annabethvox's blog

Thursday Thunks - 2/4/10

Thursday Thunks for 2/4/10

Thursday Thunks

1. You walk into a room, someone turns and looks at you and laughs. What do you do?

Ask what is funny. :) If they are just a rude person, they will just laugh more or have something childish to say.  If they are a friend of mine, then it's probably a joke I want in on. ;)  My friends and I laugh a lot :)

2. You find an egg, take it home and keep it warm. It hatches. What type of dinosaur is it? Do you keep it and name?

It's a T-Rex! Well, I would need more room in my yard if I kept it. Maybe I'd ask if I could let it live at my dad's place, since they have acres of land. :D What would I name my dinosaur? TANK.  :D  haha

3. Which superhero would you want to be related to and why?

SUPERMAN. wait...if I'm related to him I can't marry him...let me rethink this....

4. A drunken sailor comes up to you on the pier...he begins harassing you in a most repulsive way....what'll be your defense?

My foot would introduce itself to his family jewels. :D

5. Entering a CLASS A piano bar, you're encouraged to sing atop the grand instrument...you grab the microphone and sing.....

A Brenda Lee song.  Maybe "Dum Dum" or "Sweet Nothings"

6. If you were a character in a Dr. Seuss book/movie, who would you be and why?

Absolutely no idea!

7. If you have just been called to be a substitute in the Winter Olympics for your country (apparently everyone else was busy), what sport(s) will you compete in?

Snowboarding! Ok, I don't know how, but I'd love to be able to do that. :)  I'd say skating of some sort, but I can't stand up on ice skates to save my life. lol

8. Did the audience from the piano bar in question #5 applaud when you were done with your song?

Doubtful...maybe if I were wearing a low cut top....

Thursday Photo Challenge: The Unusual

Photo Challenge for this week is: Weird or Unusual
http://www.spunwithtears.com/thursday.html

I wandered around the library and found this odd little guy on my co-workers desk. It's a highlighter! He's kinda cute.  hehe :)

Highlighter

Questions, questions :)

1. What time did you get up this morning?
6:20am...thanks to my barky dogs.

2. How do you like your steak?
very well done

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Avatar

4. What is your favorite TV show?
Smallville, X-Files, Dancing with the Stars

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Alaska or maybe Iceland. but I think I'd miss the trees in Iceland, so I'll stick with Alaska. :)

6. What did you have for breakfast?
a poptart.

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Greek/Mediterranean

8. What foods do you dislike?
liver, seafood, processed meats, eggs, soda pop

9. Favorite Place to Eat?
at home :)

10. Favorite dressing?
eh, not really a dressing fan. I'd say Caesar, if anything.

11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
my car is dead at the moment. :(

12. What are your favorite clothes?
skirts

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Japan

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
it's always 1/2 full :)

15. Where would you want to retire?
Alaska :D ... or Iowa. ;)

16. Favorite time of day?
early mornings...like 3am-ish :)

17. Where were you born?
Iowa

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
NFL

19. Who do you think will not tag you back?
doesn't matter! :)

20. Person you expect to tag you back first?
who knows :)

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
Everyone. I love reading these!

22. Bird watcher?
I do like watching the birds...and listening to them. :)

23. Are you a morning person or a night person?
morning, but I'm stuck on a pattern of being a night person b/c of my job.

24. Do you have any pets?
I have two dogs, Annie and Angel

25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
uhm...my birthday is tomorrow. lol I'm turning 33...which seems like a good number. :)

26. What did you want to be when you were a little person?
Nurse, teacher, veterinarian, neurologist, meteorologist, orchestra director, artist...and secretly a dancer (but I never told anyone that lol)

27. What is your best childhood memory?
I don't know, really. My best childhood memories are of times when I was at G'ma and G'pa's house for various family get-togethers. :)

28. Are you a cat or dog person?
Dog

29. Are you married?
nope

30. Always wear your seat belt?
yes, always

31. Been in a car accident?
yes

32. Any pet peeves?
actors who pretend to play the violin and do it badly. people talking on cell phones.

33. Favorite Pizza Toppings?
veggies :)

34. Favorite Flower?
Lily

35. Favorite ice cream?
can't have ice cream...but I'd pick chocolate :)

36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Tasty Tacos :)

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
once...but only because I was using my friend's car and the passenger seat belt would not work (never had a problem before or after that instance).  So, I guess I didn't fail...I just didn't get to take it.  Guess I wasn't meant to take it. :)

38. From whom did you get your last email?
Mass email from the college I work at.

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
used book store

40. Do anything spontaneous lately?
I like routine...but you never know what each moment brings.  Heck, I don't even know when I'll need to pee.  That's spontaneous.  I thought I was gonna go make a sandwich and then bam! I gotta pee.  See?  Spontaneous.  ;) LOL

41. Like your job?
yes...but I need more hours and benefits!!

42. Broccoli?
LOVE

43. What was your favorite vacation?
Europe - the 2nd trip when we toured many countries :)

44. Last person you went out to dinner with?
well, I went to Subway with Dad, but then ate the food with the family at the grandparents house....does that count?  If not...then it would be Crystal. :)

45. What are you listening to right now?
Rose pushing in chairs in the library.

46. What is your favorite color?
Red, but I like all color :)

47. How many tattoos do you have?
none

48. How many are you tagging for this quiz?
none :)

49. What time did you finish this quiz?
8:38pm

50. coffee drinker?
mocha espressos from time to time, but I like herbal tea better :)

10 Best Movies You’ve Seen Lately

10 Best Movies You’ve Seen Lately

I decided to go through my movie reviews at Flixster and choose my 10 highest rated movies for the past year. I'm sure I forgot to review a few though. LOL I'm just tired and hungry and not willing to think to hard at the moment.

The Road was AMAZING. It should be getting award nominations and WINNING. Avatar for best picture? It was a technological feat and should certainly get those awards, but Best Picture? omg, NO. It was not a best picture at all.  The Road is, quite simply, the most perfect movie I've ever seen.  It is a perfect example of book to screen adaptation and the acting was superb.  I'm completely disgusted at Hollywood right now for overlooking The Road and the actors involved. :(

1. The Road
2. Up
3. Star Trek
4. Once
5. Julie & Julia
6. Watchmen
7. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
8. The Proposal
9. Knowing
10. Secret Life of Bees
    

QotD: Groundhog Day

In celebration of Groundhog Day, which day would you like to live again and again and again?

I don't think I would want to live any day over and over again.  I like growing and changing and experiencing new things.  It is the essence of life.  :)

Silly Meme :D

1. Spell your name without an E,R,S,H,K,I,M,L,N or Y:
 ----- ----tt- Ba----

2. What is your favorite number?
absolutely no clue. maybe 3 or 333, since I always seem to notice the clock at 3:33

3. What is your favorite color?
Red, but honestly I love all color :)

4. Least favorite color?
uh...puke green? LOL

5. What are you listening to?
the wind blow outside :)

6. What is your favorite subject in school?
It was math when I was in school. Actually, I loved all my classes...especially music, art, math, science, literature...

7. Do you shop at Abercrombie?
I have to say, I'm not even entirely sure what that is. Certainly never bought anything there.

8. Do you have money?
none, presently. :(

9. Where do you wish you were right now?
I'm good right where I am. :)

10. What should you be doing right now?
eating, my tummy is doing backflips to get my attention!

THE CANS:

Can you blow a bubble? Yes
Can you do a cart wheel? Yes
Can you touch your toes? Yes
Can you wiggle your ears? Not sure. I don't think so.
Can you touch your tongue to your nose? Nope

THE DIDS:
Did you ever want to be a doctor? yes. A nurse or a Neurologist
Did you ever want to be a fire fighter? actually, yes - it's always fascinated me.
Did you ever want to be a teacher? yes, always. And I am one!
Did you ever break the law? I got a speeding ticket once.

THE DOS:
Do you like rollercoasters? I like them, but they don't like me. I puke. :(
Do you own a bike? lol, yes, but it got left in Ohio accidently - so I don't really own one anymore. haha!
Do you like football? Love it!
Do you have a shopping addiction? I hate shopping with a passion.

THE DOES:
Does your family have family picnics? from time to time. :)
Does your wallet have any pics in it? no, I keep those in my phone/iPod
Does a soft answer turn away wrath? well, that's the hope and it's what I try to do

THE LASTS:
Last person/people you hung out with? (Not counting mom, since I live with her) - I saw my grandparents, aunt Donna, and dance class on Sunday night.
Last text message? The college announcing they were closed for the day b/c of the blizzard
Last baby you held? My nephew Jack

LAST THING?
What was the last thing you bought? wow, uhm....can't remember. I haven't had money in so long. Probably some groceries.
What was the last thing you had to drink? Hot cocoa with cinnamon
What was the last thing you watched? the Weather Channel
What was the last thing you read? bookwise...I'm re-reading Moby Dick right now.
What was the last thing you hand wrote? wow, uh...probably the grades on my students homework assignments....last week.

THE WHOS
Who last talked to you on the phone? momma
Who was the last person you took a picture of? person: mom. Last picture taken was of the snow.
Last person to leave you a comment? Bryan just left me a comment on Facebook.
Who do you miss right now? Crystal
Who last hugged you? my dogs. haha! (no, j/k). My grandparents :)

CURRENTLY:
What color shirt are you wearing? white
Have any tattoos? no thanks
Have you any piercings? not anymore
Straight hair or curly? straight
Where are you? in my bedroom

HAVE YOU EVER
Seen a goose kissing a moose? not even sure I've ever seen a Moose.
Accomplished a life goal? yes
Sang in front of a crowd? many times - but not solo

SIX THINGS YOU WILL FIND IN YOUR ROOM
Annie (my dog)
My laptop
My DVD's
My marble collection
My iPod
lots of Asian stuff

FOUR THINGS ON YOUR MIND
the snow
Crystal
food (so hungry!)
Argentine Tango steps

When was the last time you really laughed? yesterday - while laughing at the meteorologist on TV. :)

Do you drink milk straight from the carton? I don't drink milk

Who was the last person who told you they loved you? grandparents, mom

When was the last time you sang out loud? Sunday

What did you have for breakfast? peanut butter, honey and bread

Is your birthday on a holiday? no, it is close to Valentine's Day though.

What instant messaging service do you use? If I use them at all, it would be Yahoo or Skype; also sometimes Facebook chat.

Are you signed on it right now and if so, who are you talking to? Not signed in
 
Can you cook? yes, I love cooking

Did you have a nap today? no, but I'm in serious need of one. Hardly any sleep last night

What do you wear more, jeans or sweats? I'd say it's about even - though I hardly wear either one.

What is your birth date? Feb 3

Do you use an alarm clock? my Blackberry alarm

What color is your favorite shoe? black...I don't really have a favorite pair of shoes though. Most of my shoes are black.

Are you a social or antisocial person? I'm not anti-social, but I'm not terribly social. Sort of a quiet wallflower. :)

Do you have a tan? no. I wear lots of sunscreen - the sun is bad for your skin these days.

Ever had braces? nope

Have you ever been in a mosh pit? I've been in a mud pit. haha

Do you always wear your seatbelt? ALWAYS.

What is your favorite fruit? hmmm.....maybe pears? I just love all fruit. Sooooo yummy. :)

Where is one place you want to visit? Alaska

Have you ever crawled through a window? yep

Are you a morning person or a night person? I love the morning. and I love the night too. Not too fond of mid-day - it's the hottest, brightest, loudest, most annoying part of the day. ;)

Are you a forgiving person? yes

Are you taller than 5'6? nope!

Downtown!

Went downtown with mom today and took some pictures.  Also, I've got some random pictures of Annie and campus.

Iowa State Capitol Building

Capitol from corner

River

River Outdoor Amphitheater

heading downtown

Our tallest skyscraper

Courthouse

Mom and I

The AE Dairy Cow Heads

The giant AE Dairy Cows

Annie enjoying the shade Anni

Looks like Annie is giggling

Annie enjoying the day

Annie checking out the camera

walking across campus

Trip to the Zoo

Last weekend, Mom and I babysat Julia, a 4yo family friend. We went to the zoo (and the heat index got up to 103, so we didn't stay too long - ended up at Dairy Queen, Julia's "favorite ice cream place EVER!" lol).

Here are the pictures from the zoo trip:

Pretty!

Birdie Birdie Birdie

Peacocks

Loner

Little Turtle

Emu!

Pheasant

White Swans

Baby Swan

Willow Tree (my favorite)

Julia and the Giant Tortoise

Llama

Buck the Llama

Alexander the Goat

Timid Goat

Feeding Billy the Goat

Julia under the bone structure

Camel Ride!

Wave!

Lion nap

King of the Hill

Leopard

Tiger

Tiger

Happy Feet (and friends)!

Julia

QotD: Slumber Party

If you had to invite five friends or celebrities (or a combination of both) to a slumber party at your house tonight, who would you include and what movies would you rent?

I guess I'll just go for the girls. :)  It's hard to narrow to just 5! So, I'm going with 5 of my girl friends who love Smallville....and we will watch Smallville and Superman!

Crystal, Kim, Heidi, CylonBetty, and Faith :D

Twitter API - What the heck is it?

I've noticed that there are many tweeters out there that find the "API requests" aspect of Twitter very confusing.  Twitter doesn't do a very good job of explaining it, either.

I used to be one of these people...and no matter how many times I asked, I never got a good answer.

That is, until I found TweetDeck.  TweetDeck actually gives you a report of how many API requests you have sent and how many you have left in each hour - and it allows you to set how many requests you want to make an hour.

This information helped me to understand what and API really is...and I thought I'd share that with everyone else.  :)  It's extremely helpful if you use clients and are an avid tweeter like me.  I haven't gone over my API limit since I figured all this out. :)

So, here's the deal.

Think of API requests as a question you are asking a teacher in class.  Everytime you ask a question, you get an "API" mark on the board.  You are allowed a certain number of questions per class.  (It's not a perfect analogy, I know. lol)

So, basically, everytime you refresh the Twitter webpage, those are API requests.  One request for each refresh.

Now, if you are using a client like TweetDeck or Twhirl, then everytime the client asks Twitter for a list of all your friend's tweets, it is an API request.  And, everytime the client asks for your newest @replies, that is an API request.  So, everytime a client refreshes...it is using up at least two API requests.  If you are also getting your Direct Messages in your client, then that is a 3rd API request each refresh.

Twitter allows a certain number of these API requests per user, per hour.  It varies, depending on how friendly Twitter is being at the time.  ;)  (that pesky Fail Whale)  Usually, it is between 70 requests to 100 requests per hour.  It's best to stick to 70 or 80 per hour, to avoid going over your limit, since Twitter doesn't really tell you what the current API is.  (Once, it was down to 40 API per hour!)

Now, if you are just using the website to read your tweets, just make sure you are refreshing less than 70 or 80 times an hour and you should stay under the API limit. (Remember, looking at your @replies and DM's are additional API requests).

If you use a client, many of them offer a feature to set how many requests you want to make.  Then, the client will automatically refresh for you every minute or two minutes or ten minutes...depending on how you set it.

In TweetDeck, you can go into the settings and move the slider to 1 minute or 30 minutes for each of the following: tweets (the feed of tweets from everyone you follow), replies (the feed of tweets directed at you), and direct messages (the feed of tweets privately directed at you).  TweetDeck also shows you the percentage of API you use in an hour with the refresh times you've chosen.  TweetDeck automatically sets the API limit (meaning it automatically says you are allowed 70 or 80 or what ever it is per hour), so the percentage is based on that number.  TweetDeck knows how many API requests are being allowed per person at any given time.

This is a screenshot of my TweetDeck settings:

TweetDeck-API

You can see that I have set my refresh times to 1min 40sec for both Tweets and Replies (meaning that every 1 minute and 40 seconds, TweetDeck will update both my tweets and replies) and my direct messages refresh every 7 minutes and 30 seconds.  Even though my tweets and replies both update at the same time...it's still a request for each one, so that's 2 API every 1.40.  And then there is an additional API request every 7.30 when TweetDeck checks for new direct messages.  All together, I'm using only 80% of the total API that Twitter is currently allowing me (which is actually 100 per hour, at the time of writing).  I like having this set lower like this, so I have extra API to play with.  If I want to get a quick refresh without waiting another 1.40, I can just hit refresh and use up a couple of my extra API.  TweetDeck now features the ability to look at tweeps twitter profiles on the web, rather than within TweetDeck, so you are not charged an API to look at the profile. :)  Another nifty feature of TweetDeck is that it tells you how many API you have left in your hour - and when your next refresh will happen.

Here you can see that I have 56 out of 100 API requests left this hour, and that my next hour begins at 2:34: (when I actually arrived at 2:34, I still had 21 requests left to use..tons of extra!)

TweetDeck-Used

Here you can see that my last refresh happened at 2:05 and I recieved 5 tweets.  My next refresh is at 2:07 (remember, I set my refresh time to 1 minute 40 seconds):

TweetDeck-NextRefresh

So, I always know when my next refresh is coming and I also know how many API I have left before my hour is done. :)

Other clients, like Twhirl, allow you to set your limit.  You can choose to allow 80 API per hour, and then set your refresh times for your tweets, replies, and DM's.  The only problem here is that if Twitter is only allowing you to have 60 API and hour and you set Twhirl to 80 per hour...then you are asking for 20 extra calls per hour.  You will exceed your limit and be unable to get your tweets, replies, and DM's until the next hour begins.  But, like I said, if you stick with 70 API per hour and then set your refresh times to, say, 85% of the total API (meaning you're not going to make a full 70 API requests in an hour, you'll make 59.5 requests that hour, which is 85% of 70.)  If you do this, and Twitter is only allowing 60 API per hour....you'll still be under the limit (just!).  :)

My Twhirl settings:

Twhirl-API

You can see that Twitter is allowing 100 requests per hour right now, but I have my settings to 'follow reduced API limits', meaning, I am only allowing myself 80 API requests per hour.  I do this so I have extra API to work with, and also so that when Twitter gets wonky and reduces the API limits for a little while, I won't get caught over my limit (hopefully).  Like in TweetDeck, you can slide the little arrow over to set the refresh times.  I have my tweets and replies set at every 2 minutes and my direct messages set at every 4 minutes.  Twhirl doesn't show you the percentage because it automatically keeps it at 100%.  If I were to move the arrow for replies refreshes...Twhirl would automatically adjust the other two arrows (for tweets and DM's) to keep me at 100%.  This is another reason I use the 'reduced limits' in Twhirl.  I like to stay under 100% per hour. :)

In Twhirl, you have to actually hover your mouse over a little image at the lower right corner to get your API info:

Twhirl-Used

Twhirl shows you how many you've already used (below, you can see I have used 35 out of 100.  Since I'm set at 80 already, I know I'll never get to 100 and I won't go over my limit).  This is opposite of TweetDeck, which shows you how many API you have left in an hour.  The 'health' is a Twitter thing.  If Twitter is slow or not updating correctly, the health will be lower.  If the health is bad, you can pretty much bet that the API is temporarily reduced (so Twitter's servers aren't being worked so hard with all the requests coming in).

I hope this helped you understand Twitter API limits!  If you would like to follow me on Twitter, I'm @annabethblue.  My dogs also have a Twitter account (LOL) and they are @SheltieWorld.

Have fun tweeting!