The End of Another Year ~ and Another Decade

Well, another year gone. Hard to believe it's been 365 days since I last sat here thinking of resolutions for 2009. Rather sad, considering I don't think I managed to start, let alone keep any of them.

Under the circumstances, I have decided to skip the whole resolution business this year. It's always been important to me to not make promises to others that I can't keep. Why should I not treat myself the same way?

Instead, I will wish you all a safe, happy, and healthy 2010. May this decade see some positive changes in our lives and in the world.

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God Bless!

Jules

We Wish You A Merry ... Holiday

At this time of year, thoughts naturally turn to celebrations.

Not everyone celebrates Christmas, or not only Christmas.

Our warmest wishes to you and yours, whatever your celebration, wherever you live.

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We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Spammy Emails - Fighting Back

In the last couple of months, I have received some interesting spam. Not that the message was all that interesting (although the formatting is getting quite unique, in a bad way), but the source and links in the messages have made me sit up and pay attention.

One message seemed to come from Indiana University. When I opened it, the footer also looked like it was from Indiana University. Out of curiosity, I checked the headers - and, boy, was I surprised! It did come from an IU IP!

So, being the good www-citizen that I am, I (long story, short) forwarded the message to the university. In less than 24 hours, I had a response and they were tracking down the culprit. Ta! and da!

Earlier today, I forwarded another message, with Wayne State University information. They have also gotten back to me, with information on their efforts to stop this particular spammer. Amazing how quickly one can get something done when a university is supporting the efforts. Way to go WSU!

Then, just a short while ago - another message. This one upset me. Not the spam, but the link in the message - apparently designed to make me think that this wasn't a scummy spammer. It was a PenPal ID link from JDRF!

JDRF, by the way, is the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. They have a secure, PenPal system for kids aged 4-18 to contact each other and share their stories. No identifying information exists in the IDs and the link opens a non-identifying form for submitting a message.

Can you imagine spam - going to dozens, if not hundreds of email addresses - with any kind of information about someone 18 or under!? I was enraged and notified JDRF immediately. In hindsight, I should have also notified Verizon, as the sender is using a UUNet account.

Now, I'm not suggesting that you spend hours researching the sources of your junky emails. (I've left out several steps involved in tracking down information - before I can send the spoofed organization any details. It is not a quick, wham-bam process. At least, not for me.) But, as you can see, there may be times when it's a good idea to let someone know what's landing in your spam folder.

Please remember: the Universities and Foundations being abused by these spammers are not culpable. Someone is using their good name and, often, their resources to fill your bulk/spam folder with dreck. When notified, the organizations are as anxious to stop the perpetrators as are those of us who have to clean up the mass mess in our inboxes.

And on that note, I have to forward some crud to Verizon / UUNet!

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God Bless!

Jules

Supporting the World's Artisans

It's not that I dislike shopping. Heaven knows I do enough of it. But when it comes down to parting with cold, hard (and hard-earned) cash, I like to know that I'm getting a good value.

This year, I can also support artisans around the world.

While trying to find different "gifts for her" - something for our manager and Mark's GI NP - I stumbled across a couple of craft stores that have some really fun things. The earrings and bracelets weren't like what everyone else carries. And the prices were so reasonable, that I don't have to feel guilty for picking up a thing or two just for me.

In fact, I have my eye on ... well, let's just say I'm narrowing down my options.

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at Independent Designers

We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Zazzle Mugs from JMark Afghans, etc.

Just In: Zazzle is offering a BOGO on mugs until 11:59pm December 14th !! All mugs are Buy One Get One Free - with the code 12DEALZAZZLE !

Whether you're looking for amazing scenery or making a statement - we have the mug for you!.

Order by 3:00pm, December 17th to ensure delivery by Christmas!

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We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
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at Independent Designers

We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

New York City for Christmas

I believe that - once I hit the lottery - I know exactly what my perfect Christmas vacation will be. The emphasis on hitting the lottery is due to the fact that when planning the perfect vacation, money cannot - under any circumstances - be a consideration.

The trip starts with a train ride to New York City; in a sleeper, not a coach. Next, we have a New York luxury hotel stay of at least 3 nights. Somewhere near the theaters, I believe, would be just about perfect.

Then, of course, there must be tickets to at least 2 of the plays that I have been wanting to see forever. Followed by an incredible dinner (or two) for two at some of the restaurants I've always wanted to visit. We would have to include Rockefeller Center, the Rockettes, the Nutcracker ... Hmmmm?!

I don't think 3 days would be enough. Might have to stay for a week - or 10 days. Because we'd have to visit FAO Schwarz, and that's at least a 2-day adventure.

See why I need to hit the lottery?!


Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans

We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
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at Independent Designers

We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Facebook Privacy Uproar

The big news these days seems to be the new privacy settings on Facebook. Everyone has something to say about the changes. Some of it is even positive.

Now, admittedly, I don't regularly check my profile without being logged in. So, I really couldn't testify to what it looked like before the latest privacy changes. After doing a search for myself, cuz I've been known to get lost in the www, I didn't really care much for what I found.

Most of the listings are fine; I set them up that way. Facebook, however, shows a sample of my friends in the Google listing. And, although I'm not friends with anyone too strange, I'm not certain that they would like to be listed, simply because I am.

In an effort to protect their privacy, I simply unchecked the 'Allow Indexing' option in my settings. It took about 2 seconds for that page to no longer be available. Oh, it still shows up in a search, but when someone clicks on the link they now get a message that the page is not found. Unless you log in to Facebook and know me, you aren't going to get a list of my friends.

I think?!

One interesting notice from Facebook about access to personal information:
"When you visit a Facebook-enhanced application, it will be able to access your publicly available information, which includes Name, Profile Photo, Gender, Current City, Networks, Friend List, and Pages. This information is considered visible to Everyone."

This, I believe is what has some people upset. By allowing access to the games we play, we are giving (in essence) all of this information to third-party applications. And there is no way to know what they will do with it.

But, wasn't this true all along?!

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We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Bronze Ceiling Fans

One of the latest and greatest additions to our apartment, in a vain attempt to justify the outrageous rents, was a ceiling fan. Mark was thrilled; I've never had one before. After some time in the hot Arizona weather, I am forced to admit he had a point. Except for one slight problem.

We live at the confluence of filthy-air and just-can't-breath. As long as the windows are closed, the apartment stays quite dust- and crud-free. Then, come October/November, when the temperatures approach humane again, we open the windows and turn on the fans.

This addition of polluted outdoor air has turned our lovely white ceiling fan a nasty shade of brown - which it is also sharing with the ceiling directly above it. (I don't want to know what my lungs look like!) So, I thought I'd see what it would cost to replace the once-pristine fan with one that's the color of the dust.

I know, I know! - most normal people would just clean the fan! But, Minka Aire has such lovely bronze-tone fans, it's very tempting to replace the white one. Naturally, I would have to repaint the ceiling in a lovely pollution-brown color to hide the dust. A small price to pay for the illusion of clean. Right?!

It's just a thought! (Think Mark'll go for it?!)

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at Independent Designers

We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

New Wireless Card - Hip, Hip, Hooray! - I Hope?!

We were having more than a lilttle trouble with the wireless card that came with the ThinkPad. It's not that it didn't work, mind you. But it didn't work with any kind of speed - at all.

A couple of days ago, well okay a week ago, I ordered a new card. While I was waiting, I pulled out the card that I used to use with my Dell. Definite improvement!

Today, the new card arrived and after an initial - "The network adapter is not plugged in" panic attack - is up and running. Can't say that it's hugely faster than the old Linksys. But that isn't really why I chose this card.

What caught my attention is the promise that the NetGear WPN511 basically ignored pesky interferences like walls. Although I haven't put it to the test, this means that I can be a total bum now. Just sitting in bed and surfing away.

We shall see.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans

We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers

We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

2009 Christmas Special - Lacy Afghan

To all of our wonderful readers - Thank you for your interest in our first ever Seasonal Afghan Special Offer. Unfortunately, the offer is no longer available. You can, as always, take advantage of our normal order options, as listed below.

Time is running out! Order today to guarantee your one-of-a-kind Afghan gets to your house -- before Santa!

This Special Holiday offer is available only to readers of "Random Musings of a Curious Mind" who order before December 10th.

(We are limiting sizes and yarn options to speed up the arrival of your new, favorite Afghan.)

Ordering couldn't be easier! Simply pick a size, a yarn color, and click {Buy}. For your convenience, we offer PayPal or Google Checkout to complete your order. (No personal information is required, until you place your order through our secure options.)

As always, if you have any questions or problems - Contact Jules - for more information.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans

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at Independent Designers

We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Wrinkle Treatment

Despite my best intentions, I recently had another birthday. I know, I know. You'd think after all this time, I'd have learned to run a little faster. But, no - it catches me every single year; and on the very same day, no less. Just sad.

Coincidentally, every year on that very same day, I start thinking about wrinkle treatment. Or, at the very least, about taking better care of my skin. Living in Arizona, I've got several strikes against me - besides my age - going in.

First, unrelenting sunshine. It's lovely to look at, but brutal to live in. You can just feel the skin damage - without even stepping outside. Those brown spots? Not freckles, my friend! Little spots of skin destruction!

Second, zero (or almost) humidity. Yes, it's a dry heat! Unfortunately, dry is the critical part of that phrase. You do know how they get raisins, right?! Suck all of the moisture out of a perfectly good grape! Frankly, I'd rather be the grape, if it's all the same to you!

Third, the world's worst skincare regimen. Seriously! I own - Heaven only knows how many - moisturizers, creams, exfoliants, and jars of stuff I forgot I had. Do you think it goes bad, like sour cream or cheese after a few years?! Eh, probably!

My luck? It'll add wrinkles if I use it now!

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We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Did You Actually Look?!

Every now and then, I get an email at JMark Afghans, etc. that provides an interesting giggle for the day. It's easy to tell, from the tone and content of these messages, that the sender didn't actually visit the website. Which is why they are often very, very funny.

One must realize that a search engine, even one as finely-tuned as Google, will only give you that which you have requested. For example, performing a search for Afghans - as in warm, snuggly hand-crocheted blankets - will also provide a list of posts, pages, and sites about the people of Afghanistan. It's only natural, especially given the world situation.

So, for anyone who is trying to market to Afghan-based or -owned businesses - please don't blindly email your marketing service offer to every business site, page, or link that uses the keyword Afghans. Or, at least, visit first. Deal?!

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We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Playstation 3

We have had a number of gaming systems in our house. Playstation (replaced by PS2), Playstation 2 (totalled by the youngest), Xbox (sitting in the bedroom, gathering dust). There were even a couple of standalone units that hooked to the TV, that the boys played for about 5 minutes one Christmas morning.

With three computers in the house, we don't really use separate systems. Although, two of the computers aren't really designed for gaming - substandard (read: old) graphics cards, and minimal RAM. So, maybe a a href="http://www.buy.com/cat/playstation-3-games-accessories-and-ps3-systems/63113.html" target="_blank">PS3 would have it's place.

I noticed, during one of my 'surfing' expeditions, that the prices really haven't come down. On the other hand, the goodies that you get with the system do seem to have increased - dramatically. And, as I had forgotten, it does nearly as much as a computer.

Didn't realize you could get on the Internet - and the 160GB hard drive looks really good. Hmmmm?! May have to rethink this.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans

We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
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at Independent Designers

We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Computer Housekeeping

One of my biggest problems is hoarding. Not like the people on the TV show, where you can't get through the house for all the stuff, mind you. But I am a packrat, nonetheless.

Which means that like my closets and under my bed, my computers tend to be loaded with stuff that I just don't need - well, I hope I don't need them. You know the old saying, "The minute you throw something away, that's when you remember why you had it in the first place."

Today, however, I am working on minimalism on my computer.

It occurred to me, as I was downloading the 4th game, that I really didn't need all of these downloads. I only play a couple of them, between Facebook games, editing, and blogging. So why was I loading my hard drive? Because ...

Because they were there. I might want to play one of them some day. Maybe. If I couldn't find anything else to do.

Yeah! Like that's gonna happen!

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We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
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at Independent Designers

We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Phentermine

Phentermine has long been touted as an effective appetite suppressant. A stimulant, similar to amphetamine, it affects the central nervous system. In addition, a 'drug of abuse', it is available only by prescription. As it may be contraindicated in many people - those with heart disease, high blood pressure, glaucoma, substance abuse history, arteriosclerosis, or diabetes - it should only be taken under the supervision of a medical professional.

That said, many manufacturers are trying to design a weight-loss supplement that mirrors the results of Phentermine, without the prescription. According to some review sites, there is one over-the-counter supplement that contains 18.75mg of Phentermine. Not something I would feel comfortable putting into my system without monitoring by my doctor.

Like it or not, there is really no way to know how much of what is in OTC diet pills. In reviewing one product, I found that the website had 'borrowed heavily' from an article on the effectiveness of some of the ingredients. Of course, they only 'borrowed' the information that worked in their favor.

If you research these supplements - and it's easy to do online - you'll find that the claims are borderline, if not out and out lies. One popular ingredient - phenylethylamine (PEA) - is reported to mimic the affect of amphetamines on the brain. Well, yes, but not in oral administration. And, more importantly, it is known to interact with certain anti-depressants.

Frankly, the ingredient combinations that one finds in the 'top-of-the-line' supplements are a tad frightening. In and of themselves, each one may or may not be effective; and may or may not be dangerous. Thrown together in one pill, it's almost impossible to be sure.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans

We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers

We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

New Laptop! and Missing Posts :(

Well, it looks like Christmas came early at our house!

Frankie was helping a friend over the weekend and, to make a long story short, ended up with a new laptop. We haven't seen it yet, as he's still helping out. But, given his level of enthusiasm, I'd guess it's much better than the used one he got earlier this year.

In fact, I'm nearly as excited as he is, since he called to tell me that I could have the one he was using. Since my needs are much different than his, this is just perfect for me. Sadly, that meant transferring my blog to a new computer - which didn't go too well the last time.

Guess what!? It didn't go too well this time, either.

Somehow, once I finally found a version of my blog software that was close to what I was using before, got it installed, and copied over the set-up files - I managed to lose about 10 days worth of blogs! From right in the middle of November, no less. I still don't get it.

I have the first through the fourth, and from the eighteenth forward. Everything in between disappeared from my files! Just like in April! Albeit not nearly as much information was misplaced, but the frustration is about equal.

So, as you're reading through, wondering why the archive files look funny - that would be the reason.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans

We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers

We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules