New York Traveler

I've Been Working on the Railroad...

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:03:00 +0000

Oh remember that old tune? I used to sing it ALL THE TIME when I was a kid. Drove my brother crazy. ha!

Working on the railroad just ain't like it used to be. Trains are a lot faster now... say, 150mph faster. I often wonder about the skin-stretching G-force on those speedy things; does riding in them regularly reduce the need for wrinkle treatments later in life??

I found this video this evening and my heart almost dropped into my shoes. It's a surveillance video of a railroad worker, in Germany, where trains exceed speeds of 180 mph. He's taking his time, checking the rails. Good thing he looked up... and has fast reflexes!! OMG!!

HOLY COW!!! Dude, GET OFF THE TRACKS!! Why, after surviving the second train, does he just SIT on the tracks again?! I'd be running for the hills! Somebody was definitely praying for that guy! A miracle!

Crazy Captcha

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:40:00 +0000

I ran into this INSANE Captcha today. I took a screenshot of it. I nearly threw my computer out the window, trying to decipher it. Can you possibly tell what this says?!?!?

GAHHH!!!! It's crazy! Captchas are not supposed to drive you crazy!

I did a little research into this bane of the Internet world. Oh suuuuure, Captchas are supposed to *help* us all, by separating the wheat from the tares (humans from the computer robots), but they STINK! Can't they make them more readable?

So CAPTCHA stands for "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart." This is what Wikipedia says:

A CAPTCHA or Captcha is a type of challenge-response test used in computing to ensure that the response is not generated by a computer. The process usually involves one computer (a server) asking a user to complete a simple test which the computer is able to generate and grade. Because other computers are unable to solve the CAPTCHA, any user entering a correct solution is presumed to be human. Thus, it is sometimes described as a reverse Turing test, because it is administered by a machine and targeted to a human, in contrast to the standard Turing test that is typically administered by a human and targeted to a machine. A common type of CAPTCHA requires that the user type letters or digits from a distorted image that appears on the screen.

The term "CAPTCHA" (based upon the word capture) was coined in 2000 by Luis von Ahn, Manuel Blum, Nicholas J. Hopper (all of Carnegie Mellon University), and John Langford (then of IBM). It is a contrived acronym for "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart." Carnegie Mellon University attempted to trademark the term, but the trademark application was abandoned on 21 April 2008.

I know why the trademark was dropped-- because Captchas drive people foaming-at-the-mouth-insane and we'd storm Carnegie Mellon U with pitchforks and torches!

It may come as a surprise to you that I hate Captchas.

Or maybe it's just that Captchas hate me. Because I can NEVER solve them on the first try. It's too messy; I can't read it. I usually have to repeat or refresh the durn thing four, five time before it finally accepts my input.

*sigh*

And the sad thing about it is, is that Captchas are going to get more and more difficult, because hackers are creating ways to circumvent the technology to have their evil robots read them. So, before long, the bots will take over the world! Because it will become IMPOSSIBLE for humans to read the Captchas, but all the bots of the world will solve them in seconds! Imagine the places we'll be locked out of-- out of our blogs, our email, green shopping websites, cars, banks, bathrooms-- EVERYTHING!

If you hate Captchas, too, here's an official-looking Captcha site (so it says) where you can lodge a formal complaint. Haha. Yeah, I'm just joking. :|

The Brown Month

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:18:00 +0000

Here it is: November. I call it the "brown month." It's the month when the trees are now bare after a vivid and leafy farewell... of overcast, gloomy skies... or periods of rains that make the raked yards all muddy again... November is my second least-favorite month (after February, another brown month).

When I was a kid, November was the month we had to cram in all the winter preparation work, like cording the chopped wood into piles, for burning during the coldest months. How my hands would get blistered and raw, stacking endless mountains of pre-chopped wood into cords! Ugh!

The nicest part about November is the cooking. :D I do a lot of cooking in this month, cooking I haven't done all summer because it was too hot to run the oven: pies, breads, stews, soups, pot roasts... YUM! Even thinking about it all makes me needing the fat burner pills already... but I don't care.

Sometimes anticipating winter is harder than the winter. I still have to finish off a lot of chores. I'm thinking this winter is going to be a cold, snowy one. I just feel it in my bones. What do you think?

They Hate Me... Cuz I'm in NY

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:04:00 +0000

As if it isn't hard enough to live in New York State... taxed to the GILLS on everything, even on things we don't buy, use, transact, transport, or receive....

Yes, I'm MAD! I'm FURIOUS!

I'm being dumped by my affiliate sponsors. Because I live in New York State!

Hello Rebecca. I hope you are doing well. I regretfully have to inform you that you are being expired from the [XYZ] affiliate program, due to the New York affiliate Tax law. This will take place shortly. Thank you for promoting [XYZ]. We do hope to work with you in the future. If you need anything from me or would like to discuss, please contact me at your convenience.

:(

I wondered what affiliate tax law this was. I did a little research, and it's a "new" law passed in June, looks like. It's thoroughly unconstitutional, actually. I as an affiliate do NOT qualify as a physical presence for any store! This is not about SALES this is about MARKETING-- ADVERTISING! I am an advertiser for a store. This in no way qualifies me as a "physical presence" for a store, online retailer or not! It's CRAZY!

Think of it-- if this went this way-- that retailers would be taxed with sales tax on purchases made through third-party advertisers/marketers, ANY advertiser could be considered to be a "physical presence" for said store. So if Joe Advertising made mention of deals at Mary's Ceramic Tiles Store, Mary would be taxed EXTRA (NY tax) for sales made just because Joe directed consumers to her store. It's so stupid! Merchants are firing affiliate and sales teams (like me) because of this. Oh thanks a LOT, New York State! You're just getting richer and richer by me losing more business. Idiots!

There's a good post with video by Affiliate Summit blog here.

Last I heard, Amazon was suing New York State. That was early this year. I have heard nothing since, have you?

I hate New York State. We have the most corrupt, money-hungry, destructive men in government in the nation here. GAHHHH!!! :(

P.S. Hey I have an idea-- my web hosting for my affiliate blogs are actually based in California, not New York State! I could technically claim that my business is run out of California! I just LIVE in New York State! How's them apples? :D

Whatcha Doin?

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:47:00 +0000

...nuttin'.

:-p

So much for the traveling life!! Bah! Excuse me while I whine.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Autumn is my favorite season, but it is rapidly passing before my window seat. No traveling in FOREVER! We're down to one vehicle, and I have a part-time job that keeps me very preoccupied for four, five days a week... I've been doing a lot of "armchair travel" these days (see my post about Dubai and another about some STUNNING travel deals that I would so love to take advantage of!), but all I can do is surf the Net and read ho-hum info about RVs and motorhome towing. I wanna travel!! Wahh!!!

Oh well. At least I have a computer, right? At least I can still be in touch with the beautiful wonders of this amazing creation, thanks to my high-speed Internet, right?

Yeah, it's great. But I just *sob* wish I was THERE! :)

Archival LIFE Magazine Photos Online

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:36:00 +0000

Here's some incredible news! LIFE magazine has their archived photos online. The site is hosted by Google. The photos are organized by century, then by year. I spent several hours perusing the site. It's fascinating!

I love looking at vintage photos, any kind of vintage photos. I like the "people" and "buildings" kinds of photos best, but I'll find anything vintage interesting, even old auto accessories!

I love the "family" kinds of photos-- you know, people on the farm or monarchs in their palaces. Such photos give a wonderful glimpse into the lives of those people of "way back when." This photo of Queen Victoria is stunning, I think. Look at the style of dress!

I suspect this would be a great site for educational uses, too. Very nice!

Virtual Travel Vamped Up

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:44:00 +0000

We haven't been out and about in AGES. :-p I've had cabin fever since July, and it isn't even winter yet! :(

Well, it's a good thing we have the Internet. Weekly, I am able to visit my international friends' blog, thanks to Photo Hunters. And then there are all the quirky websites I find on a regular basis.

There's one site by WomansDay.com, with a page devoted to "Strange Museums." I think I've seen my share of some pretty weird stuff in museums, but these take the cake!

This is the Lunchbox Museum in Columbus, Georgia. It looks like a blast! I love retro and old stuff like this. (Photo courtesy of the site)

There's also a Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum, in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. (Photo courtesy of the site)

The number of quirky museums like these are staggering. WHERE do people get all this stuff?? LOL! There must be a museum for everything, I suppose-- even as far-fetched as an acne museum or a flannel shirt museum??

The site has more, and includes links to visit the online museum. It's a nice relaxing break from the monotony of leaf-raking, at any rate. And you don't even have to wear shoes or pay admission to visit. ;)

This Kind of Consolidation I Like

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:42:00 +0000

Good news for the Oneida County tourist attractions and museums: the County is finally getting its act together and has begun a consolidated marketing scheme to generate interest in Oneida County.

The Oneida County Convention and Visitors Bureau unveiled its new brand and marketing strategy at its Annual Meeting Thursday evening at historic Fountain Elms on the Munson-Williams-Proctor campus. Working with Trainor Associates of New Hartford, the OCCVB Board of Directors, President Kelly Blazosky, and industry stakeholders spent several months of research, including an intensive Discovery process, to document and quantify Oneida County’s Assets, Core Brand Values, and Brand Personality attributes, to develop Target Visitor Profiles and a corresponding Core Brand Message to connect with them.

“It became obvious that there were tangible reasons that Oneida County realizes a $1.1 billion tourism impact each year,” said Blazosky. “Oneida County offers a wealth and variety of things that many who live here take for granted, but are appreciated by visitors. As a result, many visitors come each year for specific reasons. But we have never collected that information, used it to develop Visitor Profiles, brand Oneida County accordingly, and then message out to similar visitors to attract them here.”

Many attractions, destinations, events, and entertainment venues have promoted themselves individually without the benefit of an overall County promotional umbrella. All of these assets have never been collectively identified, organized, categorized, and promoted under one compelling brand and brand message for Oneida County until now. This will provide a compelling “hook” for visitors to consider Oneida County as a destination, paving the way for each of these different organizations to attract even more individually.

There is a GREAT deal to see and do in Oneida County-- I have a blog almost entirely devoted to all the great (and inexpensive) things you can do in Central New York, with Oneida County as the hub. But as far as organization of all these places, I have never found anything remotely helpful. It is a constant frustration to always find out about events AFTER the fact, too. I don't want to know about the General Pulaski Festival the day AFTER it's been held! I wanted to go!! Why wasn't anything promoted?

And it's tough to find attractions in this area. Need motorhome insurance? Sure, there's lots of information out there!! Need a place to camp with your motorhome? Well, that's a little tough to find. And I am continually irked by the lack of media attention given to events in this area. I would get out 100% more often if I was aware of even half of the stuff going on around here... I'd sure like to know about the event BEFORE the event occurs, though!

I'm hoping that this new marketing strategy is effective. You can read more about it at the I Love NY blog.

Ukranian Girl Tells Story with Sand

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:50:00 +0000

This is an incredible video. A young girl from the Ukraine draws in sand to tell the story of her people right before, during, and shortly after World War II. I have studied Russian history a little, and OH what horrible things the Nazis and especially the Communists did to the people of Eastern Europe!

This video moved me to tears.

I hate Communism, HATE IT. Communists and socialists try to hide their wicked policies and evil deeds behind things like environmentalism or "feel good" politics. Now I'm a frugal lass, buying stuff like Green Study to "help" the environment is a fine thing, but believe me when I say that communism and socialism will destroy people! They use "watermelon" politics: Green on the outside, Red on the inside. Stalin killed more people than Hitler, but do we ever hear about that?! Communism is evil-- only the power-mongers love it! I hope and pray that my children never go through something like the Ukranians have.

The Human Spider

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:11:00 +0000

Wow! I found this video at MetaCafe. This guy is really, really amazing! He's like a human spider!

Be aware that MetaCafe has brief advertisements before their videos, so you may have to tolerate a Starburst ad or something for face wrinkle cream. I did not see any offensive ads myself. But as with ALL videos, parents please preview before showing your kids. :)

Dramatic Acrobat - Click here for more free videos

Kids-- go ahead and TRY THIS at home, I dare ya! See if you get higher than 18 inches on those poles like that. I am IMPRESSED.

It's Here!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:22:00 +0000

It was a cold and gloomy summer, lots of rain and a disappointing growing season. I am always eager for autumn's arrival, but this year I am especially eager to see it come.

That photo was from last year; it is a preface into the clear and crispy atmospheric delights that await us. I'm thinking autumn will come a few weeks early; some of our trees are turning already.

The kids like it, too. ;)

I don't like summers; I don't like warm weather (or warm climates). I'm a "winter woman"-- a true-blood, Upstate New York gal of Scottish stock who likes to do SOMETHING besides sweat and worry about the bikini obsessions to lose belly fat. That's for the equatorial people-- here in NYS, we farm, we write, we ponder, we study.

I am SO looking forward to autumn!! The stuffed turkeys roasting in the stove, the apples and apple pies boiling over with sweet sappy goodness, the cozy fleece sweatshirts and fuzzy socks and quiet days of book reading and blog-writing. It will be a wonderful season! And I intend on taking many more photos, so stay tuned. ;)

Vintage Postcards in Books

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:08:00 +0000

I just love postcards, old postcards. I own a few including one of my house taken in 1910; and I know of a few people who own huge collections. You can get such an amazing glimpse into old American life from such things! I love the beautiful house styles, the gardens and the elaborate patio furniture and clothing styles from the "old days."

If you like them, too, here's a bug in your ear: The Images of America collection. Amazon is selling them, and the prices are pretty good. Just do a search for "Images of America" and you'll get listing of a ton of books. If you can't afford them, I'm sure the local library would have them. Plus, Amazon gives the ability to browse a portion of the books, so you can take a sneak peek into them. They are really neat!

Some Suggestions Before Summer Travel Season Ends

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:44:00 +0000

I was leafing through some old bookmarks and found quite a few gems for both your armchair travelers and travel planners. The summer tourist season ends right around October 30th or so, so usually if there's a place you want to see, you should squeeze it in before then. Me, I'm always on the hunt for new places to see! Here are a few places to check out:

Adirondack Trailhead
This website has the most comprehensive listing of everything Adirondack-related (that I know of). From news to blogs to opnion to upcoming events to videos-- this is one cool site!

Round the Bend and Roadside America
This is a very brief listing of links to tourism sites in the state. So if it's the first electric chair in Auburn, NY, you want to see, or the Farmer's Museum's doctors' and dentists' tools and exam tables of the 1800s or other oddities, these "smaller" sites usually have listings of various, quirky places to see and things to do.

I Love NY
The official tourist website for New York State has seen some improvements lately. I like their See & Do page.

NY Canals, NY Parks & Recreation, NY Heritage Sites
All good sites with lots of information.

Winter in New York State is a good time for travel, too-- really! There are a lot of sports activities and spectator sports events, and hiking is great!

End of Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 22:41:00 +0000

Well, another summer gone. I know it's not officially autumn YET, but summer vacation season is usually over once two things happen-- when the New York State Fair ends, and when kids go back to public schools. Yesterday was the last day of the Fair-- another Fair come and gone, and I missed it again. Believe it or not, I have NEVER been to the State Fair. As a girl, my parents would not let me go; they said it was not a place for young girls (too much drinking and carousing). They're right; I'd never let my kids go! But maybe we'd go if I was with them. I'd definitely go to one of the smaller, county fairs, though.

ANYWAY. All this is the long of saying WAAAHHHHH Summer Is Over!!! Now we have to deal with all the serious stuff, like mulching the garden beds, fixing the fences and bathroom lighting, and doing Algebra with the kids!! Waaahh!!

LOL. Oh well, I like autumn. It's cooler, it's cleaner.. and we do get out for a small burst of trips before winter hits. THIS is the time I like to hit the beaches and parks, now that all the crowds are gone. And New York State in the fall is gorgeous. *sigh*

How about you? Do you have any plans for the autumn, or are you resigned to being a homebody now that summer is "over"?

In the Mailbox: Patriot Humor

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:48:00 +0000

Well, amongst the mass of emails that I get everyday, I found this little gem in there-- the Patriot Post Humor e-zine. It's one of those few emails that are just too brief, I tell ya! I look forward to it every week; it's a nice change from all the other miscellaneous email I get, for "free" laptops from China and emails about how to remove blackheads and stuff.

Did you know today is California's birthday! Became a state today in 1850, which just does not seem like a very long time ago, considering the other states' entrance into the Union. This from the Patriot Post. LOL!!

Did you know that California became a state on September 9, 1850? In those days, the people had no electricity, the state had no money, almost everyone spoke Spanish and there were gunfights in the streets. Basically, nothing has changed except back then the women weren't made of silicone and the men didn't hold hands.

This one was my favorite:

The latest telephone poll taken by the California Governor's office asked whether people who live in California think illegal immigration is a serious problem:

19% responded, "Yes, it is a serious problem."

81% responded, "No es una problema seriosa."

ROFL!

That Just Went Too Fast!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:31:00 +0000

The month of August. Holy cow, where did it go?! Did August just speed by for you, too?

It's been busy here, but oddly enough, I can't say I've really DONE much this summer. We've taken so few trips. :( I had high hopes of going camping this year, but other things took preeminence.

We like to travel in the autumn, anyway. It's cooler, it's easier on the vehicle, and there are fewer crowds. We're still hoping to get some traveling done out of state. No, not exactly orange nj dentist stuff, but I have some relatives in Virginia and elsewhere that we would love to visit. We're just waiting for the time to be "right." My kids have never been out of the state, and going to Virginia-- the place where all that American Revolution stuff happened-- is extremely exciting to them. I'm really hoping we go; I'll know by October.

The gardens have been doing poorly this year. My flowering beds have been terrific, but the vegetables are awful, just awful. I accidentally planted 5 zucchini plants and expected a huge blitz... but blight took down the plants, and we are zucchini-less! For the first time EVER. My tomatoes and potatoes, which had been doing so well this summer, got the blight last week. :( I will dearly miss my potatoes. Turnips did well, and we got some beans... but not even the lettuce or peas produced much this year. It's the worst garden I've had since I started gardening.

And life is busy. I work full-time at home, now. Well-- the hours are full-time, but the pay is part-time. I'm a blogger, and I receive $$ for writing ads and hosting weblinks on my blogs. You've probably noticed, lol. But the money can be good, and since I love blogging, it's an enjoyable occupation. It takes a lot of my time, though, maintaining all these blogs.

What's your summer been like? I'm looking forward to autumn, when things slow down and I can BREATHE again. :D

Antique Car Show Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 03:18:00 +0000

I've been posting photos, left and right, of our trip to the Antique and Classic Car Show that was held in Utica on July 5th. You can see loads of photos here and here and here and here, and now here are some more! The cars are just SO beautiful I have to post more photos!

I really admired the 1914 REO wagon. It was all wood. And the wheels were unique-- there was a separate drive shaft (is that the correct term?) for each wheel.

Here's a beautiful 1932 Cadillac and hood ornaments. There were lovely ornaments on several of the cars.

Here's the Pierce Arrow model.

The seats are as durable and beautiful as Samsonite luggage, aren't they? Everything was so perfectly crafted. Just gorgeous cars.

I went ga-ga over this car. I have no idea what kind it is!

And here's an old set of auto tools-- everything needed to fix your car. My, how times have changed!

Hope you enjoyed the photos as much as I did!

More Photos of the Antique Car Show in Utica

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 03:53:00 +0000

Oh, I have more photos! The day-- July 5th- in Utica, NY, was perfect. Not too hot, and FINALLY no rain.

I don't know a car from the best weight loss pills, really. They all look similar to me except for a few details, and I can NEVER seem to retain in my memory their names. But one thing I know is a Ford model T. Maybe because of all the old movies I used to watch, lol.

Anyway, I really like this car.

Look at the "headlight"! A kerosene LAMP!

And hard rubber tires. Talk about scrambled innards.

Here's another Ford; I liked the look. It's a 1934 Ford.

And this is quite a character. I don't know what this is, except that it had "Maxwell" on a metal plate.

It was a very enjoyable day. The car owners have kept up these cars in outstanding condition!

More Photos of Antique Car Show in Utica

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:36:00 +0000

I took about 100 photos of the Antique & Classic Car Show in Utica, held at Fountain Elms on July 5th. The cars were absolutely gorgeous! I liked this one. Forgive if I don't remember the names of the cars... I'm terrible with car makes and models. :S

This one is the definition of "slick." Niiiiice.

Look how roomy these old cars are. Pretty obvious that you were on your own when it came to car safety back then. I know that life insurance has been around a long time, but when did car insurance come onto the scene?

This is a nice sporty little roadster. Obviously, my sons loved it.

I liked this one, a 1923 Kissel. Very unique, and it's in pristine condition.

Car owners came from all over the Northeast to showcase their cars. There were several awards and trophies given. This couple won "Best Period Dress." They owned that gorgeous Kissel.

This guy won the grand prize for his 1928 Isotta Fraschini.

And here are the boys, posing next to a HUGE white oak tree.

What a great way to spend a sunny summer Sunday!

More Pics of Independence Day

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:35:00 +0000

It may be over a week since the great holiday... but, EVERY day is Independence Day for us! :D Here are some more really great photos of our fun trip we had that day. If you don't recall, we visited Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY, and then attended a Tea Party at Rome City Hall. Both we spectacular! The public reading of the Declaration of Independence was especially moving. (I haven't yet made the video of the reading).

To get into Fort Stanwix this day, a guard stopped us and asked us where our loyalties lay, with King George or the Continental Congress?

Needless to say, we got in. :D

The nice thing about the Fort is that there is a combination of museum, activity, and living museum displays. We are able to look at formal displays of life as it was 235 years ago, but we are also able to interact with re-enactors.

The amount of work it took to maintian a fort in the wilderness is staggering when you think of it. This was waaay before the age of weight losss supplements-- back then, people tried to EAT a lot because their labors were so exhausting.

I'll have more photos, and hopefully that video, very soon!

Trip to Rome, NY

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:30:00 +0000

Well, we didn't get to Fort Ticonderoga for July 4th, but we did go somewhere! And we had a blast! We visited Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY, to hear the Declaration of Independence and to give our huzzahs to the 13 united colonies and the Continental Congress. And we went to a Tea Party!

The more often I go to Rome the more I like the city. I know it is in decline as so many Upstate cities are, but it's got an amazing history. And the general atmosphere just seems very conducive to liberty.

The Tea Party there, at Rome City Hall, was excellent. I loved this lady's shirt that said "Liberty Starts Here Again" with New York State on it. Yeah!!

Protests were not so much about the problems of such things as social security disability or the Iraq war, but more about how very far our country has strayed from the principles that made us great, and from the very things that define us as Americans.

And I have GOT to get one of those flags!!!

So When Are We Going to Travel?!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:18:00 +0000

Ugh, it's been WEEKS since we did anything! Work, work, work! My kids are working through the summer, plus there's the gardening and home improvements around here. Not to mention, I work a job at home.... busy! BUT we are hoping to get out this weekend. Both Mr. Mecomber and I have the day off, so we are trying to plan on something big.

I saw this video at YouTube... and it got my little mind whirling. Can you guess where this is?

It's a really good thing I've done my digital camcorders shopping and nabbed a good one! Because I think this is what I will be doing this weekend, if we can "wing it"! It's Fort Ticonderoga! If you are an "old" reader, you may remember that the last time we went here, the place was closed for the season. We did sneak in to see the grounds and to view Lake Champlain.... but our desire has been to return and see the buildings and celebrate independence there. I'm REALLY REALLY hoping this weekend is it! I'll keep you posted!

Vintage Dick Cavett Tribute to Utica, NY

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:55:00 +0000

I remember the Dick Cavett Show-- well, I remember my mom watching it. I was too young to be a viewer (and understand what he was talking about!). I came across this really neat old video clip of the Dick Cavett Show. In it, Cavett honors Utica, NY, for the local television station (WUTR) adding his show to the TV schedule. This guy is really funny!! The show starts out a little slow, but then Cavett does a "tribute" to Utica, and it's pretty funny!

Did you happen to notice the big stage walls, that spinned when Cavett came walking down the stairs? They looked like petal-shaped stainless steel backsplash panels, did you notice them? I'll bet that back then, that was super-advanced technology, eh? LOL!

This is what is so neat about the Internet-- things that were considered "lost" (like vintage shows or photos) are now available for all to see. SO COOL! I'm going to go see what else I can dig up....

Ithaca Hours: A Local Currency

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:58:00 +0000

Ithaca, NY, is well known for it's "progressive" ways. It's a beautiful city in a gorgeous area of New York State, but I don't share its progressive philosophies very much. However, I recently read about the city's "Ithaca Hours"-- their very own currency that the local busines! In a time of financial and economic stability, I think something like this may actually be a viable idea for the times ahead. Before indepence from Britain, the colonies all had their own currencies (and this actually caused a lot of friction between the colonies, especially the greedy Northeastern colonies, like New York). One of the first things the founding fathers did was establish a national currency, for all colonies to have in common. It was worked pretty well up until 1913 (Federal Reserve Act) to now. The federal government seems bent on killing our currency and our economy!

ANYWAY.. Ithaca has a rather cutsie currency system that promotes local small businesses amongst the business community, and keeps the dollars in the city. A great idea! This is from the website:

Are Ithaca HOURS real money?

Yes. At present, no monetary systems are backed by an actual commodity (such as gold), but instead notes are simply declared to be money by an authority ("fiat money"). In the case of U.S. currency that authority is the national government. In the case of Ithaca HOURS that authority is the board of the corporation.
As such, Ithaca HOURS are taxable, and it is illegal to counterfeit them.

The name HOUR is meant to remind you that, in addition to being a medium of exchange for commodities, currency represents someone's labor, the time taken to provide a skill or perform a service. Your time is worth something to someone else. When yo ugive someone an HOUR, you are telling them: "I did this much somewhere else. Please give me the equivalent here."

So, if you are a businessperson and want to buy shoes or groceries or a script for Fenphedra, the Ithaca Hours system encourages you to join the system and get it from another local business, rather than an outsider "Big Box" business. Brilliant!

The website is difficult to navigate. I finally found the FAQ page that gives more information on what Ithaca Hours are and what they do.

What a Great Cat and Other Blabber

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:36:00 +0000

This post has absolutely nothing to do with travel... or anything, for that matter! lol! It's being filed under "Miscellaneous Blabber"!

Anyway, I'm not much for watching loads of videos online, but I saw this at Holy Cuteness. MAN, this dog has got it soooo good. Toooooo too cute!!!

I'm a real sucker for cute animal videos. Obviously, lol. The kids are I are totally hooked on I Can Haz Cheeseburger (LOL Cats). When we're tired of studying and need a break, it's a fun place for belly laughs. If you go there, though, be sure you have your browser's ad-block on, because the banner ads are disgusting. Too bad. But the photos and captions are HILARIOUS! I think I'm addicted! Is there a drug rehab for LOL Cats?? Here are some of my favorites.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

See? What did I tell you! Aren't they hilarious! Bwahahahaha!