Google's Gadgets Blog

This is interesting. It was posted on Google's Gadgets Blog, October 16th. Sounds to me like this new design is geared towards developers. They'll be able to build 'richer' things for Google's, "tens of millions of users".
So, the new design never intended to make iGoogle a richer experience for me, the non-developer. It's all about the developers. The post goes on to say - the developers will be able to 'monetize' their gadgets. Does monetize mean 'make money'? Why don't they just say that.
Here's the post:
October 16, 2008
iGoogle Launches Canvas View
Posted by Dan Holevoet, Ceveloper Programs

There are probably a few less users tonight.
Google is beginning to remind me of AOL.
Has Google forgotten that many users are old, like me, and there are more of us everyday.
We're tired. We like things plain and simple. We don't like change. We're not into cute.
We're lucky we're online at all.
The left side tab thing is obnoxious. They've really messed with Gmail. The clock now looks stupid. I've already X'ed that out. The weather gadget takes up way too much space.

I'm moving over to Netvibes. Yahoo already ruined it's homepage stuff a year, or so, ago.
Another annoying thing - the term 'screen real estate'. Why don't they just call it SPACE.
Here's the chance for some other developers to start up something for all us users who don't like the new iGoogle.

To get the old iGoogle back

You can move to Canada, or the UK to get the old iGoogle back.

www.google.ca/ig?hl=en

www.google.co.uk/ig?hl=en

www.google.ie/ig?hl=en

WTF Google? Fix - 'Move' to Ireland

See that left sidebar on the screenshot? It's nuts.
Thank heavens for clever people out there. I read this fix on the Google Help Group.
From Internet Explorer, click on Tools, select Internet Options, type in this address for your homepage http://www.google.ie/ or, replace the .com with .ie
From Firefox, click on Tools, select Option, then open Main - type in the same address.
That should bring up the old format - you'll just be living in Ireland for awhile.

I sent this feedback to Google - the feedback form is at -

http://www.google.com/support/accounts/bin/request.py?contact_type=feedback

The new iGoogle format is terrible. Even worse is that there was no advance notice, or option to use the old format. Even Facebook and Yahoo gave lots of advance notice regarding changes. Sitemeter rolled out a new format, and they got so many complaints, they went back to the old one. Did you honestly think everyone would just love your new setup?
What angers me the most is not knowing it was coming - for an hour, I thought something was wrong with my computer.

Specifically,
- The left side bar takes up way too much space.
- I don't want to have to open a 'menu' to expand / minimize a 'gadget'. The + and - signs worked just fine.
- The new date and clock is ugly. What was wrong with the original?
- The Weather in my cities is larger, and runs down just about the entire right side column.
- The mail preview shows way too much.

I liked iGoogle because if I wanted it to be clean and neat, I could have it that way. Now, we have to have it Google's way.
Did you do this because Google's stock is tanking, and you're all fretting? I'd change to Yahoo, but they've ruined their homepages, too. Please don't make me go back to AOL.

For now, I'll be living in Ireland.

Remote Polaris Down Again

Come to think of it, amazon.com is better than Polaris for searching books and authors. Chances are none of the OCPL libraries have any fiction by Stuart Cloete anyway. Grrrr.
http://www.stuartcloete.com/

Me and eBay

Once in awhile I sell something on eBay. I only do it if I think I can get at least $50.00. Otherwise, it's not worth the effort. I spend too much time working on a listing. The description has to be just right. The photos have to be perfect. I'd die if I ever got a negative feedback.
So, I listed a few postcards yesterday. I'm drowning in postcards, and I don't even collect them. Most aren't worth anything - at least, they're not worth putting them up for auction. Maybe someone would come over and take them all away for $10.00. It seems like old postcards with cars on them are worth saving. Popular tourist attractions aren't worth anything.

Since I listed on eBay yesterday, I thought I'd do another one today. I have to be in the right mood. This time, a glass paperweight advertising the Worcester Corset Company. It's cute. In fine print along the bottom is says Sept. 5, '82 - Barnes & Abrams Co., Syracuse, NY. Nice - I figured it was made in 1982, and showed a vintage ad for the WCC. I was already to click 'List this item', but decided to Google Barnes & Abrams. It appears the paperweight was made in 1882, and it's quite collectible. So, I thought I'd put a reserve price of $150.00 on it, but that costs another $2.00 in listing fees. Still, if I could get $150.00, minus eBay's cut and fees, that'd still be pretty good. I took another look at it. It's small - 2.5" by 4.5". It has a nice, smooth feel to it. It's VERY cute now. I'll keep it. I'll just have to figure out something else to get rid of. Thank heavens for Google. I could have described it as something from 1982, and sold it for $7.50. I'll keep a note with it so the girls won't toss it away when I'm gone. They can put it on eBay.

On the Street Where I Live

It's going to be a spectacular fall day.
Positively autumnal.
This was at 8:00 am this morning.
Click on the photo to make it bigger!

The Best Sleep Aid

White Flower Analgesic Balm
Can't get to sleep?
Maybe it's all in my head, but this stuff works. Right before I fall into bed, I put a few drops on my wrists, rub it all in, with a quick swipe at the base of my neck, and I sleep soooo good.
The ingredients are: wintergreen - 40%, menthol - 15%, camphor - 6%, mineral oil, eucalyptus, and lavender. Yum. It smells a tad like Vicks, but better.
I haven't seen it in any of the stores around here, but it's easy to buy online - even easier when you have someone who can send it to you. Forget the Tylenol PM, Ambien, and Lunesta.
Sweet dreams.

Why Aren't They Interested?

I'm the only person I know who blogs. I don't know if has something to do with my age, or if it's just the people I know. It's so discouraging. When I mention to my friends that I have a blog, they look at me like I must be either crazy, or I have way too much time on my hands. Several friends want nothing to do with computers; they never touch one. Their husbands do the family banking online. If something happened to them, their wives wouldn't have a clue on how to access their bank accounts. Not good, if they've gone paperless, and get their statements online.
Some will do email, but little else. Most of them are wary of anything 'online'. There's still that underlying feeling that the Internet is evil.
I tell them that computers have become household appliances, and that they'd better learn a few things about computers because their kids aren't going to do it for them.
I haven't been able to convince them that computers are pretty fantastic.
I can't figure out why they have such little interest.

Looking at Laptops

I talked to Sis this afternoon. I told her it was time to get a laptop, and that I had one all picked out for her at Dell. She said that Costco was advertising a neat, little Dell for under $1000.00. We don't have a Costco around here, so I went to their site. Wow. I might even get one for myself, but that wouldn't make sense, I already have one. I'd get the 1525 for $799.99. It includes a 2 year warranty. Excellent price - might even be better than what you can get at Dell.com.

I've never been to the Costco website before. Up on top on is a menu of categories. 'Funeral' was one of them. It's right under 'What's New'. You can get all your funeral stuff right there.
Who knew!
I can't decide between the Kentucky Rose casket $1499.99, the Star Legacy Cherry Box (ashes) $139.99, and the Twilight Moon Large Pewter Urn $169.99.
For flowers, I like the Floral Meadows Spray for $329.00 - but that'd only go with the Kentucky Rose thing. I guess I don't really like any of their floral pieces.
I'd rather have them from Pedrick's - the best florist anywhere. Too bad they're two hours away.

Back to laptops. :-)

The Market

It's probably not a good idea to check my portfolio today.
Dow Jones Industrial Average -302.50 (-2.71%)
NASDAQ: -92.36 (-4.23%)
10:25am EDT

Blogs

Here's the 2008 State of the Blogosphere from Technorati.

I Love New York - winner short film by Sean Cunningham - a WG grad!

Headlines

Economic Fears Give Obama Clear Lead Over McCain in Poll
By Dan Balz and Jon Cohen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, September 24, 2008; Page A01

McCain Seeks to Delay First Debate Amid Financial Crisis
By Elisabeth Bumiller and Mitchell L. Blumenthal
Published September 24, 2008
New York Times

Best Memory Game

This is the best one I've found.
Memory Game by Zefrank
The Animated one is my favorite - after that, is Dana's.
They're all listed over on the right.

New York is Book Country !

New York is Book Country is back! Clueless me. I didn't know it until I got an email from Books of Wonder TODAY. I wish I could go. It's in Central Park this year. Probably one the best ones we ever went to was the last time it was on Fifth Ave. in 2002.
But, 1999 was a great one, too.
New York is Book Country
Books of Wonder

Love Wordle

I love Wordle! You can make all sorts of neat 'word clouds'.
This one is words from a favorite song. It's missing one important word, tho, and I don't know how to get it added.
Make your own at www.wordle.net

Moo - Timothy Egan, New York Times

This is one of the best pieces I've read about McCain and Palin.
Moo - by Timothy Egan for the New York Times

Polls

I've never been asked to take part in a poll or survey. No, that's not true. Marketing people used to hang around the malls, and I think I did do one of their surveys once. I think it was about cereal. They'd give you a sample, and you had to answer a ton of questions. The secret to not being approached my them was to never, ever make eye contact with them.
Anyway, if someone did poll me about who I think would be the better president, I would say, "The thought of McCain and Palin running the country terrifies me." That about sums it up. I may just buy an Obama/Biden lawn sign. I donated $50.00 to his campaign yesterday. It's the first time I've ever given money to a political campaign.

Bob Herbert Op-Ed

McCain's Radical Agenda - New York Times Sept. 16, 2008

SNL - In Case You Missed It

Catching Up

Just a few snippets to get me caught up.

I, the new grandmother, babysat the new grandbaby for the first time this morning. We did some 'tummy time', and some swing time. After that, it was snack time, and then it was nap time. I don't know why they call it 'tummy time', but that's ok. It's a big deal now to give babies tummy time everyday. Apparently, not all babies get enough of it, so they have no desire to lift their heads. It's something like that. I wonder if Sarah Palin's kids all got tummy time.
We never had to worry about it because 'back in the day', putting babies to bed on their tummies was THE preferred method. It's a mega no-no now.

I always check the headlines from PC World, and they listed their top 12 favorite & promising, new websites. Read the article here:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/151033/12_promising_new_web_sites_and_services.html
I tried one of them: iSearch It's a people search engine. All it did was annoy me. I searched a few family members and the results were pretty bad. They had too many middle initials for me. My phone number is listed, even tho it's unpublished. Several of my listed relatives have been dead for years. A sister's results also had errors. Her age made her about 5 years older than she is. Her husband's name was listed correctly, but also incorrectly. A daughter's results had the most errors. It listed her as living in a far away city, and her phone number was a combination of my number, and the far away city's area code. She hasn't lived in any far away city in over 7 years.
I sent them a feedback asking them to suppress my listing. That's funny. I'm sure they'll get right on it.
Their FAQs say that they're working on a suppression thingy.
So, I don't like the site one bit. It didn't just annoy me. It made me pretty angry. There's that other people finder search engine which does the same thing. There's nothing new about this one. They all get around privacy issues by saying that all their information is gathered from public records.

I'm trying to figure out when to pick my 11 pumpkins. They're organic. (I like to throw that in.)
Some articles tell you to wait til they're orange, some say it's ok to pick them when they're still kind of green - they just have to make the right sound (hollow) when you thwack them. Most articles will tell you to be SURE to leave some stem on, AND to wash the pumpkin, and the stem in a 10% solution of water and clorox. I picked one because I accidentally chopped the vine. It's the best pumpkin of all - it looks just like Cinderella's coach. I'll take a picture of it soon if it doesn't rot. I haven't done the Clorox treatment yet. It could be filled with horrid bugs by now.
This seems to be the best article on the subject:
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/vegetable/how-to-tell-when-pumpkins-are-ripe.htm

I'm a fairly regular reader of Jesse Kornbluth's Head Butler. He used to be the editorial director at AOL. He also used to do a column over on Beliefnet - it was pretty political. His blood pressure must have been over the top. The Head Butler does reviews - books, movies, wine, whatever. So, today's review is on the book Water Consciousness, edited by Tara Lohan. The main reason why I'm even mentioning it is because there's a link to a neat calculator that calculates your water footprint. It's called the H2O Calculator. I forget how much water I use everyday, but it's less than average. It said I drink way too much bottled water. I'd drink faucet water, but mine tastes either like worms, or Clorox. Sometimes, it just tastes swampy. Maybe the tap water would have enough chlorine in it to kill the bugs that are probably invading my picked pumpkin.

I think that about does it. Time to go pull out the rest of the 10 foot cosmos plants. They got way too tall, and the windy night we had Sunday night blew them all over. Most of them broke.

Gulf Blvd. Indian Rocks Beach

This stretch of Gulf Blvd. could be my favorite street anywhere. I'm already starting to miss Florida, especially Indian Rocks Beach. Woe is me.

Jake Ryan

It was four years ago that Hank Stuever wrote the article "Real Men Can't Hold a Candle to Jake Ryan". It was in the Washington Post on February 14, 2004. You can still read it here, on Hank Stuever's website, which looks like it hasn't been updated since 2005! I really, really hope he doesn't let the site just disappear. There are other interesting articles there, too. An update would be awfully nice.
http://www.hankstuever.com/jryan.html

Sixteen Candles

Summer's Over

How did it get to be September already? August flew by, and I'm a grandmother for the first time. In one respect, it makes me feel older because I've been bumped up (perhaps it's down) to another generation. Here's a photo of the two of us. He's very cute and perfect. I think we were watching Young & the Restless.

How to Embed PDF file in Yahoo's Sitebuilder

Embedding a PDF file into a Yahoo Sitebuilder page -

Here's a Yahoo Sitebuilder tip. I really just want to have it handy, because I know I'll forget how to do it the next time it comes up, and I won't be able to find the little piece of paper with the instructions.
I wanted to have one of the pages in a website open a PDF file (embed a PDF document). In this case, a newsletter created as a PDF. I looked everywhere in their Help section for the answer, and couldn't find a clue, so I called them up. That's one nice thing about Yahoo's web hosting - you can get a real person in the U.S. who knows answers. Here's how to do it:

• Save your PDF file to your desktop - give it a simple name.
  
• Open Yahoo Sitebuilder.
• Drag the PDF file over to your Contents - this might take a few tries, but it'll get there.
• Open a new, blank page with no template.
• Click on Insert at the top of the screen.
• Select Code Elements - then select Iframe
• Choose - 'Another website'.
• In the little box type the domain name of your site - http:// is already given to you, so start with www.
• At the end of your website domain name give it a / then type the name of the PDF file exactly as it appears on your contents list.
• Your page will now be a pale purple, and there will be a little box, like a text box with the domain name and the / and the pdf file name.
• Save & publish. It should work. Good luck.

* Note: I think, but I'm not 100% sure that your PDF and HTML files have to be the same.
So, if your pdf file is abc.pdf, save your new, blank page, as abc.html. I'll have to try it out and see if it's necessary.
The page will look like this - to see if it worked, do a 'preview in browser'. If it did, your pdf file will appear.

Here's an update - SiteBuilder crashed, now using Site Solution (Yahoo), and it's so easy to pop a PDF file in! (May 26, 2011)
http://deskdiva.blogspot.com/2011/05/yahoo-sitebuilder-crashed.html

Erie Canal Photo Contest

I just ran across this site, Erie Canalway. They're having a photo contest. I might just enter, as I've got some good shots I took back in January. I just looked at them - maybe I don't. We'll see.
Details for the photo contest are here:
http://www.eriecanalway.org/photocontest.asp

Forget that idea. The rules say the digital image has to be at least 4.5MB. The one I would have entered is a paltry 4.37MB. I need a new camera. :-)

Coinflation

I LOVE this site! It tells you the metal value of coins from 'around the world'.
And, there's a ton of interesting information about all sorts of things related to coins.
http://www.coinflation.com/

Bye Bye Baby-Gaga.com

Thanks, baby-gaga. You were great.

by Mother Goose

Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go.
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for a living,
But the child born on the Sabbath Day,
Is fair and wise and good and gay.

Coach Jim Boeheim's Blog in Beijing

Syracuse University head basketball coach Jim Boeheim is serving as an assistant on the men's U.S. Olympic basketball team that will compete in Beijing beginning August 10.
Coach Boeheim's Team USA Travel Log

Holly's Best Zucchini Bread Recipe

It's probably the outrageous amount of sugar that makes this bread so good. I usually halve the amount of sugar, and it's still the best zucchini bread recipe I've made.

Holly's Best Zucchini Bread Recipe

Sift dry ingredients, and set aside:
3 C. all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1t. salt
1/4 t. baking powder

Cream the following ingredients:
3 eggs
1 C. vegetable oil
2 1/2 C. white sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon

Combine the dry mixture with the creamed ingredients.
Add 2 Cups grated zucchini - leave the peels on
Add 1 Cup of chopped walnuts, if desired.

Bake in two greased loaf pans at 350 degrees F., for about one hour.
This recipe will also make 5-6 mini loaves - I use the disposable aluminum mini loaf pans.

A Reminder When Shelving Books

• Jayne Ann Krentz and Judith Krantz are not the same person.
• Jayne Ann Krentz, Amanda Quick, and Jayne Castle are the same person.
• Krantz comes before Krentz (alphabetically). Honest.
  

2008 Alex Awards

2008 Alex Awards

Here are the 2008 Alex Awards, ten adult books with specific teen appeal. The awards are sponsored by Booklist.

• American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China, by Matthew Polly, published by Penguin/Gotham Books (ISBN13:978-1592402625)
• Bad Monkeys, by Matt Ruff, published by HarperCollins (ISBN13: 978-0061240416)
• Essex County Volume 1: Tales from the Farm, by Jeff Lemire, published by Top Shelf Publications (ISBN13: 978-1891830884)
• Genghis: Birth of an Empire, by Conn Iggulden, published by Delacorte (ISBN13: 978-0385339513)
• The God of Animals, by Aryn Kyle, published by Scribner (ISBN13: 978-1416533245)
• A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, by Ishmael Beah, published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux/Sarah Crichton Books (ISBN13: 978-0374105235)
• Mister Pip, by Lloyd Jones, published by Random/Dial Press (ISBN13: 978-0385341066)
• The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss, published by DAW (ISBN13: 978-0756404079)
• The Night Birds, by Thomas Maltman, published by Soho (ISBN13: 978-1569474624)
• The Spellman Files, by Lisa Lutz, published by Simon & Schuster (ISBN13: 978-1416532392)

source: ALA's The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), www.ala.org

Best Books for Young Adults 2008

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has announced its list of Best Books for Young Adults for 2008.The books are recommended for those ages 12-18.

To see the complete list go to: Best Books for Young Adults 2008
Here are the top ten:

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. Illus. by Ellen Forney. Little, Brown, 2007; ISBN13: 978-0-316-01368-0; $16.99.

Beah, Ishmael. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. Farrar, Straus & Giroux/Sarah Crichton, 2007; ISBN13: 978-0-374-10523-5; $22.00.

Downham, Jenny. Before I Die. Random House/David Fickling, 2007; ISBN13: 978-0-385-75155-1; $15.99.

Hemphill, Stephanie. Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath. Random House/Alfred A. Knopf, 2007; ISBN13: 978-0-375-83799-9; $15.99.

Jones, Lloyd. Mister Pip. Dell Publishing/Dial Press, 2007; ISBN13: 978-0-385-34106-6; $20.00.

Landy, Derek. Skulduggery Pleasant. HarperCollins, 2007; ISBN13: 978-0-06-123115-5; $17.99.

Peet, Mal. Tamar: A Novel of Espionage, Passion, and Betrayal. Candlewick, 2007; ISBN13: 978-0-7636-3488-9; $17.99.

Polly, Matthew. American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China. Penguin Group USA/Gotham Books, 2007; ISBN13: 978-1-59240-262-5; $26.00.

Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Cabret: A Novel. Illus. by Brain Selznick. Scholastic, 2007; ISBN13: 978-0-439-81378-5; $22.99.

Tan, Shaun. The Arrival. Illus. by Shaun Tan. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, 2007; ISBN13: 978-0-439-89529-3; $19.99.

Young Adult Forum on Amazon

Amazon's Young Adult Forum

Handy Conversion Calculators

All the calculators you might need for converting things are right here.
They're nursing calculators. I was looking for centimeters to inches.
http://www.manuelsweb.com/nrs_calculators.htm

Time to go home before the downpour.

Going to the lake

Going to the lake for the weekend. Someday, maybe cellphones will work, and maybe RoadRunner will lay a cable underneath the water. Wouldn't that be fun.

The Perfect Summer Day

Formerly

Every once in awhile, I go through the links called 'Formerly', just to make sure they still work. Some of them are ancient. The list gets a little smaller each time.
It's so disappointing when one disappears. Today, it was Daniel Gordon's Webpage. It was so clever. The URL was http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~dlg10/
I wonder if anyone knows if it exists somewhere out there.
Bummer.

SUNY Potsdam - Draime 3C

Back in the day, I went to SUNY Potsdam. It's in northern New York state. Very northern. It's flat up there, and winters can be too cold for it to even snow. The trees they planted all over campus 30+ years ago haven't grown much.
For three of the four years I lived in Draime Hall - in the extension. The floor was 3C - C for extension, third floor. All dormitories were single sex then, and there were curfews. I don't think it ever occurred to me that they could be anything else. The rooms were on the perimeter, and the bathroom was in the middle.
I forget how many of us were on the floor - all the rooms were doubles. We all got along pretty famously. It was way better than a sorority. Several of us have been in touch with each other, and we think it'd be great fun to have a 3C reunion. Now, we have to try to find everyone.

The URL for Potsdam is http://www.potsdam.edu
There are quite a few typos on it. The alumni directory doesn't require a password.
No wonder there aren't that many listings. Every alumni directory I've seen requires one.
Discouraging, but not surprising.
Alumni Directory: http://www.potsdam.edu/alum/addresses/addresses.html

Monday - Clothesline Shop - Maine

The older I get, the more I like old linens. It's fun washing, and hanging out to dry, old linen napkins and dresser scarves. Tablecloths are more of a project, but they do 'make' a set table. Even ironing is relaxing.
So, the news is - I have a new clothes pole, and I like it a lot. My old one wouldn't go up, or down. It wouldn't turn, and it was always in the way. Do you think Home Depot, or Lowe's carry a decent clothes pole? No. I tried one from Lowe's, but it barely made it out of the box.
I ordered one online from a place in Maine - South China, Maine - so it's kind of like getting it from China. The price includes shipping - I'm sure they up the price of the item, but the words, "shipping included' sounds nice.
I got the parallel aluminum umbrella style - wow, the price has gone up just in the last few months. I'll have to look up how much I paid. I'm pretty sure it wasn't $99.
Here's the site -
The Clothesline Shop

Why I'm Getting Rid of Stuff

Google's Quote of the Day:
Every increased possession loads us with new weariness. - John Ruskin

Real Estate Blogs

I wonder why more real estate agents don't blog.
This one is well done! I forget how I found it, but it's a keeper.
http://newtampahomes.blogspot.com/

Commencement Speakers

From the Chronicle of Higher Education is this list of commencement speakers at 556 colleges and universities. The list goes back to the year 2000, and it's searchable.
I've never heard of some of the speakers, but I suppose I shouldn't admit it.
Fun.
http://chronicle.com/free/speakers/?handler=search&year=2008

Brief Hiatus

The roofers arrive every morning at 7:00am.
I'm not a morning person. Maybe they'll finish tomorrow.
Very busy this week getting ready for you know where!
(see May 2 post)

A Rainy Day Birthday

Three Weeks and Counting

The snow should be gone in three weeks. My place is at the bottom of the photo, just a little right of center. The road in is the white line. At the end of the line, we hop in the boat for the ride across.

Everything Went Sideways on the Monitor

One of the catalog computers did an odd thing today. Everything suddenly appeared sideways on the screen. It would have been perfect if it had happened on April 1st.
Anyway, the fix for this dilemma is ridiculously simple.
Enter these keys, and voila - everything is back to normal, and no one will have a stiff neck.
Alt + Ctrl + the up arrow

Data & Statistics Lovers

Sis told me about this site. It's to die for. It has every statistic on every country you could ever want. You can compare data between countries. Go to their homepage, and it'll explain it all much better than I can.
NationMaster.com

Best Wedding Punch

This punch was served at a wedding reception we attended back in 1972. I remember it was so good, I asked the bride for the recipe.

Jennifer's Wedding Punch

4 oz. lemon juice
4 oz. pineapple juice
3 oz. fruit cordial
8 oz. brandy
3 oz. grenadine
1 bottle - white wine
2 bottles - champagne

Mix all, except for the champagne, over ice in a bowl.
Add the champagne, and some fruit just before serving.

32 servings, depending on who's serving

How to Contact Syracuse China Archives

Recently, there was an event at Syracuse China, where you could bring in your pieces for identification. I missed it, but the newspaper article said you could also mail in photos for identification.
Here's the address:

Syracuse China Archives Department
2801 Court St.
Syracuse, NY 13208

Forget calling them. The phone menu is impossible.

Webcams - Some Up, Some Down

Finally. One of my favorite webcams is working again. It's from RIOT.
The camera is in Manhattan on Fifth Ave. at 45th St., looking north.
http://www.rioting.com/rioting/index.php?page=webcam

I've just about given up on the Syracuse webcam that is focused on Clinton Square in downtown Syracuse.
For months, they've been saying that it's temporarily down, and will be back up soon.
For how long is something temporary?
http://www.syracuse.com/clintoncam/

The Honolulu webcams are iffy. Some days they work, some, they don't.
http://www.honolulu.gov/cameras/index1.htm

Here's one of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. It moves around a bit.
http://www.earthcam.com/usa/dc/metrosquare/

This one is becoming a favorite. It's the O'Connell Bridge in Dublin.
http://www.bay.tv/baycams/3757.php

Indian Rocks Beach

This will probably my favorite Florida photo for the year.

Maria's Ginger Crackle Cookies

Maria's Ginger Crackle Cookies - the best

Here's a fabulous recipe for an old fashioned ginger crackle, or gingersnap cookie.
It's adapted from a recipe in The Weekend Baker, by Abigail Johnson Dodge.

2 1/2 C. flour
1 C. sugar - for the dough
2/3 C. sugar for rolling the balls of cookie dough in
1 1/2 t. ground ginger
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. salt
8 T. softened butter
1/4 C. shortening
1 egg
1/4 - 1/3 C. light molasses

C. = cup, T. = tablespoon, t. = teaspoon

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, if you have it.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients, except for the sugar, and mix with a wire whisk.

In another large bowl, combine the butter, shortening, and ONE cup of sugar. Add the egg and molasses. Beat until blended.
Gradually pour in the dry ingredients. Mix until well blended.

Shape the dough into one inch balls.
Roll each ball in the remaining 2/3 C. sugar.
Place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 13 minutes until they're puffed up and lightly brown on the edges. Let cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before removing them.

Who Has Which Blood Type

Type
O+ 1 person in 3, 38.4%
O- 1 person in 15, 7.7%
A+ 1 person in 3, 32.3%
A- 1 person in 16, 6.5%
B+ 1 person in 12, 9.4%
B- 1 person in 67, 1.7%
AB+ 1 person in 29, 3.2%
AB- 1 person in 167, 0.7%

Source: BloodBook.com
http://www.bloodbook.com/index.html

Found a Treasure

Several years ago, I found this oil painting in the back of a Florida closet. Twice, I almost donated it to a rummage sale. I never cared much for it, but I think it was the frame. Without the plastic wood frame, it's really quite nice. A new frame will give it a whole new look, and off to the Adirondacks it will go.
There's even information on the back. Mildred Marsh of Manhattan Beach, Minnesota painted it in 1987. It's Island Lake, going into the Whitefish Chain - Minnesota. It was a gift to Edna Klaus.
It's lovely.

Reusable Grocery Bags

This goes into the 'stumbled upon' category.
There's an article in the New York Times about the tax on plastic bags in Ireland.
In 2002, a law was passed which adds 33 cents to every plastic bag.A photo shows a cloth bag at a Superquinn store.
I like it. I want one. I wonder if there are any on eBay.
Do any of the stores in England have bags like these?
We're currently drowning in plastic bags - the broom closet is overflowing with them.
It's time we switched to the reusable ones, but it would be so much more fun to have one from Dublin.
This could be more fun than collecting bookmarks from libraries.
Here's the New York Times article.
Motivated by a Tax, Irish Spurn Plastic Bags

Groundhog Day - 2008

Here's the link to the official Groundhog Day site.
They're saying that Punxsutawney Phil did see his shadow this morning, so there will be SIX more weeks of winter. Doesn't he always see his shadow?
http://www.groundhog.org/prediction/

Books Read - 2007

Here's what I read in 2007, with the most recent read listed first.

• Wonderful Tonight - Patty Boyd
  
• Good Dog, Stay - Quindlen
• The Paris Option - Ludlum/Lynds
• My French Whore - Gene Wilder
• The Kite Runner - Hosseini
• About Alice - Trillin
• An Imperfect God - Wiencek
• The Devil in the White City - Larson
• The Diving Bell & the Butterfly - Bauby
• Rise and Shine - Quindlen
• By the Rivers of Babylon - DeMille 2x
• The Secret Servant - Silva
• Mad Dogs - Grady
• North River - Hamill
• The Thornbirds - McCullough 2x
• The English Assassin - Silva 2x
• The Digital Person - Daniel Solove
• Truck - Perry
• The Unlikely Spy - Silva's 1st
• The Short Straw - Woods
• Act of Treason - Flynn
• Mary, Mary - Patterson
• Wild Fire - DeMille

Best Cheesecake Recipe - McCalls

This is from a 1975 issue of McCall's magazine.
I haven't found a better recipe for cheesecake.

Crust
1 C. sifted flour
1/4 C. sugar
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg yolk
1/4 C. softened butter or margarine
I usually double these amounts so I have enough.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Grease the inside of a springform pan.
In a medium bowl, combine everything except
the egg yolk and butter.
Make a well in the center, and add the yolk.
Blend, then add butter, and blend.
On the bottom of the pan, roll out 1/2 the dough.
Bake 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown.
Roll out remaining dough.
Cut it into 3 inch strips.
Press it around the side of the pan.
Don't bake the side strips.
Assemble the pan.

Filling
5 packages of 8 oz. creamed cheese
1 3/4 C. sugar
3 T. flour
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 1/2 grated orange peel
1/4 tsp. vanilla
5 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
1/4 C. heavy cream

In a large mixing bowl, blend cheese,
sugar, flour, peels, vanilla.
Blend until smooth.
Add eggs and yolks, one at a time.
Scrape the sides often.
Pour into the pan.
Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.
Lower the oven to 250 degrees,
and bake for one more hour.

Honolulu Traffic Webcams

I love this site. It runs for five minutes, showing a whole bunch of traffic hotspots in Honolulu.
I think I like it even more than the Waikiki beach webcam, tho that one can be interesting at 5:00 or 6:00AM. You can access the beach cam from this site, too. Fun.
http://www.honolulu.gov/multimed/hotspot.asp

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

My favorite book is now a movie.
Ages ago, I'd read that Johnny Depp was going to play Jean Dominique Bauby, but wasn't able to.
I can't wait to see it.
Read about it here:

Premiere
http://www.premiere.com/cannes/3838/ringing-his-bell.html

Screener
http://nbm.typepad.com/screener/2007/10/nyff-the-diving.html

P.S. One year ago today, it was raining. At the moment, it's about 12 F degrees, and there's snow on the ground.

101.5 FM The Point - Tampa

This is the best radio station! I can listen to it all day without even being at Camp Largo, and .... they list the songs as they're played. I need new, really good speakers.
These headphones are a tad confining.
The only problem is - after a day, they play the same songs over again.
http://1015thepoint.com/

Shopping List

Amazon Christmas shopping list:
Raising Sand - Robert Plant and Alison Krauss; Audio CD $8.99
Live in Japan - George Harrison; Audio CD $26.99
Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr - Ringo Starr; Audio CD $13.97
Still on Top: The Greatest Hits - Van Morrison; Audio CD $7.99
The Secret Servant (Gabriel Allon) - Daniel Silva; Hardcover $15.57

Now all I have to do is figure out who to give them to.

Two Turkeys, Maybe Even Three

Onondaga Free Library

Referendum

Onondaga residents will vote Nov. 6 on a referendum that would increase the town's annual contribution to the library from $200,000 to $475,000. If it passes, the plans for the 14,300-square-foot addition will move forward.

I hope this passes. Their library needs serious work.

Update: It passed!

Across the Street a Little While Ago

Syracuse Wedding Vendor Reviews

A Syracuse Wedding

photo by Steph

Salina Shoes
2809 S. Salina St., Syracuse, NY 13205
(315) 475-2735
Salina Shoes to the rescue!
It was August. None of the mall stores had any dressy white shoes left.
No way did anyone want to spend beaucoup bucks for cheap, uncomfortable shoes they sell at the bridal salons, and online.
The bride's first baby shoes came from Salina Shoes, so it was fitting that her wedding shoes also be bought there.
They had three pairs to pick from! Bellini was the first choice.
The manager couldn't have been more helpful.
Rating: A++
Best Shoe Store in Syracuse

Westcott Florist
548 Westcott St., Syracuse, NY 13210
(315) 474-1283
http://www.westcottflorist.com/
- We were told the cake flowers would be delivered to the bakery on Friday. When we found out they hadn't been, we called the florist to ask why, and they said they never delivered cake flowers the day before. Ok, so don't tell us they'd be delivered on Friday.
- One of the Mother's corsages was baby pink roses, with bright pink ribbon. We specifically asked for a deep, or dusty/antique pink color for the roses, and ribbon.
- About 6 of the corsages and boutonnieres had no pins. We had to do some major scrounging around the house for some floral pins, with no time to spare.
- One of the gerbera boutonnieres fell apart.
- Two items were labeled incorrectly, tho they were correct on the order form.
- They did arrive on time.
- Do the flowers on the cake photo look like they're worth $50.00?
Rating: C -

Industry Salon
121 Walton Street, Syracuse, NY 13202
(315) 476-0015
Best hair salon in Syracuse. That's what many people think.
The story made the rounds at the wedding and reception.
The bride had a 7:30 am appointment on the morning of the wedding.
The photographer would be arriving at the house 9:oo am.
She made the appointment months in advance.
She's a regular customer at the Industry.
She had just been there several weeks prior to go over the wedding 'do'.
At 8:00 am, she asked the receptionist to call B_____ at home to see where he was.
He was at home. He had forgotten her appointment.
She made it back home at 8:45 am, leaving her 15 minutes to get dressed and do makeup.
Major scramble. Not a good start to the day.
He charged her 1/2 his usual fee.
What? Half price?
That would be my last visit.
Rating: F

Fremont Bakery
119 E. Second St., East Syracuse, NY 13057 (315) 437-5683
http://www.fremontbakerycny.com/

The Fremont Bakery has closed.
You can read about it here:
http://deskdiva.blogspot.com/2012/01/fremont-bakery-has-closed.html

Outstanding wedding cake, delivered on time, and in perfect shape.
Fremont Bakery has been making the best wedding cakes forever.
Mention the name to anyone, and chances are they, and/or their mother had Fremont do their cake.
People snapped up unattended & unfinished pieces.
I've never seen that happen before.
The best people to work with.
It was a beauty.
Rating: A+
Best Wedding Cake Bakery in Syracuse


Photography by John Farnach
Manlius, NY
Five years ago, the other bride interviewed quite a few photographers, and decided to go with John Farnach Photography. We'd seen his work, and his price includes all the proofs. This time around, we didn't even bother shopping around. He's easy to work with, pleasant, and can be very funny in an understated way.
At the church, you hardly know he's there. Two suggestions: make a list of photos you really want him to get, and give him a schedule so you don't miss your reception. It's a great opportunity to get an extended family photo. We did a couple college alumni photos - very fun.
Update: The albums and single prints that were ordered were done BEFORE Christmas in time for gift giving!! Excellent.
Rating: A+
Best Photographer in Syracuse

American Limousine
701 E. Hiawatha Blvd. Syracuse, NY 13208
(315) 473-2000 (800) 611-9572
http://www.americanlimousine.net/
The white Town Car arrived on time! The driver was pleasant and courteous. We've got a cute photo of him holding the bride's bouquet as she was getting out of the car.
The car looked brand new. There wasn't the promised champagne in the car, but the driver went and got some during the wedding ceremony.
Perfect.
Rating: A
Best Limo in Syracuse

Syracuse Card Company
1632 Erie Blvd. East, Syracuse, NY 13217
(315) 472-4496
For wedding invitations, it doesn't make that much difference where you get them. When you order from an album, all the stores 'discount' them. It's like ordering from a wallpaper book.
Make sure you spend the extra for a proof of the invitation. It was worth it here, because there were several errors, even though the information on the completed order form was correct.
Come on. It can't be that hard to copy information from one place to another.
Rating: B

Just Rosie's Boutique
105 Caroline Ave., Solvay, NY 13209
(315) 468-4313
Just Rosie's isn't really a wedding vendor, but if you're the mother of the bride, or you need something dressy, be sure to stop in. It's right around the corner from Solvay Bank's main office. Some of the dresses are the traditional MOB heavily beaded ensembles, but if you're looking for something elegant, simple, and comfortable, she'll have it. Very classy. She also carries Ursula of Switzerland - a beautiful line headquartered in Waterford, NY. The Ursula dress I bought was made in the USA. Surprise! It's also nice to have personal service without it being pushy. I need to visit again.
You can return an item for store credit.
Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00 - 5:00pm - except for Tuesday - opens about 2:00pm
Saturday - 9:00 - 3:00pm, Closed Sunday
Rating: A+
Best boutique in Syracuse

Highland Forest
Box 31, 1254 Highland Forest Rd.
Fabius, NY 13063
(315) 683-5550 / 683-5147 fax
http://onondagacountyparks.com/parks/highland/
The wedding reception was at Skyline Lodge at Highland Forest, one of the Onondaga County Parks. Orchard Vali Golf Club is the exclusive caterer.
Directions From I-81 S (from Syracuse) Take Exit 14, make left off of exit then left onto Route 80. Highland Forest is approximately 12 miles, entrance is on the right. Follows signs to Skyline Lodge.
The facility is described below:

Orchard Vali Golf Club
4693 Route 20, LaFayette, NY 13084
(315) 677-3303
http://www.orchardvali.com/
Sandy and Melanie were great to work with. We only had to meet with Sandy twice, and do a few phone calls. The food was excellent. They did a beautiful room arrangement. The coffee and tea station was nice (our idea), and they even had green tea. A lot of people like to have coffee right away instead of waiting for dessert. Having it set up throughout the reception, gives people the opportunity to get up and move around. We've been to too many receptions where once you sit down at your designated table, you're there til the end.
The restrooms are VERY nice, and large.
The table linens are heavy and nice - we went with white.
The floor is stone, and there's no wooden dance floor, which didn't present a problem. You can rent a wood dance floor on your own if you want. I'm glad I brought along comfortable flats to wear at the reception. The floor IS hard.
The punch was warm. Bummer.
I wish they'd asked us if we wanted the fireplace lit.
Overall, we'd choose Orchard Vali again. Everyone had a wonderful time, and the views are spectacular.
Rating: A

Plaza Wine and Liquors
104 Kasson Rd., Camillus, NY 13031
(315) 487-3680
Little bottles of wine make great favors. Not many wineries offer them, and none are from New York. We chose Glen Ellen. Plaza Wine & Liquors had the best price, which included the date / name labels. We were hoping they'd have the best price, because it's a very fun store.
They also carry Taittinger - the only champagne worth drinking.
Rating: A+

Sharon's Sewing Service - wedding dress, bridesmaid dress alterations, seamstress
101 Inwood Drive
Syracuse, NY 13219
(315) 382-1669
http://www.sharonsewingservice.com/
Sharon is extremely easy to work with. We were pleased with all of our alterations, and her work is top quality. Her rates are reasonable, especially when you consider what you'd pay for in house alterations. I saw an ensemble she made for a mother of the bride, and it was spectacular. She's located just east of Fairmount Glen Mini Golf, on the corner of Inwood Dr., and Onondaga Rd. We loved working with her. We now take everything to her - even slacks that need a little shortening. That's not a photo of her on her website!
Rating: A+
Best Alterations / Seamstress in Syracuse

Don't Forget The Veil
We couldn't believe the prices of veils at the bridal stores, so the bride's veil came from eBay. It came to just about $20.00, including shipping. It was a two tier shoulder, or 'blusher' length with a pencil ribbon trim and some little crystals. I'd heard that the reflection from crystals can ruin photos, but these didn't. It had a comb already attached. I think it was definitely the way to go.

For bride #1, I made the veil, using these directions - the best I found online, or off.
Making a Veil: http://www.wegotgame.net/jen/veils.html
I bought twice as much fabric as I needed in case I botched it the first time. I also made a mini veil for practice. The tulle, and everything I needed, came from Cazenovia Fabrics - http://www.cazfabrics.com/

The Green Gate Inn & French Kiss Restaurant
2 Main St.
Camillus, NY 13031
315-672-3606
http://www.thegreengateinn.com/index.htm
We had 20-25 people for the rehearsal dinner. For one reason, or another, we settled on the Green Gate. It wasn't our first choice - other places were already booked. We would have gone to Cora D's in a heartbeat, but they didn't have room. The goal was to have a simple supper, served quickly in a restaurant not too far from the church.
That shouldn't be too difficult. Right?
The prices on the Main Dinner menu were pricey.
We weren't allowed to order off the Pub Menu, but they did allow us three off menu choices, which were not on the menu: a 1/2 roasted chicken, a fish dinner (it was Friday), and a salad thing with chicken strips, or something.
They had the count of who wanted what a week ahead of time.
Everyone was seated on time, yet we waited over 45 minutes to get the salads and bread.
The waiter kept saying the food would be out 'shortly'.
When it finally did come, the food was pretty good. The salads were so-so.
We skipped dessert - good thing, or we would have been there another two hours.
We should have had our own waiter - he had all of us, plus other tables.
The wallpaper is pretty, but old. The chairs have been there forever, and are getting rickety.
The place doesn't have central air conditioning, and the large window unit was blasting cold air directly on two of our tables.
Early on in the planning, they lost the deposit check, and another had to be written.
Rating: C-

Fairmount Cleaners

3508 W Genesee St Ste 3

Syracuse, NY 13219

(315) 488-1131

The care instructions label for the wedding dress said, "Do not wash. Do not dry clean."
I wrote to the dress manufacturer asking them what to do - they emailed back, and said to use Spray n Wash, and distilled water. Really? That's a scary thought.
The bride, and Sharon, the seamstress talked to the owner of Fairmount Cleaners, and he said he'd wash the whole dress in special soap and regular water.
Still a scary thought, but we crossed our fingers, and let him do it.
It came out perfectly - it hardly had a wrinkle.
I couldn't believe it. He's great. He also did a fantastic job on the other bride's dress.
Rating: A+
Best Dry Cleaner in Syracuse

It's Official

Upcoming event

The church

The view at the reception

My dress

Hormone Products Chart

A good chart -

Hormone Products for Postmenopausal Use
in the United States and Canada
http://www.menopause.org/edumaterials/htcharts.pdf

Change isn't Always Good

Wegmans now bags the spring mix. Their macaroni salad is mostly slop - all elbows and goo.
Byrne Dairy doesn't put those plastic covers on their yogurt anymore. Now, you have to eat the whole thing, or find something to cover the container with.
Zest soap bars are now curved, more narrow, and harder to hang onto.
Walgreen's is nice, but Agway Gardens was a lot nicer.
Bon-Ton doesn't have anymore Joy Coyote earrings, Sag Harbor, or Burnes of Boston photo frames.
Salamino's Florist has been gone since January. They were great.

P.S. I just filled out the Blogger survey, and there's no Submit button! I looked everywhere. That's the last time I'll do that.

Happy Birthday, Tampa!

"Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own;
and from morning to night, as from the cradle to the grave,
is but a succession of changes so gentle and easy that we can scarcely mark their progress."
- Charles Dickens

BH-BL Reunion Info

Nice site - no need for Classmates.com
http://www.bhbl.org/alumni/reunioninfo.htm

General information for Burnt Hills - Ballston Lake Central School District
http://www.bhbl.org

Birthday Evening in Manhattan

this is from the RIOT webcam on 5th Ave.
www.rioting.com (then look under contact)

Good Day for a Camera

It was a good day to have a camera. I think I like tulips after all. They behaved very well. The rain we had later on made for some great raindrop shots. This size doesn't do it justice.

BH-BL High School Reunion 1986

I'm not quite sure where to put this, so I'll pop it in here til a better place comes up. This is a photo of those who attended the Burnt Hills Ballston Lake High School Reunion in 1986. It was held at Kaydeross Park, which closed in 1987, at Saratoga Lake. It was hot and humid, but it was nice to see everyone.

Another Good One

I'm weeding. Here's another good one, but it has to go. Shoot, it's no longer available in hardcover. It might get to stay. LaPlante's other books starring Josef Tanaka are also good.

Weather War

If you haven't read this book, look for it. It's out of print, but there are still some out there. The authors are Paul Posnick and Leonard Leokum. Sadly, I don't think a hardcover was ever done, and the paperback paper is lousy.

Trout Season Opens Today

Trout season opened today in New York state.
I took this pic somewhere near Elbridge.
Here's a good link:
http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/fish/index.html

Ward's Seafood Market

One of the very best things about Florida is Ward's Seafood Market in Clearwater.
I could go there just about everyday. I think my favorites are the red snapper and the salmon from Alaska. www.wardsseafood.com

Favorites and AOL

AOL has done it again.
My Favorites are all messed up. There aren't any from 2006 or 2007. The ones that are there are all out of order. There are many there from before 2004 that I know I deleted ages ago.
When I was using my notebook recently, all my Favorites completely disappeared. They never returned. I went to AOL's live Chat Help for assistance, and the tech person e-mailed me instructions on how to get them back. It didn't work, so I uninstalled AOL and used Firefox and Google for everything. AOL is supposed to store your Favorites on their servers.

I don't know why I continue to even sign onto AOL. It must be a nostalgia thing, or something.
I started out with AOL in 1994 with version 1.0.
I do like their e-mail, even though it has always gotten terrible reviews.
Even on the desktop, I use Firefox and Google's homepage most of the time.
Most of my really important bookmarks I've stored at Save This. Some I've e-mailed to myself.
Save This is nice, because you can drag a SaveThis thing to your Firefox toolbar, log in to your account and automatically have your sites bookmarked directly to them.
It's nice, and it's free. www.savethis.com

Belleair Beach

I love this photo.
It's a little beach in Belleair on Gulf Blvd.
If I ever win the lottery, I'll get a place here.
http://www.cityofbelleairbeach.com/

Largo makes AOL's Welcome Screen

Way to go, Largo.

The Steve Stanton story has put Largo, Florida on the map, but for all the wrong reasons.
Largo's motto is City of Progress. Maybe they should change it.

I was pleased to see the story on AOL's Welcome Screen, including a poll.
So far, 73% say he should not have been fired - with 10,059 votes.

Here's the story on AOL's Welcome Screen:
http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/city-likely-to-fire-manager-over-sex/20070301091909990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

We watched the four hour meeting Tuesday night on tv. Citizens were allowed to speak, then the Commissioners, including the mayor, spoke. I was surprised and dismayed at the Commissioners' remarks. Only the mayor, Pat Gerard, and Commissioner, Rodney Woods spoke in favor of Stanton.

For more articles, go to www.sptimes.com
Also - St. Petersburg Times Columnist Howard Troxler's Blog at: TroxBlog