Google Cars Drive Themselves, in Traffic

Does this mean we will be totally irrelevant soon, or living a life of leisure while robots do all the work?
Google Cars Drive Themselves, in Traffic

being good at conversation

It may seem contradictory, but being good at conversation doesn't require saying much at all- it requires listening intently. Unless you have something specific to convey, or an activity in common, finding non-controversial topics to discuss may not present themselves immediately. Most people, however, will let you know what they want to talk about, and if you let them lead the conversation, they will leave happy. If the topic that comes up is something you know nothing about, let them teach you about it- ask questions and let them lead you to either an understanding, or more questions.

Most folks I have met are happy talking shop- ask them about their work and if you can understand the good and bad points, they will feel you understand their point of view and can sympathize with their frustrations- since we all have them, however slight they may appear in the grand scheme of things. Reading the news can give you the opportunity to discuss current events, but try not to choose a topic where you might butt heads- stay away from politics unless you are running for office or scouting opinions for a reason, liking taking a poll. Sports is always a good choice, and another is emerging technologies. If you can start a thread with "Did you hear about…" and not lead it to gossip, you will leave them with something to think about; try to have references ready- don't, as I sometimes do, say you can't remember where you read it unless you are asking them in order to find out. Offer to email them an article on the topic you found interesting.

Conversing isn't that hard, its getting started that's hard, so come prepared. ;-)

tv

I think "Lost" may have jumped the shark last night. I was entranced, but this morning I thought "What the **xx##"? No one survives that close to a bomb, Sawyer never mentions that Juliette set the thing off, and why would they bring Juliette back to life only to kill her off three minutes later? Not to mention Sayid coming back to life after being "dead" for like 45 minutes…

I'll probably stick with it just to see if they manage to somehow tie it all together, but I got this sick "this better not be a dream sequence" feeling last night. If we find out Jack dreamt the whole thing and is going to use it to write a best-seller, I'll be sorely disappointed.

All the shows this season seem to be mimicking each other; I've seen 3 or 4 scenes on planes- Chuck, NCIS, Human Target, and now Lost. I'll concede that Lost has precedence, but maybe we need another writer's strike to give them time to come up with new material.

a great way to give to charity

It appears as if the bad guys have even infiltrated one of the most generous actions of the good guys- giving to charity. Donating is now fraught with dangers of wasteful spending, or downright fraud. Even the great new idea of giving through text messaging isn't without drawbacks as wireless providers must channel donations through middlemen, causing delays in getting the cash where it's direly needed.

One of my problems with donating money is the relentless begging that comes in it's wake. In the “no good deed goes unpunished” category, charities capture your personal information to add to their list- and the list of anyone they share the info with- in order to hound you for eternity for more donations. Sometimes you want to donate to a cause anonymously just to avoid this, or you just want to make a one-time donation after a catastrophic event such as the recent earthquakes in Haiti.

Well I did some digging and think I have found an answer. I went searching for a way to donate through PayPal, which I figured would protect my personal information and offer only my email address as identification. Here’s what I found, with thanks to poster "Abby1957" who commented on the USA Today article “How to give smart to Haiti.”:

A site called “Charity Navigator” (http://www.charitynavigator.org) which rates charities (according to the percentage of donations that actual make it to the designated cause, and outlines exactly how they are spending the money) directed me to buy a “Good Card” offered through the “Network for Good.” You can purchase the card with PayPal or a credit/debit card and then designate where the proceeds are to go via either site. Be aware that a $5 processing charge will be added to the donation amount you choose, so if you choose say $20, your charge will actually be $25. (There is an option to amend the amount before it’s deducted.) I bought a “Good Card”, emailed it to myself and then redeemed it for a charitable donation- all within five minutes and without leaving my keyboard. Seriously, folks, if you are putting take-out on the table, you can afford to donate a few bucks. Money is tight everywhere, but we are luckier than many people on this planet and we should share our good fortune, if only to avoid the guilt that comes with the “scrooge” factor!

time stamp

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha...I just noticed that these posts are time stamped PST- three hours earlier than they are created. Pretty cool trick, but anyone who knows me would realize that I am not writing anything at 7:20am!

social media

Social Media is such an interesting phenomenon. It levels the playing field by giving a voice to everyone and anyone willing/able to participate. But it has these shades to it- part voyeur, part preacher, part stalker. And whine? Now everyone can whine and there is someone to commiserate! I guess it's cheaper than therapy, but getting advice from sympathizers might not be the best for one’s overall mental health. ;-)

weather

I want to know where it is that residents never complain about the weather. Then I want a house there.

worth

I admire a man who is confident but I hold no respect for any man who thinks his worth exceeds others. We all rise each day and put one foot in front of the other. I have the greatest admiration for those who must struggle to do that, but rise each morning, get out of bed, and do it anyway.

why??

Why is it that when someone or something makes enough noise to wake you at the crack of dawn, there complete silence a half hour later, when you're already awake?

grrrrrrrr

My mother always taught me you shouldn't hate people, but you can hate things that people do. I've tried to adhere to that, but there are times when I just can't help myself.

So you know what I hate? Tech Support people who think they are SOOOOOOO much smarter and more knowledgeable than you that they DO NOT LISTEN! Yes, I KNOW that having only 22GB left on my hard drive is not ideal, and that I should probably wipe my drive and start over, but really, is that what's causing my browser to hang when I am trying to save a news article? We're talking 82K- that's comparable to one grain of sand on an entire beach! Grrrrrrrr… another hour of my life gone and all I have to show for it is heartburn. And the techie will go home and complain to her family about the impossible caller she had today. Sheesh!

old and cranky

I'd like to think of myself as not being old, yet, though I know I am on my way to that eventuality. I had to face up to this recently as I became aware that I was losing my tolerance for certain people and their actions. I've always thought of myself as not being a patient person, but being a tolerant person.

I remember distinctly becoming aware of the point that my mild-mannered, diplomatic father had become cranky and intolerant to the point of being almost down-right nasty at times. Anyone who knew him will find this impossible to believe, and it wasn't drastic or even dramatic, but it was a perceptible shift. At some point he grew sick and tired of giving everyone the benefit of the doubt and voiced his opinions and opposition quite vocally. I remember being shocked at first at this change in demeanor. It wasn't directed at me, or at members of our family, but mostly at figures in the news. Now I understand. After (too) many years on the planet, I, too, have become intolerant of the selfish and the stupid humans I encounter. If you were truly born without a brain, I will take that into consideration, but for all those who simply believe the rules are for other people and do not apply to them, or who simply don't care about inconveniencing others as long as they get their way, I no longer have any tolerance. I will probably get assaulted at some point calling someone out for being selfish and insensitive, but it will likely be because I stood up for someone else rather than for myself. I have an inner voice that says "I am so glad I am not a jerk like you," that I use to protect myself, but I'll stand up for others. I don't like people who take advantage at the expense of their fellow human travelers. I'm not advocating that if you find something on sale you shouldn't buy it in order to leave it for someone who gets there after you, but for heaven's sake can we try to comport ourselves with some consideration for others? The planet is kind of like a crowded elevator, where we should all be kind to our neighbors. Believe whatever you want, but don't push it on the rest of us. We'd like to live they way we want, too.

privacy

How many people who say they want “privacy” are really just trying to shield themselves from criticism? We keep thing private because we want to do and to think what we want without holding ourselves up to any standards- sometimes even our own. We dislike people who tell us the truth because it’s a reality we don’t wish to face; we are deliberately ignoring our own conscience and we resent any intrusion that forces us to examine and defend the prudence of our own actions.

generations

As a result of a conversation about kids going off to college, it occurred to me how parents always relate everything to their own experiences. But let’s face it, our children are going up in a world 20-30 years later than we did- it’s a very different place and a very different experience. We should not expect our children to have- or to want- the same experiences we did. Some things may transcend, but why are we insulted if our kids reject our notions? We did the same with our parents… We should hope they strive to keep pace with their world, and excel in this new place.

Success

Success requires a lot of hard work, more than a little inspiration and a boatload of confidence!

tattoos

Lots of people love tattoos, and I am a sometime fan. But it occurred to me today, if you get a tattoo so you have something different, but you have it forever, isn't the "different" now the same all the time?

staying positive in times of distress

Some turn to religion to stay positive in times of distress, but I find ‘1-10’ works well, too. One a scale of one to ten, ten being nuclear war or the planet blowing up, just how important is this? It's quite humbling to realize how insignificant most of what we stress about is. That’s not to say it isn’t important to us at that moment, but to keep in mind that in the grand scheme of things, or even over the span of our own lifetimes, most problems are mere minor annoyances.

"Ahoy! 'Tis time to talk pirate, me hearties"

Today is "Talk Like a Pirate Day, an observance that has been recognized on all seven continents and beyond." So head over to this article on CNN.com to read all about it, me hearties!!

just say "no"?

For a couple of days now I have been hearing about the new book "The Power of No" by Beth Wareham. The book’s premise is that you only have one life and you shouldn't waste even one second doing something you don't want to b/c you were too afraid to say "no." Saying no, she declares, reclaims your time, your power, and your respect for yourself by communicating "I don't have time for this nonsense. I am making a great life here."

If only it were that easy. There are likely many times when saying 'no' may do all those things, but many other times, we agree to do something out of love or resect for another person and we are rewarded for that in other ways. I have a friend who refuses to go to weddings anymore, and I can see her point. She doesn't like them (not being a big fan of marriage anyway) and no longer wishes to go to the time, trouble and expense to watch someone else celebrate. She hates dressing up and prefers to save the considerable money required to dress and attend these events. I get that; there have been times I wish I could politely decline an invitation without hurting someone's feelings, but most of the time I don't say no when I'd like to because I perceive that doing so would result in hurt feelings and damaged relationships, and I cherish the relationships enough to give my time to preserving them. Only a person who is comfortable with flying solo for life can afford to say no every time it crosses their mind. We often get more than we give when we agree.

I DO think we need to examine all the relationships in our lives and nurture only those that are truly worth the significant effort required. When we discover that one takes more than it gives back, we need to let it go without regret or fear, and the longevity of a relationship shouldn't determine its value. You can't be friends with everyone, nor do you need to be. If there aren't thousands of mourners at your funeral and a full page obituary, who cares? You'll never know ;-)

online guide to cell phone emissions

The Environmental Working Group has created an online guide to cell phone emissions, covering over 1,000 phones currently on the market. You can find the article here, and you can look up your cell phone's ratings here, though the site is rather busy right now.

sorting it out

It occurred to me this morning that the web serves as a sorter for people. Like a coin sorter at the bank, lots of different types go in, and then fall into little slots that determine what type of coin it is. Keeping track of web surfer's visits and favorite sites do the same thing- they categorize us into groups according to interests. We are essentially doing the marketer's job for them- all filing into neat little lines that tell advertiser's how likely we are to be interested in their product or service. This is good in one way, b/c it cuts down on advertising we are not interested in, but terrible in that it allows them to focus a full-court press on what we might be likely to buy. It is true- everything comes down the almighty dollar. (or pesos or euros or yen…)