Do you know that most people in "developing" countries use their phones for Internet access? I read that somewhere and I at once was astounded and understood it.

Yep. And a number of public health applications are being developed to take advantage of the increasing ubiquity of cell signals. Diagnostic tools, education apps, etc. There's a program called mSakhi that provides counseling information to community health workers in some of the poorer Indian states to improve their work with pregnant women and newborns. [link] The mHealth Alliance is working with frontline health workers in a number of developing countries to provide information, education, and support via cell phones: [link]

NB: My org's involved with the initiatives linked above, so I'm prejudiced in their favor.

Lancome Rouge Saint Honore: [link]

I got out of the house! This is a major accomplishment considering how I felt most of today. I even went down and chatted at the yarn shop. I don't think I'm going to the knitting group tonight, but it was nice to chat one on one with someone. Also went to the library and to Rite Aid to use up the last of my gift card from their mistakes.

It snowed here and I ended up walking back in the snow but it was nice.

Does anybody know a good lip shade that would work well alongside OPI's Got the Blues for Red? That's totally my favorite blue-toned red, and I think I would rock that lip color, but I don't know where to start looking.

NARS Scarlet Empress.

Thanks, guys, will check them out.

Both Ellie and Frisco see a therapist and because of some insurance changes, there are about $300 per kid outstanding to the office. I just sent a really nice email to everyone involved, including their father, that, per our parenting agreement, all medical expenses over $250, including deductibles and copays, are to be split 50/50. I then gave them my credit card number to charge my half. How much so we want to bet that this will become *an issue*.

I decided not to take the two dogs from the friend of a friend. If my landlord is even slightly hesitant about it, I don't want to adopt them and then have that become an issue.

Sorry for killin the thread! ION, it's snowing! Like crazy!! I could hardly see coming home!!!

We got snow up here too. Made CJ drive in it. Seems to have stopped for now though. Not looking like tomorrow will be a snow day.

This is me, being the woman who doesn't constantly talk about being engaged:

I have to say this here, because if I say it anywhere else, people will get honked off. THANK YOU for no one responding to news of my engagement with "About time!" Because even if you stick an "LOL" on the end of it, you're still deciding what's acceptable for MY RELATIONSHIP, and that's not okay. Every single person who has responded that way has been thisclose to a hearty FUCK YOU.

(All that said, I admit that my OWN reaction to the proposal was "About time!" But you know what? It's MY relationship, and therefore *I* get to decide what's acceptable. Because that's how relationships work.)

I know that people who said it probably just thought they were being cute or funny, but it actually REALLY pisses me off.

(Also, my aunt is the most tactless person on the planet, and said on FB that my grandma had to wait *43 YEARS* to see her daughter get married, OMG! So I replied "You DO know I'll be 42 by the time we get married, right?" And she said, "Well, Grandma would just be thrilled to see you FINALLY get married." Seriously, she has zero tact. She has less than zero tact; she's a tact black hole.)

t edit Or am I just being a raging bitch and not being gracious about receiving congratulations?