For those who may have over-indulged this week

A new addition to the classics

Out the bathroom window

Mr. Spock got this picture of the view out our bathroom window.

The end of an era.

Appalled

My co-workers have never read Caves of Steel.

iPhone vs. Droid: The Views of a Reluctant Adopter, one day later.

So, 11 days ago, I got a Droid X2 to replace my Droid Eris, which died an ignoble death (dropped from a height onto uneven pavement. Smash).

So I went and got the Droid X2, and a serious protector for it.

The Droid X2 has a lot to recommend it. Large screen. Fast everything. On the down-side, it's big and heavy and doesn't easily fit into any pockets I own. But, since I generally carry around a purse anyway, that wasn't a deal breaker. I was really very happy with the Droid X2 - when it was working.

And therein was the rub. Five times in the ten days I owned that phone, it crashed. Needed a hard-reset type of crashed. To perform a hard reset on the Droid X2, you need to remove and replace the battery. Which was covered by the serious protector, that was so serious it was nigh unto impossible to remove. Now maybe you don't think five major crashes in ten days is a lot, but I do. So back to the store I went. And this time I got an iPhone 4. (I had considered getting a different Droid, but I'm starting to have doubts about their quality control).

So let's talk about the iPhone 4. There is a lot I like about it, but I'm having a bit of trouble adjusting to other parts of it. How do you download music from Amazon's cloud onto to it? How do you set your In Case of Emergency numbers? How do you import contacts from, say, Facebook, without sending contacts TO Facebook? Can you set the current weather to be visible at all times on your main screen? How do you teach it to be quicker to suggest words (like your email address) when you're typing?

These things were easy in the Droid.

Things I like better in the iPhone: speed, screen sensitivity, camera, the phone itself. I'm sure that as I learn to do the other things I want to do, I'll stop wishing it would do things like the Droid did, but I hate the learning curve.

First world problems, much? What's new in your life?

Fluff

I'm wearing this in aubergine.

I love it.

An open letter to the makers of the film "Prince Caspian"

What. Were. You. Thinking?

Most of the movie (so far) is not how it was in the book. The book is terrific! The movie....is not. What the hell did you do to Peter? What was that with the attack on the castle? Who made these decisions? And why? Why?

Sincerely,

Mystery Mommy

The search for a green ballpoint

If you want to buy a green ballpoint pen at Office Depot, you need to buy a pack with at least 3 other colors, none of which are black, blue, or red.

It was the one thing on the list of school supplies we didn't get.

Last year's pen (bought in a pack with purple, pink, and orange - which we use for Clue), will have to do.

Lego kit 7662 was discontinued

It was $103.00 in stores three years ago and MM has saved his money until he had enough to buy it. Now that it's discontinued, it sells for over $400 in the collectibles market.

MM is sobbing.

I feel so guilty for not having gotten it for him three years ago. I didn't know they discontinued them.

Dammit.

Changes...

When he was six, he couldn't get through the Mos Eisley Pod Race level on the PS2. Yesterday? He did it all by himself. And collected 8 cannisters.

I'm so proud.

Adventures in Cafeteria Food

Today the cafeteria choices were, to put it mildly, abysmal. I ended up getting a mushroom swiss burger, which the grillman made with american cheese. Despite that, the burger was pretty good, but the fries were soggy and just meh.

Contrast that with my lunch from yesterday...which was leftover homemade spicy ginger peanut chicken. Which I ate in my own kitchen. Because I work 4 miles from home. I think I need to do that more.

Observations on Cereal (while shopping at Costco)

Of these cereals, which is the least expensive?

• Cheerios
• Corn Flakes
• Frosted Flakes

Of these cereals, which does NOT contain High Fructose Corn Syrup?

• Froot Loops/Apple Jacks (combo pack)
• Corn Flakes
• Frosted Flakes

The answer to question one is Frosted Flakes. The answer to question two is the Froot Loops/Apple Jacks combo pack.

MS and I came up with an explanation of Why Frosted Flakes Might Be Cheaper: Inferior ingredients masked by the sweetness of HFCS.

We thought that the lack of HFCS in FL/AJ might be due to being Kosher for Passover? But all the cereals were marked with a K. And aren't the grains used in cereals trayfe for Passover anyway?

In any case, we're paying more attention to ingredients. And, where possible, we're avoiding HFCS. Which means no Corn Flakes. HFCS! IN CORN FLAKES! Sheesh.

Can too

Brought my lunch to work today.

In my son's Spider Man lunch bag (he's currently using a red, orange, and black swirly number from Land's End) "Hey!" he said. "You can't take that! You're a girl!"

And I said, "I can too. I love Spider Man."

And he said, "But he's for boys!"

And I said, "I can be a pretty pink princess AND like Spider Man."

The only valid reason to not bring my lunch to work in a Spider Man lunch bag is that I'm not seven. The fact that I'm not packing a salami has no bearing on the matter.

I guess I need to break out the Free to Be You and Me album again.

I can't tell you WHY this is funny

But take my word for it, it's totally hilarious that there was a lack of a quorum.

I am laughing and laughing and laughing.

This was a comment in reply to Josh, but it got a bit lengthy.

Actually, Josh, what I want is everyone to have access to health care. Everyone. All over the world. With no barriers caused by financial issues.

What I want is Universal Health Care.

I don't care if it's government provided, though that's the easiest way to get there.

I want what Sweden has. I want what Japan has. I want what, yes, France has.

I want a country where no one has to choose between necessary health care and their next meal.

And I have to tell you, Josh, that coverage of abortion, and pelvic exams (not covered under the new law) and birth control is necessary health care to 51% of Americans. Especially when prostate exams are covered.

Not to mention that EVERY OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED NATION has government sponsored health care, and that, therefore, their businesses are at a financial advantage over ours since they don't have to pay outrageous sums to cover their employees.

Now, you may say, "Yeah, but look at their taxes!" and then I say: add up every penny you pay for things that their taxes cover and please realize that you are paying MORE than they are. As a nation, we are all paying more than any other industrialized nation for coverage with fewer people covered, shorter life spans, and poorer health outcomes.

Paying more for less? That's the American Way!

Dear Democratic Members of Congress

I'm not sending this to my own congressional critter, Frank Wolf, because he's a tea-bagger. I'm making it an open letter to you instead.

I am a woman.

I am a hard-working Democratic advocate.

I ring doorbells. I make phonecalls. I hand out literature at the polls and on back-to-school-nights. And not just for my husband, but for every single democratic candidate for the last eight years.

I want healthcare reform. Actually, what I really want is universal health care, single-payer style, but I'll take what I can get.

I can get better than this.

You say your bill covers 95% of Americans.

But the Stupak amendment leaves me, and every citizen capable of getting pregnant, uncovered.

I am FURIOUS that you would vote for this amendment and this bill. How DARE you bargain with my body, my life, my health.

And what did you get for it? This bargain? Did Republicans come flocking to vote for the bill? No.

You are not going to get the Republicans to vote for any health care bill. You're not. Just face that and move on. Since you're not going to get that, why don't you try this: Go back to Square One. Universal Health Care. Single-Payer style. Medicare for Everyone. Starting at Birth. And women's health covered too.

Don't make me regret working to get Democrats elected. All Democratic candidates, not just the one I'm married to.

Dammit, Maine!

How can civil rights be something that can be put up for a vote?

Herndon Council Member: First Amendment for me but not for thee

Washington Post

Lowell at Blue Virginia has video. He brings up Rust in that article because Rust was instrumental in getting the council members in question elected.

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

Annoying and yelling and awful is he.
If high pitched whining is something you wish
Then you'll find this cartoon to be just delish.

MM is ill and Nickelodeon is having a Spongebob Marathon.

Somebody please send earplugs.

Thank you.

Seen while getting the car scrubbed

...the weirdest commercial ever. At lunch time. On a Summer weekday. On CNN. For a product the purpose of which I thought was not able to be talked about on television during daytime hours. Which I will not be using the name of here.

I believe it rhymes with Decks Kens.

This was an "HBO shows this feature only at night" commercial, people. And it was at lunch time. On a Summer weekday. On CNN.

I am........

Speechless.