Hello Domo! (When two iconic icons meet)

Hello Domo by Hoshizorawomiageteiru

Hello Domo! Two icons together at last! Available at my Society6 page.

Hindsight is a Snarky Bastard

Don't you agree? Check it out at Society6!

Why Aren't You Using Shopkick?

There are a lot of blog entries on this subject already, but I am surprised by how many people are still unaware of this app. I receive no benefit from people joining; I simply enjoy passing along a good tip.

Shopkick is essentially a scavenger hunt on your iPhone; except one can redeem points for very usable items. Every couple of months, I earn a gift card to Target. There are many other choices, but I like a round of free groceries every now and then.

Here is how it works:

•Walking into certain stores provides "kicks." (Although, my inner monologue calls them points). The kicks vary by the day and store.

•Some stores have items which can be scanned for further points.

•After collecting enough kicks,"rewards" are available. There are a lot of choices, such as Target gift cards, Coach purses and more; even iPad Airs are part of the game.

There is no such thing as a free lunch; obviously, users are performing some kind of "work" for the companies involved. Hence, I am aware of that every time I use the app, even though I called it "free." That said, if one happens to be at one of the applicable stores with a few minutes to spare, it is an easy way to monetize errands.

In Case You Ever Wondered How to Say "Dinosaur" in Japanese

Also available in prints, bags, pillows, hoodies and more!  Check out my store at society6.com/Hoshizorawomiageteiru

Lego My Heart

Lego My Heart bag by Hoshizorawomiageteiru

For those who would toy with our hearts… 

Atheismo Loves Me (My New Society6 Design)

Atheismo Loves Me

Check out my new Society6 design. It's available in women's, men's and kid's t-shirts, bags, mugs, prints, onesies, clocks, hoodies, iPhone/iPad cases (and for all your technology), and more! And while you're at it, check out my other items. Thanks!

5 Words that are Older than You Think

Mobile Telephone System (MTS) by Bell System
The first commercially available mobile phone (1946)
Image: ginva.com

Sometimes words have surprising origins. For example, the following 5:

1. Frenemy: I thought that the blend of friend and enemy first appeared with Sex and the City. A Google search revealed that was not a unique assumption . A Psychology Today article expressed "the first time the word surfaced was in an episode of the hit show." However, we were both wrong. 

The word frenemy dates back to 1953. "It was first mentioned in William Winchell's article in the Nevada State Journal 'Howz About Calling the Russians our Frenemies?'"

2. Downloadable: I recently discovered that downloadable originated in 1982. Well, call me gobsmacked (another 1980s word). Internet usage was scant in '82. Nevertheless, the concept of a download spawned 2 adjectival forms. It is difficult to imagine such prominence in the early 80s. 

3. Unfriend: You may not be able to believe that your best friend from middle school unfriended you. What I cannot believe is that unfriend was first used in 1275 as a noun, then in 1659 as a verb.

4. Mobile Phone: The phrase was coined in 1945. "The first commercially available mobile telephone was the Mobile Telephone System (MTS) by Bell Systems. The monthly fee was approximately $330 modern US dollars, with additional charges per call." Yikes. 

5. Scrub: TLC was hardly the first to decry the attention of a scrub. While that may not surprise, consider that people have not cared for that number (nor wanted to give theirs) since the 14th century. 

Dobranski, Paul, M.D. (March 31, 2010). How to Spot Friends, Enemies, Frenemies and Bullies [online article]. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-urban-scientist/201003/how-spot-friends-enemies-frenemies-and-bullies

Cavendish, Lucy. (December 31, 2013). The Best of Frenemies [online article]. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/sex/8250216/The-best-of-frenemies.html

Ginva. (May 8, 2011). The Evelution of the Cell Phone Between 1938-2011. [blog post]. Retrieved from http://ginva.com/2011/05/the-evolution-of-the-cell-phone-between-1938-2011/

TLC. "No Scrubs." Fanmail. Laface, Arista, 1999. Radio single.