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Here is an idea for you to try to spruce up your kitchen chairs. You have control over the colors, style and theme that you use. Choose something traditional or choose something wild, it’s all up to you.

I chose to go with a medium green background with candy canes. It’s a little different, not too bright, but I like the look of it. So, choose what you want to look at in your kitchen. This is the project for you if you want something simply and not too frilly.

Kathy Zengolewicz

Here is what you will need to get started:

• one yard of fleece, print or solid
• 1 yard of Rickrack extra wide
• Assorted buttons
• Red or green floss
• Basic sewing supplies

For the chair cover, cut two pieces of fleece measuring 10×15 inches.  This is a measurement for an average chair. You might want to measure your chair to be sure of a true cut.

For the flap, cut two pieces of fleece to measure 18.12 inches. Place a mark 4 1/2  inches down each side of both pieces. Place a mark at the center of the 18 inch side on the bottom and draw a line from this mark to the 4 1/2 inch mark. Cut along this line. With right sides together sew along this line. Turn right side out and sew the rickrack on the flap point.

Layer one 18×15 inch piece right side up , the flap and on 18×15 inch piece right side down.  Sew both sides and top, leaving the bottom open.  Turn right side out, fold up 1/2 inch for the hem and sew in place.

Sew buttons around the bottom and the flap with floss for an added touch.

You’ll need to do this one, two or three more times depending on how many chairs you have in your kitchen. This is one way to add charm to your kitchen without breaking the bank and fleece gives it a warm and homey feel.

Post from: Blisstree

How to Make Chair Covers

Homebrew coder tombot has recently released a new version of The 15th Floor, an excellent looking homebrew adventure/puzzle game for the Nintendo DS inspired by titles like Myst, Crimson Room, and Hotel Dusk. The latest update is

I have made many glass block Christmas lights, but this is my first Hanukkah glass block light. Although we are a Christian family, my son has been going out, and living with, a beautiful Jewish girl and I want to make her feel as at home as possible. So, I made her a glass block light for Hanukkah.  I hopes she likes it!

You can make a glass block light for any occasion. Here are the steps to take.

Kathy Zengolewicz

Here is what you will need to get started

• One 8×8×4 Glass block
• A Power drill
• ½ inch diamond drill bit
• A strand of 35 mini lights (with only one plug on the end=no female plug end
• Wide ribbon(with wire)
• A large bow
• Clip art or photos
• Glass sealer (I use Envirotec)

For the block: drill a ½ inch hole in one of the flat sides of the glass block using the diamond drill bit. The hole can be located on the bottom, on the side of the block. This is where the light strand cord will hang out of.

After drilling the hole, rinse the glass block out with tap water to remove any glass dust. Allow the inside to completely air dry; it should take a day or two.

Print your clip art or photo on a full sheet label. Hold the label up to the glass block and measure to make sure that it will fit.

Apply the label to the front and back of the glass block and spray with glass sealer (Envirotec) and let dry. Once it is dry, affix the ribbon around the sides of the glass block and use a bit of hot glue to help it stick.

Lastly, attach the bow to the top center and you’re done. You will have a beautiful lighted decoration to use anywhere you choose. Enjoy!

Post from: Blisstree

Glass Block Hanukkah Light

TreeHugger has a post on an Egyptian urban area specialising in lo-tech recycling – Photographers Capture Life in Garbage City.

Outside Egypt’s capital, in the shadow of the Pyramids and tucked in the mountains of Mokattam, is an incredible city that literally survives on trash. Garbage City, as it’s known, is home to 30,000 Zabaleens – Coptic Christians from southern Egypt – who, each day, enter Cairo and collect its waste. 60 percent of the trash produced in Cairo passes through Garbage City to be recycled. It is an amazing sight, awash in refuse.

Recently, photographers Bas Princen, Klavs Bo Christensen and Alexander Heilner visited Garbage City and returned with some captivating images that depict the close, day-to-day relationship between the Zabaleens and the garbage. Piles of the stuff are virtually everywhere, a fact that these recyclers-by-trade seem none too concerned with.

The garbage collecting process is so organized, Cairo has had no need to create a government sponsored program, relying fully upon the residents of Garbage City to collect their trash. Just a single pair of Zabaleens, working with a horse-drawn carriage, are able to collect the trash from 350 of Cairo’s homes and businesses. They are not paid for their labor either, as the profiting from recycling is enough for many to live on.

It’s playoff time, settle in. Friday’s practice reports are the most important ones of the week.

• Larry Fitzgerald(notes) (knee) increased his workload Friday and insists he’ll be a go at Detroit, though he’s officially listed as questionable. Barring a last-second setback, there’s no reason not to use him this week.

• Calvin Johnson(notes) (knee) was able to practice Friday, though he’s still considered a game-time decision. It’s an early start, so you’ll know his status around noon eastern on Sunday. Johnson’s passes will be coming from Daunte Culpepper(notes), for what it’s worth; Matthew Stafford(notes) (shoulder) isn’t going to play.

• The Vikings got a full practice from Bernard Berrian(notes) (hamstring) and Visanthe Shiancoe(notes) (ribs/foot), so we can relax with those guys. Percy Harvin(notes) (migraines) had a limited practice but the team seems encouraged by his chances to play (Harvin sounds encouraged too, though he didn‘t offer any guarantees). Things look less optimistic for Sidney Rice(notes) (illness), who didn’t get on the practice field the past two days. Minnesota has the Sunday night game at Carolina, just to make this as complicated as possible.

• Vince Young(notes) (hamstring) practiced in full Friday but you know how Jeff Fisher rolls, he still listed Young as questionable for Sunday’s game with Miami. We’ll have to wait until game time for the call on Young, but at least the Titans and Dolphins have an early start.

• Steven Jackson (flu/back) missed practice Friday and is listed as questionable. It’s possible that Jackson is one of the Rams dealing with the H1N1 virus, though that has not been confirmed. Brandon Gibson(notes) (flu-like symptoms) has already been ruled out, while quarterback Kyle Boller(notes) (flu-like symptoms) is questionable. Add all of this up and it sounds like a good time to give the Texans defense a shot for fantasy purposes.

• Correll Buckhalter(notes) (ankle) didn’t practice Friday and is considered doubtful for the Raiders this weekend. The setup looks very appetizing for Knowshon Moreno(notes), in line for plenty of work against that sieve-like Oakland rushing defense.

• Pierre Thomas(notes) (hip) is listed as probable for the Saturday nighter with Dallas. Look for him to take his normal role, which will probably be 10-15 touches less than what fantasy owners think he deserves. Mike Bell(notes) (knee) is also listed as probable, while Jeremy Shockey(notes) (toe) is questionable. I’d steer away from Shockey, who’s been invisible for about two months now.

• Derrick Mason(notes) (finger) is listed as probable and should be on the field against the Bears. Otherwise, it’s a mixed bag for the Baltimore receivers, with Mark Clayton(notes) (knee) doubtful and Kelley Washington(notes) (ankle) questionable. There’s also weather concerns here – the snow forecast is serious enough that the start of the game has been pushed back three hours – and you get the sense that the Ravens will be focusing on the ground game this week. We’ll see what Mother Nature offers us Sunday morning.

• Matt Ryan(notes) (toe) and Michael Turner(notes) (ankle) both had another limited day of practice and remain questionable for the road game at the Jets. I can’t see how anyone would risk their fantasy life on these guys this week; the New York pass defense is excellent and even if Turner gets on the field, who knows if he’ll finish? Roddy White(notes) (knee) is listed as probable but it’s hard to like his chances against cover ace Darrelle Revis(notes).

• Frank Gore(notes) (toe) is probable for the Eagles. It’s not a tasty matchup but you’re probably going to start him anyway, barring an embarrassment of riches in your backfield.

• The Eagles have already ruled out Jeremy Maclin(notes) and Brian Westbrook(notes), so be ready with other options. Reggie Brown(notes) will pick up the start for Maclin but the Eagles will also give reps to Jason Avant(notes) and Kevin Curtis; in the backfield, it’s going to be the LeSean McCoy(notes) and Leonard Weaver(notes) show. Also give the Philly weather a look before you make your final calls Sunday morning; there’s snow and wind in the forecast.

• Mark Sanchez(notes) (knee) did enough in practice to earn the Week 15 start against Atlanta. It doesn’t mean you want to dial him up, but I suppose it helps Braylon Edwards(notes) and Jerricho Cotchery(notes) a little bit.

• Jonathan Stewart(notes) (toe) had a full practice and is listed as probable for Sunday night.

• Nate Washington(notes) (ankle) probably wasn’t your Week 15 savior to begin with, but you can just about cross him off your list now. He’s listed as doubtful for Sunday. Perhaps that will skim some extra attempts to surging rookie Kenny Britt(notes).

• There’s been a positive Dwayne Bowe(notes) buzz in Kansas City this week but the team has yet to confirm that he’ll start (or even be active) against the Browns. Unfortunately all we can do is wait and see what Todd Haley gives us Sunday around noon.

• Ahmad Bradshaw(notes) (ankle/foot) was held out of another practice, though the Giants are still expecting him to go Monday at Washington. Hopefully you have safer options. As for receiver Mario Manningham(notes) (illness), he worked Friday and is no longer on the injury report.

• It was a limited practice week for Joshua Cribbs(notes) (ankle) but nonetheless the Browns are listing him as probable. Use him as you normally would.

• Tim Hightower(notes) (thumb) is listed as probable and didn’t miss any practice time. He’s only had eight carries the last two weeks, in part because of two lost fumbles.

• Benjamin Watson(notes) (knee) is listed as questionable for the Buffalo game, a shame given how he carved up these safeties in the previous meeting. And so it goes. Sam Aiken(notes) (shoulder) is also questionable.

I am still not convinced that we need special laws mandating net neutrality, but I find the arguments from telcos that no one would ever block sites or services to be highly unbelievable. There have been cases of it happening in the past, and there are cases of it happening now. Shocklee points us to the news that a Russian ISP has been blocking websites that the government has dubbed “extremist,” even though they include political opposition sites like Garry Kasparov’s Kasparov.ru, Solidarity’s Rusolidarnost.ru and the National Bolshevik Party’s Nazbol.ru. Combine that with attempts in the UK and Australia to give the government the ability to make up secret lists of sites that should be blocked by ISPs, and you can see why some believe it’s important, as a fundamental principle, that ISPs should allow access to any site. US telcos say that they are in the business of encouraging free speech, and they would be crazy to block sites, but what we’re seeing around the world suggests that there are times when ISPs do decide to block sites, and it’s often due to political pressure from governing parties.

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Napa County, California | Geological Oddities

The same turbulent forces that heat the waters of Calistoga’s famous hot springs and geysers once turned a forest to stone. 3.5 million years ago an ancient volcano knocked down and buried a forest, including grove of enormous redwoods. Their grey stone effigies were uncovered in 1857, and excavated over the following decades.

Petrified trees are not uncommon. Once buried in volcanic ash and deprived of oxygen, over a period ranging from a hundred to hundreds of thousands of years, the organic materials that make up organic matter, like trees, are replaced by silica. The resulting stone fossil retains all of the marking of the original tree, including bark, rings, and knots, and are laying exactly as they fell millions of years ago. Petrified forests have been found all over the world, but the forest in Calistoga is remarkable for the shear size of the enormous redwoods preserved, some thought to have been as old as 2000 years when they were felled. They are among the largest petrified trees found anywhere.

The property has changed hands many times over the decades since its discovery, but it is still a small family run operation. In the 1880s Robert Louis Stevenson wrote about his visit to the forest and its eccentric owner in his book The Silverado Squatters, and there is now a tree named for him along the trail. The height of the forest’s notoriety and excavation work was done starting in 1914 under the guidance of Ollie Bockee, who’s publicity efforts included sending a log off to the city of New York and getting another log included in the wonders on display at the San Francisco Pan-Pacific Exposition of 1915.

Today, about a half mile of trail wanders though the woodland with signs and markers indicating specific tress, some of which are only half excavated. A gift shop located in the ground floor of the home Ollie Bockee built has a collection of fossils and petrified wood from around the world on display and for sale.

Head’s up PS3 owners. In case you were not aware, today, United Front Games and SCEA has let loose the much awaited public beta of ModNation Racers for everyone who were lucky enough to grab the voucher

Late on Friday 18th December, it was announced that the US, China, Brazil, India and South Africa had signed a “meaningful agreement” here in Copenhagen, with the possibility of the EU and Mexico signing on. In doing so, our politicians have undermined two years of progress, since an agreement to agree with the Bali Action Plan, and two weeks of intense negotiations which were severely impacted by the lack of leadership.

Two weeks ago, the nation of Tuvalu brought us to tears. Two weeks on, we are again in a similar situation for a very different reason. It is summised perfectly by a US official who leaked the Copenhagen Accord, “the new deal is not enough to combat the threat of climate change.” So how is it then a step forward?

The Copenhagen Agreement is still missing key factors. With emissions reduction targets still to be decided and because it’s an accord, it does not have any weight in international law.

Although the Copenhagen Accord does acknowledge a 2 degree celcius maximum level for temperature rises and agrees that any agreement must keep with the science, it is not fair, ambitious or legally binding. 1.5 degrees is what we are now asking for and the science has been with us for many years yet world leaders still choose to take risk after risk.

As I type, hundreds of protestors have gathered outside the Bella Center, from the International Youth Climate Movement to non-governmental organisations including Avaaz, Greenpeace and Oxfam.

I write this blog, not only to give you a brief overview of what has happened in the past four hours but to inspire you. We will not and cannot rely on top-down decision, such as the Copenhagen Accord, the change must come from the bottom up.

We will be the change that we want to see, as demonstrated by the spontaneous protests which have been sparked following the announcement of the Copenhagen Accord.  And for this reason, Copenhagen has not failed. Copenhagen has united not only the International Youth Climate Movement, it has united the climate movement as a whole.

We are one.

From left: NASA, Seoul National Univ., CERN

The milestones of the past decade in space and science include the 2003 Columbia tragedy, stem cell research and the debut of the Large Hadron Collider.

Some may call the decade that’s ending the “aughts” or the “noughties,” but you could also think of the 2000-2009 time frame as the double-oh decade. In the world of science, the past 10 years have brought us plenty of “Oh! Oh!” moments – and a few uh-ohs as well. In honor of the decade’s denouement, we present a triple scoop of scientific highlights.

First up is our own list of the top 10 science stories of the decade, stretching from the unveiling of the human genome in 2001 to this year’s revelations about water ice on the moon.

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Honda, Saturn, Volkswagen

The mad men at Adweek recently voted for the Commercial of the Decade (Super Bowl commercials not included) and Honda took top honors over memorable ads from the last ten years by companies like Nike, Budweiser and Sony. That’s not a big surprise considering Honda often puts a huge amount of effort into its on-air spots. However, the Japanese automaker didn’t win for the commercial you might have expected: “Cog.” Though Honda’s famous commercial that breaks down a European Accord Tourer into a Rube Goldberg-esque machine was also a finalist, it was beaten by another Honda commercial called “Grrr” that’s narrated by Garrison Keillor of all people. You’ve probably never seen it, but you can after the jump.

Volkswagen also made the list of finalists, but the particular ad chosen out of all the comical VW ads we’ve seen was unexpected as well. Most surprising carmaker with a commercial in the finals: Saturn. Who knew…

Just for fun we’ve put all 27 commercials after the break with the auto-related ones at the top, so you can enjoy the swear jar, the creepy-funky Philips clowns, a “rabbit panther thingy with turbines on ice,” and the most sad-but-hilarious IKEA commercial we’ve ever seen. As a bonus we included the Gears of War commercial since we think it deserves a mention, and because it’s almost the weekend and it doesn’t always have to be about cars, does it? Follow the jump for the ad-fest.

[Source: Adweek]

Continue reading Honda wins Commercial of the Decade, but not for the ad you think [w/VIDEO]

Honda wins Commercial of the Decade, but not for the ad you think [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Over the last few years I’ve noticed that as I’m giving a talk or a workshop, everyones’ antennas perk up when I turn to an example. It’s been a personal goal of mine to cut out as much preamble as possible and get straight into examples because they change the mood so drastically. Walking through an example says “here comes some reality.” You can theorize all you want, but examples force you to show that your theory holds. They allow the audience to test if what you say is true or not. And best of all, they turn the focus from abstract concepts to the mess and color of the real world.

I couldn’t help but think of the power of examples when I ran into this whirlwind talk about Kant’s Critique of Aesthetic Judgement illustrated exclusively with comic book art.

Would you have thought Kant could be so entertaining?

(via Schmüdde)

There was some buzz earlier this year concerning reports that new streaming apps, like Spotify, somehow decreased unauthorized access to music. And yet, a new study from BPI suggests unauthorized access to music continues to grow, despite the rise of authorized services like Spotify. Now, there are some caveats. BPI isn’t exactly known for being entirely accurate with data and these results are from an online survey. While you would think that fewer people would admit to unauthorized access in an online survey (people don’t like to fess up), counteracting that is the fact that BPI has incentives to suggest the issue of piracy is a big deal, as it’s pushing hard to force ISPs to kick people offline for file sharing. Still, what strikes me as interesting is that BPI still keeps insisting that this is a “problem,” without any evidence that this is true. The only real “problem” is the failure of the record labels that BPI represents to adjust their business models. If they did that, there wouldn’t be much of a problem at all. But, the labels don’t want to do that. They want the government to rescue them and to pretend they can keep doing business they way they always did.

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Florida, US | Unique Collections

Once described by Ronald Reagan as a “true national treasure,” the Presidents Hall of Fame in Clermont, Florida has featured (and replicated) White House memorabilia since 1960. Originally a popular wax museum called the “House of Presidents,” the attraction changed names in 1990 to reflect its growing exhibitions. Today, the “Presidents Hall of Fame” includes animatronics, White House replicas and, most notably, Americana miniatures.

Outside, visitors will be greeted by smaller replicas of Mt. Rushmore and the Lincoln Memorial, as well as one of the former parade limousines used by past U.S. Presidents. Inside, visitors will be met by wax figures of the current U.S. President and First Lady, dressed in a replica of her Inaugural Gown. An animatronic figure of President Lincoln awaits nearby, as well as a wax figure set at the scene of the Ford Theatre, moments before Lincoln’s assassination.

Many original artifacts are displayed throughout the exhibition, such as former White House china, old Christmas cards, and even two champagne glasses which Reagan and Gorbachev once sipped from. Much praise has also been given to the replicas featured, including a full size model of the famous “Resolute Desk,” as well as a recreation of Lincoln’s bedroom.

What has drawn the most attention, however, are the detailed miniatures on display. All created by the museum owners, John and Jan Zweifel, the small scale replicas have toured the world, as well as gone on display in the Smithsonian. The most well-known figure is The Miniature White House, an entirely hand-made model which the Zweifel’s have painstakingly worked on since 1962.

The miniature was designed on a 1 inch to 1 foot scale of the White House, and features include working mini televisions, crystal chandeliers, and updated versions of the Oval Office as the decor changes with each administration. While on tour in Holland, the model was even attacked by a group of Anti-American vandals. Though much of the model suffered damage, all has since been repaired.

Although the model remains in the President’s Hall of Fame permanent collection, it travels throughout the country for most of the year. Luckily, visitors can still see portions of it on display at the museum. Other miniatures include a depiction of the White House at the time of its construction, as well as a three ring circus designed by John Zweifel when he was only twelve years old.

Additionally, be sure to stop by the Citrus Tower next door, where you can view the tiny Mt. Rushmore and the Lincoln Memorial from 500 feet up!

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrid, Toyota

Toyota‘s pulled out of F1, but that doesn’t mean the company has lost its will to win with cutting edge tech. Rumors suggest it’s dusting off the underpinnings of the Hybrid Supra HV-R it used to win the Tokkachi 24-Hour race two years ago, and staring at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a glint in its eye.

The Supra HV-R used a 473-horsepower V8 that gets help from regenerative braking, a quick-charging capacitor, and three additional electric motors: two in the front wheels, one in the back of the car. Toyota would need to upgrade the tech, prep the car for the GT1 class, and test it, so a 2012 race entry is hypothesized were such a thing to happen.

As far as we’re concerned, anything that could lead to bringing back a Supra — even if only in race trim to begin with — is all right with us. Especially one with 473 horses, gobs of torque and a date with the Mulsanne straight. Toyota, please do this…

[Source: Autocar]

REPORT: Toyota Supra HV-R GT hybrid coming to LeMans originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Toyota Sienna tries to make the minivan cool

The all-new Sienna is chock-full of features: Impressive lounge seating, a widescreen monitor and a competent chassis. Plus, it was developed by Kazuo Mori, a tried-and-true sports car devotee. But is it cool enough to bring the minivan back from the brink?

Cut It Out: Toyota’s recalled pedal modification remedy detailed step-by-step

A Lexus insider supplied us with pictures and details of how Toyota is dealing with its “unintended acceleration” issue. The fix might seem simple, but the process is anything but.

Swedish Patient Succumbs – Deal for Saab is dead on the table, GM to wind down brand

After a protracted saga that’s seen bidders drop in-and-out and old model tooling and assets sold off to the Chinese, the enigmatic brand known as Saab is dead. Now what?

Also of interest:

• Aluminum and carbon fiber, KERS-equipped BMW M5 cometh?
• Infiniti prices facelifted 2010 G37 coupe and sedan – enthusiast 6MT models get big price increases
• Aston Martin introduces limited-edition Carbon Black DBS and Vantage
• Autoweek spills more beans on the 2011 Ford Mustang’s 5.0-liter V8
• Revised Sync from Ford coming to CES

Browse our archive of Daily U-Turn posts or subscribe to the RSS feed

Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 12.18.09 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Swedish telecommunications company TeliaSonera has launched the world’s first commercially available 4G mobile broadband network. While an international roll out of up to twenty five countries is planned in the next year, the network will initially be made available in the central parts of Stockholm and Oslo, and is designed to provide speeds up to 100Mbit/s – ten times faster than those of the existing 3G networks.
..

Tags: 3G,
4G,
Broadband,
Cellular,
Connectivity,
Laptop,
Mobile,
Network,
Samsung,
Speed,
USB,
Wireless

Related Articles:

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• Happy 20th birthday GSM – look how you’ve grown
• BlackBerry 8320 bridges the gap between home phone and mobile
• Ericsson demos 42Mbps HSPA on consumer products