Mishmash Musings

I know, I know — I should have done this a long time ago, but none of the elections seemed compelling enough. I did not feel strongly enough about either ticket in the 2008 presidential election to bother registering to vote, so I abstained that time around. But I’m a bit excited about the upcoming midterm elections because I have a feeling a lot of do-nothing incumbents will get thrown out. I want my VERY dissatisfied voice to be heard, so I registered today. Yay for democracy!

OK, this is insane! I remember when flash drives first hit the market for average consumers. They were still pretty expensive at the time, and the storage capacity was quite small.The first one I ever bought was a mere 512MB, which is pathetic by today’s standards.

For instance, take a look at the Kingston flash drive pictured above. Its capacity is 16GB and it costs only $26. How can anyone complain about that kind of price? And we can probably expect prices for these products to keep falling and falling. I love it!! I have several flash drives that I use for different purposes, and I can’t imagine having to live without them now. How did we survive before?!

OK, I hate having to take this step, but NOTHING ELSE seems to be working. I’ve tried low-fat and low-calorie diets, along with an exercise program that includes both cardio and weightlifting, but I am not seeing the results I want. The only option I have left is to try limiting my carbs. Admittedly, I eat way too much refined flour, including white bread and packaged cookies, crackers, etc. I also love french fries and potatoes of any kind, so reducing (NOT eliminating) these foods ought to help — a lot.

I’m going to start slowly, though, so I don’t discourage myself. I’m going to aim for 100g per day to start, then move down from there. Here’s hoping this is the answer I’ve been looking for!!

This is a pretty cool article that talks about how ancient Greek statues weren’t just the plain white marble creations we now see them as, but were originally painted in quite vibrant patterns. Historians can see this by examining sculptures with UV lights to reveal brushstrokes and paint fragments. Here’s a recreation of what the famous Augustus of Prima Porta statue might have looked like to the ancients:

The latest opinion polls make it clear that most folks are losing patience with President Obama. For the first time in his 20-month term, his disapproval numbers are higher than his approval numbers. A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that 52 percent of Americans now disapprove of the job Obama is doing, while only 45 percent approve. Persistent joblessness and the lackluster economy surely have something to do with the results.

I wasn’t part of the poll, but if asked, my answer would have been: Disapprove!! My biggest problem with Obama is the way he tries to ram legislation through Congress in direct contrast to what he promised while on the campaign trail. He said he wanted transparency in government, but then held health care debates behind closed doors instead of putting everything on C-Span as promised. I want to know what the government is up to. I don’t want these backroom deals continuing because that would be business as usual instead of the “hope” and “change” theme from the campaign. Wonder what the 2012 slogan is going to be!

I was looking through Space.com today (one of the coolest sites on the Web), when I came across some old photos of Saturn taken by the Cassini spacecraft. This particular photo is from 2006, and is just stunning! It’s so beautiful that it looks fake, doesn’t it? It’s amazing to see Saturn isolated like that instead of one of a billion objects in the night sky when viewed through a telescope. The vastness of the universe never fails to overwhelm me….

Rivals.com has ranked all 120 NCAA Div. I football teams for the upcoming season. Alabama is ranked No.1, which is no surprise, and should be in a great position to defend their national title. Nothing about the list really surprises me, except for Nebraska being ranked so high (No. 5). They were definitely on the upswing last year, but No. 5? In the country?? Not sure about that. Also, putting Arkansas in the top 20 is questionable. Yes, they have a big-time scoring offense, but their defense gives up just as many points. I’d put FSU and Christian Ponder ahead of those guys for sure.

Anyway, it’ll be great to get the regular season underway soon. I love football and fall weather. There’s no better combo in the world!!!

I’m thinking about getting a new laptop or netbook because my old one is a true POS. It barely picks up the Wifi signal in my house even when I’m sitting right next to the router, and the battery lasts less than an hour. It’s completely useless if I try to take it outside, which obviously defeats the purpose of having it.

I’m not sure what I’m going to get next, but in trying to work out a possible budget, I’ve been wrestling with the question of whether or not to buy laptop insurance. I’ve been hearing more and more about this type of service, but am not sure if it’s better to have insurance or an extended warranty. What’s the difference? From what I’ve been able to gather so far, it seems that insurance covers a wider range of problems than a warranty — including theft, which would be important for those of us planning to use our machines on the road.

Well, clearly I still have a lot to consider before making a purchase, so I better get back to my research!