You Win

I have good news and I have bad news.

The good news: it's a winning week!

But wait, there's more!

Everyone wins this time!

Yes, by everyone, I mean EVERYONE.

That means you and you and you. And also you. But maybe not you. But yes, you. And you. And you!

The bad news: it's not ready today. Nor will it be ready tomorrow. BUT! If you can wait patiently, it will be done next week. On April Fool's Day. (No foolin'!)

So will you come back then and find out how to claim your prize? Puh-leaz? It would mean everything to me. Really, it would.

Can you guess what your prize is going to be? Huh, huh, can ya? Would you like a hint?

Well, think about my profession. And then think about what I've given as a freebee for the masses before.

There. You. Go.

Next week, my friends. Next week. 

Free For All

Hey! Can you believe it's halfway through March ... and it's still snowing? Yay us! But let's not talk about depressing things like snow. Let's talk about depressing things like taxes. Ha ha. Or not. But let's talk about money--or more specifically, lets talk about NOT spending any.

I've just come to the realization (I'm a late bloomer, I know) that while a lot of people have made mega bucks off the Internet, it has caused a loss of income for others. Why? Because everything (or practically everything) is FREE. (For me?)

Books, movies, music, art, website hosting, encyclopedias, social media ... all of it for free.

First off, I'm NOT cool with piracy. Anytime something is illegally FREE on the internet, it should be reported and avoided. What was up with everyone watching Frozen online these past months? I never looked into it, but I could only assume that since it hadn't yet been released on video that it would be pirated. I never ever, no, never! download movies or music that I'm not buying the rights to. Artists need to make money from their creative endeavors or they will end up having to work at Subway. And no one wants that.

But I do listen to free music on Pandora and YouTube. I also love watching TV from their online networks, especially since we don't have satellite. I watch the ads, so it's just like me watching it on TV, if I actually lived in town and had free TV. BUT! More and more shows are being locked and you are not allowed to watch them unless you sign in with your service provider. I think that's hokey. Do you? Or am I showing a double standard?

Our local newspaper has recently begun locking its online articles as well. You have to have a subscription if you want to read more than 5 articles a month. I get it. They are losing money. But, news should be free, shouldn't it? Like a public service? And again, I read the ads, so that should count for something, right?

I like getting free books on Amazon (always legit to download for free on Amazon), but it's rare that a free book is worth the time spent reading it. Cheap books on Amazon make me more happy the free stuff since you can spend a couple of bucks and still end up with a great read.

I remember back when I had to spend hours scouring library reference books for research, but now, everything can be found for free on blogs and websites. That is amazing to me, yet someone somewhere is surley missing out on money they would have been earning by writing reference books.

If I lived by this library, I'd forget the internet and spend my days browsing ALL those books instead. 

But back in January, there was a ruling that was struck down blah blah blah legal mumbo jumbo, but what the bottom line is: there is speculation that we could see the day when we have to PAY for all those services. We've come to expect free blog hosting, web hosting, Facebook, etc, so much so that I think if we had to pay to watch a video on YouTube, pay to Tweet, pay to send an email, there would be a worldwide revolt and everyone would just throw their computers out the windows. Ya think? No, I don't think so either. We'd all suck it up and pay to feed our addictions.

If you had to pay to use certain sites on the internet, how would it effect what you browse?

What freebies do you enjoy off the internet? Are there things you haven't bought in years because you now do them online? Mine would be magazines, especially any type of home decor or recipe magazine. I haven't bought any of those in years. I also haven't bought any of the clip art or lesson companion books for church in years: all of that's on Sugardoodle.

My favorite internet freebie is Fitness Blender. They have hundreds of different workouts: all you have to do is enter how long you want to workout and what area of the body you want to focus on and BAM, you workout! It's the best thing since to hit the fitness industry since Richard Simmons. BTW, thanks to Bigskyboys for finding Fitness Blender. I should make you some cookies to thank you.

OK, tell me all about what you enjoy for free on the internet and what would make you roll over in your grave if you had to begin to pay for it. One, two, free ... go!

Use Your Words

Something light and simple this week, friends. We are going to discuss the theory of relativity! Ready? Discuss. The floor is now yours:





















































Oh, um hello. What you still doing here? You DON'T want to discuss the theory of relativity? What a bunch of partay poopers. Shmoopers.

Fine. Let's do something else.

Let's talk about global warming. Ready? Go:




























































































Hmm, I'll take it you don't want to discuss this either. Great. Now what are we going to do?

OK, here's the real topic. For reals for reals. (Maybe. I could hit the space bar some more and try to crash blogger, but I guess I can be mature for a minute or two.)

Some psychologists think that WORD ASSOCIATION can reveal the thoughts of a subconscious mind. These subconscious thoughts can show how we link information, ideas, memories and experiences and how these subconscious thoughts can influence behavior. Some psychologists also think that WORD ASSOCIATION can show IQ. Other folks think that WORD ASSOCIATION is for entertainment purposes only. (Lame!) Whatever the reason for doing WORD ASSOCIATION, it is fun, is it not? I like words, therefore I enjoy most indubitably participating in a wholesome recreational activity that could also be advantageous in deciphering how the human brain functions. So, let's play WORD ASSOCIATION, shall we?

The rules:
I will give you a list of words. You will type in the VERY FIRST WORD you think of. You may not ponder. You may not Google. You may not read comments left by previous commenters. Just type.

And after you associate your words with my list, will you give five or so NEW words for me to associate? When I reply to your comment, I will answer your words, PLUS, I will peek into your mind and give you a psychiatric evaluation and an IQ reading. In case you are wondering, I AM trained and certified to do this, and I will do it at no cost to you. (Other than your pride.) (JK I will be very nice and not pull of any emotional scabs or open any emotional closest you prefer to keep locked.) Sounds like a fun way to spend your internet time today, doesn't it?

Here we go. What is the first word you think of for each of the following:

1. Rain
2. Chocolate
3. Family
4. Pants
5. Diphthong
6. Aardvark
7. Dark
8. Peanut Butter
9. Peter
10. Stage

That's all. Get associating, my associates! Go! Go on! Move em out! Get em up! Rawhide!

The Truth

Hi! How's your March lookin'? Our March looks just like February. Which looked just like January. Which looked just like December. Don't believe me?

Here's a shot from yesterday:

Here's February

Here's January

Here's December: 

Did your eyes go numb? (If it's just your eyes, consider yourself lucky. My bum has been numb all winter.)

But! You didn't come here to talk about the weather, did you? Let's talk about something exciting instead.

Like me! (I'm super exciting. I take pictures of snow.)

I would consider myself a nice person. I know how to be polite. I know to hold my tongue (most of the time.) I know how to compliment (never insincere, btw.) I would never intentionally say something rude or demeaning to someone else.

But I do it to myself ALL THE TIME.

My inner dialogue is HORRIBLE.

I probably call myself an idiot twenty times a day. (I never say it out loud. I don't want to give my kids any ideas.)

If I leave someone a message and I can't find the right words, I call myself a nerd.

If I don't get anything accomplished while the kids are at school, I call myself lazy.

I am my own worst enemy.

Are you this way? Do you talk to yourself in such an offensive manner?

When I was younger (that was such a long time ago I can scarcely remember it) I used to think certain people were near perfection. They did everything right. They looked right. They oozed with confidence. But now I've come to realize that EVERYONE is insecure. Some people just hide it better. I suspect that people who hide it better don't continually demean themselves to themselves. (This is when it would be fun to have multiple personalities because you could demean someone else to yourself and it would still be demeaning yourself to yourself. That was ... dizzying.)

Let's talk about insecurity. Wikipedia says this: insecurity is a feeling of general unease or nervousness that may be triggered by perceiving of oneself to be vulnerable or inferior in some way,  which threatens one's self-image or ego. Can someone be immune to that? I think not.

I found quotes from a bunch of celebrities who you would think would have self-confidence dripping off their fingertips: but they said things like: "As I get more successful, insecurities only pile on top of one another." (Olivia Wilde) and "I'm an optimistic, joyous person, but I'm also afraid and insecure." (Sandra Bullock) I think that those who are in the limelight might have even more insecurities as they know that every step they make will be observed, judged, and then discussed by everyone on social media. (Thinking of Jennifer Lawrence right now. Poor girl. Thank goodness that wasn't me on the red carpet or I would have tripped 5 or 6 times.)

I used to wonder how people could be overly confident or even arrogant, but now I think that those who are snobbish are possibly more insecure than the rest, as they rely on their money, their appearance, their clothes, their intellect--whatever it may be that causes them to be snooty--to feel valued and important.

But know this: if someone is better than you at something, that doesn't make them better than you. (truly a dizzying intellect. Read it again. Slowly. There you go. Did you get it?) If someone is a better writer than me, that doesn't mean that they are a better person than me. That doesn't mean their life is worth more. And besides, BETTER is a matter of opinion anyway. If someone looks better than me in a bathing suit, that doesn't mean I'm less of a person. Quite literally, I am MORE of a person in that case. Ha ha. Ha. Don't you think if we could eliminate comparisons, we would be able to eliminate many of our insecurities as well?

So just stop it already, will ya? (I was talking to myself right there. Mostly. But also a little to you. And you. And also you.)

What are my particular insecurities? Mostly, I hate looking stupid. I hate saying something others might think stupid. (One good solution to this problem would be to hang out with Patrick Star.) I worry about writing something that might be construed as stupid.

I am insecure about my clumsiness, which typically makes me more clumsy.

I am insecure about not being a good enough mother. I'm insecure about not being a good enough wife. I'm insecure about not being a good enough homemaker. I'm insecure about not being good enough in general.

But I am enough. Can we all say that out loud, every morning? (Without the but. We don't need to bring my butt into this conversation. Again.)

I AM ENOUGH.

Will you tell me what your insecurities are? Please? Don't make me feel foolish for letting this all hang out! Will you tell me what your inner-dialogue is like? And most importantly, will you tell me what you do to overcome negative inner-dialogue and insecurities? Help a friend. Share your wisdom!

By the way (wow that looks really weird written out. It's been years since I've done that.) this isn't me fishing for compliments. I'm not asking you if this dress makes me look fat! So we're done talking about Lori. Just talk about you. And thank you. You are awesome.