I can't say I've ever felt the urge to move to the States and embrace all things south of the border. Until Now.

Palm to Offer Pre, other devices for Free

You  have to be a US resident and over 18. I'd love to test one of their new devices, especially since I've been keeping an eye on the Pre for a while now but Palm is not sending any love to it's northern neighbours. Darnitall. I figured I'd post in case anyone who's reading and is a US resident might want to try their luck and getting a free smartphone for 6 months.

Srsly. Check it out. I nearly peed my pants.

What on earth were the powers that be thinking when they approved an application that allows users to shake babies?  With a description like "On a plane, on the bus, in a theatre. Babies are everywhere you don't want them to be." one can only imagine that the folks approving apps at Apple must be rabidly childfree. No doubt the app generated a few snickers but the reality is that child abuse is not funny in any way, shape or form and for a company like Apple to trivialize child abuse is abhorrent.  Maybe I'm not cool enough to get it since I'm not an Apple fangirl but it seems like a pretty dumb move from a marketing point of view. Maybe Apple thinks that all those kids using their products bought them themselves? It makes me wish I could get a refund on my iPod Touch just based on principle.

I wonder what other kinds of apps Apple will be approving now that they've shown their sensitivity to vulnerable groups. Would a "Punch Out A Pop Star" app be available in the Apple store soon? How about "Kick the Gimp" or "Steal Granny's Groceries and Leave her Lying in the Gutter" app? I bet those would be a big hit.

Epic fail.

So April is autism awareness month. I'm all good with awareness. Given the staggering numbers of diagnoses in recent years I think it's something people should at least be familiar with. Rather than post my own thoughts and opinions on a topic that is very close to home for me I'd like to offer this video instead. I think Amanda's message is very poignant and needs to be heard by everyone. She speaks, I believe, not only on behalf of individuals with autism but also for anyone who has a disability. And, yes, you have to get past the singing at the beginning to hear the message but I believe it is worth it.

It's so easy to become mired in living day to day. We reduce ourselves to just getting through the next minute, hour, day and not recognizing the things in our lives we should embrace and be grateful for. Gratitude is so important. Whether it's gratitude for the new green blades of grass that are starting to sprout up everywhere around here or the fact that I have a wonderful family. While life is not without it's challenges (how boring would it be if that weren't the case?) I feel it is important for me to be grateful. Every day.

In no particular order I am grateful for:

• Those fresh, brave little blades of grass that dare to poke through the brown mush left behind by winter. They may be stopped in their tracks any day by one deep overnight frost but they push through anyway. I need to strive to be more like those blades of grass.
• My job. I'm not a CEO or high profile executive. I could be, but instead I choose to work in service to others who do things I feel are important for others who need it. I work in service to people who truly care about what they do and who they do it for. They make a very real, measurable and lasting difference in people's lives. By extension I do the same. I hope I never lose sight of how important my mundane job really is in the grand scheme of things. Helping is important.
• My family and all of our blessings. I'm not a religious person in the least but I do feel we are blessed. We've had our challenges and continue to struggle at times but we have a home to live in, food to eat, clothing to wear. We live in a decent neighbourhood and my kids are lucky to go to a decent school. We love one another no matter what and remain wholly committed to each other.
• The sun that came up today. I'm writing this as the first morning light is coming through the window. Happiness.
• My parents. Even though I'm an adult approaching middle age my parents are still such an important part of my life. They are always willing to help but have difficulty accepting help. They're at an age where health concerns are cropping up and they do need help with various things. I'm grateful I have an opportunity to show them in a real way that I appreciate them and will see them through.
• Spring. It comes every year but it's different each time. I look forward to seeing what surprises this spring holds. It always amazes me and I know this year will not disappoint.

MY LIFE. IT DOES NOT SUCK.