Marriage License by Norman Rockwell
Click the picture for an unonbstructed view
Source: Art.com
Featured:
Navigation
CC's Random Thoughts
Franklin, TN, USA
Manila, Philippines
Temperature:
As of :
Temperature:
As of :
Background pictures illustrate current weather conditions
CC's Tweets
Friday, August 31, 2007
Freakin' Awesome Firefox Add-Ons
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Adventure No. 11--Jim Chappell (Saturday's Rhapsody) I haven't looked at the list of Firefox add-ons in a while. I'm glad I checked it out. I ended up downloading 2 new add-ons, both of which are freakin' awesome :-). If you want to use them, just click on the add-on name and it'll take you to the download page :-).
GDirections: This is my favorite. I can't tell you how many times I needed to get directions to somewhere and I had to launch a new tab, open Yahoo Maps, copy the address from one webpage, and go back to Yahoo Maps and paste it. This add-on automates the whole thing. Let's say I want directions to a restaurant. I highlight the address on the webpage, right click and hover over the GDirections menu, and then I can choose whether or not I want directions to it from my office, my boss's house, or my apartment. Then it launches a new tab with the address parts already copied and pasted. Brilliant!
WebMailCompose: This one actually took some hunting. It's not on the Firefox add-ons page. 90% of the time, when I click on an e-mail link, I want to send mail using my webmail address, not my office address via Outlook. Now, with WebMailCompose, I can choose to send e-mail using either Yahoo, GMail or Hotmail (it can also send mail via Netscape, Mail.com, Opera, Horde, SquirrelMail, and others). So now, if I left-click on the e-mail address, it'll still send a message via Outlook, but if I right-click on the email address, it'll give me options to send it from one of my webmail accounts :-). Note: depending on the website, sometimes you have to highlight the e-mail address first.
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Sapphire Island--The Rippingtons (Best of the Rippingtons)
Bonsai update: Steve and I were able to get a cheaper trident maple tree forest. The reason why the other one was so expensive is that it's made up of 15 trees. The nursery also sold them in a 9-tree variety. $75 :-).
I was telling Steve as we were coming home from the nursery: "We just bought our very own miniature forest. Of real trees. That's pretty cool :-)."
It's an outdoor bonsai, though, and I should have thought of that. If I want trees that change according to the seasons, they'll have to be exposed to the seasons. So the bonsai'll be on the balcony :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Nothing right now Next to Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers, I love Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts :-). Not only is he a great quarterback, but he's got great comic timing :-). Anyone willing to make a fool of himself on national TV after winning something as prestigious as the Superbowl would be REALLY cool to hang out with :-). He's the last guy sitting on the bench, by the way.
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Tansy Land--Jim Chappell (Coming Through) While I was researching the definitions of some food terms (yes, it's work-related :-)), I came across something really interesting. You know how people talk about giving someone his/her "just deserts?"
I always thought it was spelled "just desserts," with two s's. It couldn't very well be with one s, because that would mean desert (as in Gobi, Sahara--you know what I mean).
Apparently it *is* just one s, but not for that reason.
"This sense of "desert" comes from another French word, "deservir," meaning "to deserve." The phrase "just deserts," meaning "what one deserves, the appropriate reward" (from www.word-detective.com)
Current Mood: CC is listening to: TV Happiness is a stack of crackers, a small can of potted meat, a can of diet soda, and putting your feet up on the coffee table as you watch a good movie on Sunday afternoon :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to: An episode of Little Einsteins Have you ever seen an episode of the Little Einsteins? My friends who are parents probably have, but even if you don't have children, it's worth a look--it's pretty impressive.
It's an animated show for kids 4-6 years old. Who would've thought a children's show would teach classical music and literature, culture, and international locations?
Take this episode I'm watching. The Little Einstein's mission today is helping a baby booby bird find the rest of his booby bird group that's performing a ballet. Sound trivial? Not when you notice that:
The featured music of the episode is Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.
They talk about terms such as the ballet positions arabesque, bourree, and port de bras, as well as the first, second, and fifth positions. They also distinguish among the terms adagio, moderato, allegro, and presto.
The featured location is the Galapagos Islands
The featured animals are booby birds, the golden eagle ray, and the giant tortoise
The featured artwork are Ica Stones (I had no idea what Ica Stones were until today)
That's a lot to cover in 30 minutes. If you're channel surfing and you hit the Disney channel and Little Einsteins is on, stay for a little bit and watch. I guarantee you'll be shaking your head in amazement at what they teach, and how they incorporate the concepts into the mission :-).
I think it's pretty cool that there's a show that introduces classical arts to kids :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Heart on the Rise--Jim Chappell (Laughter at Dawn) I love this commercial for Capital One--it's so funny :-)! No matter how many times I see it, I still go "NYAH!" when I see the princess :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Leaving--Jim Chappell (Acadia) My heart skipped a beat yesterday when I got my mail and the return address on one of the letters said, "Office of the Sheriff." My first thought was, "Oh ¢®@*, did I break the law?"
So I opened the letter and it said,
"You are notified that you have been drawn as a juror for the September term, 2007, of the State Court of Shelby County, and are hereby summoned to appear on the 5th Day of September, 2007 at 12:00pm to be qualified as such juror at the Memphis Cook Convention Center."
First reaction: relief. Oh thank God, it's not a ticket :-).
Second reaction: confusion. I'm just a permanent resident. I'm not even allowed to vote, much less be a juror. That would have been cool, though {hums the Law and Order theme}.
So I called the office of the Jury Commissioner to find out if I still need to go. He said I don't need to go, I just needed to fax a copy of my green card over to them, and then I called again to make sure that they got it. Of course, just to be safe, I faxed a copy of the jury duty legal notice as well :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Made in America on the Travel Channel Oh my GOD what an AWESOMELY FUNNY MOVIE! You have GOT to see it! And if you have the DVD, the outtakes are HILARIOUS--especially the one where Timothy Dalton is swearing like a sailor :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Most Haunted on the Travel Channel Steve and I watched another Miyazaki film last night: Whisper of the Heart.
There are still a lot of Miyazaki films that we haven't seen, but I think this is one of my favorites :-). Steve liked it too, but he said that it was definitely a girl movie :-).
As always, Miyazaki impresses with his trademark devotion to character development. But the thing I still love the most is the animation's truthfulness to human habits. It's a treasure hunt to me now: Shizuku jiggling her leg as she thinks. Her mother setting the bags of groceries on the floor as soon as she gets into their apartment, because she needs to hold the door open. Little things like that. Things we would take for granted if it was a movie with real actors, but because it's animation--artificial--it makes things so much cooler when it happens :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to: So Tender--Keith Jarrett (Standards, Vol. 2) For our anniversary, Steve and I are planning on going to California for a few days to visit relatives (they haven't met Steve personally yet). I was looking to see what was in California besides Disneyland and Universal Studios that we can go to :-).
I'm pretty sure I want to go see this :-).
I also learned that one of their senior knights is mostly deaf. Click here for the article.
Now see, I NEVER would have thought of that :-)...
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Smile Again--Manhattan Transfer (The Manhattan Transfer) When I told Steve about how I couldn't get the doggies' scratch marks off the leather sofa and chair, I figured I would need to buy some sort of expensive leather restorer to get them back to normal.
The next day I come home from work and the scratch marks are gone.
"How in the world did you DO that?" I asked, sheer amazement on my face. "I tried the leather wipes but they didn't do a thing."
"Try sitting on it," he challenged, smiling.
So I sat on the sofa.
"Oh my GOSH!" I exclaimed. "It doesn't feel dry anymore! It's so supple! What did you DO?"
"Vaseline."
"Vaseline?"
"Yeah. You do it all the time with baseball gloves. Vaseline helps condition the leather. The scratch marks are sort of still there, Vaseline just helps you not see them as much."
Sheer genius :-). I'm going to have to look up all the other ways you can use Vaseline one of these days. I figure that's a product that doesn't get all the recognition it deserves :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to: The Sakura Wars Theme...over...and over... and over again I first heard this theme a couple of years ago in Manila. It's actually very catchy :-). Now I can't get it out of my head. I don't even watch the series, I don't know what it's about--but I've got Last Song Syndrome because of this theme :-).
Of course, it doesn't help that I ended up watching three other versions of it (can't pick which one is my favorite--they're all so cool)
As a live performance--the crowd just LOVES it :-)!
As a traditional Japanese dance form. They're so CUUUUUTE :-D!
Imagine me walking around the apartment like this:
Steve loves me, bless his heart, but he's giving me these REALLY weird "Maybe we should get you some medication" looks :-).
Finally, as a Dance Dance Revolution song. Level: "Are you &$#%@$ KIDDING me?" :-). I dare you to try and keep up :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to: A Map Of The World--Pat Metheny (A Map Of The World) This was something totally new to me. Growing up in Manila where labor is cheap, I've experienced that if you wanted to put an airconditioner in a room, you hire someone to cut a precise hole in the wall and then they would fasten some brackets and install the unit for you.
Over here you have to install it yourself, and your hole is the *window.*
{To my Filipino readers} I know, isn't that *weird?* The questions in your head are probably the same first ones *I* had:
Through the window? Is that going to be secure enough?
If the window is wider than the AC unit, how do you keep the indoor air from escaping out the extra space along the sides?
To answer the first question: the unit itself has a wide lip running along the top.
This lip helps secure the unit against the window pane. Also, I'm not too worried because the window we're installing it to leads to our balcony, and it's less than 2 feet off the floor. Just in case it *does* drop (it doesn't seem likely though--it's in there tight), it's only going to drop a couple of feet. I can set a small table under the AC's backside to catch it in case it *does* slip and fall :-).
To answer the second question about the extra space in the window, the AC comes with "flex window mounts," which are essentially adjustable folding shutters that you fasten on both sides of the unit. This takes care of the extra space on either side of the AC if it's not as wide as the window.
Now that it's up and running, I think it's pretty cool (pun intended ;-)) that there are AC models that you can install yourself, through any window in the house :-). We'll be able to take this unit with us when we move to Nashville :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Nothing right now
Ever wondered if therapy would work for you? I have. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I've got any serious issues, but sometimes I wonder why I think I certain way, why I worry about certain things and why certain things bother me.
Psychology Today has a "Find out if you need therapy" test. It's only for informational purposes, of course, but it's nice to know there's something out there that can give you an idea if there's something you might want to discuss with a professional :-).
Test Details:
Do I Need Therapy Test: 102 questions, 15-20 min
What it measures:
Whether you have, or are at risk for developing, a mental disorder.
Checks for symptoms and criteria established in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder - Forth edition, or DSM-IV (APA, 1994).
Returns information about whether therapy is right for you.
What you get:
Tentative diagnosis: verification of diagnostic criteria for various types of mental illness
Symptoms: List of symptoms detected by the test
Advice: suggestions on how to find a therpist who is right for you
Application: Popular for personal interest, counseling and therapy purposes.
Click here to take the test. In case you're curious about my scores:
"Although your scores were generally very good, you had symptoms in at least one category. This suggests that you should probably consult with a mental health professional for further testing or treatment, especially if you are distressed about the symptoms you are experiencing. There is most certainly a treatment out there that will help improve the symptoms you are experiencing.
The following are the areas of concern detected by the screening:
You appear to have some obsessive thoughts
You display some symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but you do not appear to meet the full criteria for the disorder
You experience some symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
You appear to suffer from some symptoms of Dependent Personality Disorder"
I didn't even know there was such a thing as Dependent Personality Disorder :-). The page also has links that give more details about the disorders.
Am I worried about the results? Not really, because when I was taking the test I realized that only a few statements seemed to apply to me. Comparatively speaking, I'm sure I'm more normal than I think :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Forever (Radio Edit)--Jeff Kashiwa (Forever) Okay, this weather is just crazy. We've got a heat advisory until tomorrow afternoon:
A heat advisory remains in effect until 7 pm CST Tuesday.
Heat indices have dropped below advisory criteria tonight. However...the current spell of hot weather will continue to worsen Monday and Tuesday. Heat index readings will climb to dangerous levels of around 105 degrees each afternoon.
Temperatures will remain very warm tonight with much of the mid-South remaining above 75 degrees.
Heat advisories will likely need to be extended in later weather forecasts for most if not all of the upcoming week.
A heat advisory means that a period of hot temperatures is expected. The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity will combine to create a situation in which heat illnesses are possible. Drink plenty of fluids...stay in an air-conditioned room...stay out of the sun...and check up on relatives and neighbors.
I checked to see what 105F was on the Celsius scale for my Filipino readers. That's 40C. On Thursday and Friday it's going to be even higher: 111F. That's *43*C. Mid-August it'll climb to 115F--*46*C. This is ridiculous.
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Soul Food To Go (Sina)--Manhattan Transfer (The Manhattan Transfer Anthology: Down In Birdland) You know you're a geek when you get your copy of "Business Statistics Demystified" and you're tickled pink and can't wait to get started :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to: a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episode This is my FAVORITE America's Funniest Home Video :-). I just LOVE the look on that little girl's face--it's like, "Is anyone else SEEING this?"
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Everything--Michael Buble (Call Me Irresponsible) Ah, jetlag. Amazing how it just DRAINS you.
It hit me more strongly coming back than it did going over. I was up at 2am yesterday morning, forced myself to sleep from 4am-6am, and then at noon it hit me. You couldn't pay me to keep my eyes open. So I took a nap until 2pm and then I had to get up because Steve and I had to run an errand.
We came back an hour later and I was STILL dragging. Steve kept telling me to try and stay awake, because if I slept now I'd be awake all night and it'll make things worse. I tried, I really did, but I couldn't. So I fell asleep on the couch and finally at 5:30pm (yes, 5:30) Steve helped me to bed.
Woke up at 9pm, just like he predicted. I knew he had an early day tomorrow, so I thought I'd get up and spend some time with him since I spent most of my day sleeping.
I walk out into the living room and what do I see?
He's unpacked all my suitcases for me (and I brought two BIG ones back). He's taken out every article of clothing and laid them out nice and neat, categorized by type. He's grouped all the work stuff together and all the personal stuff together. The suitcases are gone: he put them back in the closet for me.
"Well, it was dinnertime but I wasn't hungry yet and I couldn't very well let you live out of a suitcase for the next few days." He knows me so well--I would've lived out of that suitcase until I used up all the clothes I took with me.
I'm looking at him in amazement, thinking, "I hit the jackpot with this man, I really did."
Romantic, hopeful, and composed. You are the Sonnet. Get it? Composed?
Sonnets want Love and have high ideals about it. They're conscientious people, caring & careful. You yourself have deep convictions, and you devote a lot of thought to romance and what it should be. This will frighten away most potential mates, but that's okay, because you're very choosy with your affections anyway. You'd absolutely refuse to date someone dumber than you, for instance.
Lovers who share your idealized perspective, or who are at least willing to totally throw themselves into a relationship, will be very, very happy with you. And you with them. You're already selfless and compassionate, and with the right partner, there's no doubt you can be sensual, even adventurously so.
You probably have lots of female friends, and they have a special soft spot for you. Babies do, too, at the tippy-top of their baby skulls.
ALWAYS AVOID: The 5-Night Stand (DBSM), The False Messiah (DBLM), The Hornivore (RBSM), The Last Man on Earth (RBSD)
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Suite From Swan Lake: Danse Des Cygnes Chicago Symphony Orchestra Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake / The Nutcracker / Romeo And Juliet SO glad to be back! Don't get me wrong, Manila was wonderful and it was great seeing friends and family again, but there's nothing like coming home.
Heck, I'm not even completely home yet. I'm actually in Detroit, waiting for my connecting flight to Memphis. I've got like, a 5 hour stopover--I wanted to make sure I gave myself enough time to get through immigrations and customs. Naturally, our plane arrived half an hour early so I ended up with even MORE time to kill :-).
So I thought I'd try and see if I could catch an earlier flight home. The lady at the gate said that it would cost $25 to change the ticket, and she wouldn't be able to reassign my checked luggage. I didn't want to arrive two hours earlier only to have to wait for my luggage.
So I decided I'd kill time at the Northwest WorldClubs lounge. I'm not a member, but you can get a day pass for $45. I figured it was worth it to kill 5 hours in a place like this:
There's free coffee, drinks, wine, there's snacks, there's free Wi-Fi.... the main lounge even has shower facilities :-). Not a bad place to while away 5 hours :-).
Or Via E-Mail:
