207 days

orignally sent on 12th Nov 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 08:10:00 -0700

Oh my god how cute are you.. Firstly this email, then speaking to you over the weekend and finally as I sit down to start typing a grin just crosses my face looking down I see the badge that you left on my keyboard.

Hmmm I'm not sure if this predictability is a good thing but;

5:34am woke,6:25am train,7am Gym, 8am office, 8:10am breakfast of yoghurt, museli and fruit, plus a smoothie (the lady asked "you miss your friend?") TiVo is not quite in your spot but she is close to it, chatting away to the Kiwi.

You ate a Guinea Pig! Wow... good work, what did it taste similar too? What sort of sauce goes with a Guinea Pig? Does that come with Fries? Ketchup?

The whole situation with him seems tough, I wonder if he's trying to come to VZ because he knows you two have to speak? He can't be a stupid person, you simply wouldn't be with anyone who wasn't smart and switched on and so I can't see how he is not able to tell that there is something wrong. So if I were him I'd want to spend as much time as possible with you to try and figure it all out. Especially if in the first two days you've barely spoken.. Are you sharing a bed? I know you said that you sleep naked.. [I shake my head] I just cannot understand how he doesn't want you everytime he even thinks about you, let alone looks at you. I realise you two have been together a long time but hot is hot is hot..

I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not thinking about you two being alone but I believe and trust you and so if anything was to happen I know you'd tell me but I do believe that nothing is happening between you two anymore because when you looked me in the eye and made a tear roll down my cheek by telling me that you loved me it was the most honest anyone has been with me.

I'm very lucky.

Everytime I goto the gym when you're away I'm just focusing on trying to work harder so that when I see you next you want to hold me against you and not let go

Lets do at least half these in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 7 Jan 2010 04:09:00 -0800

Along with New Year's comes Top 10 lists. Through all the hikes, bike rides, kayak trips, and secluded lodges, comes some of our favorite California adventures from 2009. Here's to local wanderlust!

- Brad Day, Publisher

1.	Some Like it Hot: Relax and soak away your stress in the lithium-rich waters at way-off-the-beaten-path Wilbur Hot Springs. Stay overnight and enjoy gourmet dining during monthly guest-chef cooking weekends.

2.	Sleeping Beauty: She only comes out after a good rain—and when she does Murietta Falls shouldn't be missed. You'll need a full day to complete the 12-mile (round-trip) epic hike to one of the Bay Area's most elusive waterfalls.
3.	Glide to the Hut:Having Yosemite all to yourself this winter? Fantastic. Spending a night in a remote lodge perched at the park's most iconic viewpoint? Even better. For the best of both worlds, cross-country ski a few hours to Glacier Point Ski Hut. Good glidings.
4.	Big Cheese Wheel: Ride like Levi Leipheimer, eat like Alice Waters. The 34-mile Cheese Factory road ride loop offers a double-whammy of amazing West Marin countryside scenery topped off by a gourmet post-ride snack. Start where you finish. Say cheese.
5.	Pearfect: When summer comes pitch your tent near sparkling Pear Lake, an emerald oasis surrounded by jagged granite peaks in Sequoia National Park. Get there by trekking 6 miles (one-way), through a white fir and lodgepole forest, and skirting 2,000 feet above Tokopah Valley on the famed Watchtower Trail.
6.	Splish Splash: The best swimming holes are easy to access by foot, hidden from the hordes, and have plenty of pools for playing. Welcome to Oregon Creek Swimming Hole (in the foothills near Auburn) where granite meets Sierra snowmelt for a secret summer splash.
7.	Get Your Grove On: Hike to the most pristine grove of old-growth redwoods in the Bay Area. Portola Redwoods State Park's Peters Creek isn't for windshield tourists or tour bus groups; it's a 13-mile (round-trip) hike to reach these big red beauties. They're waiting for you.
8.	Death Becomes Her: As the lower 48's largest national park, Death Valleyhas plenty of room to roam. Visit any time between now and May to stroll through magnificent Golden Canyon and explore the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. Stay in the heart of the valley at Furnace Creek Inn.
9.	Fat Tire Fun: Ridgetop scenery, zig-zagging singletrack, and peaceful redwood forests make the South Bay'sSaratoga Gap a mountain-bike bonanza. Ride a 10-mile loop across the hilltops with views all the way to the Pacific. (Worth the wait: The trails won't open until after the rainy season).
10.	Point Reyes Grand Slam: Go from coastal forest to grassy hillsides to secluded beaches on this 13-miler that hits it out of the park. Time your hike in Point Reyes for low tide to explore a giant rock tunnel.

Walks in hte city

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:58:00 -0800

A Walk in the Park

by Weekend Sherpa

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we’ve rounded up three San Francisco walks for working off that extra slice of pie. Grab your friends and family for some classic turkey trots.

Twin Top Out

Impress out-of-town guests by leading them on a short walk to one of San Francisco's best lookouts, with a hidden stairway to boot! Starting in the Twin Peaks residential neighborhood, wander up the Pemberton Stairs, a charming three-platform passageway festooned with overhanging trees and lush gardens. At the top, continue on to Twin Peaks Boulevard for a .75-mile final climb, taking you to Twin Peaks. The most popular vista point is usually filled with tourists and buses, but you can escape the crowds by climbing the wooden stairs to one of Twin Peaks' true bald summits. The panorama is even better from here. Do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around to views of the region's biggest scene- stealers: the Pacific, the Bay, three bridges, Mount Diablo, Mount Tam and the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The Pemberton Stairs can be found at the corner of Clayton St. and Corbett Ave. in Twin Peaks (map). At the top of the stairs, turn right on Crown Terrace and walk a few minutes to Clarendon Ave./Twin Peaks Blvd. Make a left and another immediate left onto Twin Peaks Blvd. Follow this all the way up. Walk up one of Twin Peaks' true summits, which are south of the radio towers. Return the way you came. Dog-friendly!

Glen's a Ten

To residents of Glen Park, its namesake open space is a fantastic little slice of wilderness that doesn't see many out-of-neighborhood visitors, let alone out-of- towners. Eucalyptus groves, wooden bridges, rocky outcroppings, and soaring red-tail hawks make it a surprising nature preserve within city limits. Begin by walking through the eucalyptus trees on the canyon floor, passing picnic tables and plenty of dog walkers. The trail eventually ascends to a rocky outcropping with good views. For an even better perspective, continue traversing to the highest point in the park where the canyon sprawls below and Twin Peaks pops into the background. Simply Glendid!

BONUS: Central Glen Park is just as charming the park. From the park's tennis courts, head down Chenery Street three blocks to Diamond Street. Grab a golden-brown crepe and hot chocolate at Higher Grounds Coffee House (691 Chenery St.).

Start near the Glen Park Recreation Center at the corner of O'Shaughnessy Blvd. and Bosworth St. Walk north on the main trail, taking the left fork through a eucalyptus grove. Continue along a wooden boardwalk and up to the rocky outcropping. Keep traversing up the canyon to the high point before returning back down. Dog-friendly!

Gold Stroll

Take in three Golden Gate Park classics on a walk through the heart of the park. Start at Strybing Arboretum'smain entrance at 9thAvenue and Lincoln Way. There's construction happening on some of the arboretum, but many of the aroma-filled garden paths remain open; meander through the Great Meadow, continue past geraniums and rosemary plants in the Garden of Fragrance, and keep going along the boardwalks in the recently renovated Ancient Plant Garden. Head into the nearby Japanese Tea Garden where speckles of fall color are still hanging onto the Japanese maples and cherry trees. Cross tiny bridges (pictured), pass peaceful sculptures, and take a break at the teahouse. Afterwards walk a few minutes to Stow Lake, the park's biggest and a quiet oasis for a row or paddle boat excursion around its shore. For a side trip, cross the bridge to Strawberry Hill in the middle of the lake and hike to the top for great views all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. Good as golden.

Start at the arboretum's main entrance on 9thAve. and Lincoln Way. Exit the arboretum at the Friends Gate on the north side. Cross Martin Luther King Dr. and head over to the Japanese Tea Garden; it's $7 to enter, $5 for San Francisco residents. To reach Stow Lake, exit the garden, turn right, and turn right again on Martin Luther King Dr. Take a paved path that goes behind the Japanese Tea Garden ––look for the sign to JFK Dr. and the Conservatory of Flowers. Bear left at the big tree and climb the stairs up to Stow Lake. Return the way you came. The arboretum and the Japanese Tea Garden don't allow dogs.

Yoga with the Stars

The Yoga Journal Conference is coming to San Francisco, Jan. 28 to Feb. 1; Weekend Sherpa subscriberssave $95 with Promo Code: SF32 if you register by Monday, Nov. 23.

Grab your friends and your mat—five days of yoga with the world's most famous instructors is coming to San Francisco! Choose from over 100 classes led by 40 master teachers from around the world. Whether it's your first time striking a pose, or you're a downward-facing-dog pro, release the week's stress with a Friday-evening celebration: a Vinyassa yoga workshop led by Seane Corn with musician Michael Franti culminating in an off-the-grid dance jam. Then flow into the weekend with a variety of yoga classes (Ashtanga, Forrest, Hatha and more) from world-renowned instructors like Dharma Mittra (master of the no-hands headstand) Ana Forrest, and Gary Kraftsow. Wander the Yoga Marketplace—filled with eco-stylish apparel and sustainable products from all over the globe—and discover the keys to a healthy, balanced lifestyle from speakers, workshops, and panels. The Saturday Night Ignites dance party keeps you moving, with Donna De Lory, MC Yogi, DJ Dragonfly and Shiva Rea.

TIP: Say "Om" and save. Weekend Sherpa subscribers can register online and save $95 off the Main Conference (use Promo Code: SF32) by Monday, Nov. 23.

www.scanwiches.com

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:07:00 -0800

This guy just scans his sandwiches... scanwiches.. brilliant

xx

Its that time of year again

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:36:00 -0800

A year ago we were preparing for New York, a trip to spend thanksgiving together. We ate at a location that we had seen on TV, we worked a lot more than we were expecting, spent lazy days laying in bed.

This year we'll be doing some similar things but its been a long long year for you so why not spend some time browsing the 'black friday' shopping sales babycakes.

For example?
http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/homepage.jsp
http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/search/SearchSale.jsp
or perhaps a little Top Shop sale?

Keep your eyes peeled for Black Friday Sales.... when was that shoe sale at Saks :)

just made me smile as your geek

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:51:00 -0700

I don't know if you've seen this already?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 8 Jul 2009 16:18:00 -0700

One day babycakes

This website is for all your cute needs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 1 Jul 2009 16:14:00 -0700

Otter Twins in Auckland - Handfuls of Fluff

Jana and Juno, the Auckland Zoo's resident otter couple, spent a year in courtship before they decided they liked one another. Asian small-clawed otters mate for life but are "notoriously fussy" about who that mate will be. Well a few weeks ago Jana gave birth to two fluffy male pups, weighing just 400-500 grams or just about a pound.

Baby otter does not look pleased

I will trade you anything for your handful of otter

"Otters don't develop their waterproof coats until three months, so for now with their big strong heads on top of their little uncoordinated bodies and their soft furry coats, they're incredibly cute - rather like cuddly little baby bull dogs." explained Auckland Zoo otter team leader, Amy Dixon. These little pups are the first Asian small-clawed otters born at an Australasian zoo in six years.

one guy = crazy 100 guys = cool?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:48:00 -0700

This one guy is dancing to some random music at a festival... watch what happens to turn one crazy guy into something normal

Kitchen jazz

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 9 Jun 2009 09:08:00 -0700

Five Must-Have Tools for Any Kitchen [Eat To Live]

by Kevin Purdy

It's all too easy to get seriously excited about expanding your kitchen repertoire—and seriously in debt buying for that kitchen. Here are five kitchen-related things you really need and how to use them efficiently.

Neither you nor your Lifehacker editors have the time and foresight to run down everything you'll need for all your cooking, in any kitchen, for every recipe, throughout your entire life. What we're listing here are five core purchases that any kitchen should have, along with the best advice we've seen on how to get the most for your money out of them.

The tips and research for these items are pulled from one editor's experience growing from a single dude who calls his mom to make mashed potatoes to a fairly reliable home cook who makes the big dinners, along with a few great reads:

A No-Frills Kitchen Still Cooks (Mark Bittman, New York Times).
Kitchen essentials, and items you can pass by (Russ Parsons, Amy Scattergood, Los Angeles Times).
Cooks Illustrated (from print editions, subscription required for web reading).
Our interview with food writer Michael Ruhlman.

Now, on to the things we wish we had right out of college:

Three decent knives, sharpener for two of them

If we were crazed minimalists, we'd say you only truly need an eight-inch, plastic-handled stainless alloy chef's knife, one you can find at a restaurant supply store for $10 (more on that later). You should test out any chef's knife you're looking at, and consider santoku-shaped blades if you do a lot of mincing or fine chopping. The key is making sure any knife feels right in your hand. The handle and weight in your hand are just as important as the blade, since proper use and sharpening should take care of that. Other than that, a sharp, sturdy paring knife and a cheap-as-you-can-get serrated bread knife have you covered for everything else. Skip the boning/fileting and utility knives, because you definitely don't filet fish or slice giant mozzarella wheels that often.

How do you keep your knife sharp? Popular Mechanics has a goodtwo-paragraph primer. Using a two-sided sharpening stone:

... Lubricate the coarse side of the stone with mineral oil or water; then push the blade (at a 22- to 25-degree angle) across in a sweeping motion, like you're cutting a thin slice off the stone. "Flip the knife and work the other side until a slight burr forms along the edge," Montagno says. "Switch to the fine side of the stone, lift the blade to a slightly higher angle and hone off the burr to create a razor-sharp micro bevel." Obviously you can skip this process with the serrated bread knife, which can probably cut through loaves of bread long after you're dead.

Five pots and pans

How you save money here depends on how you cook. Unless you make a lot of meat dishes with reduction sauces containing browned bits, you really need just one cheap medium-sized nonstick skillet for your day-to-day cooking, small and larger-sized metal saucepan, a pasta-sized pot with a lid, and one serious, large (12- or 14-inch) steel pan with steep sides for your grander culinary ambitions, stir-frys, and bigger meat meals. We're serious on the nonstick skillet being cheap, if safe-looking, because even the most expensive kind inevitably flake off, chip, and lose their egg-repelling properties over time.

Everything else? That's where it gets discretionary. One doesn't spend three months' salary at Sears to make sure they've got every tool for any imaginable home project, but instead builds a tool set over time. Roasting pans, springform cake pans, loaf pans, double boilers—try to borrow them for rare occasions, make do with makeshift versions, or possibly get lucky at your local Goodwill. Otherwise, another trip to the restaurant supply store is in your future.

A restaurant supply store, or an Asian market

If you're thinking about buying your cookware from a store in a mall, strip or otherwise, don't do it. Similarly, don't buy multi-pot sets, especially the kind signed by a chef you've seen on television. The best value for your dollar is found at your local or regional restaurant supply store. That's where the restaurants you recommend to friends buy their stuff, and they make their money on volume. For certain kinds of cooking hardware, Asian food markets and "trading companies" often stock a lot of really cheap goods. For recipes that require random equipment you're not sure you might use again, they're often the smart buy.

No such luck with your local map search? Try an online purveyor of restaurant wares, at least for the smaller stuff. I've had success with BigTray.com, but there are, to be sure, other sites with reliable service. Know of one? Tell us about it in the comments. Photo by star5112.

Serious instant read thermometer

You don't have to spend a lot on this, but it's crucial to buy quality instead of cheap. That's spoken as someone who loves to grill, and whose wife does not like to eat on the (literally) bleeding edge of food safety. Cook's Illustrated, the magazine that takes no advertising and tests things out to a kind of ridiculous degree, rates this $15 Taylor thermometer (pictured at right) as a best value, and you can find it even cheaper through some merchants. Go too cheap and you end up with unreadable LCD screens, melted plastic, and seriously slow updates that leave your food overcooked and the chef overworked.

Reliable, small kitchen scale

When you're new to stove-top cooking, you'll want to get precise with your meat, vegetable, and starch measurements to ensure everything stays flavored in proportion. When you start dipping your toes into baking, that's when you'll really be glad you have a scale. The way you pack flour, the moisture in the air, and the random sizes of ingredients like eggs or fruits can seriously impact the outcome of a baking recipe—unless you're weighing things in proportion. You don't have to spend a lot, but you do want something digital, that holds up to 10 pounds, and which can "tare," or set itself to zero, when you've got a container on it that doesn't count in the measurement. Photo by advencap.

What cookware, gadgets, or other kitchen items can you not imagine living without, despite our minimalist proclamations? What's the best cheap, yet awesome, item in your own cooking space? Trade your tips in the comments.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 3 Jun 2009 17:40:00 -0700

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be

it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by

scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable

than my own meandering

experience…I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not

understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.

But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and

recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before

you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you

imagine. Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as

effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing

bubblegum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that

never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm

on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing everyday that scares you

Sing Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes

you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with

yourself. Remember the compliments you receive,

forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your

life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they

wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year

olds I know still don’t. Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe

you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky

chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t

congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your

choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever

own..

Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the

people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you

should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and

lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you

knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live

in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will

philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize

that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were

noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,

maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one

might run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will

look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who

supply it.

Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of

fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the

ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…

10 things you didn't know about the orgasm

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 May 2009 07:25:00 -0700

So you can decide when to go for a wee

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 May 2009 07:22:00 -0700

Jumbo-Sized soda and intricate plots are a dangerous mix. Get relief, and the most out of your movie-going money, with RunPee.com, a site that's like a friend who's seen every flick out there and knows when the bathroom break moments are.

It's a simple idea that's executed well on the web. The left-hand side has links to the current box office leaders and new releases, and clicking on one gives you the various timing points and narrative cues to head to the restrooms if your last stop before the cinema was a bar, coffee shop, or the concession stand. Choose a break point, and the top box explains what will happen right before you've got three minutes to make a run for it.

Want an example? If you're checking out "Star Trek" this weekend, right when Capt. Pike says, "Chekov, you have the con," you've got about three minutes of exposition ahead that you can probably pick up on later. If you don't mind spoilers, or you're attending your second showing, click the unscrambling button below the first cue to find out exactly what will be happening while you're away.

Find us a site that helps you get back to your exact seat during dark and quiet moments, and we'll suggest the ultimate movie site merger. In the meantime, RunPee.com is the second friend you can consult before picking a flick.

Runpee

Top 10 things your new Mac can do

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 May 2009 12:29:00 -0700

Top 10 Things You Forgot Your Mac Can Do

By Gina Trapani, 9:00 AM on Wed May 14 2008, 290,014 views

Macs may be more expensive, and Mac users more elitist (ahem), but blind Apple loyalty aside, there are a number of neat features bundled into your Mac that make it super useful and fun. We've covered dozens of Mac tips over the years in these pages, but today we're highlighting 10 lesser-known Mac tricks that come baked into Leopard. From pure eye candy to outright productivity-boosters, read on to get reminded of some of the more obscure things you can do with your Mac, fresh out of the box.

10. Say anything.

Turn on your speakers, launch Terminal and type:

say hello world

Yes, your Mac speaks. If you've got a text file you want your Mac to read to you, try:

say -f mytextfile.txt

9. Show off Stacks and Expose in slow motion.

Pretend you're Steve Jobs showing off Leopard's incredible graphics capability on the big stage with a press of the Shift key. Hold down Shift and click on one of your Dock's Stacks, or hit F12 to invoke Dashboard—and watch the action happen in slow motion.

8. Activate screen corners.

Assign actions to each corner of your desktop by activating screen corners. In System Preferences, Expose & Spaces, set actions for each corner of your desktop. Then, perform those actions with a swipe of the mouse. (original post)

7. Display custom hard drive icons.

ID your digital camera card, USB drive, and external FireWire drive at a glance in Finder. Assign custom icons to each one of your drives to pretty up your desktop and make them easy to see.

6. Look up words in the dictionary with a keystroke.

Highlight any word in a native Cocoa app and press Apple+Ctrl+D to look it up in the built-in OS X dictionary and thesaurus.

5. Launch applications from Spotlight.

If Quicksilver ain't your cup of tea—or you just use it to start applications—Spotlight can do that for you without running another application. Simply set Spotlight to include Applications in its search results, invoke it with the (default) keyboard shortcut, Cmd+Space, type your app name and hit Enter to launch it.

4. Tab between all controls.

By default your Mac's Tab key doesn't move between controls on a page or form other than text boxes and lists. Click the "All Controls" radio button at the bottom of the Keyboard & Mouse pane in System Preferences to right this wrong.

3. Zoom WAY in on a page.

Examine small text up close or just zoom in on a huge image by using the two-finger trackpad trick. Hold down the Control key, then drag TWO fingers up your Mac's trackpad to give it a try. Here's how to set up two-finger zoom. For more "holy crap look at that" tomfoolery, press Ctrl+Cmd+Opt+8.

2. Show the date on the menubar.

If you need more than just the current time in your Mac's menubar, you can add the date as well. Here's how to edit your date and time format to keep yourself from having to click the time whenever you want to see what day of the month it is.

1. Double as an external drive.

Want to move huge files onto one Mac from another? Using the Mac's "Target Disk Mode," a press of the T key during startup transforms your Mac into an external FireWire drive. Plug it into another Mac with a FireWire cable and copy files to and fro, no networking required.

Singstar.... for free??

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 May 2009 12:18:00 -0700

UltraStar Deluxe is..

A free and open source karaoke game inspired by the Singstar™ game available on the Playstation®. It allows up to six players to sing along with music using microphones in order to score points, depending on the pitch of the voice and the rhythm of singing.

Our channel on YouTube

Use any video filetype you want as background (youtube / flv, divx, mpg / mpeg, avi, ..). You can create and use your own songs, various are already available. Customize its look through themes and extend it with more party game modes via plug ins.

POST 201....and good news

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 May 2009 12:10:00 -0700

Topshop USA ships to 50 states...

Topshop USA
London's iconic store delivering across all 50 US states. Shop now!

and they even have a sale on

so we now have. Britains got Talent, Apprentice, Topshop...

curling with straighteners

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 May 2009 18:37:00 -0700

sedu irons and jenny a

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 May 2009 18:35:00 -0700

Jennifer Aniston Sedu Hairstyles

David Gabber / Photorazzi

Jennifer Aniston has beautiful hair and she always looks stunning! She keeps her look simple and her hair in great condition. Out of all the celebrities, Jens' got the hair that most people want – and to prove it, she's just been voted as having the Most Wanted Star Hairstyle in an In Touch magazine survey. She won a third of all the votes cast! Now that's great hair!

Read on to find out how you can have hair like Jen...

Sedu for Jennifer's look

Jen's no stranger to flat irons and you can re-create her looks with a Sedu. These ceramic and tourmaline straighteners are the hottest news in hairstyling and can quickly and easily give your hair star quality!

"The Rachel"

When Jen first appeared as Rachel Green in Friends, she had dark, shoulder length, curly hair. In 1995, she had a bouncy, layered cut that has now passed into hairstyling legend. She only wore it in Season 2 but "the Rachel" soon became the most asked-for hairstyle in salons around the world!
It has been voted the most influential haircut of all time – even surpassing Farrah Fawcett's Charlie's Angels 70's flicked layers!
Jennifer got tired of the cut as people were more interested in her hair than her acting. She went blonde and grew it out. The shades of blonde may differ but the longer, sleeker style is how she still wears it today.

Jen loves her long hair!

In 2000, Jennifer tried a bob and although many people loved it, she was reported as saying that she "…couldn't hate it more!" It was soon grown out, helped along by temporary extensions and she has kept her long hair ever since.

Janet Mayer / Photorazzi

Insider information!

Hairstylist Chris McMillan created "the Rachel" and continued caring for Jennifer's hair throughout Friends. He also straightened her hair for the big day – her marriage to Brad Pitt, which has now sadly ended.
Luckily for us, Chris has often talked openly about how he styles Jennifer's hair, so we can get a few insider tips!

Glenn Harris / Photorazzi

How can I get sleek hair like Jennifer?

According to Chris, one of Jennifer's favorite styles is glassy straight and parted off-center. Here's how he styles it for her.

He washes and gently towel dries her hair and then sprays a voluminising spray over the crown area. He says that Jennifer's hair is fine and straightens easily with a round brush and hair dryer but it takes a while as her hair is thick.
Once it's dry, Chris goes over all of her hair with a flat iron, not going closer than one inch from the roots. He then finishes the look with some serum for added shine and condition.

So grab your Sedu iron and get hair just like Jens!

Glenn Harris / Photorazzi

How can I get waves like Jennifer?

Jennifer has naturally curly hair and is often seen with loose waves.

Chris creates them for her by washing and gently towel drying her hair. He makes an off-center part and then sprays the crown with volumizer. This helps to lift the style at the roots.
As he dries her hair with a cool drier, he tousles it slightly to start creating the waves. When it's almost dry, he puts a diffuser onto the dryer to finish off with.
Then he applies a heat protection product and wraps random sections around a hot iron to create loose waves.

Tip: Don't brush or comb it – just run your fingers through for the best results.

Chris's tip: With this style, getting the bangs right can be tricky. If they're too smooth, it won't match the rest of the style and will look odd. If this happens, use a tiny amount of pomade or styling gel on your fingers and 'rough up' the bangs a little.

Glenn Harris / Photorazzi

A change of style...

Here, Jennifer has changed her color – which doesn't happen very often! It suits her – notice how the darker shade brings out the color of her eyes!

It also shows how Jen likes 'unstructured' hair – it's been straightened and then simply gathered back into a low pony tail. See how the crown is quite ruffled and not combed down smooth? Her dress, earrings and make up are all immaculate and the un-fussy hair softens the whole look.

Jennifer Aniston shows how you don't have to have constantly changing or complicated hair to look beautiful and judging by her enormous popularity, it would seem that most people agree!

What size would you want?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:01:00 -0700


Zoom

And You Thought *Your* Download Was Long...

4.65 Terabytes. That's how big a baby is. Well, on a T1. Takes 40 weeks to get it to where it's supposed to be. Course, we didn't figure in latency or protocol headers or jitter (Ed. note:never jitter the baby), so it could be a little longer. And if you get an early EOF, the NICU's there for any recovery and whatnot that needs to be done. All joking aside, we wish you and your little one a happy and uneventful pregnancy, and your future geek all the best. And don't sit your tiny wailing banshee next to us at the restaurant. thx.

These are maternity shirts, a 100% cotton combed ringspun jersey in black with the words Loading... Please Wait and a progress bar in white across the belly. See below for sizing details.

Sizing Information:

Size:	S	M	L	XL
Waist:	40 in.	42 in.	46 in.	50 in.
Chest:	38 in.	40 in.	44 in.	48 in.
Front length:	25.5 in.	26.5 in.	27.5 in.	28.5 in.

May 29th, its a Friday... or we can watch the saturday morning show :)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 6 May 2009 09:03:00 -0700

how to...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 5 May 2009 15:04:00 -0700

teps

Find an envelope which is sealed, that you desire to open. You may want to practice on your own envelopes before you begin opening real ones from the mail.
Evaluate the situation. Ask yourself:
- "Am I opening an envelope which I received in the mail?" (Type 1 Situation); or
- "Am I opening an envelope I just sealed but I need to open it again and put something in and make it look like it was never open so I will not waste an envelope?" (Type 2 Situation).
Decide on the proper technique for Type 1 situations:
- "The Cautious Digit" - Although this is the most common technique, it is also the most dangerous for the envelope and therefore is best for Type 1 situations. Place your finger in the very top of the sealing flap, where there is a small portion of unadhered space, and slide it along. You should lift the adhesive and if done correctly will have opened the envelope rip-free. However, you may rip the envelope sealing flap depending on your ways and the adhesion power of the sealant.
- "The Snip" - Another common envelope-technique, though regarded as slightly risky among professionals. Take a pair of your favorite scissors, preferably sharpened, and cut along the short end of the envelope, effectively cutting it off. Try to remove as small a width (5-10 mm) as possible. You may, in this process, cut off a small width of whatever document is inside. Type 1 situations only.
Be creative with Type 2 situations. If you must open an envelope and seal it and make it appear as if it were never opened (such as, if you forgot an attachment but don't want to waste a stamp), you must resort to some of the more creative methods in a pioneer field of envelope-opening. Although they are not entirely reliable for all Type 2 situations, they circulate the top professional smalltalk.
- "The Innocent" - Grasp your envelope firmly. Hold it up to a bright light or window so you can see the shadow of the document inside. Using your favorite professional scissors, snip off an absolutely tiny corner, preferably the bottom, while ensuring you do not snip the document. Peer into the envelope via snipped corner and cut along the crease of the side of the envelope, not removing any width but effectively opening your envelope. Slide document out, and edit to your content. Then slide back in and tape the edge closed, crisply and with clear tape. The snipped corner may be unnoticeable, depending on your level of skill.
- "The Publisher" - Cut off an edge of your envelope, removing a small amount of width. After replacing your document, bring your envelope to your laboratory. Place it in the bottom of an ordinary 13x9 baking pan, glass. In separate bowl, mix tree pulp, brightening agents to match your envelope's tint, and the necessary other materials to form paper base. Make sure your solution is air-drying, or it will set with heat. Using a paintbrush, dab on your paper base to seal the edge of the envelope. Prepare a bonding solution, and paint this on after 10 minutes to chemically fuse the new paper with the envelope. Allow your envelope to dry, or apply heat. Never light your envelope on fire. Using fine sandpaper, sand away the rough bits of pulp from your envelope. It should look like an ordinary envelope and never been opened.
- "The Easy Air-out" - This will only work with an envelope that has adhesive that you must lick to seal. Take a kettle, or a small pot and boil water till it starts steaming to its maximum. Take the envelope, and flap/adhesive side down, place it over the steam for a couple of seconds (15-30). Be very gentle, as the paper will be moist and delicate. Check if the adhesive is melting; if it has melted, then you must be quick to pry it open gently with your fingers or a hot knife, steamed in the same way (try not to use a cold knife, as it would cool the adhesive back again). Once pryed open, gently slip the contents out and view/edit/whatever. Wait for the envelope to cool/dry before slipping them back in: If the envelope's paper/or contents become wrinkly after drying, use an iron on LOW to smooth back out again, omitting the adhesive and being careful not to burn anything. Once back in shape and dry, slip the contents in and re-lick (or, if you fear that someone will test the saliva DNA from the envelope) use a small dab of glue to secure once more. Voilà, a professional's work done!

just a girl

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:04:00 -0700

the week had been just another and friday was upon them with its usual gathering up in the canteen. bustling for space the sales team were hosting with their usual banter back and forth poking fun at each other and running through presentations that compared colleagues to giraffes and other assorted oddities. I arrived late and the place was already full, space at the back was limited but I could make out my friends sitting a few tables in. I made may way through the back doors around to grab a cold beer, walking the same way to reemerge at the back of the crowd and thats when she catches my eye.

Slightly baggy boyfriend jeans hug her hips, the material tracing her hips down her perfect curves. I'm lost for a minute maybe more, not sure how long the chatter and music has faded away for then I snap back as someone walks in front, breaking my line of sight. I take a sip from the bottle and enjoy the cold liquid, very aware of the bubbles running down my throat and feeling the moment it hits my empty stomach. I pause and rock to one side trying to get a second glimpse. My eyes flicking quickly from one person to the next and then she's there, closer than I realised, her tshirt tight and fitted against her slight but curved frame. My heart must be audible to those around me, I can hear it, feel it pounding hard as I raise the glass to my lips again. Leaning my head back and taking another mouth full of the cold mexican beer, not breaking my gaze. I've not seen her before. I don't know who she is but I cannot take my eyes from her.

I do break my stare for a moment, looking around to see if anyone has noticed my fixation, I let my eyes move around as if I'm looking for someone but the reality is I'm checking to see if I've been caught. I can't be the only person who's noticed her but at this moment its just her and me in this room, everyone else is just a blur.

She's turning, turning to face me, god, I'm going to see her. I almost don't want to see her face, but its too late I'm locked into this now and need to know. As she turns side on to me her silhouette against the early evening sky is the stuff of dreams. Her stomach flat but not that of someone who watches what they eat. Her hips and bum curved like a renaissance painting, firm and perfectly in proportion. She is fantastic, pure sex. My eyes move up her body, I feel like a child hidden in the shadows of a crowded room, looking at something I shouldn't but desperate to savour every moment as I expect to be scolded at any point for looking where I shouldn't. I trace her body up further and her full breasts take my breath away, some writing on the tshirt is lost to me as I hesitate just one more moment, her head is turning to wards me, I feel sick with excitment. Drinking hard I have to catch my breath.

Its you.
It shouldn't be, I'm not supposed to be looking at you.
I'm not allowed.
I can't help it.
I never imagined that moment would be anything other than a fantasy.
I'll remember it forever.
i love you.

Call me

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:15:00 -0700

Hmmm babycakes I would love to buy this for you

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 3 Apr 2009 00:37:00 -0700

Places to go..

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:43:00 -0700

This was listed on a website and so I've picked the ones I think we should look into

Bryce Canyon

San Sebastian in Spain

Iguazu Falls

Pompei

Amsterdam Canals