Trying out the "How to Cook Everything" app

Last week Apple celebrated the fifth anniversary of its app store by giving away five utilities and five games. One of the utilities was an app called "How to Cook Everything". It is the official digital version of the well-known cookbook by Mark Bittman. I've wanted this app since I saw it reviewed on iPad Today, so of course I snatched it up last week to save myself the $10.

This isn't a full-on app review because I'm not good at doing those. However, I did want to mention a few things about the app since I tried a recipe from it today and since I also happened to have a copy of the physical book "How to Cook Everything: The Basics" on hand.

STOP THE PRESSES! I just discovered as I was looking up the links I wanted to add to this post that the app I saw reviewed on iPad Today was "How to Cook Everything: Cooking Basics", which is the digital version on the book I have on hand. The app I downloaded corresponds to his original book. I'm tempted to splash out $7.99 to get this version because it has video cooking classes, where the app I have does not. OK, carry on.

The recipe I tried today was Simplest Whole Roast Chicken, Six Ways. Many of the recipes in the app are configured this way. You get the very basic method for roasting the chicken and then you get six flavor variations. This is great for me because I usually don't have all the ingredients for a specific recipe. With this arrangement I have the cooking method separated out and can look at the variations to get some ideas of other flavor combinations that will work. I'm not an intuitive cook so this is the type of help I need.

I noticed that there are some differences between the simple roast chicken recipe in the physical book and the one in the app. In the app it calls for fresh herbs, but in the book Bittman also gives the equivalent amount of dried herbs you could use. In the app he talks about roasting the bird in a cast iron skillet, but in the book it says it needs to be in a pan on a rack. There are a few more differences like this that could make a difference in how your bird turns out.  I didn't look at the book version until I had already cooked my chicken by the directions in the app.

One of the features that elevates the app and makes it more than just a PDF of the original book is the embedded timer. When the recipe tells you to, say, flip the burger after five minutes, you can click the link and start a five-minute timer. You can then go on to another recipe in the app and get that started. You can even have multiple timers going at once, each with the name of the recipe and what step you are on so you know what to go back to when the bell rings. This is great for me because I have a lousy sense of time so I have to set timers for practically everything I cook.

As of this posting, the "How to Cook Everything" app is still being offered for free. I would say grab it while you can. Besides the timers, there are hand-drawn illustrations of various techniques like chopping, weekly featured recipes, and shopping lists you can email to yourself or someone else. You also get the written commentary from the author, something that is missing from other cooking apps that didn't start out as cookbooks. It feels like the physical cookbooks I grew up with but improved by the addition of technology. I plan to make sure M has a copy when she moves out on her own.

By the way, the chicken was delicious.

Osito: My unintentional weather app

A month ago, I downloaded an app called Osito on my iPhone 4S. It is one of those personal assistant apps that is supposed to look at your calendar and other things on your phone and give you useful alerts to keep you on tasks. Apps like this and Google Now are attractive to me because when you watch the demonstrations, it feels like the phone is learning my habits or reading my mind. The sad reality, at least in my case, is that I don't do anything for Osito to track. I don't have any appointments on my calendar, I only travel once a year, and I don't have a job. Poor Osito has never had the opportunity to warn me that I am going to be late for a lunch meeting or that the traffic on I-85 is particularly heavy.

One thing I have found that it is great at, though, is telling me it is about to rain. I don't just mean that Osito gives me the forecast for the day when I wake up. It tells me when it is about to rain in my neighborhood, and it is accurate within about five minutes. Right before I started this post, Osito sent me a notification that said it will begin raining in my town at 7:16p. At 7:22p the sky darkened and it started thundering. This has happened every single time I got the notification. For me, that is enough reason for me to keep Osito, even if I can't use any of the other functions.

Revisiting my teen years on No-Screen Monday

Yesterday was our first No-Screen Monday, an attempt to pull back a little from our constant use of tech as a source of entertainment. This meant no TV, no internet, and no smart phones. I did allow the use of the internet to play music because I never would have gotten through my childhood summers without music.

The purpose for this experiment hasn't been solidified in my mind yet. I realized this when I watched C1 spend the entire day listening to an audio book on her iPod. She effectively isolated herself from the rest of us and waited out the day. I hadn't said that this day without screens was about family bonding, so I couldn't really fuss at her. When I was her age, I spent a lot of time on the other side of the house from my siblings and pursued my own interests, so I certainly understood the urge to do that. Heck, I was done with family togetherness after about an hour myself. Still, it seemed wrong that C1 spent the day that way.

I thought about my teen years a lot yesterday. I kept trying to remember what I did back then when I wanted to look up some information. For instance, the kids and I were playing Dutch Blitz and they wanted to keep score. I couldn't remember the scoring system and the instructions sheet wasn't in the box. The urge to get on the computer and look up the rules was strong. It didn't help that several things I looked at yesterday had URLs or QR codes on them, suggesting that you go to their sites for more information. I guess when I was younger I just wondered about things or waited to see if I could find the info at the library.

One unexpected aspect of this experiment was the change in our energy levels. I was so tired that I wanted to cry at one point. DJ kept saying that I was trying to sleep away the day because I missed being online, but I swear that wasn't the reason. I had been looking forward to turning everything off. I had an audio book, an audio French lesson, and some knitting to keep me busy, yet all I wanted to do was sleep. DJ, on the other hand, was bouncing off the walls. He made short work of the one book I checked out for him and was anxious to play cards with me. He kept joking with his siblings and running around. Perhaps being on the internet calms him down, while it keeps me awake -- a multipurpose drug.

All in all, I think our first No-Screen Monday went well. I just have to remember to print out all the rules for games and any other reference material I need before next Monday.

Instituting a No-Screen Day

Everyone knows that I spend most of my free time on the internet. Although I refuse to call this an addiction, I have been feeling for a while now that I would like to pull back from using the computer as my main source of entertainment. I'm happy that my kids aren't experiencing the boredom and isolation that was part of my childhood, but I think we are all missing out on other activities.

It's not like I don't want to do other things. The time just gets away from me. For instance, I wanted to work on a knitting project yesterday. I went out to the shed first thing in the morning and got the materials and settled myself in a comfortable area. Then I turned on the computer to get the pattern, and that is when everything went pear-shaped. I started looking at other patterns -- just to make sure there wasn't a better one, of course -- and before I knew it, the clock said 10p and I hadn't cast on a single stitch. For months I've been saying that Sundays are my reading days, but it has been a while since I've spent this day reading a book instead of blogs and news articles on the internet.

I'm not the only one in the house that is going through this. C1 tells me all the time that she wants to be a writer, but the only thing I see her writing is posts on Reddit. C2 says that she wants to go to art school after college, but she hardly ever draws anything that isn't for a school assignment. Then there is DJ, who doesn't have any hobbies outside of gaming. None of my kids have experienced what it is like not to have entertainment on demand at home. They have always had access to something to watch or play. Since I know that this is my fault, I am going to do something to rectify it.

Starting tomorrow, every Monday this summer is going to be a No-Screen Day in our house. This means no TV, no internet, no texting, and no video games. I will let the kids play Spotify or other internet streaming radio because our terrestrial radio reception around here is lousy. The kids haven't kicked up much of a fuss yet, probably because they think that I won't be able to go through with it. What they don't realize is that I actually look forward to days when I have no internet, like when our cable goes out or when we are on vacation. Having that option taken away from me makes it much easier for me to pick up a book or do something else, and I hope it is the same for them.

TheFineBros' "React" videos

I've spent most of my morning watching a series of YouTube videos by TheFineBros. I believe the entire series is called "React". Basically, they show a YouTube video to a group of people and then ask them questions about what they saw. They also give additional information about the video on the screen, like in the old "Pop-Up Video" TV show. I've linked one of my favorite videos above and here.

I'm surprised that my daughter C2, who watches more YouTube than traditional television these days, didn't introduce me to this series. It is right up my alley. I enjoy watching panel shows or any type of TV show or podcast where people share their reactions to media. This series is a fun way to check in with what videos are going viral, and I will probably subscribe to the channel.

I want ALL the toys!

This afternoon I registered to win a Kindle Fire tablet in a contest. Why would I do this? It doesn't really make sense. I just got an iPad 2 a few months ago and there is also an Acer Iconia tablet in our household technology pool. Whatever app I want to try, whether it is for iOS or Android, I have a device nearby that it can be loaded on. So why do I want to win a Kindle?

Some girls are attracted to jewels and others like shoes, but me? I like shiny new technology. The chance to get my hands on a new laptop or phone or tablet is more enticing to me than trying on a pair of Louboutins. There is plenty of tech in my house to meet my needs, but the gadgets I haven't tried yet are calling me.

What makes it even worse is when a friend gets a new device and I can tell that s/he isn't taking advantage of its full capabilities. It takes every ounce of my willpower not to rip the thing out of his or her hands and show them all the cool stuff they could be doing. I have to constantly remind myself that not everyone shares my fascination with their computers. To most people, these machines are just for work or necessary evils.

What software do you use with Total Money Makeover?

I am late in discovering Dave Ramsey and his personal finance theories. I mean, I knew who he was and what he did, but I was so burnt out on self-help books in general and budgeting books in particular that I didn't bother to investigate his methods further. Then I noticed that all the people I know in real life who truly have their lives together have dropped Ramsey's name into conversation at some point. Because of this, I thought that his books might be worth reading but they were always checked out at the library. That's how I ended up reading The Total Money Makeover almost 10 years after it was originally published.

ABM and I have never been an extravagant couple. True, we are a family that enjoys our gadgets, but the majority of the computers and other tech that we own was purchased used and with cash. We have less than $800 in credit card debt and that was incurred in the last year. It is well below the state average of $6350 per family. The first 100 pages of Ramsey's book droned on with information that I already knew. However, the Baby Steps Plan outlined in the last half of the book appeals to me. Our family's biggest financial problem is that we stopped tracking our spending long ago and tried to keep it all in our heads. Ramsey's plan provides that structure and I am ready to get started. What I am not ready to do is do it all on paper. 

Back in the 1990s, I used to keep track of everything with a combination of a wall calendar to keep up with bill due dates and budgeting software to track our paychecks and expenditures. For our new budget, I have the calendar part handled with Manilla; ABM is a bit squeamish about posting our bills up on the refrigerator the way we used to before we had teenagers and all their friends tramping through the house. What I need now is a free or really cheap budgeting software that would work well as a virtual envelope system (like a lot of people, we don't carry cash). 

If you are a follower of Dave Ramsey's principles, do you use budgeting software? What do you use? Please don't recommend that I create a spreadsheet in Excel. Spreadsheet programs give me hives. I want a program specifically for budgeting that will do the calculations for me. Any suggestions?

Yes, I'm fickle: Throwing over Twitter for Facebook

For several years I've held on to my imagined identity as a "hip geek". I have never been one to follow the masses, but  my definition of what that means has been always been a nebulous one. I don't mind if something I enjoy goes mainstream; I'm not one of those fans that laments when their favorite band "sells out". However, I am resistant to partaking of certain things after they become commonplace. Again, what bothers me and what doesn't is unpredictable. It pained me to watch the Twilight movies and I still haven't read the books, but I had no trouble picking up the Harry Potter books well after everyone had started talking about them. In my mind, there is a certain point at which you can still adopt something and be trendy. After that point, you look like you are trying too hard.

To that end, I put a lot of energy into avoiding Facebook. I had tried MySpace before Facebook was open to the general public, and I found it cluttered and noisy and childish. I thought that Facebook was going to be the same, and frankly I thought it was going to disappear as quickly as Facebook and Friendster before it. To me, it was the place where people who are not tech savvy hang out so that they can say they are trendy. It reminded of the AOL days when people thought that AOL was the entire internet. Eventually, however, my desire to be a good parent and a smidgen of curiosity won out. I joined Facebook but not without reservations.

When I first started my Facebook account, it truly was just to keep tabs on my kids and play those darn Zynga games to which I have become unhealthily attached. Slowly, however, I started using it more to keep up with my real-life friends who no longer live close to me. Then the parenting group that I've been part of for years went from being mainly an email listserv to being a Facebook group. The last thing that pushed me over the edge was the realization that Twitter, which I have been using since 2007, is not the service it was five years ago.

From the very beginning the creators of Twitter emphasized that it was not a chatroom. That was the way my online buddies and I used it, though. This was long before the celebrities and the corporations and the media became aware of Twitter. Back then, at least on my feed, it was just a bunch of podcasters, bloggers, and tech reporters chatting about their day. That was where all the jokes about people tweeting their lunch came from. I remember it was during one of my unemployment periods, and I would carry my Palm Treo around the house so that I could read the tweets as they were forwarded to me via SMS (no Twitter clients for phone back then). It made me feel less lonely, knowing that I could throw my random short thoughts out there and that someone would respond to them.

Of course, Twitter is nothing like the cozy little internet pub that it once was. Twitter has moved from being like a chat room to being more of a news feed. It may sound narcissistic, but I rarely tweet now because I don't feel like anyone will notice. Twitter has recently implemented changes to their site that they hope will encourage users to spend more time on the site. Some tech reporters have speculated that Twitter is doing this to lure people away from Facebook, but I think it is a little late for that. The head honchos didn't want Twitter to be a hangout or a chat room, and they got their wish. This is not to say that I don't like Twitter. I tell people all the time that, since I don't watch the news or read the newspaper regularly, I get a sense of what is going on in the world from what flies by on Twitter. For instance, if I see the words "tragedy" and "Colorado" show up in my Twitter feed five times in a row, I know I need to turn on the TV or do a Google search and find out what happened. However, I think the average person's tweets get lost on Twitter now. It is a place for us to read, not write.

As much as I hate to admit it, Facebook is filling the niche that Twitter once did for me. I have a husband and teenage kids, but a large portion of my day is spent home alone without a way to get out and see other people. I'm also more shy in person than my writings may indicate, so being online helps me converse with others at a safe distance. More and more, I'm getting the feeling that the people who are willing to connect with  me are on Facebook and not Twitter. That doesn't mean that I am going to be posting a lot of pictures of my kids or bragging on how wonderful my husband is; I leave that to my mommy blogger friends. However, you will be seeing more random status updates from me on Facebook throughout the day. Feel free to comment on them. Let's get a conversation going!

Another step towards productivity -- decluttering my inbox

Although I can't bring myself to say that I should be spending less time in front of my computer, I am willing to admit that the time I do spend could be more productive. This is even more important now that I am taking online classes. My classwork will take up several hours each week, so I have to give up something to make way.

To that end, I started decluttering my email inbox. For the past several years I've had a tendency to subscribe to newsletters that interest me, thinking that I would have more time to read them while I was out of work. This habit has gotten out of hand; this past month I have found myself deleting at least 15 emails for every one that I actually read. I have different email addresses for different purposes, which means there are days when I find myself wasting an hour sifting through and deleting email. So today as I was about to go through the tedious process yet again, I decided to take a few extra minutes and actually unsubscribe from all these newsletters. Now if I can just resist the urge to subscribe to new ones!

Webseries to Watch: Internet Icon

My daughter C1 has been begging me for weeks to check out a webseries called Internet Icon. She kept saying to me, "You will really like it! This show is just like real TV!" So since I had already planned a lazy Saturday of coupon cutting and crocheting, I figured this was the best time to catch up on the show. I've also been toying with the idea of blogging about webseries, so I might as well get my feet wet with this one.


Internet Icon is a reality competition show that originally aired every Tuesday and Thursday on YouTube at 8p EST. Since these aren't live streams, I think the term "aired" more accurately means that the videos are posted at those times each week. The show is part of the YOMYOMF Network, which is one of the YouTube channels that got an influx of Google cash this year to help improve their production values.

If you have watched shows like Project Runway or Top Chef, then the format of Internet Icon will be familiar to you. A slate of 10 YouTube content providers compete in video-making challenges. For instance, the first challenge was to make a video that used five words from a set list. On Tuesday, a 15-minute video of the creative process is posted, then on Thursday a longer video of the judging process is posted. There is also a separate playlist of the actual videos that the contestants created, in case you want to see any of them in full. I would recommend checking out The Fu Music's "Coming Home" video even if you don't watch the show.

I've watch a lot of competition shows and this one has elements that make it stand out for me. The lack of false tension-building and hyperbole is refreshing. From the very start with the audition process, the judges don't waste any time when it comes to eliminating people. One of the judges, Christine Lakin, is an actress who has been in the entertainment industry since she was 11 but the other judges are internet folks. When I see them laughing or being moved by a video I don't doubt their sincerity because they are average people who happen to like making videos in their spare time. Another thing I like is that the viewers are given more a glimpse of the judging process. When one judge says something like, "This video lacked focus", the viewer knows which video is being discussed. Other shows deliberately keep the judging discussion vague to build up more drama. I appreciate the straightforward approach this show is taking.

Although there is a bit of tension between the contestants from time to time, this isn't Big Brother or Survivor that you are watching. The grand prize -- $5000, a European vacation, some digital gadgets, and some meetings with industry people -- is big enough to work for yet small enough that the contestants don't mind helping each other. I've enjoyed my share of backbiting and shocking twists on reality shows, but bad behavior has almost become the norm these days. That makes a show where the main focus is on the work all the more satisfying.

Internet Icon has been going on for seven weeks but there is still time for you to catch up. Right now they are down to the last four contestants, and the viewers will be able to vote when they get down to the last two. Not only will you get a fun reality competition show but also a look into the YouTube world that has captivated many of the teenagers around you.

Organizational tool: Ziplist

Last week I talked about finding a new organizational system. I still haven't found an overall tool yet, but I am trying out a grocery shopping site/app called Ziplist. I've been using it for a week and I think I might stick with it for a while.

Ziplist is a free website that helps you organize your grocery shopping and meal planning. There is also an app for iPhone and Android devices that syncs up with the website so I can always have my list with me. I created an account using my Facebook log-in and started making a shopping list right away. The items are categorized automatically by the section they can be found in at the market, but you can change that. For instance, the program put "stir-fry vegetables" in the Produce section, but I actually buy a frozen mix so I changed it to Frozen.

I haven't done much with the meal planning functions yet, but I'm looking forward to putting them to use. Ziplist acts a recipe box in the cloud. You can type in your own recipes that you've been saving on index cards or, in my case, newspaper clippings stashed in a folder. There is also a cool toolbar that lets you "clip" a recipe from another website and save it to your Ziplist recipe box. Any recipes that you have in your box can be added to your grocery list with one click, so you don't have to add each ingredient individually.

Another feature is the meal plan. The meal planner is basically a calendar that can be exported to Google or Outlook. There is a weekly queue where you can easily switch menus around, which will still give me some flexibility.  I am attracted to this right now because I have to jump on the menu-planning train. Our food budget has gotten even tighter than before. ABM wants to start using coupons and wants to buy just enough for a week's worth of meals at a time. Add in the fact that he likes to shop on the spur of the moment. All this means that I need to be ready at the drop of a hat to go get groceries. I think that planning several meals ahead is what I have to do. I've always resisted this because I tend to cook according to what I have a taste for, but I guess I can get used to having a plan.

No matter what organizational system I pick for other household duties, I think that Ziplist will work well with it. If you try it, let me know what you think.

No, I don't want to join your shopping network

One of the latest online trends seems to be shopping clubs. Sites with names like JustFab and HauteLook promise deep discounts on designer clothing and accessories. Their slant is that they offer a small number of items for a limited time -- usually one day or less if the items sell out. I think it is a fun concept. Having someone curate a collection of garments, especially if the site is associated with a famous actress or model, can help a gal stay on top of the newest fashions more easily.

Unlike the shirt-of-the-day enterprises, however, many of these high-fashion sites don't even let you browse without giving them all your contact information. I'm not a freak about privacy, so I don't usually have a problem giving my name and email address to a website. However, it is annoying to give that info and take the time to fill out a "style profile" only to find out that the clothes and/or the prices are out of my range. I've signed up on shoe sites only to find that they don't carry flats and clothing sites that don't have sizes above a 12. I can understand making me sign up before I buy anything, but at least let me browse a little so I can get an idea if the site is for me.

My Almost Internet-Free Day

Yesterday I spent most of my resting time (remember, I still have to keep my weight off my healing foot) reading a novel. Although I was an avid reader in my youth, the internet grabs my attention more often these days. In recent years I've had brief periods when books won out over TV and the computer -- the release of each Harry Potter book, my Lori Wick obsession -- but on most days, if I am sitting down there is a laptop open in front of me.

Anyway, I finished off my novel yesterday afternoon and was going to grab my laptop when ABM and C1 made some comments about how strange it was to see me reading a book. From the ensuing conversation I gathered that my family thinks I can't survive without the internet. That got my back up, so I decided to go the rest of the day without the internet. "I'll show them!," I thought.

All I got out of my internet-free day, besides finishing a Rhys Bowen mystery, is a reminder that the internet and my gadgets are a big part of my day. I didn't know what to do with myself without the computer or my tablet or my phone. There was nothing good on TV and I couldn't jump into another book (I have to give myself a break between novels unless they are part of a series). I was home alone with DJ and he was reading a book, so I didn't have anyone to talk to. I ended up cheating a little: I watched some videos via my Roku box, which uses the internet. 

Some therapist would probably have a word or two to say about this, but I don't like to be alone with my thoughts. There is too much noise going on in my brain. Reading blogs, playing games, and listening to podcasts  are all activities that drown out the worry and the nonsense in my head. That's not the only reason I do these things, though. My family, as much as they make fun of me being on the computer all the time, has come to expect that I will introduce them to new books and games and look up anything they don't know the answer to. As C1 said yesterday, I am the living interface to the internet for my family. Some moms back; I research!

On Preferring Single-Use Gadgets

A while back when M was still a high-school senior, she overslept and missed the school bus. She told me that since her phone died, she didn't have an alarm to wake her. So, after two months of having all my children get themselves off to school, I was back to waking up at 5:45a to get her out of bed. This was especially annoying because I personally don't have to get out of bed until 7:30a to get to work on time.

Anyway, this got me to thinking about how gadget makers are always striving to make devices that can be The One and Only that you need to carry. When I got my Palm Treo years ago, I enjoyed the novelty of being able to make calls, send texts, look up info on the internet, and play music and video all on one device. Nowadays, however, I prefer to have separate gadgets for these functions.

My primary reasoning behind this is battery life. Despite the fact that today's tablets and mobile phones are more efficient than they once were, an hour of video is still a serious strain on your battery. I don't want to be using my phone to entertain myself while I'm in a waiting room somewhere and then end up with a dead battery and be unable to call ABM when I'm ready to be picked up. I believe many techies complain about the battery life on their phones because they buy into the hype and think that the phone is the only gadget they need to carry for everything. The battery on my iPhone lasts me an entire workday simply because I don't use it as an mp3 player or to search the internet. I only use it to call, text, and play the occasional game.

I realize that I am in the minority. Consumers are always clamoring for lighter, thinner devices that can do everything. As long as I am a gal with a big purse, I will prefer carrying two or three devices to meet my needs.

Streaming Killed the Video Star?

Infographic by: Wistia

Time to eat my words

Remember when I wrote that post about how much I dislike Facebook? Well, sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do in the name of being a good parent. I let my daughters start Facebook accounts this month, and I feel that I should be on Facebook myself to keep tabs on what they are doing. Despite all the hype, I think that overall the internet isn't that dangerous. Still, ABM and I would both feel better if we did all that we could to make sure the girls don't get into trouble online.

However, if you see me pop up on Facebook, don't send me a friend request. My main purpose for being on the site is to monitor what my kids are doing. With all my friends, I'd really rather correspond via email or visit your blog. The only exception is gaming -- if you like to play the games and want to challenge my high score on Bejeweled Blitz, then I will gladly be your Facebook pal!

A Convenient Friend

Although I consider myself an introvert, I will open up to almost anyone who is near when I have an issue weighing on my mind. For instance, whenever ABM does something that I think is stupid or insensitive and I don't feel like I can talk to him about it without causing a fight, I vent to my office mates or my movie gals or whoever is with me right after it happens. Then I feel bad that I've opened myself up to people who aren't going to be in my life for the long haul, and for the next few days I will cut myself off and keep quiet to avoid talking too much.

I imagine most people vent about their family issues to their siblings or their best friends. In my case, my sister and my BFF both live far away. I don't feel like I can call them and take up 30 minutes of phone time just to vent. You call faraway relatives if your kid got into a good college or if someone landed in the hospital.

Others use their blogs as a platform to get these sorts of issues off their chests, and I used to do that once upon a time, too. However, now that we are in the Facebook era of everyone looking online to find out all your dirt, it has become unfashionable to use your blog as your open diary. According to the "experts", I'm supposed to be afraid that what I write in this blog will keep me from getting a job someday. So I don't vent too much here, either.

Finally, I do believe there is merit in the idea that marital concerns should stay within the confines of the marriage and not involve other people. Still, it is difficult when I have thoughts on a subject and I just want them to be heard by someone.

Goodbye, daniinnc_2000

This weekend, the Yahoo account daniinnc_2000@yahoo.com became part of my internet past. Once upon a time, that was my main email account and I checked it as frequently as I check my Gmail account now. I held that account longer than any other email account. It was the account that M sent her very first email to, so I feel a wee bit sentimental about it. Unfortunately, it got hacked about a month ago and started sending spam to people. I didn't have a lot of current contacts connected to that account, but I still didn't like the idea of spam going out in my name. So I got over my brief attachment to the account, called Yahoo, and had it deleted. Since I did this in a fit of pique, I'm sure there are parts of that account that I will miss down the road -- email addresses or messages that I didn't back up. In the long run, though, I don't think I will miss much.

It is my understanding that there is a 90-day window before the account is totally deleted. As of today, if you get an email from daniinnc_2000@yahoo.com, it isn't from me. Sorry if you have gotten any spam in the past month.

Can't avoid the comment moderation any longer

I've been on the internet in some form or another since 1988, so I guess the spam had to catch up with me eventually. An increasing number of fake comments have been showing up on this blog and my book blog. If you have seen Chinese characters show up in my comments section, be thankful that you aren't reading them in English :-P. I've been reluctant to activate comment moderation because I didn't want to scare away the few legitimate readers who do comment. However, it doesn't make sense to complain about the problem when there is a tool that I can use to prevent it, so I will be screening comments from now on. I promise that I will only delete spam comments that obviously have nothing to do with the post, so don't worry about posting a comment that disagrees with me!

Do You Have a Computer in Your Kitchen?

I want a small, internet-connected device for my kitchen. Some of you who know me in real life may say that I am too jacked in to tech as it is, but I can't help it. I think a device like the Archos 5 or a tablet PC would be really cool to have. There are activities that I avoid because I know that I won't be able to listen to music or a podcast while I am doing them, and cooking is one of them. It would be neat to have a lightweight portable device that I could carry to other parts of the house, not only for music but also to look up that new recipe that I want to try. Currently, I copy down recipes by hand on notebook paper to save printer ink. It would be so much easier to have a screen with the recipe sitting next to the kitchen phone, away from the kitchen splatters but still handier than running upstairs to check my desktop.