I hope every one has a nice leap day.  It's very quite in the office today, I suppose it's not a day that most people will schedule meetings for, since 29 February only happens every 4 years. 

Although, since it so rarely happens, I think it should be celebrated!  Like a regular holiday!  Yes!  Next Leap Year I am going to take the day off.

maybe do some leaping....

(photo by Junku)

/* Style for IE6 Only */
* html #MyDiv {
margin : 5px 5px 5px 5px;
}

/* Style for IE7 Only */
*:first-child+html #MyDiv {
margin : 2px 2px 2px 2px;
}

Although, when we get the new version, I expect all the styles that worked before will still work.  IE7 was significantly more compliant, but what worked in 7 did not always work in IE6.  For this reason (among many others) FireFox is my favorite browser.

This morning, I was unable to get to my MSN email (now Windows Live Hotmail) as I'm sure many of you had the same issue.  I could login to Windows Live Messenger (joy) and saw the notification pop-up that I had 12 messages in my Inbox - but couldn't actually log in via web browser.  After much frustration, I sent a message to their technical support team.  By the time I got to my office, I was able to log in and get my email, most of which was junk.

I saw a news clip on www.live.com, which I have to say is my all time favorite RSS page, that stated there was indeed an outage.

Great, I knew that much.

What I didn't realize, was my contact info for my email account, should I have any problems, was very very ummm.. well I suppose I should give an alternate address if I have trouble with my @msn.com email

RE: SRX1059810684ID - Windows Live Hotmail:Sign In/Connection:Unable To Connect:Other

From: Microsoft Customer Support

Sent: Tue 2/26/08 4:20 PM

 

Hello Alison,

Thank you for writing to Windows Live Hotmail Technical Support. My name is Paul and I take that you cannot access your account. I understand how important it is for you to have your issue addressed immediately.

In reviewing the inquiry you submitted, I have noted that there was no alternate e-mail address indicated for our correspondence. In view of this, I have sent the appropriate response to this Windows Live Hotmail account.
There is currently an issue that is preventing customers from accessing their Windows Live Hotmail accounts. We apologize for any difficulties this may have caused you. Our team is currently working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. We recommend that you wait at least four hours, and then try to sign in again.
We appreciate your continued support as we strive to provide you with the highest quality service available.  Thank you for using Windows Live Hotmail.

Sincerely,

Paul F.
Windows Live Hotmail Technical Support

Insert Homer Simpson's "Doh!"

I hope everyone had a nice President's Day weekend.  I love having off on Monday.  It is much better than having off on Friday.  Most people I know love Friday and dread Monday - unless it's a holiday weekend! 

I spent the weekend catching up on my list of To Do Sometime.  Like hanging the last panel curtain in the living room.  I decided that I could fit 3 if I was creative in the placement and let 2 sides overlap.  I am not particularly handy with a drill, but I know how to use one.  Sometime during the process of curtain hanging, the TV show I was watching ended, and I found myself listening to the next program, "Engineering Disasters".  I tried not to take it as a bad omen, and all ended well. 

I also spent time finishing a theme I created for WordPress blog platform.  My new job doesn't involve any web design or need for creativity, which I miss.  I have a few bits of functionality to add before I roll it out on my portfolio (which is also a work in progress).

Is there any way to apply a theme to Spaces other than the pre-packaged ones they offer? 

Roadmap of my life...

I used to think happiness was a place, a destination, an idea that everyone else understood and everyone else could plot their way, except me.  I tried to follow the lead of my family & friends in the "it's just what we do" list: graduate college, get a good job, a good car, get married, buy a home, have children... and ... then what?

That particular path never seemed to be mine.  It was, however, what everyone else wanted, or were what others wanted for me, so I thought I should want them, too.  Like the roadmap belonged to someone else, and had someone else's goals and happiness and idea of a life. 

Looking at my roadmap of life and the dot stating, "you are here"  never gets closer to where I want to be - the final push-pin.  Every time I continued down the road in pursuit of the next push-pin, it pushes farther away, like two same sided magnets chasing each other.  By the time I finally get to the destination (job, boyfriend, etc.) I realize that I am no longer happy with what I thought I would find there.  (grass is always greener...)  Maybe my expectations were too high, or I was unrealistic in thinking I could find the proverbial happily ever after..  I see where I want to be -- and then I see where I am, and they're two very different places (more likely -I had no clue what I really wanted)

Now, almost 31 yrs old, I finally feel like I can reach that last push-pin, and do one better- set in place the next push-pin.  That accomplishment makes the "you are here" enjoyable, not disappointing.  Its a nice spot to be in :)

I was elated to hear the news this morning that charges will be filed against Khalid Sheik Mohammed.  I was beginning to think he, and others, would be held indefinitely at Guantanamo.  He must not be of any use now, after all these years. 

I am not an advocate of capital punishment, and I may sound hypocritical when I say that I hope they charge them in a state that allows the death penalty (I'm not sure how military trials are conducted).  He, more than anyone else (in my opinion) deserves it.

The New York Times reported in Monday edition that the others are Mohammed al-Qahtani, the man officials have labeled the 20th hijacker; Ramzi bin al-Shibh, said to have been the main intermediary between the hijackers and leaders of Al Qaeda; Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, known as Ammar al-Baluchi, a nephew of Mr. Mohammed, who has been identified as Mr. Mohammed's lieutenant for the 2001 operation; Mr. al-Baluchi's assistant, Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi; and Walid bin Attash, a detainee known as Khallad, who investigators say selected and trained some of the hijackers.

"All six have been charged with conspiracy, murder in violation of the law of war, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, destruction of property in violation of the law of war, terrorism and material support of terrorism, said the general who is serving as legal adviser to the military commissions trying the detainees. Four of the suspects will also be charged with hijacking, he said."

1. Coors put its slogan, "Turn it loose", into Spanish, where it was read as "Suffer from diarrhea".

2. Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an American campaign: "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux."

3. Clairol introduced the "Mist Stick", a curling iron, into German only to find out that "mist" is slang for manure. Not too many people had use for the "manure stick".

4. When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the U.S., with the beautiful Caucasian baby on the label. Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the label of what's inside, since most people can't read.

5. Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a notorious porno magazine.

6. An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of "I saw the Pope" (el Papa), the shirts read "I saw the potato" (la papa).

7. Pepsi's "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" translated into "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave", in Chinese.

8. Frank Perdue's chicken slogan, "it takes a strong man to make a tender chicken" was translated into Spanish as "it takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate".

9. The Coca-Cola name in China was first read as "Ke-kou-ke-la", meaning "Bite the wax tadpole" or "female horse stuffed with wax", depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 characters to find a phonetic equivalent "ko-kou-ko-le", translating into "happiness in the mouth".

10. When Parker Pen marketed a ball-point pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to have read, "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you." Instead, the company thought that the word "embarazar" (to impregnate) meant to embarrass, so the ad read: "It won't leak in your pocket and make you pregnant."