When I got my iPhone 3G, the Home Button was a lovely little place. Pressing it brought me to the cute little springboard, where I could flick back and forth, browsing my collection of sterling applications to run. It was wonderful. The Home Button was a place of possibilities. The largest physical switch on the device, it beckoned you to Try New Things! Do More! It was wonderful.

Sadly, the magic is gone. My Home Button is gone.

My Home Button has become the Stop What You Are Doing Button.

Listening to music via Pandora, and you need to look up a recipe? Press the Stop Button first.

Playing Glyder or Assassin’s Creed and need to check the weather? Stop, in the name of Jobs!

In the midst of your Twitter feed and need to check a meeting time? Stop! Leave your Twitter feed Now!

Reading news with Fluent News or CNN and need to jot a note down? Give up, press your Stop Button.

This really sucks.

Every day I use my iPhone. I probably press that damn key 50-100 times a day. Every time I press it, I am more annoyed that Apple hasn’t gotten off its revenue-generating butt and given us multi-tasking.

Every day, their flagship product (and oh yes it is that) annoys me. Can’t be good for business. Makes me wonder about an Android phone. A guy at work has a G1, and the browser is not awful. It multi-tasks. Probably doesn’t drop calls all the time.

Please, Apple, do something about this. Add an ‘Expert’ mode, make me have to buy it as a $25 add-on option — I’ll do it. In a second.

Because still, while my iPhone can do wonderful things, there are a ton things it can’t do that my ancient Motorola Q running Windows Mobile could do, years ago.

And that is sad. And clearly, at this late juncture in the iPhone OS’s lifetime, it is entirely a choice by Apple.

(And no, Jail-breaking is not an option. I have a 3GS, which only has a tethered Jailbreak available. And my iPhone sees iTunes about once every 6 months. I loath iTunes. Any Jailbreak solution which depends on my having iTunes around whenever I reboot the iPhone is not a solution.)

I wonder if Steve Jobs’ iPhone makes him leave Pandora to look at his Email? Bet not.

Generally speaking I like Mondays.  On Mondays everyone goes somewhere that’s not here.  The cubs go to school, the second alpha goes to work, and the first alpha, well, she can’t figure out where she’s supposed to be.  First she’s here, then she’s gone, then she’s back.  And she complains.  A lot.  Mostly about barking.

I keep trying to explain to her that barking is the best way to keep anything else from fooling with the house.  Or taking her.  Or stealing the trees.  I don’t think she believes me though.  And I don’t know why she gets so irritated with my barking – she’s got a pretty loud bark herself.

Anyway – Mondays are even and predictable.  Tuesdays…are not.

On Tuesday everyone gets ready and leaves, then the first alpha comes back after taking the second cub to school.  She stays for a while and we wait for the world to start messing with us.

On Tuesdays it is just a matter of time before something or someone decides to do something to the house or the yard.  On Tuesdays I have to be extra vigilant.  On Tuesdays I have work to do.

You can never be sure what a sound means.  It’s almost always the best policy to bark in order to scare intruders away.  Like the mail carrier.  That guy doesn’t scare easily.  He refuses to take the hint and keeps trying to take the mailbox.  I know this because I can hear him rattling it on the side of the house. 

Of course he could be using that sound as cover for his attempt at opening the door to try to get in.  I don’t trust the mail carrier. 

Once I see his pointy head walk past the living room windows I run up stairs to keep an eye on him.

 He does the same thing to the neighbor’s house. 

I tell the first alpha this, but I don’t think she believes me.

One of these days she is going to go outside to get the mail and the mailbox will be gone and I will have to take the high road and not say ‘I told you he was going to do that’.

Sometime after the mail carrier assaults the house the garbage haulers show up and try to steal the trash can.  I am convinced that the only reason they haven’t succeeded yet is because they are afraid of me.

They grab the can and try to throw it in their truck, but I holler at them until they put it back. 

These guys think they’re really sneaky, wearing different clothes in the winter and the summer, but they always drive the same truck.  It’s a dead give-a-way.

And it’s not over after the garbage haulers move on, either.  I have to stay sharp because the recycling guys make a move for the green boxes the second alpha drug out to the street. 

They seem to think I won’t notice them since their truck is different, but I know better.  A truck’s a truck’s a truck.  Doesn’t matter.  They were built to carry stuff away and that’s what these guys always try to do.

I give them what for through the screen door until they give up and go away.

When they take too long to get the message I even get my ears involved to make myself look more impressive.  That usually does the trick.  They get out of here really fast after I pull that ace out of my pocket.

 Later the first alpha will have to go and get the second cub, bring him home and then put him on a bus so he can go somewhere else.  He has thumbs, but he can’t drive yet.  While she’s gone I watch the house.  I am serious about my job.

 The first alpha doesn’t trust me to stand by the door while she puts the second cub on the bus.  She puts me behind a gate while she’s outside.  I don’t like this though.  I don’t like that the bus swallows up the second cub and takes him away.  He’s annoying, but he’s ours and we should keep him here.  I make sure that she and the bus driver know that I disapprove.

When the second cub comes back, and I am always amazed that he does, I check him over to make sure he’s all there.  So far every time he’s returned he’s been whole.  I would hate to think what I might have to do if pieces were missing.

It’s just a short wait for the first cub to return.  She’s been gone a long time.  This happens a lot and I cannot get used to it.  This huge bus, bigger than the one the second cub gets on, pulls up in the morning and she just climbs right on!  And nobody stops her!  I hate that bus.  Cubs are not supposed to go anywhere the first alpha isn’t.  If the first alpha leaves then I am supposed to take care of them.  If the cubs leave, then how am I supposed to take care of them?  No one understands how backwards this is.  I watch out the door for the first cub to return.

When the huge bus shows up, rumbling and squealing, I holler to the first alpha so she can be ready to attack it if it tries to take the first cub away again. 

I think the bus has learned to just spit the first cub out and leave quickly.

I have to check the first cub once she is inside.  You can never be too sure until you’ve sniffed everything and had a good long look.

The rest of the day will be calmer.  I take a much needed break and lie down for a nap. 

I have to get up in about 2 hours and yell out the window at the second alpha when he comes home.  He doesn’t seem to understand how stressful it is when he’s gone and I have to help keep the house safe.  I will tell him they tried to take the garbage can and the recycling boxes and that the mail carrier tried to steal the mail box.  Then I will go lay down while they all settle in. 

It’s been a long Tuesday and I’m no spring chicken.  Good night.  And be quiet, some of us are trying to sleep.

Aku paling sebellll kl kamu tuh ga sensitive… ga nyadar kalo I need quality time to be just the two of us… I’m annoyed and sad kl liat kyknya kok kamu ga have the same need… Aku paling sebel dr suatu relationship kalo yg satu jd lebih membutuhkan drpd yg lain… Akhirnya yg satu pihak lain merasa ga diperhatikan dan merasa semua effort hanya dari satu pihak aja… Sebel ih….

Yg lainnya lg yg aku ga suka dr kamu, kamu kurang initiative… you know, as I’ve told you, that women love surprises… without having to compare it with other couples, I say it to you blatantly that I LOVE SURPRISES…. Emang aku sendiri yg mau… Tapi kamu malah pernah blgnya jgn compare sama org lain… Ukhhhhh paling sebel juga kalau keinget ini… Kalo kamu sendiri blg km ga romantis, I think you can’t use that as an excuse… Org yg ksh surprise ke org lain ga harus org romantis… Cukup butuh a caring heart and peduli sama perasaan dan keinginan dr pasangannya…

Hiksssssss >.<

What I do not like (I will start with the negatives so the positives can be uplifting!)

1) I guess this is anywhere, but when I wake up the temperature is cold.  I understand where I am…but even if I am awake (hardly ever!) and even if I have track pants, a long sleve shirt and a hoodie on….if its cold….Its so hard to get out of bed.  Its hard to walk around and deal with the cats and getting dressed.  I dont know why, maybe Im just playing my own fiddle…but this bothers me.  Maybe I need to go back to take showers in the mornings? 

2) Not enough variety of people…cultures.  Although there is, all around.  Grand Rapids is very segregated, moreso than what people believe.  There is not alot of overlap of culture and diversity…here. 

3) I live outside of GR…and realizing more and more…that the  city is my pasison…the people are my passion, walking, taking time to ride the bus, to talk with others, meet people, wanting to know the person living next to me…this is all my passion.  I feel to some extent a fakeness because I preach “city, relationships, culture” but I am not living this out.  Even though I know its OK.  Really OK.

_____________________________________________________________________

What I do like about GR….

1) There is city here in Grand Rapid and there are people coming together to make it better.  There is a awareness that there needs to be more diversity, understanding, love…culture…together…TOGETHER.  This is why I goto Madison Square right now even though I know not all are on board with these visions.  I love the core-heart of the church.  There is rythym in the city.

2)  Whenever I drive into Work and the sun is coming up (I96) There is a stunning, spectaculuar view to Grand Rapids.  This is nothing short…of breath taking.  I look foward to this everyday I come in.  I looks rockin when its rainy, sunny…when the sun is just showing…when its bright…Its freaking amazing.   I want to take pictures with the sunrise…I know there are overlooks to the city…but I am not sure where.  Do you know where some are?

3) I am begining to see friendships again….well, this will still take some time…but I  think its starting? 

Until next time,

April

Okay, I just woke up from this nightmare that I had.

I dreamt that I visited this really nasty looking squat toilet. By nasty, I mean that there were toilet paper strewn all over the cubicle, and they were soaked in yellow urine. Oh yes, I saw that in my dream. Like, how the hell? Okay, i’m going to continue. So I was trying very hard not to step on pee, but it was hard since the toilet floor was drenched in it. But that’s okay for me, I mean like, whatever cos I was wearing my sport shoes with elevated soles. So I continued my business, and everything went well until I attempted to get up……. my sole practically split open! And I tried to just get away from the grodiest squat toilet I’ve ever seen and I fell. I mean, I didn’t get to dream the part where I actually fell on urine; That’s where I woke up in shock. So.

I wonder what it could mean. Sheesh. And you know what, I’ve always hated squat toilets.

A clean looking squat toilet - the exactly opposite which I saw in my dream

“That being said…”

“In saying that…”

When did it become so fashionable to use the above style of phrase?  It seems like one out of every four articles that comes to me via the internets has a phrase of that ilk contained in it.  I recently read an interview Stephen Harper did with CNNSI about the power and meaning of hockey in Canada.  Sure enough, old Harper rips a “But that said…”.

An example:

Frank: What’s your favourite kind of apple?
James: I like the Red Delicious.  What’s your favourite?
Frank: I’m a huge fan of the Fuji.  That being said, the Gala is my favourite.

Please!  Just say what you actually mean the first time.  Enough with contradicting yourself and enough with trying to sound cool.  “That being said” did have its time, a year ago.  So while everyone is just picking up on this little ditty do me a favour and avoid it like the plague.  Like the lint that collects in the dryer vent.  Like the angry looking guy muttering to himself downtown.  Like a conversation with that Uncle that knows everything.  It’s time to move on and find new, interesting ways of disputing the very comments you just made.

Ever heard of a really kind of ridiculous series of books called The Clique Series? Well, I used to love those books. I read them in junior high. I now find them entirely generic and kind of plastic/fake. But some things stick with you forever–even if you don’t want them to. One thing that stuck with me was this thing that the main character always updated. She called it the Current State of the Union. What it is are things that she finds “in” and “out.”

Ever since December 2007, I have maintained journals. Around the beginning of my freshman year in high school, I had run out of space in a journal and started a new one. In my new journal, I would write about typical things that I always wrote about in my journals, but then at the end I would do a current state of the union and then close the entry.  Since I just started blogging, I think I might do a Current State of the Union now and then. Maybe once a week, once a month, or every few days. (Basically when I feel like it.

But my CSTU (current state of the union) is different from the book’s version. I include many categories. They include:

• In
• Out
• Love
• Dislike
• Miss
• “I.D.K.”

The categories are pretty straight-forward. The “in” group has things that are happening–sometimes whether I want them to or not, and the “out” category says things that are not happening or not important or not cool. The love category usually contains things I feel extreme love or appreciation for at the time–more often than not you’ll find people in this category. The dislike section is about things that are bothersome or irritating to me–and sometimes I will say people. The miss category is obviously about people/things that I miss. The “i.d.k.” category are things that I am unsure of and that uncertainty must bother me a bit for it to go in this category.
Sometimes I’ll categories, but usually these are the main ones.

So here it is, Current State of the Union #1 on February 4th, 2010 at 9:05 p.m.

In:

Selling Chocolate, Basketball Games, & Sore Throat

Out:

Dailybooth, Myspace, & The G.S.

Love:

Mirm, Ariana, & Chance Matthew

Dislike:

CL, My English Teacher, & DA.

Miss:

Shiann, Ariana, & Josh.

IDK:

The G.S., Shiann, & Aaron.

Goodnight world.
With Love,
Kristin Lee

While in art class today we were asked what kind of art we really hate? Well since this is a fashion blog I thought I’d throw the question out to others! What fashion trends or fashion in general do you really hate?! As you can tell from yesterdays post I don’t like the normal, usual fashion found in the preppy stores. We get it, you like labels!

But I also extremely dislike the trend of leg and arm warmers to an extent! I can stand this fashion if worn right, but if its the classic red and black stripped arm warmers with skulls and crossbones .. don’t even get me started!

Another trend I find hideous is the .. FULL LENGTH FUR COATS !! I don’t wear fur, leather, suede, anything from nature because I’m actually vegetarian becoming vegan! But I don’t like these fur coats just for this reason but also, because I find that its worn by pompous women who think they’re all that and a bag of chips! (No offense to anyone who likes these coats, this is just what I think!)

Another trend/fashion that I don’t enjoy seeing or wearing is the blankets worn as a fashion piece! I usually love Mary Kate and Ashley’s fashions but this one I just never liked. It bothers me, it reminds me of a little kid bringing their favourite blankie everywhere..

The last trend I really don’t like for guys would be the scarves. I admit when worn right it looks fine but this guy I go to school with ruined all hope! He wears scarves like a bandit! Why would you want to look like your going to rob a bank almost everyday? So these are just some of my pet peeves for fashion ! 

What kind of fashions don’t you guys like? Comment up and tell me : )

My earring holes have closed up, and upon hearing my aunt mention that she did hers at a GP, I visited my GP last night to open up the earring holes.

My jaw almost dropped when I saw how much I had to pay. Instead of 5 – 10 bucks of what I have to pay the jewelers for this procedure, I am paying 60 bucks for this procedure. What to do, anesthetics are expensive. And I used 2 tubes on each ear! Apparently, the procedure was not supposed to last that long. What could have been a 5 minutes, painless procedure turned out to be a 45 minutes struggle of forcing my ear studs into the ‘earrings’ hole caused by the injection syringe. Sounds scary? Not really. But I’ve lost loads of blood in that mini ‘surgery’. Loads of it. It was dripping from my wounded, raw earlobes. Ok, I won’t go into details. It’s TMI! (Too much info.)

Now, in the place of my beautiful ear studs, there are 2 stitch threads. Apparently, it is supposed to widen the earring hole so he can attempt the Guinness record of squeezing my ear studs into the injection holes again, 5 days later. I don’t think I will wait that long. I will try to do something on my own. It might be gruesome, though. But I still hope it is not going to hurt. Good Lord, the things that girls will do to their bodies in order to look good. =D

I don’t blame my doctor though, I just learnt that I should have gone to a jeweler for this procedure instead of my GP. And, I should always wear my earrings so that the holes won’t close and I wouldn’t have to go through this frustrating experience. Well, at least it was a lesson well learnt. I guess.

To top off the painful experience, I bumped into this cute guy (after lunch) I’ve been chatting with on facebook. I was so shy, I didn’t talk at all. Except for the normal hi-and-byes. I just hid behind my colleague, who was his friend. It was such a good opportunity to make an impression but I just… didn’t! =(( I doubt he will reply me on facebook after having seen me today. SIGH! But WTF really. I must really look like a dumb ass to him.  

It’s like… things are just not going well. I’m going to die a lonely soul! (Some might ask, wouldn’t everyone? Let’s not answer that.) Anyway, I just hope to receive some good news on top of all of these. =((

Put down this book!

I hereby banned injections.

(i wish)

Although I love libraries, I rarely visit them to lend books. Not that I don’t want to, it’s just that I always end up returning the books so late that I could’ve bought the goddamn deluxe editions with the fee they charge me.
I tried to give the whole library thing another go but I’m spectacularly late yet again, and I cannot even begin to tell just how much I dread having to go there and see the look on the librarian’s face when he scans the books I just handed over and read on his computer screen that I’ve just singlehandedly funded a whole new library wing.
In the past I have tried to casually mention that I’m just the sister/friend delivering the books and that I was told the books might possibly be a tad late, but they never seem to buy it. I imagine lots of embarrassed customers try to pose as Not The Neglectful Lender Of The Books, probably equally unconvincing due to the faux-casual tone and the flustered expression on their faces.

…

I just went to the library’s website to extend the reservation and all I got was a message that they have  blocked my card. Guess I’ll be going as my niece this time, then.

I am slowly convincing myself that my eating disorder does not define me, I define myself. Which on a lot of levels means I have to let go of self blame. I need to let go of the behaviors. I need to let go of the security blanket. I need to separate ME, from IT.

I can start by writing a few facts about MYSELF and how I feel about them (in no particular order):

1. I am Polish. I am working on getting my US Citizenship. The process of getting my citizenship seems rather daunting and time consuming, and on some levels makes me bit stressed out.

2. I am 5 feet and 3 inches. I am learning that even though on bad days I feel about an inch tall, 5′3″ is a comfortable height. I am starting to realize that weight loss will not make me taller, it will make me unhealthy.

3. I am an artist, and will call myself such. I enjoy painting as a form of free creative expression. A lot of times my paintings say more than I can say in words, but I am learning to use my voice. I like using oil paints, I find them to be much more flexible and workable, I enjoy the fact they don’t dry very quickly, I like to mix paint straight on the canvas.

4. I have a wonderful boyfriend, whom I love dearly. He helps me become a better person every day, and I thank him for that. I don’t know what I would do without him.

5. I have the distinct ability to see all sides of an issue, analyze and make up my own mind. This has worked with just about everything, but my eating disorder. I am moving past that.

6. I believe in hard work, and honesty. I am willing to work hard for whatever it is that I have and want in life.

7. I have an eclectic taste in music. I have my favorite genres, and a lot of times my music choices depend on my mood, but I can listen to Bob Marley or Greatful Dead just about any time.

8. I don’t believe in armed conflict, unless it is self defense. I would do anything to protect the people that I love.

9. I believe in staying informed and making educated and conscious decision.

10. I am trying to find my peace. I am innately a very peaceful person, but with my decision to recover my emotions have been running wild and disturbed. I am working to tame that chaos.

11. I love photography, and the ability to expose objects for what they really are.

12. I study graphic arts. I have a knack for Swiss designs. I like clean lines, crisp presentation and concise readable message.

13. I enjoy sewing and doing things with my hands.

14. I like all of the colors, but on most days you will see me wearing a lot of green, blue, and white and black. When I am feeling frisky, my clothing doesn’t usually match.

15. I close myself off when someone yells at me. I don’t like when people raise their voice, it hinders communication. I am learning to communicate my feelings more openly and be more vocal about my likes and dislikes.

The moment of truth has officially arrived.I will be going to school soon to see my math mark for 1st sem.Ofcourse,I would like to receive a B,but as the world keeps turning,who know’s what i will end up getting.Having an expectation,which i have right now,is not the best thing you can do.This is because when the time comes and things don’t go your way,you won’t be feeling very well.However,if you don’t make any expectations and do what you do,maybe there’ll be a chance for you to walk out of the room and say, “Hey,that wasn”t so bad!” Anyway,it’s all settled now.

I can’t say i haven’t worked my butt off this sem.I have studied to the point where the TV show,Gossip Girls,has begun to decrease it’s importance in my life.Can you even imagine that?! I missed the show to study for math.I even missed movie night to study for math! Man,i’m certainly on something.It must be motivation!

And you know what ? EVEN if i walk out with a C,I’m going to walk outta those doors with my head up high…and with a frown..

-NO , I will WALK out those DOORS with a smile AND say “HEY,I WORKED MY HARDEST,AND EVEN IF I DID GET A C,I’M PROUD OF IT DAMN IT.”

And then i’ll go home and mope.

There are few things in life that I dislike so vehemently that I have resorted to any and all alternatives to avoid them. However, I guess whether they are rational or not we all have things like this and learn to deal with them over time.

While my mind draws a blank at other examples of things that people I know attempt at all costs to avoid having to do or go through, I think you’ll know what I’m talking about when I divulge and explain one of my biggest bugaboos.

Ever since I was very little I have hated getting haircuts. The feeling of the severed hairs laying on my head and neck creeps me out, and I’ve always shuttered at the feeling of the trimmer on the back of my neck. However, if I was to be satisfied with the outcome then the ends might justify the means, but alas I have never, not once, liked the haircut I was given.

No matter how much my mom or any of the other women in my life have told me over the years that my haircuts have looked good I have always disliked them. I have literally sat down and described to the person cutting my hair exactly what I wanted them to do, and then they’ve executed my instructions to the letter, but I still haven’t been happy with the result.

They’ve used every mousse, gel and styling foam on the market to try to shape my hair in a way that pleases me but it never works. That is why after years of uncomfortable and frustrating haircut experiences I finally gave up on the practice and resorted to just periodically buzzing my head when my hair got too long.

When my buzzed head grew out I would mess with it accordingly but usually didn’t do very much with it. I guess over time I lost interest in trying to style my hair since I never seemed to like how it looked, even when I seemingly got it look the way I wanted it to in the first place.

After not getting a true haircut for the better part of a decade perhaps I had forgotten how much I disliked them when I decided to go to Great Clips the other day. My hair had been way too long for a while, and I had waffled on buzzing my head, so I decided to just suck it up.

So, after work the other day, with high hopes and an open mind I told the woman set to cut my hair what I wanted before sitting back and trying to relax. I attempted to focus on other things to minimize my discomfort and self-consciousness, but as it went on I was reacquainted with exactly why I had avoided haircuts all those years. However, I tried to reassure myself and remained hopeful that the final product would make up for the process.

At the conclusion the hairdresser spun me around to face forward so that I could inspect the final product and presumably place my seal of approval on it. While I expressed to her how happy I was with her work deep down I knew I was lying through my teeth.

After the haircut I went home and looked at my new hairdo in the mirror. I still wasn’t happy with it and contemplated just buzzing it off the way I would have normally done in the first place, but I didn’t.

I knew that would have been ridiculous, and that it would grow out soon enough with me forgetting all about how I didn’t like it in the first couple of days. I guess even though I gave getting haircuts another chance some things just don’t change over time. In the end I’ll probably never enjoy getting haircuts, but hopefully in time and through future experiences I can learn to not be such a baby afterward.

I can’t sleep. My husbands working the craziest schedule and I can’t sleep without him. My poor baby has worked like 8 or 9 days with out a day off. It’s really bittersweet, at least he has a good job and provides for us. I just really miss him:(

*to be fair, I’ve only watched 1-2 episodes of each of these shows… but enough to know I don’t get what the fuss is about!

Contrary to the blog title, I’ll initiate my blog with something that I don’t like.

I’ve never liked digital photo frames. Maybe it’s the traditional in me. It took me some time to get used to the idea that iPods were going to stay (I was very attached to my discman), and I’m still unsure if and when I’m going to jump onto the Kindle wagon. But I was and am open to those. But I don’t think I’ll buy into digital frames. I prefer framing my favourite photographs and having the actual hard copy sitting there in front of me. It was something tangible. The photograph meant something. It was important enough, or pretty enough, to deserve its own long-standing frame.

The thing is,  I don’t mind digital frames, I just don’t like it.

Here are the reasons why:  It’s distracting. I mean, maybe in a good way the first time you’ve seen the pictures, but not after awhile.  I don’t like that I have to add another wire to my already cluttered tech wire mess hidden behind furnitures. I like my things, my decorations, to be still.

Having said that, I do think digital photo frames have its merits. When more and more people are traveling, finding photography as a hobby, grandparents showing pictures of their grandchildren, etc…digital photo frames are handy. They can be useful.

I just don’t like its aesthetics.

Now, HP rolled out its Dreamscreen 100. It’s a wifi enabled digital photo frame…but social. Because you see, it’s not enough to have a digital photo frame anymore. You have to make it social. You have to be able to share these pictures online (even though most people who own digital photo frames also own their own laptops), you have to be able to update Facebook and Twitter, and you have to be able to access your RSS feeds. As stated in the article, HP isn’t the only player that’s making digital photo frames social.

Now it’s not only a matter of aesthetics, but also begs the question, and it’s the same question that I ask when it comes to new gadgets or concepts, is – is it necessary? And will it last?

Necessity might not matter in this new tech age, but it’s still a fair question to ask. Digital photo frames entering the social game might be interesting – say, if you wanted to upload those photos straight to Picasa or Flickr. But, I can very easily do that with my own computer (and I do). In the end, a photo frame is just that. It’s not necessary for every platform and every gadget to jump onto the social bandwagon, just because that’s where the web is going. While watching TV in the living room, I’m not going to suddenly jump off my laptop to upload pictures onto Facebook through my digital photo frame.

I won’t be surprised if all digital frame makers end up going social for competition’s sake. Consumers won’t have a choice, but will they use the social functions available? I’m skeptical.

NYT: http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/digital-photo-frames-join-the-social-scene/?partner=rss&emc=rss

I go on a lot about things that make you tick but it’s important.

My teenage daughter has just started her choice subjects year at school but still doesn’t know what she wants to do. Much discussion hasn’t got us anywhere but I’ve suggested she at least identifies what she doesn’t like doing, that would be a start.

If nothing else the idea for this blog has made me look at what I do and helped me identify what makes me feel happiness. I think there is a difference between feeling happiness and being happy. You can be happy on the outside when something makes you laugh but feeling happiness comes from inside. That’s as deep as I’m getting here.

People can make you feel happiness, friends, lovers or the person that has connected with you and just gets you.

Family can make you feel it just as much as they can hurt you.

What stuff makes you feel it?

I’ve got my list.

COOKING, sad but chopping veg, meat and creating food just gets me so high. I’ve been in the kitchen for a couple of hours tonight making food for the next few days and I just feel really good just now. I’ve made risotto, sauce for pasta and roast chicken stuffed with my own recipe stuffing.

TALKING/ CHATTING with folk

STORY TELLING to kids

WRITING stuff

CYCLING any where

EATING GOOD FOOD especially made for me

CREATING any thing

WALKING up hill, hate coming down.

SEX with love, I have to add it as much as my calvinist hangups want to stop me…

What’s your list? Please leave a comment and see what we do to feel happiness.

This is my 100th post. My gratitude goes out to all of you who have taken the time to read this blog and even write comments.

On with the show.

I enjoy calling my banker and my car mechanic by their first names: Keela and Chuck. I shop at Three Rivers Market because I know my money helps support Homer and his family and all the farmers in the region sell their produce there. The Tomatohead, Cafe 4, Nama, and other restaurants receive my patronage because I know that keeping them in business is good for the Knoxville community. Healthy businesses provide jobs. Jobs provide stability. Stability facilitates growth. Growth leads to peace and prosperity.

One of the problems with local, mom-and-pop stores, however, is that many of them have bad cases of IDMOM. IDMOM stands for “I did my own marketing.”

Have you ever given yourself a haircut? How did that turn out? My guess is that, at best, you missed a few patches in the back, and at worst, you drew blood and accidentally morphed into Vanilla Ice. You probably had to visit a professional and say, “Please fix this. I want my wife to stop crying, and I want my kids to stop laughing.”

IDMOM is the business equivalent of a self-inflicted haircut.

I plan to make my case with the advertisement below:

This gem appeared in Tennessee Valley Direct, a newsprint insert that shows up in my mailbox every couple of weeks. The Knoxville News Sentinel prints this garbage, but I won’t complain too much because the last installment included Papa Murphy’s coupons. I love the Papa.

Let me draw your attention to the subheadline: “We are looking forward to getting to know you!!”

First mistake: The double exclamation point. You’ve just confirmed that you’re a fifteen-year-old girl sending a text message about how your crush, Tadd, liked your new jeans.

Second mistake: Eye patch. Nothing against pirates or people who have lost an eye, but nothing says “pervert” like an eye patch. Creepy. Do you have a hook and a wooden leg to go with that thing? What about black sweats, a ski mask, and a digital SLR with a telephoto lens?

When you say you want to get to know me, does that mean you want to watch me step out of the shower and take pictures on burst mode?

No, thank you.

Third mistake: Mascot. Nothing says “Quick, competent, honest auto repair” like Misty the Dachshund. Really? My younger sister and brother-in-law have a miniature long-haired Dachshund named Bacon, and he’s one of the Top 5 Coolest Dogs that you’ll never meet. If he were a bird, he’d be a peacock, and if he were a human, he’d be Neil Diamond. He’s that great. The Dachshund, Bear, who lives in the house behind mine and once barked from 11am until 2am the next morning, 14 hours, with an irregular rhythm of barks? I sure wish Animal Control would answer calls. He’s barking right now. He belongs in a dumpster underneath a pair of soiled briefs. Or maybe he’s just lonely and afraid. In that case, he needs Jesus.

But let me get back to my point: Misty the Mascot Dachshund undermines this company’s credibility. Dachshunds are hit or miss anyway, but in the picture, Misty looks like a hungry brown zombie rat hiding in somebody’s den. Maybe if you had a blue merle Australian Shepherd or an Irish Wolfhound you’d be onto something. Or, a rhinoceros.

Let me just go ahead and put this out there for you, Mr. I Did My Own Marketing: I don’t want to get to know you because your mascot wants to eat my brains and your eye patch either means that you have a scimitar stashed somewhere and aim to take my booty of Spanish doubloons or that you sell ice cream and hugs out of a maroon conversion van.

I’m just glad I’m a grown man without much money to steal. Stay away from my family.

In part 1, I took you through all the things that irked me about Halo. I came to the conclusion that after looking through the post again, I could have  added a heck of a lot more, but didn’t in order to avoid getting listed on any ‘I Hate Halo’ type sites.

So, what is it about Halo that draws me in?

Once upon a time…

The storyline really grabbed me – while it might not be a masterpiece, it was perfectly enjoyable. The script wasn’t always great (some of the dialogue in ODST for example, was dire, and  completely failed to get across the fact that ODST’s are the UNSC’s elite right after the Spartans – it felt more like an episode of Buffy. *shudder*).

Guns, lots of guns

I’m quite easily pleased – if it’s got guns, is set in the future and involves aliens and has bits in outer space, I’m happy. The Halo universe has all these things, so that’s why I like it, simple as.

Tank beats everything!

Halo also has vehicles – and they’re simple to drive, and even allow for multiple occupants – there’s nothing more fun than haring around on a Warthog with two friends in the gunner spots. Many First Person Shooters have vehicles in them now, but few feel as seamlessly integrated as they do in Halo. The sheer spectacle (and ridiculous amount of laughs generated) when four of us played through the final Halo 3 level really cements this in my list of plus points about the Halo universe.

Time for something completely slightly different

Halo was one of the first first-person shooters to have a new way of doing things – NPC allies with (debatably) decent AI to help you out and the recharging shield, which has since become the staple of any FPS in the world ever. Also, Halo did away with the ‘magic pocket’ which all previous shooters had – somehow your character was able to carry rocket launchers, chainguns, rifles, pistols and all the ammo required and not be encumbered at all – Master Chief was limited to the more realistic 2 weapons at a time, which leads to many more decisions during gameplay, adding to the challenge.

The simple act of adding grenades on a separate button, rather than as a separate weapon option changed things up nicely – rather than be seen as cumbersome-to-equip-and-seldom-used explosives, grenades suddenly because useful for flushing enemies out of cover -one of the reasons why the grenade was invented in the first place.

Similarly, allowing a player to melee an enemy without having to put your weapon away first was a good move – something which hadn’t been seen in previous FPS games

Under the hood

The AI is one of those things which works pretty well for the most part – although I’d much rather the AI was a lot more cunning at Legendary level, rather than relying on being hard-as-nails and the player having less ammo… (But then, we’ve yet to reach the uncanny valley in terms of enemy AI yet).

Co-op

4 player Co-op – This was one of the major factors that convinced me to get a 360 in the first place. Back in the day, owning the same game as your friends would lead to various ‘wasn’t it cool when XYZ happened’ conversations. Now at least, you get to share that experience, and, if you’re like me, allow you to play through on tougher difficulties, and have a great laugh at the same time (plus, I love it when a group of players really get to know each other’s play styles and can work together as a coherent team).

Master Chief

7ft tall super soldiers in high tech armour = cool. ‘Nuff said.

Multiplayer

You may find it odd that I’ve not mention Halo’s ridiculously popular multiplayer yet. That’s purely because I don’t play it, short of co-op games or ODST’s Firefight (mainly because I’m not very good at it!). I’ve played a few mutliplayer games, and while it’s fun, I’m a bigger fan of Modern Warfare’s multiplayer to really have time for Halo’s.

The Future

Of course, I can’t write a Halo article without mentioning the upcoming Halo:Reach. I’ve got reasonable hopes for this one – who knows, maybe they’ll incorporate some of the things I hoped for in part 1 of this article. By all accounts, Eurogamer are looking forward to it, and I am too – check out the in-game trailer:

Colour me excited!