tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-385104342024-03-07T00:22:02.627-08:00And So ForthThe world from my windows and the harmonies in my headBetty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.comBlogger169125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-80860569496721936432009-09-05T10:58:00.000-07:002009-09-05T11:01:44.250-07:00Good-bye for nowAt one point in my life, I kept up three blogs. "And So Forth" was my catch-all blog, where I wrote about politics, music and whatever else suited my fancy.<br /><br />I would love to have the time to do that now, but I just don't. So for the moment, my blogging output is going to be limited to my main blog: <a href="http://www.franceprofonde.blogspot.com">La France Profonde</a>.<br /><br />I hope to see you there.Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-10213439396931014882009-05-09T23:46:00.000-07:002009-05-10T00:06:34.676-07:00The future of the press: magazines<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SgZ5YwsTu0I/AAAAAAAACOA/hYVXsYRixfU/s1600-h/business-week.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SgZ5YwsTu0I/AAAAAAAACOA/hYVXsYRixfU/s400/business-week.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334084274961496898" border="0" /></a>I can't quite read the date on this Business Week cover, but I wonder how much the editors were thinking about themselves when they put it to press.<br /><br />"Blogs will change your business...catch up...or catch you later."<br /><br />Well, blogs have certainly changed the paper press business, and I <a href="http://and-so-forth.blogspot.com/2009/03/bye-bye-miss-american-newspaper.html">have already blogged about the sad, progressive demise of the American newspaper</a>.<br /><br />Of course, magazines are facing some of the same problems, although they may have a little more going for them: they aren't dailies, they're easier to handle on planes and beaches, and they have a more attractive allure than those somewhat grubby newspapers.<br /><br />A lot of people really love their glossies: they like showing them off on their coffee table, they appreciate the feel of them, they enjoy browsing the magazine section of stores and maybe making a few impulse buys.<br /><br />But despite what they have going for them, magazines are facing the same difficulties as newspapers: declining advertising revenue, sinking readership, and the overall problem of "if I can read everything online, why buy a magazine?"<br /><a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/07/how-fortune-forbes-and-businessweek-can-save-themselves/"><br />A recent article in TechCrunch</a> tackles the issue of how business magazines can survive, and suggests a rather draconian, but perhaps necessary, new business model. I think the author's ideas give food for thought to all magazine companies, writers...and readers.<br /><br />What do you think?Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-53612892720823431212009-04-29T09:49:00.000-07:002009-04-29T10:33:37.572-07:00Rock and roll: catch up or give up?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SfiFie9OEdI/AAAAAAAACNU/AimAh3w2G7U/s1600-h/WhiteStripes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 281px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SfiFie9OEdI/AAAAAAAACNU/AimAh3w2G7U/s320/WhiteStripes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330156986464866770" border="0" /></a><br />If you ever stop by this little-frequented blog, you will know that I am quite a music fan. <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><br />And I'm not closed-minded. I have the requisite eclectic tastes: jazz, classical, <span style="font-style: italic;">la chanson française...</span>But I'm quite sure you know what I know: <span style="font-weight: bold;">ROCK AND ROLL RULES</span>.<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><br />Now that I've gotten that out of my system, let me also tell you I <span style="font-weight: bold;">used to</span> be<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span>a fountain of</span> rock knowledge. I could tell you the original names of a ton o' groups, knew which albums were coming out when, and was the type of person who could hold my own in A-side vs. B-side debates. Of course that was about 25 years ago, but I like to think it counts for something.<br /><br />But it doesn't count for being "up on things." So, a year or so back, I decided the Internet would be my route to Catching Up With Rock and Roll Since 1990. I mean between <a href="http://www.deezer.com/">Deezer</a>, <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/">Allmusic</a>, and unlimited access to cool people's playlists, how hard could it be?<br /><br />Unfortunately, it's proving to be very hard indeed. Sure, I write down group names, log in dutifully to <a href="http://www.deezer.com">Deezer</a> planning on checking them out, and end up listening to <a href="http://and-so-forth.blogspot.com/2008/01/fountain-of-sorrow.html">my splendid Jackson Browne playlist</a>, or doing a little more research on the many cover versions of "Hallelujah," even though I know <a href="http://www.deezer.com/#music/result/all/Jeff%20Buckley">Jeff Buckley's</a> is the best.<br /><br />As for <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/">Allmusic</a>, it's a great place; I'm always going there to refresh my memory on burning and oh-so-current questions like "Did <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jifqxqt5ld0e"><span style="font-style: italic;">Highway 61 Revisited</span></a> come out <span style="font-weight: bold;">before</span> or <span style="font-weight: bold;">after </span><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hifqxqt5ld0e"><span style="font-style: italic;">Bringing It All Back Home</span></a>?"<br /><br />Don't get me wrong. I'm not totally ignorant. I can wail "Smells Like Teen Spirit" with the best of them -- oops, that's not really new anymore, is it? It's, like, from the last century? Oh well.<br /><br />A few groups do keep coming back on my "must listen to" lists: The White Stripes, The Hives, The Strokes. I know they're out there! But I have come to realize that I will never listen to these groups if someone doesn't just stick a CD into my hand. And that never happens to people my age, right?<br /><br />Yes, it does! I was at a school Christmas party this year, and one of my students came up to me and handed me a <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll">White Stripes</a> playlist he had put on a CD. "I made this for you, I thought you might like it."<br /><br />He was right. I liked it very much. Maybe I should "get into" this group.<br /><br />But then again, there is so much music from 1960-1990 that I am ignorant of. And I've started to forget some of those "fun facts to know and tell," like the differences between UK and US releases of 60s albums. One can only keep up with so much.<br /><br />So what's the best choice: to try to catch up, or just to give up?Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-11370635576403864982009-04-19T03:31:00.001-07:002009-04-19T03:37:40.067-07:00Unconscious Mutterings 325<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/Ser-v5_fcnI/AAAAAAAACMs/icNhdjvZJc4/s1600-h/08054_art.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/Ser-v5_fcnI/AAAAAAAACMs/icNhdjvZJc4/s320/08054_art.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326349608293462642" border="0" /></a><br />I really would like to get this blog moving with more frequent posts, but life is just too busy.<br /><br />In the meantime, there's always <a href="http://www.lunanina.com/UM/ind/week_325/">Unconscious Mutterings 325</a>:<br /><br /><ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lease</span> :: on life<br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dead</span> :: Grateful</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Removed</span> :: Uplifted</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Broke</span> :: Back</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lips </span>:: Flaming</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Flight</span> :: 324</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Three hours</span> :: That's all we've got<br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Give</span> :: and take<br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Technical</span> :: Whirl</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hurry</span> :: up, hurry up and wait<br /></li><br /></ol>Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-29023210755376904572009-04-11T23:13:00.000-07:002009-04-11T23:17:07.521-07:00Too late for April Fool's, but still funnyI'm sure many of you have seen this, but if you haven't -- don't miss it! Very clever:<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BeLZCy-_m3s&hl=fr&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BeLZCy-_m3s&hl=fr&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-22731461576221834292009-04-08T01:55:00.000-07:002009-04-08T01:58:06.410-07:00When the ship comes in...???<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/Sdxm-BQeo6I/AAAAAAAACLM/lRWzgb9uGlo/s1600-h/I%27ve+gotta+love+this+Wordless+Wednesday.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/Sdxm-BQeo6I/AAAAAAAACLM/lRWzgb9uGlo/s400/I%27ve+gotta+love+this+Wordless+Wednesday.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322242075320558498" border="0" /></a>Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-39793130736120535812009-04-04T06:16:00.000-07:002009-04-04T06:47:55.168-07:00If you're reading this at work, congratulate yourself!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/Sdde3Pay2cI/AAAAAAAACKA/Aq0XJKa5qHA/s1600-h/cyberspace.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/Sdde3Pay2cI/AAAAAAAACKA/Aq0XJKa5qHA/s320/cyberspace.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320825787886262722" border="0" /></a>Surreptitious employees who use Internet for personal reasons at work will be thrilled with new research suggesting that workers are actually more productive when allowed to surf the Web freely during office hours.<br /><br /><a href="http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/news/5750/">According to Dr. Brent Coker of the University of Melbourne</a>, "People who do surf the Internet for fun at work - within a reasonable limit of less than 20% of their total time in the office - are more productive by about 9% than those who don’t."<br /><br />These results intrigue me but don't really surprise me. And while I'm not going to read the entire study to examine if it establishes true causality, I wonder if some other factors don't come into play here.<br /><br />First, perhaps the type of person likely to be Internet-savvy and "linked in" is, also, the type of person who would be more productive at work anyway. I tend to find that my friends who are "into" the Internet are also keen on activities like time management, list-making, and just general geeky organization. It seems to me that these are qualities that make for productive work .<br /><br />Second, work-life borders blur quickly online -- in many cases, in the employers' favor. I am scrupulous about limiting any non-work related online time to official breaks and lunchtime, and yet have found myself in plenty of situations where something that comes across a personal inbox turns into productive work.<br /><br />Take a concrete example. I decide to forego a session of coffee-break jabber and stay quietly in my office to check my personal email instead. Imagine there's not much there except a New York Times technology alert with some interesting articles about, say, adults' increasing use of Facebook.<br /><br />Hey, wouldn't this be great material for one of my classes? Quick read...it sure would...print...go to the copy machine to get my article...hmmm, which class should I use it for? Oh, and yeah, what break?<br /><br />Finally, I am convinced the work-life blur goes both ways. The same wired staff members who take a few quick personal surfs at work probably do plenty of work-related Internet research and email-checking at home too, which also contributes to their productivity.<br /><br />Funny how companies aren't investing in any filters to stop that...Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-22937705118945627272009-04-01T06:38:00.000-07:002009-04-01T06:42:16.194-07:00Huge news for Kinks fans!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SdNvHhH-JlI/AAAAAAAACJQ/tSZeyEefS5U/s1600-h/313px-Super_Bowl_XLIV_logo.svg.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 313px; height: 157px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SdNvHhH-JlI/AAAAAAAACJQ/tSZeyEefS5U/s320/313px-Super_Bowl_XLIV_logo.svg.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319717759796258386" border="0" /></a><br />This just came across one of my Kinks newsletters, and I couldn't be more thrilled.<br /><br />The Kinks have always had a greater, more faithful following in the USA than in the UK, so what better event to stage their long-awaited reunion than the Super Bowl!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"The Miami Sports Zone has reported that the 60's British Rock band, The</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Kinks will reunite for Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010, in Miami</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Florida. The Kinks will perform 5 songs during a 20 minute halftime set</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">under the lights at Dolphin Stadium. Just as Bruce Springsteen the year</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">before, The Kinks are expected to perform some of their own hits such as</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Lola, You Really Got Me and Tired of Waiting. This will be the first</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">live performance of the group since both Ray and Dave Davies set out on</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">their own solo careers over a decade ago. Ray and Dave Davies are both</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">avid soccer fans, but understand the ritual of Super Bowl Sunday. Come</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Dancing with The Kinks, Super Bowl Sunday, 2010</span>."Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-70007183099317077332009-03-28T01:17:00.001-07:002009-03-28T01:36:20.952-07:00Five favorite song lyrics<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/Sc3dqO3d3II/AAAAAAAACIg/gw_orvhU6XY/s1600-h/kinks+jp2313265.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 316px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/Sc3dqO3d3II/AAAAAAAACIg/gw_orvhU6XY/s320/kinks+jp2313265.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318150452609408130" border="0" /></a><br />This is another fun idea from <a href="http://walisabeth.blogspot.com/">Elisabeth</a>, who got it going on Facebook. I posted a pared-down, lyrics-only version there, but thought I'd add a few explanations on this post.<br /><br />I did this more or less off the top of my head, because anything definitive would take me, say, the rest of my life? So these are just lyrics that I think are particularly well done and that mean a lot to me.<br /><br />I noticed that three ended up being about the theme of youth and age; none were love-angst lyrics: appropriate enough for where I'm at in my life.<br /><br />1.<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> Now that you've found your paradise</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> Is this your kingdom to command</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> You can go outside and polish your car</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> Or sit by the fire in your Shangri-la. </span><br /><br /> (Shangri-la, The Kinks)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The opening to one of The Kinks' most beautiful songs; I could have chosen other extracts from the same song, because there are so many touching passages. Also, it's not directly a "lyrics" issue, but Ray's pronunciation/accent on "command" makes me go to pieces.</span><br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Dirty old river, must you keep rolling</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> Flowing into the night</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> People so busy, make me feel dizzy</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> Taxi lights shine so bright</span><br /><br /> (Waterloo Sunset, The Kinks)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This one is more or less here by definition: it's the opening lines to my favorite song in the world. Maybe it is kind of a love song for me, because I thought I would never fall in love again, but then I went back to London a few years back and became enamored of the city.</span><br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Good and bad, I defined these terms</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> So clear, no doubt somehow</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> But I was so much older then</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> I'm younger than that now.</span><br /><br /> (My Back Pages, Bob Dylan)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">It always amazes me how young Dylan was when he wrote this sort of thing.</span><br /><br />4. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">And these children that you spit on </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> As they try to change their world</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> Are immune to your consultations</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> They're quite aware what they're going through.</span><br /><br /> (Changes, David Bowie)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In other words, the reason why most younger people, including myself "back then," won't really get the lyrics of "My Back Pages" until later down the road.</span><br /><br />5. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Six o'clock - TV hour. Don't get caught in foreign tower. Slash and burn,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> return, listen to yourself churn. Lock him in uniform and book burning,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> blood letting. Every motive escalate. Automotive incinerate. Light a candle,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> light a motive. Step down, step down. Watch a heel crush, crush. Uh oh,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> this means no fear - cavalier. Renegade and steer clear! A tournament,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> a tournament, a tournament of lies. Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> and I decline.</span><br /><br /> (It's the End of the World As We Know It (and I feel fine) R.E.M.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When I was coaching high school debate in the USA, the rumor got around that this song was about cross-examination debate. At that time, REM lyrics were pretty much unavailable, so I remember my team transcribing the lyrics and being very excited to think that they were, indeed, about debate. I have read about this interpretation on the Internet, and it is "debatable," but this song and particularly this passage, will always remind me of my four wonderful years coaching and the crazy, caffeine-pumped atmosphere at the tournaments...of lies.</span><br /><br />Feel free to give this a try, and tell me if you do...Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-87885209659191801852009-03-21T01:40:00.001-07:002009-03-21T01:59:20.134-07:00My Album Cover, or another bloggy thing from Facebook<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/ScSsF1zmbEI/AAAAAAAACH8/5qEPNaFCSAI/s1600-h/3355441151_98d2215957_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/ScSsF1zmbEI/AAAAAAAACH8/5qEPNaFCSAI/s400/3355441151_98d2215957_m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315562676546858050" border="0" /></a><br />One nice thing about Facebook is that it is giving me some ideas for this momentarily purposeless blog.<br /><br />The last Facebook fun I got tagged for was called "Album Cover."<br /><br />Ok, so mine turned out looking like a cassette -- possibly even an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8-track_cartridge">8-track cartridge</a>, the shame, the shame! And I also had to get my daughter to help me put the text on the photo, so the whole thing was amusing, but left me feeling a little older.<br /><br />So here are the rules:<br /><br />1. Go to <a href="http://www.wikipedia.org/">Wikipedia</a>'s random article function, on the upper left sidebar: the title of your article is your band's name. Were I playing this game today, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzoran-Kadima">this</a> would be my band's name. I much prefer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ausa_Family">Ausa Family</a>.<br /><br />2. Go to <a href="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Main_Page">Wikiquote</a>, a place I had never gone. Once again, there is a "random page" function. Take the last four or five words of the random page -- there's a little liberty here -- and create your album name.<br /><br />I don't know about you, but <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Unprejudiced Minds of Sufficient Grasp</span> is just an awesome album name in my book. I've been feeling proud of it all week, as if I had actually come up with it and the music to go with it to boot!<br /><br />3. Now for the album cover. I must admit I don't really care for my glam-gal image, but this is what I got and I didn't cheat. Go to <a href="http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/">Flickr, Interesting photos from the last 7 days</a>. The third photo is your cover, whether you like it or not.<br /><br />Put it all together with something like Photoshop, or just ask your kids to do it....<br /><br />I won't tag anyone, but this is kind of a kick if you want to give it a try.Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-12924223696003494792009-03-14T01:17:00.000-07:002009-03-17T11:22:26.748-07:00Bye, Bye Miss American Newspaper?<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SbtsrSHgGQI/AAAAAAAACHU/HUqfMhTjk_o/s1600-h/olympian-logo-175.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 72px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SbtsrSHgGQI/AAAAAAAACHU/HUqfMhTjk_o/s400/olympian-logo-175.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312959676267108610" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dear Olympian,<br /><br />Please don't go away -- just get a business model, and fast!</span></span><br /></div></div><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I just wrote a lengthy comment to </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://marjorieasturias.blogspot.com/2009/03/would-you-care-if-your-town-lost-its.html">a post</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> by </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/11100390503594226225">Marjorie</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> at </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://marjorieasturias.blogspot.com/">Interior Designs</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> and decided to turn it into a post of my own, since it's a subject that is near and dear to my heart and one that I've been thinking about a lot lately.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I used to proudly point out that Americans read three times as many newspapers as the French. I'm not sure this statistic is up to date, and even rather doubt it considering the number of newspapers that are on the verge of extinction in the USA.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">And apparently, as Marjorie points out, </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1147/newspapers-struggle-public-not-concerned">many Americans don't really care</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Well, I care deeply about </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://www.theolympian.com/">the local paper that I grew up with</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">, but also feel that the US newspaper industry has been ridiculously dinosaur-like and, well, out and out stupid (dinosaurs did have small brains, right?) in their harnessing of the Internet.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For example, </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://www.theolympian.com/">The Olympian</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">, which is a long-standing and high-quality daily, moved years ago -- like so many other papers -- from a "key news" Internet approach to an "all the news" site.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I remember thinking at the time that </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">this was not a good idea</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. Sure, I was happy to be able to read everything from local sports news to obituaries from my European home, but somehow it didn't feel right.</span> And <a href="http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/789647.html#Comments_Container">it doesn't seem to be working out</a>, either.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">So, now, I've been reading The Olympian's content online for free for years and </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">all that time</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> I would have been perfectly willing to pay to do so. I'm sure many Olympians living outside of the area would have happily done the same, and those online subscriptions would have added up to a tidy sum by now.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">What were they thinking? Who is going to pay for something that they can get for free?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">And what a financial boon it would have been to tap into all of the potential Olympian readers all over the world -- from the get-go.</span>Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-32955757786343284642009-03-08T01:37:00.000-08:002009-03-08T01:47:03.344-08:00Unconscious Mutterings 319<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SbOT_Q0UDPI/AAAAAAAACFU/wSaXAu6GCM4/s1600-h/mvp-launch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SbOT_Q0UDPI/AAAAAAAACFU/wSaXAu6GCM4/s400/mvp-launch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310751100655373554" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><ol><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mourning</span> :: Funeral</li><li><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Approval</span> :: Rating</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lotion</span> :: Motion</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Perspire</span> :: Sweat</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Language</span> :: Learning<br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Defection</span> :: Artists</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Play</span> :: or go<br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Graphic </span>:: Design </li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spicy</span> :: Tabasco</li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">In love</span> :: with a wonderful guy<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></li></ol>I've decided to use the number system that corresponds to the Unconscious Mutterings site; thus the jump from Number 11 to <a href="http://www.lunanina.com/UM/ind/week_319/">Number 319</a>.Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-82707257268789821772009-02-28T07:03:00.000-08:002009-02-28T07:41:25.839-08:00Ray Davies: A Well Respected Man, at last?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SalU2gXOEzI/AAAAAAAACD8/TZSqaBJoiZU/s1600-h/rayrays.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 209px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SalU2gXOEzI/AAAAAAAACD8/TZSqaBJoiZU/s320/rayrays.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307866931209835314" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Maybe I'm just taking the time to dissect my Ray Davies Google Alerts, but it seems like my man is finally getting some of the long-elusive respect he so rightly deserves.<br /><br />First, his musical comedy <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/07/17/kinks-davies-pens-new-musical-come-dancing/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Come Dancing</span></a>, the one my daughter and I took off on a crazy cross-Channel weekend to see, won the <a href="http://awards.whatsonstage.com/index.php?pg=849"><span style="font-style: italic;">What's On Stage </span>award</a> for the <a href="http://www.whatsonstage.com/board/index.php?showtopic=5650">best off-West End production of 2008</a>.<br /><br />Now, his name is suddenly popping up all over the press. To wit, take a look at the high-flung praise that just the last three days has brought through my wires:<br /><ol><li>[In 1968] "There was terrific music wherever you turned, including The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society - Ray Davies' concept album about pastoral England..." <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.canada.com/Resetting/1340162/story.html">Canada.com, February 28 2009</a></li><li>"As a kid, Fountains of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger would listen to Kinks records and dream about the places they describe.<br /><br />One of his favorites, 'Waterloo Sunset,' may be about a dirty London subway station, but songwriter <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.courant.com/topic/entertainment/ray-davies-PECLB001298.topic" title="Ray Davies" id="PECLB001298">Ray Davies</a> finds a way to romanticize the ordinary...<br /><br />Since the mid-'90s, Schlesinger and his songwriting partner, singer and guitarist Chris Collingwood, have upheld Davies' proud tradition." <a href="http://www.courant.com/entertainment/music/hc-fountainsofwayne.art0feb26,0,3741784.story"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hartford Courant, February 26, 2009</span></a></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span>Brooklyn's Mitch Friedman has just released his fourth album of idiosyncratic, funny, original quirky pop - GAME SHOW TEETH...Even Ray Davies, song-writing legend and lead singer of The Kinks [<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Am I really reading this? "Even" Ray Davies?]</span></span>, has become a fan of Friedman's unique skills as a wordsmith. Having attended a Davies song-writing course in England, Friedman took the advice of the sixties legend that every song must have a clear structure and composed 'This Is a Song' - an amusing tribute to the simple formula that can be found in so many beautiful pieces of pop. (<a href="http://top40-charts.com/news/Pop-Rock/Singer-Songwriter-Mitch-Friedman-Teams-With-XTC-Channels-Ray-Davies-On-New-Quirk-Pop-tacular-CD-GAME-SHOW-TEETH/46523.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Top40-charts.com, February 26, 2009</span></a>)</li><li>"'There have been a million records that tell you a straight story and, really, is anybody going to do it better than Ray Davies?'" he [Bryan Poole, guitarist for <a href="http://www.ofmontreal.net/">Of Montreal</a>] says."(<a href="http://www.watoday.com.au/news/entertainment/music/eclectic-band-to-spread-its-wings/2009/02/26/1235237812529.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">WAtoday.com.au, February 27, 2009</span></a>)</li></ol>Kinks fans, be of good cheer. Our day has come!Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-72893055505860228242009-02-24T10:46:00.003-08:002009-02-25T11:02:44.492-08:00The 15 most significant albums in my lifeSo, I got <a href="http://walisabeth.blogspot.com/2009/02/15-most-important-albums.html">this idea</a> from my big blog buddy <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/06397908781677596824">Elisabeth</a>. Except I first did it on Facebook.<br /><br />Has anyone else noticed how bloggy things are happening on Facebook? All of the sudden it's all tags and memes. Well, at least I prefer that to inane quizzes.<br /><br />Anyway, I like this list concept because it's not a list of "My Favorite Albums." There's a big difference between favorite and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">significant</span>.<br /><br />So, with no further ado, minimum linkage, and in order at least for the first seven or so:<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Schoolboys in Disgrace</span> by <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Kinks</span>:<br /><br />This is anything but the best Kinks album. In fact, many would argue it's one of the worst. But it's the first one I owned and the one that really got me interested in the Kinks as purveyors of more than singles. The rest is history: my history.<br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">My Aim is True</span> by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Elvis Costello</span>:<br /><br />I saw the future of British rock and roll and his name was Declan McManus. I also saw his first US tour at the Waldorf in San Francisco. His part of the concert lasted 28 minutes.<br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Born to Run</span> by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bruce Springsteen</span>:<br /><br />I saw the future of American rock and roll and his concerts lasted four hours.<br /><br />4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Reckoning</span> by <span style="font-weight: bold;">REM</span>:<br /><br />When I was teaching in the USA and wondering whatever I was going to listen to, other than Bruce Springsteen, now that New Wave was dying out, one of the people tagged in this article suggested I try REM. I took his suggestion.<br /><br />5. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Meet the Beatles</span>:<br /><br />Because my mom brought it home on vinyl and I'll always remember how it looked sitting in our living room. Plus it has a song from the Music Man on it, which is pretty cool.<br /><br />6. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Squeezing Out Sparks</span> by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Graham Parker</span>:<br /><br />Well, it's the only autographed album I own because I went to a record-signing and met Graham Parker. And it's just so bloody brilliant.<br /><br />7. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Blonde on Blonde</span> by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bob Dylan</span>:<br /><br />OK, I admit, this is here because it's my favorite Dylan album. So by definition, it's significant.<br /><br />8. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Singles Going Steady</span> by <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Buzzcocks</span>:<br /><br />Maybe it's not cool to include greatest hits albums, but I think this is about all one really needs of the Buzzcocks. Call it distilled genius.<br /><br />9. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Face to Face</span> by <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Kinks</span>:<br /><br />Or the one where I became konvinced that The Kinks were, and always will be, better than the Beatles.<br /><br />10. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Live at the Roxy</span> by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michel Polnareff</span>:<br /><br /><a href="http://and-so-forth.blogspot.com/2007/03/polnareff-republish-comments-enabled.html">It's a family affair</a>.<br /><br />11. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Straight Up</span> by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Badfinger</span>:<br /><br />At one point, Badfinger was my number two group. Given their tragic history (two suicides), now I just feel sad when I listen to them, especially to the song "Name of the Game" by Pete Ham (1947-1975) which is on this album.<br /><br />12. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Late for the Sky</span> by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jackson Browne</span>:<br /><br />The beauty of song.<br /><br />13. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Parallel Lines</span> by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Blondie</span>:<br /><br />Pure pop for now guys and gals, in all its glory.<br /><br />14.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Stop Making Sense</span> by <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Talking Heads</span>:<br /><br />Because it doesn't.<br /><br />15. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Le Fou Chantant en Public</span> by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Charles Trenet</span>:<br /><br />Recorded in 1987, this fabulous concert by the then 74-year-old Trenet is a gem. I'll always regret not seeing him in concert in the early 90s, when I had two opportunities to do so. But I take some comfort in the fact that apparently he was a totally odious person in real life.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I would love to read anybody else's lists, but especially </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://lennui-melodieux.blogspot.com/">Randall</a><span style="font-style: italic;">'s, </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://thesonginmyheadtoday.blogspot.com/">Holly</a><span style="font-style: italic;">'s, </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://rockandrollguru.com/">Joe</a><span style="font-style: italic;">'s, </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://spacedlaw.blogspot.com/">spacedlaw</a><span style="font-style: italic;">'s, and one from <a href="http://jessewalker.blogspot.com/">the guy</a> who is playing <a href="http://jessewalker.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html#8958385386169927813#8958385386169927813">an all-Kinks show </a>on <a href="http://www.wcbn.org/listen.html">WCBN-FM</a> as I write.<br /></span>Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-27091198932128535762009-02-21T01:46:00.000-08:002009-02-21T02:13:26.327-08:00Unconscious Mutterings 11<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SZ_TvLJmNVI/AAAAAAAACDM/t7x2ZfdYcn8/s1600-h/Abbe%2BLane%2B-%2BBe%2BMine%2BTonight.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SZ_TvLJmNVI/AAAAAAAACDM/t7x2ZfdYcn8/s320/Abbe%2BLane%2B-%2BBe%2BMine%2BTonight.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305191693466088786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><ol><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Be mine </span>:: </li> <em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">tonight</em> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ecstatic </span>:: </li> <em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">like</em> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Orderly</span> :: </li> <em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">hospital</em> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sebastian</span> :: </li> <em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Belle</em> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sore</span> :: </li> <em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Neck</em> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Don’t need</span> :: </li> <em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">this</em> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rockstar</span> :: </li> <em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Oh, yeah</em> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tinfoil</span> :: </li> <em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">AluMInium as the British say</em> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Addiction</span> :: </li> <em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">to love</em> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Where</span>? :: </li> <em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">or when?</em><br /><br /></ol> Click <a href="http://www.lunanina.com/um/ind/week_316/">here</a> for this week's Unconscious Mutterings. It's really a lot of fun to do!Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-90207660273099052472009-02-14T02:17:00.000-08:002009-02-14T02:34:39.397-08:00Listography, or organizational geekiness headquarters<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SZaa-IAHicI/AAAAAAAACCk/vYXn_p4cy9E/s1600-h/08_love-date.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SZaa-IAHicI/AAAAAAAACCk/vYXn_p4cy9E/s400/08_love-date.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302596003365882306" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(I would like to credit this photo but can't quite figure out where it comes from.)<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">Somehow as I was creating my <a href="http://and-so-forth.blogspot.com/2009/01/101-things-to-do-in-1001-days-my-list.html">101 things to do in 1001 days list</a>, which I have finally finished, I ran into the site <a href="http://www.listography.com">Listography</a>. As its name implies, it's a place to write lists. And it is cool, as well as extremely easy-to-use.<br /><br />They even have something a simplified html-like system that allows you to check, cross off, italicize and more without having to write type characters like the one I just tried to write, but that wouldn't show up on this post because it was html.<br /><br />There is a lot more to do with <a href="http://www.listography.com">Listography</a> then I have done so far, but if you want to take a look at my incipient geeky lists, <a href="http://www.listography.com/bcinfrance">feel free</a>.<br /><br /></div></div>Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-89317949423164079792009-02-07T03:36:00.001-08:002009-02-07T04:25:47.564-08:00Unconscious Mutterings 10<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SY18kVm0jHI/AAAAAAAACBI/-iITa6Mew6M/s1600-h/kitties-299x400.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SY18kVm0jHI/AAAAAAAACBI/-iITa6Mew6M/s400/kitties-299x400.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300029300202048626" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Take</span> ::<span style="font-style: italic;"> a break, take it easy<br /></span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">350</span> ::<span style="font-style: italic;"> days<br /></span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stand</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">By Me</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Raspberry</span> ::<span style="font-style: italic;"> my grandma<br /></span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Turnstile</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Métro</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Infomercial</span> ::<span style="font-style: italic;"> Yuk<br /></span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dejected</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Rejected</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">What’s the word?</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">in English for...</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Awestruck :: </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Starstruck</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Smashed</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Pumpkins</span></li></ol><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Random photo linked to item 1 courtesy of </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://www.designformankind.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Design for Mankind</span></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">, which looks like a pretty cool blog if you're into modern design and fashion. These two kitties are definitely taking it easy.</span><br /><br />Click <a href="http://www.lunanina.com/UM/ind/week_314/">here</a> for this week's Unconscious Mutterings.Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-61882606603192989772009-02-01T01:16:00.000-08:002009-02-01T01:48:26.359-08:00General update: bracing myself for February<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SYVqbS1EspI/AAAAAAAACAw/eFthUULDsfg/s1600-h/february_calendar2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SYVqbS1EspI/AAAAAAAACAw/eFthUULDsfg/s320/february_calendar2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297757553814712978" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I really don't care for February whatsoever. As I turn the calendar, I hate to say I don't have a lot to look forward to. Lots of work, dreadful weather, the feeling that winter will never end...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">While I'm at it, let me throw in March, then I won't have to whine about that other disappointing month when I next turn the calendar.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">March has absolutely nothing to recommend itself to me. I used to be tricked by its "harbinger of spring" quality, but, at least where we live, it's usually more of the same: lots of work, dreadful weather...and so forth.<br /><br />At least I have finished <a href="http://and-so-forth.blogspot.com/2009/01/101-things-to-do-in-1001-days-my-list.html">my 101 Things to Do in 1001 Days list</a>. I was right -- just doing the list took me a month. Maybe it will give me some much-needed oomph. I must admit it has already helped me focus better on what I want to do with my time.<br /></span>Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-68490377411674987212009-01-24T11:17:00.000-08:002009-01-24T11:23:55.921-08:00Unconscious Mutterings 9<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SXtqVvBBS9I/AAAAAAAAB_w/KBB9gHE58YI/s1600-h/elec-ad.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 309px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SXtqVvBBS9I/AAAAAAAAB_w/KBB9gHE58YI/s320/elec-ad.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294942708534692818" border="0" /></a><br /><ol style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Arrival</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">Departure</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vomit</span> ::<span style="font-style: italic;"> And when they said sit down, I threw up</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fit</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">As a fiddle and ready to...</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stutter</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">Stammer</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lifestream</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">What's that?</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tread</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">Water</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Desire </span>:: <span style="font-style: italic;">Wish</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Freezing</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">Now</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Permit</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">Allow</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Crinkle</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">Wrinkle</span></li></ol><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Click </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://www.lunanina.com/um/ind/week_312/"> here</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> for this week's Unconscious Mutterings -- and why not play yourself?</span><br /><ol><br /></ol>Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-4616496090700229942009-01-18T03:16:00.000-08:002009-01-18T08:23:19.335-08:00Two...one....<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SXMQHRt9KAI/AAAAAAAAB-c/vrPg0nG6IWo/s1600-h/slide_836_14852_large.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SXMQHRt9KAI/AAAAAAAAB-c/vrPg0nG6IWo/s400/slide_836_14852_large.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292591704291747842" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(AP photo by Charles Darapak, found in a slideshow on the home page of today's <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/">Huffington Post</a></span>)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My Bush countdown widget seems a little off to me -- as I write this at 6:20 am EST on Sunday the 18th, don't we still have more than two days to go? Maybe the clock just counts down to Inauguration Day itself.<br /><br />WHATEVER! I've been <a href="http://and-so-forth.blogspot.com/2009/01/end-of-bush-era-mixed-feelings.html">feeling</a> bitter the past weeks about how Bush and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=45672452519&h=fbz7z&u=ON7j4">his historically horrible cronies</a> are getting off the hook so easily.<br /><br />But I'm going to focus on the positive for the next few days -- we may never pass this way again.<br /></div></div>Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-84942385242030356802009-01-14T08:24:00.000-08:002009-01-14T08:39:58.581-08:00Unconscious Mutterings 8<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SW4VOUd0YwI/AAAAAAAAB84/vrcBPflqvHw/s1600-h/occ_new-years-resolution.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SW4VOUd0YwI/AAAAAAAAB84/vrcBPflqvHw/s320/occ_new-years-resolution.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291189947963040514" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Resolution</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">New Year's, now is that ever NOT original</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Break</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">Spring</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tied </span>:: <span style="font-style: italic;">and Bound</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Suffering</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">in silence</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Instead</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">of doing</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Slash</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">and burn</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Divorce</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">what law</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cough</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">Syrup</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Happy</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">Man</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sniffle</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">Sniff</span></li></ol>Wow, number 9 is kind of scary...<br /><br />By the way, remember that I decorate each Unconscious Mutterings post with the first legally usable image that comes up when I do a Google Image search for the first word association on the list. It adds another fun, random aspect to this activity.<br /><br />This week, I'd like to give a little recognition to the <a href="http://www.sangrea.net/free-cartoons/">royalty-free cartoons</a> on <a href="http://www.sangrea.net/">sangrea.net</a>.<br /><br />Click <a href="http://www.lunanina.com/UM/ind/week_311/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">here</span></a> for more of this week's Unconscious Mutterings.<br /><ol><br /></ol>Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-88610694884505992232009-01-10T06:13:00.000-08:002009-01-10T06:20:34.885-08:00The end of the Bush era: mixed feelings<embed src="http://www.theonion.com/content/themes/common/assets/videoplayer2/flvplayer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" flashvars="file=http://www.theonion.com/content/xml/82237/video&autostart=false&image=http://www.theonion.com/content/files/images/BUSH_TOURS_article.jpg&bufferlength=3&embedded=true&title=Bush%20Tours%20America%20To%20Survey%20Damage%20Caused%20By%20His%20Disastrous%20Presidency" width="400" height="355"></embed><br /><a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/video/bush_tours_america_to_survey?utm_source=embedded_video">Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency</a><br /><br />I found myself laughing pretty hard at the clever satire in the above video. But as my mother said, it's funny -- sort of.<br /><br />I haven't written anything about politics in a while, and I must admit to having tuned out a bit after my election-season obsession. Of course I'm still very excited about Obama's inauguration, despite all of the much-pontificated-about "challenges he'll be facing," which I know are real.<br /><br />At the same time, seeing the President<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> who really should have been impeached</span> get off so easy makes me absolutely furious.<br /><br />I imagine some of you are feeling the same way.Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-54926356524881279312009-01-06T10:49:00.000-08:002009-01-06T11:32:50.807-08:00Unconscious Mutterings 7<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SWOtxbPCBYI/AAAAAAAAB7M/s9FQBWifeE0/s1600-h/proclamation.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 244px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SWOtxbPCBYI/AAAAAAAAB7M/s9FQBWifeE0/s400/proclamation.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288261452099093890" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Confirmation</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">Proclamation</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Verse</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">Chorus</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Authorize</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">Permit</span></li> <li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blog</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">This</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thirty</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">-something</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Heir</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">Heirloom</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">What are you doing?</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm writing this darn post</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Complaint</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">Réclamation</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Leave</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">it or love it</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tune</span> :: <span style="font-style: italic;">Song</span></li></ol>Click <a href="http://www.lunanina.com/UM/ind/week_310/">here</a> for this week's <a href="http://lunanina.com/">Unconscious Mutterings</a>.<br /><ol><br /></ol>Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-53021447139816492392009-01-01T04:50:00.000-08:002009-04-13T10:39:37.478-07:00101 things to do in 1001 days<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SVzEhe06LkI/AAAAAAAAB5c/WqrrhDyXwQE/s1600-h/2142019650_4ba839758c.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286316142115827266" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; width: 320px; cursor: pointer; height: 240px;" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YTs-OANo2NM/SVzEhe06LkI/AAAAAAAAB5c/WqrrhDyXwQE/s320/2142019650_4ba839758c.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="http://www.triplux.com/dayzero/"></a></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); font-style: italic;">The project<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">101. </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">(Who said things have to be in order?) Finish my </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> <a href="http://www.triplux.com/dayzero/">101 things to do in 1001 days project</a></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> list 1/1</span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); font-style: italic;"><br />Cinema</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Watch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0352277/"><span style="font-style: italic;">De-Lovely </span></a>0/1<br />2. Watch<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0469494/">There Will Be Blood</a></span> 0/1<br />3. </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Watch</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216505/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Shine a Light</span></a> 0/1<br />4. </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Watch</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0368794/"><span style="font-style: italic;">I'm Not There</span></a> 1/1<br />5. <span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Watch</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0445922/">Across the Universe</a></span> 0/1<br />6. </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Watch</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090585/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Absolute Beginners</span></a> 0/1<br />7. Watch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0469494/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Darjeeling Limited</span></a> 0/1<br />8. Watch The Painted Veil 0/1<br />9. Watch one movie a week. 10/143<br />10. Go to the cinema on average once a month. 0/32<br />11. Watch some other movie to be announced because I just realized I had a double entry on this list. Okay, <span style="font-style: italic;">Milk</span>. 0/1<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Watch all of the Woody Allen movies I haven't yet seen</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">12. Whatever Works </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">13. Vicky Christina Barcelona </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">14. Cassandra's Dream </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">15. Scoop </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">16. Match Point </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">17. Anything Else </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">18. Hollywood Ending </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">19. The Curse of the Jade Scorpion </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">20. Count Mercury Goes to the Suburbs </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">21. Shadows and Fog </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">22. Crimes and Misdemeanors </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">23. New York Stories </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">24. Another Woman </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">Music</span><br /><br /></span>25. Listen to some NPR music programs <span style="font-weight: bold;">(</span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span><span><span>Maybe with my new Samsung MP3</span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">.)</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>26.<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Kontinue to purchase Kinks CDs to the extent my budget can handle it. Try to komplete my kollektion. 3/28 (</span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">appx.)</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">Household</span><br /><br /></span>27. De-clutter one space a week, no matter how small<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>6/143<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>28.<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Do one load of laundry during the workweek to avoid weekend pile-up<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>7<span style="font-style: italic;">/</span>143<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>29. Deal with <span>all accumulated postal mail at least</span> once a week 7/143<br />30. File away papers from orange folder 0/1<br />31. Put away laundry every weekend 7/143<br />32. Frame family photo 1 0/1<br />33. Frame family photo 2 0/1<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">Work<br /><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">34. Bring more technology into my classes. For the rest of academic year 2008, think in terms of at least 3 new activities per month. 8/18<br />35. Plan and propose a "How to learn language" module for incoming students next school year. 0/1 </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span><span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;">(The proposal part is done.)</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">36. Get my new <a href="http://www.edublog.org/">Edublog</a> totally operational for September 2009. 0/1<br />37. Start vocabulary lists for my classes on <a href="http://www.listography.com/">Listography </a>(</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span><span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;">started...but going nowhere</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">)<br /><em></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span><span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><em><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">Reading<br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">38.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read at least parts of all of the Aveyron-related books I own</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">39.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> <a href="http://www.understandfrance.org/France/FrenchToast.html">French Toast</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">0/1</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">40.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> <a href="http://www.lire.fr/extrait.asp/idC=51728/idR=202/idTC=13/idG=8">Chagrin d'Ecole</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">0/1</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">41.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/0060198133.asp">Five Quarters of Orange</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">0/1</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">42. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> <a href="http://contemporarylit.about.com/od/fiction/fr/1000suns.htm">A Thousand Splendid Suns</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">0/1</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">43. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://catnyp.nypl.org/record=b6196941"><strong style="font-style: italic;">Fast food : roadside restaurants in the automobile age</strong></a> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">0/1</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">44. Finish reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/X-Ray-Unauthorized-Autobiography-Ray-Davies/dp/0879516119"><span style="font-style: italic;">X-Ray: The Unauthorized Biography</span></a></span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">1/1</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">45. Increase my non-fiction reading, since that is what I'm interested in writing myself. Save novels for the summer, at least in 2009. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">0/1</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">46.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> <a href="http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/66430-please-please-me-sixties-british-pop-inside-out-by-gordon-thompson/">Please Please Me </a></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/1</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">47. Read five books I've never read from </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/100bestnovels.html">The Modern Library 100 Best Lists</a> <span style="font-weight: bold;">0/5</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">48.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Finish reading</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> <a href="http://www.tefl.net/reviews/blended-learning.htm">Blended Learning</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/1</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 153); font-style: italic;">Personal contacts</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">49. Have friends over for dinner on average once a month 1/32</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">50. Send a letter or card to someone in the USA once a month 1/32</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">51. Send at least an e-card for all appropriate birthdays<br />52. Send paper cards for all family birthdays.<br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">Email</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">53. Unsubscribe to all little-read newsletters and alerts by the end of January 08 1/1 <span style="font-style: italic;">(And I don't miss them!)</span><br />54. Clear out inbox backlog on my many email accounts by the end of March 08 0/1<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); font-style: italic;">Blogging<br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">55. Take some photo walks and photo outings -- <span style="font-style: italic;">New activity; count<br /></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">56<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Maintain posting pace for <a href="http://www.franceprofonde.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">La France Profonde</span></a> 12/143<br />57. Maintain once-a-week posting for <a href="http://www.cuisinequotidienne.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Cuisine Quotidienne</span></a></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">4/143</span></span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">(sadly, as of late February, I put this blog on vacation. There are so many other things to do on this list!)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">58. Reduce banal commenting on other blogs -- </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">OK, I'm commenting less but I'm also following blogs less...this is a double-edged</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">59</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Write more about music on this blog <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">60.</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Limit comment subscriptions to threads I really want to follow --<span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">done, but see 58</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">Professional Writing<br /><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">61.</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Get my editorial calendar set up for my professional blogs every Sunday 9/143<br />62. Get a second professional writing gig of some sort by September 09 1/1<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); font-style: italic;">General online and computer life<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">63. Reduce my Google Reader subscriptions and go back to following sidebar blogs </span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;">1/1<br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">64.</span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Use Facebook on weekends only, other than to check up on family<br /></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;">1/1 for the most part<br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">65. Learn how to organize my Facebook contacts and organize them </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/1<br />66. Reorganize my digital photos 0/49 (folders)<br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">Cooking<br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">67. Make an average of one homemade dessert a week for my dessert-deprived family, or buy from a local pastry-maker 6/143<br />68. Learn to make good pizza from scratch 0/1<br />69. Do a slow cooker meal once a month 1/32<br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">70. Use bread machine on the average once a month, including some new recipes 4/32</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">71.</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Keep up my kitchen notebook </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">5/143<br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); font-style: italic;">Travel and Tourism<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">72. Go back to California and visit my old university and meet up with a few old friends 0/1</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">73. Go to at least one European country other than Great Britain 0/1</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">74. Go to the <a href="http://www.lodeve.com/index.php/article/archive/16/">Lodève art museum</a> at least once a year 0/3</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">75.Visit Marseille 0/1</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">76. </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">Go to Paris at least once other than for work 0/1</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">77. Visit Montauban 0/1</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">78. Visit Cahors 0/1</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">79. Visit Clermont-Ferrand 0/1</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">80.Go (back) to London 0/1</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">81.Go (back) to London again 0/1</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">General Learning<br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">82.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Learn more about painting -- </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">General Progress</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">83. Learn more about London</span> -- <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">General Progress</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">84. Learn more about the U.K. overall </span><span style="font-style: italic;">-- <span style="font-weight: bold;">General Progress<br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">85. Learn more about Sweden</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> -- General Progress</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />86. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Learn more about French regional cooking </span>-- <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">General Progress</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">87. Consolidate my knowledge about wine --</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">General Progress</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">88. Le</span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">arn more about the Aveyron and its recent history</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;"> -- General Progress</span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">89.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Learn more about the history of pop and rock music</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">-- </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">General Progress</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">90.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Learn more about photography</span> -- <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">General Progress</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">Outings</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">91. Try fifteen new (to me) restaurants</span> <strong>3</strong><span style="font-weight: bold;">/15</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">92. Go away for a weekend by myself or with a girlfriend 1/1</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">93. Go to two operas 0/2</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">94. Go to St. Geniez d'Olt, for God's sake! 0/1</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">95. Go to a major rock-type concert with my daughters 0/1</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-style: italic;">Languages</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">96. Continue my timid efforts to relearn my basic German -- </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">General Progress</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Miscellaneous</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">97. Join the local media library again and use it 1/1<br />98. Keep up on the Obama administration and stay involved from a distance<br />99. Join one new club or group 0/1<br />100. Get to the Wednesday morning or Friday evening market at least once a month 0/32<br /></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38510434.post-56456610374721381782008-12-31T04:43:00.000-08:002008-12-31T04:56:32.379-08:00101 things to do in 1001 daysThe Internet takes me to strange and inspiring places.<br /><br />I had just started sending New Year's greetings to some of my expat blog contacts, and I only got to the third one on <a href="http://www.franceprofonde.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">La France Profonde</span></a>'s sidebar: Megan of <a href="http://megankay4.blogspot.com/">An American in Provence</a>. I was intrigued by a passage she had in her sidebar:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">"101 things in 1001 days project begun July 4th, 2008 time left until April 1st, 2011 : 821 days 4 hours and 57 minutes left</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">"</span><br /><br />She had no link, but geek and ye shall find: a quick Google search brought me to<span style="font-style: italic;"> <a href="http://www.triplux.com/dayzero/">Day Zero - The home of the 101 things to do in 1001 days project</a></span>.<br /><br />As a lover of lists and goals, I might just take the plunge on this one. And also, unlike New Year's resolutions, it won't have to be done by tomorrow.Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.com0