Driving here can be quite unsettling at times, heh, because people do such unpredictable things. I’ve never seen anything like it, anywhere else. You end up going on the assumption that everyone’s going to do something stupid, and learn to allow for it, I suppose. Madness.

Anyway, Get Smart! I actually thought it was good. I was a bit wary going in because I’d read something somewhere about Anne Hathaway and Steve Carrell being more like parent and child in their chemisty than romantically involved, but I actually didn’t think so at all! I thought it was totally believeable. I was pleasantly surprised!

The story was ludicrously hilarous, there were definitely those can’t-stop-laughing moments. Completely unrealistic, of course, but exactly what you’d want from this kind of movie. It moved quickly enough that it didn’t get old/repetitive/exactly like every other movie like this, ever. There were a few nifty twists and details, too. It’s worth seeing!

I just want something small, preferably a manual, reliable, easy to park (like my old car) and cute. I’m definitely excited to be able to drive places, it’ll make getting around so much easier and quicker (this country seems to be made for drivers - which, of course, it is). And hey, there’s always that feeling of loyalty and alliance to whatever make/model of car you go for (everything from keyrings to online resources and forums/social networking sites like ItsMyNissan.com).

I miss just the simple procedure of driving. Thate state-of-mind you get into, when you’re not concentrating on anything but driving. The utter procedural motions you go through - the way you can switch off to everything else.

I actually found driving an automatic scarier than a manual, because I think not having control over the gears, and not having the possibility of having to change gear at any moment, lets you switch off in a way that’s not safe. That’s my new theory on why drivers in America are so notorious. Also, the automatic I drove was very strange on any kind of an incline… and it felt exactly like a manual would if you were in a gear too high(/not powerful enough) for the situation. Very strange!

I’ll stick to my good ol’ clutch and handbrake, I think!

Why might you want more exposure? To earn more, I suppose, from all those paid blogging programmes. Better opportunities, more money. The more widely-known and better-read your site is, the more advertisers are willing to pay for space on it. And just to connect with a wider community… to sell more, if you’re site sells products, to get more opinions if it’s a forum or feedback site. Diversity, and all that!

To be honest, I’ve never been a big one for putting my site in link systems and trying to build up visitors or my hit statistics. I don’t really assume many people are that interested in my own mundane musings. But I can definitely see how these would be invaluable tools for, say, corportate websites or websites that focus on revenue-generation as opposed to random and often meaningless self-expression. Still, it’s nice to feel you’re reaching people.

Of course, there are lots of ways to supplement your income. Starting an on-the-side online business, selling things with ecommerce software, is easier than ever now. People have their whole careers online now, selling anything with online shopping cart software. It’s a bit of a foreign concept to me, because I thrive on the person-to-person contact and the raw interactions I have every day, but in terms of simply earning money by any means, if definitely makes sense.

And let’s face it - any simple and effortless way to help make ends meet is a plus!