Why I Hate Computers...

I would definitely describe myself as being bookmark-dependent when it comes to the web. Just like we don't memorize phone numbers anymore because our phones hold them, I don't bother to know web addresses anymore. Like most of you out there, I've spent hours upon hours browsing the web. Sometimes mindlessly, sometimes with a purpose, sometimes via links or recommendations from friends. Whenever I stumble upon something worthwhile, I bookmark it. I took bookmarking on with greater fervor in the past year, since switching over to Firefox - even spent some time organizing the bookmarks. Friends' blogs, shopping sites, great news/historical sites, local neighborhood info, places to visit on my next vacation, links to my hotel reservations, important documents, sites with materials for work - the list is endless.

So anyways, imagine my frustration and anger when I agreed to a routine firefox update, then went to my bookmarks only to discover that about 75% of them are missing. Yep. Just gone. I'm MAD MAD MAD MAD MAD. Ugh. So MAD. Did I mention how MAD I am?!?!?! I don't know whether to scream or to curl up in a ball and cry!!!!! HOURS of research gone OUT THE TUBES!!! So frustrated. Want to throw a tantrum. Someone should reimburse me for those hours of my time just totally wasted. Do I dare consider turning back to internet explorer?...

PS My tabs are also missing...... grrrrrr.....

Review: Bee Movie

Cute, smart, and hilarious. See it!

Review: Wintuk

On the way home from my first-ever Cirque du Soleil show, Wintuk, I turned to my parents and stated, "that was the first time in a long time that I felt like a kid again." Indeed, that was the magic of this show. With the simple story line of a city boy in quest of snow, I was told by my Cirque-frequenting friends that this show had more of a story line and more verbal narration than typical Cirque du Soleil performances. This, I'm sure, was due to it being geared towards children and marketed as a holiday family event. But whomever it was geared towards, and for whatever purpose, made little difference to me as I sat there, completely mesmerized and enchanted.

The set looked like pages of a storybook, complete with watercolor backgrounds, talking lampposts, larger-than-life marionette puppets, and monsters come to life. The first half of the program moved slowly at times as the story line was set and characters were introduced. The acrobatics were framed into the story, such as the skateboarders and cyclists, the 'construction worker' who balanced on an assortment of tubes and wood planks to 'fix' a broken lamplight, or a tightrope walker who performed on a clothesline. After intermission, we were transported into a magical ice world, where, similar to The Nutcracker, a showcase of various acrobatic acts took center stage. Included in these was a terrific and hypnotic contortionist; dressed in a blue leotard and dancing with several silver hoops, at times her human form was lost completely in favor of fluidic shapes. Another favorite was the Russian bars, and another still the dancers suspended on aerial straps. At times, the performances were anxiety-producing: mind-boggling acts of balance and gravity-defying movements. At other times, the performances were entrancing, with the movements, music, and lighting taking hold of my emotions.

I was left trying to remember the last time I smiled for 2 hour straight, the last time I had not a single worry for such a stretch of time, the last time magic actually took over. It was probably the last time I was sitting in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden, watching Sesame Street Live as a 5 year old. The magic of Wintuk is not that it is a show for children. It is that adults become children, watching this show.

Fall's Quick Fall

So, the summertime temperatures didn't leave us until about two weeks ago (and I'm being generous when I say that....) and now snow is in the forecast. So much for fall. I hope spring will last longer!

Water for Thought

Next time you reach for bottled water, think about this (courtesy of EatingWell, Dec. 2007):

-In the US, more than 10 million barrels of oil are used to bottle water annually - and that's just the production. Consider the oil consumption (and emissions) required to bring water to the U.S., from Fiji, for example.

-Americans throw away 22 billion water bottles each year, over 60 million each day. It can take as long as 1,000 years for the average plastic bottle to biodegrade.

-Numerous studies show that bottled water is generally no safer or healthier than tap water, despite costing up to 10,000 times more. And, 40% of bottled water - including top brands Aquafina and Dasani - is simply filtered tap water, not water from natural springs or other "pure" sources.

Aware of the impact that bottling has on the earth's ecosystem, I have, for the past few years, only grabbed for the bottle of water when there are no other alternatives (i.e. when I'm out and about and couldn't lug around my re-fillable bottle). It's amazing the impact we could all make if we use our tap water, with filter systems if we don't like the taste (I have a simple pitcher one), and re-fillable bottles. Also, beware of refilling the bottles that bottled water comes in. They actually start to disintegrate after a short time, and you are likely drinking in the chemicals used in making the plastic! Instead, make the small investment into a bottle that's made for this purpose.