Posts (page 2)

Have you ever recycled an old computer or laptop?  Where did you take it, and what steps did you take to protect your personal information?

Yes. I've done this. I posted a computer on freecycle but took a baseball bat to the hard drive first (after taking it out).

Do you tend to like music in particular genres, or are your tastes all over the place?  What are your most and least favorite musical genres?

I realized one night while watching Gray's Anatomy that most of the music they were playing as part of the show was already in my iTunes. As far as categorizing it...I'd say it's music that is both soothing and stimulating. It spans the gamut from classical to standards to folk to pop to world to deep house. One thing I can't stand is classic rock, followed by metal, country and rap. The only kind of "oldie" music I really enjoy is blues and Motown.

I just watched Michael Moore's lastest film, "Sicko", tonight. I had been meaning to see it in theaters but it never came to my local theater. I finally rented the DVD through Blockbuster and have to say that it surpassed by expectations.

This film was very well done, and I would tell everyone to see it who hasn't already done so. I found myself relating to some of the people at the end of the film who cried when they were able to get treated for free in another country besides the U.S. This happened to me, as well, unexpectedly, when I had an accident in Italy and had to go to the emergency room. I was so worried how much it was going to cost me that when he told me there was no charge I burst into tears.

This movie really drives home how dogged and misinformed we as Americans are. We are dogged and exhausted by regulations, forms, limitations and changing rules. We are purposefully misinformed to believe that we still have it better than all the other westernized countries around us. Not so.

I love my country and have lived most of my life here, but sometimes I wonder what would happen if I get really sick and was faced with the kind of medical bills that insurance didn't cover. I'm not sure I could afford to stay here.

I've just discovered goodreads.com and kaboodle.com. I have become very enamored of both of them. Goodreads is a great way to learn about books that you would like to read, as well as keep track of what you have already read and plan to read in the future. The best part is that you can find people who have similar taste in books, read their reviews, and add them as friends. Never again will I have to hunt around on Amazon for hours trying to figure out what to order and read next. I have also discovered Bookswim, which is kind of like Netflix for books. You can keep three at a time for as long as you want. One low monthly fee.

Kaboodle.com is a social shopping site, which may not sound special on paper, but it really enables you to organize and save clothes that you like in various lists. You can search other people's lists and comment on their items and they can comment on yours. it's a great time saver for finding cute stuff! Very addicting, too. If you'd like to see a bit of what I'm wearing to the upcoming Jane Austin Ball, look me up (Nocturna) on Kaboodle.com.

My third new love is Mint.com. I'm terrible at keeping track of expenses, and Mint just puts it in your face. All of these sites are well designed and easy to use. Mint automatically keeps track of your online banking and shows you balances. It also tracks your credit cards.

Finally, I have to recommend iwantsandy.com, which is like a virtual personal assistant. It's a great supplement for calendar alarms. You can email "Sandy" reminders and she will remind you in a chatty fashion when the time comes. Check it out!

Wooden Horse, originally uploaded by Living in Monrovia.

I used to have several of these wooden horses as a child, and loved lining up the different sizes of them. My parents still have some in their windowsill. A friend gave me this very small white one as a gift from his travels. It's a reminder of afternoons spend playing in my imagination.

Maji in the Garden, originally uploaded by Living in Monrovia.

Cats have a way of claiming new objects, and I put this little boulder in the garden recently. And so....a photo op! :)

What is the most interesting class you have ever taken? 
Submitted by Melissa. 

I'd have to say either Botany or Advertising, but for vastly different reasons. Botany was interesting in and of itself. Looking through the microscope at plants was both beautiful and intriguing. I am in love with nature. It's too bad that my memory let me down when it came time to memorize the formulas.

Advertising was a real eye-opener. I knew that I was being manipulated, but to what extent I was blissfully ignorant. The settling of this whole country by white folks in the 1700s was enabled by one giant promotional campaign, and things haven't changed all that much. So many of what we think of as "our preferences," were hammered into us relentlessly from a very early age, and it just keeps coming.