Now they've gone and done it...

...making getting detention much easier for kids, that is. Mead has come out with a five star binder that has integrated speakers, so the kids can plug their iPods into it and it plays music! Can you just hear it in the classroom now?
If you ask me, I think it's one of the silliest things I've heard of in quite some time!

Does anyone actually buy them???

The fridges with tv's built into the door that is...that is just way too strange for me and over the top...and just another thing that could go wrong with a major appliance. Now I know that some people have small tv's in their kitchen so they can watch while they do dishes, cook, whatever...and now with the flat screens, you could get a small wall-mountable one...so really, does anyone buy the fridge tv's?

Oh PC...soon you'll have to be retired...

Our PC crashed again the other day. We had to re-install everything. Good thing I had important photos and docs backed up. We're up and running again...but for how long? Yes, we're still using the 10 year old dinosaur. We just can't seem to let go of this loud humming computer...

Another note on COD4

I saw previews for this game and it looks amazing! The graphics are impressive and impeccable. It's too bad we don't have a 360...it's already on the "wish list" for Christmas though ;)

I bet the online game play is just crazy!

Freaking Hilarious Home Movie - COD4 imitation

My hubby came across this home movie imitation of COD4 on YouTube. Now to someone who has not played the game, they probably will not see the humor in it, but for any Call of Duty fans out there, this is definitely worth checking out for a chuckle! Follow this link and enjoy!

Buh bye old old vcr

Yup, my vcr is caputs...geez! I know it sounds ridiculous, but we still do have a collection of old vhs movies, and it would seem just dreadful to not be able to watch them anymore. But where the heck can you find a vcr these days, really? The best I can find is a dvd/vcr combo, which isn't really what I want...hmmm....

This leaves me wondering, what will end up replacing the dvd player 5 or 10 years from now?

A viable alternative to ebay

I have just discovered this website LiveDeal, where you can sell anything from furniture to automobiles to homes online. And the best part? It doesn't cost you a penny! All you need is an email address to sign up!
If you opt for the free subscription, you can advertise locally only and post only one photo per ad. If you opt for a paid subscription, you can advertise nationally across Canada, and you can post more than one photo per ad.
Apparently, people are able to sell their homes successfully with the use of this site alone...isn't that fantastic? Can you imagine saving the tens of thousands in realtor fees?
I myself have sold a couple of small household items that were collecting dust in our basement over LiveDeal! I am definitely a fan of this site!

After the blue screen, if you can believe....

...we are back to using our old ancient computer again! A friend had given us a computer that was once a server, and it worked great at first. But...if you left it on for more than an hour, it was like something in there would overheat and the computer just would not move...15 minutes for a web page to load...if it would come up at all....
So, my hubby swapped the hard drive out of our old computer, put in a new one, and *poof* it's up and running and doing just great. I can't believe we are still using such an old computer, but hey if it works, why not?

See my yellow lawn? You like that?!

My lawn, and many lawns in the neighbourhood are a rich shade of...yellow. No typo there, didn't mean to say green. YELLOW! You see, being environmentally and financially conscious, we choose not to water our lawn. And since we have barely had any rain in the past couple months, the lawn is drier than dry. For such a disgustingly humid region that we live in (well it can be at times) I really am surprised we don't get more rain.
I've grown accustomed to our yellow lawn. It's actually "whoa" when you walk by a lush green one these days, as they are rare, and I'm sure, excessively watered. The way I figure, in a couple months, when it cools down and we typically get a bit more rain, it'll be green anyway. Then white (snow covered). So it's all good! As to those who water their lawn like crazy, they should know that even though their money supply may be endless, our water supply is not and we should conserve wherever possible.
In the meantime...anyone know any rain dances? LOL

Will tomorrow be your lucky day?

That's what a lot of people are thinking as the numerical form of tomorrow's date is 07/07/07. Lucky 7's and all. Who wants to bet that lotto sales will be up significantly tomorrow? Not to mention trips to the casino.

*shh* but I might go buy a lotto ticket tomorrow just for the heck of it - couldn't hurt right?

The Catch 22 Lightbulb

I recently wrote an entry about energy saving light bulbs, and how they were a great idea albeit expensive. Figuring I should practice what I preach, I decided to go out and purchase a 6 pack of these bulbs to start off with. In an attempt to get the most bang for my buck, I started reading the specifications of the bulbs on the box. I was shocked to find these bulbs contain mercury. What??!! Needless to say, I didn't bother purchasing any of the bulbs. Why on earth would I want to bring a product containing a known hazardous substance into my home?
Apparently these bulbs have a very low level of mercury in them (about 1/100th of what was once used in dental fillings), but enough to be concerned if the bulb happens to break.
I'm starting to think I'll be one of the people who stockpiles the old energy sucker bulbs before they become illegal to produce and sell (by year 2012 apparently).
I don't want those risky light bulbs in my home. And don't get me wrong here, I care very much about the environment and am all about measures to reduce smog. I am very disappointed though in our government and in a respected figure like David Suzuki, who is promoting these bulbs in commercials.
Have they thought about what will happen when these bulbs start piling up in landfills? Hello mercury being released into the environment. So we are trading one environmental issue for another then?
I really hope manufacturers of the light bulbs can figure out how to make an equivalent bulb with no toxic substances inside. Seeing how far technology has come, it certainly should not be considered an impossibility.

Take that, iPhone....

I know it's fun to see how something works, but come on this is extreme! The new iPhone is out, and apparently there are quite a few people who dished out $500 to $600 just so that they could take it apart and see what's inside. Some even went as far as to take a hammer to the iPhone and post it on YouTube. You've got to be kidding me! They won't be able to put that back together. And even those who opted to take their iPhone apart more gently, those things strike me as fragile, so good luck getting it to work again.
Curiosity is one thing, but HELLO expensive! Apparently some did it to see what supplier parts were used in the gadget, so they could buy stock in those companies. Even so, I don't know if they'd make their $$$ back unless they bought a whole lotta stock and it did indeed go up due to good old iPhone.

Wonder if you can return the iPhone if you can't get to work after you put it back together?

I must say though, even though it costs a pretty penny, it sure does do a lot of things for such a small device (phone, camera, multimedia player, touch screen, internet browser all in one). Maybe if they arrive in Canada and if they come down in price to say..$150...I'd check one out! :)

In the meantime, anyone else out there that feels like throwing away their $500 solely to "see how a phone works", why don't you take your money and donate it to a charity instead...come on people!

Happy Birthday!

Today is Canada's 140th birthday! YAY! Today will be jam packed with celebrations everywhere and amazing fireworks shows in the evening! It's one of my favorite days of the year! :)

F off?

That’s what a new commercial geared at the environment and energy conservation looks like it is telling us. What it is actually telling us is to “FLICK off”. The message flashes in the commercial quickly a few times, and the font they used makes the “L” and the “I” actually look like a “U” in “FLICK”.
Now, is this commercial to appeal to youth? (“hey, cool it looks like f#ck”). Doesn’t it sort of insult our intelligence and our sense of humor? Not to mention what the older generations might think of it. However, on the other hand, it does effectively grab attention – at least it did mine. So much so, that I took a few minutes to visit their website. Their message is good and worth checking out.
Hopefully it does catch a lot of other peoples’ attention, be it in a negative or positive way.

A Natural Solution

Want an environmentally friendly, natural solution for the weeds in your yard? I came across this recipe, and will try it out this weekend. Mix 4 cups vinegar with 1/2 cup salt and 2 tbsp dish soap in a spray bottle. Spray the solution on the weeds on a sunny day. Apparently this will cure your yard and patio of weeds.

Another reason among the many to ditch those nasty pesticides!

Easy money just a click away....

Check out the left hand side of my webpage and click on my Google AdSense tab. Spend a few minutes today setting up an AdSense account and adding some easy code to your webpage, then sit back and let your site make money for you for years to come!
Everyone wins...you make money and visitors to your site can get connected to products, info or services of interest to them!

It really is that easy!

Want to try something fantastic?

Well then you'll want to look on the left hand side of my site and click on the Firefox tab that I have. Firefox is a great new way to browse the web, making your experience much more fun, personalized and secure than it was before!

Download Firefox today to find out what all the fuss is about!

Digital camera progress and depreciation

When we bought our digital camera 4 years ago, it was a 2.0 megapixel, going for $300. It has a video feature (a couple minutes then the memory is full) and a couple other nice features. But compared to the digital cameras of today (you can get a 7 megapixel for $150 or so) it's thick and clunky and outdated already! I must give kudos though, like our 9 year old computer that we just recently had to retire, the electronics we've chosen over the years seem to have incredible lasting powers!
If you can believe, I just saw an advertisement in a flyer today for a no-name UNDERWATER digital camera for $24. Whaaa??? It didn't specify the amount of memory or megapixels, but wow...that is cheap. And underwater? How does that work without wrecking it? I think I have to check it out nonetheless, I'm intrigued!

It really does amaze me how certain technologies advance in performance capabilities and decrease in value over such a short period of time...

No! Not the blue screen!

The worst thing that can happen to a PC happened to ours on Saturday morning. I went to start up the computer, only for it to come up to a blue error screen giving a cryptic code number paired with the message "hard disk error"...ok, whaaaa?
No matter what I tried, what start up mode etc, the end result was always the same: the dreaded blue screen. I couldn't help but be reminded of the "hi I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" commercial - the one where the PC on the cart had a "fatal error" and was a "goner". For a split second I found myself yearning for a Mac, even though I hadn't set a hand on one since 8th grade.
It's funny (ironic?), my husband and I were talking the other day about how amazed we were that our computer was still working. It's 9 years old you see, with all original parts inside. It would moan and groan the whole time it was on too. These days, to have a computer that old is unheard of.
After being computer-less for the better part of a week, we have since moved on to a faster, smaller, computer that is so quiet you don't even know it's on! I must give kudos though, to our old computer, it did a good job.

How does your vehicle rate?

In my quest to compare vehicle fuel efficiency, I came across a neat website: http://www.fueleconomy.gov. With this website, you can find the fuel efficiency of any vehicle, compare side-by-side, even find out how much it costs to drive it 25 miles and how much it costs to fill it up!

Worth checking out, especially if you are looking for a new vehicle.

It's not a car, truck, van or SUV....

...it's a CUV. A "crossover utility vehicle". Bigger than a car, but not as big as an SUV. A whole new class of vehicle designed with the goal of attracting the masses with something new. I'll be honest, I can't help but be reminded of when they came out with station wagons. Remember those? LOL The best ones were with the "wood paneling" down the sides and the blue body tones. As if!
I must admit though, the crossovers I have seen are pretty good looking vehicles. Certainly not a station wagon, that's for sure.
But who do these vehicles appeal to? Perhaps the family driver who isn't into minivans or SUVs. Maybe the driver who is a bit phobic of a big vehicle, but wants more space than a car. Or the person who likes SUVs, but wants to save on fuel consumption.
But wait! Before you jump on the crossover train, there are a couple things you should know. First, the crossovers cost anywhere from over $7,000 to $13,000 more than an SUV. For my research purposes, I compared the Hyundai Veracruz (starting at $39,995) to the Hyundai Sante Fe (starting at $27,000) and the Ford Edge (starting at $34,350) to the Ford Escape (starting at $27,000).
And if you think you'll be saving on fuel, guess again on that one! According to the website, the Sante Fe takes 11.9L/100km in the city, and the Veracruz takes 13.9L/100km in the city. So the Veracruz takes more gas! And the Ford Edge takes 13L/100km in the city, whereas the Ford Escape takes 10.3L/100km in the city. Now, these would obviously vary by model here, I just looked at the basics. But it does show a telling tale.
So...you pay more money, use more gas...for a vehicle that isn't a car nor SUV...hmmm...I think I will pass and stick with my not-so-gas-guzzling SUV!

A Bright Idea?

Pretty soon it will be illegal to produce and sell incandescent light bulbs in Canada. Their replacement? The energy saver bulb. A 13 watt energy saver light bulb is equivalent to a 60 watt incandescent. What does this mean? Well, up to 78% savings on the lighting portion of your electricity costs. Which in turn, leads to less demand on our energy grid. Now imagine how much energy would be saved if everyone switched? And less energy demand means less harm to our environment from the coal-fired energy plants.
Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? It really is. However, there is quite a price point difference to switch over. For your average 2 pack of incandescent bulbs, you are looking at around $1.98. For your average 2 pack of energy saver light bulbs, you are looking at $9.98. So, five times the cost to be environmentally responsible. If you are looking to outfit your home with these new bulbs, it would cost the average homeowner over $100 depending on your lighting situation. Seems like quite the investment (penalty?) to be environmentally responsible (take a look at my entry about hybrid vehicles as well).
I think they should really lower the price of the light bulbs to encourage everyone at every income level to replace their old bulbs. If not, unfortunately, those on a tight budget may be compelled to stockpile the cheaper, energy hungry incandescent, before the lights go out on them and they are yanked from the shelves for good.

Coffee Table Computer

Move over desktop and laptop, Microsoft has come out with a coffee table "surface computer". No keyboard or mouse either, this 150lbs gizmo responds to touch, pen and voice. Talk about a new form of entertainment for the living room. You can even place your camera on top to transfer, then edit photos. Have a cell phone? Place that on top and buy some ringtones while you're at it. And who needs messy finger paints or etch-a-sketch when you can finger paint virtual-style on your coffee table.
The first are set to be released in November. But save your pennies cuz they cost a pretty one - from $5 to $10 thousand apiece. Yikes! Wouldn't want to rest your beverages on that coffee table, that's for sure!

Wow, what next?

Should we fear a pandemic?

When SARS hit close to home, it showed how unprepared the system was for foreign illness. Then when avian flu was discovered, with no means of effectively treating it, people started talking pandemic. Apparently pandemics occur approximately every 25 years, and our last one occurred 34 years ago. So it looks like it could happen anytime if history is a reliable predictor. Scary.
Some shrug off the notion, thinking if an illness hits in one area of the world, the threat to the rest would be minimal. Think again. With frequent travel by plane, train and automobile, things can easily get out of hand and quickly.
Perfect example is the guy who has a serious and treatment resistant form of TB. He boarded a plane from Atlanta to Paris even after being advised not to travel because of his TB. With a selfish disregard for the potential that he could spread his TB to others, he traveled anyway, no-one to stop him. I have a few choice words for people like that, but I will refrain. Anyway, it gets better. Once in Europe, he was put on a no-fly list and told to seriously check into a hospital there. TB IS contagious, you see. And the kind he has is fatal in more than 50% of cases. What does this guy do? Well, first he takes 7 flights within Europe. Then he avoids the no-fly list after officials had tracked him down, and manages to board a flight from Czech to Montreal, then drives from Montreal back to Atlanta (where he should have STAYED IN THE FIRST PLACE). So now, this guy has exposed numerous countries and countless innocent people to his disease. How could this be allowed to happen? How could this guy not be charged with anything? Like hmm...reckless behavior, and if anyone does get infected, how about charging him with assault or even attempted murder?
I've strayed a bit from my pandemic topic but my whole point is to illustrate how quickly a disease could spread worldwide. Especially with idiotic selfish people who have no regard for the well-being of others, and a system that fails miserably at preventing the wrong people from traveling.
So should we be worried about a pandemic?

Internet-less

Like in a power outage, you don't truly realize how much you rely on something until you are without it. We switched ISPs recently, and on Monday our modem from the new ISP decided to have some sort of internal meltdown. We are actually still waiting on our new modem to arrive, but managed to borrow one in the meantime from a friend who had an extra.
I didn't realize how much we relied on the internet in our daily life. Without access to e-mail, being unable to update my blogs, or even check things like facebook, I felt like I was falling behind and overall disconnected. On top of that, I'm looking into at-home opportunities right now, but I had to put that on hold because all the info I need is...yup you guessed it...online!
It's bizarre to think that now the internet is a major form of communication and keeping with the times, and is a regular part of most of our daily routines. I've touched on this before, that not too long ago the internet did not exist. And we did just fine without it! But were we more or less productive, more or less knowledgeable? Hmmm...

Never stopped playing musical chairs

It seems our generation never stopped playing the childhood party game of musical chairs – except its not quite chairs this time – its jobs.
I look at myself, my husband, siblings, and all of our friends. We all tend to change jobs every few years – sometimes keeping with the same line of work, sometimes not.
This is a marked contrast to our parents and grandparents, a lot of whom would stick with the same company until it closed or they retired.
Musical jobs. Reflects the times for sure. It can be interpreted in a few different ways though. Are things this way because the economy is better – we have more selection? Or is the economy worse in that job satisfaction is difficult to find, which accounts for the frequent vocational venue changes? Or does it reflect on us instead of the economy? Are we the less focused, less loyal generation, changing our jobs like we change our socks – at the slightest stench? Are we ADD, getting bored too easily with one company, itching to move?
Definitely something to ponder!

No-name versus brand name for LCD televisions

I was surprised to see the drastic reduction in price for LCD flat panel televisions these days. When these first came out, they were upwards of a few thousand dollars. Now, you can get them for as cheap as the mid $500's depending on size and name brand.
You'll notice, there is quite a difference in the pricing for what I like to call no-name tv's and name brand (Sony, Samsung, Toshiba etc). For the same size tv, you can pay roughly $300 to $1000 more for the name brand version. It certainly makes the no-name tv's seem more appealing, especially to those on a budget.
However, what is in a name brand that allows them to jack up their price, is it the name alone? Actually, no, it's not. The name brand tv's have a much crisper picture both in HD and non-HD feeds. And for those out there who play video games, don't even bother with the no-name tv as the refresh rate is not there. In laments terms, that means crappy choppy graphics, sometimes blurred if you are moving quickly in the game. It can make an avid talented gamer play at a newbie level.

So it seems, it's worth saving up for the brand name versions, unless you don't watch very much tv and don't play games. In those cases, the no-name may suffice.

Am I a gamer?

Ok I never thought I'd say it, but I think I might be a mini "gamer". *sigh*
My hubby got Call of Duty 3 for xbox, and he was playing it all the time live against players from around the world! I was like "why do you have to play that all the time? jeez!" Then he told me to try it out. It's a first person shooter game, so I laughed thinking I'd be TERRIBLE - in the past I'd move the joystick and whoop looking up at the sky, then whoop, be looking down at the ground, instead of looking straight ahead!
So I tried the game begrudgingly, thinking I'd stink something serious! Well I actually turned out to be pretty good at it! Now, whenever we have spare time, usually late at nite, I find myself gravitating toward the game! We both recognize other people's screen names ("yup, he's good, oh he stinks, he got better, glad he's on our team" etc) and we both play a good game, so are forces to be reckoned with! Oh my, is it true? Have I become a "gamer"? LOL
Let's just say it's a fun new hobby!

Solar powered lawn mower?

I've been thinking a lot lately about the environment and ways to improve it or at least slow down how much damage is being done to it. It got me thinking about lawn mowers. Back in the day, they had the push ones. Then the gas powered ones. Now electric ones. The push ones are the most environmentally friendly, however, if you've ever used one, you'll know they are very time consuming and ultimately not very effective.
The gas powered ones - little pollutants. It's nice to know you don't see many of them in stores anymore. The electric ones - more environmentally friendly, but still use electricity, which we should aim to conserve.
Why then, when I go to my local hardware store, don't I see solar powered lawn mowers? Solar power has come a long way, and to power something so small, I think it would be perfect! And when do you usually mow your lawn? Well not on a rainy day, but a sunny day of course! So you can be charging and powering it all while you mow....and...they would be cordless! Fabulous!
I'm sure there are solar powered mowers out there somewhere, and it would be nice to see them replace the now-popular electric ones in stores.

Sunny Grey Skies

Here we are, not quite mid-May, and we've already had a couple of smog days and smog warnings. It seems to be happening much earlier and more frequently than it used to, with even some smog days in the winter months.
This really should be a wake up call that our environment IS changing, obviously not for the better. We really do need to start making some lifestyle changes for the sake of our air alone.
I know many have said it before, but we do need to cut down on our energy consumption so that those dreadful coal-fired energy plants don't have to work so hard to power us. It would be fantastic to see coal-fired energy completely replaced with a cleaner alternative, however, I doubt that will happen in our immediate future.
Another thing, now that hybrid vehicle technology is here, how about making hybrid vehicles the same price as 100% fuel driven vehicles, and phase out the 100% fuel driven vehicles altogether. Stop making them! Then, say 10 years down the road, everyone would have a hybrid car once their old car was caput and needed to be replaced.
I could go on and on here, like many have and like many do, but I will end with trees. Everyone should plant more trees wherever possible. Trees help to clean our air, so the more the better! Plus, makes for a beautiful landscape.
If everyone just made even small adjustments, like turning off a light when you leave a room, using energy efficient technologies, or not cooling your house as much with the air conditioner in summer months, it would make an impact, and is easy enough for the average person to do. Isn't it worth it if we could breathe easier?

Goodbye power sucking humming monitor....

...and hello energy friendly, eye friendly flat screen LCD computer monitor! Yes, we finally got rid of our dinosaur of a huge clunky computer monitor and replaced it with something very thin, quiet and nice! I must give kudos though, to the old monitor, seeing as it was 7 years old and still worked well. However, it was time to step out of the dark ages and move on...

Why did we wait so long? Well, the other one worked just fine for one thing, and for another, the LCDs used to cost a pretty penny. Now, you can find them for around $100. Sweet! It's funny how much technology prices depreciate. I was told of a time when calculators cost $50-$100 or more, now you can go to any old convenience store and buy one for $3! Funny how that works, isn't it?

Well I didn't win Super 7....

...but I did get indexed (again) in Google, and so did one of my other blogs that was a virgin to the index game! YAY! I am so happy! I feel like I'm playing the flower game here (Google likes me, Google likes me not, Google likes me!) as I was indexed last week then dropped now indexed again. I just hope I stay indexed!

In the meantime, I think it wise to figure out what the heck a sitemap is and draw one up so that my indexing windfall sticks! :)

Google why don't you like me?

Oh my, I have been trying to get this blog and two others of mine indexed on Google since I started the blogs! I've added my urls, verified my sites. I don't know what else to do!

And this site was actually indexed for a few days, then got dropped, and I have no idea why! I've been advised to create a sitemap, but you know, that is a little beyond my realm of computer knowledge at this point in time!

Oh Google, why don't you like me? I feel at this point like my chances of getting indexed on Google are about as likely as me buying a winning Super 7 ticket today...

*sigh*

Share a story, fill a tummy

I was watching an advertisement on tv the other day for Country Crock and they have a fantastic campaign going on right now. If you go to their website and click on the link to tell a story about a time you shared with someone or someone shared with you, they will donate a meal to a family in need. They will donate up to a million meals to families in need. Now how fantastic is that?

I'm going to head over there to share a story so that someone will be able to have a hot meal - something most of us are fortunate enough to take for granted.

Two thumbs up Country Crock! :)

Cell Phone Woes........

Ok, so I'm not an avid cell phone user by any means. However, I do like to have one handy for when I'm out to check in at home, or in case I ever ran into car trouble. We're talking the occassional 3 minute call here maybe once or twice a week. So it seemed logical to get a pay as you go phone instead of a monthly plan. I was initially on a Bell prepaid plan, but ended up leaving them as I would buy the cheapest phone card and the dang things expire after 30 days. I would usually only have used maybe $2 of my $10 card by then, which is super wasteful.
So, wanting a camera phone anyway, when Virgin Mobile came along, I jumped on their prepaid phone. With them, the $10 card would last 6 months. I was like, that's great because that's how long it would take me to use it most likely. Well that was all fine and dandy, until suddenly in stores I could only find $15 prepaid cards, and now guess what? The cards expire after 45 days. So basically, it's the same issue as I had before. *sigh*
It's really unfortunate the phone cards have to expire at all considering you've already paid for them. Just forces you to buy more - can you say cash grab?

Does going green cost far too much green?

Recently my husband and I were in the market for a new vehicle - an SUV in particular. Given that we would like to be environmentally responsible, and given the soaring prices at the pumps, our first thought was “let’s go hybrid”. Hybrid vehicles use a fraction of gas that regular vehicles do, so it seemed like a wise choice.
However, upon visiting some dealerships, we were astounded as to the price difference between the hybrid and the non-hybrid. For a sedan, you are looking at roughly a $5,000 to $8,000 difference and for an SUV, roughly $5,000 to $9,000 difference. Throw your sales taxes on top of that, and we aren’t talking chump change here.
Now, I understand that the technology will cost extra money, but considering that a vehicle is never an investment, it is a huge difference in price point. On top of that, if something were to go wrong with the vehicle, repair costs are higher, and you are limited in who you can take your vehicle to as not all mechanics are familiar with hybrid technologies.
So for us, as I imagine for many others like us, being economically responsible outweighed being environmentally responsible.

Exercise for the mind ~ sudoku

When people at work started talking about sudoku, I had no idea as to what they were referring. When it was explained to me, a number puzzle, I still didn’t quite understand! I decided to google search it online, and found a number of web sudoku websites. My favorite one, with free puzzles, is at http://www.websudoku.com. On their front page are instructions on how to complete puzzles, and choice of difficulty level. There is even a capability to print the puzzles on paper if playing on the computer is not your cup of tea.
Web sudoku is a great way to exercise your mind without emptying your wallet for a book of puzzles you would find at a bookstore. Even greater, if you make a mistake, you don’t have to pull out your eraser!
There is a lot of talk these days about the battle against obesity, and how we need to stay physically fit and eat healthy. There is little emphasis, though, on exercising your mind and keeping it healthy. With concerns such as alzheimers, I would think mind exercises are equally as prudent to a healthy lifestyle. Just another benefit to one of my favorite activities to do online!

Hello Virtual Reunion!

A new sharing website has come along and spread like a virus over the past few months - Facebook. When you register (all you need is an email address) you can personalize your own page, going into as much or as little detail as you like about yourself, and you can upload photos and create albums. What is especially neat about this site is you can search for people you know and add them as your friends. Then you can view all the details they have put into their page. You can send messages to them, write on their “wall” and view their friends. You can also join groups that people have created - school affiliations, common interest groups, even common bars!Well since I have joined, I have re-connected with friends from elementary, middle and highschool that I have not seen in many years…an online reunion of sorts. With some, old friendships have been renewed, and get-togethers had. With others, it’s nice to just say hello, and see where everyone ended up. Who needs their 10-year highschool reunion when you can re-unite online?

Look how far we have come…where will we go next?

I have spent some time reflecting on years past and where I am now, and amongst those thoughts is how different the technology I currently enjoy is compared to how it was. If I look back to how things were when I was in middle school and early years of high school (and no I am not a dinosaur, it was less than 15 years ago) it amazes me that back then we had computers in our classrooms, but no internet. No one spoke of the internet or email or shopping online etc, as it was non-existent in our everyday lives. I remember if you went shopping, you either paid by cash or charge card. If you needed to get cash, you had to go to the bank during banking hours, fill out a slip and deal with a teller. Debit cards and bank machines were nowhere to be seen.And does anyone remember the day of the cassette tape, or the vhs? Do stores even sell vcrs anymore? Probably not, I haven’t seen any! No more time wasted rewinding when you can select your track or scene in an instant. And let’s not forget the digital camera…how did we manage without it? Now every picture can be perfect, and pictures plentiful. No more anticipation of picking up your photos just hoping they turned out just right - that no one had their eyes closed, or that the lighting was wrong.Technology has certainly progressed at an amazing quip in a short amount of time. We currently enjoy everyday conveniences that did not exist not too long ago. Yet if we were to think of a world without these things, now it would almost be inconceivable.It leaves me wondering, where will we go from here?