http://www.aneclecticmind.com Web site and blog for Maria Langer, freelance writer, commercial helicopter pilot, and serious amateur photographer. Thu, 24 May 2012 23:31:12 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/05/17/taking-a-stand-against-the-full-body-backscatter-x-ray/ http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/05/17/taking-a-stand-against-the-full-body-backscatter-x-ray/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 23:12:11 +0000 Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/?p=7684 Stand up for our rights. You can make a difference. I'm an American and I value my rights. Because of this, I arrive at the airport an extra 15 minutes early and do my part to protest the use of this ineffective, unnecessary, and possibly harmful intrusion of my privacy and violation of my rights. If you care about your rights, you'll do the same. Continue reading →]]> http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/05/17/taking-a-stand-against-the-full-body-backscatter-x-ray/feed/ 0 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/02/09/on-unfair-reviews/ http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/02/09/on-unfair-reviews/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:27:18 +0000 Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/?p=7560 They destroy morale and businesses. No one benefits from unfair reviews. Continue reading →]]> http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/02/09/on-unfair-reviews/feed/ 2 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/02/02/who-is-your-website-designed-for/ http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/02/02/who-is-your-website-designed-for/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:53:21 +0000 Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/?p=7549 Your visitors or your advertisers? I can't imagine trashing up a site so badly with ads that it drives potential visitors away. Continue reading →]]> http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/02/02/who-is-your-website-designed-for/feed/ 4 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/02/01/trader-joes-and-the-rise-of-the-lazy-stupid-consumer/ http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/02/01/trader-joes-and-the-rise-of-the-lazy-stupid-consumer/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:17:38 +0000 Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/?p=7546 How stupid, lazy, and wasteful have we become? There can be no better example of how far we've sunk than the Guacamole Kit. Continue reading →]]> http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/02/01/trader-joes-and-the-rise-of-the-lazy-stupid-consumer/feed/ 6 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/01/19/strike-is-over-for-now/ http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/01/19/strike-is-over-for-now/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:17:41 +0000 Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/?p=7527 An Eclectic Mind and Maria's Guides are back online. Continue reading →]]> http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/01/19/strike-is-over-for-now/feed/ 0 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/01/15/a-third-party-worth-considering-in-2012/ http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/01/15/a-third-party-worth-considering-in-2012/#comments Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:15:31 +0000 Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/?p=7517 Now this is a third-party candidate that makes sense. Some food for thought from the great white north. Continue reading →]]> http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2012/01/15/a-third-party-worth-considering-in-2012/feed/ 0 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/21/how-the-u-s-postal-service-can-save-itself/ http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/21/how-the-u-s-postal-service-can-save-itself/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:57:36 +0000 Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/21/how-the-u-s-postal-service-can-save-itself/ Five tips for avoiding bankruptcy/bailout. I've come up with five ideas that the USPS can utilize immediately to cut costs and increase revenues. What are they waiting for? Continue reading →]]> http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/21/how-the-u-s-postal-service-can-save-itself/feed/ 3 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/15/dealing-with-trolls/ http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/15/dealing-with-trolls/#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:15:56 +0000 Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/15/dealing-with-trolls/ A few comments from experience. Here's how to "fight back" against Internet trolling. Continue reading →]]> http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/15/dealing-with-trolls/feed/ 5 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/09/why-im-avoiding-facebook-again/ http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/09/why-im-avoiding-facebook-again/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:25:59 +0000 Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/09/why-im-avoiding-facebook-again/ It's mostly disappointment and frustration. Continue reading →]]> http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/09/why-im-avoiding-facebook-again/feed/ 3 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/07/occupy-wall-street/ http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/07/occupy-wall-street/#comments Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:02:39 +0000 Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/07/occupy-wall-street/ I'll voice my own opinion through the words of others. Discussion of a few blog posts that pretty much echo my sentiments about the Occupy Wall Street movement. Continue reading →]]> http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/07/occupy-wall-street/feed/ 2 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/05/just-because-you-went-to-college-doesnt-mean-youre-entitled-to-a-job/ http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/05/just-because-you-went-to-college-doesnt-mean-youre-entitled-to-a-job/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:05:04 +0000 Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/05/just-because-you-went-to-college-doesnt-mean-youre-entitled-to-a-job/ The Occupy movement and jobs. A video with some commentary that's likely to be very unpopular. Continue reading →]]> http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/05/just-because-you-went-to-college-doesnt-mean-youre-entitled-to-a-job/feed/ 8 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/03/elance/ http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/03/elance/#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:12:45 +0000 Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/03/elance/ What a freaking waste of time. If you need a "designer" that leans heavily on clipart for his designs, Elance might just be the solution. Continue reading →]]> http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/11/03/elance/feed/ 32 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/10/23/adopting-charlie/ http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/10/23/adopting-charlie/#comments Sun, 23 Oct 2011 22:04:03 +0000 Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/10/23/adopting-charlie/ The state of dog adoption in Arizona … and elsewhere? It shouldn't be necessary to spend weeks jumping hurdles when great dogs are homeless and need your love. Continue reading →]]> http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/10/23/adopting-charlie/feed/ 13 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/10/21/this-is-what-i-mean-about-coupon-deals-hurting-small-business/ http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/10/21/this-is-what-i-mean-about-coupon-deals-hurting-small-business/#comments Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:43:41 +0000 Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/10/21/this-is-what-i-mean-about-coupon-deals-hurting-small-business/ Customers think we're so desperate for business that they won't buy without a discount. My latest rant against Groupon and its clones. Continue reading →]]> http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/10/21/this-is-what-i-mean-about-coupon-deals-hurting-small-business/feed/ 11 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/10/14/your-poorly-written-communication-is-not-cute/ http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/10/14/your-poorly-written-communication-is-not-cute/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:42:35 +0000 Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/10/14/your-poorly-written-communication-is-not-cute/ Capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and spelling -- it's pretty basic stuff. I'm trying to determine whether some of the people who contact me via blog comments and email are illiterate or trying to be cute. Continue reading →]]> http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/10/14/your-poorly-written-communication-is-not-cute/feed/ 4