What the Trend – In case you are ever wondering what those hash tags are about (#), and why certain topics are trending on Trending, this site is for you. It’s a user-editable encyclopedia for hashtags found on Twitter and there is a search function to enable you to find a certain hashtag you might be wondering about. You can also search trends by location (Country, Town, etc.) – very cool feature! What the Trend helps you find out what’s trending on Twitter and why. They are “The front page of the real-time web!
Twitter Grader is a free tool that allows you to check the power of your twitter profile. It looks at a variety of factors including the number of followers, power of those followers and the level to which you are engaging the community. It takes just a few seconds to generate your free report.
http://twitter.grader.com/index.php
TwitterKeys is a small tool developed at The Next Web Blog which provides you with a floating window with all those funny symbols you can use in Twitter. i ♥ that! ☺
http://thenextweb.com/2008/09/16/twitterkeys-enhance-your-twitter-conversations/
I originally posted this back in 2009, there have been loads more sites since then that have popped up. Just wanted to get this re-posted for your entertainment, and have also updated it a bit.
Have fun!
*This was originally posted on my old blog 2/28/09. I can’t believe Twitter is 6 years old already! Happy to say I’m an early adopter. And also, I’m getting older. 
*
Love Twitter, let’s face it, I’m addicted! I am always looking for, and finding sites that have cool stuff for Twitter. This site is just the ticket:
http://justtweetit.com/cool-stuff-for-twitter/
Has lots of cool links plus a directory for all things Twitter. Must start place if you are new to Twitter!
Follow me @laurazickus
I love Pinterest! I know there has been an uproar recently over Pinterest and copyright issues. To me, they are really no different than say Flickr or Google’s Picassa. And really people, it’s the internet! If you don’t want your pictures stolen/taken/whatever…. don’t put them up there to begin with! Because no amount of code that you put up is going to stop a computer savvy person from getting that image if they really really want it. I’ve had images stolen from me and used on other web sites. It’s a fact of life. Sad but true, but that’s a story for another day.
The thing that I fell in love with Pinterest with is what they are all about, which is, sharing photos, ideas, getting people inspired. From their own Help page, they state:
Pinning 101
What is Pinterest?
Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.
I’m a visual person, and can appreciate the beauty in everything around me. One of my boards is titled “Pink”, because, well… I love the color pink! It’s filled with images I either find on the internet or are images I re-pin from people I follow on Pinterest.
My "Pink" Pinterest Board
If you’d like, feel free to follow me on Pinterest!
Originally posted January 2nd, 2009
Mitolo G.A.M. 2006 McLaren Vale Shiraz
Larry bought me 4 bottles of wine for Christmas. We decided to open this little beauty for Christmas dinner and I am so glad we did. Sometimes when you think you want to splurge on a bottle of wine, this is one that you should definitely splurge on! When Larry brought this home, I immediately went and looked it up on Wine Library TV to see if Gary V. had done a review and sure enough, he had. Not only did he give it a good review, he went on and on and on and on…well, you get the idea.
The Wine Spectator gives this wine a 95 while Gary rates it a 93. The wine has explosive complex over-the-top rich flavors and worth every penny imo.
Edited 2.24.12: I’m moving my posts over from my old Word Press blog and this one deserves transferring! If I could afford this wine today, I’d be all over it! Truly one of my faves. YMMV of course.