As if you needed another reason to love Gmail, today they announced FREE video & audio chat right inside Gmail.
I totally what one of the Logitech QuickCams. $69.99 for all this?! Make sure you watch the video there....
Here is the post on the official Gmail blog.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
I have a few "issues"
The most obvious can be found in this screen shot of my current inbox on Gmail:

Yes, there's one email in my inbox. When I see Becky's inbox, I get nauseous. It's filled with at least 100 read, unread, starred, and labeled emails. (Not that there is anything wrong with that, babe.) I have found that she's in the NORM and I'm obsessive. Or maybe I'm just clean(er).
Let me ask you this, Gmail users: You are aware that you have this thing called "Archive", right? I mean, you have an email from 5 months ago in your inbox that you think you need to save? Well, see... Gmail has a search function (and I've heard Google is pretty good at this) so ARCHIVE those messages and get a happy and clean inbox.
My other hang up is two-way light switches that aren't "uniform".
This, for example, would drive me mad. Since the girls seem to think it's OK to flip the switches haphazardly around this house, I can often be found running upstairs to turn off the hallway light just so the downstairs switches look like this:
Got an issue? Bask in it. Thoroughly.

Yes, there's one email in my inbox. When I see Becky's inbox, I get nauseous. It's filled with at least 100 read, unread, starred, and labeled emails. (Not that there is anything wrong with that, babe.) I have found that she's in the NORM and I'm obsessive. Or maybe I'm just clean(er).
Let me ask you this, Gmail users: You are aware that you have this thing called "Archive", right? I mean, you have an email from 5 months ago in your inbox that you think you need to save? Well, see... Gmail has a search function (and I've heard Google is pretty good at this) so ARCHIVE those messages and get a happy and clean inbox.
My other hang up is two-way light switches that aren't "uniform".
This, for example, would drive me mad. Since the girls seem to think it's OK to flip the switches haphazardly around this house, I can often be found running upstairs to turn off the hallway light just so the downstairs switches look like this:
Got an issue? Bask in it. Thoroughly.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
I'm engaging you with "Reactions"
So, yesterday I read on the official blogger blog that I can put these cool little boxes below my posts to get some quick and easy feedback from my readers.So, I add it. Poop, it doesn't work. I read more and learn that if my template is customized (which I did customize mine) it may not work. Normally, I would leave a comment asking for help and guidance from the google magicians - but HELLO? Google doesn't allow comments on their posts. Isn't this an oxymoron; they're writing about engaging readers but don't allow comments. I digress.
I decide to google "blogger reactions" and come across this blog which was written in August. They have explicit instructions on how to edit the html, which I have learned is not for the weak. Look at this screenshot of me editing the template:

Needless to say, this is my way of introducing "Reactions" to What's Better Than This, I hope you use it and use it often.
Friday, November 7, 2008
View Barack Obama and family on election night
These are the flickr photos uploaded by Barack Obama. They were taken on election night and show us a nice behind the scenes view of what went on.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Yes.We.Can
"For when we have faced down impossible odds, when we've been told we're not ready or that we shouldn't try or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can. Yes, we can. Yes, we can.
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation: Yes, we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail towards freedom through the darkest of nights: Yes, we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness: Yes, we can.
It was the call of workers who organized, women who reached for the ballot, a president who chose the moon as our new frontier, and a king who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the promised land: Yes, we can, to justice and equality.
Yes, we can, to opportunity and prosperity. Yes, we can heal this nation. Yes, we can repair this world. Yes, we can."
-Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
FAIL: out of office
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Your feedback requested
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Chili: Our Fall Tradition
The week before every halloween, Joel and Becky make Chili. What I love mostly about it is that there is no recipe - Joel just knows it from memory - yet somehow it gets better every year.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Joe the Plumber and business taxes: They're all getting it WRONG!
The "Joe the Plumber" argument is that "Joe" is going to buy a business that is making $250-$270,000 a year and that Obama's tax plan is going to tax him more. What amazes me is that Obama, McCain and many pundits are really missing the boat on how business taxes actually work.A business who generates $270,000 a year (generally) refers to gross income of the business. Business taxes are in no way connected to the gross income!
"Joe" has expenses such as payroll, trucks, insurance, etc. These expenses reduce his taxable income until at the end of the year - he either shows a profit or a loss. THE PROFIT OF THE BUSINESS is what gets taxed. NOT THE GROSS INCOME.
So, if Joe is an awesome businessman - he'll show a 30% profit and pay taxes based on $75,000 - which is well within Obama's tax cut for the middle class.
Lastly, McCain keeps saying that if Obama increases taxes on these businesses (which we know he won't now - but lets play along), that millions of Americans will lose jobs because if the company they work for has to pay more in taxes - they will cut jobs.
Stop it. That's exactly like saying that because I am going to get taxed on my next pay check that I don't want my next pay check. Come on! Even if some individuals end up (those making $250k and up) paying more in taxes - do you honestly think they'll stop earning money because of it? Of course not!
This argument is illogical and is fear mongering. It's simply meant to scare people who don't understand.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
17 years ago....

I don't specifically remember seeing this picture (left) on the National Geographic cover in 1985, but I *do* remember her eyes.
The newest picture (right) is the second time this Afgan girl has ever been photographed.
Interesting story here....
Monday, October 13, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Interview with Warren Buffet on Charlie Rose
Here are a few quotes from this Charlie Rose interview with Warren Buffet:
"You want to be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful."
"They've (Americans have) seen 8% of America's bank deposits in the United States have moved - very skillfully I might say - within the last couple of weeks."
"This is an economic Pearl Harbor."
"If you look at the American public - they have $20 trillion worth of residential homes and they've got $20 trillion worth of stocks, very roughly. Those are both the two big assets of the American family and they are both down dramatically."
"If I got a chance to take 1% of the deal (be a partner with the US in the bailout plan) I'd take it." There's money to be made because the US government has staying power.
"I've said (derivatives) are possible weapons of mass financial destruction and they have been. They destroyed AIG and they certainly contributed to the destruction of Bear Stearns and Lehma."
Americans have improved themselves financially in this century by a rate of 7:1. Some centuries have seen 1%. America's economy is strong.
-Believes strongly in mark-to-market accounting.
-"Inflation is a likely consequence of our decisions now."
-Warren Buffet
"You want to be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful."
"They've (Americans have) seen 8% of America's bank deposits in the United States have moved - very skillfully I might say - within the last couple of weeks."
"This is an economic Pearl Harbor."
"If you look at the American public - they have $20 trillion worth of residential homes and they've got $20 trillion worth of stocks, very roughly. Those are both the two big assets of the American family and they are both down dramatically."
"If I got a chance to take 1% of the deal (be a partner with the US in the bailout plan) I'd take it." There's money to be made because the US government has staying power.
"I've said (derivatives) are possible weapons of mass financial destruction and they have been. They destroyed AIG and they certainly contributed to the destruction of Bear Stearns and Lehma."
Americans have improved themselves financially in this century by a rate of 7:1. Some centuries have seen 1%. America's economy is strong.
-Believes strongly in mark-to-market accounting.
-"Inflation is a likely consequence of our decisions now."
-Warren Buffet
Saturday, October 4, 2008
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