Grocery shopping 2.0

Yes - sign me up for this. I hate shopping for groceries and I hate wasting time and money doing it. Unfortunately, I need to do it or go broke and sick eating fast food. But this is a solution I could come to enjoy. Please, somebody, do this!

The Post Money Value: The Wheels on the Bus

Nobody has successfully pulled off a comparison site that let's you put in your shopping list and simply tells you, go here, take these coupons and save this much.

Blog Action Day

One of the great things I remember about my childhood was being able to take off on my bike, ride down to the woods, and just wander. Walk in the stream, eat blackberries. Dunk silverleaf in the cool water and watch it shimmer.

Ticks were nothing more than an annoyance. The biggest danger was absently-mindedly walking through 7-year-itch, or the scare of encountering an unfriendly snake that hadn't scurried away fast enough.

The kind of adventures that I hoped my daughter could experience.

Unfortunately, by the time I had that daughter, well...the world was a very different place. The woods I walked were now housing developments. The streams were polluted enough to think twice about wading through, let alone drinking from. The only other water around was run-off from the new roads, driveways and parking lots, and occupied by disease-bearing mosquitoes.

Yes, the ice caps are melting. There are all kinds of dire warnings about the state of our world. All that's important, of course. But really?

I'd just like, someday, to watch my granddaughter jump on her bike and take off for a walk in the woods. And be safe.

The Art of Butch Belair

Watercolor is a medium I find as frustrating as it is rewarding. The initial observation and organization I tried to cultivate in my line drawings is even more important now.  I have a small travel palette with selected half pans and two or three brushes (nothing special), and I paint in the 5x8 watercolor books.  I am by no means an expert, but I love the paper and the book has become a bit of a fetish item. The book itself makes me want to paint.  My progress is slow, but to me that just means the process is one worthy of the effort.

butchbelair.com

I have the materials, but making those initial steps is difficult - my inner critic is screaming at the top of her lungs: you don't have time for this!

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Question the questions

I've reached the benchmark 5-0, and I still can't rattle off birthdays of relatives. Does it have anything to do with my memory? No. I come from a family that rarely sends birthday cards, goes out to dinner to celebrate, sends presents, throws parties. If there's nothing constantly reminding you, then why would you remember it? And the phone number? How many times do you call yourself? And what number do you use - home, work, cell, work cell? Come on. I think this poll would have a very different result if it had been asked 30 years ago, when you only had one home number to remember.

If you're going to perform polls like this, let's give a little more thought to what you're asking and leave the assumptions out of it.

When they were testing my daughter - at 3 years old - one of the objects they expected her to recognize was the silhouette of a telephone.

Like the rotary dial one she would have found in her great grandmother's house. Duh.

The downside of the outboard brain | 43 Folders

Til disagreement do us part

Most people don't know what the rights given by marriage are until they are facing divorce - and then it may be too late. How is property owned, in the eyes of the law? What can be done by your spouse without your knowledge that can end up legally binding you - whether you agreed to it or not?

The spiritual, or religious, side of marriage should be determined by the couples uniting. Who performs the ceremony, where it's performed, who witnesses - all up to them. But the legal side of things? That's a different story. You should know what your rights and responsibilities are when you enter into a contract - and as far as the state is concerned, marriage is a legally enforceable contract. Don't you want to know what it really says?

Maybe knowing what your rights and obligations are - at least as far as the courts are concerned - would have a positive effect on the divorce rate. So why can't we separate the legal side - the marriage license - from the ceremonial side?

Marriages by ministers ordained online in question | Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/08/2007

Pay attention, Mom

Before it's too late. Which is what, now? 2? The first click of the remote?

Pictures Worth...

Lord Lotus Blog | The World In Only 7 Pictures

Found via Kottke

Gmail in Facebook

What am I missing? All these apps for Facebook. (The following aside, I think Facebook is great.)

Why would I want to check my gmail, at about 1/3 the screen size, when I can open gmail in a browser window and ctrl-tab to it when I need to? What I am missing?

Fmail Brings Gmail to your Facebook

We did it because, well, we could.

Really, what is the point here? Can't you just go entertain yourself with, I don't know, a puppet show or something? Maybe for the local kids? Or your own kids, if you're spending too much time on the computer looking at this kind of stuff...


Blabberize.com

Two plu two

Gerald Bracey: Parents, Poverty and Achieving in School - Politics on The Huffington Post

Speak what?

Well, let me just say this. If I went to Germany, or France, or Spain, or Italy, I'd bring a dictionary to help me understand the language. And I'd use it. Whether I really needed to or not. It's just a simple courtesy.

I'd want to learn another's culture, their way of thinking, how they live. Isn't that the point? Not to turn them into another me.

I mean, I don't go visit people to I can take over their house. Do you?

Stephen Collins: To Continue in English, Press "1" - Politics on The Huffington Post

Still?

Michael J. Klarman: Why Little Rock Mattered - Politics on The Huffington Post

Fifty years ago today, President Eisenhower sent federal troops into Little Rock, Arkansas to defend the right of nine African American students to attend formerly all-white Central High School.

And fifty years later, there is still fighting over something as petty as the right to sit under a schoolyard tree?

Why doesn't that seem completely idiotic to most people in this country? Don't we have more important things to deal with than the color of somebody's skin? People are dying because they can't get medicine or health care. There are people in this country who still don't know how to read. There is polluted air, and streams we can no longer swim in. Yet we are spending hundreds, thousands of dollars because someone wanted to sit under a tree and their skin was not the right color?

Show me the money

Interesting point. Even more interesting comments.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson: Why Civil Rights Leaders Didn't Get Jena 6 Defendant Mychal Bell Out of Jail - Politics on The Huffington Post

Chris and Pat

I love the song The Ballad of Chris and Pat by Jody Kessler. It speaks to the commonality of love and relationships, no matter the gender.

what divides us is fear, what unites us is love
we must ask ourselves what we're afraid of
for no matter what manner of loving we choose
it's the love that our spirits is made of

I agree with Dana's belief that traditional marriage is a flawed institution. Many of the protections of marriage still necessary today are for reasons that should no longer be, but are, unfortunately. The inability to value each partner's contribution, whether or not it results in a paycheck, is one. The "ownership" of offspring is another. The equitable division of property. Our out-dated structure of marriage no longer covers the changing face of relationships. Many marriages are not based on the dad-works-mom-raises-the-kids Cleaver standards. Second marriages bring other issues, such as protecting the inheritance of children of the first marriage. So, it seems, the majority of marriages today really need some fine-tuning.

Marriage is a contract. Actually, two - the one made for the state and the one made in the eyes of your religion of choice. One needs little negotiation. The other needs to be negotiated thoroughly from the beginning, and re-negotiated to maintain equity as circumstances change. To some, this may seem cold and unemotional. But doing so gives the parties the opportunity to re-commit, to remind each other of the spiritual and emotional reasons they chose to join their lives in the first place, especially when people are living longer.

We all, now and then, need a little reminding of what's truly important to us.


apophenia: San Diego mayor backs same-sex marriage

Links

• Sanctuary Home Wow. Now I definitely need a bigger screen.
• SocialMarker.com Social bookmarking service. Fast tagging and posting to all major social websites.
• Things I Wish I Knew... - Dumb Little Man

Links

• How I Got Twitter to Answer Back : [chrisbrogan.com]
• Terraminds micro search
• Simply Audiobooks - Free Book Download
• Take Any College Class for Free: 236 Open Courseware Collections, Podcasts, and Videos | OEDb
• WEB HOSTING TOOLBOX: 130+ Resources for Your Web Hosting Needs

I block ads.

I block ads.

I block ads because I am an intelligent, capable women.

I am able to determine when I want and need to buy a car. Until then, I don't give a damn that you, dear advertiser, think you have the best thing going and if I don't put my butt in the seat and my foot on the pedal right now, my life will be forever bereft of joy, satisfaction, and good health.

I am able to determine when I need something. I am able to determine when I don't. When I'm ready to buy something and want to know what the latest and greatest is, what the pricing structure is, and anything else that goes into the decision, I'll be glad to look at your ads. But until then, please get them out of my face. Especially when it's something I have never had, never wanted, nor ever intend to buy. Seeing your wonderful ad blinking incessantly on the side of the page is not going to change that. Sorry.

Until you can show me that you even begin to understand these concepts, that you agree to give me a choice to exercise my free will about what type of ads I see, when I see them, and how I see them, I will block ads.


Web ad blocking may not be (entirely) legal | CNET News.com

Gimme the news I want

Well, now, you'd think this would be fairly obvious. Who conducts these studies, any way? More important question - who analyzes this data? Better question - who pays to conduct these studies, and what interest do they have in the results?

Give us an easy way to determine what news we want to see - nothing to digg, or furl, or reddit, or clevernamedsiteofthemoment. Give us an easy way to grade what's provided, choose types of stories, etc. How about a "this sucks" button right on the tv?

Then conduct your surveys and tell us what ground-breaking analysis you've come up with.


PC World - Huge Disparity Among News Sites

"The other issue, which the report does address to a limited degree, is that audience for Digg and Reddit is principally young, male, tech enthusiasts," he wrote. "The 'users' or 'citizens' of these sites are in no way representative of the broad, diverse group of mainstream news consumers. The problem is that a very small percentage of Digg's and Reddit's citizens control the news on the site -- very much like a group of traditional editors. They may not be 'professionals,' but they are acting as a traditional editorial hierarchy."

At least Scott got it right.

9/11 Remembrance

Absolutely powerful. So glad Jeff is still with us today, to keep alive the memory of what we human beings can do to each other in the name of...what, exactly? What is worth so much loss?

BuzzMachine » Blog Archive » Retracing my steps

What do you WANT?

More of this. This is what social networking can unearth - an unexpected treasure, and from Pittsburgh.

somethingtobedesired.com - An Unpredictable Web Series

I take issue

with this statement. The piece is good, thought provoking, and informative. But this jumped out at me:

people with a lot of "friends" may be more trustworthy than people with very few

Now, wait a minute. How does the number of friends equate with trust-worthiness? I have few Facebook friends. I have few because I am not interested in the numbers, I'm interested in the people. What they have to say, what they know, what I can learn, what I can share from my experience that may be helpful. How can anyone keep up with hundreds of friends? That's not friends. That's an audience.

Some of the most untrustworthy people have huge followings. And some of the most untrustworthy people are followers.

Google and search (Scripting News)

Yeah. What he said.

Come on, guys. When I read some of the comments about Scoble's videos, I'm thinking "somebody needs to get out a ruler and get it over with..."

The Technology Free Press » Scoble Doesn’t Deserve the Scorn He’s Getting

While I applaud those who’ve taken the high road in critiquing Scoble’s work, I disagree with those bashing him because of his opinions and those who seem to take a personal delight in seeing him bashed.

Reinvent the wheel?

The Breeze - Opinion

Instead of focusing so much energy and time on A-space, numerous agencies should put their resources together to brainstorm other safer methods of communicating. I am sure the atypical, super intelligent, computer-programming geek down at the CIA can come up with something a bit more clever than a networking site – perhaps even an à la mode gadget we could see James Bond using.

What? That's like not using a pen because, altho it's proven popular and useful for the average geek, we won't adapt it for our own uses. No, let's spend millions more coming up with something totally new. Because we can. We have the talent. And, well, we don't have anything else to do with our time.

Sleep deprived

When do we address the obvious and look to the studies that conclude that teenagers are biologically attuned to being late-risers - not so good at going to sleep when the sun goes down.

So, when does the school bus arrive? At least in my area, it's the crack of dawn.

Duh.


'Junk sleep' damaging U.K. teenagers' health | CNET News.com

Its poll of 1,000 youngsters aged 12 to 16 found that 30 percent managed just four to seven hours sleep as opposed to the recommended eight or nine hours.

Pro (phone) choice

And why, please, can't all phones work this way? Other than the obvious - greed.

I can go to Walmart, Radio Shack - a host of other places - and buy a phone I like for my landline. I can match my decor, or not. Have an answering machine, or not. Have speakerphone capabilities, or not. Was this not revenue-generating enough? Did this not work for the phone company? Did they loose too much money to the companies that made the phones?

Why can't I just pick out a cell phone I like the looks of, pick the services I want, and sign up with the company I want to use? Why, dammit?

Unlocked iPhone Works on T-Mobile and Others… - CyberNet News

Whose right is it, anyway?

Social Networking Faces More Legal Pressure

In response to Blumenthal's pressure, MySpace in July deleted more than 29,000 registered sex offenders using the popular site.

Civil rights and all that, blah,blah, blah. In an emergency, you know what they say: women and children first. The preying upon our children is just such an emergency situation. Trafficking in the innocence of children is wrong. Children should be able to safely play in their own neighborhoods. This is their neighborhood. Stay out.

And don't give me that crap about a compulsion you can't control. If that's the case, you'd be acting on it out in the open, anywhere, anytime. No hiding, no conniving, no secret societies, no disguises. Mo threats about keeping secrets. If you can make a plan to do it, you can make a plan to stop doing it.

Under Pressure

I want one. Well, actually, I want four five. Checking tire pressure is the biggest pain - I can't get that little gauge on without losing half the pressure that's already there.

Tiny gadget eases tire pressure worries | Tech news blog - CNET News.com

Calendar Note: Blog Action Day

Blog Action Day

On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind - the environment.

Technorati Tags: environment

Help

Too much to do, too much to read. Had to hire an assistant.

Cheating? Uh, yeah.

Is This Man Cheating on His Wife? - WSJ.com

ROI

It's a shame, really.

Will Sponsors Use Their Clout to Clean Up Sports? « Magnosticism

As long as the sponsors get whatever they perceive as a proper return on their investments, and as long as fans keep filling the seats, we’ll keep seeing plenty of news about indictments and drug scandals mixed in with the box scores.

Community Car

What a great idea for those who, for whatever reason, don't want to deal with the upkeep of a car they rarely use.

Community Car | PodTech.net: Technology and Entertainment Video Network

There outta be a law

A man must have invented panty hose. No woman would do such a thing to other women.

Oh, how right you are. Worst invention ever.

I wonder what would happen if workplaces passed a law that any man with boobs big enough to hold a pencil under was required to wear a bra. Hmmmm.

WTF for Today

Buy the kid a computer? Where the hell are the well-paid execs of the companies he mentions? He should have an entire room filled with crap from them.

What the hell is up with our kids today? « Scobleizer

Can't get there from here

Why didn't they do this before? Oh, the hours it may have added to my life...

Google LatLong: How long will it take at rush hour?

Technorati Tags: productivity, travel

Wrong, wrong, wrong

Oh, this is just wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. If you seriously think this is necessary, you don't need to add technology, you need to change your life.

What next, a warning bell for when you've misplaced them in the house?

The laundry room, perhaps? Or did I bring it upstairs when I put the towels away. Oh, drat where did I leave that kid? Perhaps it's still in the shopping cart at the market?

This is just sad.

Baby On Board: Baby Alert Child Minder Remembers Your Kids When You Forget - Gizmodo

Frugal Living

My father has always taken his showers like this, but with mostly cold water! Military training.

Wish I could get the kid to take showers in 60 minutes or less. Or move the hot water switch to an easy to reach position next to my desk. That would solve the issue in a hurry.

How to Take a Shower in Sixty Seconds or Less | Wise Bread

Technorati Tags: frugal living

Let me choose

Official Google Blog: Our commitment to open broadband platforms

Open devices: consumers should be able to utilize their handheld communications device with whatever wireless network they prefer

Yes! I've been waiting forever to have the same choices on wireless that I have on my landline phone. I can choose the make, color, features, price - whatever I want. Come home and plug it in. And it works. Nobody telling me that because I live in this town, or use this carrier, I can only choose between 2 or 3 of the hundreds of choices that are out there.

I'll never believe that the restrictions that have been imposed were not primarily to make somebody richer than they need to be.

Yeah, I'm restless

We teach our kids not to do drugs, yet all they can see in between the news reports is how pharmaceuticals have made our lives easier with drugs (including protecting us from “restless leg syndrome”).

Chris Pirillo

According to the ads on tv, I suffer from "restless leg syndrome". What do I do?

I get up and walk away from the g-d tv! Because it's my body's way of telling me that it's tired of sitting there so long. Move! Do something! Same thing happens when I'm at the computer too long. There is more than just your analytical brain trying to tell you something. If you're tired, go to bed. If you're hungry, eat something. If you're thirsty, drink water. If you're restless, get up and take a friggin' walk!

Yes, restless leg syndrome is real. But it doesn't take a pill to cure. It takes listening to what your body is trying to tell you. Seems it's getting harder for us to do that.

Get quiet and listen to your inner voice, your intuition, while you can still hear it.

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Ok, but

Digital World Hewlett-Packard Wants You to Look Your Best

It does, however, seem like an awful lot of work just to pick a makeup shade. But I'm sure there are many who will rush to have it done just so they can say they have custom-matched makeup, and they paid nearly a thou for it! It's that fabulous!

Me, I think the sun, water, a little soap and a pinch on the cheeks does a good enough job most days.


Technorati Tags: technology, cosmetics

Who's the Boss?

... you should never assume that all information for any candidate might be surfaced through their official Web site

Politics is Personal - but Important ~ Chris Pirillo

I have to take issue with this. This is your official website. If the issues you're running on and your views are not to be found here, that says more than a little about you as a candidate. You should be on top of this. Or have a campaign manager that is. If you can't exercise control over your web architect, that doesn't say much about your future presidency.

If you're not able to do that, you might end up with your most trusted advisers running around shooting people in the ass.

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Forty Strangers in a Virtual Room Talk About Religion

...faith matters deeply to us -- but the reality of open source religion is that we, as Americans, expect to be able to crack open the doors of religion and chart our own individual meaningful journeys through the resources and traditions we find there.

Forty Strangers in a Virtual Room Talk About Religion

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My kingdom for a pair of pants

What is wrong with this man? He should be assigned to a bench for the overly litigious. He's got too much time on his hands.

Either he'll get fed up hearing other ridiculous and time-consuming lawsuits himself - or he'll be in such ecstasy he'll go nuts and can be safely locked away...

Newsvine - Judge Continues to Press Pants Suit

Technorati Tags: law

Maybe not

Look, I'm not against certain forms of entertainment - consenting adults and all that. I get hung up, however, on the "consenting" and the "adults" bit. Do you know, for sure, that the girl you are oogling is, in fact, an adult? And they have willingly and fully consented to this? Far too often, it seems, that may not be the case. Has your own personal interests gotten in the way of that judgment? Do you really care?

Not real sure that someone who has a lucrative business looking the other way can, at the same time, have the bests interests of children in mind. Seems like a very short trip (apparently, literally) from "looks too young" to "let's not ask".

Amazing what those lil stinkers can do

"DJ Beanie rocks the house"

Jonesin'

Social network appeals to "lost" generation - Research - BizReport

I'm lost, alright. "Generation Jones"? Where did that come from? Who is this "Jones"?


Technorati Tags: social marketing

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Traveling

"The road to enlightenment is long and difficult, and you should try not to forget snacks and magazines." - Rick Fields, from Annie Lamott's book, Traveling Mercies.

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Water, water, everywhere?

Anil Dash: Bottled Water Is Still A Scam

We pitch into landfills 38 billion water bottles a year—in excess of $1 billion worth of plastic.

I always thought this didn't make any sense. Where were all these water bottles going? How is that good for the environment?

Why don't we just use all the money from making the containers, putting the water in it, advertising how wonderfully natural and healthy it is and shipping out all over the place to, well, clean up our water supply. Duh.

And the fact that Fiji Water produces more than a million bottles a day while more than half the population there doesn't have reliable drinking water? The height of our indulgence and our ignorance. Because that kind of thing doesn't happen only there.

Shame on us.

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Song in my nose

FoxyTunes Lets You Insert Songs in Emails and Blogs

Not quite sure how I feel about this. Might be nice to let someone know of a tune that you think is great. Could be nice to set a mood.

Then again, could be like being trapped in an elevator with someone who spent their lunch break checking out the fragrance counter...

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Party on, Dude!

Newsvine - Mass. Bar Sued for Gay Marriage Question

Dunne, 30, was denied a license to practice law in May after scoring 268.866 on the exam, just shy of the 270 passing grade.

Um, seems to me there were quite a few other questions he must have judged as a tad offensive...

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What would you like to see tonite, Madam?

Just tried out matchmine.com. I like these things that do the searching for things I'd like.

I'd like it more if it would pop the movie in, make the popcorn, bring me a drink, and straighten the room when I'm done.

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Powerful

I've been up to all kinds of things. (One would hope so, to keep me away this long.)

I'm now Twittered, and Pownced, and Jaikued, and Tumblred and Facebooked and LinkedIn.

All over the place. Sometimes I look at my posts and think, "who is this person!?"

I think I can, I think I can...

Fear of financial success?

Oh, yes. Now, knock it off!

You Belong in Dublin

Friendly and down to earth, you want to enjoy Europe without snobbery or pretensions. You're the perfect person to go wild on a pub crawl... or enjoy a quiet bike ride through the old part of town.

What European City Do You Belong In?

Storms Payback From God, Nagin Says

Oops, sorry

USATODAY.com - New digital camera? Know how, where you can use it

What idiot thought of this?

"I can only imagine what would happen in a driver’s head if he or she were fully immersed in a racing game using the exact same driving equipment that they’d be using moments later to pick up grandma from the airport."

Ah, there's is nothing like crisp, line-dried sheets! My mother hung out the wash for years. I have gotten out of the habit, but this site reminded me of one of the simplest things we can do to conserve energy and lift our spirits at the same time.

And I bet all the major players in the real estate biz all already staking out their beach-front properties.

This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Anita Roddick: "If you think you're too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room."

But doesn't it make you wonder? Should we be building these things just because we can?

Well, I think I'll be stuck here for a few days.

Commentator Bob Sloan shares some basic truths and the story of the ugly dog who taught them to him.

The Gift of ADHD: "We heard a lot of negative impact from ADHA (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Studies suggests people with ADHA can have some unique gifts and attributes, like naturally creative and being more impulsive on thoughts: … To think daringly original thoughts and to create new ideas or perspectives requires impulsiveness. Impulsiveness is the urge to do things [...]"

Well, now, isn't it about time somebody realized that since we don't all look alike, talk like, walk like, sound alike, etc., etc., etc. - maybe that we don't all learn alike isn't so strange? Who determines who is "deficient" and who is the norm? What if those who can too easily pay attention to just one thing at a time are the drones?

Oh, yes. One of the hardest things for most over-acheivers to do is Knowing When To Quit. It's so easy for it to feel like a failure, when it's really exercising good judgment. After all, you wouldn't buy everything in the store just because you wanted it at that moment, would you?

Well, only if you had more money than mental capacity...

I'm always wondering what the heck is going on behind the scenes. This site can help me figure it out, so I'm blogging it to help me find it again.

"Science gives us the evidence we need to understand how Mother Nature works. When we ignore Her well understood warnings (by damming things, digging things, filling things with reckless abandon), She does not hesitate to pop us in the chin."<\a>

Good Lord, I thought I had enough to read already. Along comes the fantastic Literature-Map and I will now have to extend my life by at least 1,000 years to get it all in...

"I wish I could find cleaning as enjoyable as sitting down with a fresh cup of coffee and a book."

My thoughts exactly.

I so miss having a front porch. Sitting out there on a summer evening... the best.

List ten songs that you are currently digging ... it doesn't matter what genre they are from, whether they have words, or even if they're no good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying right now. Post these instructions, the artists, and the ten songs in your blog. Then tag five other people to see what they're listening to.

1. Francis Dunnery's "Good Life"
2. The rest is easy. Bonnie's putting out a new album. Already heard "I Will Not Be Broken" - I'm hooked...

Oh, crap. Now who do I tag?

Back to the drawing board...

Oh no. That Crazy Neighbor Lady has tagged me with a music meme! She has no idea that although I can hum a mean tune, song titles and artis'ts names completely escape me. I shall need to do some research.

At least I don't have the distraction of a new driver in the house. That would put me over the top entirely...

While reading this post at Ishbadiddle, I remembered that I still had quite a few slash pocket folders. I can use them to gather my project papers instead of the clear plastic coverslips. Fits my reuse/recycle contribution to the planet, and I prefer them to plastic anyway. Those damn plastic sleeves keep sliding around on me, and I have enough trouble herding these projests as it is.

Bizwerk: Donald Norman Defends Cheating

I hadn't thought of things this way, but there is a difference between "cheating" and "collaboration" or even research. I don't think our public schools prepare students for life "on the outside" anyway. If I had to memorize everything I needed to know and never use my skills for research I would have been culled from the herd a long time ago.

I've separated my feeds between two readers: Bloglines for the entertaining, non-biz oriented ones, and Newsgator for the career and biz-oriented feeds. That way, I don't find myself straying into Dooce territory followed by That Crazy Neighbor Lady when I should really be focusing on the job...

Too Many Books, So Little Time

I've resigned myself to the fact that I will never, never, never read all that I want to read. Logically, it would be impossible to live that long!

So I've made a few concessions.

Just as I don't read novels during "business hours", I no longer read business things during leisure hours. That's too much like refusing to leave work. Gotta put an end to it sometime.

I no longer feel the need to obsessively read every freakin' word. What was that all about? The reading police were going to come and arrest me if I skimmed a boring paragraph now and then? Sometimes I skim practically the entire book now - I can get the idea of what it's about, and I can always go back to it later if I want more depth.

And some are just resigned to the "ain't gonna happen" list. I'll never read everything I want to, just like I'll never be twenty again. And really, neither one of those is all that bad...

Blinq: Drop A Dime Time

What I think is so funny is how so many people just don't get it when it comes to cell phones. Have a more interesting life because you have someone to talk to on your cell? What about talking to one of those "sardines" standing right next to you? Why don't people see the irony of walking down the street, cell phone glued to ear, chattering away to the person on the other end of the line while completely ignoring the human being standing right next to you?

People don't have respect for each other? Hell, people don't even notice each other. Just wait - someone will develop a little portable sound-proof "booth" that you can sheild yoursellf with. And nobody will see anything wrong with it.

Sorry, David, I like to use hanging folders. Saves readjusting the slider in the back of my old, creaky, file drawers, and I like my folders standing up and at attention - plus, I have a lot of them from my color-coding days, and was brought up on the old Puritan ethic: "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."

So my hack is to integrate the colored folders into my GTD system. I assigned one color for me, one for the business, one for the kid, etc. in my alphabetical files. Now, for example, it's a little easier to find something related only to my daughter, or a file of stuff related only to me. Grass green is financial stuff. Generic stuff is still in the generic green. It's not a rainbow of colors, but it helps me make use of what I already have and adds a little more organization to my files.

New Toy

Brother P-touch 1750 to label my files in my GTD set-up. Added feature: it also makes labels that can be used outside.

Now I can label all those friggin' plants I've planted.

You scored as Cultural Creative. Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational. Cultural Creative 100% Idealist 88% Existentialist 69% Postmodernist 56% Materialist 44% Romanticist 44% Modernist 19% Fundamentalist 19% What is Your World View? (updated) created with QuizFarm.com

This sounds awkward, but there is a big difference between writing with just your fingers and moving your whole arm as a unit. My handwriting wasn't bad to begin with, but there was an improvement when I stopped concentrating all my movements in my fingers and started using my whole arm. It's just that it doesn't feel like my shoulder is involved at all, unless I'm making REALLY HUGE LETTERS...

You scored as Existentialism. Your life is guided by the concept of Existentialism: You choose the meaning and purpose of your life. “Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.” “It is up to you to give [life] a meaning.” --Jean-Paul Sartre “It is man's natural sickness to believe that he possesses the Truth.” --Blaise Pascal More info at Arocoun's Wikipedia User Page... Existentialism 90% Hedonism 75% Utilitarianism 70% Kantianism 60% Justice (Fairness) 60% Divine Command 30% Apathy 25% Strong Egoism 15% Nihilism 15% What philosophy do you follow? (v1.03) created with QuizFarm.com

This makes me very proud of my Scottish heritage. What amazing craftmanship!Being in tune with the land and her gifts. No wonder they have stood the test of time; not in conflict, but in harmony with Mother Nature herself.

Your Linguistic Profile:

45% General American English

35% Yankee

20% Dixie

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

"Someone retorted to me that they believed, because I am childless, and therefore not contributing to 'the pool of future citizens' at present, I should have to pay extra taxes that should go toward mothers whose goal in life is to be a stay at home mother."

Now, what fool said this? I believe there are enough people in jail raised by stay-at-home moms to disprove that theory. Just because you are lucky enough to have someone else (or something else) supporting your choice to stay home and raise your kids doesn't mean you can't suck at it. A working mom who makes time for and relates to her kids is worth a handful of stay at homes suckin down a brew while their kids run screaming thru the neighborhood. Or the mom who sets a wonderful example by putting up with an abusive partner because he brings home the bacon. And what about the littl' darlins' with moms who sacrifice everything - even their backbone? These overindulged little creeps are a boon to society?

Let's stop comparing today's stay at home moms with the previous generations - you know, the one's without automatic washer/dryers, wrinkle-free clothing, microwaves, freezers, vacuum cleaners, stain-resistant carpets and furniture, washable wall paint, voicemail, and a myriad of cleaning products that cut the time and elbow grease required in half, if not more? Try cleaning the way your mother and grandmother did. Or cooking a meal. Or doing the laundry. Or just curling your damn hair.

And what about TV's, vcr's, dvd's, video games, iPods, and a hundred other distractions for the kids? Formula? Disposable diapers? Baby monitors? Crib toys?

Being a good mother has nothing to do with how many hours you stay home. It's how much you love your kids, tolerate your kids, pay attention to your kids, relate to their needs, know your kids. That's the choice you make, not how many hours you spend at home.

I've done both. Stayed at home, and worked outside the home. Both can be damn hard. Because of how you do it, not which one you do.

And hooray for those who chose to be childless, or chose to wait to have kids. Crankin' em out ain't hard to do. Any fool with a working reproductive system can do that. Putting a little thought into it, now that takes work.

Outside for the first official weed-pulling session. Ok, actually I went out to chase the neighbor's damn dog out of my yard. But the walkway was calling me. Just one tug. Come on, you know you need it. Weeding is cathartic.

The thyme is spreading nicely and should be beautiful when it blooms. Not to mention it's making it harder for the weeds to take hold. Things need to be low-maintenance around here.

I've already succumbed to that philosophy, why shouldn't my yard?

Yahoo! News - Philadelphia Plans First U.S. Citywide Wi-Fi Network: "The city of Philadelphia will become the largest U.S. Internet 'hot spot' next year under a plan to offer wireless access at about half the cost charged by commercial operators, city officials said on Thursday."

I don't know whther this is a good thing, or a horrible mistake.

Not being a Catholic, I guess I'm a little confused about all the sadness of the Pope's passing. He will be missed here on Earth, of course, but isn't going to Heaven what you strive for? Why isn't there more rejoicing? Not being happy he's dead, exactly, but being happy that he's now with God? Seems like it shouldn't be such a sad time, unless you'd prefer that he was still here. But would you want that?

Do other parents have trouble getting their kids to take out the trash?

I found a solution. My kid knows the distance between the trashcan and the end of the driveway. She also knows the distance between the trashcan and her room.

Guess which is shorter?

I know. I'm such a bad mother. But it's amazing what the power of suggestion can accomplish. If I gotta haul it, I'm takin' the shorter route.

"There are at least a dozen ways to parse and think through the acknowledged underrepresentation of women opinion writers, and yet—to the extent that we are having a national conversation on the topic—it is a conversation so far almost wholly lacking the voices of men."

Yes, I agree it is a landmine. A sort of "damned if you do and damned if you don't" for any man commenting. But isn't it about time they took that chance? Women have been walking on those eggshells for years.

Maybe it isn't in a women's make-up to indulge in that sort of commentary. But suppose it is? How long do you think it would take to earn that "bitch" label? A millisecond? And let's face it - that "bitchiness" of Murphy Brown could not have been passed off as an endearing quality if she looked like Helen Thomas. TV character or not.

The freakin' copier at work is in love with me.

Put in a large run and as soon as I walked out the door, it jammed. Fixed it, it ran for a few copies. I walked out the door, and it jammed AGAIN. Repeat the scenario, one more time.

The next time it happened, I said to the machine "ok, you want me to stay in here with you, I'll stay." Yes, now I'm talking to the office equipment

Fifty copies. NO PROBLEMS.

So I walked out the door. Not TWO FEET from the room, it JAMMED AGAIN.

Went back in, fixed it, promised I'd stay til the end of the run. No more problems.

Just what I need. Office equipment with separation anxiety.

Wired News: Need a Building? Just Add Water: "'The Concrete Canvas product tackles the key issues of portability, ease of assembly, durability and cost,' he said. 'The applications in the humanitarian field are immediate and obvious, but there are many other fields where this technology could successfully be deployed.'"

Great in emergency situations - a way to get hospital units set up quickly.

I'm a little concerned about the "other fields". Will we be having little concrete pod towns?

Watched another of our Netflix movies - I (heart) Huckabees. From one end of the spectrum to the other...

Not my kind of movie. Too cerebral. I prefer books for that, not movies. If not for Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman, I don't think I would have watched the whole thing. Not that it was a bad movie on any critical level - just not my kind of entertainment.

But it did help to get the other one out of my head. Shudder.

The 'spring and I watched The Grudge last night.

OH. MY. GOD.

We both slept with lights on.

I'm not a big fan of recent scary movies, mostly because they seem to be more "let's see how much fake blood we can use in this scene" than letting you use your imagination. Although there were some rather bloody scenes, there was a lot of "what was that" to let your imagination run wild. Which I think is much scarier that laying it all out there.

Well, at least for me.

And apparently for the 'spring, too. Not that I enjoy scaring my kid, but it's nice to see she hasn't been desensitized like so many other kids. So the "But, Mooooommm, the other kids can watch it" moments paid off.

"But what kind of power does your sexuality bring you, if everyone at the table can see your crotch when you sit down?"

I now have the interest of my local school district. They're jumping like spit on a griddle.

Got my copy of the papers from my lawyer in the mail today.

Seems they got theirs, too.

Let the fun begin...

Ah, yes, the reliable fast food shuffle. We always check the bags before we leave the drive thru - can't tell you how many times the orders have been screwed up. And we don't even go that often. Really.

How hard is it to remember to put in the friggin piece the damn meal is built around?

Seen the Popeye's "Naked Chicken" commercials?

Shouldn't the guys actually be dressed? But with, you know..... no skin?

Searching for my spiritual path...

1. Neo-Pagan (100%)
2. New Age (91%)
3. Unitarian Universalism (83%)
4. Mahayana Buddhism (72%)
5. New Thought (67%)
6. Hinduism (66%)
7. Liberal Quakers (65%)
8. Theravada Buddhism (63%)
9. Jainism (53%)
10. Reform Judaism (53%)

Of course, now I forget where I took the damn test...