Mariannes Motifs

Roman "Swiss Army Knife" Circa 200 AD

The World's Oldest Swiss Army Knife

This could very well be the world's first Swiss Army Knife. Bearing a striking resemblance to modern multi-tools, it has at least six distinct functions and originates from the Roman Empire circa 200 A.D.

If our multi-tools today, with their screwdrivers, pliers, and the rest, center on fixing things, this Roman predecessor is more useful for enjoying the pleasures of food. The tool includes a spike which historians think was used to snag snails out of their shells. A hook-like spatula is thought to have helped coax sauce out of the bottle.

via gizmodo.com

Seriously, this is one of the coolest gadgets I have seen. It includes a spatula for getting sauce out of the bottle (garum?) and a pick for getting snails out of their shell. It's obviously one f the the worlds first kitchen gadgets!

More Random Rules for Ideas Worth Spreading

1.  Don't wait for the perfect opportunity, for the stars to align, for the right backer.  Just start.

2.  Point yourself in a direction and take small steps.  I promise you will get somewhere.

3.  Communicate.  Write, twitter, blog, draw it on a napkin.  Unlock your creativity.

4.  Not everyone is going to be the next Internet Millionaire.  And that's OK.  Don't let that scare you from making your own mark on the world.  Small successes mean a lot too. You don't have to invent the next Slingbox to count yourself as a valued member of society.

5.  Don't listen to people that want to put you down to build themselves up.  They are everywhere and they are an insidious influence.

6.  Don't be afraid to fail.  If something's not working out, don't be afraid to scrap the idea if it no longer has value to you.  Try something else.

7.  If something's not making you money but you enjoy it, do it anyway.  Why not.  It's called a hobby.  Everyone needs one.  Or two.

8.  Change with the seasons.   People's buying habits (and surfing habits) change with the season so work with that.  Think about the calendar and what holidays and events are coming up two months from now - start marketing ahead for those.  When the rush comes you will be ready.

For Seth Godin's original list -

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/01/random-rules-for-ideas-worth-spreading.html.

Some Days You're the Windshield

... and some days you are the bug.  Today was a bug day for me.  I did finish a sort of big task at work, so that was good.  But in general... blech.  This is one of those weeks where I just have to hang in there til Friday and then I can get some rest.

I got my hair done - now I have chunky blond-ish highlights.  Yeah, I am not so crazy about those either.  After a couple of days trying to get used to it I think I am going to ask my hairdresser to tone them down a bit. 

Here's a tip for you - if you are thinking of buying an expensive colon cleanser - save your money and buy a bottle of prune juice or a bag of nice soft dried plums.  Those will do the trick, not bad for you, and a lot cheaper.  To tell you the truth, the colon is a self cleansing organ.  All those horror stories the alternative clinics tell you is not really true.  Take it from anyone who has had to do a medical cleanse  - there's nothing magical about it. 

What I've Read on the Kindle

Someone asked in a ravelry kindle readers forum what people are reading on their Kindle's right now.  Someone mentioned they were taking part in a 100 books challenge to read 100 books this year.  That's n0 challenge for me.  I finish a book every few days.

Here's what  I wrote:

I am reading Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair at Styles, a project Gutenberg book. I just finished Faking It, which is .99 cents at Amazon. It was cute, but it had about 7 typos in it, which kind of bugged me.

Recently I have read Mary Balogh’s A Matter of Class, (great book - bad Kindle formatting) and Jayne Ann Krentz’s Fired Up. Jayne Ann Krentz is my favorite author and it was so cool when I preorderd the book and it just popped up on the Kindle one morning.

Also kitty  and the Dead Man’s Hand and kitty raises Hell by Carrie Vaughn (Kitty Norville Werewolf series) and Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire series numbers 6 and 7. Oh yeah and the Queen of the Orcs trilogy by Morgan Howell.

I got the Kindle a couple of days before Christmas and I have read all those and a few more. 100 books plus in year is normal for me - no challenge needed.

I think it's a cool idea to keep a list of what you are reading in the year.  Maybe I will make a page for that.   I've never really kept track of all the books I've read through the years.  A lot, I can tell you that.

It would be cool to keep a list with links to all the books, free or for purchase.  It might be a good referral page for Amazon affiliate sales - as good as any of the best paid web directories.  They don't give any referral credit for Kindle books, however they do for the paper versions, the Kindle itself, and any other items purchased.   What do I do with affiliate payments from Amazon?  I get paid in Amazon gift cards which I apply to my account so when I use the one click to purchase books on the Kindle the money goes off of the gift card balance first.  Nice!

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via slickdeals.net

Another nice freebie I read about on SlickDeals.net.

Haiti contributions deductible for 2009 tax filings

The Senate unanimously passed legislation Thursday that will allow taxpayers to deduct cash donations to Haiti earthquake relief on their 2009 tax returns instead of having to wait to file the claims next year.

via money.cnn.com

Wow this is great news. Save your receipts and use your Haiti donations as a tax deduction on 2009 taxes instead of having to wait til next year's filings.

Every once in a while the American public and legislators call all agree on something and it really warms my heart.

So remember to print out your receipts for any online donations and put it with your tax forms which should be coming in the mail in the next few days.  If you haven't donated yet I recommend the Red Cross, Doctor's without Borders, and the World Food Programme.

I am not just looking for free seo tools, I like to use the blog as a way to let people know important information.  That's the main purpose.

Space Camp!

This weekend's fun was a drive to Huntsville Alabama's Space and Rocket Center - home of Space Camp.  We went with big kid's cub scout den.  It was a lot of fun!  The bad part was waking up at 4:00 AM to start the drive from Alabama to Huntsville. 

The Space and Rocket Center Museum is really top notch.  It's not as big as Cape Canaveral, but it has three large areas, plus the Space Camp part itself.  The bigger cub scouts were doing an overnight Space Camp, we just did the museum in a self guided tour (although there were a lot of great staff at various exhibits to tell us information.

I learned (through the wonders of Wikipedia!) that 1 on 13 people in Huntsville are employed in the Engineering sector.  It's actually a pretty nice little city.  We stayed at the Westin, with was superb.  And we could really use the fancy hotel after a long day.

One of the coolest parts of the trip was the IMAX movie, Magnificent Desolation, which was all about all of the moon walks in the various Apollo missions.  It gave you an interesting impression of what it would be like to be on the moon, with the immersive IMAX dome experience.   Big kid actually absorbed information from the day - later that afternoon I caught him playing "moon walk" with the model moon rover,  astronauts, and LEM the kids picked for their souvenirs at the gift shop.

Another highpoint was Ben climbing the rock wall.  We were lucky enough to walk up there when there weren't any other kids in line and he got to climb about 10 times.  He did so great - almost all the way up to the top!.   I will post pictures after I get more time. 

If you are looking for a Toronto hotels or anywhere else they have a Westin - I can recommend them.  We got a deal because one of the cub scout parents worked for another Starwood hotel so we were very lucky to stay at such a nice place at a discount.  Nice.

First Chapter Books (With Lots of Pictures and Engaging Stories)

I find myself in the position of compiling a list of early chapter books, especially onces suited for boys.  My little Mr. 6 year old is enjoying Dav Pilkey's Ricky Ricotta books so much that I have to plan for the next foray into kid reading.

My requirements:  I am looking for books with lots of pictures, even comic book style.  They also have to have a funny engaging plot.  Underwear humor, beating up bad guys, and 1st grade humor are all important extras that can not be over emphasized.

By the way - sitting down and reading with your kids should be listed as an anti aging product.  Laughing at the silly stories with the boys really makes me feel younger.  Love and laughter together - the best.

Henrietta, There's No One Better by Martine Murray:

Dear Max by Sally Grindley

The Dumb Bunnies by Dav Pilkey

Geronimo Stilton Series by the mouse Geronimo Stilton

Musing about a Master's Degree

The hubster has been going to college for what seems like eons now.  He is close to graduating, and man what a party that will be!  When he got laid off in the summer I took it as a perfect opportunity to finish school while he looks for a job.  When he graduates with a bachelors degree in computer networking, I think that will put him in a much stronger position to compete for better jobs.

After he finishes school, would I want to go back to school?  There are so many great online programs available now that it is a seriously tempting question.  My company does have an employee education program available that I will check out if I get more serious.  Of course right now I am quite busy enough working, taking care of the kids, and doing all the life stuff that always seems to need to be done.

Then there is the question of what I would like to study.  There are some great programs out there, from the organizational leadership masters at Lewis University, to an MBA in IT Management (maybe at Western Governors University).

Or maybe I would go for something completely different like Sociology from the local Georgia State University...  There are a lot of good choices out there.

The Original LOL Cat Found in Egypt

A 2,000-year-old temple in Alexandria has been found - and it contains this wonderful cat statue purported to represent the Cat Goddess Bastet.   I think this baby is the original LOL Cat.

I demands worship.  And a Cheezburger!

via www.sphere.com