Firefox 3.0 vs del.icio.us

Since I got my Mac, I've been a new convert to Mozilla Firefox. I love it as a browser; it's clean, simple, easy to use, and supports almost everything I do. I eagerly downloaded Firefox 3 this morning, after being wowed by some of the FAQs and stats related to its release, including an attempt at a Guinness World Record for the most downloads in a 24 hour period (more than 8 million). So I joined the more than 25 million users so far in jumping from Firefox 2 to discover that it now supports even more of what I do. Except one vital thing.

My beloved del.icio.us tool bar is not compatible with Firefox 3. How can this be?? When the Top 100 Tools for Learning were released in Spring 2008, del.icio.us and Firefox were ranked numbers 1 and 2 respectively. Now they're not compatible with each other's latest versions! Come on guys, get it together and stay at the top of the list.

101 things to do in 1001 days

I came across some posts today where a number of people had set themselves 101 things to do in 1001 days. I guess the premise is simple: compile a list of goals, count 1001 days from now, and work your way through them, ticking them off along the way and sharing your progress via your blog. Kind of a Bucket List (2007), but with the expectation that there's more life after the list is finished. Day Zero is a site to get you started.

I’ve got to say that I’m tempted. I don’t know if I’m bold enough to broadcast my goals to the world at this early stage; the perfectionist in me would prefer to achieve something before announcing it. I also have little idea about what life has in store for me in the next few years, although I suppose that could put me in the ideal position to start this challenge. I wonder, though, whether my attention span could sustain goals for this long; it's been getting shorter and shorter in recent years.

I have, however, worked out that 1001 days from now would take me to 29 March 2011. (This time and date calculator is helpful.)

I'll start putting together some ideas for a list then decide whether or not to go ahead. There is a master list available for you to browse, which looks a bit overwhelming. After doing some searching, I found a group of people who have already started the list and seem to be supporting each other via their blogs:

• Pocket Full of Tu-It
• Charlie Alvarado
  Has divided his list up into categories: do, health, make, music, read
• 101 in 1001
• Slow Your Roll
• My Little Attempt at Growth
  Great categories here: daily, weekly, monthly, goals in progress, ongoing, and completed goals

All the best with your 101 goals, everyone! Will keep you posted if I decide to go ahead ...

Muppet Babies

A friend started sending me muppets on Facebook recently, and it got the ball rolling. Everybody could do with a muppet or three to brighten their day. :-) It's the usual trick of unlocking different muppets once you've sent so many, and you can collect the whole set. So far, I have received Baby Gonzo, Baby Kermit, and Beaker (me me me meeee). But what's with all these baby muppets? They're kind of cute and all, but not a huge part of muppet culture ... until I remembered the adorable animated series of Muppet Babies from the mid-80s.

We got to meet Scooter's twin sister, Skeeter (whatever happened to her?). Bunsen still looked like an old man. I remember Nine Take Away One Equals Panic, where poor Fozzie thought he was being cast out of the nursery, but of course Nanny wouldn't do that - she was talking about the chair he was sitting on! Did Piggy ever become "the first farmer in history to figure out a way to grow an ice cream tree"?

It's Saturday morning now, and that's when the Muppet Babies were in their glory, so here's a flashback from our weekends growing up.

Send your name to the moon

Here's something for your 'to do' list today: send your name to the moon.

"Sign up to send your name to the moon. Names will be collected and placed onboard the LRO spacecraft for its historic mission bringing NASA back to the moon. You will also receive a certificate showcasing your support of the mission.

The deadline is June 27, 2008 for the submission of names.

LRO's objectives are to find safe landing sites, locate potential resources, characterize the radiation environment, and demonstrate new technology."

So get in quick because the deadline is today! Is this for real? Not sure - will have to check for my name next time I'm on the moon. But it's kind of cool to know that my name is going there, even if I don't manage it myself.

Inspiration

I came across this site recently. Depending on your mood, you can spend a lot of time getting lost in Pravsworld. There are quotes, tips, advice, images, and inspiration for all walks of life. Very New Age-ish, here is a sample from the site. Click on the image for a bigger version you can actually read. This one is about believing in yourself:

© Pravs World & Its Photographers

Well, speaking of being in the mood, QuoteXite is another site with quotes for every occasion. Some are famous; others are lesser known. They also have a range of poems, stories, wallpapers, and online cards. Here's a sample of a story, which I quite like. Again, click on the image for a readable version. This is called The Trouble Tree:


Finally, because it seems to be one of those days, Friendhugs has a whole range of things all about, well, friendship. Quotes, cards, poems, messages, wallpapers, songs, notes ... check them out. Some are very cutesy-pie, but I suppose that's to be expected on sites like this. Browse and be inspired!

When words are too much effort

My friend sent me this book two Christmases ago:
She told me to display it prominently on my desk at work, choose a saying, and on days when words are just too much effort to deflect a stupid comment or unreasonable request, simply point and the person standing by my desk would soon get the message. She was right; we had great fun choosing a new saying each day and, although I never had to use it in exactly the way it was intended, several colleagues went out and purchased copies for themselves.

These books are a great mixture of 1950s and 60s images used in advertising, coupled with a clever quip from Ed Polish. There are fridge magnets, coffee mugs, key rings, greeting cards, and a whole range of memorabilia to go with, but for all means and purposes, I love my 'bitch book', as it came to be known. Even though I work from home now, it still comes in handy from time to time.

Here's a selection of other quips and quotes that I've found, some of which feature in this book and others from different sources. Take them how you will.