New in Google Reader this week
We’re Doomed, via Aprilbaby’s California Life (same blogger, Michele Miles Gardiner) – and here’s an example of the kinds of amusing-to-outrageous stories/links/signs of the apocalypse she’s posting. (This is a lengthy read, but if you have daughters, you may want to take the time for it.)
Books on the Brain (found me via Booking Through Thursday)
If you’re as hooked on Google Reader (or Bloglines, or whatever place you like to collect online reading) as I am, here are some interesting tips for getting the most of out of feed readers and subscriptions. Perhaps you’ve found some new reading material recently through Alltop, the new “all the top stories/sites/blogs, all the time,” aggregator. Maybe your blog’s even made it into their listings; lots of the “cool kids” are over there now – or they want to be. (Guess who’s not cool? But I’m sure you already knew that about me anyway.)
Back when I was in high school in St. Petersburg, Florida, the beach behind “the Don” was a popular place to hang out, and it’s not too surprising that the Don CeSar Beach Resort might be a prime spot for a wedding. And by the way, when did pink and brown become a hot wedding-color theme? (Mine was red and purple.)
Oh, and speaking of high school, please note this on your social calendar (or click the button in the sidebar): Sunshine’s Blog Prom is coming up on May 2, with a whole week of festivities! Yeah, I’m going – I plan to be the designated wallflower. Who’s up for renting a limo and making a party out of it?
April is Financial Literacy Month, but is this a good test of it? Speaking of financial stuff, those stimulus-package rebate checks will start going out pretty soon – confused about them? Ask Tax Cat. Also tax-related, someone else makes a point that I learned the hard way years ago – married couples with similar earnings are NOT helped by filing joint tax returns (via BlogHer).
Lots of work-related miscellany this week: Would you choose a different career if money weren’t an issue, and you had the chance to do something you truly loved? Would you follow a process like this in choosing it? Would you like some advice on finding that job in a challenging market? Hope you don’t get asked any of these worst interview questions ever (with suggested answers) (via Working Girl). Here’s some discussion of what not to wear once you have the job (it’s been how many years now, and we’re still confused by “business casual”), and about making it work with your boss. And were you brought up as a churchgoer? It may mean that you work harder – or maybe that you’re used to spending time in meetings. Here are some useful passive-aggressive phrases for meetings, but not so much for church.
Milestones: A college reunion, apparently angst-free, the story of a Tax Day tax deduction, and the love story of the week
Too old for at least some aspects of “social media”? (I just don’t know about these kids today…but I do agree that the observation in this post that they often have “a cultural memory that gets pretty vague looking back past the millennial divide” is frequently true.)
So, why do you blog? One person’s reasons – some of them are mine too.
I know that quite a few of the readers here are readers, period, and if you’re like me, your home may be in danger of being taken over by your books – here are some ideas for getting things in order.
Well, folks, I report for jury duty first thing tomorrow morning. I get summoned about every 2.5 years, but so far I haven’t actually been picked to serve for a trial, so my service has ended after one day. But a coworker recently was on a three-week trial, and my son’s girlfriend is currently on one expected to run for about four weeks, so I’m curious to see whether my luck holds out or not. (I may have just jinxed myself by writing about it.)
I’ll let you know what happens. I can bring my laptop on Monday, since the waiting room supposedly has wireless access, but if I get put on a jury I doubt it will be allowed in a courtroom. In any case, if things are a little slow here on the posting and/or commenting front while I am meeting my civic responsibilities to Ventura County, California, apologies in advance!
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I rarely listen to it, but I don’t think this is wrong:
You Are Classical Music |
 You are a somewhat serious person who enjoys studying subjects deeply. Art of all kinds interests you, and a good piece of art can really effect you emotionally. You are inspired by human achievement, and you appreciate work that takes years to accomplish. For you, the finer things in life are not about snobbery – they’re about quality. |
I guess maybe chocolate doesn’t have all the answers after all, since the last part of this doesn’t sound much like me. Bummer. Consult the Chocolate Oracle yourself.
What Your Taste in Chocolate Says About You |
 You are sophisticated, modern, and high class. Your taste is refined, but you are not picky. You are often the first to try something new. You are laid back and fairly easy to please. All you need in life is your friends. Sometimes you go along to get along… but you don’t mind. You love being around people. Friendships are important to you. You feel lost when you’re by yourself… so you tend to avoid being alone. |
No, I really don’t mind being alone. Then I get all the chocolate for myself. 🙂
I was Hip-Hop music. I HATE Hip-Hop. I did the chocolate test the other day, mine was similar to yours in the beginning, but was different in the end.
I started reading the link about the stuff girls do, but I got scared and stopped.
Mike – I don’t blame you for being scared. That was one jaw-dropping story – although not so much because of the girls; it’s mostly their mothers.
My husband hates hip-hop too. If that’s what he gets when he takes the quiz, I will laugh. (I keep thinking the two of you would really get along well.)