If you use Twitter all day long, then you’ll see the value in this Safari add-on. Once installed, it adds itself to the Safari Preferences and gives you a few options — basically a spot to add your twitter account information and set up a template to base your tweets on, if that’s what you want to do. Then, during your normal web browsing, when you come across something you want to share with the world, hit ⌘+⌃+T (command+control+T) and the Thurly App drops into action.

Thurly App in Action

You get a few options in the app: the ability to just copy the shortened URL to use in your Twitter app of choice, the ability to enter another URL and shorten it, or, the ability to tweet a message with the shortened URL. All of the normal Twitter nuances, including the 140 character counter, are built into the app. It’s a simple app, yet one that is very useful.

The app is free, but you can register for $4.95 and that will unlock the ability to set up more than one twitter account with the app as well as use the template system. You can download it and learn more at Thurly App.

Since I was a part of the beta testing, I’ve got the cool press release, so if you’re into that sort of thing it’s included below. Give the app a try, I’m sure you’ll like it.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Orlando, FL — Elixir is happy to announce Thurly, a plug-in for Safari that allows you to both shorten URLs in a snap as well as post directly to Twitter without ever leaving your browser window.

With a quick keyboard shortcut (Command-Control-T) Thurly springs to life automatically shortening the URL of the web page you are on.

From there you can copy the shortened URL out to use elsewhere. Paste it into emails, forums posts, blog entries and much more.

Thurly allows you to also post to Twitter from the main interface. It populates the Status field with a shortened URL and let’s you edit your post as you like. Click “Tweet” or press Command-Enter and your post lands in your Twitter updates.

Registering Thurly is not required. You can use the base features of the plug-in, shortening URLs and posting to Twitter, for free until the cows come home.

We have added some bells and whistles though to make your life easier. Registering allows you to use multiple Twitter accounts, letting you post from different accounts on the fly from the main interface.

We have also built in the option to use a Twitter template. The template let’s you set a default message that appears in your Twitter Status field each time your open Thurly. Which can also be overridden at any time.

Download your copy today, it’s free!

Registration for a single user license is a mere $4.95 (about the price of a cup of coffee at Starbucks).

Screenshot link 1: http://thurlyapp.com/images/screenshot1.jpg
Screenshot link 2: http://thurlyapp.com/images/screenshot2.jpg
Intro Video: http://vimeo.com/5523344
App Icon: http://thurlyapp.com/download/ThuryIcon.zip

Just like everything else here, this picture has nothing to do with anything.

So, instead of just letting 3,360 tweets go by without fanfare I decided to change things completely and launch a new site design. One has absolutely nothing to do with the other, but what do you expect from me? Like the Twitterversery I had a whole post planned out to show off the new features this theme brings, like threaded comments. I was going to title it “Change You Can Believe In” and launch it on June 1st to tie in with Conan O’Brien taking over the Tonight Show — see what I did there? Instead, I decided to throw all that out and just say here it is. It’s called Limb Kulers and derives it’s name and colors from guvilla’s Kuler set. Other credit is due and can be found in the CSS stylesheet, if you’re into that sort of thing.

In light of the completely unconnected nature of this post, I’m not going to end it by asking for your take on the new design. No, instead I’m going to close by asking what is a change that you can believe in? Let me know in the comments.

Coming soon, Oprah's must-follow list.

The number one rule is that if you claim to be some sort of “social media expert” and you follow me, I will block you. End of story. This may sound a bit harsh, but deal with it. First of all, you are by no means a social media expert. No one is. When I see “social media expert” on someone’s one-line bio I actually read “social media whore” or “lame spammer.” I don’t want to be one of your five thousand followers in the hopes I’ll follow you back just to inflate your own digital ego.

That brings me to the second rule: If you follow me, don’t expect me to follow you back. Twitter doesn’t work that way. There’s only so many different people I can keep track of and while I’m flattered you find my mindless drivel interesting, don’t count on my following you back.

I won’t use #hashtags unless I’m at a conference or trying to get on some sort of TV program, like Current’s debate coverage. I think #hashtagging is pretty silly for daily use, but if I’m at a conference then I’ll tag away. Expect to see #orange09 appear very soon.

While I don’t post as much as some people do, I will go through bursts where I post often, especially while at a conference — see above. Having said that, I do tend to use @replys an awful lot. If you have all @replys turned on, well, you may find me annoying. Oh well.

Speaking of @replys, if you follow me, feel free to drop one on me from time to time. My favorite use of Twitter is as a means of communication; which is why I heavily use @replys. So answer the random questions I ask from time to time or just say hi.

I don’t retweet anything, unless it’s some sort of contest or freebee deal and even then it’s very rare. it’s not that I don’t find things funny or interesting or insert adjective here, it’s that I don’t think retweeting makes any sense. I don’t need to copy someone’s exact words. I didn’t do it while in college and I’m not going to do it on the internet. Maybe I’ll pass on a link and give someone credit for it, but I’m not going to copy the entire tweet. Seems silly.

Basically I use Twitter the way that I like to use Twitter and it may or may not mash up with they way you use Twitter. If it doesn’t, and for whatever reason you can’t deal with it, well don’t follow me. I don’t really care. But if you’re down with all the above, then jump on it.

How do you use Twitter? Do you have any hard and fast rules you use? Let me know in the comments.

What do you get when you search 'Twitter' on Google Images? iJustine.

• David Crowder
  David Crowder, of David Crowder*Band fame, is a very funny and poignant writer. His book, Praise Habit, was a very fun and insightful read. His witty humor would fit well into my Twitter feed.
• Kevin Smith
  Silent Bob Kevin Smith is one of the funniest writer/directors working in the business. With such fine specimens as Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Chasing Amy, how could 140 character quips not be good?
• Sir Richard Branson
  What could one of the worlds most eccentric billionaires and smartest businessmen say in 140 characters or less? I don’t really know but I’m sure it’d be interesting.
• Yogi Bera
  Come on, how could this not be a good thing?
• Conan O’Brien
  I’ve always liked Conan and thought that his show is the funniest of all the late night TV, but after seeing him on Inside the Actors Studio I’ve decided that Conan is basically a genius. 140 character quips from him would be pretty much awesome.
• Zach Braff
  The guy is a great writer (see Garden State) a fan of really great music (see Garden State soundtrack or any episode of Scrubs) and probably pretty funny. A Zach Braff Twitter stream would probably be pretty cool.

As a bonus, here’s someone who actually is on Twitter but hasn’t said anything: Joel McHale. Host of The Soup. Need I say more? Granted, this might not really be him, but according to LeVar Burton, it is. He really needs to say something now and then.

Is that legit or what?

The full text of my tweet is:

@ricksanchezcnn These people in positions of power just think they can do whatever they please. Kind of sick actually.

and was in reply to two tweets about Ted Haggard and Portland’s mayor, both who had illicit.

So there you have it. I’ve now been published (can I say that?) on CNN. What have you done today?

Best Olympic Moment Not Involving Michael Phelps

The Olympics were two of the greatest weeks of 2008 and there were dozens of amazing moments ranging from the incredible Opening Ceremonies to the unforgettable I Love Beijing theme song. There were so many great moments this year it’s hard to choose just one that stands out. Ok, that’s a lie. There’s one moment that was far better than any other and is, quite frankly, the greatest moment in aquatic sports history. The Justie for the Best Olympic Moment Not Involving Michael Phelps goes to Jason Lezak’s amazing comeback in the 4×100 relay which won the USA a gold and created one hell of a story. There has never been a comeback quite like that nor has there been an instance of shear determination. Way to go Lezak, way to go.

Greatest Thing on TV

All in all, it’s been a pretty crappy year for TV. The Writers Strike cut a lot of seasons short and seemed to affect the quality of TV for this season as well. So the pool to draw from here is obviously pretty slim. But there were some stand outs. The Office and 30 Rock have been stellar and new shows Fringe and Life on Mars have been entertaining. But one show has been better than the rest, so the Justie for Greatest Thing on TV goes to Chuck. Chuck is consistently entertaining and just quirky enough to be endearing but it was “Chuck Verses Tom Sawyer” that pulled it in. Twin Galaxies, arcade games and Rush? Can’t get much better than that.

Best Unintentional Use of Keywords to Drive in Search Engine Traffic

People search for funny things on the internet. Some people spend tons of money and time trying to figure out the best combination of Julianne Hough, Will Smith, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Tom Cruise, the Jonas Brothers and Wil Wheaton to get their search engine ranking high enough for people to notice. Around here I do things a little different. I write things and then see how people find them. If a Miley Cyrus mention gets slipped in, well, so be it. It was earlier this year while perusing my site logs that I came across this category’s winner. The Justie for Best Unintentional Use of Keywords to Drive in Search Engine Traffic goes to this post about Chinese food and Kevin Smith’s Zack and Miri Make a Porno. I’ll let you figure out what people were searching for.

Crappiest Thing to Happen to Someone Other Than Me

A lot of crappy things happened in 2008 including hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, fires and a new Rambo movie. I jumped off a cliff and blacked out in the water, but I’m exempt from this category for obvious reasons. No, there was one crappy thing that unfortunately deserves this Justie; the Crappiest Thing to Happen to Someone Other Than Me Justie goes to the economy. Sure, I’m affected indirectly, but whatever. The economy pretty much sucked this year and have put hundreds of thousands out of work. Unfortunately it looks like it may get worse before it gets better but one thing is for certain, it will get better. Here’s to hoping that the economy earns the 2009 Justie for the Greatest Thing to Happen to Someone Other Than Me.

Most Addicting Social Media Outlet

Hello my name is Justin and I’m a social media addict. This year there were plenty of social media sites begging to earn an addiction: Facebook, Shelfari, Strands, and Last.fm just to name a few. But there was one that stood out far above the rest — possibly combined. The Justie for the Most Addicting Social Media Outlet goes to Twitter. I wasn’t the only one addicted either. Not only did twitt rank as one of the years ‘buzzwords’, but now CNN even takes comments — and in some cases breaking news — from Twitter.

Strangest Nuance in a City I’ve Traveled To

This one is a tough one to call. I’ve been a number of places this year including Seattle, The Bahamas, New Orleans, Key West, North Carolina, Georgia and Utah. In those various places I’ve seen a fair share of strange things, like the odd traffic lights on the highway in Seattle, but by far the Strangest Nuance in a City I’ve Traveled To goes to Utah. Why Utah? Their numbering of streets is absolutely ridiculous. Everything is laid out in a grid, which makes sense, but that grid is far too large. For instance, we had to turn from S 700 E onto E 10600 S. Does that make any sense? Then, thrown into the middle of that was State St which does make sense. I don’t get it. Way to earn that Justie, Utah.

Coolest Thing of the Year

Despite all the crappy things that happened, 2008 had it’s share of some pretty cool things. Myron Rolle won a Rhodes Scholarship and I read Snow Crash, both pretty cool. The Dark Knight made a ton of money while the Devil Rays won the American League without any. Tiger Woods had the comeback of his career and Bill Gates ended his. All of these things are pretty cool, but only one can win the Award. The 2008 Justie for the Coolest Thing of the Year goes to The Olympics.

It was going to be pretty hard to beat the summer games. They began with the coolest Opening Ceremony ever performed (no video links available, stupid NBC) and included some unforgettable moments, a lot of which occurred in the pool. Michael Phelps won a record setting 8 gold medals, which will probably never happen again. Countless records were broken, smaller countries shined and for a few weeks in August the world actually came together and enjoyed each others company. You can’t really get much cooler than that.

All the Justies have been handed out and I’ve got nothing left for 2008. The ball will soon drop and bring in 2009. Let’s see what happens.

@BarackObama, @GregGrunberg: We’re totally in a comic together!
It all started a few days ago when Greg Grunberg of Heroes and Alias fame started following Wil Wheaton. Greg then mentioned he thought Wil would be great on Heroes. Wil, of course, was happy but tried to maintain ties to reality. Today, the plot thickened when Barack Obama got involved — kind of. Thanks to Wil Wheaton for most of the links.

Clive Barker’s The Thief of Always Graphic Novel Comes to the iPhone
When I was younger Clive Barker’s The Thief of Always was practically my favorite book. I can remember doing at least two book reports on it and purchasing at least two copies of it (one was either lent to a friend or lost outright). I probably read the book a half a dozen times. The Geeks of Doom article talks about an iPhone optimized version of the Thief of Always graphic novel adaptation. This, of course, lead me to Amazon and the knowledge that there actually is a graphic novel adaptation of the book! If you haven’t read the book, you must do so, now.

prop 8 – the musical
The last awesome link of the day brings us once again to Wil Wheaton’s website. He posted the video, found below, of Funny or Die’s latest creation, Prop 8 – The Musical. The video stars just about everyone you can think of and is a hilarious take on the Proposition 8 battle raging in California. Had we known gay marriage could save the economy, maybe the vote would have gone a different way. Want to know more? Check it out:

In case you’re wondering what the salt comment is all about, it’s from something I said on Twitter. She picked up on it and, well, there you go.

Thanks kalong!

I’ve noticed a few other big differences that I actually didn’t count on before starting this project. Namely traffic. There has been a large increase in visitors here and in turn, comments left on posts. I guess it shows that new and interesting content breeds activity and conversation. If I cared about trying to make money off this site then that’d be good to know. But I don’t. I’m not undertaking the Blog-O-Rama challenge to pimp my stats or try and become one of the blogging elite, it’s just an interesting result.

Another interesting thing I’ve noticed is that I talk about Twitter an awful lot. Of the first fifteen posts in the Blog-O-Rama, nearly a third of them are carrying the Twitter tag. Considering prior to August 1 I had only tagged three posts with Twitter, that’s a large number. I have also ranted twice. I haven’t ranted in, well, who knows how long (I cleared out the Rants category at some point for some unknown reason). Back in the sites heyday I ranted a lot. It was fun. Perhaps there will be more ranting in the future.

So far the Blog-O-Rama experience has been pretty good. It’s been challenging to come up with interesting topics to cover and fun to actually cover those topics. The second half is going to be much more difficult though. When this posts (I’m writing this on the 10th) I will be out of town for the weekend and will be leaving at the end of the month for PAX. So the challenge will be to create enough content to cover these days while I’m away. But that’s why I’m calling this the Blog-O-Rama Challenge. Alright, enough rambling. I’m going to bed.