About a week ago I read an article in Newsweek Online regarding the new electronic book that was coming out, it is named 'Kindle' and is going to retail on Amazon for $399. I was immediately intrigued and read the whole article (you can read it here); however I will not be lining up to buy it anytime soon. There isn't a large amount of appeal for me in a electronic book, and quite honestly I can't imagine that there ever will be.
The highlights of the machine are that you can download any book you choose (provided they have it) from anywhere you are. In other words, you don't have to hook it up to your home computer to sync it. You can get a 'paper' delivered when it goes to press (a modern equivilent of a newsboy - so claimed the Newsweek article). It can hold up to 200 titles (probably depending on size).
I am not sure of the appeal, to me there is something very special about spending hours in a bookstore looking at books, many of which you will not ever read. There is a place you escape to when you are reading, the smell of books, and the collecting of books that seems unable to be matched by electronic books. What about lending my books to my friends? Many of us pass books on when we love them. What about buying books for gifts?
My husband pointed out that this used to be the case with records and even, to a lesser extent, CDs. Now everybody has their iPods and not very many buy CDs anymore, as the dusty halls of many defunked record stores can attest. But will books go the same way as records and CDs? Or will we stick with the old paper version... will book shops become speciality stores as only collectors will purchase books?
Now it is for sale on Amazon, I am not sure precisely which day it came out, but it is sold out at this time. You can order now to reserve your spot, or you can just click on the link and check out the features.
Would you buy the Kindle?
I can't believe this article: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21882976/. It is about a 13 year old girl who fell for a guy on MySpace and committed suicide after he turned on her and started calling her mean names and saying that she was 'fat' and a 'slut'. Not nice right?
In case you hadn't heard - it gets worse. It wasn't a 16 year old wanker boy doing this, it turned out that it was a former friend's mother. Mother, that's right: a MOTHER! There is no way this is appropriate - and though no criminal charges have been filed, I hope that the parents of the 13 year old who died will sue the pants off the other parents.
And after reading the whole article, I cannot fault the parents of the 13 year old. They didn't let their daughter log on without them and they did try their hardest to keep her safe. We could debate them allowing her on MySpace, but you can tell they loved their daughter. I feel for them that another parent tortured their daughter, and while it may not be that other parent's fault, it didn't help a girl who was struggling with depression and weight.
Some of you may know that my brother started a new job recently, but my sister-in-law has also started another job as well. She is so crafty, and I don't mean in an evil way, that she puts me to shame. Oh, that I had an ounce of real craftiness.
So check out her site, she is selling handmade cards (for xmas, or other occasions) and they are pretty! She can (most likely) do anything you wish her to do... just ask! http://alittleextralove.tripod.com/alittleextralove/ It isn't linked because I couldn't get it to work, you'll have to use your mouse!
This past weekend we went down to Oregon to visit with my husband's family and celebrate both our birthdays. It was a lot of fun, plus part of the family from Colorado came out and it was a grand get together. We had Noodle's & Company for lunch (they don't have them in Washington yet, so it's a treat to get it in Oregon) and lots of Ice Cream Cake from Baskin Robbins (personally a favorite). Scott got his cake, and I got my own - which only me and Scott's Dad ate.
Also, trips to Powell's and Ogi (the hair stylist) were involved. I finally let her cut my hair and I definitely liked the result! I will take a picture and post it up soon.
Nothing else much happened, I do have today off and am hoping to plant some bulbs. I will post soon as to if that happened.
Don't get me wrong, I think smoking is bad for you - but then so is eating too many hamburgers. I also think smoking smells bad, but so do people who don't shower. All in all, smoking is a personal choice, right?
WRONG! The government should totally spend more money convincing people that smoking is bad for them. I must have missed the announcement, cause I totally thought smoking caused lollypops and roses to shoot from your ass and delight the people around you. What?? It just causes you to age prematurely, be at a higher risk for cancer and alzheimer's, and curbs your appitite? (I had to throw in one good thing), wow I didn't know that at all.
Seriously, who doesn't know that smoking is bad for you? Where are these illiterate, uneducated smokers? Because in all the states I've lived in had bans on smoking in public, smoking in a bar, smoking in a restaraunt or smoking within site of another human person who may or may not be offended by your habit and who will probably walk over uninvited and tell you it will kill (eventually).
I actually prefer it if we spent all our money on changing FREE people's choices. Why don't we start an ad campaign on how eating 20 twinkies a day isn't healthy, or perhaps on how long work weeks take away from your 'outside work' life. Or maybe we should just accept some people are going to do what they want.
What I am attempting to say is that a 20% smoking rate in our country isn't that bad. So it hasn't gone down in 3 years, but we've done what we can to educate people. Why not add the warning panel that Great Britain has and be done with it; their's is 'Smoking Causes Death'. Pretty straight forward, although also misleading because not everybody who smokes DIES from smoking related illnesses. Some people might actually die in a car crash...
...because they were distracted while lighting a cigarette.
That's all I got peeps, I hope you enjoyed my rant. You can also read the article which prompted my rant here.
Oh and PS - is smoking the #1 most preventable cause of death? Because I would guess that obesity took that cake a while ago.
That's right, after years of nagging from my mom, I am officially registered in the proper county. And yesterday I performed my civic duty and filled out my absentee ballot... then I dropped it off at the little drop off stand in our Fred Meyer parking lot. I feel like a contributing member of society!
Now one of our Props was a Road and Transit (Prop 1) and it was hilarious. It was put together by a board (of some kind), I am not sure what party most of the participants were a part of, but eventually one of the main contributors came out against the plan. He stated it wasn't a good option and that, combined with a price tag of 17-18 billion, was enough to cause public opinion to shift widely. The hilarious thing is the advertising campaign of the camp that wanted you to vote for it. It was:
"We have to do something"
Right.... I am going spend 18 billion dollars because it's something. I may spend 15 bucks on a coat if I need one immediately, but I am not going to spend 18 billion on 'something' because we don't have another immediate option. Are you literally telling me that the politicians in my state can't come up with another plan? I could probably come up with a better plan alone and blindfolded - and if it wasn't better it would at least be cheaper.
What was the silliest campaign in your area?
My mom sent me this link and I find it so interesting that I am passing it on to you. Not only does it have the cancer and allergic reaction risk of most (especially the popular ones) anything that a cosmetic company would make. This includes mascara, foundation, lotion, eyeshadow, ect... check it out at www.cosmeticsdatabase.com.
It also tells you whether the company conducts animal testing or is part of the 'compact for safe cosmetics'.
Have fun and remember not to worry too much.