26 April 2010

Just Turn Around

current mood: Calm

You taught me things I can't forget
Positions that I don't regret
I can't walk away
And I can't shake the taste
~”Beware! Cougar!” by The Academy Is. . .


I know it has been a while since I have written anything and I suppose it’s because I am so busy with work and studying and life. On the other hand, it may also be the serious backlash toward blogs, in general, which leaves me a little cynical that anyone wants to actually read what I write. I had tried writing in a journal again – but I find that it is a practice I may have forgotten – as writing for no one to read is a little to anti-climactic for me now. Sad, isn’t it?

Facebook is in the news again with its complete disregard for user privacy. Could this be the beginning of the end to social networking? Doubtful. Still, I am not sure that I like the idea that I have no control over the privacy of my information. I don’t care about regular people reading my info – it is the fact that Facebook wants to make money off of my information which annoys me. If they want to make money off my information, then I deserve a portion of it. What’s in it for me? My profile is set to private – but what is to stop some employer or private investigator from paying Facebook for the information which I make private? Good Gourd!

So now, I have to decide whether I want to delete all private information, including my date of birth, mailing address, e-mail address, name, etc from my profile. And if I do delete all that, then what is the point of being on a social networking site? I don’t use Facebook to meet NEW people – so there seems to be little point left of using it at all. I mean, the only news I ever see is about your farm anyway – or what you LIKE this week!

I need to find a way to develop a social networking site that is self-sustainable without having to take advantage of the users. And I assure you that I would come up with a much better name than Facebook. And for those of you who are silently thinking, “Facebook” cannot be toppled. Well, I can guarantee that a young man, named Tom, thought that once about his own Space, and now that place is a wasteland. It’s funny how fickle the people can get!

Today I ordered some books on Amazon as gifts. All of them are based on blogs, viral e-mails, or Twitter subscriptions. Publishers eat this stuff up. And kudos to the peeps who got a deal made before the frenzy dies down. I am neither focused enough nor prolific enough to find someone who wants to pay to publish or read anything that I have written. Maybe I need to find a niche – any ideas? I thought a book of humorous haikus would be great, since I used to send them out on postcards all the time to be silly. I am sure it has already been done by someone out there. My original idea well has evaporated.

I’ll keep thinking. Maybe a combination of haikus, funny photographs, and random curse words? I could title it: ‘The Last Original Thought I Will Ever Have”. Okay, I am taking pre-orders now. If I can get 10k prepaid-orders, I’ll bet I can find a publisher. Ready, Set, GO!

PERSONAL NOTE: You make me all warm.

PUBLIC NOTE:
Selling Second Base Preservation Society t-shirts to support my Susan G. Komen 3 Day team. Only $15.00 each. They come in Gray or White. Buy ten now.

21 April 2010

Halfway There! Thank you!

I have reached a huge milestone in my THIRD Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure™ journey: reaching half of the $2,300 fundraising minimum. We are so close to experiencing the event of a lifetime. And thanks to your help, I am doing it!

Your donations have been invaluable. The dollars raised are making immense developments in the breast cancer movement.

Did you know that virtually every major advance in the fight against breast cancer has been touched by Susan G. Komen for the Cure®? That they've helped train more than 400 breast cancer researchers and funded more than 1,800 research projects over the past 27 years? That because of donors like you, Komen for the Cure has provided more money for breast cancer research and community health programs than any entity besides the U.S. government? Komen for the Cure's goal is to "energize science to find the cures.”

More early detection - nearly 75 percent of women over 40 years old now receive regular mammograms, the single most effective tool for detecting breast cancer early (in 1982, less than 30 percent received a clinical exam).
More hope - the five-year survival rate for breast cancer, when caught early before it spreads beyond the breast, is now 98 percent (compared to 74 percent in 1982).
More research - the federal government now devotes more than $900 million each year to breast cancer research, treatment and prevention (compared to $30 million in 1982).
More survivors - America’s 2.5 million breast cancers survivors, the largest group of cancer survivors in the U.S., are a living testament to the power of society and science to save lives.
Thank you for your help in eradicating breast cancer. I know I can meet my goal of $2,300, so we can reach our ultimate goal of a world without breast cancer.

Please know how very much I appreciate your support. If you know of anyone who would be interested in joining this fight, please send this this e-mail and direct them to my page: www.the3day.org/goto/jtuck2010

Breast Cancer Fact: Breast cancer knows no boundaries—be it age, gender, socio-economic status or geographic location.

~xoxo, jillian

13 April 2010

Jealous Much?

current mood: sheepish

And you can trust me not to think
And not to sleep around
If you don't expect too much from me
You might not be let down
~ “Hey, Jealousy” by Gin Blossoms


Not sure if anyone remembers a few months back when I accidentally texted the wrong number and the wife of the poor guy called me and demanded to know who I was and why I was texting her husband to let him know I arrived back in Nebraska safely. Well, on Easter, I once again texted this person – obviously I hadn’t saved the corrected number for my friend. This time, the guy responded in Spanish. To which I realized it was the wrong number AGAIN, so I did not respond.

This morning, I get a phone call from a PRIVATE NUMBER; quite early actually. I answer, not knowing who it could be. It was a very pissed off Latina women who did not have a good connection, resulting in me not knowing what she was saying. All I could tell is that she was not a happy wifey. After 30 seconds of me asking her to hold on so that I could leave the office. She begins demanding to know who I am. Knowing that the guy’s marriage could be in jeopardy, I did not get evasive or defensive. I told her my name and complete details of the 30 second text exchange on Easter morning. She was looking on the computer; not on her husband’s cell phone so she couldn’t see the actual text messages – just the record of them. She said I want to believe you . . . but this seems suspicious. I asked her if she wanted me to forward her the messages. She did. She gave me her cell phone number and I quickly forwarded all three messages in a manner much faster than I could have typed them myself.

She texted me back this message:

“OK thanks
That’s ok thank you for saying the true”


I apologized again. And I corrected the number, once again, in my Contacts. I pray this does not happen again. I don’t know that she will continue to behave somewhat rationally. I use the term ‘rationally’ loosely. This exchange does make me wonder, though, if she is so untrusting, why is she still married to the guy? How does he put up with it? Or, is she rightfully concerned? Has he had affairs before? I am so curious about this unknown Spanish-speaking couple. What is their story?

I am blessed to be in a relationship where neither of us feels the least bit inclined to read each other’s text messages, e-mails, etc. My philosophy is this: “I don’t look for something I don’t want to find.” I think the world would be a much happier place if more people followed the “Willful Blindness” formula.

On a completely unrelated topic, I want to see the 3D version of “Clash of the Titans”. I remember the original movie from when I was a kid. I loved it. Hopefully this one will not disappoint.

Have a nice day.

PUBLIC NOTE: Order a Second Base Preservation T-Shirt for $15.00. They come in Gray or White.

PERSONAL NOTE: I like you.

Eidetic Vision

Main Entry: ei·det·ic Pronunciation: I-'det-ik Function: adjective : marked by or involving extraordinarily accurate and vivid recall especially of visual images - an eidetic memory Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.