Eharmony

So, I've been on Eharmony for a while now trying to find someone to date. This is because, apparently, I cannot seem to find someone by myself and I need help.

What I find really annoying about Eharmony is that they send you about 10 emails a day along the lines of "Meet Jeff - he's looking for you!" or "Barry might be your special match!"

Honestly, I don't want that many emails from Eharmony. In fact, all I want is if someone wants to contact me. I really think that a lot of the profiles they send are from people who are not subscribed. How do I know? Because I've had a LOT of profiles over the past month or so when I wasn't signed on. So... the question is - how many of these people are actually available? The answer? We will never know because certainly Eharmony won't tell you.

On the other hand, I had a date today and the guy is really nice, so - maybe it's worth while after all.

Cleaning House

Why is it so, so hard to keep my place in some sort of order? You know those stories of elves that go around fixing things up and making everything nice?

I have Evil Elves. I swear that my place was only a 5 on the messy scale when I left last Friday. When I got back home, it was a 9. How Did That Happen? Evil Elves. I'm telling you.

Hotels

I went to a math conference this weekend which was very interesting. I learned some new stuff to take back to the classroom, although who knows how effective it will really be - but I had fun and That is What Counts.

The thing that wasn't so hot was the fact that the Hyatt Regency where I stayed (Note: Do Not let other people make your hotel reservations) does not have free internet access. Not only are they charging you $$$ for the room, they then want to extort (and yes, it is extortion since there are no other options) $10 per day for internet access.

Can you say withdrawal? It's spelled N-O-W-I-F-I

Officially going to cross Hyatt Regency off my preferred hotel list, that's for sure.

Experiment: a test, trial, or tentative procedure; an act or operation for the purpose of discovering something unknown or of testing a principle, supposition, etc.

I'm currently teaching mathematics at the high school level, but I really am discovering that even though I thought that this would be my Ultimate Dream Career well, it's not.

So, in the last week or so, I've decided to explore something else I've wanted to see if I could make work for a long time. That is, to be a clothing designer/artist. Create shibori dyed fabric, and design clothes and other accessories that people will pay insane amounts of money to have, cause I will be so awesome at it.

As a first step, I ordered **cough** almost $1000 worth of dye and silk from Dharma Trading. This company has just about everything you need. Note that I said just about everything. After MUCH agonizing I decided to go with the French Silk Dupont Dyes. On the information, it says the dyes are concentrated and should be diluted before use. So, got 11 bottles of different colors (which were NOT cheap) and looked in vain for the instructions for use. No instructions. Called up Dharma and said, "What's up?"

In reply I got "Instructions, smuctions - just do what you want!"

This was a little (okay hugely) scary as I really don't want to waste one drop of this dye. It's kinda like watching money wash down the drain. So, been experimenting and what I've found is that the really best color is obtained by using the dye full strength (of course). So, figuring I'm going to order something else next time, cause if I'm just going to use it full strength I should just go with something more economical.

Yerba Buena Free 4 All

Museum: a building or place where works of art, scientific specimens, or other objects of permanent value are kept and displayed.

I found out about a cool even on Saturday. The Yerba Buena Free 4 All. 12 Museums, 1 day, free admission. All in downtown SF. So, I took my son and we went.

We got going a little late, but manged to make it to the Cartoon Art Museum, The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and the Museum of Craft and Folk Art. Not sure if the Craft and Folk Art Museum is really worth a revisit or not, but the other museums were cool.

This was the best exhibit: Dark Matters: Artists See the Impossible
This one was the internet-eavesdropping installation Listening Post by Ben Rubin and Mark Hansen. It was thought . We didn't get to stay for too long because we got a late start, but this is the one I'd go back to see again.

Who is Horatio Caine?

Connections: associates, relations, acquaintances, or friends, esp. representing or having some influence or power.

I think Horatio Caine is just The Bomb. Why may you ask?

Cause the guy can do anything. The episode I watched last night on A&E (which network, by the way, does NOT seem to be about Art and Entertainment any more but more along the lines of Any Episode that produces ratings) hmmm... anyway, Season 3 Episode 26, titled 10-7, was a Very Good Example of the fact that if you work with Horatio, nothing is impossible.

MY synopsis of the Plot based on:
"Who is this Horatio Caine guy anyway?"

Bomb goes off killing people. Fingerprint is found on bloody knife. Delko tries to ID print and computer comes back with Print Identified but he can't access the database for the print. Delko exits stating that there must be some issue, leaving Horatio alone in the room.

Horatio logs on with his Super Secret ID and immediately is able to access Super Secret information that the print belongs to his brother Ray.

Horatio discusses situation with Super Secret Goverment Spy Guy. Horatio gets information from Spy Guy without volunteering anything in return and then tells Spy Guy that he will "clean up his mess." Spy Guy is left speechless.

Horatio then talks to Ray (somehow finding him instantly - how?) and finds out that Ray's son is being held hostage. Horatio helps Ray rescue his son and AT THE SAME TIME helps Ray to stage his own death so no one will be chasing him anymore. Horatio then assures everyone that Ray is dead, including Spy Guy and Ray's wife. Everyone believes him.

At the end of the show Horatio has SOMEHOW arranged for Ray, wife and son to fly off to Brazil in a Lear Jet!

Yes. Horatio Caine is Mega. Click here (warning: language) to see if YOU are as Mega as Horatio Caine. (Spoiler: You won't be. Nobody is. But you can try.)

Just in case you haven't heard enough - you too can Experience the Awesomeness that IS Horatio Caine.

Laptops and Life

Dismay: to surprise in such a manner as to disillusion.

My sister, who although a great person in many ways is a bit lacking in tech knowledge. She wants a new laptop, but when she went looking for one she was overwhelmed with all the "tech speak" (i.e. let's create a list of specifications that no-one but a certified tech geek will understand) so, of course, she gave me a call.

Luckily, I've been researching a laptop myself being totally fed up with this lovely computer that I was provided with when I was hired.

Yeah. You're right. It's an iMac. An ancient iMac. Plus the Powers That Be locked the rights to the system down so tight that you can't say... update Internet Explorer so you could, you know, maybe get on and check email and such things as that. Which is interesting since we (the teachers) are all supposed to be happily online connecting in the virtual world.

You can't connect a LCD projector to this thing either, because Mac, in their infinite wisdom decided that since the system was self-contained such things as exterior video ports were completely unnecessary.

I could go on about my total disgust with my current work computer, but since that isn't what I actually wanted to talk about let's go back to the actual topic which is:

The Joys of Ordering an HP Laptop
So, I've researched computers ad nauseum and decided that an HP Pavilion would fit the bill nicely for both of us. I got myself a Pretty Good HP Pavilion, nothing super special but with the specs I wanted. I ordered my sister the Special Edition (otherwise known as ICY, so cool and hip it came out white) from HP. She's a little paranoid about computer failures, so she also got the 4 year warranty and as a bonus the car adaptor.

Just to recap. I ordered one computer, with warranty and an AC car adaptor. I finalize the order, HP sends me an email saying that they got my order. Then this morning, I get another email saying that my order has shipped.

"Wow," I think in surprise. "That was stellar fast!" I'm especially thinking this because the estimated build date was Nov 12. So, I open the email which states that they are going to send me PART of my order so I can be even more happy. So, what exactly are they sending me?

The AC car adaptor and the warranty. Oh yeah, that's SO useful without the computer. For some reason I'm more dismayed by this than ecstatic.