I Must Be Out of my Mind!

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:28:08 GMT

"Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future." ~ Paul Boese

Word time :)

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:37:08 GMT

Adjustification: a combination of adjust and justification. Meaning to alter yourself (your thoughts, feelings, surroundings, physical self, etc.) in alignment with a reason or circumstance that justifies an action or attitude.

Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissism

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 01:50:01 GMT

http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/virtual-friendship-and-the-new-narcissism

Hmmm, maybe I am...

I hope you miss me too: Robot Love :)

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:03:13 GMT

(From: http://explodingdog.com/title/ihopeyoumissmetoo.html)

quandary

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:33:32 GMT

quan⋅da⋅ry
/ˈkwɒndəri, -dri/ [kwon-duh-ree, -dree] –noun, plural -ries.
a state of perplexity or uncertainty, esp. as to what to do; dilemma.

Why, yes, I do feel in a state of perplexity or uncertainty, thanks for asking!

Yes, I feel alone in it also; no one else is here.

(Of course, in my moderate wisdom (not immense by any means!), I know that I am NOT the only one here, I share this space with the entire world. It's getting crowded even!)

I wonder, why is it that I have all these things bothering me; that, in itself, is a problem, and I wonder why it is that it is. Most think I live a charmed life (including my husband). They ask me why I fight it, I should just be happy... "Ha!" I say. And, then I wonder why I can't just go to one person to talk about all of it at once? Why I have to talk to like 6 different people about 6 different things? I don't want to have to do that, since by talking to 6 different people, I can't get involved in a meaningful conversation, because I only have a limited amount of time to spend talking (which also seems to be getting smaller). Even if I just spend an hour on the phone with each person, that's 6 hours, I don't have 6 hours a day to talk to people, I really have far less than that... Hmmmm.... what to do, what to do... I think I am again trying to apply a logical solution to a very organic problem. I hope no one thinks that I am trying to place a tangible value on something as intangible as a friendship, but maybe that is what I'm doing. So, you see my dilemma...

Let's also talk about the fact that my dear husband (yes I said dear) seems to think that he should be the only one I talk to about anything that is bothering me. But, when I do go to him, he is annoyed with the first syllable I utter? This is yet another quandary. If you can't cook, why would you ask to make dinner? (figuratively speaking, my husband can cook) If you can't sell furniture, why ask to be a furniture salesperson? If you can't do what you are asking, why ask? I suppose that if you want to learn something new, that is one thing. But, if you are not interested in learning, don't ask! Is it just me, or doesn't this seem to make perfect sense? Obviously not as perfect as I once thought, as I seem to be the only one I know that it makes sense to...

And, why, oh WHY, say that you have no problems with your significant other talking to her friends for many hours a day (see first paragraph), if you are not jealous of that fact that she is spending a lot of time 'with' them, and not with you? Why not just SAY so, instead of brooding or pouting about it? Then, when she asks you what is wrong, why do you deny it? In all honesty, I pretty much am what I am. You can tell when I'm happy or not happy, I don't like to keep secrets, I like open communication, and when I'm pissed at you, I'll let you know. Why should so many people be so secretive? Don't you think life would be easier if we were all less secretive?

Of course, this goes to the heart of the problem with any human on the planet, when we ask the question "Why can't others be more like us?" or "Why are others not like me?" or even, "Why would that person do THAT? I would NEVER do that!" Does this also make you wonder if maybe, 'those of us' who are like other 'those of us' should all be clumped together? You know what I mean? I think you do, and I bet you have thought this before. Whenever you think the above the questions, you are thinking it. I mean when you hit it off immediately with other people, and you just know they think like you. Should those people stick together, and not mingle with those that don't think alike? Maybe that would make life easier, but it may also make life less interesting, less fulfilling, and also much less inventive and productive (yep, I said productive!) If those with like minds did not mingle with others that did not have like minds, would we have gotten as far as we have as a whole, the human race? Maybe by leading difficult lives, by trying to understand and gain wisdom from those that don't think like us, we gain more for the human race and for ourselves.

Can we lead difficult lives and still be fulfilled and happy? Or are less difficult lives more conducive to happiness, and we should all be segregated and not mingling with those that are more difficult to understand?

I think that this is a big problem with the idea of marriage today, and so many want it easy, and they don't want to have to work at it. They don't think that love should be this hard, but hey, it is. Can you just get over it, and get on with living?? Isn't everything else in life that is worth the effort difficult? Did I miss something in my early learning that said otherwise? Why should marriage be any different?

Think about it...

Social Media Hyped Up

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:20 GMT

Doing a little drawing. This "little lady" (who, I do believe will end up with the little, black dress on), is stressed about keeping up with all the social media and networking. She is currently "plugging into" her phone, or plugging her phone into her, whichever way you like it. May or may not color, hmmm, not sure :) Hand drawn, inked, scanned into photoshop, traced in illustrator. If you feel like it, tell me what you think!

The Mystery of the Spinach and the Omelet...

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:29:08 GMT

I have finally figured out how to keep my spinach (fresh spinach leaves, I hate canned spinach) from falling out of my omelet when I make it. If you start cooking the eggs in the pan, and before adding the other stuff, set the leaves in the egg that is not cooked on top, and let them stick in the egg. Then apply the filling/cheese, fold over and wa la! done! Now, if I could only figure out how to not put so much into the omelet, I would be all set! I have that problem with tacos too... /sigh

Not usually into this kind of music, but it struck a chord... Love the lyrics though!

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:04:40 GMT

"You're Beautiful"

My life is brilliant.

My life is brilliant.
My love is pure.
I saw an angel.
Of that I'm sure.
She smiled at me on the subway.
She was with another man.
But I won't lose no sleep on that,
'Cause I've got a plan.

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
'Cause I'll never be with you.

Yeah, she caught my eye,
As we walked on by.
She could see from my face that I was,
Flying high,
Fucking high,
And I don't think that I'll see her again,
But we shared a moment that will last till the end.

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
'Cause I'll never be with you.

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
There must be an angel with a smile on her face,
When she thought up that I should be with you.
But it's time to face the truth,
I will never be with you.

James Blunt - You're Beautiful

Youtube video, if anyone is interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y7WDWP8WMs&feature=related

Majority of Websites don't have Programming? People Confuse Me!

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:46:50 GMT

Here is a discussion that I had with another student in my C++ class. Tell me what you think:

Other Student: Much of what we are learning in this class I will not be using. But it is fun to learn it. Although I don't anticpate using much we are learning in this class, I have run into a program on one of my customer's sites that is using simular scripting and it is helping me trouble shoot it. So there is some use for this in my line of interest.

Me: What do you do that would cause you to anticipate that you would not be using what we are learning here? I only ask out of curiosity.

Other Student: I have no intension of getting into programming whatsoever.

Me: What degree are you in currently? If it is the web degree, I'm not sure that you can get around it, with the state of the industry as it stands. Unless you are in graphic design, and only designing the look of the interfaces, you are probably going to run into some programming. With everything going to web apps, it's inevitable! What is it you are planning to do? Again, I am just curious about it, as I am always studying the web and programming industries, and any new information is greatly appreciated!

Other Student: I am actually going for 2 degrees. One in Web Development and one in Computer Science. Currently, I am a web host that does not offer any assistance in web development. However, I do design graphics for individuals.

My intension is to continue to offer web hosting. However, when I do retire, I will be moving into computer tech. But yes, you can offer web assistance without having to do any programming. Programming is not a requirement to have web visibility. In fact, most sites do not have it at all. The majority is based on java, javascript, or VB. But not C++.

Honestly, I don't know what to think. Is it just me, or does this lady not quite know what she is talking about? She is taking a C++ class, in both the Web Development and Computer Science degrees, and she doesn't think that OOP will help her with Java or VB? I mean, granted VB doesn't have pointers, but most of the other OOP concepts apply to all these languages. And, Javascript is a scripting language, does that even fall into this category?? I also don't agree that the majority of websites don't have programming these days either. Maybe she just isn't up to speed on what is going on in the web biz these days? It confounds me...

Alix, I think you will like this one...

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:07:54 GMT

What? Electronic Cliques? What? Me, Frustrated? Naw....

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:00:08 GMT

Yes, Anne Marie, you are so right! I just realized with all too much certainty that the cliques that you were talking about the other day are all too real. They are made more concrete (at least in the electronic sense) by the platforms that we use to portray our online identities and thoughts. As I scramble to make sure my words are heard across the board by everyone I know, throughout the internet, in each different electronic online platform, I realize how hard it would be for us to communicate any other way, and how easy it is to lose countless hours of each day just trying to keep up with everyone!

I have spent, this morning alone, no less than 4 hours trying to link all my online identities and blogs together, and I still feel that I have not accomplished anything. I have so much real life stuff to do, and yet, I am messing with this, for fear someone may not see something that I said that I wanted them to hear. I am writing this in LiveJournal, but it will show up as a link in my main Blogger blog sidebar, in Facebook, in Myspace, and I will probably link it on my crushinformation Wordpress journal as well.

I really am at a loss here. I thought I was technologically savvy, but now I'm not so sure. Is this really necessary? Can't I just write in one place? Do I have to subscribe to every social network and blogging platform there is? Don't even get me started with all the separate platforms there are for job hunting and career development and advancement...

I suppose by now that you can see my frustration, as clearly as if you could see my face, wrinkled up with anxiety and stress, my hand combing my hair rapidly, and my eyes closing on the reality that is how we stay connected today.

Sometimes, simpler is better...

Playing with the Feeds...

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:36:48 GMT

I'm just checking to see if my modified settings are working in various other electronic personas... I am getting really frustrated by the fact that I have to have a livejournal account, a blogger account, a facebook account, a myspace account, and various other accounts, just to keep up with everyone! I only want to write in two places, and update photos in one! So, I'm exploring some options here...

Stay tuned for maybe a real live, intense update! :)

A Note... Note here, and a Note...Note there....

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:27:07 GMT

I just thought I'd share with you all that I reached 100 miles on my bike today. Well, I'm excited, I know it doesn't seem like much, but for me it is :) The Bike-a-Thon here is just two weeks away, and I don't know if I am ready... I guess we will see!

Also, I found this article the other day, and I thought I would share that too: 10 Things You Can like about $4 Gas

(Trying to be positive!!!)

No job yet /crosses fingers...

I hope you are all doing well!

MS Bike-a-Thon

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:02:36 GMT

Alright, here is the website that I promised you guys. This is the site that you can use to donate to the MS Bike-a-Thon:

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/Danielle.Closs

I will be riding on July 13, for the Mid-Michigan ride. Tom and I are on Team Autodesk. So, if you would like to donate, you can do it here online, through this site. If I can get 50 people to each donate $5 (which is the minimum you can donate using the online service), then I will have my minimum that I need for participation. Thanks in advance for your help! Please don't feel pressured to donate though; I would hate to do that to anyone. I am just posting this on the chance that you are interested! :)

We did our bike shopping...

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:32:34 GMT

And, here is what we got: http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/bike_path/7000_series/7500/
Tom and I both got the same bike. Compared to other bikes that I have ridden, this one is sweet. It rides very smooth and easy on pavement. I have only ridden it in the parking lot at the store though, so I hope it goes well. I did not get a full-blown mountain bike, only because, for now, this is going to be mostly just for exercise and light trail riding (as in nice, even, easy to manuver trail), as well as the occassional bike-a-thon (also on pavement). Maybe, down the road, I will get into something more (I am interested in the trail biking, but I know I am not even close to ready for that...)

And, I lost some more weight, and my muscle tone is improving. I feel great! Tom hasn't been working out nearly as much, and if he doesn't soon, I'm gonna be able to kick his butt, lol! (I gave him a playful push the other day, and I hurt him... Poor Tom!)

We sent in our registration the other day for the bike-a-thon, so that should be set up soon. It is for MS (Muscular Dystrophy), and I will be posting a site soon for anyone who is interested in donating. I have to raise $250 minimum, so if anyone is interested, every little bit helps! (Yes, I am shamelessly hitting people up for cash, /sigh...)

I hope you guys are all doing ok. I haven't talked to any of you in a while, and I miss you all. If any of you want to call or IM me, please do! I would love to hear how things are going! TTFN!

Yay, Me!

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:15:07 GMT

Tom and I are going to do a bit of a bike-a-thon in July with some people from (his) work, giving me a few months to improve the shape of my health. So, wish me luck as I once again start a workout plan. I started this morning, and so far, so good! :)

I thought I'd share :)

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:23:01 GMT

A new layout, yay! I'm posting mostly for Alix, since she will probably be the only one interested :P

Fallen Angel

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 20:06:24 GMT

Just practicing some coloring... /sigh, I don't know that I did all that well on this, I think I need to start drawing on bigger paper... It is how I feel, as of late though, so I thought that I would post it...

Elf Markings...

Sat, 08 Jul 2006 05:00:36 GMT

I know that this isn't much, but I really wanted to share it with you guys, because, in all honesty, I haven't had a whole lot of inspiration in me lately... So, I really am excited that I actually drew something! It was from my head, completely unrehersed, and everything. Like an exploration, drawing for the sake of drawing. It was so much fun! I don't know if I will ever be able to draw the rest of him, but it was still fun, nonetheless. (I'm not all that great at drawing guys...) Please let me know what you think, and I hope you like it! Maybe one of these days I will do something in color...

Oh, and btw TJ, that book was just fricken awesome as all get out! Especially the Wizard's First Rule part, hahaha! This a rule that Tom already subscribes to, and well, I try not to believe it, but yeah, I know it's true... /sigh. Anyway, thanks for the heads up, I think I'm going to get another one; I hope that all his books are that good! :)

Bye-Bye Doggies...

Tue, 13 Jun 2006 18:30:51 GMT

Well, my dogs are gone now; I had to take them to the Humane Society. They said they would try to find them a home on the phone, but now they say that they can't because they are too old (8 years old), and everyone wants puppies. So, I'm pretty sure they put them to sleep after I left. Oh well, I guess that's life, and I'm guessing that this is just going to get worse...

Yay!

Wed, 10 May 2006 12:46:06 GMT

Yay, this session of school is over! Now I just have one algebra class. It should be a piece of cake...

the other side of the fence...

Sun, 16 Apr 2006 05:15:55 GMT

Well, here it is, my first comic. Sorry it took so long! I hope you like it, and maybe I'll be able to make another one sometime (but not for about a month, school is really killing me! I used my speech class as an excuse to get this done :) Nothing like motivation to get stuff done, right? ;) ) Anyway, I would appreciate you guys telling me what you think. You will have to click on the pic a couple of times to get a big version that you can read (sorry, for now, that has to be the way it goes...). Thanks for looking, and I'll cya around! Oh and Alix, maybe it will cheer you up! :)

Video Game Addiction...

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 20:17:46 GMT

I'm pretty sure that this is as good as it gets! My paper on video game addiction (in case anyone is interested): http://www.crushinformation.com/VideoGameFinal.doc

Now, of course, I'm sure I haven't covered everything, but what I did cover was interesting, and probably worth the read. Hope you like it, and let me know what you think!

Passion versus Addiction...

Sun, 19 Mar 2006 06:22:32 GMT

Passion draws you to something; it increases the value of activities in your life; it increases your energy, your motivation, your creativity. You feel expanded, revitalized, and passionate.

Addiction takes away from your life; it reduces your motivation to do things outside of the one activity. The hallmark of an addiction is that it takes away from your life. It makes you feel compulsively involved. You feel a compulsive desire to move towards that thing, where compulsion is being driven by some external thing rather than being driven by something internal; by your own internal creativity.

http://www.igda.org/articles/austin_addiction.php

Drawing of one of my Doggies...

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 21:56:57 GMT

Here's the doggie picture, I hope you like it Alix, and I hope that it cheers you up! This is Baccus, by the way, he is the one with the spaniel; he's a very hyper little guy! I did this with Prismacolor colored pencils, cause I think that I am better with those, lol! I haven't really done this before, so it's kind of a first attempt, so go easy on me! I think it turned out fairly well for a first attempt, and I may try one again sometime.