Believe it or not…

I don't watch TV.

Zero. Zip. Zilch.

The last TV series I watched regularly were E.R., Friends and X-Files. If I do get to watch new series, it's because my brother-in-law would lend me DVDs—none of which I asked for and which I'd finish in a week so I got my life back immediately (though I did enjoy them: 24, Heroes, Dr. Who, Rome).

We don't have cable TV either. When it first became available here, it was just too expensive and we weren't willing to shell out that much for it. It's gotten much cheaper now, of course, but we still haven't subscribed. We're probably the last hold-outs. My husband feels the lack during baseball season, but contents himself with various websites and blogs. I know I'll enjoy Discovery Channel, National Geographic and the DIY and cooking shows, but there are always books and the world wide web.

Not getting cable was (and continues to be) a conscious decision. We both acknowledge that we have addictive personalities and if we have cable, we know that we will easily get glued to the boob tube again. Gone will be the reading, writing, performances and crafts. Things which we both feel make our life tremendously richer. So, no cable TV.

I hope we can continue to resist the temptation.


The illustration above is from Trash Your TV! When you're ready to do so, this is the place to go.

Google Image Search

http://images.google.com/

Here's another very useful, specialized search tool from Google—this time for images. It's been there forever, and most of you probably know about it already, so this post is for those who have not heard of it or used it yet. I don't think I need to explain what it's for.

Google Blog Search

http://blogsearch.google.com/

I discovered this search engine only last week, and it seems that I've had my head in the sand because a girl friend told me that it has been around for about a year already.

Aside from just searching blogs, what makes it different from the regular Google search—and what makes it wonderfully useful to me—is its sort by date function. You can even choose to display posts published only during the last hour, 12 hours, last day, past week, past month, or any range of your choosing. Or even a particular date, if you remember that but not the title or url of the post.

So what's it for?

I don't know about other people, but for me, this is particularly useful for reviews—of shows, movies and performances that I'm thinking of watching, or of books that I'm thinking of reading or buying. Sure, there are experts out there, but I'd also like to know what the blogger-on-the-street thinks. Google Blog Search will also help when I'm looking for the results of a particular game—games too obscure to be televised or written about in the national dailies.

Of course, you can also use it to find out if anyone's been writing about you.

P.S.
I took this screen shot soon after I posted the "Cat's Meow" video. So, of course, it was right on top when I blog-searched for the Philippine Madrigal Singers.

When you care enough to send the very best

I grew up with that tag line, and I think it really must have brainwashed me because now, Hallmark e-cards are the only ones I send to family and friends abroad. They have e-cards for every occasion, every milestone, and "just because." There are traditional and classic designs, cartoons, graphic illustrations, beautiful photos—and many of them are interactive.

I have a strange feeling, though, that I enjoy choosing the e-cards more than the recipients enjoy viewing them.

December 10, 2007

Today is Human Rights Day.

And Human Rights Day 2007 starts a year-long commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.




Yeah, right.

Visit Human Rights Web for comprehensive lists of human rights resources on the web.

My favorite home website

I just want to share with you my favorite website for everything about the home: Better Homes and Gardens. Anything about decorating, remodeling, food & recipes, gardening, holidays, health, family & crafts. Slide shows, blogs, articles from both experts and "just" writers, how-to's. In a lot of ways, the website's so much better than the printed magazines because it's searchable, it's more media-rich (the photographs alone will make you drool, and I'm not just talking about the food pictures), and there are tools that they can offer only on the web, like their "Color" applications—you can try out color combinations for rooms and house exteriors on the site before you actually go out and buy the paint. Plus, they have tons of email newsletters available, not just from BH&G, but other magazines from the Meredith Corporation, so there are some about parenting, travel, health & beauty, even agriculture. Right now, I'm subscribed to six (I don't get to read all every week, though). I can just get lost for hours in their site—planning, dreaming.

Enjoy!