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?