Canada's New Cute Quarter

Here's the new quarter being released in Canada. It's adorable. I wish U.S. currency was this cute. It was designed by an 11 year-old to commemorate Canada Day. (BoingBoing for more info.)

Interactive Zip Code Map

Ben Fry has created an interactive zip code map. Type in a zip code when the page comes up (no form required - just start typing) and it shows which part of the U.S. is under that code. For example, if the first letter in your zip code is 3, as soon as you type the number 3, the map highlights parts of the south with zip codes starting with the number 3.

As each number is typed in, the highlighted area shrinks until you get the actual name and location. There's an option to zoom in and out of the map.

Google G-Mail

I've got a Google G-Mail account (thanks Sonia!). I've already shot off a few letters and gotten replies. This is nice. I have an e-mail account with Comcast, but I hate to tie up mail and websites that are dependent on keeping a particular provider.

Also, I think its good to have more than one e-mail address - with different groups in the event one goes down, etc. Of course, the downside is that it means more spam to manage.

Kudzu vs Sheep - Sheep Win!

Reader's Digest (July 2004) reports that kudzu likes to grow in rough terrain. We know it can grow a foot a day and mowing is useless. Sheep are being used successfully to control kudzu. Apparently, they can eat it faster than it can grow.

Here's a recipe for Kudzu Blossom Jelly from my friend, Kirk. At the last craft show here in town, I bought kudzu lotion. It had a light, beautiful scent. (See? Kudzu is good for something - not much, but the stuff is not a total waste.)

Top Yahoo News Photos

This is an unusual-looking page (and takes a bit of time to come up, even with broadband). It shows the ranking of the top 100 most-popular photos from Yahoo News over time (link thanks to Kottke.org).

Indecisive? Bored?

I've been exploring Java script sites and found this script that I put on another page. For the indecisive. Look at the very bottom of the page. (Sorry in advance -- it was a slow day around here.)

Teleportation Might Just be Possible

It sounds hard to believe, but science has actually made progress with this concept. They've achieved results on an atomic level. (From Wired News and AP.)

Article on Why People Blog

I know why. You know why. How do you explain it to anyone else? The article in a California paper was well-written. I was hoping to go back and get a quote from it, but the site went down. Maybe bloggers are overwhelming it right now. Hopefully, it will be back up soon.

What I can remember from it was a story about a guy on his honeymoon, sneaking off quietly to the bathroom. His wife said he was gone too long. When she opened the door, there he was with his laptop, blogging away. (I can think of a LOT better things to do on a honeymoon.)

According to the article, some people are compulsive bloggers. They do it several times a day.

Only 4% of people online go to a blog. (Seems like a big enough number to me since there are MANY people online.) Bloggers acknowledge this and some claim to do it as a way to blow steam.

(I am a genealogist. We are big fans of keeping journals and I've gone back through my blog to get links, recipes and reminders. It's a convenient personal tool as well as a way to keep in touch with relatives and old & new friends. Once in a while, someone will ask what I've been up to. I jokingly reply with my blog address.)

Around the World in 80 Days - A Jackie Chan Movie

Around the World in 80 Days is a good movie, but don't expect it to be anything like the David Niven original (which was one of my favorite all-time movies). It does not have the music and grandeur of that movie. The characters have different adventures than in the original version, too.

This remake takes the title, a few plot elements and turns it into an adventure more like Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Nights (both of which I enjoyed). If you liked those two movies, you will love this one. I enjoyed Around the World as soon as I realized my expectations needed to be changed. Think of this more as "Shanghai Noon Around the World."

It's a comedy that went a tad overboard on "goofy." This is perfect to bring kids to see. I sat next to several kids who were laughing throughout the film. I was even laughing (true, I am easy to please).  It has hilarious guest cameos, some of which were a pleasant surprise (it was Arnold Schwarzenegger's last movie role before becoming governor and Rob Schneider made a great hobo). I fell into deep like of Steve Coogan as Phileas Fogg.

America's Fastest-Growing Sport

... Saw this tidbit on FOX News. They said the fastest-growing sport in America right now is gun-shooting. More folks are treating it as a serious sport with competitions and all. I suppose the safety factor and recent terrorist activities are also a motivation since I also read in our local paper that a terrorist "dirty bomb" is almost an assured event. Yeek! I am glad I live upwind of major Eastern cities.

Panda-Dog

Genetic engineering? Photoshop trick? A regular dog breed? A real panda? What is it? See the amazing Panda-Dog.

Happy Father's Day - 2004!

My dad is a generous, easy-going man. He was always spoiling us kids. On allowance day, he often gave us a little more money than we expected to get. He rarely gets mad. I don't think he is hiding anger - he just enjoys life and a good corny joke.

Even though he is 73, he continues to go to work every weekday. He likes his job and the people he works with. He's an aeronautical engineer, but we affectionately tell folks that he is a rocket scientist. The company he works for won't let him quit, either. "You are the only man that can do what you do," they told him.

Here's to you, Dad. You are unique. Happy Father's Day!

Alphabetical Topic Index-New

I created a new index of each topic in alphabetical order. Clicking on a topic should go directly to that listing in the archives. Fortunately, I found an easy way to make this.

And that was BEFORE the World-Wide Web

Loved this one fr0m Favorite Quotes. If only Franklin Adams could have seen what the Internet has done today. Hours are lost getting side-tracked online.

Around the World in 80 Days, The Terminal, Raising Helen

So many movies, so little time, but so much popcorn! Several movies are on my to-see list. Then, there's good ones yet to come out. It seems like "feast or famine" around here.

Speaking of vegetating in front of a screen, we had the Comcast cable guy visit. Apparently our signal was weakening. Some channels became dotty and I could no longer do video conferencing on the Internet. He fixed it by boosting our signal and giving us a new line. Yay! Now we can lapse into a mindless zombie-state again. Pass the popcorn and chips.

Another Sams Warehouse Going Up

The local paper reported a Sams being built in our end of town. That makes the 3rd one in Huntsville. As one friend put it, "There's goes my money because we'll be shopping there more often, now." I like it! Sams has less-expensive gas and lower-priced photo-developing and printing. The food quantities are usually sold in too big of a package for our small family, but they have non-food items where just one of something can be purchased. We also shop there when church activities require large quantities.

Sams has a fast gas station -- all done with credit card at the pump -- no distance to walk to a cashier -- no line to wait in and, more importantly, its cheaper.

TechTV Fans Mad

I am unhappy, too. Call for Help (which was one of the most-watched shows at one time for TechTV) taught me many computer things. I learned so much. I miss it. I miss Leo Laporte, too. At least there's still Screen Savers, but we don't watch G4 for anything else anymore.

I learned about photo blogging from Leo's demonstration of his site -- I even signed up with the group he demonstrated and its been fun. TechTV was just starting to make money when Paul Allen sold it -- so sad. Also, I go to their website for past articles and information -- and now the archives are incomplete. Argh!

TechTV Fans Mad

Silver Choice

Related to Silver Queen, this is the corn my husband planted and its just now getting ripe. He tries to plant corn as early as he can. By getting it in early, it is not wormy. In fact, there are no bugs in this batch and my husband rarely uses poisons. We ate corn for an entire meal yesterday.

Our corn attracts house finches. It's cute to see them bouncing from tassle to tassle. I don't think they do any harm and there's no worry about getting everything pollinated.

Once a Month Eat-Out Bunch

Once a month, several friends get together and eat out. We have much fun and enjoy each other very much. Often, we drag our kids along with us. I got to show off my daughter and future son-in-law. Good friends, good food -- is there anything better than that?

Pop, Soda, Coke - What Do You Call It?

Here's a map of the country showing what they call it in each county. It's also an interesting county map. In my county, we call it "Coke." ... Funny to see how regions of a state can differ so much.

The next question, "Are you a Coca-Cola or Pepsi person?" That's a tough one. I feel loyalty to Coca-Cola being so close to Atlanta, but my favorite soft drink is Diet Orange Slice and that is a Pepsi product. On the other hand, my daughter is 100% Dr. Pepper. We are a divided family.

Cinnamon-Raisin Yeast Bread

This is one of my favorite homemade breads. It is not overly sweet. I had some with breakfast this morning - so good!

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

1 pkg. yeast

3 cups bread flour

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. butter. softened

1 & 1/4 cups warm milk

2/3 cup raisins

Mix all, knead, let rise  in a warm place for an hour. Punch down, shape into loaves, let rist again then bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes until crust is browned. Or, dump it all into a breadmaker than can make large loaves and run on a regular setting.

The raisins can be added with the last kneading to keep them whole, or they can be added at the beginning where they can get well-integrated into the bread, maybe turning it brown. It works well both ways.

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