Grab bag of links

1. How one reader uses haggling techniques to save big bucks -- a few haggling strategies that seem to make sense, even here in North America.

2. Computer and desk stretches (video) -- a three-and-a-half-minute video with timed, illustrated stretches you can do at your desk. It hits most of the upper body. The site recommends doing these stretches once an hour, though that might be impractical if your boss doesn't want you looking at YouTube videos.

3. Surviving (and thriving) on $12,000 a year (and a follow-up article from a year later) -- the author choses to go back to school and faces a huge income cut. It's a nice reminder that it's possible to live without a huge salary.

4. Guide to kosher imaginary animal -- Hippocamps aren't kosher. Neither are dragons. Go check out the list of more imaginary animals and whether they're kosher (mostly the answer is "no").

5. Find work worth doing -- the difference between work (worth doing, regardless of income) and a job (done only to get money).

6. A piece of paradise -- very cool site! Go check this one out! Someone divided various climates and areas of the earth into "pie slices." Well worth the 30 seconds it takes to check out the 6 pictures.

How to be a great forum- or email-based roleplayer

A few days ago, I started roleplaying on a forum-based game called The Continuum. I've only written five in-character posts, but I've already been complimented on my writing style. Browsing over the old forum posts, I've been thinking a lot about what makes separates exceptional forum-based roleplayers from the rest of the pack. Here's what I've come up with.

Please note: this is very long (about 1800 words). I don't expect everyone to read it, and I'm mostly doing this as a dry run before maybe convincing someone else (nudge, nudge, terheyt) to post it on the forums for me.

( 1. Write right! Right? (Spelling, punctuation, and grammar) )

( 2. Let your words speak (word choice) )

( 3. Follow the yellow brick story (free-form roleplaying) )

Okay, thus ends our venture into "good vs. great" forum-based roleplaying. Thank you for reading, and hopefully this will make your writing (whether forum-based, email-based, or simple fiction) more compelling.

Razors -- and a highly irrational phobia

I shave with an electric razor. Apparently, my razor chose today to die, after a long and extended death. It runs, but you can hear the motor struggling to keep up as it touches my skin, and it doesn't really take off much hair anymore. Now, I know I haven't been kind to it. I often go a long time without shaving, especially in the winter, so it's got a lot of hair to work through sometimes. Like I said, I haven't been kind to it.

However, I want shaved legs, and my current razor just isn't cutting it right now. Also, I can't afford a new electric one quite yet (give me a month or two).

Why, you might ask, don't I just get myself a regular, non-electric razor and be done with it? And here I have a confession: when I was at sleep-away camp, back when I was around 12, one of my cabin-mates decided to try shaving her legs. Though I really can't tell whether my memory is accurate or not anymore, I distinctly remember that she got a gash all the way up her shin that didn't stop bleeding for three days, and she needed to be taken to the hospital. In reality, it probably wasn't as bad as I remember, but it's a vivid image that's stuck with me.

I know that cutting yourself shaving isn't particularly common, at least not to that extent. (Little nicks, maybe.) But I have this fear of getting myself a razor and slicing my leg open.

Stupid phobias...

That was unexpected

On an up-note, I just found out that I'm one of only 2 students (out of 41 total) who got an A+ in my macroeconomics course. Given how much I utterly abhorred that class, and how badly I thought I did on the final, this is an unexpected, pleasant surprise. I *still* loathe macroeconomics, but at least I can beat them at their own game. Ha, so there!

In an unrelated note, I'm really nervous about starting my new job tomorrow, even though it's in an area much closer to my major strengths and skills. Wish me luck, please!