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August 29, 2005
calculate your life expectancy
found on one of my favorite sites, Lifehacker, you can determine how your health and history may affect the length of your life.
Here's my expectancy:
Life Expectancy: 89.53
Lower Quartile : 82.99
Median Lifetime: 91.53
Upper Quartile : 98.37
Unless I add in my asthma, which is mild and only during the winter. I wouldn't consider it the type of asthma that compromises my life much at all.
Life Expectancy: 85.74
Lower Quartile : 79.04
Median Lifetime: 87.84
Upper Quartile : 94.49
Check yours out:
http://gosset.wharton.upenn.edu/~foster/mortality/perl/CalcForm.html
Posted by crystallyn at 04:07 PM | TrackBack
August 26, 2005
sites that have me hooked
I am loving loving the new Yelp! I can't wait till there are more people signed up so that the reviews really take off. If any of you join, look me up!
Odeo is a great new tool to help find podcasts. It's also in its early stages but it's much better than iTunes and iPodder for helping to preview podcasts.
The expanded customized Google News is improving. I really like the nice clean interface.
Slashfood is a great foodblog for the food and wine obsessed.
And extra super cool--the marriage of poetry and evolution! Darwinian Poetry
Posted by crystallyn at 07:43 PM
What is unusual about the class of 2009?
I'm getting old old, sigh sigh.
BELOIT COLLEGE MINDSET LIST® FOR THE CLASS OF 2009
Most students entering college this fall were born in 1987.
1. Andy Warhol, Liberace, Jackie Gleason, and Lee Marvin have always been dead.
2. They don't remember when "cut and paste" involved scissors.
3. Heart-lung transplants have always been possible.
4. Wayne Gretzky never played for Edmonton.
5. Boston has been working on "The Big Dig" all their lives.
6. With little need to practice, most of them do not know how to tie a tie.
7. Pay-Per-View television has always been an option.
8. They never had the fun of being thrown into the back of a station wagon with six others.
9. Iran and Iraq have never been at war with each other.
10. They are more familiar with Greg Gumbel than with Bryant Gumbel.
11. Philip Morris has always owned Kraft Foods.
12. Al-Qaida has always existed with Osama bin Laden at its head.
13. They learned to count with Lotus 1-2-3.
14. Car stereos have always rivaled home component systems.
15. Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker have never preached on television.
16. Voice mail has always been available.
17. "Whatever" is not part of a question but an expression of sullen rebuke.
18. The federal budget has always been more than a trillion dollars.
19. Condoms have always been advertised on television.
20. They may have fallen asleep playing with their Gameboys in the crib.
21. They have always had the right to burn the flag.
22. For daily caffeine emergencies, Starbucks has always been around the corner.
23. Ferdinand Marcos has never been in charge of the Philippines.
24. Money put in their savings account the year they were born earned almost 7% interest.
25. Bill Gates has always been worth at least a billion dollars.
26. Dirty dancing has always been acceptable.
27. Southern fried chicken, prepared with a blend of 11 herbs and spices, has always been available in China.
28. Michael Jackson has always been bad, and greed has always been good.
29. The Starship Enterprise has always looked dated.
30. Pixar has always existed.
31. There has never been a "fairness doctrine" at the FCC.
32. Judicial appointments routinely have been "Borked."
33. Aretha Franklin has always been in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
34. There have always been zebra mussels in the Great Lakes.
35. Police have always been able to search garbage without a search warrant.
36. It has always been possible to walk from England to mainland Europe on dry land.
37. They have grown up in a single superpower world.
38. They missed the oat bran diet craze.
39. American Motors has never existed.
40. Scientists have always been able to see supernovas.
41. Les Miserables has always been on stage.
42. Halogen lights have always been available at home, with a warning.
43. "Baby M" may be a classmate, and contracts with surrogate mothers have always been legal.
44. RU486 has always been on the market.
45. There has always been a pyramid in front of the Louvre in Paris.
46. British Airways has always been privately owned.
47. Irradiated food has always been available but controversial.
48. Snowboarding has always been a popular winter pastime.
49. Libraries have always been the best centers for computer technology and access to good software.
50. Biosphere 2 has always been trying to create a revolution in the life sciences.
51. The Hubble Telescope has always been focused on new frontiers.
52. Researchers have always been looking for stem cells.
53. They do not remember "a kinder and gentler nation."
54. They never saw the shuttle Challenger fly.
55. The TV networks have always had cable partners.
56. Airports have always had upscale shops and restaurants.
57. Black Americans have always been known as African-Americans.
58. They never saw Pat Sajak or Arsenio Hall host a late night television show.
59. Matt Groening has always had a Life in Hell.
60. Salman Rushdie has always been watching over his shoulder.
61. Digital cameras have always existed.
62. Tom Landry never coached the Cowboys.
63. Time Life and Warner Communications have always been joined.
64. CNBC has always been on the air.
65. The Field of Dreams has always been drawing people to Iowa.
66. They never saw a Howard Johnson's with 28 ice cream flavors.
67. Reindeer at Christmas have always distinguished between secular and religious decorations.
68. Entertainment Weekly has always been on the newsstand.
69. Lyme Disease has always been a ticking concern in the woods.
70. Jimmy Carter has always been an elder statesman.
71. Miss Piggy and Kermit have always dwelt in Disneyland.
72. America's Funniest Home Videos has always been on television.
73. Their nervous new parents heard C. Everett Koop proclaim nicotine as addictive as heroin.
74. Lever has always been looking for 2000 parts to clean.
75. They have always been challenged to distinguish between news and entertainment on cable TV.
Posted by crystallyn at 07:12 AM
August 25, 2005
shop wisely
if you don't want to be funding companies and owners of companies who are big supporters of the right wing agenda. The Boston Phoenix has an excellent story on who is who when it comes to contributions by brand names you may currently support.
Some of the brand names are familiar--Curves, for example, whose owner Gary Heavin is a huge pro-lifer (pretty hypocritical for a man who runs a health chain for women), Walmart and Home Depot, long known for supporting the Bush agenda.
Others are a bit interesting: Vick's Vapor Rub, Starz!, Band-Aid, Charmin, Domino's Pizza, Proctor & Gamble, Pfizer, Activision games (makers of Tony Hawk's Underground), the owners of Applebee's, Best Buy, Michael Dell from Dell Computers, Pepsi, Target, Urban Outfitters(!!), Pier 1, Kellogg's...and on and on.
Maybe Joe's best friend Tony will have extra incentive to stop the chew when he finds out that the owner of the company that makes Skoal and Copenhagen are also on the list.
And as the author of the article said--no, you aren't going to stop any of these companies in their tracks by not buying their products, but still, you should know where your money is going.
Shop At Your Own Risk (make sure you read pages 1 & 2, the links are easy to miss)
Also included are links to places where you can find out more about where your money is going:
Buy Blue
Sourcewatch
Media Transparency
Stealth Pacs
Okay, I'll get off my high-horse now. No more political posts for awhile. Or at least not until gas hits $3.00 a gallon (that probably will be next week...)
Posted by crystallyn at 06:46 PM | Comments (4)
August 24, 2005
WWJA?
(Who Would Jesus Assassinate?)
Posted by crystallyn at 07:11 AM | Comments (1)
August 22, 2005
"the price of gas...
keeps on rising
nothing comes for free..." ~Bloc Party
The song is terribly apropos these days. It's like a strange sort of sickness; driving around and comparing the prices at the various stations around town. When we see one that is only $2.81 we say woohooo it's better than the one that we saw that is $2.89, or $2.99...we haven't seen over $3.00 for premium yet but I'll bet we see it this week.
Stupid us bought a turbo earlier this year. Sigh. If only we had known!
We went to a wedding this weekend and one of the wedding party is in the Air Force. We were bitching about the price of gas and he said, "I can't talk bad about my boss, so I won't say anything." Well we'll say plenty about Mr. 5 Weeks of Vacation (319 days of his presidency) on his behalf. Argh.
So I've been far more concerned about conserving gas and have been really looking into what I need to do to help save a few dollars here and there.
Here are some gas-saving tips from the experts at the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence:
• Monitor tires. Under inflated tires or poorly aligned wheels waste fuel by forcing the engine to work harder (let the tires cool down before checking air pressure). Out-of-line wheels, as evidenced by uneven tread wear, should be aligned by a professional.
• Remove excess weight. Remove unnecessary items from the vehicle. Store only essentials in the trunk. Less weight means better mileage.
• Consolidate trips and errands. Some trips may be unnecessary. Also, try to travel when traffic is light so you avoid the stop-and-go conditions that hinder fuel efficiency.
• Avoid excessive idling. Shut off the engine while waiting for friends or family.
• Observe speed limits. Speeding decreases the miles-per-gallon average of your vehicle.
• Drive gently. Sudden accelerations guzzle gas. Try to anticipate traffic patterns ahead and adjust your speed gradually.
• Keep your engine tuned up. A well maintained engine operates at peak efficiency, maximizing gas mileage. Follow service schedules listed in the owners manual. Replace filters and fluids as recommended. Have engine performance problems such as rough idling and poor acceleration corrected at a repair facility.
Additional tips from Fine Living:
* Reduce air conditioning.Running the air conditioning burns up fuel, so do your best to limit your use of it. Roll down your windows for some fresh air, or use your air conditioner's economy setting.
* Try a light colored car. When renting a vehicle in the summer months, opt for a light colored exterior and interior and cloth seats, as this will keep you feeling cooler and allow you to use the air conditioning less frequently.
And even more from About.com:
* Purchase only gas that is the correct octane as specified by your car's manufacturer.
* Fill up in the morning--cooler gasoline is more compact, so you'll get more drops of the precious fluid for your dollars.
* Obey posted speed limits; fuel economy decreases substantially at speeds above 55 miles per hour.
* Set your cruise control to maintain a constant speed, which can also improve fuel economy.
* If your car has overdrive, use it. It reduces fuel consumption during highway driving.
* Try to avoid extreme acceleration.
* Don't tailgate. It leads to unnecessary braking and acceleration.
* Don't let your car sit and idle. Start it only when everything is packed in the truck, the kids are strapped in, and you're ready to go.
* Because running a car's air conditioner may increase gas consumption in some cases, opt for open windows, particularly at speeds under 40 miles per hour. Check your owner's manual for specific information about your own vehicle's fuel efficiency when operating the AC.
* Be sure to park in the shade.
* Try not to make single-purpose trips. Bring your beach gear along so that you can go straight there after a morning of sightseeing.
And from the American International Auto Dealers:
* It's all about the oil. Proper oil maintenance and viscosity will help your car to operate at maximum efficiency. Heavy oil will cause the engine to work harder. Use the lightest grade oil for hot climates. Check the chart in the owner's manual to find out what grade is best suited to your vehicle.
* Let your engine coolant be cool, but not too cool. Improperly mixed engine coolant can cause your engine to run too hot or too cool and can hamper fuel economy. The right temperature makes the car run more efficiently, so make sure your engine has fresh coolant.
* Replace the dirty air filter. An air filter works hard on freeways and roads and collects dust, dirt and debris. A new and functioning air filter will provide better gas mileage.
* Fire up the spark plugs. A tune-up is a misnomer in this day in age. Computer-driven coil packs replaced the points, condensor and distributor in most vehicles a long time ago. However, spark plugs must fire properly for the engine to run smoothly. Replace the spark plugs on time, according to your owner's manual.
* Don't ride around on big, big tires (besides you look like an redneck idiot). For those who bought bigger tires and fancy wheels for SUV's and mini-vans, it's more than likely that fuel economy has significantly decreased. If you still have the original tires, switch them back. Consult the vehicle owner's manual for the correct pressure.
* Tires. Tires. Tires. Maintaining your vehicle's tires is crucial to fuel economy. Every other fill-up, walk around the vehicle and check tires for uneven or excessive tread wear as well as proper inflation. Refer to the vehicle's doorjamb, fuel filler flap, or glove box for original equipment specifications or the manufacturer of the replacement tire for proper tire pressure inflation, he added. Check your owner's manual for your specific vehicle's service recommendations.
* Service engine light. If the engine light is on, one or more systems in the vehicle aren't working properly and can hamper fuel economy. Take the car into a reputable repair facility to be evaluated. Get a written estimate, if work is to be diagnosed.
* Keep it not so cool. Use your air conditioner sparingly.
* Don't stomp on the accelerator. How hard you depress the throttle will greatly affect fuel economy. Accelerate less aggressively, brake gently and stop speeding. Instead of driving defensively, go on the offense and adopt a more fuel-efficient driving style. If you're not already driving defensively, now's the time to adopt a more laid-back and fuel-efficient driving style.
~~
Sad though that it is going to take an energy crisis for us to start doing all of these things...
Posted by crystallyn at 07:43 AM | Comments (2)
August 15, 2005
weirdly homesick
homesick for a bit of my childhood really, not for Spokane itself. I don't really miss Spokane although the first half of my life and college was spent in its vicinity. But I found myself with nostalgic tears when I found the SpokaneCarrousel.org site.
The site showcases Spokane's Looff carousel which are some of the finest ever made. It was originally housed at Spokane's Natatorium park from 1909 to 1968. They moved the carousel to Riverside Park after Expo 74. Nearby is the super wicked cool bronze goat that sucks up garbage that you feed it. It's a remnant from the World's Fair and a favorite of little kids.
Here's Athena, the horse I always tried to get when I rode the carrousel and had high hopes for the gold ring.
If I couldn't manage to snag her before some other kid, I always tried to get the giraffe.
I remember that when I first went to the Flying Horses in Martha's Vineyard, I thought that it was cool since it's the oldest running carousel in the country but it just didn't hold a candle to the Looff in Spokane.
From the site I learned that in Riverside, RI there is another Looff carousel. Might be worth checking out. They're so beautiful. Going to ride the carousel was the biggest treat whenever we went downtown. That and seeing the incredible moving Christmas displays at the Crescent department store.
I feel like an old fart telling stories to children of days gone past, sigh.
Posted by crystallyn at 02:33 PM
August 11, 2005
tax free is barely free
I was in Origins the other day looking at their luscious but expensive ginger sparkly lotion which I love but just can't justify the cost right now. Instead I picked up a small but still expensive bottle of conditioner and went to purchase it.
"This weekend is tax-free if you are looking to buy any gifts or other items," the clerk said.
"Ahh the five percent discount. Not worth worrying about," I said.
He looked at me like I had two heads. "No, it's a tax-free holiday."
I nodded, knowing that he was the one with two heads. "Yes, that would be a 5% discount, you see."
He didn't get it. He was seriously confused when I left. Jeesh.
I used to work for a sales and use tax software firm so I know loads more about sales and use taxes than normal people ought to know. And I know that tax free holiday (5% sales tax in MA) really is just a great gimmick for governments to get people to go out and buy to help give the economy a boost. The state will lose money to the tune of $14 million but retailers are expected to get a $300m jump ahead.
It's amazing how sucked in that people are by that five percent discount. Joe and I just happened to be looking for a rug last year during the MA tax holiday. We ended up at Jordan's furniture which was PACKED like it was Christmas. I couldn't believe all the sheep that had clustered there for their 5% discount, not realizing that if they held out a few weeks that the likelihood that the retailer would offer a bigger discount was probably pretty good. Instead the malls and the shopping centers are going to be jammed with people who can't do simple math and realize that really--they aren't getting much of a deal.
Now when I lived in Seattle and the city tax was something crazy like 9.6%, well a tax holiday on larger purchases would have been a bit more promising. 5% isn't enough of a reason for us to be herded around like the rest of the lugheads in MA. Give me the beach anyday. Can you say sand castle competition?
Posted by crystallyn at 07:04 PM | Comments (2)
August 09, 2005
Creativity Jumpstart--HIGH RECOMMEND
If you aren't sure what you are doing with your life and you need an excuse to get off your ass and do something creative that you have been wishing you could do, I have the answer for you.
CRCRTH630 Criticism and Creativity in Literature and the Arts (but it's not really about lit and the arts per se, just what they ended up naming it--those of us who have been privledged enough to take it just call it "Ben's class")
Joe and I both took this UMass Boston course--me as part of the Critical & Creative Thinking (CCT) program and Joe as part of his education M.A. You don't have to be in either of these courses to take the class, however, but it is an EXCELLENT way to see how amazingly cool that the CCT program is. If you want to go back to school but aren't sure what for or aren't sold on getting your MBA--the program is incredible and has helped countless graduates change careers and redefine their lives.
The instructor, Ben Schwendener is not only brilliant and talented as a musician and teacher but he's also just plain cool.
I created Plum Ruby Review because of this course. It has opened up countless doors for me by adding volumes to my C.V. and my credibility as a writer. Creating the site even paved the way for my Pushcart Prize nomination. I don't know if I ever would have managed to do it all if it weren't for Ben and this class. I'm serious about that.
One of the women that took this class with us started the seed of an idea that became a kitty bed and breakfast...her new business. Another began writing the story of her abusive childhood and her transformation that now enables her to encourage others to fulfill their dreams. One of the other class participants began designing and putting her lifelong dream of building and running a children's camp into action. The whole experience was so inspiring and amazing.
It's a once a week course at UMass Boston. Highly worth checking out. I can't say enough about it--one of the best classes I ever took. For more information, keep reading...
Have you been thinking about going back to graduate school, but not sure where to start?
This course is for you.
Instructor, Ben Schwendener brings his knowledge and talent as a musician and teacher to this amazing course.
Is there a project you have been meaning to get to but just don’t have the time?
This course is for you.
Create a website (I did that!!), design a course, write a cookbook (Joe did that!), organize your photos from your latest trip or anything else you have wanted to do. All the projects stated above have been done by past students.
Don’t have the time to go back to school?
This course if for you, it meets only one night a week.
Fall Semester, Thursday nights, 7-9:30pm
The price is right.
Course Fee Only: $720
Are you a current CCT student and have not yet taken Ben’s famous course?
Sign up today, you will be happy you did!
“The course was a gem in that it affected every aspect of my life and was applicable to many other areas that I am involved with.” - Former Student.
“Ben’s course opened the door for creativity to become a part of my daily life. I cannot thank you enough and I will treasure my project. Thank you.” - CCT Student.
Any questions please contact Ben directly via his email address:
Ben AT GravityArts.org.
Course Description:
This course is designed to enable the participants to access the objective, natural elements which may then be freely chosen and organized with the aim of actualizing a product, event, curriculum, business or artistic venue – in short ANYTHING that the ‘student’ wants to create. Identifying and discarding pre-existing techniques and methodologies is encouraged, as individuals explore their own intuitive creative processes in a dynamic, dialogue-based class structure.
Sign up today, by going to the UMass Boston website or clicking on this link http://ccde.umb.edu/credit/fall05/crcrth.html
Posted by crystallyn at 05:23 PM
August 05, 2005
who owns that fish?
In my del.icio.us inbox I ran across a great little brainteaser from a site that I have frequented in the past from design firm Coudal Partners. The trick, which may or may not have been invented by Einstein apparently is solvable by only 2% of people. Are you in the top 2%?
Took me a little bit of time last night but I came up with the answer--and it all checks out--I didn't guess, I did all the logic and completed the grid. I didn't even use Jason Clarke's Fish Helper, although it might have been handy.
The extra cool thing is that the prize is one of the Euro live CDs from the new Dead Can Dance tour! WOOHOOO!
Coudal does the super cool jewelboxes for the Pixies and Dead Can Dance CDs and they also are creating CDs of each show for purchase afterward (not as efficient as the way They Might Be Giants lets you buy the MP3s and burn your own (plus it looks like all the DCD ones are sold out) but the package for the DCD shows are SO cool).
We have October 5 tickets to the DCD show in Boston. I can't WAIT! I am so excited about this show...have been a fan for so long and thought I would never see them since they were no more. Who would have thunk a reunion would have happened?!
Will be interesting to go and see what the crowd is like. I'm wondering if it will be a bunch of young kids who fancy themselves all goth or if it will be a bunch of former goths (they didn't have that word back then when we were growing up; we were wavers or sometimes "batcaves"). Or people who just love gorgeous music and enchanting voices? They have the best music to write to...soothing, calming, beautiful. Joe is worried that it will be "boring" as a result. Kind of how the Cocteau Twins were VERY boring when I saw them years ago--lush ethereal music but not a lot else (they also used their own made up words and language for their songs so that was odd).
Regardless, I have several things to celebrate--I'm in the top 2% (and no I'm not going to give away my answer and yes I have the work to show I know it); we're going to Dead Can Dance and thirdly that Joe is being really cool about the fact that I'm dragging him to a concert on our 5th anniversary (of meeting--which for us is our really big anniversary, more than getting married).
Oh and....it's Friday.
Posted by crystallyn at 07:36 AM
August 02, 2005
little taxi?
Last night Joe and I were lounging on the balcony with a glass of wine after dinner. We were listening to old Cure songs on "Pod" as we call it (Pod has a personality, you see, choosing the songs and artists it feels like we want to hear) and watching the squirrels get all squirrely in the trees. Somehow we started talking about having children.
ME: The only reason I want children is to have someone take care of me when I'm old. I know I say that a lot but more and more its true and it's selfish and awful.
JOE: It IS awful! Besides, that's what nurses are for.
ME: But really, who will take care of us when we're old? Look at the F____ (VERY elderly landlords who live below us). They have their children within a phone call if something happens. Who will we have?
JOE: You worry too much. But actually, having a child would mean a tax break.
ME: I suppose there is that.
JOE: We could call our child "Little Tax Break" or "Taxi" for short. And really, since it's a tax break, we won't have to worry so much about raising it like other people do. If our little Taxi gets into the cat box for example and starts playing around, we can say 'woohoo...don't have to worry about changing that diaper, now will we?'
It probably says a lot about both of us that a. Joe can crack jokes along lines like this (and god knows how his train of thought got him from the name Taxi to the catbox...) and b. that it made me laugh so hard.
And yeah yeah, don't give me the comments about how great kids are and they will change our life, etc. etc. We KNOW. But the thing is--we don't WANT our lives changed--at least not in that way. That's why we get to be the favorite aunts and uncles; because we love kids--we just don't want them to be ours.
Unless, that is, they'll take care of us when we're old--but there really isn't much of a guarantee there, now, is there?
Posted by crystallyn at 07:28 AM | Comments (9)