Philosophizer

I tried and tried and couldn't find a place on Amazon.com to send in suggestions. And I have several; maybe if I put them here someone will find them!

• in the search-narrowing items, make it so you can also use them to eliminate categories (for example, I was just searching for a new 2.5" hard drive, and I would've liked to be able to eliminate everything smaller than I want, without having to rule out a good deal on something bigger than I expected.)
• have a way to sort by, or only show, things that are eligible for Super Saver shipping.
• as a corollary, sort by lowest price including shipping.
• improve category tagging - this is something that drives me batty about eBay as well. Hard drive enclosures should not be listed under 'internal hard drives'. I know sellers set those, but maybe there could be some kind of system where users could suggest proper tagging, or note items that don't belong in a category?

Thoughts?

Labels: helpering

Yesterday I identified a strange overlap between two fields I never expected to have any commonality - table manners, especially traditional Continental styles, and being a geek. Two unrelated fields, both of which - get this - will train you to be able to eat with a fork in your left hand. Continental manners dictate that you not swap your fork back into your right hand after cutting food on your plate; most people write and mouse with their right hand. So, I realized that my high school French Club dinner training meant that I could eat and do a puzzle or work online at the same time. I'm sure mes profs have all suddenly felt a strange chill go down their spines just now.

Labels: lols

Barack Obama ponders Floating Head President?

Labels: lols

As promised over at Dubito, here's my crude attempt at a bumper sticker in response to those cutesy ones with a baby on them that say, "I'm a child, not a choice!"

Now, I don't have any problem at all with women who choose to incubate offspring - some illogical part of my brain figures that other people having children means I don't have to - but even if you do have kids, you are more than your uterus. And I think that's something everyone (or at least everyone who doesn't hate women) can get behind.

If anyone likes this, feel free to use it, but it would rock my world if you credit me. And if you make money off it, I want a cut :)

Labels: feminism, stickers

So I've acquired several bottles of hair gel. I don't use gel, and Jon will only use a very specific kind, of which these are not. Any ideas as to what non-hair use I could put it to?

Alternatively, if someone wants a crapload of gel, drop me a line and I'll send it all to you.

Actually, now that I'm on the subject, what should I do with a bunch of eyeshadow and lipstick I'm not going to use on my face? They've all been used at least once, and none of them are fancy brands, so I doubt anyone would want them, but I'd prefer not to just pitch it all. Thoughts?

Labels: household tips

So, I've had this question floating around my head for, like, forever.
Is it better/more ethical to modify a possession you have to make it more useful/pleasing to you, or to donate it to charity? (For example, reconstructing t-shirts vs. giving them to Goodwill.)

I'm having trouble deciding.

• I need to pare down, but I don't want to get rid of things that I could use and then find myself replacing them in a few months.
• I don't get a tax break for donations, but my mom and dad do, so I give them my stuff to donate along with theirs, but we're not talking anything more valuable than a few old cotton sweaters and t-shirts.
• I want to alter some clothes to make them more like things I like (v-necks instead of crews, for example), but I'd hate to cut them all up and then decide I don't like them, but now they're not good enough to donate.

I'm overthinking this, so I decided to post it and let you do the work instead!
(I also emailed it to Unclutterer.com, so if I hear anything from them, I'll post/link it.)

Labels: indulgent self-analysis, organization

Rudy Giuliani spent $50 million to win one delegate, then promptly dropped out of the race.