Window into my World

View from Space!

2011-11-14T16:20:00.001+08:00

Mesmerizing video! Note especially the Aurora Borealis and also the thunderstorms - the lighning flashes to be precise.

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

The first four words ...

2011-10-24T08:16:00.001+08:00

Look at the face below. The first four words that pop up apparently describe you. (Well, lets pretend they do - its a fun activity which serves no purpose). I am apparently patient (do not believe that), lovely (want to believe that), passionate (could almost believe that) and over-dramatic (definitely believe that!) LOL!

Life is ...

2010-10-04T11:31:00.002+08:00

Can you guess who this is?

2010-09-09T12:28:00.000+08:00

Amazing Hong Kong!

2010-09-03T22:45:00.000+08:00

Little Big City - Hong Kong Tilt Shift from Fershad Irani on Vimeo.

Worst fight scene EVER!

2010-09-02T17:50:00.000+08:00

Seriously! I doubt you will ever see anything this bad in any film or TV footage.

Again the number 13 pops up!

2010-09-02T17:43:00.000+08:00

The date: August 13th 2010
The time: 13:13
The players: One boy, 13 years old.

At this date, at this time the boy got struck by lightning. Thankfully he is safe now.
(Link)

To Kill an American

2010-08-16T08:56:00.000+08:00

I have not bothered to verify the authenticity of the story behind this little piece below because it is a wonderful collection of thoughts by itself - it does not make much difference why it was written (and I could not find the original publication to be able to give proper credit).Of course, we are all aware of the hatred that permeates the world today and anything that counteracts it will get my whole hearted support. So this is what I heard but have not checked out:

Sometime in the last week of July or the first week of August 2010 someone published an offer of payment, in a Pakistani newspaper, to anyone who killed an American - any American. In response to this an editorial was published by an Australian dentist on how to identify an American, making it easier to kill them.

“An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan.

An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans.

An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim.
In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.

An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the world.
The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.

An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return.

When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country!

As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan. Americans welcome the best of everything…the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services. But they also welcome the least.

The national symbol of America, The Statue of Liberty , welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America.

Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001 earning a better life for their families. It’s been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.

So, you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world. But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place, they are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

World Record for speeding fines!!

2010-08-13T22:50:00.000+08:00

I have always had a bone to pick with the Swiss authorities about their speeding checks and fines. I have to watch the speedometer more often than the road to see where I am going. And they are not forgiving of even the slightest infraction - ever! Even a few kilometres over the limit and you can be sure to either get flagged down and taken to the nearest police station, or receive a love note in the mail. Most surely the former if you are in a car from outside the country.

And then there was this Swede, 29 years old, who decided to stick his nose up at the Swiss road police. He was caught speeding at 290 kph (180 mph) by some new fangled camera (trust the Swiss to have the latest equipment to catch the speed nuts). And so he was fined - and what a fine!! A world record of Euro 928.770,45. At today's exchange rate that would a cool US$ 1.2 million. Niiiiceee!

So if you like to drive, enjoy the rush of speed and do not have a few million to toss in the wind, when in Switzerland use public transportation. Or keep an eye on every damn speed limit sign!! Bon Voyage!!

(Link)

Wrestling?

2010-06-20T14:31:00.001+08:00

I do not care much for wrestling - or other contact sports. But this Turkish sport I think I could watch!! LOL! The very well oiled participants try to grab the family jewels of the opponent. If they manage to get a good grip and squeeze hard enough, the poor guy in the difficult position slaps the ground thrice to acknowledge defeat.

Thanks to Aeryn for bringing this to my attention ;)

Titanic Awards

2010-06-19T19:45:00.002+08:00

A new website called Titanic Awards put together this video below. The mission of the site is to give us a more accurate view of what travel might be like for most of us. Travel writers usually tend to paint a rosy picture about travelling and destinations becaue either they are paid to do so or they have earned free trips or some such. So ... a dose of reality before you pack your bags and who knows, you just might appreciate your holiday that much more!

Covering an album

2010-06-19T18:11:00.000+08:00

My first attempt covering an album - the pink part was done already. I just stitched the green part, applied the label, embroidered the word 'travel' and then glued it all together. Surely my next attempt will be better ;)

Angkor Wat

2010-06-18T12:02:00.001+08:00

For my next project I have to perfect my technique of working fast and producing pages that are fuss free and have clean lines, with a contemporary look. And below is the first example of this style. Took me a half day to complete but it is not bad for starters! If only I had a bigger table to work on ... and all my supplies visibly stored.

Cardstock is actually the same colour but some how the shades got altered in the scanning process. The itty bitty pieces of printed paper and round chipboards are by Imagination Project. Rub On alphas are by Gin-X and the round 'Sights' sticker is by Chatter Box. The rub-ons on the two smaller round white chipboards are from 7Gypsies. Stamps on the larger chipboard by Art Warehouse.

Temples

2010-06-07T20:41:00.002+08:00

This layout, though finished a couple of days back, took a while to post. Because I just upgraded to Adobe CS5!! I am sooooo excited! I tried just a few features and totally LOVE it! Will be spending the next few days on Lynda.com ;) I may not be posting as many layouts till I have mastered at least the basic upgrades.

The printed paper is from Sei but I stippled it with coffee ink to subdue the colours a bit. Cardstock is from Club Scrap. Letters for the title are made using Tim Holtz masks. I found these again so be prepared for lots of masking over the next few layouts ... lol!

Killing Fields

2010-06-05T07:17:00.000+08:00

These photographs from the Killing Fields of Cambodia were very difficult to work with. When Lily tried talking about it all she could remember was the pain and depression she felt looking at all the skulls. The photos are of the human remains of Juvenile females, 15-20 years old - just Lily's age group. It is unsettling, looking at these skulls, knowing that these were once young girls just like her who suddenly had their dreams, their lives, snuffed out just because of their race.

I decided to keep the layout as basic and simple as possible. No trinkets, colours or frills. Crate paper had just the colours I was looking for. Love the texture of these papers and the distressed look. Crate seems to do it especially well.

Attitude

2010-06-04T21:05:00.000+08:00

I found some rub-ons in my stash that are still perfect! I wish I could stick to these brands but that might be easier said than done. The large capital letters are from Flair Designs and the small block letters are from American Traditional. The website for Flair Designs is not active and I cannot find much of their products for sale online. This is a real pity because the quality was good! With the American Traditional website I was redirected to another called Momenta but I could not find a good collection of letter rub-ons. Paper is all from the Mosaic Twist kit by Club Scrap. Swirls stamp unknown. Journaling on a 7 Gypsies thingy (what is it called?) that I stippled with some ink called Outdoor Denim. I bought some stippling brushes from Toy Box ages ago and they are still the best stippling brushes I have used.

The girls spent a short while on the St. Kilda beach in Melbourne. A welcome break from all the drama workshops but of course everything they were learning came into play when taking photographs! The photo with the four backsides is quite a favourite with Lily.

Azzurra

2010-06-02T00:19:00.002+08:00

Tried that video thingy on Picasa with some of my favourite photos of both the kids

Cambodia title page

2010-05-29T22:29:00.002+08:00

Last year Lily and a group of her schoolmates went to Cambodia for a week. They spent some time in working in an orphanage and then the last three days visited Angkor Wat.

This took a while to put together because there was this one layout I wanted to copy from the current CK but I also wanted to use filigree designs. So I had to stamp the leaves, flowers. stems etc. separately then cut them out and place them on the layout. Papers are all actually from Club Scrap Key to my Heart kit but the very light shades are not evident in the scans. Stamps are by Stampa Rosa. Alpha stamps are by Gelatins. Rub-on by Fancy Pants. French curves used to make the stems.

P.S. Second attempt at trying my technique to use dried up rub-ons and it worked this time too.

Questions about Lost?

2010-05-26T19:49:00.001+08:00

This video from CollegeHumor sums them all up!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

R and R

2010-05-25T19:16:00.000+08:00

Some rest, relaxation and shopping before heading home!

Almost everything used in this kit is from Club Scrap Bugs kit. The flowers & insects outlined with a Zig grey pen. Black outlines were a bit too sharp for my liking. The r&r title is hand written and coloured, then cut out. Art Warehouse journalling stamp. the sentiment stamp is from another Club Scrap kit - something travel related.

All inks used for stamping are Fresco by Stampa Rosa - how I miss this brand! They made the most awesome stamping supplies ever! Filigree EP, Cloisonné, Fresco chalk inks ... just to name a few. And of course their stamps were so exquisite! My ink pads are now drying out a bit and I do not have re-inkers :( Any suggestions? TIA!

It's Not Easy

2010-05-23T21:09:00.000+08:00

This particular drama workshop was called Physical Theatre. It was hard work! One of the courses, for example, was the Suzuki Actor Training. By the time the class was finished the students could only think of sitting down and not doing anything else for the rest of the day!

The Suzuki Method of Actor Training develops the actor's inner physical sensibilities, builds the will, stamina and concentration. The workshop activities include a series of exercises centered around the use of the feet in relation to one's center. These exercises are designed to throw the body off center while maintaining a consistent level of energy and not swaying the upper body. The energy necessary to accomplish this task is considerable and constitutes a primary focus of this work. In the course of doing these exercises the body becomes more centered, and thus changes the manner in which the actor views his/herself within their body. This change is also related to how the actor views their work onstage. Issues such as engrained habits become more apparent as do strengths and weaknesses. By developing the body awareness of the corporal center, and a consistent level of energy, primary elements of the actor's awareness are heightened. The best and most consistent evidence of this work is apparent onstage reflected through an increasingly centered and controlled actor. (Source)

Papers and sticker are from Club Scrap Moody Blues kit. Loopy brads by Karen Foster Design. Small alpha letter stamps are by PSX. Large letter stamps used for the title are by Gelatins.

Earth Magic

2010-05-23T20:13:00.000+08:00

Australia possesses some delightful nature parks. Here Lily is at the Kondalilla park enjoying a dip in a sparkling fresh water pool. And a very interesting Japanese theatre class was taught around a campfire.

Layout done with Club Scrap kit Down to Earth kit. All other cardstock also from Club Scrap.

Our home for the week

2010-05-23T07:43:00.002+08:00

The dorms at Montville, and Lily and Riva just hanging out - how much fun was it just standing on a grill door like that and swinging back and forth? The place was verdant and the students spent a good part of their time outdoors. They also had to cook by themselves and here was the fun part. Lily is quite the gourmand but can just about boil an egg. So she had to eat whatever was dished up by a bunch of sixteen year old enterprising wanna-be chefs - including some terrible pasta. But when one is young, with friends and having fun everything is easier to adjust to.

This page is done with the Club Scrap Tuscany kit (paper, border stickers, letter stickers, lemon rubberstamp). Other elements are Art Warehouse journalling stamps, petal pebbles, rub-on (you are here) by 7 Gypsies and (fleur-de-lis pattern) by Fancy Pants. The small letter stamps are PSX. The wavy line on either side of 'our' is a stamp by Art Baker - the calligraphy set.

How to revive a dried up Rub-On

Now here is an update on those dried up rub-ons. Fancy Pants wrote back and though they were very polite and kind, basically they told me that they had never heard of a problem like mine before (so this is happening only to me? I have sheets & sheets of rub-ons from Creative Imaginations just hanging there, mocking my crazy shopping sprees), if I wanted a replacement I had to contact the vendor (ummm ... got this over two yeas ago so who remembers...) and not a hint of a solution (I mean the problem does not exist, right, so why would they have a solution!?!)

Anyhoo, if you find that your rub-on is stuck to the backing paper then this is not for you. Those rub-ons unfortunately will have to be written off. If however your rub on is still intact, just dried out, you can give this technique a try. Do not hold me to perfect results because I have done it just once till now. I have to do this experiment a few times before I can state that it really works. While I am trying it with my dried out rub-ons, perhaps you can give it a try with yours? Better than just throwing them away. I will appreciate any feedback, tips or comments about this.

You will need US Art Quest paper perfect matte glue. Remove the backing paper from the rub on and lie it design side facing down on a hard surface. You should have the once-sticky backside of the design staring you in the face and reminding you of dollars lost. Now, dip a fingertip into the glue and gently dab a very thin layer onto the whole of the rub-on. Leave it face up till almost completely dry. It should feel just very slightly tacky to the touch. Now turn rub-on over and place it on your page (again - be prepared with some back up or cover up options if this does not work!!) and gently rub with an embossing stylus. At this point the design should stick to your page but as you can see mine was not perfect. Some bits of the rub-on just completely flaked away. Yet I was happy that I managed to get most of it on - the look is even more distressed than Fancy Pants intended it to be ... lol! I then used the same glue and my finger tip to put a thin layer on top as a sealant - just to make sure that it does not come off easily.

Bonne chance!!

Butoh

2010-05-21T11:53:00.000+08:00

During the drama workshop in Montville, one technique that the students found interesting was 'Butoh'. It is believed to have originated in Japan after the nuclear bombs wiped out Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and other incidents of social unrest. The movements of Butoh are usually slow and grotesque. The bodies are painted white and eyes rolled up to show only the whites. All very reminiscent of darkness, decay and death. Quoting Iwana Masaki, present day Butoh involves extricating the pure life which is dormant in our bodies. okaaaay ... whatever! I do not get it. To me the whole thing just looks quite creepy ... lol!

Papers are Club Scrap fruit and Vine kit. Large red letters are American Crafts Thickers. Photo corners are metallic and made by Daisy D's. Little fans are cut out from a larger stamp by Magenta.Not sure where I got the sequin stamp - it is unmounted and part of a set. The yellow strip is stamped with Kanji script and then cut with scalloped edge scissors.

So Zen Zen Zo

2010-05-16T12:09:00.001+08:00

All papers are from the Club Scrap Tie Dye kit. Flowers are rub-ons by Sassafrass Lass - no complaints about this brand either. They went on smooth as butter even though I have had them for a very long time. So the Fancy Pants Design rub ons are not looking good quality-wise. Plus they have yet to respond to my very polite query about the product. It has been a little over a week now. Title letters stamped and embossed - stamps by Wordsworth. Black detail Ep and ink on purple cardstock. I then cut out the letters.

Lily with her drama teachers, Zen Zen Zo instructors and fellow students somewhere in the Australian wilderness. She brought back two ugly tick bites as a reminder of all the communing with nature that the students did on this trip ;)

Finishing off ...

2010-05-15T08:12:00.002+08:00

Absolutely the last layout for the Ski trip to Switzerland. Put together the photographs that did not seem to fit elsewhere.

I could not get my rub-ons to rub on. So I cut them out and stuck them to cardstock. Then to emphasise them (because they were sticking out anyway) I used foam bits. Paper is from Club Scrap. Yes, those are two different shades of cardstock. The rub-on that did not, is from Fancy Pants. Good thing I bought just one! Stamps are from ... (later). About those rub-ons: I wrote to Fancy Pants asking if they knew of any way to revive dried out rub-ones. Such pretty designs! I really do not want to throw them out with the garbage. I will post here if I get a reply and if there are any instructions :). Not getting my hopes too high though.

Down Under Drama

2010-05-14T22:58:00.003+08:00

And now - a page!! lol!! I had such a hard time finding all my supplies. I could not remember where everything was. And so I ended up using things that I found by chance - I did not even remember having purchased - like Shotz by Danelle Johnson. Or letter stickers by Frances Meyer. OMG! Those sure are dated!! I think I spent the better part of the day getting reacquainted with my supplies. Paper is all Club Scrap. And since this is from Lily's travel album I have left the journalling for her. Just so you do not feel left out ;) - she went with a bunch of other students to Melbourne, Australia in 2008 for a Drama camp with Zen Zen Zo, an Ozzie Theatre group. So they did not do much sightseeing except this one museum they visited. Most of the stay was spent in workshops and seeing plays.

Mera Bharat Mahaan!

2010-05-12T15:24:00.000+08:00

We live in a nation

Where a pizza delivery reaches your home faster than an ambulance or the police
Where you get a car loan @ 5% and an education loan @ 12%,
Where rice is Rs 40/- per kg but a sim card is free
Where a millionaire buys a cricket team but donates nothing to any charity
Where the footwear we wear are sold in air conditioned showrooms, but vegetables that we eat are sold on the footpath
Where everybody wants to be rich and famous but nobody wants to make the effort necessary to be rich and famous
Where we make lemon juices with artificial flavours and dish-washing liquids with real lemon.
Where people are standing at tea stalls reading an article about child labour from a newspaper and say,"yaar bachhonse kaam karvane wale ko to phansi par chadha dena chahiye" and then they shout "Oye chhotu, 2 chaii laao....."

Incredible India,
Mera Bharat Mahaan :)

Double Happiness card

2010-05-12T11:55:00.000+08:00

My employer is getting married. And so finally, after a break of more than two years, I made a card. Quite enjoyed it too! I used a 'Wild Card' template from Wordsworth Stamps. Troublesome sending these cards by mail so I usually use them when I know I will be hand delivering the card. This card will contain cash - the most appreciated form of gift for any occasion for the Chinese. Any number with 8 is good but best to avoid any 4s.

I made the background using a Club Scrap stamp of two small bamboo leaves and tone on tone. The fish are cut out from a Stampendous stamp. Double Happiness is by Hero Arts. The silver embossed Kanji writing is by Sunday International - one of my most used stamps I believe :) All papers are from Club Scraps Fruit & Vine kit. Fish & Double Happiness are embossed using Chinese Red EP. I wish I had detail gold embossing powder on hand. It (gold and red) would have been more appreciated than silver and red. But after sitting there for a while all my gold ep has gone bad. Not only does it stink to high heavens, when embossed it looks almost black. None of the other embossing powders have deteriorated in this manner. And since the local RS store is quite a distance away, silver it had to be.

Web Directions

2010-04-29T13:45:00.001+08:00

John Allsop has data published from his latest survey on current web trends. I for one am thrilled that Firefox is the browser of choice for most people - it is the best out there. I am also starting to use Chrome a lot more. I never, ever use IE!! Check here for the PDF with all details.

I feel GREAT!

2010-04-08T07:21:00.001+08:00

Somehow, this after watching this video I had a very good day! The music is invigorating and the words motivated me a lot. Definitely worth the time spent watching it! Thanks to igetrealtv for some very interesting videos.

Avatar & Disney's Pocahontas

2010-01-05T10:08:00.001+08:00

I really, really enjoyed Avatar!! I especially loved the story - particularly the environmental awareness message. And then I saw this and I have to say - it cannot be denied :) - the similarities in the story are striking indeed - including the initials of the hero!! I am still a huge Avatar fan - have seen it 3 times already but henceforth I will watch it with a new awareness ... LOL!

Click on image to see full size.

(Link)

Compliants by Holiday Makers

2009-12-31T12:02:00.000+08:00

These ridiculous complaints by holiday makers make for some very entertaining reading.

A tourist at a top African game lodge overlooking a waterhole, who spotted a visibly aroused elephant, complained that the sight of this rampant beast ruined his honeymoon by making him feel "inadequate"
"The beach was too sandy."
"Topless sunbathing on the beach should be banned. The holiday was ruined as my husband spent all day looking at other women."
"We bought 'Ray-Ban' sunglasses for five euros (£3.50) from a street trader, only to find out they were fake."
"No-one told us there would be fish in the sea. The children were startled."
"It took us nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England. It only took the Americans three hours to get home."
"My fiancé and I booked a twin-bedded room but we were placed in a double-bedded room. We now hold you responsible for the fact that I find myself pregnant. This would not have happened if you had put us in the room that we booked."
"I compared the size of our one-bedroom apartment to our friends' three-bedroom apartment and ours was significantly smaller."
"The brochure stated: 'No hairdressers at the accommodation'. We're trainee hairdressers - will we be OK staying here?"
"There are too many Spanish people. The receptionist speaks Spanish. The food is Spanish. Too many foreigners."
"We found the sand was not like the sand in the brochure. Your brochure shows the sand as yellow but it was white."
"We had to queue outside with no air conditioning."
"It is your duty as a tour operator to advise us of noisy or unruly guests before we travel."
"I was bitten by a mosquito - no-one said they could bite."
"I think it should be explained in the brochure that the local store does not sell proper biscuits like custard creams or ginger nuts."
"It's lazy of the local shopkeepers to close in the afternoons. I often needed to buy things during 'siesta' time - this should be banned."
"On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don't like spicy food at all."
"We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our swimming costumes and towels."

Sources: ABTA, Thomas Cook, AAP
(Link)

I received this in the mail today ...

2009-12-10T15:41:00.000+08:00

and someone has even underlined some parts for emphasis!! LOL! Click on the image below and read on for a good laugh.

This is my best angle!

2009-11-22T21:38:00.002+08:00

This news report had me laughing out loud!! Narcissist to the point of stupidity or the most *devil-may-care* attitude ever!?!

A British man on the run from police sent a picture of himself to his local paper because he disliked the mugshot they had printed of him as part of a public appeal to track him down. South Wales Police had issued media with the photo of Matthew Maynard, wanted by officers investigating a house burglary, as part of a crackdown on crime in Swansea.

When it appeared in the South Wales Evening Post, the 23-year-old sent the newspaper a replacement photo of himself standing in front of a police van. They obligingly printed it on the front page. The police thanked him for helping them in their appeal, saying: "Everyone in Swansea will know what he looks like now."

Link

Seriously Gross!

2009-11-22T19:38:00.002+08:00

This is like some B-Grade horror flick come to life!! Cosmetics!?!

Peruvian police said on Thursday they had broken up a gang that allegedly killed dozens of people and sold their fat to buyers who used it to make cosmetics. The group stored the fat it collected in used soda and water bottles, which police showed reporters. Police said they were investigating 60 disappearances in the area that might be linked to the gang.

if you must read more ... Link

Extreme Jealousy!! LOL!

2009-11-20T10:46:00.003+08:00

Miss Gay Brazil was just giving an interview when the green eyed monster got the better of a contestant. check out what she did ... LOL!!

Taking animal smuggling to a different level!

2009-10-29T11:45:00.004+08:00

The Norwegian customs caught this guy who had 14 snakes in stockings taped to his torso, geckos in cans taped to his leg and a tarantula in his bag. Apparently while they were searching his bag they realised that his body seemed to be in constant motion!!! OMG! Right now my imagination is in overdrive trying to imagine the sensation of squirmy creatures undulating against your body constantly ... UGH!!!

Link

A man was caught by Norwegian customs carrying a tarantula in his bag, and a further 14 royal pythons and 10 albino leopard geckos taped to his body, media reported Monday. The 22-year-old Norwegian was stopped in a routine check by Kristiansand customs after arriving on a ferry from Denmark, newspaper Faedrelandsvennen reported.

Customs found the tarantula, before deciding to give him a full body search that revealed 14 stockings -- one for each snake -- taped around his torso, top selling tabloid VG said.

Reptile smuggling is not uncommon in Norway, which prohibits people holding many reptile species as pets, but office manager Helge Breilid at Kristiansand customs was quoted by VG as saying customs officers had been "horrified" by Sunday's catch.

"Customs officers quickly realized the man was smuggling animals, because his whole body was in constant motion," Breilid told VG. When the man dropped his pants, the officers found 10 cans taped to his legs, each containing a lizard, he said.

The man was still being held by police Monday, Kristiansand police attorney Johann Martin Kile told VG, adding he would be released upon agreeing to pay a 12,500 Norwegian crowns ($2,256) fine. The reptiles were handed over to a security firm until Norwegian authorities decide what to do with them, Breilid said.
(Link)

International Peace Day - 21st September

2009-09-22T17:03:00.003+08:00

I missed it by a day ... it was yesterday! But the idea in the following video is so nice, we should apply it every day!!

Clock winding dangerous to health!

2009-09-17T22:50:00.003+08:00

Everything is being regulated now - rules, rules, rules!! Very soon there will be a day when someone will figure out a rule on how to take a poop because what we do now is too dangerous or something ... LOL!! Already because of rules we are loosing some of the very traditional foods in Europe (yup ... I am a foodie and this makes me sad mad!) - because they do not meet new EU health regulations. Never mind that EU folks have been eating them for centuries to no detriment!

The clock at St Michael's Church in Helston, Cornwall, has been wound manually by a warden perched just eight feet up a ladder since it was installed in 1793.

Generations of church wardens - known as 'captains of the tower' - have kept the clock ticking and it must now be wound three times a week. However, the current captain, Roger Nott, has now been told he can no longer use a ladder to reach the mechanism even though he only climbs around 8ft.

Because he leans forward to reach the cogs his duty has been deemed a health and safety risk and the tradition is now being scrapped after 216 years. Mr Nott said: ''To wind the clock is a simple operation carried out up a ladder and involves reaching out from the top in order to reach the winding mechanism. ''This is now considered to be a health and safety risk. We must conserve the clock mechanism and fit an automatic winding system which complies with the guidelines.''

The church is now desperately trying to raise £5,000 form its limited funds for an automated clock winding machine.
(Link)

Cow ... an essay

2009-09-16T17:53:00.002+08:00

Click on image below to be better able to read an essay on the COW!

Moving Sand Drawing

2009-08-30T10:03:00.005+08:00

Some people have it all ... check out this young Ukrainian girl. Not only is she beautiful to look at, she is an incredibly talented artist too - and she did not open her mouth. If she did maybe we would find out that she sings like a nightingale, or orates like Obama. Oh well ... I have my theories about the way Mother Nature decides to distribute her gifts ... :D

Using only a giant lightbox, sand to draw and music to set the mood, she is able to make grown people cry! What I love about her art is how dynamic it is - she hardly gives you time to register what she has drawn when she is already moving onto the next bit. For the first time in my life I regret that cannot understand Ukrainian (long story there ... LOL!) A must watch!!

A Tribute to Michael Jackson

2009-07-09T19:45:00.002+08:00

Check out this website and then go make your own moonwalking video!!

Ideas to Ponder

2009-07-09T19:42:00.001+08:00

Click for full size image

Life is ...

2009-04-02T06:32:00.002+08:00

Canvas Art

2009-03-17T19:13:00.008+08:00

This is the last article I will be writing for S.S. Reflections. Sadly the current global economic downturn has taken its toll on us, too. I shall miss the challenge of actually doing something interesting enough to write about every month. These articles also helped me to stay in touch with my scrapbooking – something that had become increasingly difficult as my work got more time consuming!

A coincidence – my last project for SSR is a name plaque that I made to hang on my desk in the office where I started a full time job in February.

Start with a blank mounted canvas. Using a sponge brush, cover the whole canvas with an acrylic colour of your choice. I used poppy with a very few drops of sage green. I made sure to brush only in one direction so the canvas had horizontal strokes. I also coloured the outside edges so that when the finished canvas is hung on the wall, no white is visible.

The letters are Tim Holtz grungeboard. I coloured them using the same poppy acrylic paint.

Using brown dye ink and a sponge tip, colour the edges of the letters.

Slightly smudge the brown colour onto the front of the letters.Place all the letters close together, and using a large background stamp and distress ink, stamp the image onto the letters. Because this grungeboard has a pattern, I had to press down quite hard with my stamp to get a clear image.

Emboss with distress embossing powder.

This is how the image will look on the letters after stamping and embossing.

Mist the letters with water.

I found my finger the best tool for this next step. I put some Interference green acrylic ink on the Teflon sheet and then lightly rubbed the paint onto the letters.

Next, I stamped and embossed some swirly patterns onto the canvas. I used regular embossing ink and EP, but I had to take some care when applying the stamp because not all parts of the canvas are wood backed and I need to apply even pressure to the whole image. Do a few dry runs (without inking your stamp) to see how you can best get even pressure onto all parts of the canvas on which you wish to stamp.

An alternative to this is drawing a design freehand using an embossing ink pen and then embossing with EP. I used this method to touch up the parts of the stamped design that did not get transferred onto the canvas.

Take a cream coloured piece of shrink plastic and sand one surface well.

Use an ink that can be heat set and rub lightly all over the sanded surface. Use a tissue, or something similar, to blend the ink as evenly as possible all over the surface. Use a light ink and a light hand. Keep in mind that when the plastic shrinks the colours will intensify.

Stamp the image onto the shrink plastic using a sepia toned ink. Again, do not use a very dark ink because the colour will intensify when the image shrinks. Cut out the image, if necessary.

Heat plastic to shrink it!

Do not worry if the shrink plastic gets all twisty – keep heating from both sides and you will find that it automatically straightens out when it has shrunk to its minimum.

Cut out a frame for your shrink plastic image from grungeboard. Colour it with an acrylic paint. I used an interference silver.

I applied a second layer of green sage gel paint to give the frame a greenish tinge.

A thin line of pearl mica flakes around the edge makes an interesting border.

I tried some Distress crackle ink in Tea Dye but did not like the effect – too opaque and it did not look good with the poppy. So I wiped it off, but a few streaks of the paint remained. I liked the look of it.

Using a tissue, wipe off any paint on the embossed design.

Use a background stamp like a script or maybe music score stamp and emboss on the opposite corner. Use an ink similar to the acrylic background and clear embossing powder.

I applied a thick layer of glossy stuff on the letters and left them to dry overnight. Then, using tacky glue, I stuck the letters onto the canvas.

I then stuck the shrink plastic image onto the oval frame and then onto the side of the canvas.

Then I turned the canvas over and weighed it down and left to dry for a while so that the letters and the oval image are fixed well onto the background.

Using the same tacky glue I applied some flowers. The same pearl mica flakes in small dots made for sparkly flower centres.

A little bit of dark grey liquid pearl to create a shadow effect on the letters.

I used a Japanese paper punch to make a few holes in the canvas. Take care if you need to make the hole where the canvas has no wood backing. Prick it with a needle to indicate the position and then use the punch from the reverse. There is less possibility of the canvas tearing.

If there is wood behind you may need to pound the metal a bit harder. In any case, I used glue to help stick the metal well onto the canvas.

And here it is – for my desk – my name, a little shrine to the Hindu God Ganesha and some words to keep me motivated at work!

The Lie Detector

2009-03-06T08:20:00.000+08:00

John was a salesman's delight when it came to any kind of unusual gimmick. His wife Marsha had long ago given up trying to get him to change.

One day John came home with another one of his unusual purchases.

It was a robot that John claimed was actually a lie detector
.
It was about 5:30 that afternoon when Tommy, their 11 year old son, returned home from school. Tommy was over 2 hours late.

"Where have you been? Why are you over 2 hours late getting home?" asked John.

"Several of us went to the library to work on an extra credit project," said Tommy.

The robot then walked around the table and slapped Tommy , knocking him completely out of his chair.

"Son," said John, "this robot is a lie detector, now tell us where you really were after school."

"We went to Bobby's house and watched a movie." said Tommy.

"What did you watch?" asked Marsha.

"The Ten Commandments." answered Tommy.

The robot went around to Tommy and once again slapped him, knocking him off his chair once more.

With his lip quivering, Tommy got up, sat down and said,

"I am sorry I lied. We really watched a tape called Sex Queen."

"I am ashamed of you son," said John. "When I was your age, I never lied to my parents."

The robot then walked around to John and delivered a whack that nearly knocked him out of his chair.

Marsha doubled over in laughter, almost in tears and said,
"Boy, did you ever ask for that one! You can't be too mad with Tommy. After all, he is your son!"

With that the robot immediately walked around to Marsha and knocked her out of her chair.

Indian Food Map

2009-02-19T18:06:00.003+08:00

Click on image to see in greater detail:

For my Italian friends

2009-02-17T07:39:00.002+08:00

Un brand di jeans ad Hong Kong...

Noel

2009-02-12T06:23:00.003+08:00

One more Christmas layout. Design copied from a digital layout. I am enjoying the challenge of trying to create with paper something similar to these cool layouts! The three sides are gold mesh, stapled down. While I was messing around with the mesh I was wondering why no one has come up with self adhesive mesh - or have they? I am a bit out of the loop these days.

Now - am not so good with supply lists and stuff but I just wanted to point out that the curvy white rectangle under the photos is handmade - with French curves. The thin red border is hand drawn with an embossing marker and then embossed with red EP. The frame around the round sticker is done with the Basic Grey tool.

Christmas 2007

2009-02-11T07:03:00.003+08:00

This layout is for my son’s album. I love the look of excitement mixed with sleepiness on his face. I used the same bow stamp from Onyx Expression but here I de-constructed the image after embossing and used it as a corner embellishment. The word "Christmas" is actually a whole sentiment but I used a marker to ink only the word I needed.

Paper - Tell your story by Collage Press; Roxbury by Sarah Milne for Scenic Route

Big Bow & Swirl Stamps by (Onyx Impressions)

Bottle Green EP

'2007' - Thickers Alphabets

'Christmas' - Stamp by PSX

Remember Today

2009-02-10T07:07:00.002+08:00

This Christmas holiday I sat and worked on the photographs from last Christmas! Felt nice too to use all the holiday colours and relive the excitement that all of us experience when opening up our gifts. The following layout is for my daughters’ album. Her expression, first wondering what the little package held and then on discovering a completely unexpected iphone in the package, is wonderful.
Layout design copied from a CK magazine. The bow, which is an Onyx Expressions stamp is stamped and embossed in multiple holiday pigment inks and embossing powders.

Paper Designed by Sarah Milne for Scenic Route.

Coaster - Mixed Dates White by Imagination Project.

Big Bow - Stamp by (Onyx Impressions)

Holiday Red & Bottle Green EP

Chipboard swirl - Cherry Arte

Cardstock sticker - Designed Nisa Finn for Fontwerks

Christmas Cards

2009-02-09T08:20:00.002+08:00

The following cards were inspired by Tim Holtz’ 12 tags for Christmas. The first tag uses a mask, so I decided I had to make it. But I did not have distress inks, grungeboard, stickles glitter and all the other little doo dads that Tim loves to use. I guess the following is an example in improvisation. Making do with what one has on hand.

I lined up three pieces of cardstock and laid the mask on all three. This way I would do everything just once and get three cards. I had no distress inks so I used my dye ink pads and tried some DTP. That did not please me very much so I switched to my trusted stippling method. Then I took off the mask, and because the negative image was so sharp, I stippled in some more colour to give the masked area a more blended in look. I stamped the music background.

For the letters, I used the negative of a chipboard alphabet as a stencil and cut out the letters from regular cardstock. I did not have any red stickles glue, so I used children’s glitter glue instead. The holly leaves are done with a punch. Since I had no grungeboard, the lamp post is stamped on handmade paper, the thickest ‘cardstock’ I could find.

Cardstock by Club Scrap

Street lamp stamp by Club Scrap

'JOY' letters traced from the negative of FooFaLa chipboard alphabet

Musical mask by Tim Holtz

Inks used: Ranger Adirondacks Cranberry, Mushroom, Bottle & Lettuce

Letters coloured with Pinta Perla 'rouge' paint and then covered with Crayola red glitter glue.

Punched Holly leaves painted with leaf green 'Silk' paints from Stampa Rosa

Background musical stamp from Stampington

Yellow of street lamp coloured in with galaxy marker

Indian advertising at its best!

2009-01-26T10:35:00.000+08:00

Let's go for a drink

2009-01-20T18:15:00.003+08:00

What goes through your mind when someone says "Let's go for a drink"?
Click on the images for a better view :-D

A Good Year

2009-01-18T11:34:00.002+08:00

Continuing with the masks - This layout has only a tiny detail done with a mask – the number “7.” I used a brown ink and a dense background stamp on the apricot paper. Then I placed the 7 mask on it and used a fantastix brush from Tsukineko to make a dark outline using the same brown. Then I cut out the 7, leaving a thin border of brown around the stamped design.

This same effect can be created with a stencil, but with the mask, the stamped part of the image is done first and you can get a crisper image because the stamp is applied directly to paper without a stencil in the middle. The result is much better with a mask than with a stencil.

Cardstock by Club Scrap from the Poetic Kit.

'Year' chipboard alpahbet by Heidi Swapp

'7' done with Tim Holtz mask

Jornaling block traced from a stencil I created

Hinge is Tim Holtz grungeboard painted white acrylic, silver & gold

Silver & Gold paint from Golden acrylics

Round sentiment coaster from Imagination Project

Font: 2Peas Magic Forest

A couple of fonts

2009-01-18T09:51:00.002+08:00

First site offers free download of a font called 'The Village Font' which is a derivative of Albertus.

Village Font

Second site offers free download of the 'Planet of the Apes' font

Planet of the Apes

(via BB)

Hero of the Hudson

2009-01-18T09:15:00.002+08:00

Hats off to Chesley B Sully Sullenberger III, of California. Mr Sullenberger landed the Airbus A320 into the river shortly after taking off from La Guardia airport in New York. Both of the plane's engines were damaged after it hit a flock of geese. Of the 150 passengers and five crew on board Flight 1549, one person suffered two broken legs, but there were no other reports of serious injuries.

Why spelling is important

2009-01-18T09:05:00.001+08:00

Indian version of the Frog Prince fairy tale

2009-01-18T08:01:00.004+08:00

Here we have the Indian version of the Frog Prince fairy tale. Fortunately for my breakfast, the heroines in this tale did not have to kiss their froggys. They all went back to their original lives and lived happily ever after! or at least ... so I hope.

(LOL Cats)

In a bizarre ritual, two minor girls, both seven, from the remote Pallipudupet village in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram district were married off to frogs on Friday night. The ceremony, an annual feature during the Pongal (harvest) festival, is conducted "to prevent the outbreak of mysterious diseases in the village''.

The girls, Vigneswari and Masiakanni, dressed up in traditional bridal finery - gilded sarees and gold jewellery - married the frog 'princes' in separate, elaborate ceremonies at two different temples in the presence of hundreds of villagers.

Amidst chanting of vedic hymns, the temple priests garlanded the brides and tied the magalsutras on behalf of the frogs pronouncing the two as wives of the amphibians before the sacred fire at the auspicious hour. The villagers threw themselves into the ceremonies with gusto. While residents living in the western part of the village acted as relatives of the brides and those from the eastern part play-acted as relatives of the grooms The ceremonies had all the usual elements of a traditional marriage including a sumptuous feast.

However, unlike the fairy tale `Frog Prince', where the ugly toad turns into a handsome prince when the princess kisses it, the Villupuram village belles bid their amphibian grooms goodbye and lead a normal life thereafter. As for the terrified frogs, they are thrown back into the temple ponds after the ceremony.
(Link)

Tips for a better life

2009-01-17T22:51:00.004+08:00

These tips were shared by Dawn of SSR (Thanks Dawn!) and I really liked reading them - lots of sensible and positive thoughts which are always welcome. As Nettie said, some of them are easier to apply than others. But there is something in these for everyone!

Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.
Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
Sleep for 7 hours.
Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
Play more games.
Read more books than you did the previous year.
Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
Dream more while you are awake.
Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
Drink plenty of water.
Try to make at least three people smile each day.
Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
Smile and laugh more.
Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Don't compare your partner with others.
No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
Forgive everyone for everything.
What other people think of you is none of your business.
However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
The best is yet to come.
No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
Do the right thing!
Call your family often.
Your inner most is always happy. So be happy.
Each day give something good to others.
Don't over do. Keep your limits.

The Best Job in the World!

2009-01-17T19:41:00.005+08:00

You have just over a month to apply for this job: The caretaker of the islands of the Great Barrier Reef! Checkout the website: The Best Job in the World

Basically you get paid to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, to swim, snorkel, and blog. And even if you are not interested in the job because yours is better - take a look at the website - browsing through the photographs is like taking a mini holiday.

(Photo Credit)

Beach Babes

2009-01-13T08:13:00.001+08:00

I used the wavy edge of a 12X12 stencil to draw the waves that the photographs follow. Once I matted the photos onto the speckled brown cardstock, I lightly pencilled onto the background cardstock exactly where I wanted the photo wave. Then I printed the title (only the word “beach”), the journalling and the sentiment. The lightly pencilled wave also helped me to determine where the flourish mask would go. I had to keep the stippling extremely light so as not to overpower the printing. Also, the background cardstock has some beachy print, and I wanted that to show a bit. After I glued the photo wave, I placed the “babes” part of the title to finish the layout.

Would you be able to walk across this?

2009-01-12T08:22:00.003+08:00

Japan's scariest suspension bridge - and boy is it long! The video is a bit long too and there are bits towards the end that really scared the poop out of me! You can also hear the wind and the creaking ... which makes it nightmarish!

Via BB

You make me smile

2009-01-12T07:45:00.002+08:00

For this layout, I used a border mask on the inner quadrangle. I used a stippling brush and a blue dye ink as close to the main cardstock colour as possible. I kept the colour light because I did not want a very prominent border. The stubs / tickets with the sentiments are handmade. The border on the left hand side is a pre-cut paper frill that I coloured using the same blue ink.

Cardstock by Club Scrap mostly from the Friendship kit.

Border masks by Tim Holtz

Tickets handmade - stamped with Club Scrap sentiment stamps

Blueberry dye ink by Ranger Industries

Masks stippled using stippling brushes from Toy Box

Paper frill by Doodlebug Design

Journaling block manufacturer unknown

Fastenator

How stupid can you get?

2009-01-11T22:54:00.002+08:00

Watch till the end ... :-D

Bernie in Hell!

2009-01-11T12:41:00.003+08:00

This Madoff guy made off with $50 billion of other folks money. There has to be some karma which will make him pay for the untold suffering he has caused so many! Till that bit of good news comes our way, we can enjoy seeing folks depict him as the devil ... even if it is on a habanero sauce bottle.

A New York artist has come up with a novel way to scorn the disgraced Wall Street financier Bernard Madoff: a bottle of hot habenero sauce called "Bernie in hell". Bottles of the sauce, available for sale at $10 each on Mr Gardega's website, bear a photograph of the financier with horns on his head and dollar signs for eyes. Underneath is the slogan "You're Gonna" over some flames and the words "Bernie in Hell". More text on the bottle reads, "You can take the money but can you take... the heat?!!!"

A string of high-profile names have emerged as victims of the alleged fraudster, including pioneer hedge fund manager Michael Steinhardt, Hollywood actor Kevin Bacon and Liliane Bettencourt, heiress to the L'Oreal fortune.

Mr Madoff, who spent Christmas under nightly house arrest after failing to find the four people needed to guarantee his $10m bail, was charged last month by federal prosecutors with directing an alleged Ponzi scheme through his New York investment firm. His lawyer, Ira Sorkin, has said Mr Madoff's company is co-operating with the government.
(Link)

Maybe some glue dots?

2009-01-11T12:29:00.001+08:00

I keep watching this and dissolving into giggles ... lol!!

Everyone smiles in the same language

2009-01-11T12:21:00.002+08:00

I watched a video by Tim Holtz demonstrating how to use his new masks. So, of course, I had to have all six! And pay an arm and a leg for shipping all the way to Hong Kong. But I indulged myself because it has been a while since I did any art related shopping.

Before I continue, I’d like to take my hat off to the new Kokuyo adhesives that I have been using lately. I’ll admit that even before I try (or buy) an adhesive the most important consideration for me is if they are refillable. I care about my environment and believe that refills (for everything!) help reduce the amount of junk we create. Kokuyo are refillable and that already gave them an edge over some of the other brands I have used.

When I actually took the applicator out to use, I saw something else that I really liked – a little flip back cover right over the sticky bit of the applicator. It is very easy to flip it open when you want to use it. Just flip it to close it again when you are done so that the glue does not pick up dust and fluff and lose its effectiveness.

After having used the glue in all the layouts and cards below, I have to say that this brand is probably the best I have ever used. It goes on so smoothly and the control is great. I was able to apply glue to really small bits of cardstock with no mess at all! Kokuyu should give themselves a pat on the back for coming out with a superb product!

While I waited very impatiently, and I know you all can empathize with the feeling, for my masks to arrive, I just had to try some of the techniques I saw on the video. I decided to apply them to stencils – which are just backwards masks. For this layout, I decided to make the stencils myself since the style I was looking for was linear and easy. I drew the arrows (one bent and one straight) on cardstock and then cut them out with an X-acto knife. You can see that the middle three arrows are the same. I just flipped the stencil.

To colour it in, I chose a blue ink as close as possible to the cardstock. Using a foam tipped Fantastix brush by Tsukineko, I first outlined the arrows. Then I filled it in with a stippling brush. Stippling is my favorite way to use colour with stencils and masks. I then stamped over the colour using the same blue to give a tone-on-tone effect. I applied the sentiment sticker on a piece of cardstock and placed it slightly off center. The placement had to be determined before stenciling so that all the arrows appear to be originating from the same point under the sticker.

Cardstock by Club Scrap mostly from the Friendship kit.

Quote sticker manufacturer unknown. The sticker is applied to a printed paper from the Club Scrap Friendship kit.

Handmade arrow stencils

Blueberry dye ink by Ranger Industries

Outline of the stencil done with Fantastix brush tool by Tsukineko

Inside colour filled in with stippling brushes

Stamped with a flourish using tone on tone.

Photos that did not win - from Wired.com

2008-12-28T09:26:00.004+08:00

From Wired.com: A lot of great photos were overlooked in 2008 in the slew of images we received (an average of more than 500 submissions) for each of our twice-monthly photo contests. In celebration of the year coming to a close, we've gone back and pulled out some of our favourite contest photos that just didn't get the votes they deserved.

Dust Bunny Thief by Nick Wilson

Japan obsessed with blood types

2008-12-28T09:12:00.003+08:00

A Japanese POV on what our blood types dictate:

Japan is in the grip of a blood type obsession, with an increasing sector of the population subscribing to the theory that blood types determine every aspect of personality, temperament and interaction with others. From how to snare a prospective lover to the best way to secure a promotion at work, for a growing number of Japanese, the answer to every problem lies in an unlikely source: blood type.

Testimony to the nation's love affair with blood type analysis are four books analysing the subject which have occupied places in Japan's top ten best seller lists for the past year. Despite a undeniable lack of scientific evidence proving a link between blood type and temperament, this has not stopped the Japanese population enthusiastically embracing the concept. From reserved perfectionists Type As and confidently curious Type Os to flamboyant free-thinking Type Bs and high maintenance Type Abs, there are products and services to suit every blood type. Matchmaking services, employment opportunities and beauty products are among a raft of aspects of modern day Japanese life that subscribe to the blood typology theory.

TYPE A – Patient, uptight, sensitive, responsible, cautious.
Famous examples: Adolf Hitler, Britney Spears, Ringo Starr

TYPE B – Individual, unconventional, optimistic, unpredictable, creative, strong
Famous examples: Paul McCartney, Jack Nicholson, Leonardo Di Caprio

TYPE O – Trendsetting, passionate, vain, self-confident, loyal.
Famous examples: The Queen, John Lennon, Liam Gallagher

TYPE AB – Sociable, popular, calm, rational, critical, indecisive
Famous examples: Marilyn Monroe, John F Kennedy, Mick Jagger

(Link)

So ... what's your type, hmmmm?

This NYE dress as Ursula!

2008-12-28T08:59:00.002+08:00

So what if this NYE you are not invited to a fancy dress party - you can still indulge your tentacled fetishes in this dress because this is not a costume ... it is a real proper couture outfit - available from Vecona.de (I think it looks a German fashion house?!)

And here are more photographs from the Vecona fashion show.

Cyber cafe offers home to homeless

2008-12-28T08:51:00.002+08:00

In a country where an street address is key to getting a job, an Internet cafe near Tokyo is offering the unemployed and homeless more than just a virtual, email address. In addition to the usual Internet services, comic books and unlimited beverages offered by most Japanese Internet cafes, Cyber @ Cafe offers its residents long-term lodging and an official registered address.

This simple service is vital for the 50 semi-permanent residents of the cafe, many of whom have taken refuge here after being laid off abruptly during the current recession.

(More)

Goldfish survives at least 13 hours out of water

2008-12-28T08:22:00.005+08:00

So this lady wakes at 7 am to find her goldfish missing from its bowl. She found it at 8 pm after she returned from work. So the fish was out of its bowl for 13 hours - maybe more depending on when in the night it jumped out of the water!

(Photo)

Barbara Woodford woke to discover Ginger missing from its bowl. Unable to find the fish before leaving for work, she feared the worst. But when she returned home in the evening she spotted her pet on the floor behind a cupboard, alive and well.

"I picked him up with a spatula and his mouth started moving. I put him back into the water and off he went. He was swimming fabulously. I couldn't believe it - it was a real Christmas miracle," said Mrs Woodward, 61, of Gloucester.

(Link)

RIP George Carlin

2008-12-27T09:50:00.001+08:00

... talking about 'soft language'

Jack Frost shows his face!!

2008-12-27T09:32:00.005+08:00

Parts of the US is now in the grip of an unusually harsh winter and Jack Frost or Old Man Winter has shown his face there - literally!

Photo: KomoNews.com

Locals in chilly Washington state in the northwestern United States suspect the icy figure of folklore has put in a personal appearance in the town of Lake Stevens. The icicle was found hanging from the home of local man Jeremy Olden and the photograph posted on a community website.

The uncanny ice structure, in which a head complete with hair, a forehead, nose, mouth and beard appears to jut from a thick icicle, has bemused locals in the town of 40,000 residents which is experiencing typically freezing winter weather.

(Link)

Another Virgin Mary gives birth to Jesus

2008-12-27T08:23:00.004+08:00

Talk about coincidences! A carpenter and his wife (who just happened to be called Virgin Mary) were going to call their child after a prominent football star. But when he was born on the 25th of December, decided to call him Jesus.

A Peruvian woman named Virgin Mary has called her son Jesus after giving birth on Christmas Day. Virgin Maria Huarcaya, 20, delivered the 7.7 pound (3.5 kg) boy in the early hours of Christmas Day at the central maternity hospital in the capital Lima, according to Peru's state news agency. She then named him Jesus Emanuel. But in a further twist, the baby's father, Adolfo Jorge Huamani, 24, is a carpenter.
(Link)

Talking Dogs

2008-12-26T09:05:00.000+08:00

Elephants send SMS in Africa

2008-12-26T08:57:00.002+08:00

I love it when technology is put to these kinds of uses!!

Elephants in Kenya are being fitted with collars which send warning text messages alerting rangers that herds of the animals are about to raid farmers' fields. The pioneering scheme allows rapid response teams to race to scare them off before they strip villages of a year's maize or banana harvest in one night. An average of 25 such 'problem elephants' are culled each year in Kenya.

Now some of the most notorious crop-raiders have been fitted with £2,500 collars which contain a mobile phone SIM card which sends an hourly GPS position to a central server in Nairobi, Kenya's capital. If the elephants stray close to a virtual 'fence' whose limits have been programmed into customised software, a text message is sent to the mobile phone of the closest wildlife rangers. They then scramble vehicles carrying spotlights and armed guards to scare the elephants away from the fields.
(Link)

Two mobiles per person ...

2008-12-26T08:42:00.002+08:00

I do not know about the rest of the world, but here in my home I already have 2 people who have two mobile devices - a phone and a blackberry - and one of them had taken an oath a few years ago that he would never buy a blackberry! Lol!! So I am not surprised that surveys are showing that a whole nation is edging towards the 2 mobiles per person phase. I would think that if surveys are carried out many more countries would find themselves in the same situation.

Britain is edging closer to becoming a two-mobile nation, according to the latest survey. The poll of 1,000 people found most adults have a handset, with only the very young and very old not owning a mobile phone. The average mobile phone owner now has an average of 1.8 handsets and the figure is expected to rise to two mobiles for every person soon. The rise in ownership is thought to be because more people have one mobile for personal calls and another for work as companies give employees Blackberry devices to keep in touch out of hours.
(More)

Difference between men & women

2008-12-25T08:39:00.002+08:00

Arsenic drinking water in India

2008-12-25T08:31:00.002+08:00

More than six and a half million people in eastern India are drinking contaminated water. The water is being drawn from wells where special filters used to remove the arsenic have reached the end of their natural life but there is no money to replace them.

(Link)

Pilots reporting drunk for work on Indian carriers

2008-12-25T08:21:00.002+08:00

Looks like quite a few pilots on Indian carriers report to work in high spirits - literally! Should be grounds for instant dismissal. Not just de-rostering - it is not enough of a deterrent!

Shrugging off months of daily threats of job losses and paycuts, pilots of Indian carriers seem to have ushered in the festive season in style, this time. Every year, around Christmas and New Year eve, a number of pilots are caught reporting drunk for duty at Indian airports. But this year, a commander of an Indian carrier was found inebriated before his flight out of Heathrow to India, as early as Sunday last. Unlike India, where a pilot is merely de-rostered for a while by way of punishment, Heathrow authorities take a more stern view. Such pilots are taken to a special area where they are kept in custody till the airline informs British Airports Authority of the action it will take against their employee.

Last New Year eve, at Mumbai alone, five cockpit and cabin crew members were found reporting drunk for duty. At least four more pilots went to the Chhatrapati Shivaji airport for operating flights but fled when they got to know that strict alcohol tests were being conducted there. Shockingly, one pilot was reportedly able to dodge medical examiners and slip into the cockpit to fly out! In end 2006, two drunken pilots were caught in Chennai.

(Link)

Meat smell cologne is a hit

2008-12-25T08:16:00.001+08:00

Burger King's new meat-inspired cologne is sold out, and it's commanding fat prices on ebay. The limited edition product costs just under four dollars. That's one-tenth the price of a bottle of Aramis.
(Link)

Track Santa ...

2008-12-25T07:45:00.004+08:00

Merry Christmas, everyone!! Santa has been here already. I am now waiting for the children to wake up. I am like a little child too ... cannot wait to see and feel their excitement when they open up their gifts!

Don't forget to track Santa on his travels across the world!

NORAD Santa Tracker

Personalised Video message from Santa

2008-12-24T14:54:00.001+08:00

How would your child like to get a personalised video message from Santa?

Portable North Pole

Santa's Secrets revealed!

2008-12-24T11:12:00.002+08:00

How does Santa Claus manage to deliver all his presents to children all over the world all in one night? A scientist in America explains how this mammoth task could be performed.

(Link)

Priest decided to tell kids the truth about Santa

2008-12-24T10:47:00.004+08:00

This is upsetting ... I do not understand why it is so important to spoil the world of enchantment children live in - it is fragile, beautiful and sadly very short lived. Sooner or later they all grow up, learn the truth - why not let it happen when it does? The pressures of real life weigh on them just as much as it does on adults - school, studies, sports, peers - they have to deal with these things on a daily basis. So what is wrong in believing in Santa, or the Tooth Fairy, or anything else magical and beautiful? A little bit of fantasy, for such a short while in our lives, never hurt anyone. We have our whole lives ahead to deal with reality!

(3D Santa Screensaver)

A Catholic priest has been criticised by parents in a city in northern Italy for telling their children that Father Christmas does not really exist. Father Dino Bottino, the parish priest of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Novara, let out the secret at a children's mass earlier this month.

A local paper published complaints from dozens of parents. "You've ruined my children's Christmas," said one mother. But an unrepentant Fr Bottino called it his duty to set the record straight. "I told the children that Father Christmas was an invention that had nothing to do with the Christian Christmas story," he said. "And I would repeat it again, if I had the chance," he added.

But Father Dino could not have imagined the scorn that would be heaped upon him after he told children at mass that neither Father Christmas - nor the kindly witch called the Befana who provides presents at New Year to Italian children - really exist. The priest said he had never intended to hurt anyone, but it was his duty to distinguish the reality of Jesus from the story of Father Christmas which was a fable just like Cinderella or Snow White.

(Link)

Holy Crap! .... Really!

2008-12-24T10:37:00.004+08:00

Souvenir from the Holy Land: Donkey poop sealed in a prism!!

If you’re like me, nothing makes you think of the Holy Land like donkey poop. I mean, the donkeys are right there in the Nativity story, and where there are donkeys, there is, you know, leftover evidence of donkeys. So, for a special souvenir of a visit to this special place, why not buy Holy Land donkey dung sealed in plastic, as seen in these actual photos taken near Nazareth?

Of course, being a skeptic by profession, I have to wonder what sort of regulatory system applies to the region’s tourism business.

* Is this all GENUINE Holy Land donkey poop?

* Could some of it be imported from Chinese donkeys?

* Could this just be worthless imitation donkey poop?

* Could it be from other beasts or…well, don’t go there.

Anyway, I’ll probably order some for gifts, but I’m going to want to see some kind of government certification.

(Oddly Enough)

Dude ... surfer speak!

2008-12-24T10:29:00.001+08:00

(via BB)

Glittering Metropolis of Stars

2008-12-24T10:23:00.002+08:00

Like swirling, shiny flakes sparkling in a snow globe, this image captures an instantaneous glimpse of many hundreds of thousands of stars moving about in the globular cluster M13, one of the brightest and best-known globular clusters in the northern sky. This glittering metropolis of stars is easily found in the winter sky in the constellation Hercules and can even be glimpsed with the unaided eye under dark skies.

M13 is home to over 100,000 stars and located at a distance of 25,000 light-years. These stars are packed so closely together in a ball, approximately 150 light-years across, that they will spend their entire lives whirling around in the cluster.

(Link)

Wine, Chocolate and Tea boost memory

2008-12-24T09:58:00.004+08:00

News after my own heart! One more reason to drink a glass of red wine at meal times. And even if the researchers do say that effects level off after half a glass, I think I'll keep to my 'one glass' - you never know what they may find after a few years ... lol! I love my cuppa tea at least 3 or 4 times a day. All I have to do now is start on chocolate. Keeping to just 4 squares is going to be hard!!!

(Photo)

Researchers from Oxford University's Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics discovered that wine has the most pronounced effect in boosting people's memory, followed by chocolate and tea. And those who regularly consume all three in modest amounts were found to perform best when asked to carry out a series of brain tests. Chocolate, wine and tea are thought to improve cognitive ability because they all contain micronutrients called flavonoids, which research has suggested can lower risks of dementia.

However, those hoping to use the findings as justification for gorging on chocolates and enjoying a generous tipple over Christmas will be disappointed. The study also discovered that the positive effects levelled out after just half a glass of wine and only four squares of chocolate. The researchers warned people not to use the research to binge drink in the hope of improving their memories. They stressed that while moderate alcohol consumption is associated with better cognitive function and reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, heavy alcohol intake could be a cause of dementia and other health problems.
(Link)

Hair length: 2.1 meters (6.9 feet)

2008-12-24T09:51:00.003+08:00

Feng Wei combs her long hair at the restaurant she runs in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 15, 2008. Feng, 40-year-old, treasures her long hair of 2.1 meters, which hasn't been cut since she was ten

(Link)

Japanese descendants of Jesus?

2008-12-24T09:41:00.002+08:00

The story of Jesus Christ gets another twist. Meet Junichiro Sawaguchi who claims he has descended from Jesus. He lives in Shingo, Japan where the locals believe that a mound of earth with a cross on it is the last resting place of the Messiah.

Seven hours north of Tokyo by train and bus, Shingo only had garlic farming to to put it on the map until a scroll was found in 1935 by a Shinto priest in nearby Ibaraki Prefecture that was identified as Christ's will and, bizarrely, identified Shingo as his last resting place.

The scroll is on display in the "Village of Christ Legend Museum," which closes in the tourist off-season between October and April, and is the basis of a very different take on the incredible tale. According to the document, Jesus arrived in Aomori at the age of 21, where he took the name Daitenku Taro Jurai, studied the Japanese language and developed a deep affinity for the country and people. Eleven years later – conveniently the same period in the Bible that his whereabouts cannot be accounted for – he returned to Judea but fell foul of the Romans.

Instead of being crucified, however, the Romans got the wrong man and nailed his brother, Isukiri, to the cross. Carrying his brother's ear and a lock of hair from the Virgin Mary, Jesus fled across Siberia to Shingo, where he grew rice, married a local woman called Miyuko and had three daughters, it claims. At the ripe old age of 106, Jesus died peacefully and was interred in the mound that sits on Mr Sawaguchi's land.

(Link)

Blue Santa cards

2008-12-23T18:13:00.003+08:00

Blue Christmas cards - I wanted to try another colour for this batch - not just red & green. And I love the blue and silver combination. All the embossing is done with detail silver EP. The holly stamp used on the border is from Club Scrap. The postage stamps on the tags & the frame stamp in the middle is by Hero Arts. The frame actually has a little leaf image in the centre but I cut that out. Background Celtic lettering is by Judikins.

Click to enlarge

Letter to Santa

2008-12-23T18:03:00.004+08:00

Just in case you have not read this one (it has been doing the rounds for a while now) - it is cute!! Always makes me LOL but there is quite a bit of truth in there.
____________________________________________________________________

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mum all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor and sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find any more free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:
I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any colour, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.

I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music, a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals, and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, 'Yes, Mummy' to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting 'Don't eat in the living room' and 'Take your hands off your brother,' because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

If it's too late to find any of these products,I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container. If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is calling and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always,
MUM...

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.

*Santa has asked that this gets passed on to all the mummies you know.

(Thanks Michi!)

Hedge becomes giant Christmas pudding

2008-12-23T17:55:00.002+08:00

An English couple turn their hedge into a giant Christmas pudding to help celebrate the festive period. The festive topiary is the creation of the appropriately named Mr and Mrs. Holley from Somerset, UK. They got the idea from their granddaughter who remarked that the hedge looked like a giant pudding.

(Link)

Animals singing Christmas song

2008-12-23T17:31:00.004+08:00

From the BBC Breathing Places website.

Christmas turkeys cause floods

2008-12-23T17:10:00.003+08:00

How many of you dispose of the cooking fat by taking it to your local household recycling centre? Or do you put it in a container and throw it out with the garbage? Or perhaps you are one of the many who rinse the fats down the drain? For those of you that do the drain thing, did you know that fats, oils and greases quickly solidify when they hit the cool walls of the sewer and sticks to the side. Over time this builds up; preventing the normal flow of waste water and debris from passing through. With no way through, the wastewater backs up in the system, coming out of drains, sewers and potentially your home.

People who pour leftover turkey fat, cooking oil and grease down the drain after roasting the Christmas dinner can block drains, a spokesman for Gloucestershire county council said. "The traditional Christmas roast, with all the trimmings, may be one of the highlights of the festive season - but it could also be a hidden cause of flooding. It is a little known fact that pouring leftover fat, oil and grease down the drain is a major cause of sewer blockages in the county."

No one wants to suffer the consequences of raw sewage flooding their gardens, driveways or worst still, inside their homes. The only way to rid the sewers of these fat blockages is to use a high-pressure jet to loosen the fat and wash it away - none of which is a pleasant job. Much of this jetting work could easily be avoided if people didn't regard their kitchen sink as an extension of the dustbin
(Link)

Getting into the Christmas spirit ...

2008-12-23T16:46:00.005+08:00

... a bit late but then I had to finish with the exams, and then sleep for 2 days to recover lost time in la la land and now am shopping (which I have not completely done with - yikes!) and wrapping (which I have just started - double yikes!!).

Anyhoo ... the heart gladdens with news of the Christmas Spirit from all over the world. For example, the homeless in Milan will be getting a rare treat this festive season - beluga caviare!! Always knew the Italians did things in style ;-) though I do wonder if those consuming this precious commodity will be able to appreciate its value/taste. I hope that they also get a hearty meal(s?) to go with the little black balls. My suggestion would have been to sell the little cans and then give the cash to charity. But maybe Italian red tape does not allow that sort of thing.

Down-and-outs and hard up pensioners in Milan will enjoy a rare Christmas treat this year: choice beluga caviar confiscated from traffickers. Italian police seized over 40 kg (88 lb) of the delicacy, worth some 400,000 euros ($558,300), from two men who last month smuggled it into the country from Poland for sale in the shops of Milan and the rest of the wealthy Lombardy region.

The head of the local forest police who carried out the raid kept the bounty in barrack fridges for several weeks, but realized it would soon go bad. "Tests showed us the food was still perfectly OK to eat but it couldn't be stored much longer, so we decided to give it to the poor," Juri Mantegazza told Milan daily Corriere della Sera.

A small amount of the sturgeons' eggs have been kept for further analysis while the rest has been sent to voluntary associations, charity kitchens and old people's homes. "Everything that comes our way is very welcome, even though most of our guests don't even know what those little black balls are," said Virginio Colmega, a priest who helps run the House of Charity in Milan.
(Link)