Jen’s Weblog

This article in the Boston Globe points out issues with *new* signs around Boston.

It reminded me of This is Broken, a site from which UPA Boston printed several confusing signs (with Mark’s permission of course) and put them on a poster for World Usability Day.

After going back to the latter site, I think I should submit the cruise control lever from my 2007 VW Rabbit. I’ve been using it more lately, and let me tell you, there’s nothing like mistaking your cruise control for your turn signals. (But wait, I’m a driver in MA, I shouldn’t be using turn signals!!! Maybe that’s my problem.)

Before heading off to Swingin’ New England (SNE) this year, I watched my DVDs of the SNE bookends competition from 2006. I was wondering how anyone could possibly make this year’s same sex couple dancing funnier than last year…I thought for sure it was not possible. However, two of the same couples who had me in hysterics last year returned, sending me into the longest hardest laughing fit ever at approximately 1 am on Saturday night.  And for everyone’s viewing pleasure, both have been merged into one hysterical YouTube video.  I think one couple had a better dance, the other had better shock value. I’ll let you be the judge of which is which. (Oh, and please know that this is the only type of comp where such things happen; and hey, we *are* in Massachusetts. )

Hmmm…what can I say about Pickled Eggs?

A colleague at work hosted a gathering in our dept. where we ate pickled eggs and drank beer. (Yes I can do Coronas.) The reactions from people were funny. People loved them or thought they were kind of gross and wouldn’t even try them. I was surprised that I was used as bait for people who were afraid to try one: “Well, JEN ate one.” Maybe I’ll try jumping off a bridge next! LOL. So sure, I’d eat another one in future. Can’t say I’m jumping out of my skin to learn to make them though (sorry Kev, but it was fun)!

I’m no Zagat, that’s for sure! I wonder if Robert has eaten these, and what HIS review would be? (Robert if you’re reading this, send me an email. )

I came across this article the other day and it cracked me up, given that I’ve been roped into the whole Facebook thing.

BTW, my comments don’t seem to be working (again).

My site is now rather pink-ish in support of Pink for October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

OK, this bugs me enough to post it. For the mother/baby fox routine that Lacey and Sabra did in the So You Think You Can Dance finale (available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbe15CMHW64) I think it is SO wrong for the judges to have said things along the lines of “I don’t know how to judge that.” and “I guess Sabra nuzzled well.” yet have had a big positive reaction to Danny’s irritating clapping in his piece with Neil. I remember going to see Cats in NYC and being absolutely amazed at how well the dancers simulated feline movement. I don’t think that’s easy. And I thought Wade’s choreography was different and interesting, but I suppose it wasn’t the kind of rigged nonsense that gets the teeny bobbers to vote, so the judges had to poo poo it.  Now I’m not saying it was the best routine ever; I’m just saying I don’t see how foxes gets such a negative reaction and clapping gets so much praise. And while I’m at it, I don’t think it was fair for Nigel to have said that it’d be nice for a woman to win this year. Even being a woman, I think it should have gone to the best dancer, regardless of gender. (Who was Danny, IMHO.)

When I cringe about the town I came from, and you wonder why, here’s yet another reason:
Four Grandmothers Beaten With Hammer in Beauty Parlor Attack

(And the fact that the place is filled only with grandmothers and is still called a “beauty parlor” is yet more reason.)

My friend’s description leading up to sending me this link is also too funny not to post: “Wilkes-barre continues to reaffirm its position on the “hell hole” of the Western World list.”

I just went to see this movie with my friend Heather and it was TOTALLY amazing.

I used to watch the cartoon with my best friend Frank back in high school, for the half hour or so between when he would come by and my mom would give us a ride to school. So I was psyched to go see it, and even more psyched that Heather was into it too.

The movie was a great combination of great visual effects, action, humor, and reminiscence. (I had to go to the restroom in the middle of it and ended up running top speed to get back. Haven’t done that for a long time.) I nearly cried when Optimus Prime transformed for the first time, and without giving too much away, I’ll say I’m also really happy he didn’t have to die in this one. Oh, and the way they introduced each of the old characters was really cool too. I think my favorite was the air freshener in Sam’s camaro, which said “Bee-otch”. It was only then, along with the striping on the car that I realized it must be Bumble Bee. How cool is that!??

If Transformers was a part of your growing up, I’d highly recommend this movie!!

That is the name of the mystery restaurant where Justin took me last night for my birthday dinner. What an amazing place. I’ll admit it was a little bit weird being in a car and NOT knowing where I was being taken. For a while I thought he might have told me to dress up for mini golf at Kimball’s (since it was in that general direction and our last trip tor Kimball’s was what reminded him of the restaurant).

What a beautiful place and what a feast! I had a G&T and he had 2 glasses of wine; then we had what must be the best bread ever (and I’m not a big bread eater), then he had the Coq au Vin au rouge and I the File of Sole saute meuniere (lemon butter). Amazing. Everything just melted in your mouth. To top it off I had a cappuccino and we split the crepes Joelle, which was all real fruit and whipped creme (and yes, it definitely rivaled a chocolate dessert - now I think I see why my friend Eddie was always into the “fruity” desserts rather than chocolate). And what’s better than the bill coming and going “really? that’s IT??”

I’d highly recommend this place.

Here’s an interesting article I just read about the use of the term “users”. (It reminded me that I once heard that the only other community called “users” was…well, in relation to drugs.)

Though I didn’t read through ALL the comments, what strikes me is that no one mentions personas. I had a personal experience at a former company WRT this issue. When I started, people were all talking about “users” but no one really had a clear idea of what that meant. After interviewing people and compiling the data, we came up with a number of personas/user profiles, and gave them names and faces (stock photos). Soon, the thinking shifted from “we need to make this easy for the user” to “we need to make this easy for Ajay because he is trying to do <fill in the blank> and has <fill in the blank> knowledge and <fill in the blank> constraints.

Obviously there were a number of personas but it allowed us to focus our design on what was really important. In the end, we never said “the user(s)” anymore. I considered that a real accomplishment.