Oh Paula

This is for you "American Idol" fans. I'm still not sure if I like the new four judge panel or the changes in the show's format. I do like Kara DioGuardi, but it seems that Paula doesn't. And you know why? Because Kara makes Paula stand out as an airhead. We always knew Paula never said much of substance, but now with Kara actually giving solid critiques, I think Paula's a little jealous of sharing the spotlight with another woman. Can't wait to watch tonight. Rrrrrowl. Hiss. Hiss. What do you think? (Thanks Myron for the tip on the article.)

Kindle 2

Have you heard about the Kindle? It's Amazon's handheld electronic book reader. Today they began selling the Kindle 2. When I first saw the Kindle several months ago on Amazon's Web site, I thought it looked like a neat idea. But, when I saw the price, I quickly lost interest. The Kindle 2 sells for $359. The Kindle can download, store, and display up to 1500 books.

The Kindle Store has more than 240,000 books available, plus top newspapers, magazines, and blogs--all of which are available for download for $9.99 or less via Whispernet. According to Amazon, "Whispernet utilizes Amazon's optimized technology plus Sprint's national high-speed (3G) data network to enable you to wirelessly search, discover, and download content on the go. Your books and periodicals are delivered via Whispernet in less than 60 seconds. And unlike WiFi, you never have to hunt for a hotspot."

OK, enough of the free advertisement. I wonder where they came up with the name for this thing? And, what type of person does this gizmo appeal to? My guess is that traditionalists won't want to give up the feel of paper and the joy of turning the page. People who are into gadgets and technology will probably love it.

This Valentine's Day

I'm a little late for a Valentine's Day post, but I think some of you might find this story interesting. My husband has never thought much of participating in Valentine's Day. Even before we were married he boycotted the "holiday." "I don't need a a yearly holiday to tell or show you that I love you. It's just a way for Hallmark and florists to make money," he'd say. I'll be honest, this kind of bothered me. But after several years, you get used to it.

Now that we've been married for over 20 years, he's softened a bit in recent years. Last year for our anniversary he sent me flowers at work for our anniversary. I have to admit, I loved the surprise. It made me feel special.

This Valentine's Day he was away for work. No big deal since we never make a fuss over V-day. I happened to be sick that day. I was talking to him on the phone and told him I wouldn't be at work because I wasn't feeling well. He told me that's too bad, because he sent flowers! SENT FLOWERS! Just my luck. I worried that they'd be all wilted by Monday when I'd be back to work. But, the flowers never arrived. Interesting. I wonder what happened? Maybe they were delivered to the mail room and the guys down there didn't deliver them. Nope, not the case. Finally, he called 1-800-FLOWERS to find out what happened. He talked to some customer service rep in India. She offered no apology, help, or refund. He was tired and disgusted and hung up. The next day he checked his e-mail confirmation and saw a delivery tracking link. Guess what? The flowers made it to UPS in Atlanta, but that's as far as they went because the box arrived damaged so UPS discarded the box! No phone call, no note, no nothing! Shame on you UPS and 1-800-flowers. I'm going to break one of my rules and say, "That sucks!"

Look, FREE Christian Music Downloads

I just discovered this site. It's www.FreeCCM.com. It's a legal site where you can download "featured" Christian songs for free. Thanks to Fee for telling me about it. If you aren't familiar with Steve Fee's band, you should check them out. One of their songs, "Beautiful the Blood," is available for download. I downloaded all that they were offering, plus, I linked to Phil Wickam's blog and downloaded his entire live album, Singalong, for no cost. I LIKE FREE!

Not Worth the Price

These hot beverages from McDonald's look good, don't they? When it's cold, I love a good cappuccino. My favorite upscale coffee place is Seattle's Best, Starbucks is my second choice. We don't have Seattle's Best in Atlanta anymore, except at the airport, so I have to settle for Starbucks. When I saw these tempting coffees from McD's, I thought I'd give their cappuccino a try. It was OK. Not bad for a gas station quality brew. But my biggest complaint is the cost. Why would I pay almost $3 to get a so-so cap from McD's when I can get the "real thing" from Starbucks for the same amount? I don't get it McD's. Lower your prices and you might sell more!

Surgeons send 'tweets' from operating room

Saw this article from CNN and thought I'd share.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/17/twitter.surgery/index.html?eref=ib_topstories

The Real Deal

I've got to talk up the "Real Deal" at Ted's Montana Grill. For $12 (in the Atlanta area) for lunch you get a choice of an appetizer, entree, and one of their famous cookies. For example, if you just order the grilled chicken salad, it's $12. So, what a deal to get an appetizer, salad, AND yummy cookie. I've eaten there before, but I didn't remember the portions being so large. We walked out of there stuffed. They have a similar deal for dinner for $15. You have to check the Ted's near you for what they're offering. Bad news for my Maryland pals--there aren't any Ted's in Maryland, yet.

Ted's is also eco-friendly. Their goal is to be 99% plastic-free. They re-introduced the paper straw (not produced in the United States since 1970). You can read more about their commitment to the environment by going to their Web site.