Walter Rane Paintings

One of my favorite artists is Walter Rane. He is a Christian artist -- and has done some LDS paintings which are AMAZING! I have them all through my home and now I see they are on sale through Meridian Magazine -- at really low prices. If you have ever seen Walter Rane Paintings, you can feel the power and action in every piece. There is such emotion and I love his style.

Right now you can buy the Walter Rane Paintings below for only $99. That is such a great deal!

2006 LDS Family Expo

The LDS Family Expo - A Celebration of Faith and Family is being held over General Conference Weekend from March 31 to April 1, 2006 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City. You can meet LDS authors, hear LDS musicians perform and see all of the latest products designed to strengthen families. There is a $2.00 discount from www.LDSFamilyExpo.com.

I have never been myself but would like to go. If any of you get there, let me know how it is. Thanks

CompUSA -- Never Again

I'm not sure why I have such strong feelings when it comes to shopping. I really do not like being in stores, being surrounded by chaos and people, and I'm not like the typical girl who loves to just "go shopping". But once in a while I need to buy something, so I drag myself into the store.

I went into CompUSA this past week to buy a new computer, an external hard drive and some software. I had never been to this particular store, so I wasn't sure where things were. I walked in and kind of wandered around. I picked up a store flyer and tried to find what I was looking for. I'm not sure if it was because I am a woman or what but 3 different sales people walked right past me to men behind me and on different aisles to ask them if they needed any help. Did I look like I knew what I was doing? No -- I had the flyer open, looking up and around to see the signs, kind of wandering up and down aisles.

So I have to ask myself -- why -- in a store where there were 5 sales people wandering around (at least 5 that I saw) -- why would none of them offer assistance to me? Was I out of place. I mean, it's a computer store, so maybe they thought I couldn't make a purchase decision without a man around. Who knows -- but it irked me. Did I just not exist?

I finally went up to one sales guy who was standing around and asked him if he could direct me to where the software would be -- he rudely said, "No, I have to get this guy checked out" -- pointing to a guy walking down the aisle. He could not even say -- "Sure, the software is in the back corner," or "Sure can you wait just a minute," or "Let me call someone to help you."

Needless to say -- I ended up taking my business elsewhere and will never return there again. It's too bad that sales people who represent a large company set the tone for the customer experience. I would hope that CompUSA (and other stores) will take note and try to encourage their sales people to be more friendly and helpful -- (and not just to men.) Too bad -- because they missed out on a really good sale as well as a good customer. To me, life is just too short to accept poor customer service -- there are many other places where the service is great and they'll keep me as a loyal customer.

Pain as a Teacher

Pain is a powerful teacher. When you are literally struck down, it makes you take stock of where you are and where you are going.

During this past year I've had severe chronic pain from a back injury. I've done everything possible to get help, but with not as much progress as I would like. However, it has given me an opportunity to think about my life and to put things into perspective.

My personality is that I will help everyone else first, and then I think "I'll get to my own stuff -- later." But "later" never comes. There is always some new demand on my time and energy.

I believe my accident has been a chance for me to realize that I can't do it all right now, I need to take care of myself and physically I can't do everything I want to do. And "later" needs to be "now." It's time to put myself on the list and take time to take care of myself -- otherwise I'll end up having nothing left to give to others. I am trying to find good things to focus on and getting the most out of every learning opportunity. It's been a long journey, but hopefully now that I recognize the lesson, I can implement it and then my body will heal.

Pain is a powerful teacher. When you are literally struck down, it makes you take stock of where you are and where you are going.

Free Family Websites

It looks like MyFamily.com is going to have some competition -- at least in the LDS market. There is a new family website service being offered for LDS families and their friends called LDS Center. You can get free family websites (10 MB) of space and then if you want more space you pay to upgrade. It is a private site where you only invite those you want and you can share photos, news, events, recipes and more in a safe environment. There are also missionary websites, blogs, and LDS business listings.

I hope it will remain free for the basic websites. It's just getting started so it will be interesting to see if it takes off or not. It also looks like it's been created by the same people who run LDS Singles so at least they have some experience. Hopefully it will work well.

New Google Patent

It looks like Google has applied for a new patent to target advertising which will be based on the wireless location where a user connects to the internet. So if you are using your cell phone to search Google, ads will pop up which will be relevant to where you are. Another smart move by Google.

Pay with PayPal Using Your Cell Phone

PayPal has started testing a new service which will allow users to make (and receive) payments using their cell phones. The new service, called PayPal Mobile, is being tested by eBay employees and should be available in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. sometime in April of this year.

It will be great to be able to make purchases when you are not at home from your cell phone. I think it's a great service and am hoping it is easy to use.

Dedication

"Legendary violinist Isaac Stern was once confronted by a middle-aged woman after a concert. She gushed, 'Oh, I'd give my life to play like you!' 'Lady', said Stern acidly, 'that I did!'"

If there is something you want to gain excellence in, it requires dedication and hard work. Professional athletes make it look easy but they train hours every day. Most artists have spent their lives refining their craft. Great business men and women did not become successful over night.

It all comes down to choices -- what are we going to spend our time doing? How do you spend your time? Do you waste precious hours every night in front of the tv? Do you spend time reading and learning about new technology or techniques in your industry? Think about what you want in life and then take steps every day to achieve those goals. It will take dedication but the rewards of achieving excellence will be worth the sacrifice.

Learning from Pain

I just read a really wonderful article about how we can learn from pain and suffering in this life. Suffering is a part of life and not meant to be avoided, but we can learn how to live and grow through it. If you have ever felt alone, wondered how you could make it through another day, thought that no one could possibly understand your pain -- this article is one you should read. "When Life's Storms Arise".

News Events Today

Have you ever watched the news, read a newspaper, or listened to the news on the radio and come away feeling energized and uplifted? It seems that every story is about some tragedy -- a murder, a drug bust, a car chase, an injury, another scam, or a natural disaster. Once in a while you will find a nice human interest story, but it seems that they are becoming fewer and harder to find. Perhaps it is because tragedy sells.

I've found that lately I'm am more and more saddened by the local news. I like to stay up on events and know what is happening in the world -- however, I'm finding that I do not like how I feel when I hear the news events of today.

My current strategy is to get most of my news through an RSS news feed -- so I can pick and choose what I read. I get the headlines from about 20 different sources and only choose the stories which interest me. I still have to skim the headlines about tragedies, but now I can select only the stories I want to read. Then if I'm not up to reading about another murder, I just skip it and look at the latest "Herman" cartoon instead.

LDS Church offers RSS News Feeds

I learned today that the LDS Church is offering RSS News Feeds for people interested in staying up to date. RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication". You can sign up for an RSS reader through Google, Yahoo or multiple other sources -- generally the service is free. Then you sign up for specific RSS news feeds -- so you can read all of the latest news in one place. To find out more about which news feeds are available through the LDS Church, just go to their website at www.LDS.org/rss for more details.

Google Now Selling Books

Google Print is now called Google Book Search. Google has plans to create the world's largest collection of digital books. Now they have invited publishers from the U.S. and U.K. to actually sell online access to copyrighted material through Google Book Search. Currently users have only been able to view small bits of the copyrighted information, not a full book, and the ability to gain access to the full text will come as a welcome feature to most online users. I don't know the response from most publishers, but it will be interesting to see the outcome of this new offering.

Set TiVo Recording with Mobile Phone

Okay -- I was really happy to hear that one of my ideas has come to fruition. When I first got my TiVo (about 3 years ago), I thought it would be so great to be able to call home and set the TiVo to record a specific show if I was travelling and hadn't set the recorder. Now it is finally available!

TiVo and Verizon Wireless have created the new service called TiVo Mobile. It is a downloadable application which will allow TiVo subscribers to schedule show recordings using their mobile phones. TiVo Mobile is an exclusive deal available only to Verizon customers (dang -- I use T-mobile!) -- and will be available this summer.

Cool idea and glad to say I thought of it. :-) Of course, other people thought of it too because now it's a reality. I hope it won't always remain a Verizon deal though.

Google Drive or GDrive for Storage

Speculation is abundant about a proposed new storage system from Google. Although Google has not made any specific release announcements, bloggers are anticipating a Google Drive or GDrive for data storage. The service will be a virtual external hard drive for data backup and retrieval -- so if your hard drive ever crashes, you have a backup. Or, if you buy a new computer, you just need to download your data onto your new system. It will be interesting to see if and when Google does provide this type of service. I'm not certain how I feel about it -- having all of my data out there, and with Google's slip last week with financial statements being accidentally released, I'm not positive I would trust them (or anyone) with all of my information. I'd personally rather just have an external hard drive.

Living with Chronic Pain

Living with chronic pain is something I never expected to deal with myself. I took forgranted the fact that life was going along just fine, then last spring I walked across a parking lot, hit a hole in the road hidden by shadows, twisted, fell, threw everything out of whack, and things have not been the same since.

Who would have thought that one stupid fall could cause such tremendous amounts of pain -- on a daily basis. I have not had one day which has been pain-free since that day. When I fell I twisted wrong, and tore ligaments in my shoulder/back, severely injured my neck and low back -- but all of those things combined have made it extremely difficult to walk, stand or sit. I've spent thousands of dollars trying to find some relief and I have improved -- I can stand for more than 10 seconds at a time (which I could not do for the first 6 months without excruciating pain) -- I can walk short distances, and I can sit (although not for very long).

All this leads me to my huge amounts of compassion for others who are living with chronic pain. I think the things I miss the most are the simple things -- getting in and out of a car without shooting pains, going one day without the headaches or sciatic pain, being able to go to a store and not have to lean on a cart or virtually collapse when getting home, and being able to sit at my desk and not about scream when the sciatic pain shoots down my leg. I've had to lay on the floor during meetings with my business partner because I could not function while sitting or standing. I am grateful for understanding in those situations. Most of all I miss the ability to play with my nieces and nephews. The worst thing is to have the children beg and beg for me to play with them and I can't! They will only be young for a short time and I am missing out!

But I do feel blessed that my pain is not as bad as what other people deal with. I can't imagine the suffering of those with severe burns, those going through chemotherapy and those who have lost their sight. I have learned compassion for others and have gained a perspective I may have never gained otherwise. I look around me and wonder how many others are in my same situation -- hurting and trying to keep going on as if nothing was wrong. I wonder how many I may have judged harshly or incorrectly because they did not follow through on something, or responded in a non-friendly way. Perhaps they were just doing the best they could do to get through the day.

I have not accepted the possibility that I may hurt or be limited the rest of my life. That is not acceptable to me. So, I keep trying new therapists and new remedies in my search for wellness. I believe our bodies can heal if we give them an environment to do so -- with our nutrition, lowered stress, plenty of sleep, and medical attention when necessary. I am trying to balance all of those things, with work (trying to earn enough money to pay for the help I need.)

So to all of the rest of you out there who are also living with chronic pain -- I send my good wishes, loving thoughts, and encouragement out to you.

Blackberry Case Settled

Well, it looks like the BlackBerry email device is here to stay. The law suit is now over between NTP and RIM (the maker of the BlackBerry). The lawsuit claimed that RIM had infringed upon patents in the creation of the BlackBerry device and should either discontinue the device or pay for the infringement.

RIM (Research in Motion, LTD) has now paid NTP $612.5 million to settle the claims. The settlement amount is quite low and RIM can continue to use the technology without paying any future royalties.

I'm sure this comes as a relief to all Blackberry users who have come to find using the remove email device as invaluable.

Blogging via Mobile Phone

Google is partnering with Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications to allow bloggers to update their blogs, and post photos all by using their mobile phones. Blogger and Google search will be incorporated into the phones giving users the ability to search any page they view on their phone.

AP Online Video Network

The AP (Associated Press) has now launched its AP Online Video Network. The network has been in beta for several months. The new service will allow AP newspapers and broadcast member websites to show video content and free breaking-news to their audiences. Estimates initially indicate over 45 million unique visitors will be able to view the video content.

New Internet Search and Classifieds from Microsoft

Microsoft revealed a few new online services Tuesday including a new internet search, classifieds, and very detailed local search. Also announced were plans to start testing for a new desktop email service similar to Outlook Express.

Microsoft is striving to be more competitive with Google and Yahoo. Their new classified service (called Windows Live Expo) will compete with companies such as Craigslist. Those who list classified ads will have the ability to define people who get to view their listings, such as people on their instant messenger list, or people who work only at their company. It will also be able to provide more local listings based on ZIP codes.

I'm not sure pricing for the new service, but hopefully it will be really competitive and catch on quickly.