority like crazy, lol.
• 1% of the visits were made by users with Linux, and almost 8% from Mac users. I'll never understand Mac users, but I love the quirky ads they put out and the strange loyalty is almost worth investigation. 4100 visitors were using Windows XP. Yes, that's more than the 4k unique visitors quoted in the first one, but the stats were from different places and I took the lower number for the visitors, lol. There's no way of knowing who to believe!
  
• 3 visits were made on a computer running only 8-bit color. Um, which 8 colors are those? :P
  
• Over a third of people's resolutions are set for 1024x768, but there were actually 6% who were using 800x600.
  
• An overwhelming amount of visitors were from the United States. I'm not feeling much foreign love. :(

Okay, I think I'm done with the stat exploring, hehe.

More Blogaversary Fun--A Year of Strange Searchers

I used to post every so often about the weird search topics that brought people here, so now that I've hit the one mark, I thought I'd list some of the oddest searches.

• "see my panties"
• "a portmanteau of the phrase snide remark "
• "college student" +"instant noodle" +statistic
• "opposite of italicized"
• "pink elephants and lemonade" meaning
• "let go of my ears" tattoo
• 7bdef5f98fd316a934e1408d31a08a28b029d27908a2b8b1
• a torso pops out!
• all the participants in world toilet expo 2006 in thailand, email addresses and fax numbersare ramen noodles poisonous
• craving carrots all of a sudden
• diethylene glycol antifreeze ice cream
• emoticon bra clip
• fizzy pamplemousse
• grandma got swallowed by the internet
• hobo symbol for kind lady
• how many chairs fit around 76" dining room table
• my sandwiches smell like bananaspie selling: whole or slice
• sex in the 60s
• shakespeare beer joke
• take care of a virtual pet that's a mammal.
• under the desk you will see a rusty razor blade and a bottle of scotch. remove your own appendix.
• "i told my mom what i had just seen. then my mom got scared, she"

I was going to make a comment on each one, but for the most part, my reaction is simply WTF? I have no idea what some people were looking for when they searched for these things and mistakenly ran across my site, lol.