I know I wrote about the Google Desktop a while ago, but I finally got around to trying out their sidebar, and I have to admit that it's really growing on me. It takes the place of several of my Konfabulator widgets and add some functionality that I find pretty useful. In particular the Quick View Module (lists recently and most viewed web sites) and the Scratch Pad Module (yea, it's just a scratch pad for quick notes) come in mighty handy on racing days. The built in RSS viewer comes in handy also. Give it a try out and I think you'll be impressed by it. 

Okay, I'm at the checkout counter at Safeway today and the bag girl says to me: would you like some help out with your groceries? I'm not bothered because this is a standard question they ask all customers, but then I'm picking up my bags and the manager comes up behind me and asks me: would you like some help with those sir? WTF? I've only got three bags and one of them just has a bag of cornchips in it. All three bags can't weigh more than five pounds total! I say no thanks and he walks away. I pick up the bags and turn to leave and then the register girl looks at me and asks with a serious expression on her face: Sir, are you sure you don't want some help out with your bags? WT double F?? I had to look around for a camera, certain that someone was jerking me around! Anyway, I laughed and said that I would be fine and walked out of the store. Maybe I looked tired. 1/2 hour earlier to bed everyday this week and 20 extra crunches in the mornings (20 more will get me all the way up to... ahhhh.... 20 :) Jeez, do I need help with my friggin bags?? 

There's a good article over at Slate Magazine on the Grease Monkey application for Firefox, "How To Monkey With The Web". Grease Monkey is another must have extension for Firefox. Try out the steps in the article and watch how Grease Monkey strips out the crap from a web site (won't work on this website because it's all goodness and candy :)