Bookworm's Musings

Please accept this free gift of bad luck.

If only I could give it back.

First, my desktop abruptly stops working. It could be the power supply or the motherboard. Lovely. I’ll fix it, of course, but I barely have the money right now. Thankfully, I still have my laptop, which is working fine so far.

Next, I desperately need new glasses. When I can’t read the road signs until I’m almost past them, I know it’s time. I’ll buy the actual glasses online, but the exam for the prescription will probably end up costing me more than the glasses themselves. Sigh.

Finally, the real kicker: I’m visiting my brother in Spokane for a few days during Winter break. He recently moved into a nice new apartment complex within walking distance from his school. Too bad about the annoying roommates, but the apartment itself is very nice.

This afternoon, we headed out to do some shopping. As we approached the car, I noticed that the trunk was partially open and the rubber tie-down that normally holds it shut was lying on the ground. Well, I suppose an unlocked trunk was bound to attract rummagers eventually… at least my winter boots were still there.

And then I saw the front driver’s side door.

Yes, you guessed it. The window had been thoroughly broken. Glass everywhere, the glove box had been opened and the contents had been thrown around the car. So what did they take? A $15 GPS charging cord/stand. That’s it. They left the cup full of loose change. They left the blanket and other personal goods. They left the radio. They didn’t hotwire the car. They didn’t go joyriding.

Over $250 worth of damage just to steal a $15 power cord. That’s it!

I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry. Maybe both.

Perhaps they thought the stand and charger meant that the unit itself was in the glove box (as if!).  The $40 unit. Ooooh, big payoff, there. Totally worth jail time. Did your mother repeatedly drop you on your head as a child?

The truth of the matter is, they didn't even have to break the window in the first place: they could have gone in through the trunk since the latch is broken and it only takes a good kick to fold down the back seat. But no, they had to break a $250 window instead. Assholes.

And, of course, we have only basic insurance: it doesn’t cover things like this.

Do you think that if I had left the door unlocked they would have broken the window anyway? With my luck, the answer is probably “yes.”

I don't really understand why they even picked my car: I use a tie-down to keep the trunk closed (latch has been broken for years) and there's nothing of value inside to tempt anyone. Why not pick one of the 50 or so nicer looking vehicles in the lot?

Apparently, there's been a rash of these incidents in this apartment complex, and some of the residents think it's just kids vandalizing for kicks.

Well, kids, what's kicks for you is a serious hardship for me. Money is tight. Car windows are expensive. You owe me $250+, and if I knew who you were, I would squeeze you and your parents for every last fucking penny and then some.

At least you didn't slash my tires. Considering how much they cost, that's something, I suppose. Don’t get any ideas, now.

Guess how much it costs to replace a car window? About $250 with taxes and service fees.

:O

The mind boggles.

My dad made a good suggestion, though. Why not simply replace the entire door? So I called a local junkyard (Salvage Yard Guru) and he said he could get me a door with window intact for around $50. For a reasonable fee, he’ll even swap the doors for me and keep the old door. So, for around $100, my problem is solved. I don’t care if the color doesn’t match or if I’ll have to unlock the car from the passenger side from now on. To save $150, it’s worth it. After all, that’s my grocery money we’re talking about. A girl’s got to eat.

Seriously, Universe. What the fuck did I ever do to you?

I have been wanting a decent cutting table for some time. The table I had been using was a flimsy 4 foot cardboard and aluminum foldaway table and it was too narrow, too short, too low, and altogether more trouble than it was worth. But custom cutting tables like this one cost $150+ ! Ouch! Way over budget for me. So I improvised.

Materials:

• This 5’ long center-fold table from Wal-Mart – Cost: $35.98 + $6.97 S&H = $42.95
• 52” of 1.25” Diameter Thick Wall PVC Pipe, cut into 4 13” lengths – Cost: $2.93
• 4 1.25” PVC Slip Caps – Cost: $3.16

Total Project Cost: $49.04 + Taxes

Process:

This is the widest table of its kind that I could find; at 29.6” wide, it has plenty of room for laying out fabric and pinning patterns. The table started out with a height of 29”, perfect for sitting at. But I wanted my table to be 37” tall, perfect for standing at. So I needed to add 8” of height.

From the bottom of the table leg until the leg starts to curve inward is about 5”; 8 + 5 = 13, so my leg extenders needed to be 13” long. Woods Ace Hardware was happy to cut the pipe for me, so all I had to do was put a slip cap on one end of each 13” pipe.

Once the slip caps were on the pipes, I lifted the table legs and slid them into the open ends of the pipes. And now the table was 37” tall, perfect for pinning and cutting fabric.

So far, this has been a very sturdy arrangement: the table does not wobble, the pipe extenders do not bend, and the slip caps slide smoothly over the carpet with a firm push. When I’m not using the table, it’s a simple matter to remove the extenders and fold it up to be stored in the closet or under my bed. Additionally, while the table is heavy, it’s still light and compact enough that moving it around the house and up and down the stairs is easy. Perfect. And for 1/3 or less of the cost of a custom cutting table!

And here is the finished table (I placed the chair underneath it to show the scale):

SUPPLIES:

AFTER REMODEL

In the past, I’ve mentioned the difficulty of writing serious Harry Potter fiction, because if you do enough thinking about the implications of magic, you just end up tying yourself into a big logic knot.

Writing Smallville is different.

First of all, forget about logic and embrace the insanity. It’s the only way it’s going to work at all. Trust me.

Having forsaken logic, the real problem with writing Smallville fanfiction is that the main protagonist, Clark, is too powerful. He’s a canon Mary Sue without the perfect emotional health. Unlike, oh, Buffy, for example, Clark’s main problems revolve around the fact that he’s a self-centered, overly emoting, highly susceptible, utterly illogical TEENAGER. Actually, this is a rather natural state for teenagers, and I don’t really hold it against him. Setting aside the superpowers, I was pretty much the same as a teenager, if slightly more capable of using logic in my everyday life. Yes, sometimes his enemies appear to have an advantage over him, but it’s all an illusion, and what’s more, we know it. No cunning villain, no clever plan, no seemingly unbeatable apocalypse. No, most of Clark’s problems could be solved if he just took a chill pill and consulted a five-year-old child (the evil overlord’s list isn’t just for evil overlords). Communication. If he and his family and friends just sat down and actually talked to each other, 99% of his problems would disappear.  Also, dumping his Spaceship into a live volcano during the pilot episode wouldn’t hurt. Don’t even get me started on the Jor-El AI. Really. Can you say Deux Machina?

My real point here is that most of Clark’s problems are obviously and poorly contrived by the writers. Add in his Mary Sue status and it makes him almost impossible to write in any meaningful way. Arrrggggh.

Well, here’s a mega-post of all the doll clothes I’ve made recently:

I got a lovely Alexander Girlz (Madame Alexander) doll for myself for Christmas. She was a great buy at the Spokane Discount Store. Since I also got some other dolls as gifts, I swapped the outfits around, leaving my doll (I named her Jade Morningstar) with the ugliest outfit. In the picture to the right, she’s wearing the most hideous dress I have ever seen. I have no idea what the designers were thinking when they designed this outfit! And the dress is even more ugly in person! At least the boots are cute…

I just couldn’t stand it anymore, so I made her a new outfit. I kept the purple tights and turtleneck, but added a skirt, necklace, and headband, as you can see in the picture on the left.

I made the skirt from Joan Hind’s Sew the Contemporary Wardrobe for 18” Dolls Pattern book, using the A-Line skirt pattern. It was easy and turned out quite well. And it taught me a new, nicer way to put in a waistband – I’m going to try it on the next full-size skirt I make.

I think Jade looks awesome in her new outfit, but you be the judge… 

Right now, I’m working on research and plotting for several Harry Potter stories: the continuation of By The Sword (HP/Highlander xover); A Harry Potter/Valdemar (Mercedes Lackey) sort-of crossover about who Harry would be if his main source of social and moral guidance were the Valdemar Series; A story exploring the implications of Wizarding Society being an armed society; and several other shorter pieces.

On the surface, Harry Potter appears to be a very easy fandom to write in: magic, after all, is the perfect excuse for just about anything, and can fix almost any plot hole.

Until you start thinking…

Back in pre-history times, when Humans were wandering bands of hunter-gatherers, some lucky people discovered that they could do a lot of really neat things! They could create fire without any tools; they could sneak up on game effortlessly (silencing and chameleon charms, anyone?), even hold the game in place or lure it right onto the hunter’s spear or over a handy cliff; they could find things and people; they could heal serious injuries; they could call rain; sometimes, they could see the future or predict the weather; the list goes on and on…

Now, those first magical people didn’t have wands or established rituals or spells or potions or any of the tools they would later invent to make their work easier. For them, it was all wandless, all the way. It was hard work, and took lots of practice and training. But it was worth it.

The people around them could see just how useful these abilities were, and showed their appreciation in culturally appropriate ways. In some places, the magical folk were worshiped as deities or at  least as the servants/avatars of deities. In other places, they were simply valued members of the tribe. Certainly, people were wary of their wrath. But they weren’t terrified of them – after all, they could see that this was a skill like any other and took lots of effort and practice. Do you fear the bow-maker because he makes the finest bows? Of course not.

Life was good. Magical people were highly valued and sought after. Life wasn’t good for everyone, of course, but in general, magical folk had a good thing going.

When those hunter-gatherers became farmers, magical folk adapted to the new needs of their people and developed new skills. Life was still good.

Once agriculture was well-established, people had enough time and resources to make war on each other, which they did vigorously. Magical folk developed new skills that would be useful on the battlefield. Life continued to be good.

Civilizations rose and fell, magical folk adapted and made themselves useful, as always. They created magical methods of speedy travel, invented useful potions, etc.… Life continued to be good.

All of a sudden, people all across the globe decided that magical folk were more trouble than they were worth and began to hunt them down and kill them.

Wait. Stop. Say that again.

Here, try it this way: All of a sudden, people all across the globe decided that skilled weavers/hunters/farmers/bow-makers were more trouble than they were worth and began to hunt them down and kill them.

Or maybe this: Man discovered fire; man decided that fire was more trouble than it was worth, despite all it’s many benefits; man hunted down and slaughtered everyone who knew how to make fire.

Because that makes so much sense.

Of course, there’s the second theory: Magical folk decided that they were tired of solving the problems of non-magical people - a task for which they were richly rewarded with wealth and status, by the way – and decided to convince people that they didn’t exist any more. That way, those pesky non-magical people would stop showering them with wealth, worship, and prestige.

Yes, of course, that makes a lot of sense.

What am I saying?! It makes no sense at all!

And there you have it: the reason why Harry Potter is actually a very difficult fandom to write in. If magic is a gift/talent that has been with us from the very beginning, there is no way that a hidden society such as Harry Potter’s would exist. From a magical point of view, it would be like deciding to throw away all your wealth and status to become a homeless beggar. From a non-magical point of view, it would be like deciding to starve when sufficient food is freely available. Certainly, some individuals do make such choices, but societies as a whole generally do not.

Not to mention that the very presence of magical people would have great effects on our culture and history, especially in areas of communication and transportation.

And just to make it even more fun, there’s the difficulty of applying the government, morals, and customs of an unarmed society (Modern Western World – when’s the last time you wore a gun to the grocery store?) to an armed society. An armed society has different problems to solve and needs to fill – and their government, customs, and morals would reflect that.

How do you explain the inexplicable? Justify the unjustifiable?

Today, while shopping at Wal-Mart, I had a strange encounter in the checkout line. My cashier was an older lady whose farewell phrase of choice was “Bless your heart.”

Now, given the fact that she said this in farewell to every customer, even the very patient and polite ones and due to her tone of voice and general body language – I am giving her the benefit of the doubt. It is clear that she was trying to express good wishes.

Unfortunately, by the time it was my turn to checkout, my teeth were grinding in irritation and it was all I could do to smile and nod politely.

Why?

I’m sure all of us have heard it at one time or another:

“Bless her heart, she means well…”

“Did you see what ____ was wearing? Bless her heart, that color looks terrible on her!”

“Bless her heart. She tries so hard, but everything she cooks tastes like shit. I just pretend to eat it so she won’t be offended.”

“Well, bless your heart! It’s…well, it’s clear that you put a lot of work into this.” (Ugly thing, how soon can I ‘lose’ it?)

Yes, we’ve all heard it. Even if we don’t understand exactly what the problem is, we know that the speaker is laughing at us in private or disagreeing with us without explaining why. It’s condescending. It’s patronizing. It is in no way an expression of good wishes or true gratitude, no matter what the individual words may mean.

The Urban Dictionary offers several meanings for this phrase, and none of them are positive expressions of goodwill:

1. [A] phrase used by Southern women to excuse themselves for speaking ill of someone else.
2. [A]n expression of sympathy or pity.
3. [A] polite way to respond to an ignoramus, particularly male, who showers upon you flattering but unwanted compliments.
4. [A] term used…to express to someone that they are an idiot without saying such harsh words.
5. A polite way to say "go to hell".
6. A verbal form of making a rude hand gesture toward someone. (<-- My paraphrasing.)
7. A term used prior to ridiculing, insulting the sensibilities of, or pointing out the shortcomings of someone.

All of this explains why I was so annoyed after hearing that phrase five or six times, despite my realization that she did not mean to be offensive. Sometimes, good intentions alone just aren’t enough.

In summary, “Bless your heart” =/= appropriate way to wish someone a pleasant farewell.

Wal-Mart Lady, if you’re reading this, bless your heart. I know you mean well, but please find another, more pleasant, farewell phrase. My teeth will thank you and your customers may actually respond nicely to your conversational overtures instead of glaring at you in silence. 

Thanks,

Me

So, I was watching clips of old Daily Show episodes. I’ve never really understood the Fake News / TV Personalities fandom before, but…OMG!

Brian Williams and Jon Stewart are so adorable together. So adorable! It’s like this epic love story between them, honestly. They have this beautiful chemistry onscreen and they seem to really like each other, even when they’re scoring points.

They poke fun at each other, but when it really matters they are there for each other. Especially Jon being there for Brian. This was really evident during the Katrina interviews – normally, Jon is very witty and cutting, making jokes about pretty much every word out of Brian’s mouth. But during the Katrina interviews, when Brian is clearly still very affected by his own experience in New Orleans, Jon is very gentle with him. There’s this sense that Jon is giving Brian the chance to say what he really thinks, to say things he couldn’t otherwise. For a little while, Jon acts like a ‘real’ reporter – something he usually avoids. It’s very sweet. He does it in several other interviews as well, although not usually for the entire segment. 

And Brian keeps coming back. When he has something to say or a point to make and he can’t do it on the nightly news, he turns to The Daily Show. The level of trust between them seems quite high – Jon mocks him, but he could tear him to shreds and he doesn’t.

And of course, there is the flirting! Lots of flirting, both the intentional stuff and the more subtle things. As time progresses, they get more comfortable with the whole idea of flirting on TV and their jokes get more explicit. But the body language and level of comfort with each other is what really makes you think that the sexual jokes have a thread of truth in them.

Their love is epic and adorable!

Ummm, I may have acquired an RPF pairing?

Brian Williams/Jon Stewart forever!

So, I was thinking…

What would it be like if I woke up tomorrow in my 14 year old body, in 1996, with all the knowledge I have today?

At first, I thought it would be kind of cool. I mean, it’s not like my childhood was bad or anything, but there are some things I wouldn’t mind the chance to do over.

For one thing, I acquired my embarrassment & humiliation squick the hard way. I wouldn’t mind avoiding that. And there are plenty of other decisions that I wouldn’t mind the chance to change.

And then I thought about it some more.

• No computers (well, not something I would consider a computer when compared to my current setup.)
• No Internet! <--- This is a big one. No Google, no online communities, no online shopping, no email, no chat…
• No Cell phones
• Most of my favorite movies, TV Shows, and Books wouldn’t have been released yet. Plus, I’d have 14 years worth of spoilers in my head.
• All of my writing and other creative projects would be lost, and I would be unlikely to recreate them.
• No Fandom! (Or, at least, it wouldn’t be easily accessible to me).
• I wouldn’t be able to drive
• I wouldn’t have any money of my own
• 6 people + 3 bedroom house = no privacy
• No independence - I would be treated like a child
• In order to retain the parts of my teenage years that I really enjoyed, like Bible Quizzing, I would have to lie about myself – a lot. Strangely, I don’t think my liberal, atheist, bisexual, opinionated current self would be welcome on the team. Something about living a ‘Godly Life’, whatever that means.
• I would have to constantly monitor my social behavior – there are some things that children simply cannot say to adults without giving offense. Realistically, I would probably end up in some sort of conflict with every adult figure in my life at that time.
• My foreknowledge of the people around me would tie me in moral knots. It’s not like I’d be changing the world or anything, but still… What should I change, how should I change it, do I have the right to change it, could I change it?
• I would have to figure out the exact details of that time in my life without people thinking I’m crazy. I mean, I remember the best and worst parts, but I don’t remember every little detail. And it’s not like I can just say “Hey Mom, has milestone happened yet?”
• I could destroy my relationships with my parents without actually meaning too. I mean, what if your previously dutiful 14 year old daughter woke up one day and started acting like she was 28? Time Travel would not be the first thing you thought of.

On the other hand, there are a few positives:

• I would enroll in public High School immediately. Not because I think it would significantly improve my education, but because it would give me greater access to scholarships and grants for College, as well as other opportunities later on. Of course, first I have to re-live High School. Ugggh.
• I would visit the Dentist immediately, begin a regime of maintenance,  and save myself $20,000+ worth of future costs.
• I would make more of an effort to reach out socially. I would strengthen pre-existing friendships and make new ones as well.
• I would pay more attention to other people.
• I would participate more fully in life at every level.
• I would seriously kick ass at Bible Quizzing.
• I would go to college immediately after High School. And yes, I would Major in Computer Science. I might even Double Major: Computer Science and Accounting.
• I would write. A lot.
• I would not remain silent out of fear or social awkwardness.
• I would not do (the same) stupid stuff.
• I would relax and not sweat the small stuff. Perfection isn’t always desirable. Cost-Benefit analysis is a great stress reducer when applied to life.
• I would not live my life in fear.

Even so, I’m not sure the positives out weigh the negatives. I’m pretty sure I could adapt, but I would definitely miss the future. No internet! No computers! Research means hours of looking through physical books in the Library, not a few minutes on Google. Would it be worth it? I don’t know. I’d get the chance to relive my teenage years with a bit more wisdom and self-knowledge, but I would also be deleting everything I’ve accomplished since then.

Time Travel is a popular trope in Harry Potter fanfiction, but when you consider applying the idea to your own life in the real world, the issues become more apparent. Everyone probably has something they would like to redo, but would it be worth it?

Now that I’ve finally got that of my chest, maybe I can finally go to sleep. We’ll see.

Hey everyone, I updated my Post Apocalyptic Slash list. See the new entries here.

Delgo (2009).

This movie is actually pretty good. Admittedly, the storyline is predictable, but the animation is simply beautiful. As a piece of art, this movie is excellent. The colors are vivid and the world is detailed and beautifully imagined.

Even with the predictable storyline, I enjoyed watching this very much. The characters were sympathetic and amusing without going overboard, and the hints of stories untold were just as intriguing.

And, of course, there is a lot of fanfiction potential. I really have the urge to write some Bogardus/Delgo slash. Or maybe a Bogardus/Kyla/Delgo threesome. It would take some character development, since Delgo and Kyla are just teenagers right now, but it could happen. If you fix a certain canon issue which I can’t tell you about because it’s a spoiler. But fixing that problem actually wouldn’t be too difficult – I have a couple of good ideas in mind.

Actually, anything to do with Bogardus would be interesting to write. Sadly, no one else seems to share my enthusiasm – I can’t find any Delgo fanfiction at all, never mind slash fanfiction.

Perhaps because of its various (minor) faults, this movie is perfect for fanfiction! Think Harry Potter perfect, only more interesting. Wings, people, Wings! Seriously. Give it a chance. Come on, watch the movie and then write some fic for it. You know you want to.

Here’s a question: if the Star Wars original trilogy (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi) were to be re-filmed today, who would you cast as the main characters?

Could anyone but a young Harrison Ford truly be Han Solo? If so, who?

And what about Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa? Who should play them?

I assume that the storyline would be tightened up to more closely match the background established in the Prequel Trilogy. And to eliminate the implied incestuous relationship between Luke and Leia (although I believe this implied relationship actually represents the reality of the situation. We don’t come with inbuilt blood-relationship detectors. However, I suspect that a modern audience would not be amused, since, unlike the original audience, they would know that Luke and Leia are twins). And of course, even more awesome special effects.

Mind you, I have no reason to believe that this will ever actually happen. Or that we’ll ever get the Sequel Trilogy either. But if it did happen, I’d give it a chance. It would all hinge on Han Solo for me – who plays him and how well they do it.

It’s something to ponder, at least.

So, now that I’ve finally finished the homework I put off to go watch Robin Hood, I thought it might be time to actually review the movie.

It’s difficult to review a movie without actually spoiling people. But I’ll try…

Robin Hood ROCKS! Seriously, it is perhaps one of the most awesome historical movies I have ever seen. Ever. I’m going to see it again tomorrow night with my mother, then I’ll probably go see it again on Sunday night, and yet again two weeks from now with my brother. And when the DVD comes out, this movie will become a permanent part of my DVD library, where I’ll probably watch it again and again. It’s that good.

While it might not actually be historically accurate, it certainly feels historically accurate. The writers have captured the essence of the times: the clothes, the behaviors, the beliefs. Even the food. It all rings very true.

Russell Crowe as Robin Hood is a joy to behold. And Cate Blanchett plays Marian in a way that you’ve never seen before, but which rings absolutely true.

This is not a movie about Kings, Princes, and Knights. Oh, there are Kings and Princes and Knights in it, but this is not their story. This is a movie about common people, like you and I might have been if we had had the misfortune to be born in the 1200s instead of now.

The movie doesn’t just capture the essence of the times, it captures the essence of legend. This is what Robin Hood must have meant to the people who first told the story.

Honestly, I wish the movie had been twice as long: there was so much about the characters that I’m sure was left out because of time constraints.

Now, if only there will be a sequel…

I was thinking about stuff and something rather random popped into my head: contextual English. See, like pretty much any language, English can be quite confusing if you don’t have some culture-specific insider’s knowledge. And since English is spoken in many different cultures, it only makes it even more confusing since it’s not a one-size-fits-all thing.

Take, for example, the phrase I beg your pardon? Without the proper cultural context, you would most likely assume that this phrase was used to beg pardon for offending someone.

Wrong!

In fact, the meaning behind the phrase I beg your pardon?  is almost the exact opposite of what is seems on the surface. Specifically, I beg your pardon? is used to indicate that you have been offended.

It works like this:

Other Person says something offensive or asks a question that is overly familiar.

You reply decisively in a frosty and clipped tone, “I beg your pardon?!” Put extra emphasis on the word beg, and make it more of a statement then a question. This lets the other person know that you are offended without the need to directly confront them.

If all goes well, the other person quickly retracts or restates the offensive statement/question in a less offensive manner.

The whole exchange is rather passive-aggressive, since no direct accusation needs to be made or answered. Everyone can pretend that the offensive thing was never said.

So what you’re really saying when you say “I beg your pardon?” is “You did NOT just say that, did you?!”

What brought on this random thought? The unfortunate tendency of certain bank tellers on campus to ask deeply personal questions about my financial habits in an especially loud and piercing tone of voice.  Broadcast my financial situation to the whole campus while you’re at it, why don’t you? It’s none of your business and it’s most certainly not the business of the entire student body!

I beg your pardon?! really comes in handy in these types of situations…

Of course, things really get interesting when you realize that when said in a slightly different tone of voice, I beg your pardon? simply means I didn’t catch that, please repeat yourself. In fact, people often abbreviate this into simply, Beg pardon?

Context is everything.

As I wrote yesterday, I was having trouble finding a satisfactory way of displaying my plain text lists on my Windows 7 desktop.

Well, I’ve solved the problem. Sort of. It’s not terribly pretty or elegant, but it works.

The upshot of all this is that I don’t have to change my current todo system. Yay!

So, I’ve installed Widows 7 on my Laptop, and so far, I’m really liking it. Things like battery notifications and the desktop peek feature are pretty awesome.

But, like all upgrades, there are workflow changes to be made. The big change for me, and one that’s causing me no end of frustration, is my Todo list management system.

On Vista, I used text files, Samaurize, Autohotkey, and SyncToy 2.0 for this. Text files & Autohotkey to enter and edit the data, Samaurize to display the lists on my desktop (as in the screenshot on the right), and SyncToy to sync the lists between my computers. This worked quite well, and I’ve definitely gotten used to it. Recently, I started using Dropbox to keep my lists in Sync, which works pretty well.

The problem is that Samaurize and Windows 7 do not play well together. At all. Samaurize has to run on compatibility mode and is not compatible with Windows 7’s Desktop Peek feature. What’s the point of having the lists on the desktop if you can’t see them without manually minimizing all windows? There is no point.

Apparently, the only things that remain visible when you’re “peeking” is the wallpaper and gadgets. For the most part, that’s just fine: I can replace most of the features in my old Samaurize config with gadgets. Nice gadgets. Pretty gadgets.

Except the ability to display the contents of user defined text files directly on the desktop, with transparency and immediate updating. I’ve looked through the entire gallery and I can’t find a single gadget that will let me do that. Not one! Oh, there are plenty of todolist gadgets, but they’re all designed for people who only keep the lists on a single computer. Also, they don’t support multiple lists.

This is really frustrating. Anyone have any good suggestions? A todo list management system that integrates with Windows Gadgets in a way that would allow me to use my already established lists, or at least easily sync between computers? A gadget that will display user defined text files? 

There are plenty of online task-management solutions out there, and I’ve tried many of them. But none are right for my needs, because they require an internet connection. Now, I’m usually online, but Murhpy’s Law dictates that when I need my lists the most, I won’t be anywhere near an internet connection. So no online managers unless they maintain a local copy. I’ve spent nearly two days looking for a solution, and still haven’t found a good one. So, I’m hoping that someone else will have some better ideas.

Also, this is my first post using Microsoft’s Live Writer. Pretty good so far, but let’s see how it holds up.

testing Live Writer!

Please let me know if it looks awful, or if the styling is screwed up.