Did You Know?

Last year a friend came to Midwinter with a little video tucked under his laptop called "Did You Know?" I actually thought it was something he had put together, but found out it's the work of some folks in Colorado. This year he and his coworkers brought the updated version, and showed everyone who'd watch. It's a pretty incredible piece:

will i really spend $600 on a phone?

I'm checking out the Nokia n 95b phone (super-duper phone that includes internet, pda, and a better camera than my current one). This would be a big move for me, since I don't really like changing things, and I'd need to change services from the one I've had for the past 7 years. Although the company did change on me (I started out with PrimeCo, and no one even remembers who they were these days), so I guess I have changed a little.

Here's a picture of the phone/pda/browser/camera. Pretty cool, does the slidey thing to get to the keyboard. Of course there's way more stuff you can do with it than I would ever do, like connect it to my entire home entertainment system so that I could play my music stored on my phone through my living room speakers (right, that'll be the day!). (but I could)

trying something out from Nokia's website...

...which doesn't work, or at least I can't figure it out. Techies, stick to stuff that works on Everyone's computers, blast you!!!

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feeling special

This morning on the radio (gotta love NPR, right?) they were talking about epilepsy and medication, and one physician they interviewed called himself an "epileptologist". Huh?? Wha??

Speaking as an epileptologee, I always consulted a neurologist, not realizing I had to specify that I wanted to see an epileptologist instead.

It was bad enough years ago when I had to tell people I worked for a suicidologist (really). Come on, do we really need to microsubsubteenyweenyspecialize so much that we only can do one thing?

Do I have to ask for time off for an appointment with my cuticologist, my hurtykneeologist - or heaven forbid - something really embarrassingly specialized that would be the adult equivalent of telling whether we had to number one or number two?

What about social situations? If I say I'm dating a penologist, does that have to do with male anatomy or criminal incarceration?? (Or a happy combination of both, eh?) Sheesh!

Great Quote

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

- Marianne Williamson

Ahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!

Just finished watching the first episode of the Vicar of Dibley wedding series. OH. MY. GOSH. I laughed out loud (although apparently not quite not loud enough to wake my son) when she did the Sense and Sensibility thing. Holy cow. LMAO, as they say!!
Okay - here's the scene in S&S where Emma Thompson has a cow when Hugh Grant tells her he's not married and really wants to marry her:


And now here's where they basically parody that in VoD:


Yep, a good laugh before bed!

Under 200!

Just noticed we've gone below the 200 point in our countdown of days until the Big Faker leaves the Oval Office!!


196 days and counting...


(scroll down, it's on the right!)

Déjà vu all over again

Okay. So this is weird. I'm reading, and the story line says something about a precise time that day. And so I think, how do you know it's that exact time, and my mind keeps stream-of-consciousness-ing along, and I remember calling Time and Temperature when I was a kid.

(streaming, streaming) I squint my eyes and think, what was that number we used to call? Like all of Warren, PA, it had to be 723 something - no! It was that other prefix, 726! Yeah!

(streaming) I dig deep, really deep down in my unused brainwaves and come up with a version of myself, singsong chanting, 7-2-6-1-6-oh-oh! Yeah! The whatchacallit bank we could dial up and hear the voice saying, "the time is 7 o'clock, temperature, 58." Or whatever.

I google the number, 814-726-1600, and sure enough, it comes up with Time & Temp Ser-Warren, Pennsylvania (really they can spell out 'Pennsylvania', but have to abbreviate 'service'?) Way to go, brainwaves!

So what the heck. I call the number. Just like old times. Except for the very long advertisement about whatchacallit bank's services (ser's) first, of course. To make up for that you get not only time, not only temp, but a weather forecast for tomorrow. (High eighties) And can you believe it's like 72 degrees at 1:30 in the morning there!??

By the way, here's the bank building, also known as the Flatiron Building. I took a photography class there once the year after high school. Became friends with the teacher, and saw him at our 25th class reunion, where he was taking our group picture. He's a town councilman now, I think. (streaming, streaming)