Been a long day? Want to veg out on the couch for a couple of hours before bedtime with the TV? You turn on the tube and what happens? You find nothing but moronic programming, repeats of cop/detective/mystery shows, and movies you've seen twice already. You could shut the damn thing off and read the latest Diana Gabaldon novel. That would keep you busy for a while. Or you could go to your computer and be amazed and enlighted watching a video from TED Talks.

A long time ago I volunteered at a conference for Deaf/Blind participants held at Gallaudet University. It was a lot of fun. There were daily challenges to keep up with the participants who wanted to go everywhere and do everything. I was joyfully run ragged. I have one specific memory, a lesson that sticks with me to this day on expanding thinking beyond myself.

One of the wisdoms in web application development is "Release early and often." Google and Twitter have both released software "tests" to select hundreds of thousands of users, both with the idea that there will be problems, but let people try them out, and then improve the software iteratively, based upon real-life user experience. This is my first blush impression of these previews I've been privileged to explore this week. Get on my Wave!

You've seen the talk shows and heard the playgroup buzz: What the heck are we doing about the influence of social media, cell phones, games and other technology on our little angels?

For the last hundred years or so, a metal cylinder about the size of a souvenir shot glass has been the standard against which all kilograms were measured. Take a look at this Wikipedia provided computer generated image of the kilogram.

Panels proposed for SXSW Interactive 2010 include many by or with women speakers. Since SXSW Interactive (SXSWi) is a tech conference that stands out as treating women equally on the speaker's lists, I took a look at what women proposed as panels for next year. The conference is held in March each year in Austin, TX.

Though it’s over seven months away and may not even be on your radar yet, we’re buzzing with excitement about the interactive portion of SXSW ’10, slated for March 12-16. Why? Several BlogHers have proposed sessions for the conference, and we’re hoping that a few good women will be selected to speak. But we need your help! Read on to learn more about the fabulous sessions proposed – and if you like what you find, or would attend one of the proposed panels, or even if you’re just slightly fascinated by an idea, we could use your vote of confidence. Quite literally.

Today the United States Supreme Court adds a woman Justice. In all the history of the country, Sonia Sotomayor is only the third woman to sit on the bench. This is a big deal. Very high barrier to entry. Heavy politics involved. Media frenzy.

We’re here to help you get geeky – two levels of geeky! BlogHer has planned Beginner and Advanced tutorials for attendees, which will run concurrently with other sessions in our conference agenda. And if you still need help afterward, most speakers are more than happy to hold some “office hours” following each tutorial for a little one-on-one action. Come learn new tech tricks in the Beginner Lab, like Stats for Word Nerds or Beginning SEO, or geek out in the Advanced Lab discussing a variety of content management systems or sharing your hacks, mashups and other rebel coding.

Too hot to cook? No kidding. STILL. (How many more tomato-sandwich days until fall?) Drop that phone where "1" speeddials TakeOut, instead take a break and cook a healthy supper in just 10 minutes, thanks to inspiration from Emily of Joyful Abode.

Have you heard of Gina McCauley?  If you haven't, listen up--this is a woman who's on the cutting edge of the internet and social media and you need to get to know her right now.  If you do know who she is, read the following interview anyway, because I defy you not to be inspired by her story, her passion and her good old fashioned smarts.  Just the kind of black woman the MSM almost never talks about.

"Fish where your buyers swim," said Milton Haynes of Blacks Gone Geek. Before you hit publish, check your headline, "That's the most strategic choice you're about to make," said Megan Tady of Save The Internet.com.  "Own your digital real estate," said Hajj E. Flemings, branding expert and author of "The Brand YU Life." These quotes came from presenters at last weekend's 2nd annual Blogging While Brown conference held at the University Center in Chicago.  It's the kind of advice that's important for all bloggers but the attendees of BWB got that and much more.