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Weekend Poll: How much time do you spend on social networks?
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 5:53PM CST on January 28, 2010
If you're like most people I know, you are active in at least a couple of social networks. Facebook. Quadsville. Twitter. LinkedIn. MySpace. Ning. FourSquare.
You can keep listing. Those are more general social networks. There are specialized ones for fitness enthusiasts, parents, and any number of other interest groups. They can take over your life if you let them. How much time do you spend on the socnets? (Notice that the poll does not include a "None" option, because if you are here, you are on a social network. Fess up.) And have a great weekend, all!
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 4:27PM CST on January 27, 2010
I have not owned anything made by Apple since we got an Apple IIe when I was in grade school. But my inner techno-geek is whispering to me that the iPad is the coolest darn thing ever invented. Sadly, there's a louder voice shouting, "So why did they call it an 'iPad'?!"
Unfortunate branding aside, this thing looks pretty slick. You can check out all the features here, but the quick run down is that it is a netbook/iPod/e-book reader/GPS/PDA, and all for just under $500. Are you excited about this new device? Will you buy one?
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 3:17PM CST on January 27, 2010
The State of the Union Address is tonight at 8 p.m. Here are several things you could do to augment your State of the Union experience:
Chat live with QCTimes political reporter Ed Tibbetts. Play State of the Union BINGO. The whole family can get involved! Play State of the Union drinking games. 21 and up, please. And goodness there are many and several options. Any other suggestions? Don't forget, there's a Hulu viewer window in my previous post if you want to watch the speech online. Leave your comments below and tell me what you thought of the speech!
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 4:12PM CST on January 26, 2010
President Barack Obama will give the State of the Union address Wednesday at 8 p.m. Central. Most major networks will carry the address, as will public radio. You can also watch live video stream on http://www.whitehouse.gov/live. I've also embedded the Hulu stream for you.
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 3:22PM CST on January 25, 2010
Ah, tax season. The Feb. 1 deadline for employers to send out W-2s, 1099s, and other fun forms is but a week away. This year, I'm chomping at the bit to file my taxes. I'm usually an Oh-crap-it's-April! person when it comes to filing. But this year, I spent the first weekend of 2010 getting all my files in order, ready to set the TurboTax wheels in motion as soon as all my tax forms are in my hot little hands.
I just checked out 1040 Central on www.irs.gov to find out what were the major changes this year. What caught my eye was the option to get all or part of your refund as a U.S. Savings Bond. That might be a better option for me than just plunking some of my refund into my daughter's savings account. Other exciting changes include the first-time homebuyer tax credit and the ability to deduct charitable donations to Haiti made Jan. 11 through March 1of this year. Anyone else gearing up for taxes? When do you plan to file?
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 12:10PM CST on January 22, 2010
Tonight is Conan O'Brien's final night hosting "The Tonight Show." On Thursday, Conan and NBC signed an exit deal which will pay the host $32
million to walk away. An additional $12 million goes to laid-off producers and staff. The
move paves the way for Jay Leno’s return to 10:30 p.m. on March 1 after the Winter Olympics.
Until Sept. 1, Conan can't work elsewhere; he can't disparage NBC, appear on
other talk shows or do interviews. His signature comedy bits will die with his
career at NBC, which owns them.
Of course, the last few weeks' late-night wars have sent ratings through the roof for NBC, and other late-night hosts have gotten in on the act, most siding with Conan. Jimmy Kimmel took pot shots at Leno on Leno's own show. Letterman predicted the outcome of the battle on his show, with plenty of digs at "Jay 'Big Jaw' Leno." Fans show their support on Twitter with #teamconan hastags. And have you ever heard "Tonight Show" audiences go nuts like they did over the Bugatti Veyron Mouse? I know not everyone watches or gives a darn about late-night TV. I actually don't watch any TV anymore, but I've gone to the effort to watch clips from these shows this week online. My question for you this weekend is, with Conan off the air, who will be your late-night host of choice?
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 4:01PM CST on January 21, 2010
I live in Rock Island, where we always have school, ice ninjas or no ice ninjas.
But most other school districts have called off several days this school year. I grew up in a rural area, so I definitely understand why schools with rural populations or locations would cancel in weather like we've had this week. But I've also heard some grumbling about making up snow/ice days that could possibly have been late start days instead. What do you think? Are supers going soft? Or are they taking appropriate precautions?
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 4:51PM CST on January 20, 2010
This Sunday, we'll find out which two teams are heading to Miami for Super Bowl XLIV (that's a lot of Roman numerals). What match-up do you want to see on Feb. 7?
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 3:17PM CST on January 19, 2010
OK, that's sort of a tricky question to answer, thanks to globalization. Much is made of "Buying American," but many so-called American-made cars are assembled in plants in South America and contain parts manufactured in Asia, for example. While the Toyota I drive could have been made in the US.
So, I guess we're actually asking in what country are the main offices of the company that made your car located? See. Easy as driving an automatic. For discussion below: Do you consider the origin of the vehicle when shopping for a new car or are you more concerned with price and safety?
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 4:14PM CST on January 18, 2010
It's here. Girl Scout Cookie time. Your chance to stock up on all the Thin Mints and Caramel Delites you can handle (or freeze). I love Thin Mints from the freezer, but - like my dad and grandpa - I really love snacking on Peanut Butter Sandwiches and milk. My boyfriend would live on Caramel Delites if I let him.
What's your favorite Girl Scout Cookie? And to the moms and dads of Girl Scouts (and I'm one of them), best of luck to you and your girls during the cookie sale. The girls really learn some fantastic business skills from this.
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 10:40AM CST on January 15, 2010
This week's warm-up has slightly lowered the intensity of cabin fever in my household. But January is one of those months with long nights and cold days that can have people feeling a little claustrophobic by February.
What do you do to beat cabin fever?
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 4:31PM CST on January 14, 2010
The Loop will make its first rounds soon, connecting our Quad-City downtowns and the Village of East Davenport from 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. It's only $1 per ride or $3 for a 24-hour pass.
For me, this is a great addition to our public transit system. I think I will use it, especially when it gets a little warmer and the short walk from The District to my house won't mean frozen toes. I can see taking the bus from The District to downtown Davenport for Bucktown's Final Friday and then taking it home. This would have come in very handy a few years ago when I was organizing a couple bachelorette parties for friends. If you want to try it out for free, here's a coupon for a free ride. And if you are thinking this would be great for pub crawling, but you'd still have to drive home at the end of the night, check out these folks. I was intrigued by the concept of driving home a tipsy reveler AND their car. A regular old designated driver always works, too. So - Will you give The Loop a spin?
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 12:56PM CST on January 13, 2010
We're definitely bracing for it at the Times offices. Third, 4th and LeClaire streets will see heavy traffic during the morning and afternoon shift changes as traffic is rerouted to make the Government Bridge a one-way onto the island. The morning time won't affect me that much, except that I'll have to take the Centennial Bridge instead of the Arsenal, my usual route. But in the afternoon, just trying to get out of our parking lot could be a challenge.
Is the closure of the Moline Arsenal bridge - and the subsequent rerouting of traffic - going to affect your commute?
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 10:02AM CST on January 13, 2010
A new photo contest is up and running, this time with the theme: Family.
There are many images that evoke the concept and meaning of family, so dazzle me with your creativity and photo prowess. Remember, you cannot enter a portrait that was taken in a professional studio. You don't have the rights to that photo (even if you paid a lot of money for the prints). This needs to be a photo you took yourself. The winners, of which there will be three, will all receive a pair of Quad-City Mallards hockey tickets. You can submit photos until noon on Feb. 1. Voting begins immediately thereafter and runs through noon on Feb. 5. Don't forget to ask your friends and family to vote for your photo when the time comes. There's a nifty widget and some other tools on the contest site that help you get the word out and drum up votes. Good luck! I can't wait to see your photos!
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 2:11PM CST on January 12, 2010
Gas prices have been creeping up again, getting close to $3 a gallon. Remember when it was almost $4 a gallon? That spurred some people to get a more fuel-efficient vehicle or cut down on the driving. Did you make any changes?
Take the poll and then tell us about them below.
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 12:00PM CST on January 11, 2010
I don't know why I care about this so much, because my TV doesn't even function anymore (yay, digital TV - but that's another rant). But I have a nostalgic tie to Conan O'Brien, having watched him from his early days when I was in high school and college. And I was completely annoyed when he took over the "Tonight Show" - a deal that had been several years in the making - and instead of peacefully retiring, or going on to other endeavors, Jay Leno decided he needed to keep doing his un-funny show.
I ask you - When Johnny Carson handed the "Tonight Show" over to Leno, did he get another gig in an early time slot and jump up and down and say "Hey! Look at me! I'm still here!"? No. So what is Leno doing? And why is NBC letting him do it? NBC announced that when the Winter Olympics start in February, that will be the end of Jay Leno's primetime run. But there are rumors they will keep him and move him to a 30-minute slot at 10:30, pushing the "Tonight Show" and "Late Night" back a half hour. Seems to me that won't solve the ratings nightmare brought on by Leno, causing a near revolt from affiliate stations that were ready to preempt him. But what do I know? I'm obviously not being counted in the Nielsen ratings anymore. What do you think NBC should do with its late night lineup? And are you with me on the Leno thing? Or do you like his show? Feel free to argue with me below.
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 1:25PM CST on January 8, 2010
Passwords. They are the key to our very existence, it seems. E-mail logins, debit card pin numbers, keyless entry systems, office computer passwords, not to mention all the Web site logins for personal and work use... and they just keep piling up! Security experts tell us not to use the same password for everything. But seriously - how many can one person remember? How many passwords do you have bouncing around in your brain? Anyone have any tips for remembering them, coming up with secure passwords, or other tricks to navigate the "open sesame" system?
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 12:18PM CST on January 8, 2010
They gave me chills, but in a good way.
The 32 entries in our Winter Wonderland photo contest were some of the best submissions we’ve received this year. I thank every one of you who took the time to enter and had the skill to capture these moments of ice cold beauty in our Quad Cities. Special congratulations, however, are due to our three winners: Steven Novak of Rock Island (Mayor’s Choice); Glen Marten of Davenport (Kevin’s Pick); and Nick Bennett of Eldridge (Quadsvillagers’ Choice).
“I shot this last February at sunrise on that extremely cold day when the temp was near 40 below zero with wind chill,” Novak wrote. “No edits were applied to this image.” To me, this photo captures the duel between the majestic, and sometimes cruel, forces of our Mississippi River environment and the well-engineered structures we build to conquer them.
If you enjoyed these photos, you’ll want to click here to see the rest of the entries. We’ll start another photo contest Monday, so get ready!
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 2:28PM CST on January 7, 2010
In some circles, this is a great debate. Is it twenty ten or is it two-thousand ten? Some people on the Interwebs are calling it "twen-ten." Personally, that last option makes me gag a little. But to each his own.
So how will you refer to the year 2010?
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 12:59PM CST on January 7, 2010
I really need your help this time, everyone. There are 32 top-notch photos entered in the Winter Wonderland photo contest and the voting closes at noon tomorrow. Winners in three categories will get a pair of Mallards tickets. Our photo editor Kevin Schmidt has already made his decision for the Kevin's Pick Award. I've got to narrow down my options for Mayor's Pick. But what I need from all of you is a vote in the Quadsvillagers' Choice category.
Yes, you do have to register to vote. It's a different log in system than Quadsville on the contest engine. But once you've done it, you can use that log in to enter or vote in any of our contests (and I'm sure we will have our 2nd annual Oscar Pool coming up soon). I'm so happy to have so many amazing entries this time around, so let's show our appreciation for these talented photographers and vote for our favorites. You can also leave comments on the photos. Thanks so much!
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 4:23PM CST on January 6, 2010
If you read that question and heard a certain baritone voice in your head, then you've likely guessed the inspiration for this poll. I limit it to the wallet/billfold/pocketbook unit rather than expanding to the larger "purse" because, dear goodness, that list could go on forever.
Below are some of the more common things found in wallets. Check as many as apply. Then share in the comments the most unique or unusual thing in your wallet. For me, it is a laminated, pressed four-leaf clover. It was a gift one Christmas from Coggie, my stepdad's mom, who I never met in person before she died. But I've carried it in my wallet since I got it. I'm not a terribly superstitious person. But I also believe one can never have too much luck. ;-) So... what's in your wallet?
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 4:03PM CST on January 5, 2010
While many people are just happy to have a job in this economy, a new national poll shows that only 45 percent of those employed are satisfied with their jobs.
How about you? Are there things you would change about your job?
Posted by: Mayor Melissa at 3:49PM CST on January 4, 2010
I'm back from my vacation and I hope the welcome here in Quadsville is warmer than the temperatures I returned to. A 40 degree difference in one day is quite a shock to the system. But, it's the Midwest. I sucked it up and went for a run on New Year's Day outside, despite the proclamation from a neighbor that I was "nuts."
And speaking of running, how's your car or truck doing in this frigid weather? One of my coworkers told me his car doesn't do anything except maybe go in reverse for a few feet when it gets below 15 degrees. I don't know if there is a cold limit to electronic transmissions, but my Prius hasn't failed me yet (knock on wood) and I have to leave her parked out on my icy street. Do you take any special precautions to make sure your vehicle is ready to go when you are in the winter?
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