1. Coming up with ideas.
2. Coming up with a great idea for a Thursday Thirteen in the middle of the night, and forgetting it by morning.
3. Realizing at 11:59 pm on a Thursday that I’ve forgotten to do a Thursday Thirteen.
4. Coming up with all 13 items for the list.
5. Being interrupted when my train of thought is producing ideas just perfectly.
6. Typing one idea and losing the next as you type.
7. Having a great idea fizzle out.
8. Seeing someone else do my idea first.
9. Saying “Why didn’t I think of that?” over and over.
10. Getting distracted, walking away from a Thursday Thirteen post, only to realize you didn’t finish hours later.
11. Trying to make each one unique from the others I’ve done.
12. Coming up with that last idea, come on, where is it?
13. Writing a random last item just to get done.

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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There’s a story on the Newsweek website about Norman Borlaug. He’s someone you probably haven’t heard of, but considering his accomplishments, you should have.

He’s only saved the lives of an estimated 1 billion people. Indirectly, of course, not personally. He has also received the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. He’s one of only  five people to ever do that.

His work isn’t glamorous. What he has done is to improve farming techniques in poor countries. His planting and soil conservation techniques have helped farmers in many poor countries.

Technorati Tags: Norman Borlaug

I love the concept of the Clocky Robotic Alarm Clock. An alarm clock that you can’t keep hitting snooze on.

The rules are simple. You can set it to allow you to hit the snooze once. The next time the clock goes off, it wheels off your dresser and just keeps going until you catch it. Seems like a great way to force yourself out of bed. Read the rest of this entry »

I remember my mother reading The Giving Tree to me as a kid. I look back now and that book seems really weird some ways. Talk about giving your all.

Now there’s Treegivers.com to allow you to give a tree. They suggest giving a tree for special events, such as birthdays, weddings, holidays and of course memorials.

It’s an interesting concept for the environmentalist among your friends or family, but one that would probably frustrate some people. You don’t know where your tree gets planted exactly, although you can select a state. No identification marks the tree or anything else, so the recipient won’t get to visit the tree. Generally these are planted in areas they aren’t encouraging the public to visit anyhow, in order to encourage natural growth.

Obviously this is not a gift for just anyone. But some people will tremendously appreciate the thought and the gesture of having a tree planted. You just have to know what they will love.

Technorati Tags: plant a tree, trees, gift, gifts

I found it interesting to read that it now appears that certain species of dinosaurs roamed the Earth at the same time as their ancestral species.

Now, researchers report in the journal Science they have evidence from northern New Mexico that dinosaurs and their precursor species coexisted for tens of millions of years.

This is an interesting demonstration of how evolution works. It’s not always a new species replacing an old one. Sometimes the old one is doing well enough to stick around, despite the divergence in its population to the point that some are an entirely different species.

It makes sense to me. A species does not just evolve into one other species. If it did, we wouldn’t have the sheer range of life around now. It can evolve into multiple species, depending on the conditions each face, and yet the original species may still be viable.

Technorati Tags: evolution, dinosaurs

One of the great things about the internet is the amount of information it makes available to you. Another is the number of people you can meet.

When you have chronic health issues, this can be a big plus. While you do have to sort through all kinds of incorrect information, you can also learn about possible treatments and how other people are coping when you meet them online.

This is what sites like med3q are all about. It’s a new site, and the idea is that people with chronic health issues and doctors can join and discuss things, anonymously if that is your preference. There are advantages, such as the extra information, but also the disadvantage that you still need to confirm that you are indeed receiving accurate information. But that’s a part of your doctor’s job; to help you make these important decisions. You’re helping yourself by making sure you know all the alternatives to discuss, even if some aren’t what you thought.

There are advantages for both medical professionals and patients on med3q. Doctors can get current information and business advice. Patients can meet other people with their condition and maybe talk to some of the doctors on the site, if they’re willing. There’s also information for patients.

I’ve always known you have to be careful about the information you get online, espeically medical information. But networking with people going through what you’re going through, who have dealt with it differently, opens up new paths for you and your doctor to explore. That can be a very good thing.