You are the... Ketchup to my fries

Jack Layton's Last Letter to Canadians

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:52:00 +0000

May all Canadians take Jack Layton's written words to heart and be inspiring examples to the world.

Source: CBC news

August 20, 2011
Toronto, Ontario

Dear Friends,

Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.

Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.

I recommend that Hull-Aylmer MP Nycole Turmel continue her work as our interim leader until a permanent successor is elected.

I recommend the party hold a leadership vote as early as possible in the New Year, on approximately the same timelines as in 2003, so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program, and move forward towards the next election.

A few additional thoughts:

To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.

To the members of my party: we’ve done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause. There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let’s continue to move forward. Let’s demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government.

To the members of our parliamentary caucus: I have been privileged to work with each and every one of you. Our caucus meetings were always the highlight of my week. It has been my role to ask a great deal from you. And now I am going to do so again. Canadians will be closely watching you in the months to come. Colleagues, I know you will make the tens of thousands of members of our party proud of you by demonstrating the same seamless teamwork and solidarity that has earned us the confidence of millions of Canadians in the recent election.

To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made an historic decision. You decided that the way to replace Canada’s Conservative federal government with something better was by working together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. You made the right decision then; it is still the right decision today; and it will be the right decision right through to the next election, when we will succeed, together. You have elected a superb team of New Democrats to Parliament. They are going to be doing remarkable things in the years to come to make this country better for us all.

To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.

And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

All my very best,
Jack Layton

Limitless (2011)

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:56:00 +0000

If you're given a pill that can get you to access 100% of your brain power and turn you into a smarter person, would you take that pill? Eddie in Limitless did. What happened to him? Watch the movie.

Directed by: Neil Burger
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish and Robert De Niro.

Natural skin toner - rose water

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 06:19:00 +0000

To my heart's content, I finally found a toner that works wonder on my skin: rose water. This natural skin care triumphs over all branded toners, at least for me.

The toners I used in the past dried out my skin, and did not help much with the blackheads. The nose pores appear larger somehow. The pH 5.5 and non-alcohol toners did no better. I was so unhappy with the toner step, that I omitted it from my skin care routine, which should be an important step to balancing the skin after facial cleansing and prep it for moisturizer absorption.

All that to say that I'm ecstatic when I learned about rose water. It soothes my skin, keeps it less oily, and most important, it tightens my nose pores without drying them. It's a perfect compliment to the home routine I follow to getting rid of blackheads/whiteheads, natural and effective. Love it!

Instead of the homemade rose water method, I went for a 100ml bottle at the pharmacy, and used it according to instructions: dilute it to 2.5% with filtered water. I store the diluted rose water in an empty bottle.

You might also like this rose water tutorial on Flickr by Chronographia (click on her photo below).

Try it out, and let me know if it works for you.

How to Read Google Analytics

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 09:44:00 +0000

This is a beginners' level video on how to interpret Google Analytics. For more advance features, go to GoogleAnalytics channel on YouTube for their video series.

Public Enemies

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 10:31:00 +0000

Public Enemies (2009) is another great movie based on true events in the 1930's. The film is directed by Michael Mann and stars Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, two of my favorite actors.

The production design of the film is beautifully made. Johnny Depp's portrayal of the real life charismatic bank robber is stunning.

Poster from: ozziegonnja

Changeling

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 10:16:00 +0000

Of late, I've viewed two good movies based on true events from the 1920's and 1930's. One of them is Changeling (2008), directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich.

While watching how the events unfold, one by one, I was dumbstruck that all of them had really happened in the US. Fortunately, so much have changed (to the better) since then.

Banner from: dewcutegirl

US debt crisis explained

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:10:00 +0000

Not sure where the source of this video is from. It clearly explains the US debt crisis in simple terms. It's a great addition to the Credit Crisis video from a few years back.

This video was posted by: skayush

Great talents should not go to waste

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:12:00 +0000

Little things that make us smile ^_^. A doodle on the fridge with a white marker... by a talented artist.

I've always been impressed by all of her superb work and creativity. Support this vector artist at GraphicRiver.net. Let her know that you like her work! My favorites are "The Birds of Spring" and "Frantic Burger". What's yours?

[solved] iPod cannot be synced

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 08:34:00 +0000

After upgrading my iTunes to a newer version, I couldn't sync the songs to my iPod and 4GB were unaccessible. All songs were erased from my iPod as well. This message appeared:

The iPod cannot be synced. A duplicate file name was specified.

I copied and paste the error message above for a possible solution. Here's what I did, and it worked!

Switch your Apple cable to a different USB port
From the start menu, go to "Computer", and locate your iPod Right click your iPod, and select Properties. If you are on Windows 7, you can also select Properties from the Organize menu toolbar (top left corner of your screen)
Under Tools and Error-checking, check "Check-now"
Click on both "Automatically fix file system errors" + "Scan for and attempt recovery for bad sectors". Scan will start. This might take about 5-10 minutes
Once the scan done, this message appeared, "Some problems were found and fixed"
Disconnect your iPod
Open iTunes
Hook up iPod
When iPod appears on iTunes, click on the iPod icon, and select Restore (at this level, you need to be connected to the internet)
You will go through the restore program, and you'll be able to sync with your iPod again.

Tip: If your scan did not work, on Step 5, restart your computer, while keeping your iPod plugged. Scanning will automatically start after reboot. Continue with Step 6-10.

Good luck!

Readability and color schemes

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 08:44:00 +0000

I'm not a big fan of black text on white background. On a lengthy content, the dark-on-light color scheme strains my eyes. Has this happened to you? For some time, I turned my blog into a white-on-black background, which I find, gives a nice emphasis to the photographs. But how about readability? After some research, I came to the conclusion that grey (light text on grey) is the most soothing color. Do you think so?

A palette of some of my favorite working colors for the web.

50 Things Americans Should Know About Canada

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 03:54:00 +0000

Came across this list of interesting facts about Canada. While searching for the source, it led me to DurtyDan. They allow free sharing to promote Canada as a fun loving place, so please give credit back to them if you're using their articles.

"I have collected certain facts about Canada. If you use only two or three of them, to a Canadian it will look as if you know a lot about our country. They will be impressed.

THE LIST

1. We DO NOT have snow all year round. We DO NOT live in igloos. We DO NOT ride around on dog sleds. We DO NOT have to check the back yard for polar bears, before we let our kids go out to play.

2. Stop asking if we know somebody in Canada, when you find out we're Canadian. We DON'T know everybody in Canada.

3. Canadians do not find, "Say 'eh' for me," to be particularly funny.

4. Our president is called a Prime Minister.

5. We have never had a Prime Minister assassinated. Although we've been tempted, a few times.

6. We're a lot bigger than you, in land mass, but our population is considerably less. The populations of Los Angeles and New York City would be around 30 million people. The entire nation of Canada has around 32 million people. Due to the fact that most of our country is in the northern latitudes, we huddle close to the border, for warmth.

7. In the War of 1812, we kicked your butts. The reason why your Whitehouse is white is because we set fire to it and it was whitewashed to hide the damage (for propaganda purposes). The west wing was almost completely gutted. Some Americans will say that THEY won the war. However, to win, a party must reach their objective. Your objective was to take over British North America (what Canada was called then), our goal was to stop you. You don't have any more northern territory along the Canada/US border than you did before 1812. So who won? (Alaska doesn't count, you BOUGHT that state from Russia.)

8. A form of baseball was played in Toronto three weeks before Alexander Doubleday played the 'first' game of baseball in your country.

9. We do not find the term "Canuck" derogatory, like Americans find "Yank" derogatory. It apparently originated during World War One. Your soldiers were call "dough-boys" ours were called "Johnny Canucks". I think the British coined the term, but I'm not sure.

10. We did not have a "Wild West". The forerunner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Mounties), the Northwest Mounted Police, kept the peace. Due to the fact that they were a national police force, you could not escape their jurisdiction. They always got their man. Or woman. We have had our share of outlaws, though. Many famous pirates had their headquarters on the east coast of Canada.

11. Speaking of Mounties, they do not all ride horses. So don't try to outrun them if you see their lights in your rear view mirror.

12. We get the same TV shows and channels as you do. So don't ask "Do you get [name of show] up there in Canada?"

13. We are not "just like Americans", we have our own national identity, we just haven't figured out what it is, yet. Someone once said that, "Canadians are unarmed Americans with health care." That pretty much sums it up, I guess. We are internationally (but unofficially) known as the "World's Most Polite Nation."

14. Our national animal is the beaver. Sure it's just a rodent, but they're not even CLOSE to being extinct. You can still get money for beaver pelts. It is NOT our main unit of exchange, we have money, just like you.

15. We do not find the fact that Americans wear Canadian flag pins (so they can get better treatment in Europe) very amusing. So stop it.

16. Contrary to popular belief, the Klondike Gold Rush happened mostly in Canada, not Alaska. American prospectors were stopped at the border and had their liquor, gambling paraphernalia and firearms confiscated by the Mounties.

17. We have Thanksgiving in October, so we don't look like copycats (it IS an American originated holiday, after all). However, we celebrate Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Passover and other holidays at the same time you do.

18. We were formed, as a nation, in 1867.

19. We do not trade in beaver pelts, blankets and gunpowder. We have currency. Unlike you, however, we have a two dollar bill. (Although you had them during your bi-centennial celebration.) Actually, our two dollar bill is a COIN. Our bills have pictures of birds on them and are multi-coloured. Our one dollar coin has a picture of a loon on it, so it's called a "Loonie". The two dollar coin has a picture of a polar bear on it, so it's called a "Toonie". (Don't ask, I'm as confused as you are on this one.) There are plans afoot to mint a five-dollar coin, we have no idea what to call it.

20. November the 11th is called Remembrance Day, up here. It is a day when all Canadians honour our war dead and the veterans who are still amongst us. It's significance is that on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month the Armistice was signed, ending World War One.

21. Not every Canadian speaks French. In fact, Canada is the only country where speaking French is not cool.

22. We spell words differently. Honour, valour, defence, neighbour, colour, centre and other words are from the British way of spelling. We also pronounce the last letter of the alphabet "zed", not "zee".

23. The Queen of England is not our national leader. She's' just a figure head and somebody to put on our money with the birds. (Some Royalists in Canada will have something different to say about his, but they're a minority.)

24. In Canada the term "bilingual" does not mean the person can speak two languages, it specifically means "speaks both English and French". Canada has two official languages, they are (coincidentally) English and French.

25. Members of our Senate are appointed by the national party in power. It is a life time position. Even though they are not elected by the people, they can still control government legislation.

26. Our states are called Provinces. We even have three Territories.

*

A territory is created through federal law. In this case, Crown (government) lands in the territories are retained by the federal government in the Crown in right of Canada. This differs from the provinces, which own provincial lands in the Crown in right of the province.
*

Secondly, in a territory, federal Parliament may enter into provincial-type affairs, such as school curriculum.
*

Thirdly, territorial governments are not included in the Constitutional amending formula (this is the way Canada decides if we want to change something in the Canadian Constitution). Provinces get a vote when a change is proposed — territories don't.

The provinces and territories are, from east to west:

PROVINCE "PROVINCIAL KNICKNAME" & CAPITAL

Newfoundland and Labrador, "The Rock", St. John's

Nova Scotia, "Canada's Atlantic Playground", Halifax

New Brunswick, "Picture Province", Fredericton

Prince Edward Island, "Home of Confederation", Charlottetown

Quebec, "La Belle Province", Quebec City

Ontario, "Canada's Heartland", Toronto

Manitoba, "Keystone Province", Winnipeg

Saskatchewan, "Canada's breadbasket ", Regina

Alberta, "Wild Rose Province", Edmonton

British Columbia, "Pacific Playground", Victoria

Yukon Territories, Whitehorse

Northwest Territories, "The beautiful land", Yellowknife

Nunavut, "Our Land" (the Inuit homeland), Iqaluit (formerly Frobisher Bay)

27. Our governors are called Premiers.

28. Our Federal Governments are formed by the party who received the majority of votes (just like your system). Unlike your system, we do not vote for the person who we would want to be leader of our nation, we vote for the local representative in the territory they are responsible for (called a Riding). The party who had the most local representatives (seats) voted in -- is the ruling party. The party who came in second is known as Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. (This is done because we have more than two national parties.) The Opposition's job is to keep the ruling party honest and prevent them from getting into any skulduggery. (It doesn't always work.) We have elections every four years, but the ruling party can call an election earlier, if they so choose.

29. Our Prime Minister does not have a limit on how many terms in office they can do. The record is held by Liberal leader Pierre Eliot Trudeau who stayed leader of the country for around 16 years. It is known as the Trudeau Era.

30. We have had a women Prime Minister. Her name was Kim Campbell. She was Deputy Prime Minister (that's what we call our Vice President) when the Prime Minister of that time, Brian Mulroney, quit. There was an election shortly after that (the Deputy PM is not allowed to finish the term, like the Vice President is).

31. You don't have to be born in Canada, to be Prime Minister.

32. Many Canadians have never played hockey in their lives. There are many who do not like hockey.

33. Besides, our national sport is not hockey, it's lacrosse. It's one of the few sports that originated on the North American continent, it was played by the natives.

34. We didn't invent hockey, we just made it better.

35. Canadian football is different. The Canadian Football League (CFL) has larger end-zones, the football is bigger, and they have one more 'down'. We don't support it much and a few teams have gone bankrupt. Despite the fact that many say it is better than American football, others (who don't particularly like Canadian football) use the expression "run, pass, kick" to describe the game. Apparently, they feel this best describes every offensive strategy in the CFL.

36. Even if an "American" team wins the Stanley Cup (the "World Series" of hockey) it doesn't matter to us, because all your best players are Canadian.

37. On the other hand, if a "Canadian" team wins the World Series we ignore the fact that all our baseball players are American.

38. New York City has more murders in a week than the entire nation of Canada does all year.

39. We have no right to keep and bear arms. So leave your guns home if you're visiting, otherwise they'll be confiscated at the border. We have very strict gun laws, and fully automatic weapons are pretty much illegal. It almost takes an Act of God to get a licence to own a pistol. (This may be a contributing factor as to why we only have about 600 homicides a year, nation-wide.)

40. The border between Canada and the Republic of the United States holds the title of the "World's Longest Undefended Border".

41. Our side of Niagra falls is nicer looking than your side. In fact, even when Americans use images of the Falls in advertising and movies, they film the Canadian side. It's called Horse Shoe Falls, by the way.

42. That movie you thought was filmed in New York, or Seattle, or Chicago, or Los Angeles -- may have just been filmed in Vancouver, Montreal or Toronto.

43. On average four hundred thousand Americans visit Canada each year.

44. Canada has rednecks, too.

45. We pay anywhere from forty to forty-five percent income tax. This does not include Provincial Sales Tax (from 0% to 11% of many purchases, dependent on the particular province) or the national sales tax, the Goods and Services Tax (7% of any purchase over $1.00). Visitors to our country can get the GST they paid reimbursed by filling out a simple form.

46. Our country got its name by mistake. When Jaques Cartier, a French explorer, came to the new world (around where present day Nova Scotia is) they met with local Natives who invited them to their 'kanata' or village. The Jesuit priest with Cartier's party (who was supposed to be providing translation services) misunderstood the native's meaning and told Cartier the name of the country was "Kanata" or Canada.

47. Canada is the only nation to have committed genocide (the complete eradication of a race of people). The Beothuk (bee-ah-took) natives of Newfoundland were hunted like animals. The last one died in prison in the early 1800's. There are no more Beothuk natives left in the world.

48. We call Eskimos "Inuit", because that's what they call themselves.

49. We own the North Pole, and therefore Santa Claus is Canadian. The internationally recognized mailing address for jolly old St. Nick is:

Santa Claus
North Pole
Canada
H0H 0H0

So you better not pout, you better not cry, you better not shout, I'm telling you why: Santa Claus is a Canuck.

50. Forget about Columbus and Plymouth Rock. Canada was the first place in North America to be settled by Europeans. There was a Viking colony, established by Leif Ericson, circa 1000 B.C. However, natives attacked the settlements and the Vikings decided that it would be better for everybody if they just went home."

Canada's Invisible Immigrants

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:25:00 +0000

An interesting article from The Globe And Mail's editorial, dated September 5th, 2010.

Canada takes pride in being a country of immigrants. Scholars devote much time to researching the social and economic outcomes of newcomers, most of whom hail from visible-minority communities. It is fitting, then, that someone has delved into Canada’s fourth-largest immigration source: Americans.

These invisible immigrants – there are one million, more than at any time since the Vietnam War – are a unique group. According to a leading American geographer, they come to Canada not for economic opportunities, but for the country’s set of values.

Of course, every immigrant’s motivations are intensely personal. However, extensive research by Susan Hardwick, a professor at the University of Oregon, shows that the over-arching inspiration for moving north of the border is an idealistic one.

Americans are attracted by their view of Canada’s more liberal culture. That includes support for a universal public health-care system, positive attitudes toward gays and lesbians, gun control laws and multiculturalism.

In British Columbia, for example, Prof. Hardwick found that most recent arrivals from the U.S. reported their primary reason for leaving was the idea that Canada is a safe refuge for liberal thinkers and idealists.

There are also a growing number of what she calls “midlife mavericks,” who are seeking new lives in what they see as the promised land.

The trend, it seems, is enduring. Reciprocal migration means Canadians need not worry about the brain drain south.

Prof. Hardwick attributes the spike in American immigration, in part, to dissatisfaction with the conservative policies of former president George W. Bush’s years in office.

Now that President Barack Obama, a Democrat, is in the White House, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper leads a Conservative minority government, will liberal Americans sour on Canada? Early research results show that American immigrants are not inclined to move back, especially in light of Canada’s stronger economy.

As well, given Tea Party activism, anti-immigration policies in states such as Arizona, and popularity of commentators such as Glenn Beck, liberal Americans remain unsettled by U.S. political culture.

American-Canadians are enthusiastic Canadians. Even those who retain dual citizenship embrace their new identity. Two-thirds of American immigrants have a “very strong” sense of belonging to Canada, according to the Canadian Ethnic Diversity Study. For many, Canada is the “America idealized” in the post-9/11 world, says Prof. Hardwick.

American-Canadians also earn higher salaries and are more educated than other immigrant groups in Canada.

Canadians should embrace these newcomers, and be careful not to tar them as overly individualistic, flag-waving or materialistic – stereotypical traits often, wrongly, associated with Americans.

The presence of American immigrants is doing as much to shape Canada as the influence of newcomers from China, South Asia and the Philippines.

Canadians should resist the urge to repeat negative clichés about the U.S., and view Americans as among the most buoyant new Canadians.

Homemade vanilla extract

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 10:07:00 +0000

I was told that in order to bake a great cake, you need quality ingredients. From butter, to eggs, to vanilla extract. Pure vanilla extract is one of the most expensive spices, and should be distinguished from vanilla essence or flavor, which is synthetic. Although both can be substituted for one another in a recipe, vanilla extract is the preferable ingredient if you want your cake to have a wonderful flavor.

Vanilla is the fruit of an orchid, and reading the history of pollination by hand can be quite amusing. After some research, I was surprised to find that it is possible to make your own vanilla extract. All you need is 180ml of vodka, 1 whole vanilla bean, and an airtight empty bottle. It was suggested to cut the bean in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds. Cover tight and let steep for at least 6 months.

In this experiment, I used a 175ml bottle of vodka, added 3 vanilla beans (instead of 1), and let steep for 6 months. The result was satisfactory, and economical. So far, I used it in all my baking, including the chiffon cake.

Tip: a good vanilla bean should be moist, plump, tender, shiny and black. It can be hard to find.

The Onion News on Twitter and Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 02:20:00 +0000

This is amazingly hilarious.

A stalking e-mother talks about why Twitter is her favorite: it allows her to virtually follow her son's every move. She can hear his every thoughts, "it's like a dream come true".

Facebook, Twitter Revolutionizing How Parents Stalk Their College-Aged Kids

Another report about Facebook.

CIA's 'Facebook' Program Dramatically Cut Agency's Costs

Transformers Bumblebee

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 09:08:00 +0000

I was cleaning up my pictures archive, and found these photos of Bumblebee Transformers.

It was the closest I could get to him :)

Chevrolet Camaro

WebPutty CSS editing tool

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:07:00 +0000

Finally edited my blogger template: removed borders for the widgets and unified the background colors. It looks much cleaner now, especially at the bottom page. Funny how these minor changes can make such a big difference.

I used webputty.net, a new CSS editor that allows users to preview the changes instantly and also to update them to their website with a click of a button.

(1) Log in with your Gmail account ;
(2) Copy and paste in your template the Java script provided by WebPutty.net;

(3) Tips from DH: back up the HTML/CSS source code first, then delete all "style" codes in your original template to avoid overlapping;
(4) Start editing on WebPutty. Hooray for the two column panes!

A single account can be used to edit several websites.

According to WebPutty's front page, it's free for early adopters. Have fun!

Subway

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:39:00 +0000

We're big time fans of Subway's Italian B.M.T. Parmesan oregano bread, all dressed, with mayo and mustard. Delicious!

Therapy dog

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 08:20:00 +0000

Can't get angry when you see this 6 3 months old beagle. She's too adorable.

She's loving her bones to the max.

Comfort zone

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 09:37:00 +0000

The new Blogger GUI looks completely different. My initial reactions weren't positive, it can be confusing at times. What used to be second nature is now unfamiliar.

I could have opted to return to the normal (old) one, but forced myself to get accustomed to the new version. Told myself that change is inevitable, and I just need to adapt to it. After a few days of experimenting, I'm starting to get used to it.

I kinda like it now.

Smart objects

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 09:03:00 +0000

Recently, I wanted to experiment more on smart objects in Photoshop. They do wonders. I find they're even better than the cropping tool. These photos were taken a while back with Nikon D60 and lens 18-55mm. I miss them... for the vibrant colors they gave me. I recollect that no processing was used in these photos, in terms of sharpness and contrast.

Haruki Murakami

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 09:35:00 +0000

"A certain type of perfection can only be realized through a limitless accumulation of the imperfect."
- Haruki Murakami (Kafka on the Shore)

Teva Itunda

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:48:00 +0000

Amphibious footwear, pronounced "teh-va" not "tee-va".

It's light, comfortable and doesn't make your feet sweat in summer.

Easy guacamole recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:27:00 +0000

Mmm... delicious and easy guacamole dip recipe for nachos, great for summer B.B.Q. Love this recipe (from Allrecipes.com)!

Ingredients:

3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

Interesting nutritional value of avocados:

High intake of avocados can help decrease blood cholesterol levels
Avocados are rich in potassium, vitamins B, E and K.

Royal Selangor Pewter Visitor Centre

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 08:45:00 +0000

The Royal Selangor Visitor Center is on the top list of attractions in KL on TripAdvisor. According to Wiki, Royal Selangor is not only the largest pewter manufacturer and retailer in the world, but also proudly recognized as a Malaysian brand icon. It's been there for four generations (amazing!), and they have expanded into jewelry, silverware, and even hand painted collectibles. It is a must visit not only for tourists, but also for locals alike.

Tin dredge

Giant money tree

Refreshment during the visit

The visitor center is modern and comprises of the museum and gallery, the factory, the modern cafe, and the gift shop. The admission is FREE and they allow you photograph as much as you like. The staffs are very friendly and they look so happy working at Royal Selangor. Loyal workers of 5 years and over are commemorated with this wall of hand prints around the center.

A friendly staff will be available to guide the visitors around. If visitors chose to, they can opt for the School of Hard Knocks, which is located inside the factory area, and where they can knock their own pewter bowl with their name on it ;) Each session last about 20 minutes max. There is a minimal fee of RM60 per person (prior booking is advisable), and you get to bring back your pewter bowl nicely wrapped in a gift box, as well as a certificate.

From the gallery, museum, and factory, visitors will finally be led to the gift shop, which comprises of a wide variety of items, some of them can't be found at other branches. Remember to ask your guide for the story of the lucky pumpkin tea pot, it will sure make you want to purchase one. The history of Royal Selangor was written into a beautiful hardcover book by the great-granddaughter, and can also be purchased at the shop. Even if you are not Malaysian, you feel so proud for what Mr. Yong Koon and his later generations have successfully accomplished in the Malaysian pewter industry.

The visitor center is open every day, even on holidays, and can be reached from Wangsa Maju RapidKL station and taxi, and is only 10 minutes away from the city centre.

About criticism and leadership

noreply@blogger.com (Ketchup) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 04:17:00 +0000

Episode 19, Season 4 Chuck Versus the Muuurder

Director Bently talking to Chuck, "You know what your problem is? You want people to like you too much. A good leadership doesn't care about that."

In life, you can't have everyone to like you, and you can't be a good leader if you're affected by this. Just be confident and do what is right.

On the same line of thoughts, why not accept criticism positively with appreciation and allow yourself to improve. As this great article from Zenhabits mentions, most criticism is not an attack/insult on you as a person, but rather on your actions. It's up to you to be the better person, or react angrily and regret later.

Photo credit: nyarty