Shadow's Far-Out Corner of the Web

Think (and maybe research) Before You Post!

2012-05-16T02:26:00.001-03:00

Warning! There's an extremely common, discouraging affliction affecting a large percentage of Facebook users: its symptoms include the blind acceptance of highly questionable information and the delusion that global problems can be solved and serious diseases, cured, with a few simple clicks.

The symptoms of this affliction result in re-posting riveting videos, powerful photos accompanied by heart-wrenching tails, and many other pieces of unverified (or debunked), yet emotionally compelling information that promise positive action upon sharing.

Fortunately, there is a cure!

If you find yourself compelled by the various chain letters and heartfelt causes on Facebook, so much so that you feel the desire to share that information with the rest of the world... look it up first! Visit Google and type in a line or two from the text accompanying the picture or video, hit enter, and search for reliable sources confirming the validity of the information you wish to share... if you can't find any, or you find that it is nothing more than a new-age chain-letter, don't re-post! You might also consider notifying the friend who shared the information about it's veracity (or rather, lack thereof).

If you have been affected by this affliction, I hope you are now cured. Want to help cure others? Re-post this announcement! ;-)

Joking aside, I really find it annoying when people blindly share posts that make great claims, while neglecting to verify the information before they post. You know the posts: little Susie has cancer and her parents cannot afford treatment, but if you "like" and share this picture, $1 will be donated to her healthcare fund. Or, Facebook is going to start charging for access. If you "like" and share this post before this date, however, you won't be charged! Well guess what? Facebook is not going to start charging for access, and if it was, it would be a site-wide notification, from Facebook administrators. Oh, and you're not donating any money by liking or sharing a picture, because it is just not a function Facebook offers... you're simply spreading sadness by exposing people to heartbreaking tales that are either not true, or years out of date.

"I shared this, so I made a DIFFERENCE!"

The caption in the picture above states that if this picture gets 10,000 shares, this 18 month-old girl will receive a heart transplant. Sadly, this little girl did receive a heart transplant, but died in 2008 - before this picture was circulated on Facebook, with the request to share with others. Think about that for a moment... people who are most certainly good-intentioned are posting a picture of a deceased baby girl and her mother that plays on people's emotions. They are sharing a picture and story that is virtually a slap in the face to the child's mother and family! Sure, they are well-meaning, but they are also being foolishly uncritical and inconsiderate of others in neglecting to take 2 minutes to research the story before they share with others.

My other complaint is concerning awareness campaigns ("It's Autism Awareness Day! Share this post if you know and love someone who has autism!" Is it? Really? Funny, I saw someone else post the exact same thing last week!). There's nothing wrong with raising awareness, but make sure you're actually aware of what you're posting... most of the time, a quick Google search shows the actual date of various awareness days.

It all boils down to one thing, folks, and if you didn't pick it up here, I'm not sure you're going to: research what you share! It doesn't take more than a moment and it cuts down on the amount spam flooding Facebook. So please, don't be lazy, and please, question what you read when you find it compelling... if you're passionate enough to want to share the information, you're passionate enough to verify it first.

I intend on making my next post less rant-y. ;-)

Tanned Mom; Burnt Nation.

2012-05-10T01:44:00.001-03:00

Know what piece of popular news has got me really pissed off lately?

Patricia Krentcil and daughter, Anna.

I'm pissed off about all of the fuss surrounding admittedly over-tanned mother, Patricia Krentcil, who stands accused of bringing her daughter into a tanning salon, causing severe sunburn.

First of all, there's no reason for us to really assume she actually did bring her fair-skinned, red-haired six-year old child into a tanning salon (which happens to be illegal and likely would have been noticed and stopped by salon employees). The owner of the salon has reportedly claimed that staff witnessed Mrs. Krentcil's daughter waiting outside with her father.

Second, why do we get off on persecuting those who are different than we are? Why do we poke fun at the, obviously, mentally ill? This woman, who doesn't seem to be guilty of actually putting her child in danger, is most likely only guilty of suffering from issues with her body image (as she displayed in her response to TMZ in regards to whether she felt she was the target of a witch hunt: "Yes. Yes. There's somebody out there on my whole life that doesn't like me because they're jealous, they're fat and they're ugly"). And really, don't we all have concerns about our bodies? Her words may have been defensive and indicative of her own issues, but she also makes a good point: we're obsessed with her body, more than likely, because we're obsessed with our own bodies. So are we really that much better than she?

I'm not really as disgusted by the fact that we're wasting a lot of news-time on a minor, shallow issue (that's news, isn't it?) as I am by the sheer display of self-righteousness and judgement concerning a mother who clearly loves her daughter (and clearly also loves to tan). Shame on us... shame on us for projecting our issues with this women onto her daughter... shame on us for reporting in ways that show a strong bias against this mother and painting her as a demon.

I've got an idea!

Let's let the court decide!

I've come out of hibernation!

2012-05-09T14:24:00.003-03:00

Hello, friends...

I'm back! Did ya miss me? I sure missed you!

I was poking around in my e-mail and found a message reminding me to migrate my blog to Google if I didn't want to lose the entire thing. So, I decided if it's worth saving, it's worth updating.

Please bear with me as I have not been writing regularly for some time now, so I've become a bit rusty. I have so many new and wonderful things to share (from the mundane to the spectacular) and I look forward to hearing your input as I start posting again. Time goes by and people and things change, so keep an eye out for some possible changes around here.

Much love! <3
~*~Shadow.Kat~*~

Facebook: does the good outweigh the bad?

2009-02-17T21:13:00.001-04:00

Everyone has their beef with Facebook. Since the recent rising of much ado over Facebook and their newly revised terms of service, many of those beefs have been voiced. I, for one, happen to have a few more beefs with Facebook; I, for one, happen to think it helps people become more self-involved and impatient & inconsiderate with others, rather than bring people together. Not too long ago, we would visit someone's website to see what they were up to or how they have been. Maybe now and then we would fill out and forward one of those surveys everyone posts on Facebook, partially due to narcissism, but mostly due to the desire that others would fill them out so we could learn about them.

Now, on the other hand, we visit Facebook to see if anyone has commented on our page, a photo, or a posted item... or if anyone has tagged us in a photo or video. We spend hours filling our profiles with information about ourselves, but little time viewing the entire profiles of our friends or family, as illustrated by the number of people who whine about how much "junk" everyone else has on there. We check notes to see if anyone has filled out one of those surveys... but not really to see what they're up to, rather to show everyone what we're all about. Many of us spend more time scrolling through our "friends'" list of friends than we spend on their actual profile page, seeing whom we may add to our own list (or if you want to identify this with the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, treating people merely as a means to an end rather than an end in their selves).

Not only has Facebook (as well as similar social networking sites, such as Myspace and Friendster) helped us to become more self-involved and narcissistic, it has completely reshaped how we interact and how much personal information we share now compared to how much personal information we shared in the past. Ten years ago, for instance, you wouldn't dream of discussing the drunken bash you went to on the weekend with the dorky co-worker who sits 5 rows down from you at the office, let alone show them pictures (or your boss, grandmother, or the cute, but "proper", girl who sits behind you in class); nor would you openly discuss your religious, political, or otherwise personal views with every person you vaguely knew. Today, however, no information is sacred. Besides, if you don't post the photo, your best friend or the snot from your gym class will post it for you... and everyone is doing it anyway.

Not all of us, admittedly, are there for self-centred purposes. But, however, be warned:

(would you really want this to be you?)

it's probably something that will soon be used (and most likely already is) in hiring and college admittance practices... so reckless behaviour probably isn't advised. Even if you sober up and remove the picture/drunken text/overload of information the next morning, it stays in the system forever. That's probably not a great idea if it ever happens (and this isn't highly unlikely) that government gains control over (or during this recession, companies offer to purchase) information stored in social networking sites.

Although it has its flaws, Facebook still offers a great opportunity for friends and family to stay in contact and positive business connections to be made. I'm not saying people should avoid the site; I am saying people should use the site carefully. It may help to note that Facebook has many privacy features that are fairly easily accessed through the privacy settings link that shows up when you hover over Settings in the upper right-hand corner of most Facebook accounts. You may customise your account so that no matter how much information you give, only certain friends put on certain lists can see only the information you allow them to see (although I shall neglect to go into full detail). Even still, you may recall I mentioned Facebook's recent change in their terms of service: Facebook reserves the right to use your information for virtually any reason it sees fit and will keep your information in is system even if you clear and remove your account... regardless of your privacy settings.

What about you? What's your beef with Facebook? Or, is it all wonderful in your eyes? I'd love to hear your side!

So I'm in the Hot-Seat!

2009-01-29T16:32:00.004-04:00

Hello, Blogosphere! It's been awhile since I've blogged, and even though I made a recent promise to continue blogging, I haven't really fulfilled the promise. So, Da Old Man from Crotchety Old Man Yells at Cars has given me an interview to help get this little corner of the web back into full swing.

1. Where did you get your name?

Shadow Crystal, unfortunately, does not have a very interesting or romantic origin. I was stuck for a name, not wanting to use my own name in case any future employer decided to run a Google search and came across some of my more controversial opinions.

'Shadow' was chosen as the result of comparing my desire for a semi-secret identity (after all, I still uploaded my real picture and I don't go to great lengths to hide my name [Katie]) to 'hiding in the shadows', whereas 'Crystal' was chosen partly because I was simply told it is my aura colour and partly because I thought of a crystal reflecting light and wanted my name to hint at the representation of reflecting a little bit of light amidst the shadows we live in.

2. You've been missing from the blogosphere lately. Anything exciting
going on?
I'm a full-time student whose goal is to make straight A's (not for the 'snob-appeal', but for the scholarship appeal so I don't graduate up to my arse in student loans). When you mix that with a tendency towards poor time-management, blogging kind of takes a backseat. Last semester I decided to write for our campus newspaper, which is why I never brought myself around to making some time for blogging (sadly, I was beginning to grow sick of writing). But this semester, I have decided against writing for our campus paper (partly because of time and partly because of a vicious, un-professional front-page article that was just published about one of our students, which is actually the topic of the next rant I'll be posting), so I really have no excuse to not allow some time for blogging.

But yes, you could say there has also been something exciting going on...

Brewing, if you will...

I have started making some natural skin-care products and have been spending time researching the health and legal mumbo-jumbo. My list of products, so far, includes lotions, massage oils, lip balms, shaving creams, sugar scrubs, salt scrubs, bath salts, bath melts, bath bombs, perfumes, solid colognes, deodorants, hair gels, and even incense (but I don't make soap). ;-)
Within the next few months, you can expect to see some posts about these products - if there is interest, I'll post some basic recipes. I plan on having products for sale within the next few months, although it would be through a separate site (and most likely, just local to start). This blog will never become a sort or advertisement.

3. How do you find all those great videos?
Well, the fun 'n' freaky flash videos are generally the result of a twisted mind, warped friends, and hazy nights in smoky rooms (hey, I did say I was a university student, didn't I?)... just don't ask us what search terms we came up with and why. ;-)

4. You seem to have a lot of posts about music. What is your
favorite?
That's a tough one! I don't have a particular favourite artist or band, so I'll just list off all the musicians I think of when 'favourite' comes to mind:

Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, Tori Amos, Ani DiFranco, Loreena McKennitt, Dar Williams, Kate Bush, The Beatles, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Sarah Brightman, Isobel Campell (especially with Mark Lanegan), Tracy Chapman, Melissa Ehteridge, The Rankin Family, Bob Dylan, Barenaked Ladies, Norah Jones, Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkel, Nightwish, Type O Negative, James Blunt, Joan Osborne, Joni Mitchell, Indigo Girls, Radiohead, Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Reba McIntyre, Pam Tillis (and outside of the artists listed, I despise country music)... and I'm sure there are more. ;-)

5. You also inject a lot of humour into your posts. So, what's the deal
with all the extra u's that Canadians use?
We're slowly making the transition to speaking American, as we've already bastardised the letter "s" and turned it into a "z" in words like 'realise', 'globalise', and any other '-ise' word. In fact, some papers here have begun eliminating our u's. But up until recently, we prefered to speak and write in English. ;-)

2009 Has Arrived

2009-01-04T18:28:00.002-04:00

It's been more than awhile since I've posted and I think that's rather unacceptable. In my defence, my computer has been running slowly and my browser has been hardly running at all. Today I decided to blow a little steam and play around with "StumbleUpon". I was quite disappointed to discover my "Stumble" button was no longer working, although the rest of the toolbar worked fine (if you are unfamiliar with StumbleUpon, I recommend checking it out - it's channel surfing for the web!). That was the last straw - I caved and installed the latest version of Firefox and updated to the latest version of StumbleUpon... and was left to wonder why I had not done this sooner! Not only did my "Stumble" button work once more, I was once again able to access messages in my Hotmail inbox and function normally within Facebook... I don't use many other sites daily (what an exciting lifestyle I lead), so after spending a great deal of time fighting with those sites each day, I didn't much feel like blogging... or even logging into Blogger and opening the editor.

Today, however, things change. During the past few weeks I decided I want to, and should, continue to blog; after some of the discoveries I made today, I decided I have no excuse to not blog.

What discoveries have I made, you ask?

Epic discoveries... and by epic discoveries, I mean the mothers of all discoveries... the discoveries that make our browsing lives just a little easier (okay... a LOT easier)...

I discovered Firefox Add-Ons. If you use Firefox, these plugins can truly enrich your browsing experience. If you do not use Firefox, you should click here to see what you're missing and download yourself a new browser... one that, unlike Internet Explorer, doesn't leave you as open to viruses and irritatingly intrusive
ads... and, I swear, runs faster. Up until the last year, I was never much of a computer person... aside from looking stuff up on Google, checking my e-mail and playing with photoshop, I couldn't be bothered. Sure, I went through a few years in juniour high and high school where my life was spent in a chat room, but I never cared to 'optimize' my performance. Even after I discovered Firefox, I couldn't be bothered to glance at the add-ons. Now I'm kicking myself in the ass for spending so much time fighting with my computer when my browsing life could have been made much easier.

Over time I'll highlight some of these fantastic add-ons (as many are actually services available outside of Firefox). But, not today... today you're probably still wondering about the discovery I made that makes it harder for me to avoid blogging. You've probably guessed that it's one of the add-ons I've just been gushing about... and you're right. The add-on is called "ScribeFire". ScribeFire is an add-on for Firefox that allows you to update your blog, from your browser, no matter what site you're on at the moment. In fact, you can even surf the web while you're blogging (and if you're anything like me, you'll find that that a very useful feature as it can be a bit of a pain to bring up multiple windows so you can try to find information you need for a post you're typing at that moment). There is, apparently, an option to use ads to gain revenue (I would assume it is much like Google Adsense)... I am not trying the feature, but if you have a lot of traffic, it might be worth checking out. What I appreciate is that I am able to use the service without inserting their ads. I also appreciate the ease of use. Although I've finally developed a stronger interest in new technology than ever before, I have not developed an aptitude for such. When it comes to computer, I live by the K.I.S.S. philosophy.

So, I leave you with wishes for all the best in 2009 and a promise that I will continue to (try to) provide you with entertainment. :-)

Racism, sexism, and ageism, oh my!

2008-09-16T12:51:00.005-03:00

Sarah Palin.

I am ~~beginning to get~~ considerably sick of that name (I'm sure you all are, too!) I must admit, I haven't been following politics very closely as of late (I'd rather not wake up every day feeling pissed off with the world). I won't try to remain objective; I think Sarah Palin is an idiot. But, this is not a political blog and I am not a person who has a really extensive knowledge of politics, so I'm not going to discuss my views on actual politics. So, what I've noticed with all this talk about Palin, is that we are really, really, really primitive.

As I said, I haven't really been following politics (in the sense of policy... and really, I can't vote in the U.S. election anyway, so there isn't a whole lot of point). I have, however, taken notice of the attitudes towards this election. We claim to be evolved... an intelligent species even. Yet when we're presented with a chance to control (to some degree) the very issues we pretend are important to us (e.g., taxes, childcare, healthcare), we sweep it all under a shroud and everything becomes a big jumbled mess of racism, sexism, and ageism. What does this have to do with Sarah Palin (other than the fact that she's been a huge target of sexism during this campaign)? Nothing much, really... but the constant media exposure she's had has been what made me think about this a bit more.

Is there hope for us? Will we always find something to be prejudiced towards? There has been massive outrage over any racist commentary or imagery against Barack Obama... so there's one step in the right direction... but what about sexism and ageism? Aside from flat-out sexist remarks (e.g., "bitch"), we don't seem too bothered by the fact that Hilary Clinton's and Sarah Palin's abilities have been judged largely by their gender. Personally, I think it's ridiculous to question the fact that Sarah Palin has children at home... I mean, really, can't her husband watch the kids? And ageism? Well, that theory may as well not even exist... virtually no one seems upset by the comments made against John McCain... speculation on if he'll be able to stay awake during meetings or if he's wearing adult diapers... 'cause apparently anyone over the age of 50 can't stay awake for more than a couple of hours at a time... and Depends are a major political issue.

Has anyone else noticed this? Has anyone seen where people are beginning to combat the constant barrage of ageism and sexism (I left out racism, not because I don't think it's an issue, but because it's [thankfully] an issue we actually seem to be taking seriously now)?

What do you think???

(Mis)Fortune Cookies

2008-08-18T16:57:00.004-03:00

Keeping with this year's Olympic theme, I decided to order some Chinese food for dinner on Friday night. Okay, I'll be honest... I have not watched a single Olympic event, or even read/watched any news to do with this year's Olympics (and not because I'm protesting... I seriously just don't give a sweet darn... are they over yet??). I simply was not feeling well and did not feel like cooking.

Bring a vegetarian, I went to the only Chinese restaurant in town that offers something more than plain fried rice (okay, so there is another restaurant, but I didn't feel like forking over $20 for a bit of fried rice with mixed vegetables and poorly cooked plain chunks of tofu). Of course, dinner still cost an arm and a leg... so to top it all off, I added a fortune cookie to the bill. Not feeling well, I was able to rationalise such an extravagancy; I needed a pick-me-up.

Now of course, I can't hold my hand on my ass. We live in a world of personal television and internet access, so I have come to appreciate (and rely on) instant gratification. In other words, I tore into that fortune cookie before I even glanced at my dinner. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered the fortune cookie contained no fortune. Seriously, who would fork over $0.75 for a stale, crappy cookie if it didn't have that tiny slip of paper inside? Actually, why would anyone fork over $0.75 for someone's $0.02 worth? I certainly began to wonder what it might mean to discover a fortuneless fortune cookie when you're coming down with a cold. Should I be worried? (for anyone who is concerned, I'm feeling MUCH better now!)

Although the cookie was a let-down, the meal was most excellent (even though, or possibly because, I couldn't taste it).

Have you ever had a bad fortune cookie experience?

Have you laughed at any of this? If so, drop by www.humor-blogs.com to vote for your favourite posts and visit some hilarious blogs.

'Me' Before 'We': A Fine Line Between Self-Help and Narcissism

2008-08-12T19:52:00.003-03:00

A wise friend once said to me, "it does not help us to think about how others have it worse off when we're going through our own trauma. We can only go by our own experience, so what may be petty to others can be rightfully major to us"... and, I agree... to an extent...

First thing's first: this is not a warm and fuzzy post about how truly wonderful you are. I'm not going to tell you how to love yourselves... 'cause really, I don't think that's the problem. So, if you aren't prepared to hear that you're not the be all and end all, you might wish to surf elsewhere.

So, what is "the problem"?

The problem is that we do not know how to love one another. In fact, I'm willing to bet there are some of you who grunted and/or rolled your eyes when you read the previous sentence. I don't blame you, if you did. After all, all of the leading experts in the field of ~~bullshit~~ popular psychology will be quick to let you in on the secret to happiness (all you have to do is buy their book)! According to many of these 'experts', the secret to true happiness is self-worship.

Okay, so maybe that last statement was a little extreme... maybe... but I doubt it.

Think of it... we're told, more and more, how we need to take care of ourselves... which is great (and very important)... but now that we're used to that idea, we're beginning to accept the idea that we shouldn't put our energies into others. Instead, we're being taught we should allow others to fend for themelves; we're being taught to walk through life without the weight of the world on our shoulders. Problem is, we're being taught to walk (or rather, sit) through life without any weight on our shoulders. We have become emotionally delicate in regards to ourselves, yet emotionally hardened in regards to others... and I really fail to see how that's made any of us happier, or healthier.

I am a huge advocate of taking care of your own needs. I believe you need to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. But, we seem to forget the importance of taking care of others... and we almost act as though it's ridiculous to put the needs of others, no matter how pressing, before our own. We have become so self-centred we actually believe anything that causes any sort of discomfort or feeling of unpleasantness should be completely avoided. I'm really not surprised though... as long as the pop. psychologists keep telling us we come first, we will continue to ignore those around us. So, when we need someone to turn to, we can go and pay the "doctor" who told us to shut out the outside world. And really, problems are not discussed over a cup of tea, with friends, nearly as much now as they are with doctors... we've grown to think it unacceptable to help each other out (or ask for help) without some sort of fee.

So, how do we start loving one another? Well, we bite the bullet and realise we are not the centre of the universe. We meet our basic needs, then we help others meet theirs. We listen to that friend with the crisis... especially after they just listened to ours! We listen... period (turn off the mind chatter when other people are speaking to you). We really mean it when we say "how are you?". And, we take the time to think of those we love even when they're not in front of our faces... among many other things. Honestly, I'd hope this would be obvious to anyone reading.

Some of you (who took the time to 'listen') will remember my opening quote... about the friend who told me we can only see the world through our own eyes. She's right... and like I said... I agree... to an extent... the fact that people have problems worse than yours does NOT make your problems any less severe... and I'm certain that is what my friend meant.
However, for anyone who may take from the quote: "disregard the experiences of others", I believe it is our responsibility, since we have the ability, to force ourselves to see the world through the eyes of others. Yes, our problems may be severe, but it does not give us the 'right' to diminish the problems of others. If we want sympathy, we'd best give it.

So, what do you think? Do we really put selfishness above selflessness? Do you think we should? If so, why?

Child labour and spam? Go check it out!

2008-08-04T13:30:00.004-03:00

I was surfing the blogosphere, checking out some of my favourite blogs, and came across an article I just had to share...

Jenn Thorson, creator of the blog "Of Cabbages and Kings" has discovered the secret behind spammers - why they never tire.

So, I'm sending you all over to her blog today, since you just have to read her post...

The Toddler Labor Spam Conspiracy (By Jenn Thorson from "Of Cabbages and Kings")

20 Questions You Should Probably Avoid on Social-Networking Sites

2008-08-03T20:42:00.001-03:00

If you are reading this post, you most likely have an internet connection; if you have an internet connection, you most likely have an e-mail address. If you have an e-mail address, I will go ahead and assume you have friends (or maybe just family and co-workers) who send messages (personal or business) to your e-mail address. I know many people are still further behind the times than I, but I think it's safe to assume that anyone reading this post, or at least the majority of anyone reading this post, has been the recipient of a fairly lengthly survey, via e-mail, Facebook, Myspace, or whatnot, requesting the most intimate details of your life in exchange for a possible glimpse inside another friend's, or some casual acquaintance's, life.

Judging from my inbox, or, within the last year or so, my Facebook home page, a lot of people think displaying their life for, often, hundreds of people to view is completely harmless. Intimate surveys were never as much of a problem with e-mail, since these surveys usually stuck within small groups of close friends. But, since these surveys have started flooding social networking sites, the intimate information shared in these surveys is often available to hundreds of people (hardly an exaggeration), many of whom we hardly know.

Identity theft is very real and very common... why are there so many victims? I think part of the problem lies within these 'fun' surveys floating around in cyberspace... although many of the questions seem harmless, it wouldn't take very long to obtain a complete profile on someone. I'm not saying these surveys need to be avoided like the plague, but I am saying we should exercise caution when answering these surveys.

For now, here's a list of twenty questions we might not think of as a security threat - I won't bother posting the obvious, such as "what is your mother's maiden name?", or "what is your social insuance number?" - I'm sure my readers are smart enough to realise the danger in such questions. Also, some of these questions have less to do with identity theft and more to do with personal safety... I've compiled this list in hopes to pass on a few lesser-known helpful pieces of information.

20 Questions You Might Not Want to Answer (at least, not seriously)

1. What are the last four digits of your cell-phone number? This one should be pretty obvious... the city you live in is pretty much common knowledge, so it wouldn't be too hard for someone with not-so-innocent ideas to trace down the first three digits of your cell-phone number.

2. What was/is the name of your favourite pet? C'mon... don't tell me you haven't been asked this as a security question at least once.

3. What is your middle/full name? This one should be obvious too... seriously... do you often introduce yourself as "Jonathan Jacob Andrew Doe"?

4. Where did you attend elementary school? "In a large, brick building", or "at home, with my mother/father" should be a sufficient answer.

5. What is your favourite number? Okay, so this one seems pretty innocent... and generally is, but keep in mind, we're more likely to use our favourite number when filling out security questions, or creating PIN numbers or passwords. This seems like a really tiny, insignificant piece of information, but if it's pieced together with a number of other tiny, insignificant questions, it could be the missing puzzle piece. Personally, I just feel like someone's favourite number should be a fairly personal thing...

6. What is your height/eye colour/weight/shoe size? So these are questions that can be guessed pretty easily if someone knows you offline, or has a good picture of you. But, why flat out give them that information?

7. Who is your cell-phone/cable/internet provider? Most of us jump at any chance we get to whine and moan about crappy customer service from our service providers, but many of us do not stop to think how much easier it is for someone to cause problems with our services if they're told exactly what services we're using.

8. What bank do you use? What bank you use is hardly anyone's business... thankfully, this question is hardly asked on surveys (but I put it here because I have seen it on more than one occasion).

9. How many siblings do you have/what are their names/how old are they? You cannot (as easily) assume someone's identity if you know nothing about their family, can you?

10. Are you allergic to anything? If so, what? Right... that way, if you get to be a threat, you could easily be taken out (okay, so that's a bit paranoid, but is there really a good reason for everyone to know your allergens)?

11. Who is your best friend? Actually, avoid any question that asks for any friend's name (such as: "who was the last person to text you?", or whatnot)... some people don't appreciate their name being plastered all over the internet (plus, it's easier to gather information on someone if you can narrow down their network of friends).

12. Be careful when answering any sort of question beginning with "who/what was your first..." many security question often ask you to provide information about certain "firsts".

13. What is your sexual orientation/religion/political belief system? Think about it... do you really want every single person on your friend list to have access to that information? If so, by all means, express yourself... but keep in mind how much easier you're making it to piece together your entire being.

14. How much money do you make annually? If this one isn't obvious, there's really no hope for you.

15. What are your nicknames? This question makes it easier for people to find more information about you, if you happen to use multiple nicknames online.

16. What's your biggest secret? Again, you would have to be an idiot to answer this question... and no, I don't admire people who "let it all in the open".

17. What is your ethnicity? Avoid any questions asking for your cultural background information... or, if you're like me, just respond with "mutt"... once again, this sort of question seems minor, but it's pretty jam-packed.

18. Have you ever taken drugs/what drugs have you taken? This isn't so much an identity theft issue... more of a personal safety issue... do you really want your parents, or maybe even the police, seeing your answer to that question?

19. How many piercings/tattoos do you have? This works to identify criminals, so why couldn't it help criminals identify you?

20. Where did you meet your spouse/significant other? Common security question

Bonus
21. What time were you born? This may be a little more superstitious than anything else, but it can be pretty easy to obtain a pretty detailed astrological profile of someone if you have the exact time they were born.

I hope this list provided some helpful hints and I wish you all safe surfing. Oh, and by the way, if anyone on here ever makes you crack a smile, drop by www.humor-blogs.com to vote for my blog.

Some things simply aren't meant to be...

2008-07-27T12:47:00.005-03:00

Some things are simply not meant to be:

cats cannot have puppies, humans cannot have kittens, and my family cannot keep a gazebo on our deck.

Roughly two months ago (actually, probably closer to one month ago), we got the same great idea we get every year:
"Let's get a gazebo"...
And, roughly two months ago (actually, probably closer to one month ago), we had the same discussion we have every year:
"Should we get one with a mesh shelter?", "Nah, mosquitoes or bees may get trapped inside... or worse yet, mosquitoes and bees may get trapped inside... or hornets!"...
Anyway, we came to the same conclusion we reach every year... we purchased a ~~cheap~~ moderately priced, steel market gazebo (similar to the one shown below, but not quite as nice) - no mesh net.
Since this is an annual tradition in our house, we assembled the gazebo without a problem. Of course, we live in a place that is either shrouded with heavy fog, or beat to hell by heavy winds. So, a couple days later we packed up our little gazebo and returned it to the store, picking up another little gazebo... the exact same model (yeah, I never claimed to come from a smart family)! In fact, I don't think I need go into detail about what happened to the second gazebo (you could probably guess and you would probably be correct).
By chance, dad and I were browsing through a liquidation centre we have in town and we stumbled across an "easy-up", or "scissor-up", market gazebo (which is actually the exact same as the picture shown below) - all we had to do was take it out of the box and stretch it out. The gazebo was seemingly sturdy, so we were easily sold (and satisfied)!
So, last week we assembled our brand spankin' new easy-up gazebo, sat back, kicked up our feet and enjoyed the shelter. Friday, however, was filled with off-and-on heavy ~~showers~~ downpours... so yesterday, dad and I just finished bending our ultra-sturdy gazebo as close to its original shape as possible, crammed it into the box, and returned it to the liquidation centre (well, dad returned it... I wrote this).

I shared a popular quote when I started this post: "some things are simply not meant to be". But, since I have a funny feeling I'll be able to write about gazebo number four by the end of next week, I think a more appropriate quote would be "some people never learn"!

If you so much as cracked a smile while reading this, please mosey on over to www.humor-blogs.com and cast a vote for this blog. I promise I'll be your very best friend!

Genetically Modified Poetry...

2008-07-25T16:19:00.003-03:00

Modified, processed, rehydrated, and fried,
Quick to go, great late at night!
Palm, olive, coconut, and vegetable based,
Grease up your food, then plug up your face!
Antibiotics, pus, fat, and growth hormones,
Straight from the teet and into your home.
Salmonella; e-coli; cholesterol; trans,
Why isn't all of this shit we eat banned?
Don't light up tobacco, don't lie under the sun,
When you can just choke to death on a sesame bun!

Oh yeah, and if you like my blog, please vote for me at www.humor-blogs.com

A Quick Howdy Ho...

2008-07-23T17:18:00.003-03:00

I'm coming up with some stuff to write... very shortly! Although, it has just come to my attention that my site has been coming up as a fraudulent website (on my mother's computer) - so, if this is happening to anyone else, please, please, please leave a comment and let me know (or fire me off an e-mail at shadow.x.crystal@gmail.com, if commenting isn't your thing). If this is happening for anyone else, I think I can solve the problem... I've recently added "Google Analytics", which gives me info such as where people come from and what search terms they used... but, if that's telling people my site is full of tracking cookies, well, I'll ditch the service.

In the meantime, please enjoy the musings of some of my favourite bloggers:

Ivyology
Crotchety Old Man Yells At Cars
Rob's Megaphone
Letter's Home to You
Nanny Goats in Panties
Of Cabbages and Kings
A Little Piece of Me

Doodle Vacation

2008-07-17T19:13:00.004-03:00

So, I still don't have much to write... but, not to worry, I am setting aside a couple of hours to clear my head, so the stories shall return. In the meantime, enjoy my dream vacation (okay, so it's not my dream vacation, but it is a vacation I would love nearly as much)... a quiet, private beach, with a nice, long book.

And yeah, this looks pretty horrible... but, it was done on my laptop (using the mousepad, not an actual, separate, mouse). And yeah... I know... it probably wouldn't be much better if I had a mouse, but ya gotta let me have some excuse!

Doodle Flower Garden

2008-07-16T21:34:00.002-03:00

Okay, so this is a pretty sad flower garden...

I swear, I'm not as dark as I doodle... seriously.

If my blog ever makes you laugh, please mosey on over to Humor-Blogs.com to show your support.

Spoilsbury Toast Boy (-1)

2008-07-15T19:34:00.002-03:00

As promised, I present to you:

Spoilsbury Toast Boy -1

Created by David Firth (click here to visit his site)

Oh yeah, and if you like Shadow's Far-Out Corner of the Web, please visit Humor-Blogs.com to vote for this blog.

Doodle Bug! (Kick-Off to Doodle Week)

2008-07-15T00:23:00.003-03:00

Okay, so technically it's tomorrow, but I'm posting as though it's today... after all, I'm still awake. I would have posted earlier, but I was busy, busy, busy (seriously, I had to rush to vote since I forgot our ward election was tonight, then I had to get some shopping done, then housework and a shower)!

Today is the first day of Doodle Week (links will be posted tomorrow, when I am on my own computer... I'm using my parents' computer to type this up right now, since I used their scanner to upload my doodle bug).

As you can see, I'm not one for doodling bugs... but, I'm pleased with what I came up with... as 'sucky' as it looks, I have grown to like it (within the hour or so since I finished it). Alas, it is more of a drawing than a doodle...

I promise I won't cheat tomorrow... my post will be pure doodle. Enjoy... and send me the links to your doodles!

(the lyric is stolen from Tori Amos' "Butterfly"... and was added in photoshop - my handwriting is atrocious)

Ch-ch-ch-changes...

2008-07-13T17:45:00.002-03:00

Hello all,

As you can see, it's been pretty dead here lately. It won't remain that way, but there will be some changes.

Now that I'm working, I don't have all day to sit around and think of things to write about... and, I really didn't feel like filling this blog up with a load of junk (e.g., poorly written stories just so I can stick with the schedule). So, I will no longer be promising to post daily... and I will not be sticking to any particular schedule. The current setup will remain and the categories will not be changed, although, I will be writing what I want, when I want... which really is better, 'cause I write much better when I write spontaneously. Also, since my entries will be more spontaneous, there is a good chance some more categories will be added to the already existing catalogue.

I know change is hard folks, but stick around and I'm sure you'll like what you see... if anything, it will be better than the odd, poorly thrown together entries I've been posting lately. I would rather provide quality than quantity, and I'm sure you would all agree.

You may have noticed the advertisement I have on the sidebar for Doodle Week. I will be participating and I will try to have a fresh doodle for every day... if you blog, you really should get in the action (click here to find out more).

And, keeping with my promise, I will still be posting the second part of Spoilsbury Toastboy, by David Firth, on Tuesday, July 15th. As for the new fiendish feature? Well, as you can see from the votes, there was a bit of a tie... so, in keeping with the pace of the announcements I just gave, you'll get a bit of everything.

Thanks to everyone who's stuck with this blog so long... I look forward to providing you with many more interesting posts!

Spoilsbury Toast Boy (Part 2?)

2008-07-08T07:51:00.000-03:00

This just plain creeps the hell out of me...

Check back next week for Spoilsbury Toast Boy Part 1 (yep, it was created in reverse order)

If you can't wait; if you simply need more David Firth RIGHT NOW, well, please check out his site.

Puppies Don't Like Pot!

2008-07-06T13:17:00.006-03:00

*disclaimer* - I know people get their pets high on all kinds of drugs, but for simplicity's sake, I'll just be discussing marijuana.

Plain and simple, pot is not for pooches.

We wouldn't think of getting our children high (with the exception of a few nut-jobs), but many of us do not even hesitate when it comes to sparking up sparky. If you're one of those people, perhaps it would interest you to know cannabis does not have such a pleasant effect on our canine friends. If inhaled, cannabis will likely irritate the throat of your dog. The effect will be similar to the effect on humans, but the difference is that you chose to get high; your dog did not.

If, however, your dog ingests marijauna by eating it (even as little as a few grams... which sounds like a lot, but wouldn't take long for Fido to finish), the effects can be much more serious, including (but not limited to): vomiting, incoordination, urinary incontinence, and rarely, seizures or death (I sure as hell wouldn't want to risk my dog being the rare case).

It's pretty simple: dope hurts dogs.

As for the rest of our housepets?

Well, there is no evidence to suggest marijuana has a harmful effect on felines, but you can still gaurantee the smoke would irritate their little throats. And, just as with dogs, you're really not giving your cat any choice in the matter when you blow smoke in his or her face. Catnip, not cannabis, I say!

As for those who would even entertain the thought of smoking up their rodent, reptile, bird, or other small animal... well... they do not deserve pets. C'mon, they have tiny little lungs!

So, just because your pet is stumbling around and looks 'chill', it doesn't mean your pet is happy. Our pets can't tell us "hey, I don't like that!", so it's ridiculous to assume that they do like getting high. If you never smoked pot, you wouldn't know what you were missing, so what makes you think your pet is happier for getting high?

Blowing smoke in your animals face is akin to dropping acid in someone's drink.

Oh yeah, and if you like my blog, please show me the love and click on my link for Humor Blogs. Every visit from here to www.humor-blogs.com counts as a vote!

The Cider House Rules: A Review

2008-07-05T21:13:00.009-03:00

Released during the year 2000, The Cider House Rules travels back in time by a few years, but deals with issues that could more like be considered current whether the year is 1943 or 2043.

Homer Wells (Tobey Maguire) is a wonderful person who was raised in a New England orphanage, under the wing of Dr. Wilbur Larch (Michael Caine). Set during the Second World War, The Cider House Rules follows the story of a young man, who is setting out to discover himself, while also (quite eloquently) touching on the issue of abortion, shedding a positive light on the respect for a woman's choice.

Homer, yearning to become a man, leaves with Wally Worthington (Paul Rudd) and his partner Candy Kendall (Charlize Theron) after they arrive at the orphanage so Candy undergo a safe abortion. After arriving at Wally's family apple farm, Homer earns his keep and lodging in the cider house by working on the farm. During his stay at the apple farm, Homer learns a lot about life, morals, compassion, and love, especially as he is allowed more time with Candy after Wally leaves for war.

This is one of the few movies I have absolutely no problem with; in my opinion, everything about this movie is perfect. Here's the trailer, but if you haven't seen this, I suggest you wander to your local video store and pick up a copy tonight.

Oh yeah, and if you like my blog, please show me the love and click on my link for Humor Blogs. Every visit from here to www.humor-blogs.com counts as a vote!

Come Into My Room: Project Complete

2008-07-05T20:37:00.003-03:00

Well, one journey comes to an end. I apologise for neglecting this blog as of late, but I've finally got back into my blogging 'groove'. Rather than drag the cleaning of this room out for the next few weeks, however, I decided it was too much of a waste of time... it made little sense to divide the small amount that was left into three more features. So, as you can see, everything came together.

If you're disappointed about my decision to not go on and on about my bedroom for the next three Wednesdays, well, I'm sorry... for more reasons than one.

My study corner, art cabinet, and cedar chest are no longer cluttered and inaccesible. Although, I'm sure you've noticed I have bit of an unhealthy obsession with candles.

There has also been a huge improvement with the organisation of my bookshelves and entertainment centre. The rainbow flags are not exactly my choice of decor (I love them, but they're slightly loud for my room), but I don't have much else to use in place of the missing cabinet doors.

And, finally, everything has a spot. I'm still not too happy with the cheesy knick-knacks littering the shelves of my entertainment centre, but I will get to those as I find places for them. I am, however, in love with my 'coffee table'... drink tray and all! And, I found a nice home on the wall for my witch dagger. The dagger is actually the witch's hat... it pulls out!

I'm also quite thrilled with my 'spiritual corner' and my nightside table, but I felt no need to post pictures - some things must remain sacred and private.

I hope you all enjoyed your stay in my bedroom... check back for tomorrow's poll since I'll be giving the options for the next fiendish feature - it will be all up to you, folks!

If you like my blog, please show the love and click on this link for Humor Blogs. Every click-through to www.humor-blogs.com is a vote!

Shadow's Far-Out Corner of the Web Wins Arte y Pico Award

2008-07-02T23:42:00.004-03:00

A big thanks to Rob’s Megaphone for awarding me with the ‘Arte y Pico’ Award. I am quite honoured to be recognised by Rob's Megaphone, and I hope you visit him by clicking here.The rules of the Arte y Pico award require me to similarly award five noteworthy blogs, meaning this award is more viral and link-building, which is only a good thing.

I am very pleased to pay the pico forward. The five blogs to which I am awarding the Arte y Pico award, for their wonderful support and genuine blogtastic spirit are, in no particular order;

1. Crotchety Old Man Yells at Cars
2. Ivyology
3. Letters Home
4. Nanny Goats in Panties
5. Retail Hell(ish)

The Rules thanks to arteypico.blogspot.com:

Rules:

1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you copnsider deserve this award, creativity, design, interesting material, and also contrubuites to the blogger community, no matter of language.

2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award-winning, has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog thathas given her or him the ward itself.

4) Award-winning and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y pico”blog , so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5) To show these rules.

Oh yeah, and ff you like my blog, I'd like to see the love. Please click here to visit Humor Blogs - each click is a vote.

Happy Canada Day, ya idiots!

2008-07-01T16:17:00.004-03:00

I hope everyone is having a truly wonderful Canada Day... if you're not from Canada, well, sorry... I'm only giving my good wishes to fellow Canadians. Also, if you're not from Canada and got offended by that last comment, you must be an idiot... and I don't want idiots reading my blog anyway. Or at least, not just any idiot. The only idiots allowed here are Canadian idiots.

This being said, please enjoy this hilarious video: Canadian Idiot by Weird Al (at least, I hope that's who sings it... wouldn't I feel like an idiot if it wasn't?)

If you like my blog, I'd like to see the love. Please click here to visit Humor Blogs - each click is a vote.