robin tooms

Of course, having a blog means that you have to have something to write about. Since Christmas break, its just been so much work, which doesn’t leave much time for other activities. A typical day: wake at 5:30, leave for work at 6:45, start work at 7:30, leave work at 6:30, home at 7:15, eat, watch a show, back working by 9:00, go to bed a 12, lather, rinse, repeat all over again the next day. So, that’s why I’ve been so quiet.

My husband is a huge Blade Runner fan, and the anniversary edition with five different cuts of the movie (yes, five) arrived last week in a fancy case. I hadn’t seen the movie in quite a while, so it was cool to watch it again. The one thing that really struck me was the year. The movie opens with a black title screen letting you know that the year is 2019… oh, how so far away that must have seemed when this was written, but how close that feels now. I doubt in 2019 we’ll have androids and flying cars, but it got me thinking again about progress. What is progress, really? I was reminded of this book “Where’s my Jetpack?”

Now, it was pointed out to me that in the movie, they used keycards to open locked doors, just like you do know in hotel rooms today, so that’s progress, I suppose… considering that probably wasn’t around 20 years ago…

And just to make my husband happy (because he won’t like this post), I also came across this Flying Car short film by Kevin Smith, so please watch it!

I have to thank my brother-in-law for a great Christmas gift… I got a card saying that he had donated money in my name. No one has ever actually done that for me as a gift before, and it actually felt really good. It was a gift of giving, which was the best I could have hoped for.

In light of recent events, you should check out your state. This is just a simple visualization, but worth a look, and it links to the Federal Highway Administration

http://services.alphaworks.ibm.com/manyeyes/view/SIk76IsOtha6dCkYUnU8I2-

For those of you who have never seen the local news in Houston, Marvin Zindler was an “over the top” news reporter who focused on consumer fraud. While he was known to like the limelight (and dress for it), I do think that he truly helped thousands of people during his life and left an indelible mark on Houston. Thank you Marvin!

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5009906.html

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an 8GB iPhone today. It’s definitely very cool as it stands now, and from what I’ve been reading, will be even better once additional applications are developed for it. I’ve been a treo user for several years, and while there are some applications on there I already miss, it’s hard not to love the iPhone. :)

Activation went very smooth. The most difficult part was calling Sprint to get my old phone removed from our family plan. Now, I have to get all of my contacts and calendar setup in iCal and the AddressBook so that I can sync everything properly. Feels a little out of sorts right now, but I know in a week everything will be back to normal.

I was on a this flight to Miami and noticed that the man to my right was reading the Bible. I don’t really have a problem with this, but It’s not normally what I think of as “airplane reading”. Later, I noticed the woman on my left was reading a book called “Home with God”. Needless to say, I felt pretty safe. I’m sure these two people both prayed for a safe flight at some point in the day.

Sounds a little corny, right? But true. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, I’ve personally witnessed people at their best – being helpful and giving. Maybe it’s because I live in Houston, where we realize we may be next… or maybe it’s because this is a post 9/11 world where it’s easier to mobilize people together for one common good. I was reminded of that too, since there are so many specials on TV today – seeing it still moves me even after all this time. I also read an article the other day in the Wall Street Journal, reminding everyone of the last natural disaster of this scale in the US – the “dust bowl” that wiped out many farmers in the 30’s. The “environmental refugees” of this era did not get help, and most were not welcome in the new cities they called home. I am grateful that things seem a little different now, that those from New Orleans and Gulfport have a better chance to find new lives – wherever they want to go.