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New Year's Resolutions and a Cute Sentence
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To the people who say, "I don't make New Year's Resolutions because I don't think you should make a change in your life on an arbitrary schedule..." (I'm looking at YOU, Jon) I say: "Pish Posh!" and "Get on the bandwagon!".
Making a resolution does not prevent one from making a change at other times of the year. As such, this list may seem like small items, but they're just the latest in my "test and tweak" approach:
- Stop buying the 2 things I spend the most money on: Books and Music. I have vowed Michelle that I will literally stop buying books, and that I will at least limit my music purchases dramatically.
- One exception, which is a motivator. I give myself full license to spend any and all profits from my own outside work - not counting my regular salary at My Job - on books that I want. It's a little carrot. These would include things like AdSense on my sites and people paying for web services I'm creating.
- Finish all the books I have not finished, or started. Another reason not to buy new books, I have books I haven't even read yet.
- Get better at Spanish.
- Refocus my exercise efforts, but not try to kill myself like I was last year, due to a recent visit with my doc and some concern over my EKG.
- 10 Minute Shits: self explanatory.
What are your resolutions? You could comment below!
I read this from the Humanized Weblog and had to smile:
The thing about an identity is that it’s supposed to be unique, so allowing one identity to repesent [sic] multiple identities is as baffling as this sentence.
It's the "breaking the 4th wall of writing". Cute.
Acts of Kindness
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I'm posting in support of Bloggers Unite. They're asking people to post about Acts of Kindness. I don't like to toot my own horn much about charity (I'll tell you all day long how great I am, but that's different), on the other hand, I think people are motivated by example. It's a fine line.
Here's a few ways you could help out people less fortunate than yourself, and remember I don't recommend you do things that I have not done:
- Support Joanne's Kettle for Salvation Army in Walla Walla
- Sponsor a Child Through World Vision! You too could get Christmas Cards from Morocco!
- Donate to Phones for Cell Phones for Soldiers.
Or, something I have not done exactly, but I recommend Tom's Shoes without qualification for their vision and charity work: buy a FEED Bag.
What acts of kindness, big or small, have you done this holiday season? Post a comment with your story!
How to Feed a Child School Lunch for a Year
Tom's Shoes is offering a neat idea: the FEED Bag. You pay only $60, and get a groovy bag that will get noticed! The best part? A needy child will be fed school lunch for a year.
When people ask you about your bag, you can tell them how they can feed a child school lunch for a year. Check it out!
Cellware Made the Papers
Our website, Cellware was written up in the papers today.
Which paper? Oh, just some little daily rag you may have heard of: The New York Times. Awesome!
Here's a few new ringtones I've made with my voice, GarageBand, and the new Mashup Editor:
- Groovin' With Cellware
- Cellware Groove (no vocals)
- Christmas Compu-Love
Two takes of the "text to speech" editor put through the mashup editor! Wild
And you can link to all of my ringtones.
(Rummy-style:) Am I pimpin' hard on the new site? Absolutely? Do I believe in it? Whole heartedly. Was I giddy with excitement when I first downloaded a ringtone onto my phone from our site? YES!!! I was ecstatic (and sleep deprived after a 3 hour middle of the night debug-session).
The Best Way to Give This Holiday Season
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My good friend Erica is helping her mom raise support for the Salvation Army. She emailed me the message below a couple of days ago, and I asked for her permission to post it on my blog.
I've known Erica for three years now. She is a classy lady, an honest soul, caring to a fault, a steadfast Christian, and a champion for goodness in the world. Erica works for the Salvation army, and many members of her family volunteer there and in other ways. I couldn't wish for better friends than her, but I wish for more friends like her everyday!
I give the floor to Erica, who will tell you how to give.
Dear Family & Friends,
'Tis the season for Christmas, gifts, and bell ringing! I'm sending this out to my family and friends in hopes that you or someone you know may want to donate towards The Salvation Army.
To make it easier you can now give on-line. Simply go to: Joanne Reinikka's Kettle page on give.salvationarmyusa.org and make a donation.
The donations you make will go towards The Salvation Army in Walla Walla, Washington helping them to help those most in need. If you'd rather have your donation go towards a community of your choice, you can make that selection on the website.
I'm asking for donations to go towards Walla Walla because:
- That's where my Mom is The Salvation Army Social Services Director and,
- Due to budget cuts she's not able to hire bell ringers this Christmas season; they're relying totally on volunteers (which are unfortunately few and far between).
The money raised during the Christmas season supports The Salvation Army centers throughout the entire year. The Walla Walla Service Extension Center helps people with utility and rent assistance, motel vouchers, food bank, youth programs, youth camps, domestic violence, senior programs, back to school drives, clothing for needy children and toys & food at Christmas.
If you'd rather mail in your donation, please make your check payable to The Salvation Army Walla Walla and mail to The Salvation Army, 827 W. Alder, Walla Walla, WA 99362.
I know that some of you are not in a position to give at this time and that's understandable, but maybe you can help by sending people to this page or directly to the Salvation Army's Website.
God bless each and everyone of you this Christmas. I'd like to share with you a poem my Mom wrote about bell ringing and The Salvation Army. This poem was written based on true stories. Have a very, Merry Christmas!
Man With The Bell
The kettle, motionless, hangs from the stand, waiting for coins from another small hand
Smiling eyes watch as charity slowly unfolds, trying hard to release coins from fingers now cold
Walking away from the man with the bell, assured they've taught their little one wellThe jovial man with the bell in his hand, watches as life passes by in front of his stand
The frail, small woman with a zippered coin purse digs out a coin with fingers gnarled and hurt
The well-dressed man with his bills rolled up tight, hurries, shoulder to the wind, into the nightThe World War II vet approaches with his son at his side, "You folks got me home…I almost died" So it goes, every day at the stand, reminders to give by the bell in his hand
He knows that the single mom with three kids in tow, will be warm tonight--they've someplace to goThe alcoholic tells him he's sober one year, "It's thanks to the Army, the reason I'm here"
The clerk from the store brings him coffee each day; she wants to give back in her own modest wayA red plastic bag overflowing with toys, sits on a bus bench beside a mom and her boys
He knows where she's been and the help she's been given, and rings the bell louder – you could hear it in heavenFrom the beginning they've thought always of others, treating all who need as sisters and brothers
He smiles as he rings secure with the thought, His work is important and never for naughtThe Salvation Army warms his heart this night, as he remembers Booth saying, "If there's one, I'll fight!"
I'll be back tomorrow – for now all is still, he says to himself –the man with the bell
by Joanne M. Reinikka
Today I'm asking you, my faithful readers, to pass on the blessings you have received this year to those who are less fortunate. Imagine if everyone you were behind in traffic this morning gave today gave 1 dollar to a charity they cared about.
Here's that link again: Joanne Reinikka's Kettle page on give.salvationarmyusa.org. You know what to do!
One Google Annoyance
Hey! Google! I'm getting really tired of seeing This Screen. Every time I see this screen, I click "Add to Google Reader". You remember everything else about me when I'm logged in, down to the "expanded/unexpanded" state of the "Labels" list in Gmail. You can't remember which of 2 buttons on a page I always click?! Sheesh.
It occurs to me now that I'm blogging to bitch about it that there might be a Grease Monkey script or extension past it. Lazy Web: Anyone have this?
Who Else Wants to Know What My Day Job Is?
I work for a company called Vandelay Industries, and I've been working on a fun little app called Cellware!
Here's some ringtones I've made, some of them on the site itself with the text to speech creator!
- Champ Got a Cramp
- I'd Rather Dance With You
- A Song to Help You Keep Your Job
- Make My Dreams Come True (made with the text-to-speach creator)
Check out Cellware and send me any feedback. The error messages are emailed to us automagically... ;-)
Yes, that Vandelay.
What Everyone Ough To Know About Commenting!
The comments on the site are working again! This is not obvious just by looking at the home page, yet. I'll be putting back in the comments count and "add a comment" link soon.
Which Way is Back on the Web?
I've seen sites using "Previous" links with arrows in both directions. Most of the time, they are pointing to the right. This seems wrong to me, because it mis-matches with the browser directional buttons. On the other hand, it matches the natural "turn to the next page" direction of a book.
On the other-other hand, this seems counter intuitive, if you consider that the first page of a blog is really the "last" or "latest" page of the "book" if you will, so going "right" to go "back" seems backwards to me...
I used to have my "Previous" link pointing left, now it's pointing right - mostly because I'm trying it differently after having seen it that way on so many sites. I don't really prefer it this way.
Which seems more logical to readers?
Note: obviously my comments here about page and language direction are for reading left to right - page turning right to left - languages, like English.
