Firefox Ruined My Life

I'm completely miserable about my new web browsing experience and as a result I am going to be melodramatic and blame Firefox for all my life problems from now on. So there.

I was forced this week to update Firefox (as I so often am). Normally when I run the update I notice nothing different about Firefox and life goes on as normal, however this week when I ran the update a Firefox stranger I did not know had overtaken my beloved web browser.

Looks can be deceiving, and so I decided to give this strange new look a go before throwing in the towel completely. I figured that though it looked different, functionally it was probably still similar. And you know, it is still similar - type in where you want to go, google search in the corner, and all that jazz. However, the one thing I find absolutely infuriating is the saved history. When I want to go to gmail, I used to only have to type "gm" and my most popular page in history with that match (gmail.com, most likely) would be filled in. Now, however, the most recent page that I went to that matches those letters comes up first. Now, when I type "gm" I am led to my contacts, a specific email I last read, a draft of a letter, my spam mail. It's so annoying!

If any computer users wiser than I can figure out a way to stop this insanity, let me know pronto. In the spirit of my melodramatic proclamations, let me say you'd be saving my life.

Picture Life

Olympic Commentary

Like many people all over the world, I've been watching the Olympics a lot recently. I especially enjoy volleyball, and so when I saw the men's quarterfinal match between US and Serbia, I of course put down the 3-week old newspaper I've been trying to read and watched attentively.

The game was really close and very exciting. However, the best part (in my opinion) was the commentators. It was during this match that they said one of the funniest things I've ever heard while watching sports.

What happened was one of the American players spiked the ball and it hit the Serbian player dead in the chest. It was a really hard hit, and this is what the commentators had to say about it:

Commentator 1: Wow, that had a lot of power in it.
Commentator 2: Indeed. What a way to wake up... BAM! Hello!
Commentator 1: Yes, indeed. It's a good thing he didn't get hit in the fly.
Commentator 2: I know, right? Someone call 911!

It's juvenile, I know, but come on... it's really funny.

Swimming With The Jellies

So I'm back in NY now and trying to keep myself busy. Brittany invited me to go to Brighton Beach with her and I thought, "Why not?"

Last time I went to a beach in NY it was infested with Jellyfish of the stingy variety. Now, some have called me crazy for swimming in the lake with leeches, slime and frogs, but the ocean is not exactly a safe haven, either! Sharks? Jellyfish? Sting Rays? Tides (hello, nobody ever mentions the sheer force and power of a lake)? Not to mention the dangers on the beach such as broken glass, miss-hit volleyballs and drunken crazies. I'm just going to throw it out there - the lake is a really cute baby kitten compared to the ocean.

Anyhow, today I decided to go swimming and was having a lovely time doing water aerobics with Brittany, until out of nowhere something attacked my arm (and by attacked I mean happened to brush up against it). Yes, it was my first encounter with a real life Jellyfish. We battled, and I won (I think it was my targeted forceful flutter-kicks that did the trick). Did I mention this was the harmless type of Jellyfish? No matter, you can never be too prepared.

Cell Phone Use On Planes

I just finished reading this article which discusses the possibility of cell phone use during flights.

Part of me says, "Why not?" Sure, it's an annoyance to have someone chattering away on their phone, but it is equally annoying to have someone listening to loud music, talking incessantly to their neighbors, asking you every half hour if they can get by you, or snoring noisily throughout the night. Oh, and then there's my personal favorite - a kicking, screaming child in the seat behind you. What's another conversation added to the mix?

Though I think cell phones pose little threat of increasing the already annoying, uncomfortable atmosphere of airplanes, I don't think people should be allowed to talk on them anyhow. It's not because I hate one sided conversations or just like to make everyone miserable, but rather I just think people these days are entirely too attached to technology (myself included). While chatter on a phone doesn't bother me, it may bother other people and, quite frankly, we should all be able to have a mini vacation from our electronic devices and revel in the peace and quiet.

In the middle of the article the HANG-UP act is mentioned which would allow texting and internet but not calls on a cell phone. I think this is a good middle ground, and I personally would enjoy texting and other quiet phone operations as possible distraction on long flights. A gold star goes to Congress for remembering back to kindergarten and thinking up a compromise.

Laundry Day

It's that time of the year again. Ahem, I mean, it's that time of the week again. The time has come when I can no longer see the floor of my bedroom and I find myself wading through knee deep collections of clothes in the hope that, somewhere amidst the dune-like piles, my bed will miraculously resurface.

Normally I'd be a bit embarrassed to admit to the current state of my bedroom, but I am at peace when relaying this news to you because I am glad to report that none of the clothes are mine. Ok, I take that back - less than 5% of the clothes are mine - and my sister is 95% to blame. Sorry, Sarah, I just needed to publicly revel for a moment in the gloriousness of the situation!

It's nothing short of a miracle, what happened when I moved out of the house. I'm not going to proclaim to have become a neat freak (haha, that's a joke) but I do maintain a somewhat tidy state in my bedroom now that I'm on my own. It's crazy, I know, and is particularly shocking to know that such a transformation could occur for no apparent reason and with no impetus whatsoever, but it's true. Anyhow, as a result of my current and newfound (relative) tidyness, it's so funny to come home to my room and, well, have it be messy.

The other thing I am now realizing, is that cleaning a room is a lot more fun when your stuff is not to blame for the mess. Today I found myself happily tending to my sister's clothes and tidying up her things somewhat. Now that I think of it, it's been quite a bizarre day.

Lovely NH

I came to my NH home to escape the heat of NY, and boy did I ever! It's been steadily mid 60s to low 70s all this week. I'd love to say it's been nice, but really I've been freezing the whole week.

Despite my slightly frigid inner temperature, I am loving being home! I am having such a nice time seeing my family, and I am also having a great time lounging around and reading. I've spent many lovely afternoons sitting on our porch or lazy mornings in bed with a book, and it's so enjoyable!

Also, I got my teaching schedule for the coming year. I am so excited because I was assigned 5 computing 1 sections (my favorite!) and some other really cool classes. Best of all, I am done at 1 pm on Fridays. Let me say yet again, that my job is awesome.

All in all, a very nice week. I'm looking to having another great one before I head back to NY.