Two Minute Trek

JJ photo

2007-03-26T22:06:00.000-05:00

Our Lives Are All About Maintenance

2006-05-10T13:07:00.000-05:00

It amazing how much of our time we spend doing maintenance. With all the maintenance, it’s amazing there is ever such a thing as progress, or productivity. Think about it. You know we spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping (OK, some of you survive on less than that, but not me).

Perhaps another 1/3 goes to maintenance. How much time do we spend getting ready for the day? Maybe that averages an hour a day (wide variance here). Then there’s preparing food and eating—-anywhere from ½ hour if you’re a fast food junkie to 2 or even 3 hours a day. There are maintenance errands to be run and tasks to be done, such as oil changes and dentist visits and grocery shopping and bill paying. If you have a pet, there is poop to be scooped and food to be fed and maybe walks to be had (though not so much with a cat). And of course there’s all that time we sit on the john. Gee, it’s a wonder we humans ever get anything else done!

Frankly, My Dear

2006-04-30T17:37:00.000-05:00

Sayings come and go, but "don't give a damn" keeps rolling along.Unlike many emphatic terms, it is not a vulgarism. Damn is a dictionary word with several meanings.

When used emphatically, it alludes to an old Hindu coin that was used extensively in India, the value of which fluctuated greatly throughout the centuries. It reached a high of one-fortieth of a rupee and a low of one-thousandth of a rupee. When the damn was at its lowest, British troopers, because they could get little for it, used its name to describe valueless things or facts. The saying, because of its succintness, has become the leader of forceful speech wherever English is spoken.

Common Phrases And Where They Come From, Myron Korach

No More Kicking

2006-04-28T15:46:00.000-05:00

Check your tire pressure at a glance. Radio Shack offers caps for your tires' air valves that have a built-in pressure gauge. They come in sets of 4 and cost between $3 and $5.

Primerica Recruitment

2006-04-27T20:14:00.000-05:00

Went to a Primerica meeting tonight since I had nothing better to do. I had flashbacks to my Vector Marketing (selling Cutco) days. (My now-husband-just-friends-at-the-time bought the largest set from me. He intended to buy one good chef's knife and ended up buying a $400 set. As a broke college student. And we were only friends at the time. And I didn't show him any cleavage.)

Primerica is the marketing arm of Citigroup. Educating folks on investing for retirement and, of course, selling their products/services. But they talked a lot about recruiting others. Selling insurance, mutual funds and such is one thing (I would like educating people about money, course this would be from a biased standpoint, which I wouldn't like), but recruiting friends and family--no thanks.

I think Citgroup's plan is this: Recruit as many people as possible and have those folks sell to as many of their friends and family as possible. Doesn't need to go out further than that, and most recruitees won't last long, but it won't matter. Citigroup isn't interested in making a millionaire out of me--they're interested in getting as many people signed on with their products as possible. But to do that, they've got to emphasize recruitment.

My definition of a salesperson: someone who convinces someone else she is on their side when she is really not.

Wasting Time By Saving It

2006-04-27T14:00:00.000-05:00

Boy, wouldn't it be convenient, I thought, to print postage directly onto my envelopes during my resume sendout blitz. And Stamps.com has a 4-week free trial offer. So I signed up. They pull you in with "Free $25 postage, Free digital scale, Free supplies kit." So why not.

Besides the fact that after I signed up I learned I only get $5 worth of free postage during the trial period and the rest comes in intervals after the 4-week trial if I remain a paying customer. Sleazy.

But OK, I still get $5 free, right, plus the added convenience of not having to drive the entire mile to the nearest post office.

But by the time I'd installed the program, reformatted my Excel address file to only contain the info I wanted included in the first phase of my blitz, converted it to a .csv file, uploaded that into the program, and gone through their tedious address verification process (in conjunction with the US Postal service, so you can imagine how quick and efficient it is)--well, I've wasted a helluva lot of time.

Damn technology. Lures us into thinking we're saving time and energy and money, when in the end it just complicates things.

Money Laundering

2006-04-23T20:31:00.000-05:00

I did some money laundering today. Quite by accident. Seven one-dollar bills. Usually it's my watch that gets it. I've washed (and dried) my watch at least half a dozen times, and it keeps on ticking. And I beleive I paid all of $9 for it at Walmart.

Singed Fur

2006-04-22T14:36:00.000-05:00

In an effort to waste more of my Saturday instead of working on some paperwork that has sat around far too long, I have been playing in the Internet. Ran across No Daddies blog, and curious about its title, I took a gander and was intrigued by the title of one post: Reason 3,023 that I'm dumb. So as not to spoil the well written account of why this blogger now has hair very short on one side of her head, I shall not give you any details. Just go read the post; it's rather funny.

. . . It reminded me of the time I had a candle sitting on our coffee table and my long-haired kitty with her fluffy tail walks by. The tips of her tail fur wisp across the candle flame and alight. I start to smell singed fur (not very aromatic), and look to see my cat's tail on fire. She is oblivious. I yelp, then grab her tail and blow on it and then pat out any remaining embers.

To this day, she still has no idea it ever happened.

Frivolous Lawsuits

2006-04-22T14:04:00.000-05:00

Also from the Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch:

INMATE BLAMES STATE FOR HIS
FLATULENCE, THEN SUES

According to a Michigan Assistant Attorney General testifying before the Michigan Senate Judiciary Committee, frivolous prisoner lawsuits are overburdening state and federal courts. In Case No. 9650302, a prisoner sued the state blaming the food in prison for his flatulence problem. The Attorney General's Office estimates the annual cost of defending the state against frivolous prisoner lawsuits to be several million dollars, all paid for by the state taxpayer.

WOMAN SUES CHILD AFTER ICE SKATING COLLISION

A 12 year old girl was skating at a public ice rink in Berkley, Michigan when she ran into another skater and knocked her down causing a knee injury to the fallen skater. The injured woman sued the girl. The trial court dismissed the case saying that the child's manner was not reckless. The trial court stated that the accident occurred during an open skating session at the ice rink and that there are certain risks that must be assumed by participants in recreational activities, especially on ice which is in itself dangerous because of its slippery and hard nature. Sadly, a panel of the Court of Appeals reversed the trial court decision and allowed the case to go to trial. Fortunately for the girl and her family, the Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals stating that "When one combines the nature of ice with the relative proximity of skaters of various abilities, a degree of risk is readily apparent..."

HOMEOWNER SUES SAYING:
"THIS DUST IS TRESPASSING!"

A Michigan couple sued the owners of a nearby business claiming that dust, noise and vibrations invaded their property and therefore were trespassing. A jury actually found in their favor, but a Court of Appeals panel overturned the jury's verdict. The Appeals court stated that noise, vibrations and dust are intangible objects and can not be considered as trespassers.

Wacky Warning Labels

2006-04-22T13:48:00.000-05:00

The ubiquitous, ridiculous product warning label . . . here are a few examples from a contest sponsored by Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch.

A heat gun and paint remover that produces temperatures of 1,000 degrees and warns users, “Do not use this tool as a hair dryer” has been identified as the nation’s wackiest warning label in M-LAW’s annual Wacky Warning Label Contest.

For those people who aren’t “the sharpest knife in the drawer.” The $250 second place award went to Jam Sardar of Grand Rapids, Michigan for a label on a kitchen knife that warns: “Never try to catch a falling knife.”

“Hurry up, bartender! I’m late for the regatta.” The $100 third place award goes to Alice Morgan of La Junta, Colorado who found a very wacky warning on a cocktail napkin. The napkin has a map of the waterways around Hilton Head, South Carolina printed on it along with this: “Caution: Not to be used for navigation.”

And don’t eat the yellow snow, either. Kirk Dunham of Seabrook, Texas gets an honorable mention for a warning label he found on a bottle of dried bobcat urine made to keep rodents and other pests away from garden plants. It says: “Not for human consumption.”

But will it get cold in the refrigerator? Another honorable mention goes to Lyne Anton of Elk, California who found the following warning label on a baking pan: “Ovenware will get hot when used in oven.”

“Warning labels are a sign of our lawsuit-plagued times,” said Robert B. Dorigo Jones, M-LAW president. “An unpredictable legal system – in which judges allow anyone to file a lawsuit on almost any theory – has created a need for product makers to plaster wacky warnings on everything. When judges see it as their job to dismiss cases that are rooted in frivolous theories, we’ll see fewer wacky labels and more fairness in the courts.”

Canstruction

2006-04-21T16:10:00.000-05:00

This "sculpture" is made out of cans. It was an entry for Canstruction, a national charity of the design and construction industry to fight world hunger.

Bungled Banking

2006-04-21T15:41:00.000-05:00

We wanted to contribute a small amount to an IRA for 2005 to maximize our tax refund. I called my credit union to verify the routing number and to ensure my savings account number plain and simple was all that was needed. The rep said to add enough zeros in front of the account number to make it a nine-digit number. We initiated the transaction with Vanguard online the week before April 17 (you have up till Tax Day to contribute to an IRA for the previous year for tax purposes).

Then we got a call from Vanguard about the 14th saying the wire debit from our bank account was rejected, but if we verified the info ASAP and got back with them, they could still do it for 2005. So I called the credit union and was told to leave off the zero, which we did this time.

And whaddya know. Another call from Vanguard. Rejected. Apparently, my credit union does not allow wire transfers from a savings account. (Wish during one of my two prior calls to the credit union someone had told me that.) At this stage Vanguard said again that if we got this straightened out right away, we could still have the transaction count for 2005. So I transferred money from checking to savings online and then had Vanguard use the checking account number, which we had used successfully with them before.

A few days after Tax Day I went online to check the status of things. They money went through this time, but it went through TWICE.

Aagggghhhhhhh!!!!!!

Drained savings into checking to hopefully cover in time. Thankfully part of the second erroneous transaction was rejected (don't understand why but don't care). Just spoke to Vanguard three more times today and things should be cleared up by next week.

Why are these things so damn difficult?

Beautiful Cats and Cat Mysteries

2006-04-21T14:43:00.000-05:00

Ran across this blog with a photo of a beautiful cat. The author mentioned Cat Stories by James Herriot (which I have not read) and one commentor (who's blog url thecrotchetygardener is just great!) mentioned Lilian Jackson Braun, the famed cat mystery writer. This reminded me of a great short story of Braun's I read: The Sin of Madame Phloi. A bit eerie, good twist, and clearly Braun understands cats. (Incidentally I've read one of her books and wasn't as enthralled.)

Since we're talking about beautiful cats . . . here's mine (poser).

Free Photos For Blogs

2006-04-19T21:48:00.000-05:00

Having worked in the publishing industry, I am keenly aware of copyright and permissions issues as they regard the written word and images. And I like including images on my blog to make it more interesting, but I don't have an extensive collection of photos I've taken myself. So after a little searching . . .

I found two websites that offer free photos for use either personally or commercially with very little restriction: morgueFile (where I got the gas pump image for the previous post) and Image*After. And morgueFile even explains its creepy name.

Cheapest Gas

2006-04-19T21:08:00.000-05:00

Find the cheapest gas prices near you. For me, it's $2.79. Blech.

Speaking of gas, ever wondered how the pump knows to turn itself off? Here's a somewhat technical explanation.

Kitty Navigator

2006-04-18T20:18:00.000-05:00

"Take this road, then turn right. Got it?"

River On A Bridge

2006-04-17T21:58:00.000-05:00

This photo arrived in my inbox today with the following description:

Water Bridge in Germany. What a feat! Six years, 500 million euros, 918 meters long . . now this is engineering! This is a channel-bridge over the River Elbe and joins the former East and West ermany, as part of the unification project. It is located in the city of Magdeburg, near Berlin. The photo was taken on the day of inauguration.
To those who appreciate engineering projects, here's a puzzle for you armchair engineers and physicists. Did that bridge have to be designed to withstand the additional weight of ship and barge traffic, or just the weight of the water? Answer: It only needs to be designed to withstand the weight of the water! Why? A ship always displaces an amount of water that weighs the same as the ship, regardless of how heavily a ship may be loaded. Remember your high school physics, and the fly in an enclosed bottle project? Similarly, the super sensitive scale proved that it didn't make any difference whether the fly was sitting on the bottom, walking up the side, or flying around. The bottle, air, and fly were a single unit of mass and always weighed the same.

Snopes (which I wrote about here) verifies the existence of this bridge.

My husband the physicist and I were discussing the physics of this. We agreed that the bottle/fly example is a bad analogy because it is a closed system. Of course the fly/water/bottle entity will mass the same whether or not the fly is on the side of the container, or drowning in at the bottom of it's watery grave. That doesn't fit this scenario at all.

I agreed that the bridge structure would not have to account for the mass of the boat on it. The displaced water caused by the boat on the bridge would essentially run the length of the entire river so that at the point of the bridge, the displaced amount of water becomes negligible. And since the boat doesn't just drop onto the bridge from the sky, but is already in the water by the time it reaches the bridge, then there is no displacement of water when the boat enters onto the bridge.

But in a way, I noted, the bridge actually had to account for the weight of all the boats on the entire river. That is, say along that waterway there were 500 boats each massing 1000 tons. That's a total of 500,000 tons of water that will be displaced (essentially, that will rise) along the length of the river. But being a long waterway, 500,000 tons of displaced water disperses rather thinly. So again, at the point of the bridge, the difference is negligible.

Make sense? Do you agree or disagree?

This bridge, by the way, is almost a kilometer long.

THIS is Customer Service

2006-04-17T16:27:00.000-05:00

I was searching online for an ice pack that would cover both shoulders and neck. The Pro Ice Scapula Cervical Collar Ice Pack, apart from being a helluva long name, looked perfect. One of the best prices I found was at Pain Reliever. I had a question about the product and called the number listed on the site. The lady that answered said she would inquire and call me back. Within half an hour, she called back with an answer. That kind of customer service sealed the deal and I bought from this company.

The product arrived quickly, and I put it in the freezer. I used it for a few days, then noticed it was wet. Turns out, one of the water pockets had busted. (It's water based and made up of ketcup-sized pouches of water/ice, which allows it to be malleable.) I called and explained what happened, and the response:

"Oh, I'm so sorry that happened."

Let me repeat that. The company's rep said to me,

"Oh, I'm so sorry that happened."

Then proceeded to tell me she'd contact the manufacturer and see what needed to be done to get it replaced. She took down my number and said she'd get back with me.

Less than a half hour later she phoned back and said she had been unable to get through by phone, but she faxed them and instructed them to send me a replacement. She said she didn't foresee that they'd have any problem with that (though if it did, she'd call me back), and to consider it taken care of.

Yes, she said "Consider it taken care of."

Within a few days, my replacement pack arrived, in perfect working condition.

Now THAT is customer service. Clark would be proud.

Crucifying Themselves

2006-04-15T23:05:00.000-05:00

In the Philippines, a few devout Christians volunteer to be nailed to crosses in order to share in the sufferings of Christ. Real nails are used, but through the palms, not the wrists. Ropes support their weight. I have heard that during the time of Christ nails would have been driven through the wrists during crucifixion (quite a common practice back then), which would have been more agonizing. The local Church does not condone this behaviour, but it continues to be an annual event and draws thousands of worshippers and curious tourists. Read the BBC News article.

So Am I A Good Driver Or Not?

2006-04-14T21:37:00.000-05:00

According to one source, my astrological sign is an indicator that I am a great driver. It is alleged that I am generous, egotistical, and optimistic, which translates on the road to striving to be a star driver and be respected for it. Well, according to one source.

Insurance Hotline analyzed tickets and accidents of 100,000 drivers and analyzed the data with regard to astrological signs. Libra and Acquarius fared worst; Gemini and Leo fared best--according to the May 2006 edition of The Reader's Digest.

In looking for the list online to link to, I discovered a very different list on the Insurance Hotline website (Reader's Digest's cited source). Here I fall behind Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo, and Cancer. Hmmmm . . .

So am I a good driver or not? Somebody please tell me.

And You Think Your Street Name is Wacky

2006-04-14T21:18:00.000-05:00

How about That-a-way Rd or the intersection of Clinton and Fidelity or Bucket of Blood St. or Zzyzx Rd? Courtesy of a poll conducted by The Car Connnection.

Free Stuff

2006-04-12T23:24:00.000-05:00

I dig free stuff. In fact, I joke with my hubby that I am always getting free stuff. Nothing fancy, just a cup of coffee here or there. Well, there was one time when I got a free appetizer and entree a couple years ago at Carrabbas. We were out for my hubby's birthday, it was a grand opening, and I commented to the manager/owner that Marty's mahi-mahi was the best fish either of us had ever eaten. And for my husband to give food a compliment, that is high praise--it takes a lot to impress his palate. I mentioned that my crab cakes were great, but the best ones I'd ever had were at Heironymous. A few minutes later he came back and said that because we complemented the fish and because my crab cakes were not the best I'd ever have, he'd comp them both. Sweet.

Course, we spent the next several hours in the ER as Marty discovered he was actually allergic to mahi-mahi.

But hey, it was free.

Which brings me back to free stuff. Who doesn't like free stuff. And it never hurts to ask. Tom Locke took that principal to heart and launched The $39 Experiment. And he got some free stuff: tea bags, pens, compressed air, hat, travel mug, tatoos, Carmex, dog toy, pasta, soy milk, dog treats, stickers, gum, mouthwash . . . and of course a bunch of coupons.

Blog Worm

2006-04-12T23:13:00.000-05:00

It seems I have been infected with a blog worm.

Judging by its glow, I believe it originated at Homer's worksite.

Really Cool Machines

2006-04-12T22:43:00.000-05:00

You remember those fancy streams of falling dominoes with cool little stunts back in the 80s? (Well, that's when I remember them.) Here are some machines created on similar principals. Thanks to Random Good Stuff for pointing this out.

These machines were posted by danipage on YouTube.

My husband would love this. In fact, I probably shouldn't show this site to him or he might get a notion to try and create his own elaborate machines and spend the next week doing nothing but that. ;-)

World's Smallest Political Quiz

2006-04-10T21:31:00.000-05:00

Take the World's Smallest Political Quiz. Here's how I fared:

The blue dot on the chart shows where you fit on the political map. According to your answers, you fall exactly on the border of two political philosophies . . . CONSERVATIVE/LIBERTARIAN

Conservatives tend to favor economic freedom, but frequently support laws to restrict personal behavior that violates "traditional values." They oppose excessive government control of business, while endorsing government action to defend morality and the traditional family structure. Conservatives usually support a strong military, oppose bureaucracy and high taxes, favor a free-market economy, and endorse strong law enforcement.

Libertarians support maximum liberty in both personal and economic matters. They advocate a much smaller government; one that is limited to protecting individuals from coercion and violence. Libertarians tend to embrace individual responsibility, oppose government bureaucracy and taxes, promote private charity, tolerate diverse lifestyles, support the free market, and defend civil liberties.

The quiz comes to you and me courtesy of Advocates for Self Government. I know nothing about them, so don't consider my link an endorsement. BUT, do tell me where you landed on the political spectrum!

MORE TracFone Hassles

2006-04-10T21:20:00.000-05:00

So all day today my phone does not work and one of the following three messages appears at any given moment:
SIM Card Registration Failed
No Service
Emergency Only

I called the Executive Resolutions Department at Tracfone and the gentleman I spoke with (who had a heavy accent and was difficult to understand) said he would open a case on it, and it should be fixed in 2 or 3 hours. He asked if there was anything else he could do for me, and I said, "Yes, give me a useable phone to use for the next 2 or 3 hours." Or at least offer me some compensation minutes for me having to put up with such an incompetent company.

Let's see . . . it's been 4 hours and--guess what? The phone is still not working. No big surprise there. See my post from yesterday.

I don't know if the Executive Resolutions Department's number is easy to find. I guess they don't make it easy to find. The letter I sent re the last Tracfone issue I had is what initiated my phone contact with that department. If you need the number, it is 1-800-339-9345. Now, whether or not everyone there is as competent as the gal who handled my last issue, that remains to be seen. Based on my conversation with the guy today, I would not bank on it.

Do It Right On Prom Night

2006-04-09T21:40:00.000-05:00

Prom time is coming up again. I mean, I'm more than a decade beyond that, but I keep seeing Stay Safe & Sober commercials. One of these ads ends with a local lawyer urging teens to "Do it right on prom night."

Epinions.com

2006-04-09T21:12:00.000-05:00

I've used epinions to read product reviews before, but only this year have I actually joined and posted a review.

When you post a review, users can rate your review. Some combination of how many folks click on your review (I've had 80 clicks to date, 12 members) and how many ratings you get (5 helpful, 3 of which are epinion advisors) and other unknown factors lead to you making money. I've earned 12 cents so far.

They have apparently changed their payment structure, but under the old plan, this individual made almost $4500 in one year through the 162 reviews he wrote for epinions. I don't think the new scheme is nearly so lucrative, but it's still cool that you can get paid to rave or rant. I love raving and ranting.

This blogger earned over $3K.

Avoid Tracfone, Avoid The Hassle

2006-04-09T21:00:00.000-05:00

That's my proposed new motto for Tracfone Wireless.

Had an irritating experience with them recently and wrote about it on epinions.

I have used Tracfone for 3 years, because it seemed the most economical option. I have put up with their inconvenient methods before (such as streams of codes to fill in, bad customer service), but this time I have had it. My Tracfone died, so I ordered a new one. I was told I would have to wait for the new one before I could have the number from the old phone "ported" into the new one, and I would have to call back to have that done. So I called back when I received the new phone, and was told the number transfer process should take 3 to 5 days. I phoned back at that time and was told I need to give it 5 to 7 days. I phoned back and was told I should give it 10 days. It has been 12 days, and still no resolution. This is unacceptable. I just emailed about my situation through their website and received an automated reply that said to give my situation 7 to 10 more days. You've got to be kidding me.

Read the rest here.

Then read the updates.

Hilarious Videos

2006-04-08T23:42:00.000-05:00

Need a laugh? Visit the Best Funny Videos blog. I just discovered it and the videos are hilarious. The dancing Quiznos mascot in front of Subway--that's good. The fact he actually goes inside--that's even better. (Click here and scroll down to the March 20 post.) And apparently Asimo (March 13) is real. This site also links (March 1) to a great deer prank video.

Now go laugh your ass off.

Countries I've Visited/Lived In

2006-04-08T23:06:00.000-05:00

U.S.

England

France

Germany

Belgium

Luxembourg

The Netherlands

Italy

Spain

Switzerland

Austria

Hungary

Romania

The Top of the World

2006-04-07T14:30:00.000-05:00

Ever wondered what the top of the world looks like? Here it is, in satellite view. I kept it tilted so you can make out North America clearly underneath the North Pole. You've got massive Alaska on the left, and you can just make out Florida protruding out on the bottom right.

If you have not yet encountered Google Earth, give it a go. Satellite and aerial imagery is combined to provide images of the world. Some areas are higher resolution than others.

Here, for example, is a fairly high res view of the Empire State Building.

Chicago is also good resolution. You can zoom close enough to see which vehicles are pickups, which have sunroofs, and even see the lines on crosswalks.

You can take a virtual tour of famous landmarks. Pearl Harbor is a very intersting visit, as you can see the half submerged ships. My favorite is the Grand Canyon, because the terrain feature allows you to whisk through the canyon 3-D style, as if you were flying through it. It's amazing.

Unanimous

2006-04-05T20:39:00.000-05:00

Talk about overacting. Last week I watched 10 minutes of Fox's new "reality show" Unanimous. I watched 5 minutes tonight, just out of fascination. I had already concluded last week that it's a farce and Steve is the only guy not in on it. In the end it will all be exposed as a set up and Steve will win the entire original amount of $1.5 mil.

I am flabergasted that they can pass off this shoddy acting as a reality show. Perhaps I overestimate the t.v. watching American public.

Burma-Shave

2006-04-05T15:19:00.000-05:00

Now this was fun advertising:

He Played A Sax
Had No B.O.
But His Whiskers Scratched
So She Let Him Go
Burma-Shave

And as part of their campaign, Burma-Shave once promised to send a contest winner to Mars. Read more about ad campaign at Snopes.

Pitiful. Just Pitiful.

2006-04-05T09:08:00.000-05:00

"What are YOU looking at? This is what a pillow's for, isn't it?!"

Hidden Talent

2006-04-05T09:04:00.000-05:00

Fairly accurate, in my humble opinion, except that decision-making is NOT my forte.

Your Hidden Talent

You're super sensitive and easily able to understand situations.

You tend to solve complex problems in a flash, without needing a lot of facts.

Decision making is easy for you. You have killer intuition.

The right path is always clear, and you're a bit of a visionary.

What's Your Hidden Talent?

Mother Paris?

2006-04-04T19:09:00.000-05:00

According to Michael Savage* on the airwaves today, Paris Hilton is being considered to portray Mother Teresa in an upcoming film. Apparently some Indian producer thought they looked alike.

* Here's my savage disclaimer. I really don't care much for him, it's just I often prefer talk radio to music in the car, and NPR's droning intonation drives me batty.

Paperweight Bullet

2006-04-04T19:07:00.000-05:00

A teacher who kept a 40 mm shell on his desk as a paperweight blew off part of his hand when he apparently used the object to try to squash a bug, authorities say.

Freaky, huh. Read the full article here.

Public Library Hassle

2006-04-04T18:17:00.000-05:00

Ugh!!! I was thrilled in the fall when I revisited a public library for the first time since grade school. "Free books!" I yelled. "Why has no one revealed this secret?!" And I began borrowing books and renewing my childhood reading habit.

Only drawback, you can't take borrowed books into the tub, and from time to time you are grossed out thinking about those other borrowers that haven't the same public respect as you and don't wash their hands after going to the bathroom or having sex or what have you and then put their filthy hands all over your book. [shudder] Oh, sorry, did I ruin your reading habits?

So a couple weeks ago I returned a slew of books (like maybe eight--not that I'd read them all)--and checked out about that many more. Couple weeks later, went online to renew my second batch, and one of the books I'd returned was showing up overdue. I call and have it corrected. The same thing happens when I return the second batch and check out a third. I call and have it corrected. Time comes to renew my third batch of books for the second time, and the website tells me I've already checked the books out twice, so I cannot renew them again. So, I checked books out March 23. I get 2 weeks initially and each renew.

2 weeks plus 2 weeks plus 2 weeks is 6 weeks, right? That would be . . . April 24.

So why are my books showing OVERDUE, fines being racked up, and due dates listed as April 3?! Dammit, I want my extra 3 weeks!

So I call the library, friendly folks that they are (honestly, I've only seen them smile twice), and the lady places me on hold for over five minutes, then I tell her my sitch (in an abbreviated version, because while you may suffer through this longwinded account, I did not want to get the person to whom I was looking for help on my bad side).

She says "Well the computer says their due."
I counter "OK, so how do we fix this?" Reasonable question.
But she says they won't renew again because they've already been renewed twice. Umm . . . yeah . . .
I say, "I get 2 weeks each time, right?"
"Yes."
And 2 weeks plus 4 weeks equals 6 weeks."
"Unh-huh."
"So why are these showing overdue?"
To which she replies, "I only know enough computer so I can do my job."
"Well who can I speak to to resolve this?"
"You'll have to call back tomorrow during the day and speak to the Supervisor of the Lending Desk."

Sounds daunting.

Project Gutenberg

2006-04-04T15:54:00.000-05:00

So I'm working a temp job as a receptionist, and there is lots of down time between calls. So I figured I'd read a book online. Well, a play. Since I recognized the title, I picked The Importance of Being Earnest . who knew Oscar Wilde was so funny?

I accessed the play through Project Gutenberg, who has 18,000 free online books. And when they say free, they mean not only fiscally free, but also copyright free. The copyrights of most works they have are expired. Which means you can not only rightfully download any of them, you can also copy it for a friend, or even adapt it into a movie script.

Deciding on a Movie

2006-04-04T12:16:00.000-05:00

This is how my husband and I choose a movie to watch on a lazy Saturday evening.

--Me "You wanna watch a movie?"
--Him "Sure."
--Me "What are you in the mood for?"
--Him "I donno."
--Me "Me neither."
--Him "Well, let's just head over to Blockbuster."
[Two minute trek by car to Blockbuster. I head for Action & Adventure. He heads for Romantic Comedy.]
--Him "So, see anything?"
--Me "Nope. You?"
--Him "Not yet."
[Next 40 minutes spent perusing video inserts, looking for familiar names or a Two Thumbs Up from Ebert & Roeper. I also look for anything British or black&white.]

It is a fantastic waste of time. But my friend Becky the Netflix Fan had two recommendations for me:

1. Go NetFlix. (We can't afford that right now but will be excited to join when we can.)

2. Use an online query engine like Movie Review Query Engine (MRQE) or Metacritic. (Becky prefers the latter.) After answering a series of questions about specific movie titles, you will be given a list of other movies you would likely enjoy, based on movies you've enjoyed in the past. I haven't checked either one out yet, but when I do, I'll post my thoughts.

Course our only problem with #2 is that Blockbuster carries such a dearth of titles. But unfortunately their the only video store close by.

Verifying Annoying Forwards

2006-04-02T15:09:00.000-05:00

How many annoying forwards do you get everyday? I'm not talking about the rare few that are actually funny, but this kind:

WARNING: If you sneeze three times in a public restaurant on a rainy day before eating pork then carcinogens will be released into your bloodstream, quintupling your risk of developing testicular cancer. Women, don't think you are immune--this applies to you, too!

OK, I made that one up. But it's not unlike many I'm sure you've seen, such as the Microwaving Plastic Causes Cancer alert, or the Lead in Lipstick warning. There is always such urgency in these messages, and they are more likely than not false.

To verify if information in a forward you have recieved via email is accurate, check out Snopes, a terrific online urban legends reference checker.

You can also find info on other commonly held myths, like the eight-glasses-of-water-a-day mandate. Who knew that was a myth?

Men in Uniform

2006-04-02T15:07:00.000-05:00

Ran across another new blogger and we've exchanged a few words about men in uniform. Her man wants to be a policeman. There's just something about a police uniform that is HOT! Don't you think?

Allie Hatches a Ball

2006-04-01T23:54:00.000-05:00

I swear I did not set up this shot. The ball was there first

MC may shut down.

2006-04-01T17:55:00.000-05:00

Oh, no! Messy Christian might shut down her site. She was my main inspiration for blogging, actually. Began frequeting her blog about a year ago, and was impressed by her authenticity. She is a journalist from Malaysia who is refreshingly honest about her faith struggles. If you haven't yet run across her blog, check it out.

Daylight Savings Time

2006-04-01T13:51:00.000-05:00

I dislike the spring side of Daylight Saving Time (officially, "Saving" has no s). Gaining an hour's sleep in the fall I don't have a problem with. Losing an hour in the spring--aye, there's the rub.

Someone once told me that DST began when we were more of an agricultural community, so kids could still help out on the farm in the a.m before school. But apparently this rationale is false. Per a WebExhibit article:

Another complaint is sometimes put forth by people who wake at dawn, or whose schedules are otherwise tied to sunrise, such as farmers. Farmers often dislike the clocks changing mid-year. Canadian poultry producer Marty Notenbomer notes, "The chickens do not adapt to the changed clock until several weeks have gone by, so the first week of April and the last week of October are very frustrating for us.

Some purport that it was Mr. Ben Franklin who first suggested this idea. Wikipedia asserts that he was being facetious:

It is sometimes asserted that DST was first proposed by Benjamin Franklin in a letter to the editors of the Journal of Paris. Read the full text. However, the article was humorous; Franklin was not proposing DST, but rather that people should get up and go to bed earlier.

So where did it come from? Again, Wikipedia:

It was first seriously proposed by William Willett in the "Waste of Daylight", published in 1907, but he was unable to get the British government to adopt it despite considerable lobbying.
The idea of daylight saving time was first put into practice by the German government during the First World War between April 30 and October 1, 1916. Shortly afterward, the United Kingdom followed suit, first adopting DST between May 21 and October 1, 1916. Then on March 19, 1918, the U.S. Congress established several time zones (which were already in use by railroads and most cities since 1883) and made daylight saving time official (which went into effect on March 31) for the remainder of World War I. It was observed for seven months in 1918 and 1919. The law, however, proved so unpopular (mostly because people rose and went to bed earlier than in current times) that the law was later repealed.

Lap Cat

2006-03-31T18:25:00.000-05:00

My kitty just jumped in my lap, as she is especially prone to do when my attention is elsewhere. I suppose I should grant her some attention, since I am her servant, after all.

Free Credit Score and Reports

2006-03-31T18:02:00.000-05:00

You can get your credit score for free from Eloan. The closer your score is to 800, the better off you are.

You can also obtain one free copy of your credit report per year from each of the three main credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax) at www.annualcreditreport.com. This is the ONLY official site--the others are either scams or have strings attached (i.e. they're selling something). Or if you go directly to the credit bureaus, you'll just have to pay.

Between my husband and myself, we can obtain six free credit reports per year. We are staggering our requests so that we get on every two months. This way, if we suffer identity theft, we will discover it sooner.

Job Interview

2006-03-31T12:59:00.000-05:00

I have a job interview in a couple hours. I'm not really eager to go. I think it's just cause I hate the job search process and would rather be home surfing the Internet. Recently I turned down an offer for a similar position, mainly because of what I perceived as high turnover, coupled with a terribly broad no-compete clause, so I guess I'm just figuring this may be the same thing. But I sure am eager to get out and get a job. For one thing, I need the structure (although I buck it, I really need it).

Update: it went well. Going back end of next week for a second, more in-depth interview.

Organizing Digital Photos

2006-03-30T16:29:00.000-05:00

Picasa2 will search your entire computer and create an organized inventory of your digital photos. I downloaded it last night and was impressed with how quickly it did the initial inventory and really liked the way the thumbnails-in-folders is setup for ease of view.

I also downloaded Hello from Picasa, which is supposed to work in conjunction with Blogger. I'll test it out soon.

Both of these are examples of Google's attempt to make free software the norm. I hadn't thought of this, but my husband pointed out that TV is really their main competitor, as TV has had the largest audience for advertisements. Now, it seems the Internet does. I think Google ads will be more targeted than TV commercials, because they can be customized to a surfer's habits and preferences.

Clark Howard mentioned recently on his radio show that Google is offering free high speed Internet access in San Francisco. Can't wait till they hit my town. He's mentioned nationwide (and worldwide) co-op plans to provide free internet access, such as that between Google, Skype, and Fon--but I think this is something different from the San Fran thing, which as I understand is more of a pilot program and it's not a co-op.

Decisions and Procrastination

2006-03-30T16:04:00.000-05:00

You know, I've been talking about creating a blog for probably two years now. And I've been actively planning to for several months. I mean, first, there's the list of possible names. (Ironically the name of this blog was a last-minute whim, not part of my belabored list). Then there's the host--I considered Six Apart's Typepad, another WYSIWIG program, but ended up with Blogger because I thought it would be easier to jump into. And then there's the template (not that Blogger offers a plethora of such), the lists of other websites/blogs to add, the decision of anonymity, choosing a counter, discovering Technorati tags and trying to figure out how the hell it works (I'm not a techie), thinking about learning HTML to facilitate my life . . . I've thought about all these things, even made lists about many of them, but only just got out of my head and starting moving my limbs in action.

I stay in my head too much. Which causes me to procrastinate. In fact, about a month ago I ordered a book from Amazon about procrastination: The Now Habit, A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play. I haven't read it yet. And I feel guilty for blogging when I need to be job hunting. Alas.

What is this blog about?

2006-03-29T20:23:00.000-05:00

I'm a practical person. I'll guide you to great consumer info like that of Clark Howard's radio show, useful websites like this online drug interaction checker, quick financial tips like using these prepaid phone cards (currently at 3.47 cents/minute!), and just plain cool programs like Google Earth.

I'm also quite goofy. So I'll be sure to point out some frivolous stuff along the way, like these photos of cats in sinks (thank you, Valerie!). And I'll post a few pics of my kitty, whom I sometimes affectionately refer to as Furrbutt.

There will be plenty of random thoughts as well, about, well, random things. Brief book reviews, movie critiques, updates on my current job hunt, insomnia-inspired insights, self-publishing tips, technology questions, snapshots of my neurotic organizational tendencies, discussions on purpose, money, and intention. And that's just a random list.

Of course, if you discover some practical or goofy or otherwise interesting stuff that you'd like to pass on to me, send me an email. Maybe I'll post about it.

So that's the general plan. Take a two minute trek away from your work or your flooded email inbox and travel with me to some useful websites to gain a few quick tips or a two minute chuckle.