Blog

A Brazilian senator is putting “offensive” video games on the chopping block through a bill that spells imprisonment for those caught making, importing, or distrubuting such games in Brazil.

Product DescriptionWith 400 recipes inspired by vegan cuisines around the world, Vegan Planet introduces a variety of scrumptious meal options, from breakfasts to desserts, chock full of delicious, nutritious, and satisfying whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and proteins from plant sources. Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, or simply looking to eat healthier, Vegan Planet is the perfect resource. . . . More >>
Vegan Planet: 400 Irresistible Recipes with Fantastic Flavors from Home and Around the World

Vegan Planet: 400 Irresistible Recipes with Fantastic Flavors from Home and Around the World is a post from the Vegetarian Vitamins Guide blog where you can find suggestions and advice from vegetarians and vegans on vegetarian diets, supplements, vitamins and overall nutrition.

Related Vegetarian Vitamins Posts:

1. Looking For Vegetarian Recipes Please? for my daughter, she decided about a week ago ,…
2. The Green Pregnancy Diet: Healthy eating habits for mommy, baby and the planet Product Description“Featuring easy-to-make recipes, and information on macro and…
3. Does Anyone Know Any Good Vegan/vegetarian Recipes? allveggielinks.com veggielinks.com goveg.com vegweb.com 1. 15-minute vegetarian : 200 quick,…
4. I Would Like To Try Going Vegetarian For One Week. What Do I Need? If I can get 1-2 weeks down and I like…
5. Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule Product cupcakes will DescriptionVegan the world. Better give sooner…

Filed under: Etc., UK, Celebrities

Is the BBC discriminating against gay couples? As is often the case, that depends on whom you ask. How so? It seems that Top Gear, the Beeb’s ridiculously popular car show, has created a rule stipulating that its audience be made up of 50 percent males and 50 percent females, and at least one gay couple was allegedly denied tickets “unless [they] took a couple of female friends.”

A BBC spokesperson has responded to the kerfuffle saying, “We do not – absolutely do not – discriminate against same sex couples… the whole implication that Top Gear is in any way homophobic is completely wrong.” Ben Summerskill, chief executive of gay rights charity Stonewall, doesn’t quite seem to agree: “It’s very odd, but what do you expect from pigs that grunt? Regrettably, with Jeremy Clarkson involved, it’s not surprising. The show itself is full of stereotyping of both men and women – but it’s funded by gay and lesbian license fee cash as well as everyone else’s.”

The BBC adds that it doesn’t even handle the actual ticketing for the show. A company called Applause Store issues the tickets in quantities of two. Says the spokesperson, “We don’t ask people to apply as a couple, we ask them to apply as people.”

[Source: AOL TV UK]
Note: AOL owns both AOL TV and Autoblog, but the two share no editorial affiliation.

REPORT: BBC says Top Gear doesn’t ban gay couples from show audience originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Dec 2009 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

 

This THE trip you have all heard about. It is an outstanding networking opportunity (BC)

24 Years Later and What a Housing Hangover’!

TO: All Hurt Me Mor Skiers

FROM: Dave and Jeff

DATE: December 2009

SUBJECT: Ski Trip March 3rd – March 7th, 2010

Dateline December 1^st, 2009 – Our Annual Christmas Ditty

The business is slow, but the future is bright
As you sit on the bottom, with only little light.
Why not pull yourself up for another PC powder glide
By joining us in Utah for some Hurt Me Mor pride

Yes, last year’s group was smaller than most
But that’s because you opted not to post
We had fun without you with a lot of great skiing
While you had CNBC and no bids won on what you were seeing

We had another race, won again by Portz.
This has to prompt a return of Kaufman and the force.
We partied at Deer Valley without our favorite tents
This year’s Rick’s back with the Big Top and all the vents

Yes, Rick Lee’s coming back as are Marano and Reynolds
What’s your excuse this year? More winter’s colds?
It had better be H1N1, if you aren’t feeling fine
‘Cause if you don’t show this year, you are truly swine

In March it’s always sunny while skiing cotton powder
So goes Tequila HONEY with pool parties ever louder.
If you had fun with us in San Diego until the bar closed,
Send your $$ today, or stay home and be hosed.

Another party was had in a 30 K Square Foot hut
Just ask Gil & Brent – and mention Eyes Wide Shut.
And in the annual ‘You can’t make this up’ during our trip
Michelle renewed a Shadow Ridge acquaintance, she tossed for a dip

We’ve seen some bad markets through our years on the trip
We ALWAYS bounce back, so don’t lose your grip
As we say this year as loans reappear
“It’s WAS just a flesh wound…” and we’re still here

So, On Fannie; On Freddie and FHA, too
Keep making the Refis and Mods for a few.
Out of the woods, we will all prevail
Damn glad we’re still not just covering our tail

Is it safe to return to the Hurt Me Mor Fest?
We know you are asking, so here is the rest:

News of Note:

Did you make it out to San Diego? WOW! The Exceptions really cranked it up a notch. We are hoping to find a sponsor and bring them back to Utah this Spring. I know they would like nothing more than to join us in March. Anyone interested in helping sponsor their return, give Dave or Jeff a call.

Also, as you are probably wondering what was meant by the comment about Michelle Perrin bumping into a “former” acquaintance? Turns out while riding the chairlift on Sunday during last March’s trip, the usually very stoic and shy Michelle struck up a conversation with the ski instructor sharing the chair lift at the Park City Resort. Claiming a headache, Michelle proceeded to describe our group, somewhat anonymously, when the ski instructor piped up and asked if our group, was in fact a group of Mortgage Bankers that had once been asked to never return to the Shadow Ridge Condominiums, 15 years earlier. Quite excited, Michelle responded, that we were indeed that very group of Mortgage Bankers, now welcomed annually at the Park City Marriott. Turns out the ski instructor happened to be one of the tossed-into-the-pool passerbyers that fateful night 15 years earlier. AND he was now married to one of the flight attendants, whom we also tossed in for a swim. Both plan to join us for this years event. Just can’t make this stuff up.

Trip Biz:

For all of you who have been asking and wanting to send in your $$$, a thousand thanks for your persistence and patience. NOW WOULD BE THE TIME.

Here’s the detail ——

DATES:

This year, we are again offering two reservation options: 1) Wednesday, March 3rd, thru check out Sunday, the 7^th; or 2) Thursday, March 4th check-in thru Sunday, the 7th. The four night option only costs a little more $$, but you WILL get an extra day of some pretty damn good skiing, or dirt-bagging, for all of you dark sliders. Mother Nature is more than cooperating, and we have planned lots of fun. So, call us, email us, or scream loudly, but most importantly, SEND $$$$.

LOCATION: Park City Marriott, Prospector Square

FEES: $795.00 for Option 1 – 5 days and 4 nights (starting Wed); $675.00 for Option 2 – 4 days and 3 nights (starting Thur); Those seeking solo room options, PLEASE CALL DAVE for details and availability

Reminder: We need to hear from you ASAP to guaranty your room.

’10 EVENTS:

Check into the Marriott on Wednesday or Thursday with skiing on Thursday at Snowbasin or Snowbird.

Thursday evening’s Margarita Party after skiing.

Friday’s skiing will be at Snowbird or Alta, or maybe both if you purchase the combo ticket. Depending on best in class conditions we will make the call Thursday night. Like past years, we will leave a message with the front desk of the hotel.

As always, other options are always available…The Canyons, Park City, Deer Valley and with a little hike, Snowbasin, where you may find yourself as one of only a few on the hill.

Friday night’s event, Welcome Back Party – Anyone interested in sponsoring, please give Dave or Jeff a call.

Saturday’s skiing will again feature The Annual Race and Fiesta @ Deer Valley. Rick Lee is BACK and we will be taking it over the top, once more. For those of you new to Hurt-Me-Mor, the Race is a gas with lunch and drinks provided slope side. Add a little sunshine and a few laughs as Dave takes a header trying to keep up with Heidi Volker, it’s a great day at the beach.

The Awards Dinner and Beach Party will follow Saturday night at the hotel with memorable shots from the slope as well as shots from Don Julio on the shotski.

Sadly, Check Out happens on Sunday morning, but for most, followed by another day of skiing at your leisure and/or recovery from your hangover. Guessing we will see you at the Starbucks counter in the AM.

ACCOMODATIONS: Been here before? Then you know the drill — scroll down. New to the trip?? Pay attention. We are staying at the Park City Marriott. Most rooms have 2 double queen beds, meaning that you will have a roommate. If you like to play prison, you’re going to love this trip. If you fly solo, it gets a bit more expensive and is subject to availability not to mention Dave and Jeff’s mood swings. If you have a roommate in mind, make the call, or we will for you.

PHONE NUMBER AND UPDATES: Most of you know the process, if you see any wrong numbers (including yours), employers, emails, fax numbers, high maintenance candidates, especially this year or if you know anyone who feels slighted by never being invited or they recently left the circus, PLEASE LET US KNOW ASAP.

LAST SHOTS: Hopefully, this newsletter finds you at the same phone number, fax number, email, or friendly with someone whose numbers are intact. We will post this newsletter as well as provide updates on the Mortgage Bankers Ski Trip and Coppedge websites http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hurt-me-mor-skitrip-memories/

(www.billcoppedge.com ). OR you can call Dave, Jeff, or Copp to get up to speed.

Hope to see you in Park City the first week of March. As always space is limited and we fill up every year and this one will be no exception.

Please send your checks – $795.00 for option 1 or $675.00 for option 2 ASAP, NOW, TODAY, NOT TOMORROW payable to Dave Hurt or Jeff Moran at the below referenced addresses. Jeff and I would like to avoid the sleazy, but highly effective collection techniques to guaranty your spot. If you send us a check and then decide that you cannot post, you will NOT receive a refund unless you find a suitable replacement. The Replacement Committee does not include blow-up dolls or dead penguins in the definition of “suitable”.

It is also a pretty good idea to check into flights as they, too, tend to book early. Delta has many convenient non-stop flights in and out of Salt Lake and if you don’t mind connecting through Chicago or Denver, you can probably cut a pretty good deal on United. Southwest is also a good option depending on your departure city.

PLEASE FORWARD/FAX THIS TO ANYONE YOU THINK HAS NOT RECEIVED THE INFO – THANKS!!!!!

Make checks payable to DAVE HURT OR JEFF MORAN

Dave Hurt                          Jeff Moran

9405 Kentsdale Drive      458 Eudora Street

Potomac, MD 20854          Denver, CO 80220

Off: 301-365-0407              Off: 303-493-3383

Cell: 202-437-5235             Cell: 720-641-6259

Home: 301-365-7374          Home: 303-377-4339

EM1: [email protected] EM: [email protected]

EM2: [email protected]

just for fun,

Trained cats?????????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlKYtLlvRlU

 

hattip Mark Perry

 

Goodbye Amtrust (formerly Ohio Savings):

+ +

Regulators Pull Plug on Bank – BY DAVID ENRICH – Federal regulators on Friday seized AmTrust Bank, a battered Cleveland thrift kept alive this year after local politicians pleaded with the government for a second chance. – Wall street Journal

AmTrust’s Peculiar Buyer – Tom Lindmark – The WSJ has a pretty good article on the failure of AmTrust. – … Based on the WSJ article one has to wonder what in the world a New York and New Jersey focused financial institution wants with an Ohio bank with a smattering of banks in some of the more destitute economies in this country. … – But Then What Blog

AmTrust’s bankruptcy filing may be a lesson learned from WaMu – By Teresa Dixon Murray – … the same day, the family that owns 77 percent of AmTrust Bank’s parent company took action to make sure the identical thing doesn’t happen to them. The parent company filed an 11th-hour bankruptcy to protect assets and, in recent weeks, has moved $7 million in cash from AmTrust to accounts at PNC Financial Services Group. Some subsidiaries, including AmTrust bank itself, were not included in the bankruptcy filing.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is probably ticked at the tactic. – The Plain Dealer 

and
AmTrust Financial attorneys talk about possibility of selling bank – By Teresa Dixon Murray – Cleveland Plain Dealer 

————

US banks premature in reducing provisioning for bad loans – There are some interesting tidbits in Moody’s latest quarterly report on the US banking system, notably that US banks are  premature in reducing provisioning for bad loans, and the charge-off trend now shows that the erosion of commercial real estate surpasses that of residential real estate. – Research Recap

————

Citigroup Said to Need Treasury Stake Sale Before TARP Payment – By Bradley Keoun –  The U.S. Treasury Department’s refusal to sell its 34 percent stake in Citigroup Inc. is hampering the bank’s plans to repay $20 billion of remaining bailout funds, people familiar with the bank said.  Executives at the New York-based bank are growing frustrated because they can’t sell stock to raise money for repayment until the Treasury signals when and how it will unload its 7.7 billion shares – Bloomberg

Banks Take Losses on Short Sales as Foreclosures Soar – By John Gittelsohn and Margaret Collins – … “It’s really finally dawning on banks that they’re better off with a short sale,” said Richard Green, director of the Lusk Center for Real Estate at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. “I think banks were in denial.” … – Bloomberg 

————

From BANKSTOCKS.COM: Why BofA’s TARP repayment marks a turning point – Gary Townsend – The company’s moves are the latest signs that the financial panic is receding at last.

————

Tim Geithner: For the Last Time, NO BANKS WOULD HAVE SURVIVED WITHOUT TARP – NY Magazine

It seems Visceral’s already rolling out the teasers for Dead Space 2. A pic posted on the official Dead Space Twitter account certainly gives credence to that idea, at least.

Crystal dove centerpieces make beautiful decorations for your table or mantle piece. This project is easy an inexpensive to make and will accent your dining or living room. It is relatively easy to work with styrofoam. That is one of the reasons I chose this craft, so let’s get started.

Here is a list of supplies that you will need:

• A 2 ½” craft foam egg
• craft foam balls: one 5” and one 1 ½”
• A sheet of white tissue paper
• A sheet of 8” x 11” white cardstock (I used unruled index cards)
• 2 pearl or colored head pins (I used blue)
• Two 2” white glitter snowflakes (optional)
• One 12”-16” crystal decorative branch
• Modge Podge or other decoupage laminate/sealer
• craft glue
• craft knife
• paint brush, pencil, scissors and toothpicks

Using a craft knife, cut off 1/3 of the 5” ball. Cut one thin slice from the small ball and discard the slices.

Make the bird body by inserting a toothpick between one egg and the flat edge of the small ball.  Apply glue and press it together. Hold for a minute until it starts to stick.

Tear the tissue paper into small pieces. Brush the foam body with Modge Podge, completely covering the entire egg and cover the body with the tissue paper. Brush on a second coat of Modge Podge, over the tissue and coat the whole body again. Sprinkle with glitter and let it dry.

Using the cardstock or index card, draw a beak, wing and a tail. Cut all of these out and brush them with the decoupage and sprinkle with glitter. Let them dry and repeat the process on the other side.

When dry, glue the beak, wings and tail to the body. Apply the pearl or colored pins in the small foam ball (head) and use them for the eyes.

Insert the branch into the ball base and either glue the bird to the base or insert toothpicks into the base and the bottom of the bird. If you are using the 2″ white glitter snowflakes, glue the to the base.

There you have it. A beautiful crystal dove centerpiece.

Post from: Blisstree

Crystal Dove Centerpiece

 

  + 

A U.S. Parallel to Dubai World – By AGNES CRANE and WEI GU – … But creditors of the two mortgage finance giants should not forget that, like Dubai’s investment arm, they have only implicit government backing … Even setting aside domestic concerns, a default by the two on what has long been seen as quasi-sovereign debt would torpedo America’s reputation in international financial markets.  All that helps explain why two-year bonds issued by Fannie and Freddie are at levels reminiscent of a precrisis world, trading this week with yields in the area of 18 to 20 basis points less than benchmark swap rates. … – NY Times

What Happens to Citibank’s $8 Billion Loan to Dubai? – by Washington – On Friday, I provided some specifics about who had loaned Dubai money, and the potential fallout from Dubai’s debt crisis.  But I just found another interesting tidbit.  Specifically, 7 Days – one of the largest papers in Dubai – wrote in March:  The US public will be “outraged” by Citibank’s $8 billion loan to Dubai just six weeks after the bank was bailed out, …  – Washington’s Blog

————

+ +

Bank of America to repay U.S.- Firm will be first to reimburse taxpayers completely for bailout – Bank of America says the repayment of $45 billion in taxpayer aid shows the strength of the company. – By Binyamin Appelbaum – Washington Post 

and
BofA’s TARP repayment puts pressure on Citi, Wells – By STEVENSON JACOBS – Bank of America’s surprise move to pay back $45 billion in federal bailout money ratchets up pressure on rivals Wells Fargo and Citigroup to get out from under the government’s thumb. But don’t expect it to happen anytime soon.  – AP Yahoo
and
Geithner Expects Bailout Program to End Soon – By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS – Timothy F. Geithner affirmed Wednesday the administration’s intent to end the $700 billion financial bailout program soon. – NY Times

————

NY Fed’s Sack: Exit RPs May Not Work as Some Anticipate – Federal Reserve Bank of New York Executive Vice President Brian Sack Wednesday night said he doesn’t think reverse repos will work as some anticipate but the Fed can compensate by raising rates more than otherwise and with asset sales. … However, Sack said, “My own perspective differs.” He said he sees the effects of the asset purchases arising “primarily from the removal of duration and prepayment risk from the markets, based on the portfolio-balance effects.” So those effects, he said, “would not be unwound by draining reserves with reverse repos or term deposits.” … No worries, though, because, he said, “as long as the FOMC has control of short-term interest rates, … – imarketnews.com

————

U.S. Taxpayers May Reap $3.17 Billion in TARP Warrant Auctions – By Peter Eichenbaum – … from the first auctions of warrants demanded by the government for bailing out banks, including Capital One Financial Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and TCF Financial Corp.  … The auction was set after the agency and the bank couldn’t agree on a price for selling the warrants back to Capital One … – Bloomberg

————

Why The Government Jobs Policy Isn’t Working – Mark Sunshine – … The problem with jobs growth in the U.S. is pretty simple; many small and medium size companies have demand for their goods and services but can’t get financing to grow.  … – The Sunshine Report

————

Senator Bunning to Bernanke “You are the definition of a moral hazard. Your Fed has become the Creature From Jekyll Island” – Michael Shedlock – many good quotes and a video of the senator opposing Bernanke’s renomination – MISH’s Global Economic Trend Analysis
————

China wary of gold ‘bubble’ danger after quietly doubling its reserves – By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard – The Chinese authorities have given the clearest indication to date that they view the surge in gold to an all-time high of $1,217 (£730) an ounce as a speculative frenzy. – Telegraph.co.uk

Malindi, Kenya | Geological Oddities

The Marafa Depression, also known as Hell’s Kitchen, is an odd sandstone canyon outside of Malindi, Kenya. Known locally as Nyari – “the place broken by itself” – it was once a great sandstone ridge worn by wind, rain, and floods into a series of jagged gorges. The layer-cake colors of the sandstone reveal whites, pinks, oranges, and deep crimsons, making the gorge particularly striking at sundown, when tones of the ribbed sandstone gullies are highlighted and mirrored by those of the setting sun.

Naturally, local stories accompany the “place broken by itself.” According to legend, there was once a town located where the gorge is now. One day, all the town’s inhabitants received a vision telling them a miracle was coming and to move their town. Everyone moved except one old woman who refused to leave. The abandoned town then supposedly vanished – with the remaining woman still inside – leaving the Marafa Depression in its place.

Chittagong, Bangladesh | Disaster Areas

Supertankers and giant cargo ships are the backbone of our global consumer society.

Hundreds of meters long, ferrying millions of tons of goods across the globe, the sheer size of these immense vessels is awe inspiring. Construction of one such behemoth is a fascinating feat of engineering, however, the destruction and final resting place of these steel giants is even more intriguing.

Even when such a ship is not seaworthy anymore, and repairs are not economically viable, the raw material it is constructed from have some value. Nowadays ship-breaking yards tend to be located in third world countries, places far out of sight of the consumers whose supermarkets they helped supply, and where labor is cheap and environmental protection laws are lax.

There ships are chipped down bit by bit, usually by hand, and stripped of every last bit of value. Fauzdarhat, 20 kilometers northwest of Chittagong in Bangladesh is where many of the world’s ships go to die.

Over twenty ship-breaking yards dot the 16 miles of coastline. It is an industrial wasteland of epic proportions, where thousands of workers are forced to scratch their meager existence out of these hulking steel ruins, working with rudimentary protection, risking injury and illness, poisoned by toxic fumes and exposure to asbestos and other hazardous materials.

Chittagong is but one of many such places. Gadani in Pakistan is perhaps even larger. Alang in Gujarat in India is another.

Environmental groups such as Greenpeace have tried to raise awareness of the threat that these ship-breaking yards pose to both the people employed in them and to the environment. There is some hope that public pressure will force major shipping companies to make greater use of so called “Green Ship Recycling” facilities in developed countries.

Canton de Vaud, Switzerland | Unique Collections

Maison d’Ailleurs or the “House of Elsewhere” revolves around extraordinary journeys… of the mind, at least. It is a museum of science fiction, utopias and other futurist writings.

The museum has had an intense history since its creation in 1976. Pierre Versins, an archivist who collected works of science fiction and related memorabilia, donated his archives to the city of Yverdon-les-Bains, which created the museum. Though originally located in a three-story townhouse, in 1991 the collection was moved to a more impressive location: a former prison built in 1806, located in the middle of the city. Unfortunately, the city cut the budget of the museum in 1995 and most of the staff was dismissed. A foundation was created to manage the museum in 1998, and a new director, Patrick Gyger, was named to coordinate the efforts.

Today, its archives contain around 70,000 documents related to science fiction or futuristic — books, art pieces, toys — including some very old, as early as the sixteenth century, and unique pieces. The collections of the museum are also used for iconographic purposes or research (literature, history of ideas, design, etc.)and houses one of the most important collection of documentation about Jules Verne in the world.

In 2008, the museum premiered a new wing dedicated entirely to Jules Verne and early science fiction. It also presents two to three temporary exhibitions per year, around the main themes of science fiction — cities of the future (both utopian and dystopian), space travel and aliens, lost worlds, etc — and the artists that rendered them beautifully.

Maison d’Ailleurs is a resource that not only catalogs our ever changing vision of the future but preserves it for our actual future, so that they may understand something better about us, something any science fiction writer can surely appreciate.

This is a last minute reminder for two events I’m speaking at in Northern California. The more the merrier so bring your friends and let’s get Primal!

Here are the details for both events. RSVP now to guarantee your seat!

Sunday, December 6th
7:00pm-8:45pm
Catalyst Athletics
1257 Tasman Dr., Suite A, Sunnyvale, CA, 94089

Please RSVP at [email protected] or 408-400-0067

Monday, December 7th
7:00pm-8:45pm
Diablo CrossFit
2447 Estand Way, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

Please register for the event by clicking here.

Get Free Health Tips, Recipes and Workouts Delivered to Your Inbox

Related posts:

1. Announcement: Upcoming Event
2. Announcement: New Recipe Theme for the Cookbook Contest
3. Announcement: New Recipe Theme for the Cookbook Contest

Filed under: China, GM, Saab, Earnings/Financials, Koenigsegg

Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation (BAIC) could still be in the game for Saab, having secured a $2.93 billion line of credit from the Bank of China. On the other hand, BAIC could just be gearing up for its own home-grown expansion plans, with an eye on ramping up production and putting financial and technological legs underneath its partnerships with Mercedes and Hyundai.

Or… it could be doing both: trying to buy Saab and as well as remodel its business. The deal for Saab between GM and Koenigsegg was for about $1 billion: the European Investment Bank approved a loan for $615 million, and BAIC provided about $400 million by buying a minority stake in the Koenigsegg Group. If BAIC did its own deal with GM for that same amount — although we have a feeling they could get a Christmas discount — that would leave nearly $2 billion for BAIC to take care of Saab and invest in its own operations.

This is, of course, pure speculation — BAIC could have something else in mind entirely. All we know right now is that they’ve got a lotta yuan just sitting around waiting to be spent, and aborted plans to build the new 9-5 in China. This Saab story isn’t finished yet…

[Source: Reuters]

REUTERS: China’s BAIC secures $2.1B line of credit… is it for Saab? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

I talked about decorating the bedroom for the holidays, but guest bedrooms are a bit different than family bedrooms. Just like with regular bedrooms, you’ll want to switch out bedspreads and do a few other basics, but an important part of getting a guest bedroom ready for the holidays is adding plenty of homey touches to the space.

• Start with the bed. If you already dressed the room up a bit, you probably have that cheery holiday spread on it. Add a cozy holiday afghan at the foot of the bed. A guest who gets chilly in the middle of the night will appreciate being able to get warm without wandering the house in search of another blanket.
• Add a basket of holiday extras, like a few holiday books from popular authors like Janet Evanovich and a favorite Christmas DVD, to the nightstand.
• Dress up the bed tray for the holidays with an artificial Poinsettia flower or a few plastic ornaments.
• Top the stack of guest towels off with new holiday slippers and a gingerbread scented soap.
• Tuck a cozy chair into a corner and stick a holiday pillow on it. If your guest prefers to curl up in the chair to read or watch a movie, he or she can do so in comfort.

Do you add any special touches to the guest bedroom over the holidays?

Photo: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

Five Ways to Decorate the Guest Bedroom for the Holidays

You’re rinsing dishes and the ring slides right off your finger. You turn off the water right away, but you’re too late. It is down the drain. Now, it is gone for good, right? Maybe. But, since you turned off the water instead of letting it keep running, there is a chance that your ring didn’t wash completely away. A little “U” shaped pipe may have just saved the day.

According to Popular Mechanics, this “U” shaped pipe, also called a P-trap, is actually designed to keep sewers from sending a nasty smell back up the pipes and into the kitchen or bathroom. (No, I have no idea why they call something shaped like a “U” a P-trap. Although when you see it installed, I guess it sort of looks like a “P” turned sideways.) It just so happens that, while it is busy keeping gases at bay, the trap also tends to catch small items, like rings, instead of sending them straight down the pipes.

Now, the catch is, you have to open the trap to see if the ring is there and this can be a messy job. If you have old, fragile pipes or you get all nervous when someone hands you a wrench, call a plumber. Otherwise, get a bucket, some rags, a pipe wrench and your favorite plumbing gunk or tape. Stick the bucket under the trap, unfasten it from the sink pipe with the wrench, empty the excess water into the bucket and look for your ring. If it is there, take some time out to do a happy dance. If not, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll never see the ring again. Now, use your gunk or tape and the wrench to put it all back together again, use the rags to mop up any spills and get yourself a small vintage flower pot or another cute container for the counter right beside the sink so you can put your rings in a safe place while you’re rinsing dishes.

And would you believe I found a step by step video that shows you exactly what to do? Here it is:

Post from: Blisstree

How to See if a Ring You Lost in the Sink Is Gone for Good

The guy’s face, physique, and last name may change, but since Final Fantasy II, every major Final Fantasy title has featured a guy named Cid. Final Fantasy XIII’s Cid is a departure from the predominantly older versions

My colleague Adriaan mis-spoke when he said IBM was "slowly phasing out" Domino. IBM is doing no such thing. For that, I apologize. We have corrected the original post.

One has to be very wary about generalizing about Lotus, since that brand extends from the likes of Lotus WCM and Connections (which are really more closely tied to WebSphere), through Quickr, to e-mail and other groupware services, down to the Lotus thick client — with much more in-between.

Nonetheless, I think it’s worthwhile debating the larger issue of the relative profile of the Lotus/Domino stack in one of its capacities — as a broad collaboration platform — which was Adriaan’s original intent.

Among those enterprises that have made a major commitment to Domino and Lotus for collaboration and knowledge management applications, in my experience they fall into three broad categories:

1) Those actively enhancing existing implementations across the board.

2) Those supporting their existing implementations, but not advancing them much, and retiring applications as they no longer serve their original purpose (usually over the course of many years).

3) Those pro-actively replacing Lotus/Domino collaboration and KM applications with various alternatives (also a multi-year ambition).

Although it varies by country and with enterprise size, from what I can see, the 2nd group above is the largest, and 2) and 3) together appreciably outnumber the first group in size.

This is not a blanket indictment of IBM. It is simply a recognition of a collaboration platform that has suffered competitively in the marketplace, however much Big Blue has modernized it and continues to support an impressive partner channel. As Adriaan pointed out, Domino and the Lotus stack more broadly have some advantages over SharePoint for collaboration, but Lotus-Domino is simply not matching SharePoint’s growth in this part of marketplace.

If there are lessons here, they are really for those new SharePoint customers with stars in their eyes. Turning over omnibus information management to a single vendor brings higher lock-in risks. Allowing custom teamspaces and collaborative apps to proliferate willy-nilly becomes unsupportable over time. Upgrades become increasingly fraught. Availability of experienced talent can become haphazard. Big-time platforms require long-term planning — and suitable hedging.

It appears the last minute reports of Apple’s interest in streaming music company Lala media were true. Both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal are reporting that Apple has indeed acquired Lala Media.

Read more from MacRumors iPhone Blog

It is time that the actions of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) speak for themselves and Americans began to question their own absorbent use and blind-loyalty to FDA approved drugs. If not, you too may become a FDA statistic. The FDA’s financial ties to “big-pharma” have caused millions of preventable deaths over the last 30 years.

In 1996-97 the FDA approved a drug known as Posicor (a chemical called mibefradil dihydrochloride) for the treatment of high blood pressure (hypertension). Prior to approval, the data from the congestive heart failure trials presented at a FDA Advisory Committee meeting on Posicor showed that more patients treated with Posicor died than those taking a placebo! After its release for use by the public 200 more Americans died from using Posicor as prescribed. It was finally removed from the market in 1998.

To treat high cholesterol, the FDA has approved synthetic chemicals known as “statins”. Brand names include Zocor, Lipitor, Pravachol, Mevacor, Baycol, and Lescol. Unknown to the public and most doctors, statin drugs can be life threatening. In a letter to the Archives of Internal Medicine, Uffe Ravnskov MD, PhD and colleagues show that in two of the three clinical trials that included healthy people, the chance of surviving was better without treatment of statins. Researchers from the University of Denmark report that about 15% of statin users over the age of 50 will suffer from nerve damage. Since cholesterol is manufactured in the liver, it remains to be seen just how much liver damage the consuming public will sustain when the internal organ injuries are factored in. USA Today reported, “Statins have killed and injured more people than the government has acknowledged”. To add insult to injury, there are no studies linking high cholesterol directly to heart disease. Wrap your brain cells around that! Factors that can be linked to heart disease are high levels of homocysteine within a person’s body. But that’s a problem that can be cured with the proper ratios of B vitamins and folic acid. Translation, no profit for doctors or drug companies. Read more…