Bonus graph for Tuesday
Does not include this month
Does not attempt to correct for some nick changes
Does not attempt to include DJC’s brief impersonations (etc)
USSM Swag open question
So we’re making, approximately,
diddly
—
squat
on USSM stuff @ Cafepress (viewable here). We would like, I’d say, to make enough to pay at least Cafe Press’ fee for running the store. Here’s my question for you, dear readers: are there things we should be offering? Pushing them more? New designs? Or are we better off just punting the shop entirely if the items are going to be Cafe Press-level expensive? Read more
USSM re-floated, again
Thanks to everyone who helped out, now or before, by chipping in any amount of money. Grand total for the new box was just under $2,200. And if I may, this thing is faaaaaaaaaaaaast. It’s all yours, dear readers. I’m really happy – this was a long, stressful week backstage, as we fought with the box and getting a new server in while I had to turn around the copy edits for my book (received last week, due back tomorrow).
I find it amusing that when I checked in I found that once the site had gone back up, people went back to commenting on Dave’s last post without missing a beat or even noting we’d been down for a while.
If any of our fine readers are (or know) a decent accountant we could chat with, could you drop us a line? I’m not sure how we’re going to account for this thing.
Further bulletins as events warrant.
Google AdSense duplicate advertisers
In our occasional forays into using Google AdSense, one of the problems that’s made it not worth using is duplicate advertisers, particularly one company that I didn’t like because they ran those “free with survey” offers that you can find all kinds of complaints about all over the internet using barely different names and URLs which are all fronts for the same company with the same offer. I, being finicky and crotchety, don’t want USSM readers to see ads from them. But when they run many, many different sites, it’s hard to block.
I’ve been tinkering around with it a little more this weekend (obviously) and it’s back.
To wit:
a, “Free All-Star Baseball” game
b, “Free Baseball Blanket” game
Last chance for feed tomorrow
updated: nope, that was it, folks, you missed your chance
Birthdays of more than one kind
1. Happy birthday to USSM authors today. Congrats, Jeff!
2. I am as shocked as anyone to see my book’s on Amazon, available for pre-order. Check it out, I can build an Amazon link and everything:
I stared at the listing for a couple of minutes, jaw open, speechless.
Then I started to think:
– 256 pages? Really? We know that already? Because legal hasn’t even been through this thing yet and I’m willing to bet it sheds a fair chunk of text
– I guess we are going for the trade paperback, which is what I wanted because I’d much rather sell this thing at $11
– They’re using the original title I pitched? I never thought I’d get away with that (but then, Rob Neyer didn’t think they’d take “Rob Neyer’s Big Book of Baseball Lineups” seriously)
– April? I think it’s February
– I HAVE MY OWN ISBN
– But no Amazon Sales Rank or reviews, which is good because I’d probably only obsess over them
So yeah, it’s a skeleton listing, it doesn’t have any editorial or other information, and some of it’s (as far as I know) wrong, but — wow. I’m so happy.
I promise that I will happily autograph copies for any USSM reader who wants to lower the value of their book.
USSM Post-Season Feed 06 Details and RSVP
Friday, October 13th, ~6pm-8pm+, Capitol Hill, Seattle. About 50 people total. No announced special guests, just me, Jeff, Dave, you and a good four dozen or so other Mariner fans. We’ll probably do some Q&A, I’ll have some Q&A for everyone… good times. We may podcast any Q&A we do – Jeff’s considering how we’d pull this off.
Some space still available
$22 includes all the pizza you can eat (many varieties, lots of it), salad, soda, and a tip. If you want to order beer, we’ll talk about that at the feed but it’s not included in that $22. The food’s going to be great.
Generally, spots for Feeds go really fast, so I encourage you, if you want to attend, to do so as soon as you can.
To RSVP:
If you have or can use Paypal
1. Email us and say “Put me down for 12 people, please” (your number may vary). If you’re a vegetarian or have other pizza-related requests, let us know so I can get the pizza mix optimal.
2. We say “word” or something similarly awkward.
3. Using the handy information we will send you when you submit your RSVP, use Paypal to send us $22*number of people you’re bringing.
4. I mark you down as having paid on my sheet, and we’re good.
Unless you skip #3, and then I give your spot to someone else.
If you can’t use Paypal for technical, moral, or other reasons, but still feel you’re a valued member of the USSM community like, say, super-reader Paul Covert, who we wish would come by and comment sometime
Drop us a line and we’ll see what we can do.
USSM Post-Season Feed
Friday, October 13th, 6-8+, Capitol Hill, Seattle, ~50 or so spots open. We have a location secured and mucho food and beverages will be available.
No announced special guests, just the USSM crew and you and yours. We’ll probably do some Q&A, I’ll have some Q&A for everyone… good times.
RSVP instructions, cost, etc all to be announced shortly.
Please, if you can’t go, don’t leave a comment that says “I’d love to go, but” — we’d love to have you, but I need to keep this thread clean that’s annoying.
USSM Lab work today
Hi all, I’m back!
At some point today I hope to get caught up on USSM maintenence.
DONE Site fixes
DONE A long-overdue rewrite of the comment guidelines, depending on how the pressing list goes.
POSTPONED culling our massive registered user list for long-inactive people, which may help with some new user/back end problems (I may get back to this, the SQL has proved a little more challenging than I thought it would).
If you notice anything wonky, or if you’d like to see something added to the to-do list, please let us know.
Derek
Q13 in Review
Hey all,
Well, what a roller-coaster ride that trade deadline day was for the Mariners! As it turns out, Jason’s show-opening prediction (“I don’t see them doing much of anything”) bore itself out.
To boost my post-per-TV-appearance ratio, which is close to 1:1 these days, I figured I’d bust out a behind-the-scenes recap of what I thought went well at Q13 and what I thought could’ve gone better.
PRO
Didn’t use any profanity, ducking FCC violations
CON
Didn’t work in a reference to Nietzsche’s notion of eternal recurrence, losing a $10 bet for a friend
PRO
Called for Hargrove to be fired, called (indirectly) for Carl Everett to be euthanized
CON
Everett could catch on with Bellingham Bells. May then have to change appearance, check windows before leaving house, could end up with Barbaro’s head in bed
PRO
Got to see Derek dressed in his smooth suit
CON
No cosmetic artists on hand to make up Derek; digital camera/blackmail opportunity lost
PRO
Talked with Adrian Hanauer, the very nice G.M. of the Seattle Sounders, backstage in the green room
CON
After I mentioned how much I got into the World Cup this year, Vinnie pontificated on how boring soccer is (“I’m used to it,” said Hanauer)
PRO
Saw Q13’s spacious men’s bathroom, which actually has a sizable shower facility attached to it
CON
Now Derek wants to spend all the site contributions on a shower-centric interview facility for USS Mariner labs (Kidding; he already squandered the proceeds on that new tie)
PRO
Had great food and drinks at the Tap House (thanks, Dan)
CON
Had to drive back to Bellingham, so couldn’t safely quench prodigious thirst. Another time.
In all seriousness, we had a great time, and everyone at Q13 was super-nice. Hopefully we’ll get to do it again sometime. Also, I’m being real about ramping up my posting schedule, both here and at my new personal blog, which I’ll fire up tomorrow. It’s going to be an Aug. 1, 2006-Aug. 1, 2007 chronicle of my time in Okinawa. Check it out if you’re so inclined.