The NY Times has an interesting audio/video piece about the use of names of victims in memorials. (Requires a free registration) If you can’t get to it with the previous link, go here for the full article “Finding Comfort in the Safety of Names”and related links.

I’ll be taking September 11th off from work again this year. Two years ago, I was semi-employed, having accepted a job with Apple but not starting it until the 17th. Last year, I could not imagine working in the mall that day so I took it off. This year, I’ll be off, probably attending a memorial service in the morning and taking part in a day-long photoblog. A group of us hope to capture what our day is like. The person who floated this idea out said:

I’ve been thinking about September 11th. I’ve been thinking about the United States response – The Patriot Act. Invading Afghanistan & Iraq. Death. Fear. Oppression.

It seems to me that this is NOT the America I want the world to know. So I propose a blogwide Photoblog your Life day on September 11th. Take your camera with you. Take pictures. Show the world your life. Show the world your daily delights. Show the world that we choose life, happiness and freedom.

On September 11th, I’ll be carrying my camera with me. I’ll snap pictures of my day – the good, the bad, the mundane. And I’m gonna post them here for the world to see. Let’s make September 11th a day of affirmation and life.

Got a blog? Show us your life on September 11th.

Different sorts of travelers

Care to go on a virtual jaunt to Patagonia? Love a good tango? Go here for a treat! Although I’m not usually a fancier of musical web pages, this just hit the spot with me. There’s a link at the bottom of the page so you can turn it off, if it’s not to your taste. Very thoughtful.

Link courtesy of the newly bloomed Traveling in Style, with your host “Suzette” — check them both out.

On a totally different virtual travelling note, I was checking out Rick Steve’s Europe Through the Backdoor Tours (as seen originally on PBS and in hardcover I believe). Now you can pay Rick and his hearties to guide you around Europe and Scandinavia and see the “best of” the countries of your choice. Probably not my choice of travelling styles, but if your dream is to make comments like

“I can’t imagine cramming anymore into any day. So I think that our time was used at optimum efficiency.”

or

“appreciated the attention given to bathroom breaks. Very thoughtful!”

then Rick’s is for you!

Myself I think I’ll stick with the Dave! :-)

While I have your attention:

Pushing 800 spams since the third of August 2003. Not bad, not bad at all.

Go give them your $19.95 and get your email back. I am stunned at the small quantity of mail that my Eudora filters are dealing with. My trash folder is surprisingly empty, where before the filters dumped all the weird spam, virus-laden email etc etc into it. My dedicated spam folder is empty except for the occasional mailing list mail with “FREE” in the subject line. Holy cow. Thanks knowspam.

And for the record, no one has complained about needing to prove that they’re human. My mother knew to let me know that she was having someone less experienced at such things send me an email so I could watch for it. It’s all good.

Alternative blog posts

1. The huge influx of comments to this site has taken down poor YACCS, rendering commenting impossible.

2. The heck with you anyway, now you can’t make comments.

3. PS — For those of you loyal readers who do make regular comments, please forgive my little tantrum here. I love you all.

tap tap tap

Is this thing on? Am I scaring you with too many posts in one day? Is the content too wide ranging and scary? Is my quilt horrific beyond words? Or are you just too lazy to leave a comment? Makes me wonder why I even bother sometimes. yes it does. And don’t think I don’t know that you’ve been here because my counter has been whirring away today. yes it has. Helllllllloooooooooooo. Leave a comment already.