The average computer user, even those fairly knowledgeable about their computer, contemplates their computer as much more than a tool for browsing the web, updating various digital music players (iPod, Zune, Creative...etc), playing games, keeping various documents (various media, text, spread sheets, power points...etc) or communicating with friends and family. Even as one ascends up computer literary hierarchy and associated knowledge base people are still prone to miss innovative computing solutions that they may wish to either participate in or help design. Although there are a myriad of options available none of them are both as useful and interesting, in my honest opinion, as volunteer computing.

New Challenges       

A few months back, an anonymous person sent me a less than flattering letter filled with critique of my letter and blog writing.  They attacked me personally and brought up, what this pompous dolt thought were valid points as to why; I had no right to speak my mind on anything. 

Overheard recently in a workplace lunchroom: "They should be happy I'm getting the big things instead of being so upset over the little things I miss. Isn't that more important?" The worst of it was the group of coworkers sitting around nodding their heads in sympathy and agreement. How appalling is that?

My S.O. used that word a couple of days ago.  To me it immediately brings to mind sexual assault, but that may just be the woman in me.  His use of the word came when he realized that some of our items were stolen out of our truck while we were at Gillette stadium Thursday night.  The items taken were of little consequence and easily replaced, but of course the initial reaction is a sick feeling in the gut that gives rise to a certain level of anger.  The quality and quickness of these emotions is directly correlated to the seriousness of the violation. 

There is a car "warsh" (the New Yorker in me still puts an "r" in the darndest places) on Manchester Street in Concord that has a sign proclaiming "It's not how you go down the road, it's how you look doing it". Every morning I pass it and think "and there is the problem with the world today", then find myself swerving to avoid the idiot talking, or worse, texting on their cell phone instead of driving or the owl craning their head around to check out the sweet bike that just tooled by. I am thankful that I have become an observant driver who has learned the value of watching what the other guy is doing as carefully as I watch what I am doing while driving. It doesn't always save me from an accident, like from the guy driving on Loudon Road who slammed into me full speed a few years back, but it has helped me avoid a whole lot of other accidents. I learned a long time ago about the value of watching the other guy.

This is the first entry in what I hope will be a discussion forum about topics including the housing market and how it affects regular Joe and Joann; personal credit issues such as REALLY understanding how smart the credit card companies are and what you need to know when considering taking them up on their many offers to make your life easier and how in general to build your personal credit profile to be attractive and ultimately save money because you know how to handle money.

Well, the hard part is over. As of June 2^nd, I'm officially divorced. From now on my name will be Linda Thompson-Odum. I had to keep the Odum because that is the name I'm known by for my writing. It is the name editors look for, and students sign up for my writing classes because of that name. Maybe at some point I will be able to drop it, but I'll keep it for now.

As far as divorces go, mine was pretty easy. My ex and I agreed early on about the settlement, so we only had to go to court one time. The entire proceeding took maybe 15 minutes. Hum, 15 minutes to end a 14 year relationship. Seems a bit sad, doesn't it?

Governor John Lynch should strongly consider a 4-day work week for State employees.

We live in a time where rising gas and food prices are at the forefront of all our minds, and yet the cost of living increases State employees see each year will never offset these concerns.

The State employees of Utah are doing this right now.

The city of Birmingham Alabama is as well.

Many local towns and cities already operate on a 4-day work week. Not only would it help out State employees in the pocket, but it would help the environment with fewer cars on the road, but it will help the local economy as well. If fewer people are driving to work on a Friday, maybe they are hitting a State beach instead. Or going camping. Or taking a day trip. Either way, the money will go back into the economy and not necessarily directly into the pockets of the big oil companies.

A 4-day work week will make sense for many non-essential State employees. At the same time there will be agencies that can't do this, and maybe those agencies can look into a flex-time scenario.

I worked for the State of New Hampshire for almost 7 years and am well aware that this isn't just a cookie cutter scenario. It will work in some areas, but not in others. But working toward something like this might benefit everyone.

They've been on my mind since I heard the news. I have even dreamt about them. I didn't really know the women involved in the boat crash that occured early Sunday morning, but I had met Stephanie Beaudoin a couple of years ago at a mutual friends Easter brunch.  It's not that I can recall meeting her in detail, which I have tried in vain to do.  I seem to only be able to come up with a shadowy image of a woman who filled the room with laughter when she was in it.  Our friend who had hosted that brunch has been pretty shaken up by her death.  My S.O. seems to remember her with more clarity, and also knew the driver of the boat, Erica Blizzard.  Why they so permeate my mind has left me feeling a bit unsettled.  I can't explain it. I have so many other people to keep in my thoughts. 

My family lived in Dobbs Ferry, New York for the better part of my first 10 years of life. It was a good childhood filled with family vacations to Florida and the Adirondacks, chasing fireflies on warm summer nights, playing house in a mansion and knowing all the children in my neighborhood and school. It seemed like everyone knew everyone else. It was a community of children and parents who had known each other for years. My mom had grown up in this same town. My 4^th grade teacher had been her Kindergarten teacher.