The Pickering Institute in Missouri is pimping out its edu domain names. The Institute, which falls under my definition of a "questionable institution," is clearly not what we assume when we hear the .edu domain. Its home page consists of a standard blog template and two short front page entries, the oldest of which is from March 2008. PI's ethos is no better established by its two-paragraph long "About us" page. The second of its whopping two whole paragraphs describes in vague terms its educational role:

Score! Thanks to my friend Dr. B I now finally have an invite to play the online multi-player game that requires you to .... Oh, right; it requires you to do what you normally do--surf the web...and that's basically it. Yep. You heard it. I'm playing PMOG, or "Passively Multiplayer Online Game." If you've heard of MMPOGs, then you'll understand the humor in this one. Massively Multi-player Online Games are those like World of Warcraft (WOW) in which an enormous number of players can be logged in at one time and interacting within the virtual world of WOW. Unlike Second Life (which I've mentioned before), WOW is actually a game in that it has a goal that players seek to achieve. Perhaps more accurately, there are goals to achieve--points to earn, levels to reach--think D and D online with pixelated avatars. PMOG also has goals. You just don't have to really try to achieve them. (At least this is how I understand it.) You get points for visiting different websites and then you can buy things and create missions and set traps. Big fun.

So, here it is--my entrance into online gaming--slacker style. On a side note- I started another game recently that teaches hacking skills. I'm looking forward to committing acts of illegality. Kidding. It's just pretend hacking, but I feel cool anyway.

I have been informed by a recent subscriber to my rss feed that I'd "better post some good stuff" or I'd get demoted on his iGoogle page. (This is what I get for being a sweet maven.) So, as per his request/threat, I am posting. Good or not remains to be seen, but here I am.

First of all, it seems that I write lots of apology posts, mostly for my lack of posting. Part of this is the strain of posting for multiple blogs and maintaining several websites. Last time I checked there were still only twenty four hours in a day. I've submitted a grant request for an extra eight hours but have yet to hear back. So, unfortunately, my personal blog generally ends up getting the shaft.

I wrote this last week in one of my knew client-side blog applications and forgot to post it. It seems significant enough to still warrant a spot on the blog.

I no longer dread my thirtieth birthday; I hope for it. For someone who has already exceeded her life expectancy by twenty-nine years, I should be looking forward to this birthday. For the past several months I have been ill and experienced an emotional rollercoaster of testing and diagnoses. My GI problems, some gluten-related and some not, have made day-to-day functioning a challenge. It seems that I have other food intolerances or issues that cause me to get sick almost every time that I eat. This is not fun.

Okay. So perhaps I exaggerate. Still, I have to say that the iPhone pretty much rocks. And, in spite of the fact that my partner has repeatedly warned me that when my iPhone gains sentience and tries to kill me not to come crying to him because he told me so (I recently introduced him to BSG and now he thinks that even the toaster is looking at him funny), I'm keeping it.

For those who can't afford WestLaw and/or LexisNexus, now there's The Public Library of Law.

For those who know me, it is no secret that I have organizational issues. (No, no, I don't have issues with NGOs or non-profits). Keeping my sh*t together is a bit of a challenge and, well, getting things done is a bit more like moving things around. So, I frequently read books and blogs on organization and productivity; I download software; and I sign up for web2.0 services, all in the service of getting it together. (Un)Fortunately, there are a myriad of resources available for organizing your life. Sadly, I am a terrible decision-maker and I spend entirely too much time reading and playing and not enough time doing. At the very least I figure that I can share my findings. There will be additional reviews to come. I'm currently trying out wikis, blogging apps, database apps, and notebook applications.

1. Even with the gluten incident, Jonathan and I had a good time on our first holiday together.  (We've taken trips before but always with a purpose beyond just having fun.)
2. Our previous trip to Chicago was filled with yummy gluten-free treats and dinners sans the contamination.
3. I have a kitty sleeping next to me and, amazingly enough, purring in her sleep.
4. I have good coffee, all of my teeth, and am still able to sit upright...most of the time.
5. Uhmm, my boyfriend took my recycling to the WL recycling center for me.
6. My stomach is currently (fingers-crossed, knock on wood)behaving.
7. I have a pantry full of good wine and food (which is why my finances resemble a natural disaster.  Unfortunately, gluten free food is damned expensive.)<
   

1. The Yankee-Devil Rays debacle. Here's hoping the Devil Rays get hit by a train made out of fire and MLB stops handing out fines and suspensions like candy. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you can read about the hooplah that has resulted in suspensions for Melky Cabrera and Shelley Duncan as well as a nice fine for Joe Girardi (great way to start his tenure as manager. Thanks a lot, MLB) here at Yankees.com. Train-made-out-of-fire. Seriously.
2. I got glutened on my trip to Indy
3. Of course, I get sick no matter what I eat anymore and I don't know why, which means lots of GI discomfort with no idea how to prevent it. This also means that I am probably allergic or intolerant to some other food group and will be starting and elimination diet soon. Or I need to have my gall bladder removed. Good times.

Since it's Spring Break, Jonathan and I decided to take a quick jaunt up to Indy.  Do a little shopping, have a little food, order some room service, and basically enjoy ourselves.  So, after an arduous process of sifting through possible gluten-free restaurants and finding precious little, we went to Masala Kitchen in the Castleton/Keystone area.  The staff was extremely polite and helpful (at times a bit too helpful)  and the wide selection of south Indian cuisine made choosing gluten-free options easy.  I double-checked to be sure that they prepared their dishes using the ingredients that I was familiar with (i.e., no gluten).  So, as we were finishing up dinner and drinking my favorite madras coffee, I sampled a bit of the dessert that came with my thali.  It was overly s