• Do you depend on Gmail or Google Calendar? Did you know they’re not ready for production use yet?
• The Rockridge Institute, a progressive think tank (THE progressive think tank for many) abruptly closes its doors because there wasn’t enough money coming in. But as a part of their exit, the description of “The Big Job” to be done is compelling, and so life goes on.
• I love a good idea I’ve never heard of before, and this place has lots of them
• Can you survive for 24 hours without your computer? I didn’t think so.
• One of the best YouTube videos I’ve seen in a long time: An Engineer’s Guide to Cats
• The Palladium-Item will be updating its website this week – and once again wiping out any archive of past reader discussions in their forums. I can’t decide if this is a blessing or a shame, and it’s probably both. I hope the new beginning represents a new mode of conversation, but I won’t hold my breath.

Misty had a long life – upwards of 16 years – and was a wonderful companion throughout. I never thought of myself as a “cat person,” but I inherited her from other family members and she grew on me. She didn’t always have the warmest disposition when you encountered her at first – in recent years I think she had forgotten what her “nice meow” sounded like, so every entreaty or remark, even the happy ones, were done in the tone of a kitty with better places to be. But she made friends with strangers quickly, wasn’t afraid to look a little silly in the name of effective and comprehensive play-time, and always knew when it was time to cuddle up. And bless her heart for tolerating my experimentation with various gadgets that were meant to make her more comfortable – the automatic litterbox cleaner, the battery-powered timer-based feeding contraption, the elaborate windowsill lounging surface structures. I think she sensed my good intentions all along, even if she didn’t share my enthusiasm.

If you want, you can make a donation to 1-800-Save-A-Pet.com in honor of Misty – they help homeless pets all over North America to get adopted into loving homes like the one she had.

Goodbye, Misty.