Woman on a cell phone across the street from my apartment, while walking her dog:

It's like we moved to the Bronx and we live in the ghetto. It's ridiculous.

Considering I live in The-Middle-of-Nowhere, Tennessee, I'm going to venture a guess that she's never been to any sort of "ghetto." Yes, there's some loud music being played outside the apartment complex next to mine, but it's not all that bad.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

How long do you take in the shower?
Submitted by Strive2Be.

A long shower is about 20 minutes. I used to brush my teeth in the shower but stopped because I felt that extra three minutes was a lot of wasted water. Not surprisingly I don't brush my teeth as often.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

I've been reading a lot of news this morning, via the web.

One article I read was about a recent expanding of daytime checkpoints throughout our county targeting unlicensed drivers & DUIs. It has quickly turned into a racial/immigration debate though because most of the unlicensed drivers in our county are undocumented immigrants. If you're caught without a license your car is automatically impounded and towed that day for a period of 30 days. However, they are notifying (but not directly requesting assistance from) immigration & other state agencies of the checkpoints and now they are often checking for valid citizenship too. People are being deported and the argument of issuing licenses to undocumented immigrants is being brought up again. It would bring revenue into the state and provide the safe driving that everyone is clamoring for. However, the last line of the article really got me, "...There's a point of view, and it's a valid point of view, that to discourage illegal immigration, we should make the lives of illegal immigrants more difficult."

It got me because while I do not like living in an area plundered by illegal immigrants that make money here and send it back to wherever they're from without giving back to a system that's supporting them - I also strongly feel that our immigration system needs a serious overhaul. Its just not equiped to deal with the demand that we as a country have. There ARE people trying to do it by the way we want them to but they see no resolution in sight and yet they see millions of people succeeding by not following the law. It's all very unfair. I can't wait until something begins to happen - I fear it wont be in my lifetime though.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Last night I went and saw Kung Fu Panda - which was a lot of fun with a lot of great voice acting. It wasn't as over packed as I thought it'd be - and so enjoying the movie and the plot was not difficult even with all the loud kids around us.

Afterward I stopped at the supermarket because we've been surviving on just the minimum for awhile and I was sick of it. So I bought all the staples and also a few other things I've been wanting in regards to making a bento box or two. I felt really inspired and productive when I got home - despite the late hour - so I took some time and made some rice and prepared that for today. With the rice out of the way - most of the prep was easy but I still haven't found my "groove" so it still took me an extra 15 minutes to get everything together. I brought a pretty simple box of rice, chicken marinaded in a garlic sauce, broccoli and some seaweed wrapped crackers as a treat :)

I keep checking out this site called Just Bento and it inspires me but it also reminds me that I just don't put enough time and effort into my diet and more importantly food prep in general. What I wouldn't give for a cooking class! I did find this book I want to buy - its a 6 ingredients or less healthy eating book. I have a 6 ingredients or less slow cooker book but if it's not really fatty then its got a lot of "ready made" expensive items in it. Such a waste.

On a side note, I accidentally put on white sport socks this morning instead of my black work socks. Good thing I bought new pants that are long enough again or else I'd be doing the Michael Jackson Thriller look all day long.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

I'm on the phone right now with my bank again. The Wal-Mart transaction went through, as I feared, and now we have very little money and rent is due in three days. Its so frustrating! I called my bank expecting them to already be ready to refund the money into my account as soon as the transaction went though. Oh no! I have to file a claim and it can take up to five business days! How fantastic, what with the holiday this Friday I could very well not see my money until next Wednesday.

Ugh, what rotten timing - birthday aside - for something like this to happen. If it'd happened after rent was due then I'm sure we'd be fine. I think that if we didn't have to take care of Junior we'd be all right too but we have to do that. Its sad how banks think that your life will just stop if needed, bills can be unpaid, food unbought, cars can stay still in driveways without gas...

45 MINUTES LATER....

Okay, it's official I got the worst claim agent possible from my bank. First, they put me on hold for FIFTEEN MINUTES. They're abandoned call rate must be horrid if that is the average phone wait time. Second, as soon as they transferred me to the fraud department (this was before the fifteen minute wait time) the volume on my phone hit the floor. I turned it all the way up and I still could hardly here the hold music (luckily, classical). Third, I finally get on the line with someone and can hardly hear her.

After awhile of trying to make out what she's saying I admit, "M'am, I can't hear you. I've got my phone turned all the way up, can you turn up your handset?"

She responds with, "My volume is up as high as it will go."

So I ask, "Can you speak louder?" (like I should have to ask - you'd think the moment I said I couldn't hear her she'd offer to speak louder).

She simply says, "Um no." I'm not sure why - maybe they have a limit as to how loudly they can talk - but either way it really angered me. If she'd provided a bit more information or at least some sympathy and understanding - I probably wouldn't have been so angry - but she didn't.

Then she starts in with the questions and they're all basically the same and I start to get frustrated. How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't give my card number to anyone?! Do you think I'm that stupid? How many times do I have to tell you that, yes - I do shop at Wal-Mart, and no - I do not drive four hours north to do so. I'm already practically shouting (natural response for not being able to hear very well) as it was and suddenly she says, "You know - I have to ask these questions. They aren't a personal attack or anything."

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

The Septembers of Shiraz: A Novel

Dalia Sofer

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

If you're anything like me, you're a screenshot person. You like to show people what you're seeing on the screen when that moment of inspiration grabs you. Recently I was suggested this piece of software called Jing. I downloaded it primarily for screenshots but I'm finding it's really cool and will probably explore the video option before the end of the day.

Anyhow, the reason I thought to finally post about it is because I used it's Flickr option.You take a screenshot, and you can upload it directly to Flickr - but it also places the photo's new URL on your clipboard so you don't have to go find it in order to send it to someone! I just used it while talking to Paul via the web and I was shocked at not only how quick it was (after I authorized it with Flickr) but also how easy it was! Its also cool for taking screenshots in order to show something in particular on the page to someone, because they have these arrow, box, & highlight tools so you can easily display what you're trying to without have to discribe the location on the page.

Really, a very user friendly and awesome piece of software. Here's the link - as I'm officially recommending it.

http://www.jingproject.com/

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

What does blogging do for you?
Submitted by Madeleine Rose.

I don't have many friends but I love to talk & write & socialize and blogging allows me to do all of that without having a ton of friends. I hear all the time about people only having lives on the net and while my social circle may include the net it is not based in it which is the important thing.

However, if any of you out there are in my area - LOOK ME UP!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

What's your favorite song with "America" or "USA" in the title? Bonus points if you share it with 

I like Tom Petty's "American Girl" - which will forever remind me of Silence of the Lambs.

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

How much does a ticket cost at your usual movie theater? Does the price affect the number of movies you see at the theater?
Submitted by Kristie.

I visit two theaters pretty often - one is big and shows a lot of movies and one is smaller and isn't always playing the one I want. At the larger one its $10.50 a ticket after matinee - and how they got to the price I have no idea. One day it was $8.50 the next it was $9.50 on Friday & Saturday nights and then suddenly it was $10.50 after matinee all the time. A crime really because if you think about all the business they get you'd expect them not to have to charge so much. Plus, they're located in a mall so they get all that runoff business too. Whenever I plan on seeing a movie at that theater I buy discounted tickets from my work - I get them for $7.70 if the movie is new and still considered "special engagement" and $6.70 if it's not.

The other theater I go to is closer, cheaper, and not so crowded. On Tuesdays the movies are only $5.50 and though they don't show as many new movies its newer (so the seats aren't covered in gum and falling apart) and as I said - less crowded. In fact, we're going there tonight to see Kung Fu Panda!

The cost does effect the number of movies. Now I think to myself, "Do I need to have the big screen experience for this one?" Usually the answer is no.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend