I've lately been using some of the online training available at lynda.com, and boy, is it good.

"The question is do you want to play Russian roulette with your brain."

"The second-largest US city behind New York, Los Angeles, with its four million population, will ban plastic bagging in all supermarkets, grocery and retail stores."

What's old is new again: Windmills in the Netherlands.

Zimbabwe is rapidly becoming a nation of trillionaires.

[Photo: Crabbing Under the Clouds]

[Photo: Crab bucket]

[Photo: Bait String]

"Catfish farmers across the South, unable to cope with the soaring cost of corn and soybean feed, are draining their ponds."

You are probably wealthy!

If you have been worried over how the recent twists in the economy are affecting you, it might be useful to remember just how rich you are. (And a grateful tip of the hat to Ron for pointing me to this.)

"I think there is some silver lining here in higher gas prices in that we will see a public health gain."

If you know someone who claims to have been in Yankee Stadium on July 4, you just might be able to check for yourself.

Bit.ly is a cool new URL shortening service, explained here. You even have a shot at making your own short URL; for instance, bit.ly/ourhouse.

Well, this would be a good reason to learn Russian.

Where you can still visit the Twin Towers.

[Photo: One Gal Two Guys]

Lost Book Club.

[Photo: Filled Windows With Gauge]

[Photo: Blue Trimmed Door]

"It was tremendously monotonous."

"Apparently, all the publicity surrounding the ongoing investigation into alleged underage marriage among members of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) on a Texas ranch has created some serious demand for prairie dresses."

Google image search: lightning.jpg.

Higher prices?

Inflation? Not necessary! Prices are already high!

How New York's High Line will look.

Bad stuff about flip-flops.

"A ballpark organist is part of the unobtrusive background of baseball, or used to be, until most were quietly silenced by time and outsourced by recorded music."

If you don't want to go outside for a long, long, time, click into popurls.com.

Chill beer or soda in minutes.

Batman is coming

Will the new Batman movie be the 2008 summer film that finally doesn't disappoint?

"The cup she had been drinking tea from was still on a table next to the chair she had been sitting in and the house was full of things no one had seen for decades."

Stirring collection of pix from Iowa floods of 2008.

"Some BLM employees and many locals had known that there were dinosaur bones to be found near Hanksville. But the recent dig led by scientists from the Burpee Museum of Natural History in Rockford, Illinois, was still a shocker."

"This was a very frenzied attack on timid and gentle livestock who have a strong sense of family."

[Photo: Suburban Paradise]

[Photo: The Earth Always Wins]

[Photo: Night Fountain]

[Photo: Prairie King Snake]

[Photo: June Clouds and Cane]

My friend Harvey pointed me to this: "The Grand Tour in York is a celebration of great art and beautiful buildings brought together in the historic capital of the north."

[Photo: Fierce Dance]