I don't think the feeling of boredom will exist in a couple of decades and the word "boredom" will probably get weeded out along with it. There are just too many wonderfully time-wasting things to do online. Now, there are more.

Ladies and gents, I bring you Pinterest. Its tag line is that it is a place to "catalog the things you love."

You can find gorgeous photographs that people took/ found on the Internet, inspiration for weddings, ideas for decorating your kids rooms. You name it. 

It's essentially a bulletin board for everything fun/unique/pretty/eye-catching. And the best part? It's less involved than sites like Twitter or Facebook (not that I'm knocking them). 

And a cute but potentially creepy way to use Pinterest? You can find out what kinds of things your crush is into. But really, don't go overboard. I don't think that's the main goal of the website.

So if you are into scrap booking, you're looking for inspiration or just plain don't want to be bored, then check it out and create a bulletin board that suits your personality. (Don't worry, people can't stalk you too much - you need an invitation to join.)

What are you waiting for? Request an invitation at www.pinterest.com.

As I type away with my usually plain red or french-manicured finger nails, I find myself out of my comfort zone. When I glance down at the keys, I see silver and red crackled nails scuttling around the keyboard. Those do not look like my hands.

They are my hands and they look more punk-rock or Halloween-costume-ready nails than those of a professional journalist. But, I can't help it. Two weeks ago, I got a manicure at Branford Academy School of Hair and Cosmetology and the nail artist suggested this new crackle polish. I thought why not? The worst that could happen is that I'll get some nail polish remover and wipe it off - this isn't a tattoo, after all - although it was still a daunting thought to make my usually bland, quiet nails louder.


Within 20 minutes I had pink and white crackled nails. They were memorizing. I couldn't stop looking at them. They also lasted longer than the average manicure because the crackled-pattern doesn't easily show chips and scrapes in the polish. Two weeks later, after I had picked off the remainder of my polish, I went to a convenience store and bought red and silver nail polish. 

As I walked around town with these shiny, be-speckled nails, I found that this nail polish is apparently all the rage. So if you are looking to add some subtle spice to your life, even if you are usually a red-pink polish spectrum girl like myself, try it out.

I have brushed aside all of the other trends I have spotted in favor of this new one, which has sparked my curiosity and interest in a way that maybe it shouldn't be doing - you tell me.

I was invited to sign up for Google + yesterday, which for those of you who haven't heard of it, is a combination Facebook-Twitter-LinkedIn social networking site. Right now, it is in the trial stages so it is by invitation only and I have only really stumbled upon fellow journos on the site who are trying to figure out exactly where it fits into their lives. I am doing the same thing.

It is very user-friendly and dynamic and possesses many of the traits that Twitter and Facebook have. You can share posts, comment on other peoples' posts, recommend links and add photos and videos. You don't "friend" or "follow" people but you have "circles." The concept is essentially the same. However, these circles are divided into categories so if I only want to see what my coworkers are saying or my friends or other journalists, I could hone in on them without the other constant stream of posts. It acts as a filter. 

You also don't seem to be able to post to Facebook or Twitter from Google + yet, and that may be because the sites are so similar, the previous social networking venues are a tad frightened.

Click here for a Google + demo

To me, it looks like an incredibly useful tool IF it catches on with the average Joe. If it is all corporations, businesspeople, journalists and news organizations, it settle into a lesser-used spot next to LinkedIn.

The one amazing feature that this has that will be incredibly useful to journalists (as well as everybody else) is the ability to share links, videos, information, etc. with people who aren't on it. Simply, it could be used to shoot your friend an e-mail about the latest viral video on YouTube. For journalists, it can be used to crowdsource and reach out to anyone with an e-mail address, which, let's not lie, is most people these days. 

So get an invite, give it a spin and tell me how you think it fits into your life personally or professionally.