Internet Access Back

Thank God. I was pretty frustrated this weekend.

Internet Access Bullshit

Yesterday afternoon, our Internet access stopped working. We had access through Adelphia, which recently got bought out by Time Warner. Apparently, Time Warner decided that all old Adelphia customers would have to switch over to its RoadRunner service, as of yesterday. So they just disconnected everyone's Adelphia service and are "migrating" them to RoadRunner. Migrating is kind of a misnomer since they actually stopped service to the Adelphia customers and are forcing everyone to sign up with new RoadRunner accounts. Of course, not only did they provide no warning whatsoever that this was going to happen, but they also seem to have no extra customer support staff working to deal with the presumably THOUSANDS of people who suddenly find themselves without Internet access and who must call and order new RoadRunner service by phone. It can't be done online and of course, is not easy to do by phone either. My dad was on the phone with various reps for at least 6 hours yesterday and an additional 2 hours today. And still he hasn't been able to talk to anyone who can help us get our Internet access back up and running. Only after a few hours of being on hold and switching to different reps, did he finally find out about the "migration." One would think that a simple note on the accounts of all "migrating" customers would be easy to add so that at least the simplest customer service rep could explain what was happening. Nope. He kept getting bumped up to Level Two and Level Three support. How assinine. Oh yeah and to complete the migration, we are supposed to call our "local" service reps, none of which are even local calls! We are in Cleveland and the "local" options are either Akron, Canton, or Youngstown. None of those are free, local calls. It's bad enough that one has to be on hold for hours, let alone to have to pay to be on hold.

So thankfully my dad never suspended his dial-up service so here I am stuck doing homework via dial-up. It took nearly 20 minutes just to log in to my online classroom. I dread the thought of having to upload the paper that is due tonight. At least I have the bare minimum access to actually conduct research for the assignment, though. I honestly don't know how people deal with dial-up service and even though last year I was using it, too, I also had the option to go up to campus to access high-speed access whenever I needed to send a resume via email or upload an assignment. Checking email, posting on a blog or looking at an occasional Web page is fine but there is no way I'm going to be sending out resumes today. Or tomorrow, or until we can get our service back.

The other aggravating thing is that Time Warner is our only option for high-speed access. One would think the fact that since we live in a pretty wealthy suburb of a fairly large city in one of the world's wealthiest nations would make it possible for us to get DSL, at least, but nope. We live too far from a switching station or whatever nonsense they have been telling my dad for years. If we had another option, we'd have signed up with them in a heartbeat.

"Buckeyes rally back from 20 down, bust Vols to advance"

Good game, great outcome, but seriously - why do they have to give us a heart attack every time? Is it so crazy to expect the number one team in the country to actually show up for the first half?

I Want One: Curling Iron Cover

How perfect! Twice in just the last ten days could I have used this! I found myself in the situation of having a still warm flat iron yet having to check out of my hotel room. What to do? Certainly putting the hot iron in my suitcase is less than ideal, what with the potential fire that could start! Instead, the first time, I just carried it around until it had cooled down some. The second time I stuck it in the little cooler I had brought with me. This little bag actually lets you put the hot iron in there without fear. (via)

Tomorrow is Shutdown Day

Shutdown Day is supposed to be a day where one is computer-free for 24 hours. While I would love to participate and think I could easily make it 24 hours without turning on my computer (beyond 24 hours might be difficult, though), the problem is that I have a ton of homework to do by Sunday, including a paper to write, for which I need my computer. Sorry! (via)

Hotwired

Since my interview in DC yesterday was at 2pm, I hadn't decided until the last minute that driving up Tuesday night and staying overnight was the best way to go. Looking at hotel costs, I decided to go with Hotwire, where you book a hotel solely on price and don't find out the specifics, including the name of the hotel, until after you've already paid. It's a bit of a risk but since the hotel price they quoted was $48, I felt the risk was worth it for one night. That's unbelievably cheap for a somewhat decent hotel in the DC area and it really worked out well. The hotel, an Extended Stay America, was in a really nice, safe suburban area and even though I'd barely even heard of that brand before, turned out to be pretty decent. It skimps on a lot of amenities but it's definitely workable and the room is fairly spacious. Anyway, I was very happy with my Hotwire experience and think I'll try it again!

Job news, chapter 84

The latest job news is that I had an interview in Washington, DC, at a trade association yesterday. It went okay, but, to tell you the truth, I'm not that hopeful about it. We'll see. I'm kind of mad that I drove all the way there and back, spent the money for a hotel and they couldn't even pay to validate my parking. Although they gave me a full description of the benefits that come with the job and they seem okay, you have to wonder about a place that can't even thank you for coming by validating your parking. But oh well.

And, I have two phone interviews scheduled for next week: with a research/consulting firm outside Boston on Monday morning and with a book vendor for a cataloging position in central New Jersey on Tuesday afternoon.

So, who knows?

Another Monday meme, although technically it's Tuesday

I had been planning to do this every Monday but forgot last week in the midst of all the Florida fun, er, waste of time.

Last Week
Looking back on this past week what was...
1.The best meal you had? That's easy. In West Palm Beach on Monday night, they took me to this placed called City Cellar and I had a really great chicken dish that I don't see on this menu.
2.The highlight for you? I guess just getting to go to Florida in March for free for four days. Hmm, that's actually happened to me twice in the last 6 years because in 2001 I won a trip to Indians spring training.
3.The lowlight? I guess today doesn't count as last week, so honestly the lowlight of last week was getting a grade of 93 in my one class when I really felt I deserved higher. Yeah, it was a pretty good week.
4.Your latest night? Hmm, tough call. I always have late nights. Sunday night was bad as I had very little sleep, on top of getting no sleep the night before, but it was mostly due to nerves, not late night partying or anything.
5.Did you see any movies last week? If so, how would you rate them on a scale of 1-10? No movies in the theater, but I saw Borat and Something More on DVD. Borat gets an 8; Something More gets a 1.

(questions via)

Comedy Central RSS feeds

This is pretty useful, if you like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. This person created RSS feeds to video clips of the two shows that get put on iFilm so you can get alerted when the new clips appear. Apparently, this is preferrable to watching the clips on Comedy Central's Web site, where you can also get RSS feeds. I haven't tried it yet but I do enjoy watching clips of those shows, which I usually see posted on some political blogs. (via)

Rejected yet again

So my dreams of moving to South Florida and becoming a newspaper librarian have been shattered by a rejection this morning. This one hits really, really hard because I really felt like I fit in there and was so excited about the prospect of doing that for a living. It truly was a dream job for me. But, of course, I heard the ole 'you have no experience' crap yet again. The woman, the library director, had the nerve to imply that it wasn't her decision and she didn't agree with it - and maybe she didn't - but then she could have fought for me a little harder. She is, after all, the library director. Also, she implied that she would love to be a reference for me, should I need one. Umm, what exactly is she going to say to another prospective employer? "Well, I thought she was great.... No, I didn't hire her.... Well, she didn't have any experience.... I'm sure she'd be perfect for your job... Well, right, I didn't think she would be good here... Well, no, I didn't want to give her a chance but that's no reason why you shouldn't...." It's seriously one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard.

I am so incredibly frustrated by the job search process, I can't even put it in to words. And I guess there is no reason to despair. I mean, I do have an interview on Weds. and some place else just called to set up a phone interview with me. But, I am just really sick to death of hearing that I have no experience. Umm, you saw my resume before you met with me in person. Plus, there is some training period for any new hire, regardless of the experience they have or not. And I would venture to guess that it could be a lot easier to train someone new who is sharp and intelligent than someone with so-called experience who is used to doing things their own way.

Bottom line, though, I suggest never reading anything from The Palm Beach Post ever again. If you did in the first place, that is.

"TV-Turnoff Week Training"

It's funny to me that Syracuse University has to offer training on TV-Turnoff week. I mean, isn't it just a matter of finding the 'off' button? Yeah, yeah, yeah, so the training has more to do with alternatives to television than the actual turning off part, but still, is it so difficult to come up with things to do that do not require a television? I mean, I'd be hard-pressed to come up with some that would make me give up television, but I'm sure normal people live perfectly content lives with their television turned off.

Campaign Ads Library

I'm not sure why anyone wants to collect campaign ads - I mean, aren't they annoying enough when they come on during your favorite shows? - but here is a site that is planning on compiling and maintaining them. So far, there are only a few posted but that number will surely only grow as we get nearer to the 2008 Presidential election. I often like to vote for candidates who are the least mean in their ads so this might be a good place to check later... (via)

Worst airplane seatmate

When I was waiting in the airport to fly home the other day, I couldn't help but notice the others waiting to board and wonder who would end up in my row or, worse yet, right next to me. There were a bunch of little kids so of course, that's less than ideal. I saw a woman with a cat and hoped she wasn't in my row. Of course, as is typical of my luck, I got stuck with the cat woman. But, it ended up being totally fine. The cat stayed in its carrier and got put under the seat so, besides some angry cat noises, it was not a problem at all. But then today I read this article about a man who ended up with a corpse in his row and thought, "Wow, that has to be worst of all!" (via)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Cheesy Rock Ballads Quiz

How fun! I got a 100%! I'm not sure if I should be embarrassed by that or not. (via)

Dollar Bills vs. Dollar Coins

Similar to the State Quarters, new President Dollars are going to be printed and yes, they will be coins. This article is an interesting take on how the dollar bill should be eliminated in favor of dollar coins like most other countries have. The cost savings for dollar coins is much higher than for dollar bills, since the average dollar bill only lasts 22 months yet the dollar coin lasts 30 years. The article points out that someone just needs to step up in accepting them. It's so true. I almost always use dollar coins to pay turnpike tolls and they always act like it's foreign money. The author's solution is to simply stop printing dollar bills and everyone will have to use dollar coins. It seems easy enough. (via)

I Want One, I Think: Slingbox

I am so intruiged by these Slingbox machines. Apparently, they enable you to watch TV from your home TV anywhere in the world you might be. They are particularly useful with a TiVo or DVR, I guess. Since I assume I'll be moving someplace or another eventually, I'm wondering if I could use it through my parents' cable instead of having a cable bill of my own.

"Cat attacks reporter on live TV"

The other day, I guess it was probably Wednesday after American Idol, my mother and I were talking with the local Fox affiliate's news on in the background. When one of the reporters came on, my mom mentioned that she'd apparently been attacked in the face by a cat and it was shown on air. My mom had not seen it but had heard some local disc jockeys talking about it. I noted two things: one.) she looked fine and didn't seem to have suffered any damage - no scratchmarks were visible; two.) I would have to remember to look on YouTube to see if footage was on there.

Well, of course, I promptly forgot about it. But today, one of the zillions of blogs that I check regularly had a link to it! See, I don't even have to go searching for things - they come to me!

Daytime Emmy Award Nominations

Here's the complete list. For the acting categories, it's very CBS-centric. Of the few ABC nominees, it's interesting to note that almost half of them are not even on the shows anymore. For the talk shows, I'm surprised to see Regis & Kelly not nominated for anything (except the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade).

Oh never mind, I should have read this first. (via)

Back Home

Yay! I'm back home. Best of all, I'm back on my own computer!

Interview: Day Two

Day two was fine. I met with the newspaper's Newsroom Administrator, the Managing Editor and the Metro Editor. Even though my understanding is that none of these people have any say at all in me getting hired. I attended the daily morning story pitch meeting again. (Well, it's not exactly a pitch meeting but more like a 'this is what we are working on' meeting. But I suppose the Managing Editor could nix something?) I also went to lunch with one of my potential coworkers and it was nice. She had some interesting things to say about my potential boss, primarily how she is really kind of strict and critical and that this gal was convinced she was going to get fired in her first few months. I also met the part-time researcher, who was really nice. I liked her alot. I also sat shotgun on the reference desk for a good part of the day, which is kind of interesting in terms of seeing what kinds of questions come in but kind of frustrating in that it makes me want to work on them, instead of sitting there watching someone else work on them!!

More hotel drama

Today, I got done with the interview at about 5:00, got back to the hotel shortly after and then left again at about 6:30 to drive around and check out the area. When I got back to my room at like 8:30 - I couldn't get into my room! I was so annoyed. I went downstairs and there was this huge line of people checking in. I mean, give me a break! I shouldn't have to wait in line to get back in my room, the room where my key is supposed to work. So I finally asked the manager why my key no longer works and he was like 'Oh well, they get demagnetized really easily. It happens all the time.' So just because you are given a key to a hotel room, there is no guarantee that it will continue to work during your stay? Good to know! So I go up to the 9th floor again and guess what, my new key doesn't work either. I called them from the hall phone - hell no I wasn't going to go downstairs again! - and eventually a hotel engineer came up and tried to fix it. He could get me in with the master key but he still has no idea what happened to my key. They have some sort of troubleshooting device that hooks up to the lock, kind of like a battery tester, I guess, although it looks like one of those machines that swipe credit cards at a retail checkout. Anyway, it was such a hassle! I mean, when I get back to the hotel, I don't expect it to take an additional 20 minutes just to get back into my room. I am so filling out a comment card for here.

On the plus side, room service was good and quick.

Borat

I saw Borat the other day and just added it to my sidebar, so I sought out the official Borat Web site to do so. The site is pretty funny! It's basically what you would expect if Borat were a real person.

And in other job news...

The interview I had about six weeks ago, where the guy said at the end that he had plenty of great candidates from the Washington, DC, area and didn't really need to be going outside the area to hire someone, has apparently changed his mind. He emailed me today and asked if I had been hired anywhere yet and if I was still interested in the position with him. I guess all those great DCites weren't so great after all. Very interesting, no? I barely even remember the interview with him or what the job entails. I also wonder what happened. Is it a totally crappy job that everyone else ended up turning down or did he hire someone, that person started and was a total failure and now he's going down his list of candidates to see if anyone is still available? Very curious, I am.

And I was just starting to get used to the idea that I might be moving to Florida...

Interview: Day One

I wasn't sure if my interview was going to be an all day thing or not, but it was. Actually, it was longer because I went out to dinner with my prospective boss and her husband. They are very generous! I am so exhausted by it all since I didn't sleep much again last night. By my count, I've had about 5 hours of sleep over the last two days. Tomorrow, I have to be back there at 9am again for another full day so I BETTER sleep tonight. I met everyone I would be working with, worked alongside a couple of them, took some tests, went to a couple editorial meetings and actually had to work on answering a reference question. Tomorrow I meet the paper's managing editor, among other things. Plus, more meetings and more facetime with my prospective library coworkers.

Rematch, with a better outcome

Here is "America's" take on how the upcoming NCAA tournament will play out, according to brackets filled out on ESPN by "America." In the championship game: Florida vs. Ohio State. Sound familiar? This time, Ohio State is getting the projection to win. Oh wait, they were projected to win then, too. Ugh. Well, then, let's hope that if it does happen again, Ohio State does win!

Syracuse left out

Aww, the poor Orange. They didn't get an invite to the NCAA March Madness Tournament this year. Everyone (the sportscasters and analysts, that is) was pretty surprised.

Now, I don't want to complain...

BUT, the hotel is kind of a shithole. It looks really nice and I think it's expensive but I'm not impressed. First, the good - I'm in a suite! It's not just a room but a whole suite, with a living room, a dining room table, a little kitchen/bar area complete with a refrigerator, a microwave, a bar area, a little sink and cabinets. There is even a patio with doors from both the bedroom and the living room. The bathroom is kind of split up with the toilet, bathtub and sink in one small room and another sink in a small room with a closet. The bedroom has a beautiful king bed and a nice television, not to mention that there is another television in the living room. I have no idea why they would spring for a suite for me instead of just a room but it's really awesome! In theory.

First, when I checked in, I was given the key to room 811. Umm, room 811 was not clean. There was trash all over and the bed was unmade. Ick. So, I called them and they moved me to room 911. Room 911 is clean but just about everything is broken. The patio door from the living room won't shut so it stays open about an inch. Lovely. Neither television remote control works. The alarm clock/radio has the wrong time and I had to call them to fix it because the ability to change the time is locked. Who does that? The one bedside lamp didn't work and I happened to notice it while the guy was headed to my room to fix my alarm clock, so I mentioned it to him. Turns out that the lightbulb was just unscrewed. How does that even happen? Oh yeah, I went to get ice and the ice machine is broken. It's really annoying!

Oh yeah, and the bedroom kind of smells like urine. I keep telling myself it's just the smell of some kind of cleaner but I'm really not sure.

In Florida!!

Well, I'm in beautiful sunny West Palm Beach, Florida! It's about 80 degrees here. My interview is tomorrow. And I'm exhausted. What with my typical sleep problems and the stress of packing and making sure I brought everything I needed to bring and the early flight and the time change, I think I totaled about 15 minutes of sleep during the night.

When I arrived in Florida, we sat on the tarmac for about 35 minutes. We were early - about 35 minutes coincidentally - and instead of letting us get off the plane, we had to wait for our designated gate to empty. I'm not sure why we couldn't just go to another gate! I saw empty ones. Then, I seriously had to wait for about an hour to get my rental car. It was just a long, slow-moving line. The airport was actually crazy busy. I hope it isn't like that when I have to leave. But it's not like I had anywhere to go because my flight was due in at noon and check-in isn't until 4pm.

After I got my car (an orange Chevy Cobalt), I drove around for awhile. Downtown West Palm Beach is nice. It reminded me of Santa Monica, CA. And, Palm Beach, which is between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intercoastal Waterway, reminds me of Beverly Hills with a beach. It's very ritzy. The beach is beautiful! I also drove by the office where I have to go tomorrow so I know where I'm going. And then I headed north on 95 to try to check out some of the area. At about 3:30pm, I came back to the hotel and they let me check in early. I've been kind of napping but also trying not to nap too much because I don't want to spend another sleepless night. Although I probably will... I'm really nervous about the interview.

"Gingrich admits to extramarital affair"

Kind of a hypocrite, no? Whether he sees it that way or not.

Best Showerhead ever

Ohmygod, how awesome would it be to take a shower under this showerhead? Obviously, not getting your hair wet would be out of the question.

I Want One: Washer Dryer Combo

How cool is this? One machine that does both washing and drying. You can set it up to wash and then automatically switch to drying. Or to just wash. Or to just dry. Great for saving space! Unsurprisingly, though, it's not really cheaper than buying two machines. (via)

Definitive 200 Albums

Here is a list, compiled by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the National Association of Recording Merchandisers, of the Definitive 200 Albums, consisting of the most influential and popular albums of all times. I own a big handful of them, maybe 40. Some of those 40 are actually in album format, too, and not CD. (via)

March Madness on Demand

I highly recommend signing up for the NCAA's March Madness on Demand service if you like to keep up on the NCAA's annual March Madness college basketball tournament, which starts next weekend. This service lets you watch games online in real-time (except for the one airing locally on CBS) and (if I remember correctly) watch highlights of games that were already played. Right now, if you are a member, you can watch highlights from some of the best games over the years, too, which I did and enjoyed. If you sign up early enough, you can become a VIP member, which gives you access to the games sooner than non-VIP members. Although honestly that was hardly necessary last year, except maybe right at 12:30ish when the games first begin. Did I mention it's free?

If you don't like Wikipedia, try Conservapedia

Or don't. People question the veracity of Wikipedia; well, it's got to be better than Conservapedia (via).

Compare the entry on Evolution from Wikipedia and then from Conservapedia (where it's specifically called Theory of Evolution). The latter barely describes what it is, instead focusing on the problems scientists have had proving its existence. Also, check out the entry on Abortion from Wikipedia and then from Conservapedia, where the whole entry talks about all the health problems that might occur from having one. I know it's as one would expect, but it's very slanted!

According to its About page, this apparently started as a project for homeschooled students in New Jersey. Couple this with the documentary Jesus Camp, which I just saw last night and had some statistic about the number of kids who are homeschooled and are evangelical (it's high), and it's really scary to me how some parents are educating their children. Apparently it's more important that they learn one truth rather than learning facts and critical thinking to formulate their own opinions. Very very scary.

Still under consideration

I got an email from a place in Chicago that I had applied awhile ago (maybe December or January?) telling me that the job was reposted but that I was still under consideration and would not have to resubmit my resume. At first, I was thinking, "Umm, well, thanks, but if I don't have to do anything, why are you bothering to contact me?" But then I started to think that it was kind of nice of them to write. I mean, there have been times that I see a job reposted and I'm not sure if I should apply again... maybe they lost all the applications, maybe a new person is in charge of hiring and the candidate information wasn't passed on, or maybe they just weren't happy with any of the applicants and are hoping for a new batch of them. Whatever the reason, it's nice of her to update me!

Now, I'm not going to get into the reasons why I'm still in the running yet they feel the need to repost the ad and what that truly means for my chances...

Let's try a meme!

I'm not entirely sure what a meme is (Wikipedia calls it a "unit of cultural information transferable from one mind to another") but from what I've seen, at least in the blog sense, it's basically like an online version of those chain letter quizzes that get passed along via email, where you are supposed to read your friend's answers, put your own answers and then forward it to all your friends. So there are questions and they get answered on a person's blog and then I guess you are supposed to call out your friends to answer the same questions on their blogs, etc., etc., etc... Anyway, I'm going to give it a try occasionally. Anyone who wants to share their answers can do so in my comments or on their own blog :).

Haute Couture
1. If you were meeting a blind date, what would you hope they weren't wearing? A Star Trek costume or something like that. Also, I would hope they wouldn't be wearing a ripped shirt.
2. What colour looks best on you? Hmm, I usually get comments on greens and blues, especially baby blues, probably because my eyes reflect those colors best.
3. What was the most recent article of clothing that you bought for yourself? It's been a couple months (I'm kinda broke!) but I bought a really cute grey ribbed hoodie from Express in like December.
4. Do you have an article of clothing that is now unwearable, but you just can't seem to part with it? Umm, yeah, a lot, if they mean unwearable in that they don't fit me anymore!! But in terms of unwearable like it is in bad shape with holes in it, no, not at all.
5. Did you see "The Devil Wears Prada"? What did you think of it? I did. I basically enjoyed it, although I read the book also and they left out a lot of small plot points (of course). To be honest, I don't think the Meryl Streep character came off nearly as bitchy as she did in the book.

(questions via)

Blah

I don't really have anything to say but I'm still writing anyway. I have spent most of the day doing homework. We had to participate in a Web teleconference for my one class. That was about two hours long. It was through this WebEx service, which is kind of cool. I'll have to keep it in mind should I ever have to organize a Web teleconference of my own. Before that started, I did homework. And I still have a ton of homework to do, both from last week and this coming week. Not to mention that I haven't even started to do anything for my second class. So I'm approximately eight weeks behind on that one. Yeah, don't want to think about it.

I also got a rejection today... from the law firm I interviewed with in DC a couple weeks ago. Great. And I thought it went well.

Three cool phone services

Three new phone services that I read about seem kind of interesting to me. (via)

1.) Frucall
Say you are out shopping and see something for sale and wonder if you could get it cheaper online... well, all you have to do is call Frucall's toll free number, read off the product's barcode and they will tell you if and where it might be cheaper! I guess they even will go the extra step of helping you purchase it then and there, too, although that sounds like I'd be giving my credit card information to a middleman...

2.) 1-800-FREE411
The name kind of says it all. If you dial 411 to use directory assitance, you are charged about $2.00 each time you do so. With 1-800-FREE411, you are charged nothing. So yeah, it's pretty stupid to not use this! You have to listen to an ad instead, but it's only 15 seconds. They also appear to have an online phone directory.

3.) Bringo aka No Phone Trees
This company offers the service of waiting on hold for you. There is a list of particpating businesses and if the place you need to call (airline, bank, credit card company, cell phone company) is on the list, then instead of picking up your phone, you simply give Bringo your number online and they'll call for you and manipulate their way through the phone tree system. When a live person is ready to talk to you, Bringo will call you and hand off the phone! Interesting, no?

Want to watch a movie about Librarians?

Yeah, to most of you, the answer is probably no. But here's a Web site that lists a bunch of movies that feature librarians! I guess it's a work-in-progress because very few are annotated, unfortunately. Maybe he needs some help with it...

Evaluation paper... FINISHED!

Yay! I just got my paper that's due tonight finished. I have no idea why but it took me FOREVER to finish this thing. I really struggled with it. There wasn't a whole lot of information about it out there; I guess that was the problem. I really think I got the short end of the stick considering I am doing ROCKETinfo and others are doing more well-known search tools like Yahoo! Answers, Digg, Internet Public Library, Flickr, About.com, Kartoo, and Librarian's Internet Index. Only a few of my classmates are doing search tools that I have never heard of - me being one of them, of course. And my search tool is really designed for the corporate world. To read their Web site, you wouldn't even know they had a free search engine out there; it's all about their corporate solutions. Anyway, I'm not sure I did that well on the paper, in terms of providing the kind of information that my professor wants, but I do think it is well-written!

Speaking of which, my last paper due for this class - a group assignment with me and one other person - was returned with a grade today. I started to read the comments she made on it and couldn't understand what had happened! It was like a different paper had been submitted. My partner was in charge of submitting it and apparently decided to make some changes to my wording before he did so. He changed all these places I used "I" to "we". And then my professor changed them all back to "I". I have no idea what he was thinking. The worst part is that he wasn't even consistent about it. He kept some sections "I" and changed others to "we". There were two other occasions when he changed my wording and she changed it to something else - turns it she changed it to exactly what I had written before he got his hands on it. Wish he would have just left it alone; I'm sure we would have at least picked up another point or two because most of her comments resulted from these changes he made!

American Idol Thursday

Not too bad at guessing who was going to be eliminated, was I? Four for four. Although I did give myself a little extra wiggle room by mentioning Jared too. It really was a no-brainer, though, in my opinion. You watch this show for a few years and pick up some patterns.

The big talk on some Idol Web sites was the apparent boob job that Kellie Pickler got and Ryan alluded to... but, I'm not so sure. I mean, she looked way hot last night and sure, her breasts looked bigger. However: 1.) she has put on a little weight and when that happens, your breasts get bigger. 2.) her dress was way tight on her and that would make her breasts look bigger too. 3.) she probably has more money to afford better bras and wears a push-up one now. 4.) That tie thing on her dress right under her breasts would ALSO work as a push-up mechanism. So I'm just not convinced. I do know that her hair looked way overdone and just too too much but I'd have to see a lot more pictures of her in a lot of different outfits before I jump to the conclusion that she's had her breasts done. And, I'm just not that motivated to do it!

Make your own Peeps, part two

A couple months ago, I showed a Peeps press to make your own marshmallow peeps. Apparently, that's not the only option. Here are some Peeps molds! However, the first one appears to have the brand name behind it and looks more authentic. (via)

Cool-looking chair

This hood chair looks neat, but I can't tell if you can really lift the hood and wear it while you are sitting or not. I would guess not and that it's all aesthetic.

"AP Bans Paris Hilton Stories and No One Notices"

This blog post made me laugh. Apparently, the Associated Press decided on February 19 it was not going to write any stories on Paris Hilton for a full week. And, during that week, no one asked for a story about her either. Clearly, no one is clamoring for that nonsense gossip stuff about Paris Hilton - at least not from the AP. I imagine people go elsewhere for their Paris Hilton news. I wish the media would do the same thing with Anna Nicole Smith. Entertainment Tonight's coverage really makes me want to puke. My mom made us watch it tonight (she bitched and moaned about it during the entire 30 minutes but refused to let me change the channel!) and they did a play-by-play of the big funeral. It was seriously disgusting; you would have thought a world leader had died by the way they covered it.

Password update

My professor sent me a new user name and password with no comment about my slackerness. Phew. She tried the password/user name and they worked. I tried them too and they worked for me, also. Double phew!

I have a big paper that I should be working on, so...

I took a quiz.

You Are 24% Slacker

You have a few slacker tendencies, but overall you tend not to slack. You know how to relax when the time is right, but you aren't lazy!

Are You a Slacker?

More bad news

Also today, I got a phone call from the place near DC that had a job fair a couple weeks ago. The woman called and asked me to come for an interview on Monday. I can't go on Monday! Of all the days on the calendar, the only day I could not do an interview is Monday. I already have another appointment Monday afternoon. Here in Cleveland, of course. So I asked her if we could do it another day and she said no.

I'm kind of annoyed by it all. When I went to the job fair, she specifically told me that they call people in for interviews and give them a lot of advance warning, like two weeks! When she told me, I thought, "Hmm, that's a lot of notice!" Also, I didn't believe her! So what happens? She calls Thursday afternoon and wants me to come in two days. You know, not counting the weekend. Besides the fact that I'm coming from out of town, isn't that a ridiculously little amount of notice? I've found that to be the case for a few jobs I've interviewed for... "You come the day we say or you don't come at all." I just don't understand that mindset. I guess they feel they have a plethora of good candidates and can afford to eliminate people who are so inflexible that they can't make it the one day set aside for them but in my mind, it doesn't exactly create good will. Do I want to work for an employer who is so rigid and inflexible that they can't even set aside TWO days to possibly interview you? Not especially.

Oops! Password Incorrect

I'm supposed to be working with Dialog, an online database, for my one class. I guess it's been a few weeks now that we were supposed to be checking it out, although last week was the first week in which the lecture specifically called for using it. Well, I've been keeping up with all the readings. I've followed along with the assignments in our Dialog workbook. I watched the Dialog tutorial we were given. I just hadn't yet signed in to Dialog (as part of the class, I might add... I have used Dialog before in one of my internships). So, technically I am only a week behind in the lecture and am not behind at all in the readings.

I'll cut to the chase, as you guys can probably see where I'm headed. When I tried to log in to Dialog today to do last week's and this week's lecture, I couldn't get in. Seems my password is invalid. I must have tried it thirty times, at least. Although I wrote it down very clearly, I even tried changing the 's' to a '5' and the '1' to an 'l' and that sort of thing. Nothing's worked. So, umm, I had to email my professor and admit I haven't logged in yet this semester and now I can't get in. How embarrassing!

She honestly shouldn't care because it's clear I have been keeping up with the other assignments but she is kind of an idiot and a hypocrite (remember when I bitched about her criticising my grammar when hers is far from stellar?) so I am a little worried about her reaction. But oh well, what can I do?

Two final things. I just KNEW this was going to happen. I just had a feeling about it. From the moment she sent it, I knew I should really logon to just try it and I never did. All we've heard is how expensive it is to use Dialog. We even had to sign an agreement that we were only going to use it for school purposes. So, I just figured I didn't want to sign on until I was ready to dedicate some time to really exploring the database. But, that leads to my final comment. That time I dedicated was today and instead I have to wait and wait to hear back from her about it and use this time to do something else I wasn't planning on doing! Ugh.

American Idol Wednesday

Since I made projections for the guys this week, I might as well make some for the girls, too. I know most people kind of assume that Antonella is going to go home, but I'm not sure. She got SO much screentime during the auditions and Hollywood week, that I think she has fans... tonedeaf fans to be sure, but fans nonetheless. And, also, I think that Haley Scarnato might have garnered some votes today by crying after the judges berated her. So, I'm going to guess that Alaina and Leslie might get voted out, although that would make me kind of sad because I like them both a lot for some reason. But, I might be wrong and it might be Alaina and Haley. Or maybe Antonella will go as is deserved.

Speaking of Leslie, am I wrong or does she look a lot like Lisi from Survivor: Fiji? That's kind of a bad picture of Lisi but seriously, they could be sisters. And, as evidenced tonight, they both speak gibberish too!

Geek Hierarchy Chart

Who is the geekiest of the geeks? This chart offers an answer. And, let me add, I think I'm embarrassed to see how low on the chart some guys I've dated would place. (via)

To Florida for Spring Break

I've got an interview in Palm Beach, Florida, the week after next so I get to go to Florida in mid-March! I think it is actually during my spring break, although I'm sure I won't have time to hit the beach. Or to go to a spring training baseball game. I'll be there Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning. And, the best part, the company is paying for it all. I'm really psyched!

American Idol Tuesday

Did anyone else think it was weird that in a show where they were supposed to "dedicate" a song to someone, Jared Cotter chose to dedicate "Let's Get it On" to his parents? I was highly amused by that.

Overall, I think the guys obviously did better than last week. I think that Nick Pedro, Jared or AJ Tabaldo will probably be the two guys going home - not necessarily because they were the worst singers last night, but because they are lacking personality and storylines. I mean, come on, did we even see Jared before last week? Or AJ, even though he's apparently tried out five times! Personally, though, I'd like to see Sanjaya and Sundance heading home. I guess we'll find out tomorrow!

Bob Woodruff special

Last night, ABC aired the first report from journalist Bob Woodruff, who was the victim of a bomb attack when he was in Iraq last year. He had severe brain injuries, was unconscious for 36 days but has made a major recovery. His special told of his recovery as well as served to show how many wounded soldiers there are, what kind of care they are getting (or not getting) and basically how the government is covering up all of the injuries. It was a really interesting piece. You can watch it here.

Create a Dollhouse out of Your Home

FAO Schwarz will miniaturize your home and turn it into a dollhouse for your child - with a starting price of $10,000! My dad did this exact thing for me one Christmas when I was little. It was ultra cool and an excellent replica - the only problem was that he never really finished it (although that actually makes it more realistic, since there are many elements of our home that are still not finished) so I never used it. I don't even know what became of it. I also know that it took him some time and effort but nowhere near $10,000! (via)

I'm not the only one who loves Minesweeper

As a former Minesweeper addict (with the 'former' easily turning into a 'current' again should I ever have a job where I'm restricted to a cubicle again) not to mention a Minesweeper expert, I enjoyed skimming this history of Minesweeper and am glad to see it is included in the new Microsoft Vista software. I did not know there were competitive Minesweeper sites, though, and might have to check them out. My scores on Minesweeper always kicked ass. More than one person has been impressed by my best times! (via)

Are you smarter than a fifth grader?

The new game show that is debuting on FOX this week pits fifth graders against, well, older people. This article lists some sample questions. I got 9 out of 10 right, so I was pleased with myself. (via)

I Want One: Heat-Emitting Mouse

No joke, this is probably one of the best inventions ever. This mouse emits heat so your hands (well, one hand anyway) stay warm while you're using the computer. Seriously, way cool for someone who always has cold hands. It's only $23, too!

In a funk

I don't know what it is but I've been in kind of a funk the last couple of days. Not even going out shopping this afternoon really cheered me up! Macy's had a pretty good sale, with all marked down items an extra 50% off and even if I don't buy anything, seeing and trying on pretty new things usually makes me feel a little better but not really today.

I did have an enjoyable visit to Half Price Books, though. Y'all can make fun of me but I bought the Britney Spears Greatest Hits CD and Pink's debut CD. Both cost $1.00. What a deal, right? I love Half Price Books.

Free Mammograms

I know I've seen this site before and have participated but it is important to remember to do so more often. Click on the 'Fund Free Mammograms' block to help provide a free mammogram to women in need. It can be done every single day! I think I'll add a link on my sidebar.

Studio 60 likely never coming back

NBC show Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was pulled from the schedule early - it was supposed to stop airing next week but instead aired its last episode yesterday - and the rumors are that it will likely not come back, not even for the final six episodes it was guaranteed. I watched the show and didn't mind it (primarily because I'll watch Matthew Perry do anything!) but this article does a really good job at hitting at what the show's problems were. (via)

Ah, sweet Colby

My all-time favorite Survivor contestant, Colby Donaldson, from Season 2: The Australian Outback (yes, the same season that brought us The View's Elisabeth and Reality TV's "queen" Amber Brkich Mariano) has apparently lined up a gig on The Rachael Ray Show. Ugh. I detest Rachael Ray. She is so annoying. I actually saw that he was supposed to be on today and debated about whether seeing him was higher on my 'to do' list than 'Avoid Rachael Ray.' In fact, the latter was higher and I did not tune in (plus, I forgot) but now that I see he is going to be on regularly, well, I'm just not sure what to do. He's so cute!

Science vs. Faith flowcharts

I saw these flowcharts online and they really made me laugh, especially the step "Ignore contradicting evidence" in the faith one. Also, they totally made me think of some of my very agnostic friends. (via)

Cool site? Healthline Symptom Search

I've actually tried to find something like this before and had no luck so I'm happy to find this site that allows you to put in symptoms that you are feeling and it makes some suggestions as to what your illness could be. For instance, I put in 'headache' and got 129 possible illnesses, including, of course, just a simple pain in the head. Identifying a health disorder based on symptoms seems the best way to go about finding out what might be wrong. (via)

Out of Town the last few days

So in case anyone was wondering where I was for the last few days, I was out of town for job interviews! I went to Washington DC for an interview with a law firm and also to attend a job fair at a public library.

I think the interview at the law firm went pretty well and I really would like the job so it's kind of exciting. I think he liked me but well, for one thing, I'm trying to prevent getting too excited about anything job-related nowadays. And, also, you never know even if they like you, it doesn't mean they don't like someone else better. But it would be a great learning opportunity for a few years that could lead to me going elsewhere as a real skilled law librarian. It's an awesome location too, directly across the street from a Metro stop in downtown DC, in a beautiful, gorgeous office.

The job fair, however, was kind of a waste of my time. I knew that they were also accepting applications by mail and could have just called to have an application sent to me but I really felt showing up in person would be beneficial. However, they barely wanted to speak to me and seemed not impressed at all that I had traveled from Ohio to see them. But, who knows? Maybe it did help and I will get a call for an interview in a few weeks.

Aggravated with a capital 'A'

My first assignment for my one class was given back to me graded today. And, umm, I'm aggravated because even though I got an okay grade on it (95/100), she made ALL these grammatical "corrections" on it and they weren't even correct! I think pretty much the first rule of grammar that we all learned as youngsters was to match the subject to the verb; in other words, if your subject is plural, so should your verb be plural. Maybe I've been wrong all these years... but in my experience, "Options are: a, b, c and d." is more correct than "Options is: a, b, c and d." She made these kinds of "corrections" at least three times in my two-page paper! I just don't understand... am I supposed to point out to her that she is an idiot? Probaby not, right? I also might be more accommodating of her corrections if her lectures each week weren't chock-full of typos and grammatical inaccuracies. Like, how dare she even feel she has the right to comment on my grammar with the way she butchers it every week in her lectures. Also, I don't think she is a native English speaker so maybe she might want to refrain from correcting those who are native English speakers... UGH!

American Idol in Hollywood

Did anyone watch tonight's American Idol who also watched the Grammy Awards and noticed that the girl who won that 'My Grammy Moment' American Idol ripoff and got to sing with Justin Timberlake also had made it to the Hollywood round... but got sent home tonight. But she got about two seconds of air time, in the group round, she was in the group with Sundance Head. It was two girls and Sundance; Sundance got to stay but the two girls were both sent home.

I had read this article earlier today and figured that because of her evasiveness, she had clearly made it to Hollywood. Obviously if she was still in the running for Idol, she probably wouldn't have even been able to try for the Grammy contest. So I imagined she would get sent home. A lot of people get sent home without us ever seeing them on camera, though. Anyway, I think she'd probably agree that things worked out well for her, at least so far. She sounded pretty good with Justin. You can see them perform from here. (You have to click on the link that says Justin Duet Video). She also cleans up nice!

Day Ten of 10 days of Valentine's Day-themed quizzes:

Two for Tuesday. Two quizzes, two very similar responses!!

Your Candy Heart Says "Get Real"




You're a bit of a cynic when it comes to love.
You don't lose your head, and hardly anyone penetrates your heart.
Your ideal Valentine's Day date: is all about the person you're seeing (with no mentions of v-day!)
Your flirting style: honest and even slightly sarcastic
What turns you off: romantic expectations and "greeting card" holidays
Why you're hot: you don't just play hard to get - you are hard to get

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

Your Candy Heart Is "WHAT EVA"

Valentine's Day makes you a little sick And not just from eating too much candy You're opposed to the commercial celebration of couple-dom It's not all about love - and love is not all about overpriced flowers!

What Candy Conversation Heart Are You?

Speaking of soaps...

Starting this summer, SoapNet has announced it is going to offer its first original, scripted program - a spin-off of General Hospital called General Hospital: Night Shift. It will follow some of the characters on General Hospital as they work the night shift. The ones who actually work at the hospital, I presume.

Yeah, just what I need. Like I haven't been addicted to General Hospital for twenty years already, now you have to add another show with some of the same characters? You KNOW I'm going to tune in, at least at first. But if it really is the same characters, won't their storylines in the daily serial conflict with their storylines in the once-a-week 13-episode series?(via)

ABC TV Online

Always one to share the latest news on the online television front with you, I read today that ABC is going to be adding to their broadband player over the next few months. Already the best one out there (in my opinion), they announced last week that they are going to offer two more size options for viewing (including a full-screen view - yay!). Now they've announced they are also going to offer local and national news, as well as local entertainment. Whatever "local entertainment" means. If only they added their soaps to it...(via)

3D HD?

Apparently, according to this article, this year's NBA All-Star Game (which airs this Sunday) will be shown not just in High Definition but in 3-D HD. So, if you have a pair of 3-D glasses, it will be an extra special experience for you. Now, I am kind of confused if this special 3-D airing will only be to a select audience or if I would be able to see it in 3-D if I find a pair of 3-D glasses by this weekend (and where would I do that?), but the whole concept is kind of cool. I mean, already with HDTV, I watched the Cavs-Lakers game on Sunday and felt like Lebron actually might pass the ball to me, it was so close and clear. (via)

Day Nine of 10 days of Valentine's Day-themed quizzes

Wood? No comment.

Your Love Element Is Wood

In love, you tend to gently dominate and guide your partner. For you, love is all about sharing goals and future plans. You attract others with creativity and vision. Your flirting style is defined by your honesty and assertiveness. Growth and improvement are the cornerstones of your love life. You may focus on goals too much in relationships, but you never come out of them with a loss. You connect best with: Water Avoid: Metal You and another Wood element: will be doomed to a stormy relationship

What Element Is Your Love?

The Fug Girls are Dead On About Carrie Underwood

I love reading Go Fug Yourself because they are usually hysterical when describing celebrity fashion disasters. Today, they totally captured my thoughts about Carrie Underwood and her apparel choices from last night's Grammy Awards. Her red carpet dress - GORGEOUS! It was so beautiful, but then those things she wore to perform? Hideous. The green one was better than the black one but it looked like it was made of paper and what were those huge flowers falling off the end of the sleeves all about? The black dress? Ugh, I have no words.

Day Eight of 10 days of Valentine's Day-themed quizzes:

Your Love Song Is

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing by Jack Johnson "Maybe you've been through this before But it's my first time so please ignore The next few lines cause they're directed at you I can't always be waiting, waiting on you I can't always be playing, playing your fool" You've been waiting for love, and you're not going to wait any longer!

What Love Song Are You?

Book Sale

The library in my city had their annual book sale this weekend. Today, being the last day, was $2.00 bag day, meaning (obviously) that whatever you could fit in your bag cost $2.00. Here is a picture of all the books my mom and I got for our $2.00. I'd say we got our money's worth, no?

Homework done!

My first assignment for either of my classes was due today and I got it done with lots of time to spare! I felt so accomplished all day without it hanging over me. The sad thing, though, is that it was a small one-page review of a Web search engine (Rocketinfo). Next week, in that same class, I have an 8-12 page case study due. And the following week, I have an 8-10 page paper due on the same search engine for the paper today. That last thing is going to be such a bitch because umm, well, there is nothing to report on that search tool. I've hunted high and low and found very little information about the tool. Good thing that I know how to babble...

Day Seven of 10 Days of Valentine's Day-Themed Quizzes

Cancer - Your Love Profile

Your positive traits: You're intuitive enough to know what's going wrong in a relationship early on A total sweetheart - you're often the most caring person anyone knows You are a generous and devoted parter to whoever you fall in love with Your negative traits: Insecurity - you tend to need a huge amount of comforting from your partner You tend to be overly sensitive and easily hurt, which make loving you difficult It's difficult to predict your moods. One minute you're up - the next you're down. Your ideal partner: Someone equally sensitive, who wants to take time to get to know you deeply Dreams of an everlasting love - complete with marriage and a family Loves to take care of you. Being a good cook and masseuse doesn't hurt! Your dating style: Slow. You enjoy dates that last all day, with plenty of time to talk and get to know one another. Your seduction style: Quite tender and loving, once you are comfortable in your relationship. Coy. You tend to play it cool to drive your lover wild. Orally talented - you're known as the best kisser in the zodiac. Tips for the future: Be a little less sensitive. Not every little mistake should hurt you. Spend time away from your partner every so often - independence is a good thing. Find ways to take care of yourself. You'll be happier if you put yourself first. Best color to attract mate: Aqua Best day for a date: Wednesday

What's Your Love Profile?

Job News Bonanza

THREE potential employers contacted me today so wow, what a good day! I have a phone interview on Monday morning with a newspaper library in South Florida. I'm really excited about that because a news library is probably my dream job. South Florida, not so much, but I can definitely think of a lot worse places to live! Then, someone from National Geographic contacted me about a job I applied for, an apparently way entry-level (therefore, I'm kind of overqualified for it and probably won't be happy with the salary) job, but we are going to talk about it more on Monday afternoon. And finally I heard from a law firm in the Washington DC area. They are interested but wanted to know if I'm actually in the DC area currently and if not, when am I planning to relocate? I emailed them back but never heard anything else. Hopefully that just means they left early on a Friday afternoon and not that they are no longer interested.

It wasn't all good news. I did get a rejection email too.

Day Six of 10 Days of Valentine's Day-Themed Quizzes

My cynicism is low? Umm, no.

Your Five Variable Love Profile

Propensity for Monogamy: Your propensity for monogamy is high. You find it easy to be devoted and loyal to one person. And in return, you expect the same from who you love. Any sign of straying, and you'll end things. Experience Level: Your experience level is high. You've loved, lost, and loved again. You have had a wide range of love experiences. And when the real thing comes along, you know it! Dominance: Your dominance is medium. You tend to be the one with more power. You aren't a total control freak in relationships.. But of course you don't mind getting you way! Cynicism: Your cynicism is low. You are an eternal optimist when it comes to love and romance. No matter how many times you've been hurt - you're never bitter. You believe in one true love, your perfect soulmate. And if you haven't found true love yet, you know you will soon. Independence: Your independence is medium. In relationships, you need both "me time" and "we time." You usually find it easy to be part of a couple. But occasionally you start to feel a little smothered.

The Five Variable Love Test

Survivor Fiji, Episode 1

The new season of Survivor started tonight and I thought I would give my early impressions. How unbelievable is that camp of luxury, with a toilet and a separate kitchen area and now, after winning the challenge, actual silverware and plates, not to mention a COUCH! I wonder which camp they'll choose when they merge, ha ha... I was with Erica when she expressed disbelief that no one on her losing tribe seemed too upset about having to go to the crappy camp; yet, I guess the living conditions are no worse than they expected when they signed up for Survivor. I don't get it, though - are the tribes going to stay on these islands indefinitely or will they have to relocate every time they lose?

As for the contestants, I have little to say. They are all so indiscernible to me right now. I barely know anyone's name. There's something about Erica I don't trust (maybe because she was too busy forming an alliance only ten minutes into the game) and I can't imagine her lasting long. I do like Anthony, only because he's cute not from any impression I made during the episode. However, what is an "expert witness locator"? One can make a living at that? Most of the guys seemed decent enough, although Dreamz seems a bit much to take. It was smart of Sylvia to split up Dreamz and Rocky after their fight during the night. Speaking of Sylvia, how sucky is it to go to Exile Island with all those snakes and then she can't even kill time by looking for the immunity idol since it's back at camp! Yuck! Not even that lookout point was safe from the snakes, either. But at least she didn't have to worry about getting voted out, and she would have likely been the top candidate had she been there since she's older (and presumably weaker). I wonder if she'll tell anyone that the idol is at camp. At least the losing team tonight has island expert Yao Man on their team. I don't even know who to pick as a possible favorite to win right now but I'm going to go with Earl. I have no idea why, just a hunch.

Cool site? Retail-Me-Not

I've been a huge fan of BugMeNot for years. It provides usernames and passwords for many Web sites (primarily newspaper sites) that require you to create an account to access content. If you don't want to create your own account, go to BugMeNot, type in the URL and there is likely a variety of options of usernames and passwords to try.

Well, now they have RetailMeNot. This site finds store coupons and special offers for you, just by you typing in the URL of the store you are shopping at. I'm not sure how complete it is but I do like the simplicity of it, especially if you know exactly where you want to buy something. I'm going to keep it in mind for the future.

"Quick Change" Patent Revealed

Over the summer, there was that horrific show on NBC called America's Got Talent. It had Regis Philbin as host and Brandy, David Hasselhoff and some British twit as the judges... it was kind of like The Gong Show meets American Idol. Anyway, there was this pair on there who call themselves "Quick Change." They do a magic trick, with the gist of it being a woman changes her clothes like 10 times in a span of about 2 minutes. It's pretty amazing to watch. Here it is on Youtube. Well, of course everyone watches it and is kind of stumped as to how they do it. You know that the woman must be wearing all the costumes at once and just peel them off very quickly... or something... but even that doesn't seem to make sense when you watch it.

Last week, they were on Oprah and she was duly impressed, just as pretty much everyone is the first time they see it, and wondered how it was done. The man, David, mentioned that no one is able to figure it out and then said that he had a patent for the "effect." Well, say no more, I went right to the Google Patent Search (after first finding out his last name) and here is his patent! It's called a "convertible costume construction". Now, I couldn't exactly make one for myself but I get the general gist from skimming the patent that indeed she is wearing all the clothes at once and he's developed ways to remove the costumes quickly using "rapidbly disconnectable fastening means".

Day Five of 10 Days of Valentine's Day-themed quizzes

Today is a two-for-one deal! And, Usher showed up on BOTH lists! I better start going to some Cavs games!

Who's My Celebrity Love Match?

The Boy Next Door: Matt Damon

When it comes to love, you're looking for a man with "white picket fence" potential: the guy who will compliment your mom, helps clean the dishes and could melt the polar ice caps with his smile. He's not always perfect and can be a tad too predictable at times, but you'll love the fact that he's got a dependable job, coaches Little League on the weekends and still finds time to let you know how much he loves you. He's more "apple pie" than "devil's food cake" -- but that means the last thing he'll want to do is break your heart.


Other matches: Usher, Zach Braff, John Cusack, Michael J. Fox, Denzel Washington


Who's My Rock Star Boyfriend?

Lenny Kravitz, the Lady-Killer

This man has silk sheets on his bed. Whether they're for him or for you, you'll never quite be sure, but you can enjoy them anyway, right? Rose petals? Check. Knee-buckling sex appeal? Check. Total devotion? For a few nights, sure. This rockin' romancer may not be marriage material, but when he gives you that searing look through the stage spotlights, you're putty in his hands. He's a ladies man and you, you're a lady. Swoon.

Other matches: Usher, Frank Sinatra, Kanye West, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Mick Jagger, LL Cool J

Never leave the toilet

Umm, it's kind of gross to think that someone would want or need to do all these things while sitting on the toilet but check out this toilet you can try to win. It has, among other things, a computer, a Tivo, a fridge, pedals for exercising, a megaphone, a laptop... (via)

Day Four of Ten Days of Valentine's Day-themed quizzes

Last year, I took the "What Sign is Your True Love" test and got Taurus. This test is the opposite and says to avoid dating Capricorn. Okay. But I'm pretty sure I've read elsewhere that Cancer and Capricorn is a really good match. This also suggests good matches with Aquarius, Gemini, Leo and Virgo. I have dated a Gemini and a Leo and they were okay, nice guys but just not right.

Never Date a Capricorn

Somber, demanding, and freakishly logical. Emotions? It's not clear that Capricorn has them. And while it may be flattering for a Capricorn to be serious about you, bad news: they expect you to be super serious in return. Instead try dating: Aquarius, Gemini, Leo, or Virgo

What Sign Shouldn't You Date?

"Other door"

How funny was it that they did a little bit on American Idol tonight regarding the "other door." It totally made me laugh that they acknowledged that. I think that was the theme of the auditions - the judges telling the wannabes to go out the other door. It was so annoying to me during the first four or five episodes - I mean, geez, if you are going to keep a door locked, then put something in front of it so everyone doesn't try use it! Tomorrow's show is the last of the audition episodes, thank god. I really hate the audition round.

Mark Your Calendars - Next Year's Calendars, That is

The next installment of the Indiana Jones movies is due to hit theaters May 22, 2008! I want to see that. (via)

Day Three of 10 days of Valentine's Day-themed quizzes:

What does my birth date say about my love life? It says that I'm going to have my heart broken FOUR times! That means I'm due at least two more heart-breakings? Wow, something to look forward to. Also, I don't think I've ever dated anyone born on the 8th, 17th or 26th so maybe that's where I've gone wrong. Ironically, I have dated people born on the 9th, 18th and 25th... so very close yet so far.

Your Birthdate: June 26

You love being in love... so much so that it's very hard for you to be single. Unfortunately, it's difficult for you to stay in love over time. Too many people intrigue you! Only your true love will be able to keep you interested over time. Number of True Loves You'll Have: 2 Number of Times You'll Have Your Heart Broken: 4 You are most compatible with people born on the 8th, 17th, and 26th of the month.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean For Your Love Life?

New shoes! New shoes!

I got a new pair of Land's End shoes recently (adorable, right?)... actually, I got a pair for Christmas in the true navy color and they were too big. Instead of sending them back to Land's End to return, we realized that Sear's carries Land's End products and accepts mail-order returns and exchanges. Well, then there is no shipping charge to send them back! So I went to the nearby Sear's Grand store a couple weeks ago but they didn't have any in my size. Last weekend, I went to a regular Sear's store and not only did they have my size, but the shoes were $15 cheaper! I bought a pair in black, though, because it was either that or flame orange. And I thought I liked the black best of all anyway. Well, I told my mother about this cost savings and suddenly she wanted a pair. So we went out this weekend, to a different Sears, and she got a pair. Plus, they had my size in the true navy. Now I have a pair in black and a pair in true navy and I just can't decide which to keep and which to return. I'm trying to figure out which color would go with more so I'm basically trying on every pair of pants I own to see which I like best! It's tough being a woman!

Day Two of 10 days of Valentine's Day-themed quizzes:

What is my love number? Better question, what IS a love number?

Your Love Number is 4

You are a creative and expressive lover - a true romantic at heart. An introspective soul, you know exactly how your ideal relationship should be. But if you don't get that ideal, you tend to get a bit pouty and dramatic. You need someone who can roll with the punches, that's for sure!

What Is Your Love Number?

Best Super Bowl ad

I did forget to mention that my favorite Super Bowl ad yesterday was the blink-and-you-missed-it one for Late Show with David Letterman with David (as a Colts fan, of course) and Oprah (as a Bears fan, of course) snuggling on a couch. Dave says they both win because they are in love and Oprah reprimands him for talking with his mouth full of food. It's cute but to really enjoy is to know all the history between the two of them and how Dave openly campaigned to get Oprah on his show for years! Anyway, here's that clip.

Super Bowl Halftime Show

Prince performed at halftime during Sunday's Super Bowl and it seems to be the general consensus that he was one of the best halftime performers ever. So says this article and this one, and this one too. He WAS pretty goood, in my opinion, combining Prince classics like "Let's Go Crazy" and "Purple Rain" with classic covers like "Proud Mary" and "All Along the Watchtower." But, I have to admit that I was kind of distracted throughout his performance noticing that his suit didn't get wet at all, despite the nonstop downpour during his entire show (well, during the entire game). Whatever material his suit was made from has to be the most water repellant material known to man!! Here is a link to the performance on YouTube. (via)

Useful baking tool: Cake Lifter

For all those times you want to move the cake you baked to another locale, like off the baking rack and onto a pretty cake plate, here is a cake lifter from Williams-Sonoma. (via)

"Are Librarians Totally Obsolete?"

This is pretty rudimentary stuff that gets beaten into our heads in library school but for the general public, here is a list of 33 reasons why librarians are NOT obsolete... (via)

Day One of 10 days of Valentine's Day-themed quizzes:

Your Love Style is Manic

For you, love is the ultimate rollercoaster And you love to hold on tight and enjoy the ride Every time you fall in love, it feels like the first time And while it's exciting and exhilarating... It's also stressful and scary!

What's Your Love Style?

"Colts tame Bears for Super Bowl victory"

That headline (from Yahoo! Sports) says it all. Colts 29, Bears 17. I was a little off on my projected final score, but not by too much, eh?

None of the commercials stand out to me, other than the fact that every other commercial seemed to be for Budweiser or Bud Lite. Here are clips (or here) of most of the commercials, though, to watch again or for the first time. Is it just me or does anyone else struggle to remember to pay attention to the commercials? I'm so used to tuning out or fast-forwarding or running into the kitchen or whatever during the commercials that they are practically over by the time I remember that I'm supposed to be watching them this time!!

Super Bowl Sunday

Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears. For some reason, I'm not that interested in the game, even though I watched pretty much all of the playoff games. But I'm sure I'll watch most of the game today, if only for the commercials. Here's my prediction: Colts 27, Bears 21.

Cool site? Price Protectr

Price Protectr seems pretty cool... what it does is help you keeps tab on companies that offer a price protection guarantee.

Certain stores offer a price protection guarantee, meaning they'll refund the difference if the item goes cheaper elsewhere within a certain period of time (usually 30 days). But who pays attention to that once you buy an item? Well, this site will track that item for you and send you an email if that item becomes available elsewhere for a cheaper price. It seems pretty straightforward (although my explanation might not be). It's apparently limited to items you buy online, although as long as the item is listed online and has a referring URL, then I don't see why can't be included too, even if you bought it in the store. I'm going to try it on the television my parents just bought... (via)

Happy Groundhog Day!

Yep, it's Groundhog Day and apparently, Phil the Groundhog did NOT see his shadow and therefore, an early spring is on its way. Or whatever nonsense we are supposed to believe...

Draw a Pig personality test

I think I have done this in the past but I came across this site again that asks you to draw a pig and then tells you what your drawing says about your personality. And, how embarrassing, but I'm going to post the ridiculous-looking pig I drew for all to see, plus the results of the personality test... In my defense, I've never been good at drawing with a mouse. I think it would be better with a pencil or pen. However, the elements of what I drew are what are important for the personality determination. And, because of that, you should draw your own pig before you read my results!

Draw a Pig Personality Test

Click here for my test results!You drew the pig:

Toward the middle, you are a realist. Facing front, you are direct, enjoy playing devil's advocate and neither fear nor avoid discussions. With few details, you are emotional and naive, you care little for details and are a risk-taker. With 4 legs showing, you are secure, stubborn, and stick to their ideals. The size of the ears indicates how good a listener you are, the bigger the better. You drew medium sized ears, you are a good listener. The length of the tail indicates the quality of your sex life, and again more is better! You drew medium sized tail.