Random Tuesday Thoughts

Thinking about getting an iPod Touch.  To replace my Palm Tungsten E, which I use for my calendar function and not much else.  And it's pretty out of date and worthless now, because I cannot sync any calendar with it.  Supposedly, iPod can sync with Outlook and Google, which is good, plus can surf the web with wi-fi, take pictures, video. Oh, and play music.  Which is like the last thing I want it for.  I'm not a huge music fan, I do listen to stuff, but I don't buy much.  It turns out the photos are not much better than my camera phone.  The videos look pretty good on its screen.  I know this because my son has two in his 5th grade classroom and they were using the video function to record their experiment results.  The kids really liked it. (They also have an iPad in the classroom.  I wonder if the teacher got a discount).  Our point and shoot is losing parts and may need to be replaced.  But I now know that the iPod isn't going to replace our point and shoot.  It must have been a cost thing, because why they didn't put in the 5 megapixel camera in the iPod that's in the iPhone is beyond me.  I like to think I'm a closet techie, but I really don't understand how all the things work and never use them to potential.

I bet you're wondering why I don't get a smart phone.  I am not paying $70+ a month for just one smartphone to be able to take advantage of what it has to offer.  I don't really text that much for heaven's sake.  To pay for a data plan seems ludicrous at this point.  I am in the mood to upgrade a lot of stuff in my house, but I need to prioritize.  We want a flat screen TV (I may delay that until after the holidays, the prices may come down), perhaps a Wii gaming system (we're still not sold on that yet), a new printer/copier/scanner would be nice (it's harder to find the cartridges for our old one), a new camera (the zoom function is partially broken, probably due to the crack in the casing that has copper bits hanging out of it), and now I am thinking about this iPod.  Oh, and the youngest wants her own iPod shuffle, like her brother won two years ago (lucky boy).  He uses it as much as we listen to music (like never).  On the other hand, she listens to a lot of music (comparatively speaking).  Her reasoning is that she won't bother her dad with her music if she has the shuffle and earphones.  This from a seven year who listens to Irish style music.  I almost died laughing.

Speaking of the youngest, check out this assignment she handed in.

 

Yeah, you're seeing that right.  She's already started forging my signature.  Of course, she didn't think that putting "mommy" would look suspicious.

In the museum business, reproductions of historic clothing are often called period clothing.  Period meaning they are designed for a certain time period.  These are often not factory made, but made by enterprising tailors and seamstresses.  So, Etsy, being the home of handmade, I thought might have some reproduction historic clothing on it.  Since those of us in the know call it "period clothing," I searched on "period clothes."  This is an example of what I got.

Epicerma's Shop

Um, yeah, not quite what I expected.  And there were lots!  I'd like to be more green, but personally, I really appreciate the Always Infinity.  And apologies to the gentlemen readers.  I've strayed a bit into TMI.  I did other searches on period clothing and period costume.  Got better results, but not a lot on there in the way of historic clothing.

College athletes?  Should they be paid?  Should the coaches be paid their outrageous salaries?  Should schools use their sports teams to "promote" their schools?  Shouldn't our professors get paid more than coaches?  Should corporations sponsor bowls, i.e. Insight Bowl (formerly known as the Copper Bowl), TicketCity Bowl (formerly known as the Dallas Classic)?  Should outrageous amounts of money be paid to the schools to show up at the bowls?  Should athletes be forbidden to profit from their sports skills while playing for a school? (Some FB friends are having a hot debate on a topic I brought up.  Thought I'd throw it out there to a more general world)

Personally, I think our nation is backwards.  We pay people who are essentially entertainers, (actors, singers, professional athletes) millions, while the people who are teaching our children never break 5 digits (if you know of a teacher who is making 6 figures, I'd love to see it, I'm not counting professors, but I hope some of them are getting six figures).  We pay corporate leaders billions, while the people in the front line, making the business work get pink slipped.  Those of us at the bottom, if we don't prosper, we won't have the money to throw around to help make those above us prosper.  I really don't know.  I guess I want to live in a utopia, but that means all the people have to be unselfish.

What do you get parents who are over sixty for Christmas?  Magazines, charitable giving, new gadgets, what?  I could use some help here.  Only 18 shopping days until Christmas.

Go be random!