Thanks for the positive strokes on my moonlighting, folks. I don't have to charge heart-stopping amounts of money because I'm not trying to make a living at it, and I don't because I don't have the swollen head of so many "experts." Quite a few of whom don't know all that much, if truth be told. I figure to keep doing it as long as I can travel--and the bullet train in California should be up and running in a few years. No reason evident now that I can't do such work into my 80's, like some other folks I know.
Not only did I find two substantial errors in my check register (the bank was right, I had more money than I thought), the IRS sent us a letter saying that not only did they owe us money for 2009, they owed us more for 2008. Sweet! In fact, over the years, when there has been an error or a misunderstanding with respect to my taxes, the IRS folks have been very nice to deal with. They could give the TSA folks at the airport lessons, IMO…
Interesting to hear about the (impending) end of the death penalty in Illinois. Personally, I am not of the opinion that the death penalty is either cruel or inappropriate in certain cases; but it IS expensive, and mistakes are inevitable. After the execution it is too late to apologize. And life in prison is a harsh punishment. Thanks for the news, Bill.
Let us know how you like the Android pad, Bill. I haven't bought anything from Tiger Direct for a long time, but my experiences with them years ago were uniformly good. I took me a lot of work to finally justify a laptop about three years ago, so I'm not going to spring for another portable anytime soon. But I learned just this past weekend how to use my laptop as a Kindle. Not a bad way to read a book, especially one that is hard to find in paper.
More good news. In the wee hours of the morning, immediately before adjourning sine die, the legislature raised the income tax rate from its current anemic 3% to 5%. It will drop back to 4% in fouir years, but by then the state should be back on its feet.
I haven't had a laptop since I stopped travelling on business (gave the one I then had to my son). And I refuse to take a laptop on a vacation trip both because it is too combersome and because it would make the trip seem too much like business. If I needed to write while I was gone, a laptop would be the choice. But that sort of conflicts with the idea of "vacation."
Got enough snow to freshen things up yesterday. Alas, nothing to write home about. Starting again, but I'm not expecting much today, either. About 21ยบ and not looking to get much warmer.
So, Alan, how *do* you use a laptop as a Kindle? As a Library Clerk I am sure to be asked that question soon, and I would love to be able to answer it for folks.
Son who makes websites for a living got a response this morning from Apple:
"Your service request has been completed and we sent you a replacement IPAD 3G on 2011-01-12."
He is very grateful and relieved!! He was amazed they did that, since it obviously got wet. On the other hand, he has owned 3 iPhones, an iPod touch, an iPod nano, iPad, Macbook and Macbook Pro, and a couple of iPods before all that, too. I'd say they've gotten their money's worth from him.
Well, given how hard the Northeast is getting hammered today, I thought it best to post a clear sky photo! ;-)
Wondering how Cat is doing in the storm. I've heard her area has at least 18" now, and it's still snowing. Some parts of Connecticut have over 2 feet of snow. All the folks along the coast who have been bemoaning too little snow this Winter are alternately delighted and bemoaning all the shoveling. :-D
Ah! *Today* the birdies discovered my feeder! So far, chickadees and nuthatches. Great fun sitting at the computer watching. (It's on my front porch.) Stevie's at my feet watching, too. But his body is not tensed for hunting. Perhaps old cats know their hunting days are done, and are just watching, disinterested in food?
I don't mind it at all if it melts. What I hate is looking at two months of snow, in layers, none of which has ever melted. . . . Which was last winter's scenario here.
Our cats watch through the big windows. We call it "Bird TV". They don't get too excited over the birds, but if something furry comes along they start to do that involuntary chatter thing cats do when they're excited. Their favorites are chipmunks, which are safely below ground for the winter.
While I was shoveling earlier (we got about 8") 500 or 600 or more geese flew over. I'm not kidding. They were in groups of anywhere from three to a dozen, but they just kept coming and coming. I was very happy to be wearing a hat, just in case.
The Kindle for PC program will run on either desktops or laptops, as will Kindle for Mac. There are also Kindle apps for both iPad and Android tablets, and I believe for many smartphones as well.
There are also downloadable versions of the Nook, Palm eReader, and Mobipocket programs.
Rick's been eagle seeking but finding more geese than eagles (though he's found plenty of eagles). How come nobuddy mentions if they're flying North or South, lol!?
Ohhhh, I would have thrilled to see 500-600 geese fly over!
I get all misty-eyed when I hear geese. I get to singing the opening tune to Fly Away Home.
Fare thee well, my own true love Farewell for awhile. I'm going away. But I'll be back, though I go ten thousand miles Ten thousand miles or more....
Then I get thinking of Mary Oliver's poem Wild Geese
You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting. You only have to let the warm animal of your body love what it loves. . . . Calls to you like the wild geese . , , announcing your place in the family of things.
Thanks, Susan. That was like a little dose of Spring.
In this case they were flying from East to West. My sister thought they all go South for the warm weather, but I guess not. And, come to think of it, the South isn't overstocked with warm weather either!
Howard Dean primus inter pares est!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the positive strokes on my moonlighting, folks. I don't have to charge heart-stopping amounts of money because I'm not trying to make a living at it, and I don't because I don't have the swollen head of so many "experts." Quite a few of whom don't know all that much, if truth be told. I figure to keep doing it as long as I can travel--and the bullet train in California should be up and running in a few years. No reason evident now that I can't do such work into my 80's, like some other folks I know.
Not only did I find two substantial errors in my check register (the bank was right, I had more money than I thought), the IRS sent us a letter saying that not only did they owe us money for 2009, they owed us more for 2008. Sweet! In fact, over the years, when there has been an error or a misunderstanding with respect to my taxes, the IRS folks have been very nice to deal with. They could give the TSA folks at the airport lessons, IMO…
Interesting to hear about the (impending) end of the death penalty in Illinois. Personally, I am not of the opinion that the death penalty is either cruel or inappropriate in certain cases; but it IS expensive, and mistakes are inevitable. After the execution it is too late to apologize. And life in prison is a harsh punishment. Thanks for the news, Bill.
Let us know how you like the Android pad, Bill. I haven't bought anything from Tiger Direct for a long time, but my experiences with them years ago were uniformly good. I took me a lot of work to finally justify a laptop about three years ago, so I'm not going to spring for another portable anytime soon. But I learned just this past weekend how to use my laptop as a Kindle. Not a bad way to read a book, especially one that is hard to find in paper.
More good news. In the wee hours of the morning, immediately before adjourning sine die, the legislature raised the income tax rate from its current anemic 3% to 5%. It will drop back to 4% in fouir years, but by then the state should be back on its feet.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had a laptop since I stopped travelling on business (gave the one I then had to my son). And I refuse to take a laptop on a vacation trip both because it is too combersome and because it would make the trip seem too much like business. If I needed to write while I was gone, a laptop would be the choice. But that sort of conflicts with the idea of "vacation."
ReplyDeleteGot enough snow to freshen things up yesterday. Alas, nothing to write home about. Starting again, but I'm not expecting much today, either. About 21ยบ and not looking to get much warmer.
ReplyDeleteSo, Alan, how *do* you use a laptop as a Kindle? As a Library Clerk I am sure to be asked that question soon, and I would love to be able to answer it for folks.
ReplyDeleteSon who makes websites for a living got a response this morning from Apple:
"Your service request has been completed and we sent you a replacement IPAD 3G on 2011-01-12."
He is very grateful and relieved!! He was amazed they did that, since it obviously got wet. On the other hand, he has owned 3 iPhones, an iPod touch, an iPod nano, iPad, Macbook and Macbook Pro, and a couple of iPods before all that, too. I'd say they've gotten their money's worth from him.
Well, given how hard the Northeast is getting hammered today, I thought it best to post a clear sky photo! ;-)
ReplyDeleteWondering how Cat is doing in the storm. I've heard her area has at least 18" now, and it's still snowing. Some parts of Connecticut have over 2 feet of snow. All the folks along the coast who have been bemoaning too little snow this Winter are alternately delighted and bemoaning all the shoveling. :-D
Ah! *Today* the birdies discovered my feeder! So far, chickadees and nuthatches. Great fun sitting at the computer watching. (It's on my front porch.) Stevie's at my feet watching, too. But his body is not tensed for hunting. Perhaps old cats know their hunting days are done, and are just watching, disinterested in food?
ReplyDeleteI don't mind it at all if it melts. What I hate is looking at two months of snow, in layers, none of which has ever melted. . . . Which was last winter's scenario here.
ReplyDeleteHe must know that the window is closed.
ReplyDeleteEmma-cat is nearly 14 and still gets all excited.
Our cats watch through the big windows. We call it "Bird TV". They don't get too excited over the birds, but if something furry comes along they start to do that involuntary chatter thing cats do when they're excited. Their favorites are chipmunks, which are safely below ground for the winter.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was shoveling earlier (we got about 8") 500 or 600 or more geese flew over. I'm not kidding. They were in groups of anywhere from three to a dozen, but they just kept coming and coming. I was very happy to be wearing a hat, just in case.
ReplyDeleteThe Kindle for PC program will run on either desktops or laptops, as will Kindle for Mac. There are also Kindle apps for both iPad and Android tablets, and I believe for many smartphones as well.
ReplyDeleteThere are also downloadable versions of the Nook, Palm eReader, and Mobipocket programs.
Rick's been eagle seeking but finding more geese than eagles (though he's found plenty of eagles). How come nobuddy mentions if they're flying North or South, lol!?
ReplyDeleteWe call it Bird TV too! When kitty is out on the screened-porch she has "surround sound."
ReplyDeleteOhhhh, I would have thrilled to see 500-600 geese fly over!
ReplyDeleteI get all misty-eyed when I hear geese. I get to singing the opening tune to Fly Away Home.
Fare thee well, my own true love
Farewell for awhile. I'm going away.
But I'll be back, though I go ten thousand miles
Ten thousand miles or more....
Then I get thinking of Mary Oliver's poem Wild Geese
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the warm animal of your body love what it loves.
. . .
Calls to you like the wild geese
. , ,
announcing your place in the family of things.
Thanks, Susan. That was like a little dose of Spring.
Uh oh.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling a wee bit nauseous. I hope it's just something I ate and not the "f" word.
Gonna take the evening off and hope for the best.
Later skaters.
In this case they were flying from East to West. My sister thought they all go South for the warm weather, but I guess not. And, come to think of it, the South isn't overstocked with warm weather either!
ReplyDeleteDad reckons we got the eighteen inches we were promised. It took him all afternoon to plow and blow and such.
ReplyDeleteHope it's just a passing thing, listener♥
*That* is touching, Cat. Thanks for passing it along.
ReplyDeleteTell him to be careful, Cat. Something about spring chickens. . . .
ReplyDeleteSusan ~ As far as geese are concerned, Ohio IS the South. Sort of. At least the lakes are not frozen over, which is the big thing.
ReplyDelete