These files may have stumped https://clarifai.com. Have submitted to them for tagging.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One thing I like as a bonus in a book is for it to tell me things I didn't know before, like what it's like to do another trade or skill. I got details of two lifestyles I hadn't known before. There is another author I like, who also does this: Tracy Chevalier. With her books I've seen details of painting, tapestries, quilting, underground railroad. With this book, I got details of the ugliness in antiques trade and the drug trade.

I also like a book to have at least a little closure; either positive or neutral. This book did that. I was so relieved.

The protagonist character of this book was well developed; another plus. And I found myself hoping for many things for him. I also keep thinking about various what-if scenarios, as a person might do with their own life choices.

But my favorite part was how it turned into a little bit of classic Russian literature, with various characters spouting philosophical. I like reading about the characters being representative of various point of view that the author may have been struggling with. I found it very thought provoking.

But I give it 4 our of 5 stars, I think, because through so much of it I was not happy about it but I kept reading because I was so curious about how *bad* the situation would get. I don't really like being a rubber-necker so much.

View all my reviews

The Best Design Tools for Improving Your Home

from lifehacker.com:
 

Wandering around Home Depot until inspiration strikes is a terrible idea. If you've got a loose idea for a redesign, re-arrangement, or physical improvement to your house, apartment, or even a dorm room, we recommend these computer planning tools for the job. More » 

new layout

Well, my blog has been kinda broken for a while - it would auto-redirect. I've changed my layout and hopefully it won't redirect anymore. After several years I suppose it really needs to be freshened up.

some recent Social Media and Security/Privacy articles that may be of interest

4 Facebook Security Tips to Stay Safe in 2012 http://www.cio.com/article/print/696212

Facebook's New Timeline: Important Privacy Settings to Adjust Now http://www.cio.com/article/690742/Facebook_s_New_Timeline_Important_Privacy_Settings_to_Adjust_Now?taxonomyId=3119

Facebook May Be Scary, but We Love it Anyway http://www.cio.com/article/696205/Facebook_May_Be_Scary_but_We_Love_it_Anyway?taxonomyId=3119

Social Networking, Ignorance, and Apathy http://www.cio.com/article/696197/Social_Networking_Ignorance_and_Apathy?taxonomyId=3119

Facebook Privacy: How the FTC Settlement Affects You http://www.cio.com/article/695461/Facebook_Privacy_How_the_FTC_Settlement_Affects_You?taxonomyId=3119

well-loved grill, 20 years old, some accessories might be removed

well-loved grill, 20 years old, some accessories might be removed

Brevard Manatees 2011 Schedule

The manateesbaseball.com site doesn't have the same print rev of the schedule brochure that is available at checkout counters, so I scanned it in for reference:

I also input all the dates into a Google Calendar [click here]. Note, this season starts in April.

Puerto Rican Statehood debate

Ok, I only just heard about the debate today, so I'm a bit out of touch. So I googled the topic and found what seems to be a good objective review of the issue:
http://www.essortment.com/all/puertoricansta_rdla.htm

Awsome site for helping kids decide on careers

from Bridges.com:

Introducing IMPACT: Make a Difference Through Participation

Linking careers to current events can help students see how their career plans can have an impact on the world around them. XAP and Bridges are proud to introduce the IMPACT site -- a dynamic site aimed at linking events in the news with career planning. Our first focus is the earthquake in Haiti. Find out how many careers and volunteer opportunities are involved in the process of rebuilding Haiti.

Visit the site: http://impact.xap.com/

Theme Builder Creates Document Themes for Office 2007

I think I found this on Lifehacker.com:

Windows only: Standalone application Theme Builder creates themes for Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and even Outlook emails—allowing you to create a consistent look and feel across all your documents.

Downloading the application requires using Microsoft's annoying File Transfer Manager, which usually requires Internet Explorer, and once you get past that hurdle you need to make sure that you've got the .NET Framework 3.0 and Office 2007 Interop installed—but once you've successfully navigated through all of those, the application is relatively easy to use.

You can make a copy of the themes under your Office Install -> Document Themes directory, and then open them up in the Theme Builder application to customize just about any aspect of the theme. Once you've finished, you can save them out to your documents folder and use them from any Office application by choosing the Browse option under the themes panel's drop-down menu. If you want them globally available, you can save them out to the Office installation directory where the rest of the theme files are.

The application is a bit of a pain to get going, but could be a huge timesaver for making sure all your Office documents have a consistent look. Theme Builder is a free download for Windows only.

Office 2007 Theme Builder [Microsoft via Life Rocks 2.0]