I spotted this article on the Internet on the BBC Online site the other day. I've seen it written up or quoted in other locations, as well. It's exciting, and it makes sense. What it says, in a nutshell, is that using the Internet to access information is much more stimulating to the brain than simple reading. The brains tested were older adult brains, specifically looking for things that would provide greater stimulus to slow brain degeneration.

Some of you know one of the eventual aims of avatars is portability. Before that, however, comes the ubiquity of multiple avatars in multiple environments, and the need to manage them. Just like multiple email accounts or use of multiple Instant Message (IM) tools, eventually one either loses track of them all, or finds a utility to manage them.

Crafting a Guide is interesting work. It's both complex and simple. It involves artistry to some degree, in layout as well as in prose. It's got to speak to the majority of the users, but presumably cannot be pedantic. It has to be timely, focused, and in-depth. To create a book, as I did with a co-author in 2001, was to have endless discussions on order, significance, and language. We also had considerable flux about whether we wanted to license the artwork or create our own, use screen captures or line drawings, and even what art to include.

Getting balance can sometimes be difficult, sometimes easy. Sometimes it's just a matter of deciding what is important, and what one needs to counterbalance some challenges or situations. A good work/life balance is very important for good emotional, mental and physical health.

Today, as I was sweeping outside, I noticed a returned visitor. During the summer, in June, my younger child adopted a little green tree frog that had come to rest on the kids' wading pool. It kept returning, day after day, from across the street. It seemed to like clinging to the side of the pool, and didn't mind being handled a fair amount. The kids took it in, did their research, fed it and watered it and gave it a home. A few weeks later, in July, the frog started to discolor a bit. It worried them, and they decided, reluctantly, that it should be free to be healthy.

There are adages that deal with the idea of keeping in touch. There are sayings, admonishments, truisms and advice all about keeping your friends, and making new ones. Sometimes, we fail to appreciate how very much our adult life parallels certain lessons we got when we were but children. Keeping in touch with your friends is one of them.

This is a beautiful time of year, here in Minnesota. The fall leaves are starting to turn, beginning with a few shy reds and some brilliant golds. The quality of the light changes as the sun's angle recedes and penetrates more atmosphere in the evenings. Even the sudden rains only highlight the special, golden quality of fall, making the bark of the trees darken and reflecting the brilliance of the leaves more vibrantly when the sun returns.

Communication is key. We all know that, we all try to do that, and sometimes communication breaks down. It's the way the world works, and we can be good at it and still have it sometimes fall flat. So how do we ensure the communication flows? Here are some hints for good communication management:

I think everyone has had one of those times where a flavor they were expecting wasn't the one they got. In this case, I was trying a new flavor of Hershey's Kisses marketed in our area. They are seasonal varieties, and I'm pretty sure that Hershey's is testing them in a lot of markets, if indeed they're a test and not just straight-to-market.

The flavors I bought to try (and for my family to evaluate:
* Candy Corn (yes, kisses flavored, wrapped, and looking like the candy)
* Pumpkin Pie (how in the world could they do this, I wondered)

This website will be undergoing some restructuring. Because it is written in Drupal, which is an open-source layered web tool, I expect it may take me a while to get it right. Bear with me. The wiki for Drupal states quite clearly that it has a "steep learning curve." Any Drupal users are quite welcome to give me suggestions or advice. :)

Take care, all. Enjoy the fall, preferably without the colds or flu that can sometimes gang up on us this time of year.