Generations of Packrats

My online friends think I make this shit up about being the ultimate packrat...and it being genetic, or they think I exaggerate a bit.

I offer this mother/daughter conversation as proof:

April = me
Steph = my 20 yr old daughter

I think the only reason why she scored higher than me is because I saved all her baby clothes and nobody saved mine for me, and she probably selected the answer about the broken Atari, even though our 2 Atari's are NOT broken.

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Steph (3:42:34 AM): I scored higher than 98% of anyone else who took this one particular quiz... ranking me at "Ultimate Pack Rat"
Steph (3:42:41 AM): guess what it was a quiz of
April (3:42:56 AM): link me!
Steph (3:43:08 AM): http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=8195145313689353295
Steph (3:43:40 AM): tell me your percentage at the top, if you get Ultimate Pack Rat too
April (3:50:39 AM): i got the same as you
April (3:50:50 AM): could have told ya as much though
Steph (3:50:51 AM): what was your percentage?
April (3:50:52 AM): lol
April (3:50:58 AM): from the bottom?
Steph (3:51:01 AM): nope
Steph (3:51:03 AM): the top
Steph (3:51:13 AM): under where it said Ultimate Pack Rat
April (3:51:15 AM): 85%
Steph (3:51:20 AM): HaHA!
Steph (3:51:22 AM): I beat ya
Steph (3:51:25 AM): ...by 5%
Steph (3:51:26 AM): lol
April (3:51:34 AM): remember something...the atari still works
Steph (3:51:40 AM): yah, I know
Steph (3:51:59 AM): but if it didn't, I would still freak if you tried to get rid of it
April (3:52:20 AM): now why would i do that?
Steph (3:52:23 AM): lol
April (3:52:31 AM): i still have all the old broken vcr's
Steph (3:52:43 AM): "Collected cat hair... yanno, to make a pillow"
Steph (3:52:50 AM): I loved that question
April (3:52:59 AM): i actually was gonna do that
Steph (3:53:03 AM): I know!
Steph (3:53:04 AM): lol
April (3:53:08 AM): and go into business making dog toys
Steph (3:53:20 AM): We're insane, aren't we?
April (3:53:26 AM): yup
Steph (3:53:38 AM): No wonder there's so much CRAP laying around here
April (3:53:51 AM): lol
April (3:54:02 AM): it runs in the family
Steph (3:54:04 AM): yesh
Steph (3:54:19 AM): Pack rat-ness is genetic, mayhaps
April (3:54:30 AM): aunt inez and her civil war artifacts
Steph (3:54:35 AM): hehe
April (3:54:43 AM): and buckets of arrowheads
Steph (3:55:00 AM): and your grandmother and her newspapers
April (3:55:02 AM): my grandmother and the 'newspaper room'
April (3:55:06 AM): lol
Steph (3:55:17 AM): Grandpa's junkroom
April (3:55:22 AM): lol
Steph (3:55:27 AM): and... OUR WHOLE APARTMENT
April (3:55:32 AM): lol
Steph (3:55:33 AM): we don't have just one room
Steph (3:55:37 AM): we have ALL of them
April (3:55:55 AM): and the basement...it might be starting to get out of hand down there too
Steph (3:56:04 AM): Eep?
Steph (3:56:25 AM): At least it's organized and neat-ish down there
April (3:56:31 AM): yeah
Steph (3:56:35 AM): That's storage
Steph (3:56:39 AM): not pack-ratting
April (3:56:44 AM): we need to get rid of the encyclopedias
Steph (3:56:49 AM): I think there might be a difference
Steph (3:57:04 AM): Yeah, wikipedia > Britannica
April (3:57:33 AM): that was such a waste of money
Steph (3:57:42 AM): yeah >.>;
April (3:57:54 AM): but there was no internet when we bought it
Steph (3:57:58 AM): true
Steph (3:58:08 AM): then again, I don't think we ever used it much anyhow
Steph (3:58:09 AM): OH!
Steph (3:58:16 AM): the kids version was cool, though
April (3:58:23 AM): we will keep that
Steph (3:58:26 AM): yesh
April (3:58:27 AM): forever
Steph (3:58:35 AM): those were my story books as a kid, lol
April (3:58:41 AM): i know
Steph (3:58:52 AM): wow... no wonder I'm not a moron
Steph (3:59:05 AM): encyclopedia = bedtime stories!
Steph (3:59:05 AM): lol
April (3:59:16 AM): do people think of us as weird when you tell them "my mom read me encyclopedias as bed time stories"?
Steph (3:59:35 AM): No one knows about that, lol
April (3:59:42 AM): yes they do
April (3:59:49 AM): i have told some people
Steph (3:59:53 AM): no one I have told
Steph (4:00:00 AM): Though, I wanna tell Tom
April (4:00:05 AM): lol
Steph (4:00:05 AM): he'll appreciate it
Steph (4:00:09 AM): and might think it's hot
Steph (4:00:11 AM): ^_^;
April (4:00:16 AM): lol
April (4:12:07 AM): speaking of packratting...
Steph (4:12:12 AM): hmm?
April (4:12:23 AM): i saved the packratting convo
Steph (4:12:28 AM): lol
April (4:12:32 AM): we are digital packrats as well
Steph (4:12:36 AM): YESH!
Steph (4:12:41 AM): verily

NANY Challenge: New Apps for the New Year

Mouser has set the challenge:

To pledge, create, and release a new application for January 1, 2007.

It doesn't matter how big or small...just has to be something new.

http://www.donationcoder.com/Forums/bb/index.php?topic=6231.0


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This might be just what I need. I said I'd do it. Maybe this will be good for me...push me out of my slump.

Now...what to make?

I am actually nervous about this. I can't think of anything to make...nothing is inspiring me...nothing saying to me "Get your bitch ass into your IDE and make some code!"

I want to make something fun...something different...something that will make people smile.

Maybe something that will make people that don't feel like smiling, smile.

If I can manage to make something that will make me smile, it should work for others, too... since smiles don't come easy for me, lately.

I think I know what I am going to do...I can see it forming in my head...yes...I know what I'm going to make. :-)

You all will be smiling soon.

Free Hugs

The story behind the Free Hugs Campaign and how it all began is heart wrenching:

"I'd been living in London when my world turned upside down and I'd had to come home. By the time my plane landed back in Sydney, all I had left was a carry on bag full of clothes and a world of troubles. No one to welcome me back, no place to call home. I was a tourist in my hometown.

Standing there in the arrivals terminal, watching other passengers meeting their waiting friends and family, with open arms and smiling faces, hugging and laughing together, I wanted someone out there to be waiting for me. To be happy to see me. To smile at me. To hug me. "

Read more...

Sick Puppies - All the Same

I don't mind where you come from
As long as you come to me
I don't like illusions I can't see
Them clearly

I don't care, no I wouldn't dare
To fix the twist in you
You've shown me eventually
What you'll do

I don't mind…
I don't care…
As long are you're here

Go ahead tell me you'll leave again
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same

And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
Do it all over again
It's all the same

Hours slide and days go by
Till you decide to come
And in between it always seems too long
All of a sudden

And I have the skill, yeah I have the will
To breathe you in while I can
However long you stay
Is all that I am

I don't mind…
I don't care…
As long are you're here

Go ahead tell me you'll leave again
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same

And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
Do it all over again
It's always the same

Wrong or right
Black or white
If I close my eyes
It's all the same

In my life
The compromise
I close my eyes
It's all the same

Go ahead say it, you're leaving
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same

And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
Do it all over again
It's all the same

Happy Internet Anniversary to Me

November 17, 1999...

7 years ago today was my first day online.

In honor of that life changing event, here is a video documentary about the history of the ARPANET and the birth of the internet.

Enjoy!
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Steven King, MIT, 1972
Time: 30 min 22 sec



Thanks for the anniversary gift, Gothi[c].

Win MS Visual Studio Suite (worth over $10k) !!!

Quoting mouser from DonationCoder.com:

Chris Hanscom from Veign.com (and a longtime member of DonationCoder) has generously donated a super-tricked out version of Microsoft's Visual Studio 2005 Team Suite with MSDN Premium Subscription for us to give away to one very lucky programmer.

The suite includes includes every piece of software that MS makes for development purposes: Visual Studio, all Microsoft Operating Systems, all software development platforms, lots of MS applications (all the Office products), mappoint, SQL Server, and also includes the full MSDN library on DVD plus online access. It's valued at over $10k.

- click here to enter -
deadline is November 25th, 2006

----------------------------------------------

NOTE: This giveaway is for serious programmers only, but you do not need to be a supporting member of DonationCoder.com to enter. If you have friends who are programmers but don't hang out at DC, please feel free to send them the link - we'd like the prize to go to someone who can really put it to use.

The prize cannot be resold and will be issued in the winners name with licensing being controlled by Microsoft. As Microsoft is issuing the subscription, Veign and DonationCoder cannot be held liable for anything relating to this giveaway (to include, but not limited to, cancellation of subscription by failing to follow the licensing rules set forth by Microsoft or by attempting to resell any software included in the subscription). So we ask that only serious programmers enter.

(from DonationCoder.com)

Digg this here.

Random Links of the Moment

I added a new feature to the sidebar. Random links.

They change when you refresh the page. I think they are the most recent entries made at clipmarks.com.

I don't know what will show up. Might lead you on click adventures. Might be useful stuff. Might be funny. Might be just crap.

I am clueless as to what will show up. They are not submitted by me. It's totally dynamic.

Have fun.

Any comments about it will be appreciated. They will determine if I keep this or not.

HOW TO MAKE A WOMAN HAPPY

It's not difficult to make a woman happy.

A man only needs to be:

1. a friend
2. a companion
3. a lover
4. a brother
5. a father
6. a master
7. a chef
8. an electrician
9. a carpenter
10. a plumber
11. a mechanic
12. a decorator
13. a stylist
14. a sexologist
15. a gynecologist
16. a psychologist
17. a pest exterminator
18. a psychiatrist
19. a healer
20. a good listener
21. an organizer
22. a good father
23. very clean
24. sympathetic
25. athletic
26. warm
27. attentive
28. gallant
29. intelligent
30. funny
31. creative
32. tender
33. strong
34. understanding
35. tolerant
36. prudent
37. ambitious
38. capable
39. courageous
40. determined
41. true
42. dependable
43. passionate
44. compassionate

WITHOUT FORGETTING TO:

45. give her compliments regularly
46. love shopping
47. be honest
48. be very rich
49. not stress her out
50. not look at other girls

AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU MUST ALSO:

51. give her lots of attention, but expect little yourself
52. give her lots of time, especially time for herself
53. give her lots of space, never worrying about where she goes

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT:

54. Never to forget:
* birthdays
* anniversaries
* arrangements she makes


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HOW TO MAKE A MAN HAPPY

1. Show up naked
2. Bring food