Your Favorite iPhone App or Website

  • Jul. 26th, 2008 at 10:44 AM
Michelle
Please share the joy and tell me what your favorite iPhone Apps or iPhone Websites are and why you love them. I have been thoroughly enjoying my 3G iPhone and get a ton of joy out of it, but a lot more joy could never hurt!

I am looking for a good To Do list app where I can add items, set priorities, see lots of the items on the list at once, and mark the items as completed without having to simply delete them. I have been using Jott for that, but it sucks for To Do list management. From the list above it fails on the last two features.

What IS cool about Jott is that you can record something in Jott and a few minutes later it will provide a text transcript of what you said! Awesome!

I'm also thoroughly enjoying the Pandora App, which is an interface to the most excellent Pandora.com music website which allows you to create a streaming music station using an artist or a song, vote whether you like or don't like the music it plays on that station that is similar to what you selected, and share the station with your friends. My only problem with the Pandora App at this point is that it has caused most of my iPhone crashes and occasionally drops me back to the iPhone home screen. Despite that, I still love it! It provides FREE high quality music on the go!

The Google App is great! It searches my iPhone AND the web for whatever I type! Super cool! And when I select something on the web it pops open the web browser to that page. Nifty.

The Facebook App is OK, but the Facebook iPhone website (iphone.facebook.com) is even better!

The MMO puzzle game Aurora Feint is fun, but after playing it frequently for a week it is starting to lose its luster. No surprise, though, because those kind of games have a limited amount of playability for me, especially when it doesn't feel like the game has changed much since the third hour of play time.

The Aol Radio App is OK. Great concept, but most of the stations are not available if you don't have amazing bandwidth which seems to be most of the time for me.

Oh, and this isn't an iPhone App or Website, but it deserves mention. WinFF is a great free video converter for Windows. It has allowed me to convert all those lovely AVI files I got through Bit Torrent into the MP4 format which is playable by the iPhone.
Michelle
I am selling a 2005 Infiniti G35 2 Door Manual 6-Speed Coupe with 56,000 miles for $22,0000. It has the Premium and Sports-Tuned Suspension Packages and a spoiler added.




In Brief:


  • 2005 Infiniti G35 Coupe
  • Selling for $22,000
  • 6-speed manual
  • 298-horsepower 3.5-liter DOHC V6
  • 56,000 miles
  • 4,000 remaining miles in bumper to bumper warranty
  • 14,000 remaining miles in powertrain warranty
  • 4 years remaining in corrosion warranty
  • 2 years remaining in free roadside assistance
  • Black Exterior
  • Wheat Interior
  • Leather Interior
  • Sport-Tuned Suspension Package with 19-inch forged aluminum-alloy wheels, sport-tuned suspension, Viscous Limited-Slip Differential (VLSD), drilled aluminum pedals and unique sport steering wheel
  • Premium Package with sunroof, power tilt and telescopic steering, dual HVAC controls, auto on/off headlights, HomeLink Universal Transceiver, automatic anti-glare rearview mirror, in-dash 6-disc CD changer, with mp3 capability, and a digital Bose premium audio system with eight speakers
  • Sirius Satellite Radio
  • Spoiler
  • Leather, heated, sport-contoured front bucket seats are 8-way power adjustable for the driver and 4-way power adjustable for the passenger
  • In April the car was serviced and received new rear brakes, battery, drivebelts, and rotors.


See captions in the images for additional information.


Send serious inquiries to 2005infinitig35forsale@gmail.com.

Michelle
I am grateful for my chronic illnesses. It seems odd to be grateful for something that complicates and reduces the quality of one's life, but knowing that I have chronic illnesses has resulted in many positive changes in my life.

Because of the pattern of decreased wellbeing following the ingestion of certain foods I became a firm believer in the importance of a healthy, personalized diet and developed the intention and willpower to maintain that diet. I've learned to observe my body's reactions to foods in order to continuously tweak my diet so that it remains optimal. The dietary restrictions and my desire to eat within them caused me to cook more than ever before. Over time I evolved from being a novice cook to being quite skillful. Cooking became a creative outlet which I found to provide stress relief and a rewarding sense of accomplishment. Having dietary restrictions and knowing the importance of balanced diets encouraged me to learn more about nutrition. That lead to me learning about the intrinsic healing properties of food and treating illness with food based remedies where appropriate. Along with that my belief in the importance of alternative therapies increased and has fueled my desire to learn more about them.

My illnesses and the fatigue that came with them caused me to recognize the value of a healthy work and personal life balance and encouraged me to bring my life into balance. Gone are the days of being on call every second of my life, even while on vacation, and waking up at odd hours in the morning to address the needs of the business. It was a difficult transition for me mentally because it felt like I was not living up to my work ethic, but I came to understand that I'm a better employee when I am happy and I am happier with that healthy balance and a segregation between my working time and my personal time.

All of the learning I did because of my illnesses has allowed me to help friends and their family members detect, diagnose, and treat their health issues. I strongly feel that is one of the purposes in life I have gained from my experience with chronic illness. It gives me joy to help other people through their struggles and try to keep them from experiencing the same frustrations I did.

I've gained greater compassion for people and better understanding of other people living with illness. I understand that there are some days (or even months or years) when people are mentally and/or physically impacted by their illness despite their greatest desire for that to not be the case.

While I may have days/weeks/months when I am in a healing crises, overall my body and mind are healthier than they have ever been in my life. Reaching that healthier state has caused me to appreciate it and to strive to maintain it.

So, yes, while chronic illnesses, by their very nature, diminish the quality of my life they have also been the catalyst towards growth and health. I am very thankful for them.
Michelle
I am grateful for the health professionals who help keep me healthy in mind, body, and spirit.

My Alternative Therapies/Intuitive Healer/Energetic Specialist gave me guidance where all of my Western Medical specialists, both disease and organ specialists, failed. He came into my life at a time when I had been told with all seriousness that I would never have a pain free day in my life, even with a daily course of prescription pain medication. Through his guidance he got me pain free in six weeks and completely off medication within one year. He discovered that the trigger of my health problems was certain ingredients and helped me fine tune my diet to aid in healing my body. Within the past year he added a Chinese Medicine Doctor to his staff and she has been a terrific help as well!

My therapist has filled the role of wise woman dispatching sage advice while helping me navigate through this world. Her strong, feminine presence and open attitude have been a positive influence in my mental health. Every woman should have such an influence in their life!

So, to my health professionals, I thank thee for your great work!

Tags:

One Month of Gratitude: Day 5 - The Internet

  • Jul. 13th, 2008 at 10:36 PM
Michelle
I am so thankful for the Internet. My interest and use of the Internet is what made it so easy for me to get a very early start in my professional career in Information Technology which completely altered the course of my life. The Internet allowed me easy access to technologies which I used to constantly challenge myself, providing intellectual stimulation, a creative outlet, and a source of satisfaction when I solved difficult problems or crafted complex solutions. It provided me with a way to find other like minded people and resulted in many friendships spanning years and even a decade. It's made it easier for me to stay in touch with my friends and family and reduces the feeling of the great physical distances between us all. It's allowed me access to information that I might not have come across through traditional pre-Internet means and has greatly expanded my interests. It has made my medically necessary dietary restrictions easier to maintain by providing me with the ability to search for recipes fitting my restrictions as well as providing me with the ability to research allergen information about individual ingredients to keep me from accidentally ingesting something that would make me sick. It has made it easier for me to find bleeding edge medical advice and tried and true alternative medical advice to improve my management of my health issues.

To say that the Internet facilitated improvements in my life and altered the course of it is an understatement.

One Month of Gratitude: Day 4 - My Career

  • Jul. 13th, 2008 at 12:32 AM
Michelle
I am grateful for my career as a business analyst. I made the career change just under two years ago when I had decided I never again wanted to be subjected to Information Technology Operation's time commitment of being on call every second of my life. I reasoned that while I didn't enjoy writing documentation I would enjoy applying my multiple subject matter expertise and assist in crafting the best solution for my new employer. Thankfully, I was right! Not only do I enjoy ensuring that the solutions I'm documenting are the most appropriate for the business, but I also enjoy the actual act of documenting the solution; the act of writing the documents is an exercise in logic and the completed document provides me with a strong sense of accomplishment. If I had been told ten years ago that I would get as much satisfaction from creating and documenting a technical solution as I had wrangling unix servers and automating complex tasks with scripts I would have laughed in that person's face and told them they were dreaming. Well, I am now living that dream, and happily so.
Michelle
I drove out of my office's parking garage today at lunch time and was immediately struck by how much I love South Florida's sunshine. I'd had another subject planned for today's entry, but instead it shall be my gratitude for the quality and quantity of the sunshine where I live.

More often than not the sun is shining brightly in the sky during the day, even during most rain storms, providing my eyes with what they need to make the oh so precious mood elevating chemical serotinin. And, you know, the way the sun makes everything sparkle after an afternoon shower is just absolutely beautiful. The incredible quality of the sunshine adds to almost any outdoor experience, as long as you're properly protected from the sun, anyhow. Sunsets and sunrises are often quite spectacular.

Oh, sunshine, I am so thankful for thee!

Tags:

One Month of Gratitude: Day 2 - Daniel

  • Jul. 10th, 2008 at 6:19 PM
Michelle
I am grateful for Daniel. Daniel came back into my life when I was exceptionally bitter about my dating and relationship experiences in South Florida. He showed me that there actually are complex, intriguing, sensitive, competent, responsible, intelligent, wholesome, sexy single men my age in South Florida. Our interactions have had a profound effect upon me, helping me release the bitterness that had overwhelmed me at the beginning of the year, among other things. Our short time together has already provided me with many memories I will cherish for years to come.

Thank you, Daniel. You are appreciated and loved.

One month of gratitude: Day 1 - My Friends

  • Jul. 9th, 2008 at 9:58 PM
Michelle
I am joining [info]cygnoir in her one month of gratitude. Each day for a month I will post things in my life for which I am grateful.

I am grateful for my friends. They have enriched my life with their intriguing personalities, differing view points, sparkling intellect, sharp wit, love of laughter, spunky attitudes, abounding creativity, diverse interests, incredible passion, heart warming love, and genuine compassion. They embrace their lives as they choose to live them, straying from mainstream concepts when their chosen alternative rings true to them. Their simple act of being who they are inspires me.

Thank you, my friends. I love you!

Tags:

My Star Wars Character

  • Jul. 9th, 2008 at 12:35 PM
Michelle
Hilarious!!!! Definitely rings true for a few exs.

Your results:
You are Padme

Padme
81%
Princess Leia
79%
Han Solo
64%
Obi-Wan Kenobi
64%
Luke Skywalker
61%
R2-D2
60%
Boba Fett
58%
Yoda
57%
Lando Calrissian
56%
Chewbacca
56%
You try to be a good person,
but your boyfriend doesn't.
At least you look great.
(This list displays the top 10 results out of a possible 21 characters)
Click here to take the Star Wars Personality Quiz

Jun. 26th, 2008

  • 9:29 PM
Michelle
"The Big Read thinks the average adult has only read six of the top 100 books they've printed below.


1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them."
Read more... )

What Tarot Card Am I Right Now? The Moon

  • Jun. 24th, 2008 at 6:40 PM
Michelle
I took a new approach to this quiz and answered it less along the lines of characteristically how I would answer and instead provided more to-the-second answers. And... a great card was selected. Very appropriate in many ways.

You are The Moon

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.

The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Jun. 24th, 2008

  • 5:15 PM
Michelle
"A verse from the Veda says, 'What you see, you become.' In other words, just the experience of perceiving the world makes you what you are. This is a quite literal statement."
- Deepak Chopra
Michelle

I did this same quiz more than a year ago and got a very different card, The Sun. I think this new card reflects a fundamental truth to my core being: Through vulnerability I gain illumination.

You are the Hanged Man

Self-sacrifice, Sacrifice, Devotion, Bound.

With the Hanged man there is often a sense of fatalism, waiting for something to happen. Or a fear of loss from a situation, rather than gain.

The Hanged Man is perhaps the most fascinating card in the deck. It reflects the story of Odin who offered himself as a sacrifice in order to gain knowledge. Hanging from the world tree, wounded by a spear, given no bread or mead, he hung for nine days. On the last day, he saw on the ground runes that had fallen from the tree, understood their meaning, and, coming down, scooped them up for his own. All knowledge is to be found in these runes.

The Hanged Man, in similar fashion, is a card about suspension, not life or death. It signifies selflessness, sacrifice and prophecy. You make yourself vulnerable and in doing so, gain illumination. You see the world differently, with almost mystical insights.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Michelle
I marked this up 6 years ago. I re-read it and changed my marks to reflect how I feel today.

Bold items are things I strongly agree with - crossed out things are things that are just not me. Normal text applies in some or most situations. Comments are in brackets. I love to see what the stars say about me. And they say:

Sun and Moon in Gemini

You were born with both the Sun and the Moon in the sign of Gemini. This indicates, among other things, that your individuality and personality are harmonious. Both positions give you an astute and alert mind. You tire of things easily, but this is not to say that you lack strength. You are drawn to humanistic concerns and would like to see everyone happy and encouraged to express their own views.

You see life as an enthusiastic frolic, and there is little seriousness in you. You make many friends among intellectuals and literary people and have affiliations with numerous societies and associations. You are fortunate enough to be involved in work and activities that satisfy your inner needs.

You read voraciously and you can live on your intelligence.

People may criticize you by saying that you are inconsistent and cannot be relied upon. Fortunately, you do possess characteristic consistency: there is agreement between what you do and what you feel. You are one of those people who think that all problems in life can be solved through intelligent discussion and reasoning.

The key to a better integration of yourself is to deepen the conceptual side of your mind and simultaneously strengthen your will, giving it more force and unity of purpose.

Ascendant in Gemini, Mercury in the Twelfth House

At the time of your birth the zodiacal sign of Gemini was ascending in the horizon. Its ruler Mercury is located at the twelfth house. Your ascending sign and the position of its ruler offers general information concerning the overall trends of the course of life and complements the data pertaining to your temperament, given previously by the analysis of the combined positions of the Sun and Moon.

Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac and among its key psychological influences over life there are the following: intellectual activities, humanism, and abhorrence of violence, constant doubt of all mental concepts, hesitancy and academic interest.

People whose ascending sign is Gemini usually appear as elegant, slender, expressive, and with very humane facial expressions. They are individuals with some literary inclination, dexterous with manual labors and crafts, apt, able, witty, inventive and very curious and subtle.

A Gemini in the ascendant will always distinguish himself by his rather eloquent speech and writing, his much occupied daily life, and his perpetual lack of an ability to effect swift and determined decisions. [Really, I've only seen the lack of ability for effect swift and determined decisions when deciding whether to end a relationship or not. Or, lately, whether I should message someone on OKCupid or not.] As a Gemini, you should try to compensate your hesitancy with fast thinking.

Your disposition to life-events will be kind and generous (within bounds) but not always fortunate, because of too much vacillation in decision-making circumstances. You possess the capability of rising in life because of your own intellectual assets.

Your mind is open and generous, and your intellect self-sufficient; yet on many occasions, judgment will appear as "twisted". You should restrain useless discussion, strife, and unprofitable argument as they're your worst enemies.

To achieve success, you should stress your literary and scientific studies, give free hand to your brilliant intellect in warranted circumstances, and apply your diligent nature to writing, traveling, communications, and human analysis. In all these activities you are at your best.

Mercury, the ruler of your life, appears in the twelfth house. This is the house which represents the darker nature of people as well as sorrow in general. The presence of the ruler here inclines you to be extremely introverted and to conduct your life along lines that are private to the utmost degree. Because of your Gemini life-traits, your versatile and clever mind becomes very interested in the occult, loving to engender and implement intellectual plans with haziness and ambiguity.

Sun in the First House

The Sun is in the first house. You are by nature energetic, proud and self-assertive. You project yourself enthusiastically and energetically into all situations. Your naturally outgoing disposition and personable manner usually make a good impression on people.

Your heightened self-perception puts you in touch with a strong sense of will, and you can manipulate your will to suit your aims and desires in life. This position of the Sun gives the capacity for leadership, for you tend to attract people and to have a strong influence on them when they are with you.

You do not like to depend on others, but you hold on to your friends, for they are usually pleased to help you when you need it. You are willing to help close friends who are deserving, but only if you know that your efforts will be appreciated.

You often prefer to work alone. However, this is not your only choice, for you adapt well to working with people as long as you are free to express yourself. With a first-house Sun, there is a tendency to overestimate your own worth, but through repeated contacts with others you will inevitably come to a more realistic appraisal of your abilities and potential.

Note: The Sun is technically near the end of house 12 and is therefore interpreted in house 1.

Sun Conjunct Ascendant

The Sun conjunct the Ascendant shows that you have a great desire for recognition and are creative in finding ways to gain attention. In general you are uncompromising. You have great faith in your ability to rise above any of life's negative circumstances. You know how to use your vast creative resources in a direct assault against any adversary, and you believe that eventually you will succeed. Most often you do, but when challenged by stiff competition you will resort to brute force to demonstrate that you do not give in without a fight. You know how to win friends and influence people, and you use this talent effectively.

To be truly comfortable in your profession, you need to have a position of some authority over others.

Moon in the First House

The Moon is in the first house. This position indicates that you are strongly influenced by your feelings and moods.

Your awareness of yourself is influenced by your momentary feelings, and this perception is subject to rapid changes of mood and emotion. In time, you will learn to understand why you react as you do to various situations, and then you can begin to change your response patterns and take more control of your life.

Others sense your lack of emotional self-sufficiency and tend to get involved in your personal affairs, even if you try to prevent it. You express your sensitivity through an emotional need to nurture and be nurtured by others. While you would like to have guidance and supervision concerning your goals and objectives, it would be better to achieve your aims independently so that you will not feel obligated to others.

The advantage of this position lies in your ability to sense other people's needs and desires.

In fact, you have a calming effect on people who are under stress, and this makes you ideally suited for working with the public.

Moon Conjunct Ascendant

The Moon conjunct the Ascendant shows that you have some emotional hangups. You want close, intimate contacts with others, but you tend to keep people at arm's length because you are afraid you will become obligated to them.

You are a mass of contradictions - making demands on people but complaining when they do the same to you; expecting others to make overtures to you and withdrawing when they do. Although you are highly imaginative, you react to stimulating people in a generally negative and critical way.

On the surface you are independent, but you yearn for a quieter role in which you can enjoy the comfort of knowing that someone really cares for you. This can only happen when you lower your defensive barriers and learn to compromise by meeting people halfway.

Saturn in the Third House

Saturn, the planet of duty and responsibility, appeared in the third house at the time of your birth. This planet brings an aura of coldness and contriving to all mental functions; the general attitude is reserved, serious, and lacking in dynamism, warmth and flexibility. You are a thinker and a slow, but determined planner.

The struggle to realize your life plans is going to be difficult, and you will receive little assistance from persons close to you.

Another problem that you have is that of worrying needlessly or giving excessive attention to plans which will yield very little in relation to the effort invested.

Saturn here represents duties that you must comply with and which are of an intellectual nature. It also points to tests of character occurring at critical points of human relationship, which can only be successfully "passed" by developing an altruistic and compassionate nature that will make pardon and forgiveness feasible.

Neptune Opposition Ascendant

Neptune opposition the Ascendant shows that you are greatly influenced by the people with whom you associate.

Your opinions of the people you deal with are too idealistic, and you are hurt when they disappoint you.

When you volunteer to help people, you must protect yourself. Offer to help only when you know positively that someone needs your assistance. Being alone makes you feel helpless, so you seek out obligations to others.

Since you are imaginative and creatively inspired in expressing yourself, you should direct your talents to writing, music, or the arts.

You depend on others to provide the opportunities you need to earn a living. Because you feel that you do not deserve to be happy and contented, you overemphasize your negative qualities. But you are more loved than you realize, and your friends are deeply concerned for your welfare. Seek their advice before making a commitment so you will not regret it later.

Venus in the Twelfth House

Venus, the planet of love, was in the twelfth house at the time of birth.

Only those very close to you have a hint of the little known facets of your personality. Regardless of the way you speak and express yourself, when you are alone, relaxed, and free of worry, you can have a sociable and congenial temperament that runs alongside a generous, kind, and attractive character.

This astrological combination may lead you into clandestine love affairs. Unless you use a great amount of tact and diplomacy, these secret affairs may create social complications that force premature termination.

Michelle
I read this fantastic article today on Quinoa in the Baltimore Sun and wanted to share. Those of you unfamiliar with the ancient grain will find this article to be a thorough introduction. I've saved it here in this post because the article is simply too good to possibly lose.

Keen on quinoa )

What Michelle Means - Eerily accurate

  • Jan. 5th, 2008 at 12:24 PM
Michelle
What Michelle Means

You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated.
You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want.
You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way!

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.
You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.
You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily.
You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind.
A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable.

You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out.
Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia.
Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person.

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.
You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.
At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.
You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.
Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

Tags:

Nov. 2nd, 2007

  • 10:46 PM
Michelle

November 2nd, 2007
November 2nd, 2007
Finally, here's a normal picture of me with my new hair color! My colorist calls my hair color dark cocoa, so yummy, she says, that she wanted to nibble on my hair! Hee hee! I'm totally loving it!

Latest Month

July 2008
S M T W T F S
  12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  

Want to see more posts? Fill out...

Syndicate

RSS Atom
Powered by LiveJournal.com
Designed by Ideacodes