Polls Archive

Here are the open polls previously featured on Poll of the Moment. Y'all can still vote and comment!

My post and poll about Henry Ian Cusick can be found here.
Please vote and comment when you can. Grazie!

iPad or Amazon Kindle?

Image by mikebaird via Flickr

The book nerd in me wants to know if I should buy an iPad or an Amazon Kindle?

Did I say I was a nerd?

Last week, I was in Best Buy at Bellingham, Washington. I was looking for a new digital camera, while my nephew was looking at SLR cameras. We went to the Apple section and played with iPads. Wanna guess which icon I pressed first? That's right: the iBooks app. It was fun going from one book to another. It's just like reading a physical book! Stephen King's Under The Dome was in the library and I almost started reading it. (I got the hardcover edition as a Christmas gift.) Do y'all realize how many more books I can read on the iBooks app? A lot more. I won't even have to worry about buying gigantic hardcover books, like the aforementioned Stephen King book and Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. But there's not much else that I want in the iPad (aside from the iBooks and watching TV episodes on a bigger monitor) so spending CAD $549 on it is nuts. I could buy a new BlackBerry phone with that amount.

On the other hand, the Amazon Kindle is strictly for reading books, newspapers, and magazines. You can even read your own documents. The original device is small enough for my needs, but I think the new Kindle is as big as the iPad. Plus I can download books quickly, thanks to the Kindle's global 3G wireless coverage. It costs USD $259 or approximately CAD $267, about half the cost of an iPad.

Regardless of what I decide to get, I would save physical library space (although I don't have an actual physical library) and my mother won't freak out every time I buy a new book from Chapters, Black Bond Books, or Amazon. Also, the books cost less than the bookstore list price.

Or maybe I should just stick to reading the plain old book?

Who's Got A Cure For Insomnia?

As I was writing about the possible correlation between my insomnia and my writer's block on Adrienne's Notebook, I saw some articles on the Zemanta content recommendations sidebar saying that chronic insomnia may shorten one's life.

Say what???

Well, that makes sense, if you consider the health consequences of poor sleep. But a 20-year population-based study claims that chronic insomnia actually increases one's mortality risk by at least 150% (or 2.5 times more).

Um, no, I don't want to die early. I don't mind dying, just dying early.

So, I decided to take action. I downloaded a free app named iRelax Melodies from the iTunes Store. So far, it has helped me sleep faster with the relaxing music it plays (hence, the app name). The sound of ocean waves - as if I were on a deserted Island as one of Jacob's candidates - unsurprisingly puts me to sleep faster than watching The Weather Network or reading books in bed. On early morning Wednesday (1:30ish), I quickly fell asleep and I felt way more rested when I woke up at 5:45 AM than on any other work day. Of course, it's only been two days, so I can't say it has cured my insomnia. But it's one step towards it.

So I guess I should say goodbye to the TV movies on The W Network or to Biography on A & E, eh?

Twenty-seven Is Clearly Better Than 26

The best gift I could get on my 27th B'Day?

A day off!

I had a great B'Day on my Work Share Day. I woke up at around 2 PM (I slept at around 3 AM, so don't judge me! Hehe...) and saw a B'Day card from my mom. Then when my sister came home from work and from picking up her kids, she handed me a red envelope containing a gift card from Spa Utopia!!! Hehehe... I've been giving my family hints like, "I need a freaking spa day," or the like. Well, after all the crap I've gone through - and probably will go through in the next few months - I do need a spa day. Heck, I need a spa year! I haven't looked at the service directory, but I will definitely schedule a spa appointment soon.

Then we had an Italian dinner - i.e. spaghetti that my mom cooked and meat lover's and Hawaiian pizzas from Pizza Hut - at home at 4 PM, because the Cs needed to leave at 5 PM for Miss KC's awards assembly. My nephew/godson prayed before we ate and we all had a great chat over dinner. Then we took out a small chocolate cake with small Oreos on top (that my mom bought) and a medium-sized cheese cake from Costco. Everyone under 30 years old loved the chocolate cake and everyone above 21 years old loved the cheese cake.

After dinner, I settled in front of the living room TV to watch three of the four Glee episodes I had missed. My niece convinced me to open the pink gift-wrapped box that the Cs gave me during the "Laryngitis" episode. The Cs gave me the Pretty as a Picture Fragrance Value set from Elizabeth Arden!!! The box contains a Pretty Eau de Parfum Spray, a Pretty Body Lotion, and a Limited Edition Elizabeth Arden Charm Bracelet. It's sooooooooo pretty! There was also a letter from Miss KC. Very sweet and sincere.

I ate some more pizza and went back to my room after the "Dream On" episode to watch the FlashForward series finale. It was amazing, explosive, and mind-blowing. It's a shame that ABC cancelled the show. And that the finale had to air on my B'Day.

Thanks to everyone who sent B'Day greetings on Facebook and Twitter. I felt the love because a lot of people I haven't talked to actually greeted me.

The other best thing about my 27th B'Day? I wasn't sick! I got sick two weeks ago and I did my best to get better before the LOST series finale. I got better, but all the crying I did during "The End" made me cough again. But I wasn't coughing yesterday so it's all good.

Thank You, Lord, for the past 27 years. I raise a glass of Canada Dry ginger ale for the next 27 or 54 years (at least).

Holly's Inbox

While I'm still suffering from writer's block - and after reading the rest of Meg Cabot's Heather Wells mysteries last weekend - I'm reading Holly Denham's novel Holly's Inbox. It's a story told solely in e-mails from or to Holly.

I've read novels that are entirely or partly in epistolary form using letters, journal entries, and articles (e.g. C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Stephen King's Carrie, and Alice Walker's The Color Purple). But I've never read a novel that's told entirely in e-mails.

It's a really interesting story, even if I've only started reading it today. I can totally relate when it comes to the work stuff.

Maybe I can use this form in the near future. If I can get through this writer's block, that is.

A Desk Tells a Lot About Someone...

You Are a Creative Worker

You are a very private person. You don't open up easily, and you don't open up to just anyone. You draw a lot of inspiration and energy from your own internal world. You get bored easily around other people. You like to edit and revise. You are always improving your work, and you never turn in the first draft. You are down to earth and practical. You achieve success one step at a time, by paying attention to details.

What Does Your Desk Say About You?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

V Renewed, FlashForward & Better Off Ted Cancelled

Earlier today, EW.com's Michael Ausiello reported that ABC has renewed the Elizabeth Mitchell-led V. He tweeted this:

That is great news for the series that has improved its storytelling, upped the stakes, and started kicking major butt in the ratings. Next season, ABC can move V to LOST's current timeslot or to the 8 PM slot. Assuming ABC chooses the latter, FOX keeps Glee at 9 PM, and CBS keeps The Good Wife at 10 PM, I won't have to miss anything on Tuesdays! Yay!

About an hour later, Ausiello tweeted this:

While I've been expecting Scrubs to be cancelled, I was still holding out hope for Better Off Ted and FlashForward. The writing on Better Off Ted is incredibly clever and funny. Jay Harrington and Portia de Rossi are great as the protagonist Ted and his boss Veronica. I guess the Save Better Off Ted petition didn't work, eh? One more thing: is ABC ever going to air the last two episodes produced?

There was speculation that ABC might renew FlashForward because of its popularity overseas. The writing has improved, which gave us awesome episodes such as "A561984," "Revelation Zero," "Better Angels," and "The Garden of Forking Paths." It took awhile to find its voice, but it eventually did. I just hope the finale airing on May 27th ties up everything that's relevant to the characters.

The upfront presentation for ABC is still on May 18th (incidentally, the air date for LOST's penultimate episode) and I guess the above will be officially announced then.

Kelly Clarkson: Top American Idol Of All-Time

Y'all know I hate American Idol, but it brought Kelly Clarkson into my life. Since becoming the first Idol, Kelly has become my favourite singer ever. I have her records and my second-favourite song ever (after Mariah Carey's "Butterfly") is "Maybe," from her My December album.

I also love Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, and Kris Allen. But Kelly Clarkson remains my favourite American Idol.

Boy, am I glad that Billboard agrees with me!

As of April 17th, Kelly Clarkson leads the Top 24 American Idols of All-Time with 10.6 million albums sold, 15.9 million singles sold, and 4.26 million radio plays (total = 30.76 million).

Boo-yah.

Carrie Underwood is at number two with 11.5 million albums sold, 13.9 million singles sold, and 2.426 million radio plays (total = 27.826 million). Jordin Sparks is at number four with 1.3 million albums sold, 9 million singles sold, and 1.146 million radio plays (total = 11.446 million). Lastly, Kris Allen is at number 11 with 0.31 million albums sold, 2.6 million singles sold, and 0.165 radio plays (total = 3.075 million).

Yay, Kelly! I can't wait for her next album! I also hope I can see her perform at Lilith Fair either in Toronto on July 24th or in Montreal on July 23rd.

BlackBerry Curve 8900

Do y'all remember my original Christmas wish list? Do y'all remember me saying that I want the BlackBerry Curve 8520, specifically the lavender one?

Well, I just changed my mind. Now I want the BlackBerry Curve 8900 smartphone!

(Image taken from BlackBerry.com)

I didn't feel like working on the freelance writing rates yet, so I went on the Rogers Wireless website to look for the best BlackBerry phone to replace my Red Pearl when my contract expires in December. I've had my heart set on the Curve 8520 for a while now, but I wasn't sure if you could read Word, Excel, and PDF documents on the smartphone. As a freelance editor, I'd like to skim through the prospective client's document before submitting or sending a quote. Unfortunately, the reviews for the Curve 8520 on the Rogers Wireless website don't mention anything about its attachment-reading capabilities. The Red Pearl's small screen doesn't really go well with zooming on a document; more often than not, especially if it's a PDF, it becomes blurry and unreadable. A reviewer did say that the Curve 8520 is not for users who use smartphones for business purposes.

Then I decided to check out the Curve 8900's features. Lo and behold! You can view and revise Word and Excel documents right on the Curve 8900! Hopefully, PDF documents too!

Attachments
For the times when you cant [sic] be at your desk, view and revise popular attachments such as Word and Excel documents right on your phone 

Unfortunately, I still have to wait eight (it's the Numbers, man!) months for my contract to expire. Well, let's hope the current offer of $49.99 for select 3-year plans (hmmm, I wonder what those are...) drops, it becomes available in other colours (only black for now), or both, by December.

Freelance Writing Too?

Purely editing projects are rare, even on iFreelance.com. Most projects that are open for bidding deal only with the writing, particularly articles and copy. Because my provider profile is under the Writing/Editing category, the project match alerts I get include writing projects. I have also received a few requests for my freelance writing rates.

But I don't have rates for my freelance writing! I have only set up rates for my editing services because I meant to focus on the editing. But I need supplemental income so I decided to offer freelance writing services too.

I hope to set up the rates before next week. They should be on the official website, iFreelance profile, Facebook page, and Twitter soon.

I Am the Queen of Procrastinationland

You Should Procrastinate

Believe it or not, procrastinating is actually pretty good for you. So go ahead and do it. You work well under pressure, and deadlines don't bother you. In fact, the less time you have, the better. If you put off a task, you get it done more efficiently. There's nothing wrong with using procrastination as a way to motivate yourself. Whether you procrastinate or not, you'll eventually get the job done. The only difference is, if you procrastinate, you might do a better job.

Should You Procrastinate?

Blogthings: Free Quizzes for Everyone

See? Procrastination ain't such a bad thing?

Writer's Digest Subscription: To Renew Or Not To Renew?

Last Wednesday, I received a subscription renewal notice from Writer's Digest.

A few months ago, because of the recession and my two Work Share Days, I decided not to renew my subscription. I had to cut some costs and I decided this should be it. I also checked out Quill & Quire, a magazine about the book industry in Canada. But its one-year subscription for 10 issues costs CAD $59.95 before GST - twice WD's costs for a one-year subscription of eight issues! Plus, I'm actually behind three issues, because I have so many things to read and to write (among other tasks).

So, when I got the renewal notice last Wednesday - and saw that the USD $29.95 offer ends on April 14th, a week after I received the notice - I decided not to bother and renew my subscription. But when I went to the Writer's Digest website, I found out that I could renew my subscription online! So I did, for the same price, and without any worries that the completed renewal form arrived in Florida by next Wednesday. *Sigh*

Which means I've gotta cut costs elsewhere. Maybe non-LOST- and non-Fringe-related Amazon purchases? Hehehehe...

I Love My Sleep

You Are Sleep

You tend to solve your problems simply. And when you're tired, grouchy, and headache-y, it only makes sense to take a nap. Not only will sleep cure your hangover, it's also likely to cure anything that ails you ever. Whenever life gets difficult, you retreat and refuel. And nothing renews you like a little nap time. Your troubles may not go away forever while you're asleep, but at least they are gone for the moment.

What Hangover Cure Are You?

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

That's why I'm always asleep for most of January 1st. Mwahahahahaha!

Ask Me Anything

I've finally joined formspring.me.

So, go ahead. Ask me anything.

I Am Loyal

You Are Loyal

You are a true friend. You are faithful and protective of those you love... sometimes to a fault. You are sometimes wary of strangers, but you open open completely to the people you trust. You can be surprisingly playful and fun loving. Goofing off is one of your favorite pastimes. But when you need to be counted on, you step right up. You're always willing to work hard or defend your pack.

The Finger Puppet Test

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

That's right. Mess with my friends and family, and you will see me morph into the Smoke Monster from LOST. Then I will kick you into an alternate universe. Hehehe...

Whirly Skirts Commercial Makes Me Laugh

Every time I see this new Old Navy commercial, I just crack up.



Did y'all hear what the mannequin said at the end? "Never give up your dreams of being fake."

You know what I think every time I hear that? "Like Heidi Montag!" And then I laugh.

Seriously, 10 plastic surgeries in a day can only mean being fake has been her dream. And, wouldn't you know, she wants more plastic surgeries.

Plastic surgery can't make anyone - let alone Heidi Montag - perfect. It only makes people synthetic and unnatural. It also perpetuates the notion that perfect looks should be people's ultimate goal. It's completely wrong.

Tsk tsk tsk... God help this woman.

Entertainment Weekly Lists 10 Best Shows On Now

The cover story of this week's issue of Entertainment Weekly is about the 10 best TV shows on now. LOST isn't number one - although, it should be! - but The Good Wife is!!!

Here's the full list. Y'all can view Ken Tucker's take on these shows here.

1. The Good Wife (CBS)
2. Breaking Bad (AMC)
3. LOST (ABC)
4. Friday Night Lights (NBC)
5. Fringe (FOX)
6. Modern Family (ABC)
7. Glee (FOX)
8. Southland (TNT)
9. Damages (FX)
10. Caprica (Syfy)

Awesome! I love half of the shows on this list. Hehe...

Before anyone screams bloody murder and says other excellent shows (Mad Men, Community, Parks & Recreations, et cetera) aren't included in the list, I just want to say that there are many excellent shows airing now and it is difficult to fit them all in a top-ten list. Plus some cable shows, like Mad Men, are in between seasons at the moment and, therefore, don't belong in a top-ten list for shows airing now.

Obviously, at the top of my list is LOST. Wait a minute... What if I made a list of my own? Hmmm... Let me compile my list and I'll post the top 10 or top 20 later.

Gold Canada Gold!!!

In these Olympic Winter Games, the only gold medals that really matter are the hockey golds.

Congratulations to Team Canada - women's hockey - for winning the gold!!!!

Can the men win the gold? I sure hope so! They were all watching the women's hockey gold medal game.

GOLD CANADA GOLD!!!

Let the Vancouver Winter Games Begin!

CTV and NBC led the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics coverage last night as the Opening Ceremony unfolded at BC Place.

I watched the CTV coverage, with Brian Williams and Lloyd Robertson as commentators. I also tweeted and followed the tweets from my Canadian and American friends alike. Follow @LadySolitaire83 to see my tweets last night.

I'm sure you've seen most of last night's opening ceremony, or you're watching it right now on your DVRs or whatever, so I'm not going to recap the whole thing. I'm just going to write about the highs and the lows of last night's ceremony.

The highs:

• k.d. lang's performance of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" - She sang the song with so much emotion and barefoot to boot! It was the first - and only? - moving musical performance of the night.
• Yellowknife's Shane Koyczan's poem "We Are More" - The officials saved the best for last. My now-favourite slam poet listed the things that make Canada the amazing country that it is, such as hockey, our politeness, and our cultural diversity. In his words: "We are the true North / Strong and free / And what's more / Is that we didn't just say it / We made it be". You can view the full transcript here.
• The visual and special effects - The orcas! The salmon! The Spirit Bear! The prairies' golden fields! The pretty colours as the seasons progress! Oh, my gosh! The visual effects were so freaking awesome! It was so breathtaking. Wow.
• The BC Place crowd's standing ovation for Team Georgia - As most of you know by now, the 21-year-old luger from the Republic of Georgia, Nodar Kumaritashvili died yesterday after a tragic accident in Whistler, BC. So when the republic's athletes entered the main stage during the Parade of Nations with black armbands, the spectators in BC Place gave them a standing ovation. Very classy.
• The Four Host First Nations' welcome - It is refreshing to see the First Nations in the spotlight. First, the First Nations chiefs were given the head-of-state status. If y'all remember, the seats behind Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Governor-General Michaelle Jean, IOC President Jacques Rogge, and the other important people were empty and kinda confused. The commentators said that the confusion was due to the First Nations chiefs not having arrived yet. Second, the Four Host First Nations - the Lil'wat, Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh - welcomed the world in their respective native languages and in English & French. Third, the other Aboriginal Peoples of Canada, including the Metis, Inuit, and First Nations, danced their ways into the floor and during the Parade of Nations.
• Newfoundland's punk tap dancers and fiddlers - OMG, they were entertaining. I enjoyed the fiddling and the tap dancing. I was wondering whether we'd see Ashley MacIsaac, as he was the only Canadian fiddler I've actually heard of. Then, lo and behold, he was there! That was a fun performance.

The lows:

• The apparent lip-syncing of the musical performers - Everyone was a-Twitter about Nelly Furtado, Bryan Adams, and even Sarah McLachlan and Measha Brueggergosman, appearing to lip-sync. I guess it's because they didn't "sound" live, as opposed to k.d. lang and the francophone singer Garou's performances. It's kinda hard to tell with Measha because she's a soprano and with Sarah because it would also follow that the piano and the strings also wouldn't be live. But Nelly and Bryan did seem like they were lip-syncing. It doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of last night's ceremony, but the lip-synced performances definitely pale in comparison to k.d. lang and Garou's performances. Not to mention, kinda embarrassing for these world-renowned artists.
• The massive mechanical epic failure at the end - During the final leg of the Olympic torch relay, five of the greatest Canadian names in sports - Rick Hansen, Catriona LeMay-Doan, Steve Nash, Nancy Greene, and Wayne Gretzky, in this order - lit each other's torches, until they were standing around the stage. There was an extended pause as each of them - especially Nash and Gretzky - looked worried and confused. Then a commentator (can't remember which one) said that five pieces of the indoor cauldron were supposed to emerge from the floor, but there was some sort of mechanical difficulty getting them up. Eventually, the middle piece and three legs emerged, leaving one leg on the ground. When the five lit the indoor cauldron, it was still beautiful, but the mechanical epic failure was seen all over the world. It was so embarrassing. Thank God Gretzky's ride from BC Place to the external cauldron at Waterfront - with the spectators gleefully following the vehicle and taking pictures - saved us all from this massive embarrassment. The poor hydraulic engineer must be hiding under a bunker right now.

Overall, the Opening Ceremony was amazing and breathtaking. Despite the aforementioned low points, it was a beautiful introduction - or re-introduction - of Vancouver, and Canada, to the world.

Go Canada go!!!

Another Blog at Wordpress.com?

I have a Wordpress.com account, but I don't know what to do with it.

I don't even remember why I created the account - for DocAzt's website? for sheer fun? - but I'd like to use this account, besides commenting on EW.com posts. So I decided I would blog about... something. The thing is, I don't know what it should be. I have to make time to write this blog (hence the quiz results from Blogthings to fill my quota), so whatever I write about on this new blog has to be something I really love. So what should it be?

• Single life? I'm currently single and, though I'm not actively looking for The One, it doesn't mean I'm not contemplating life as part of a couple. I even joined eHarmony.ca for fun, but I haven't found anyone I like enough. Of course, there's also the emotional unavailability thing that I mentioned in my first post this year. But a lot of single people are already writing about their search for either The One or the One Right Now. What else could I possibly add to the mix?
• LOST or any other favourite TV show? Well, this may be LOST's final season, but that doesn't mean I can't write about it. Maybe I should write about the final season, to recap the Season 6 episodes? Perhaps, but I can just write about it here. What about Fringe, FlashForward, V, Glee, The Vampire Diaries, or any other TV show? It's not too late to start recapping episodes or whatever of these shows. But I can always do it here too.
• Fiction-writing? I can chronicle my fiction-writing or post some of my flash fiction or short stories. Readers would provide feedback and help with the writing or editing process. Unfortunately, publishers may consider these as published works, which means they may not publish the edited stories in magazines or short story collections (as if!). 
• Editing? I can also chronicle my freelance editing business. I can import the Recent Announcement section from my website and pull the RSS feeds from the Wordpress blog. I'm not sure if Wordpress and Google Sites are compatible with each other, though. Copying-and-pasting my previous announcements to the Wordpress blog is fine, but if Google Sites can't get the RSS feeds from Wordpress through a gadget it would be useless.

So, what do you think? Vote, comment, or both!