44 lessons life taught me

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 44 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:"


1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15.. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?".

26. Always choose life.

27. Forgive everyone everything.

28. What other people think of you is none of your business.

29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

31. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

32. Believe in miracles.

33. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

34. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

35. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

36. Your children get only one childhood.

37. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

38. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

39. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

40. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

41. The best is yet to come.

42.. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

43. Yield.

44. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

45. If you want to be happy, be.

10 ways to look sharp in photographs

1. Focus your eyes just slightly above the camera lens, move your face forward a bit, and tip down your chin.

2. Put your tongue behind your teeth and smile, which will relax your face.

3. Keep your arms by your side—but not glued there. To look natural, they should be a little away from your body.

4. Test-drive clothing against a white wall, with an indirect, natural light source (under a tree, indoors near a window)—it will show whether blue really is your best color.

5. As a rule, avoid patterns.

6. Photos exaggerate everything, so go easy on the makeup. For women under 30, a little mascara and lip gloss; over 30, add a touch of concealer.

7. Practice the classic model pose: Turn your body three quarters of the way toward the camera, with one foot in front of the other and one shoulder closer to the photographer. When you face forward, your body tends to look wider.

8. For standing photos, belly in, buttocks tight, shoulders back, spine straight.

9. Study photogenic people as well as photos in which you think you looked best. Look at your best angle. You’ll probably see that you were laughing or having a good time. Capturing someone when they’re relaxed or most animated usually makes for the best results.

10. To feel at ease, try closing your eyes, then opening them slowly just before the photo is taken.

Via Reader's Digest

Top 10 irritating phases in English

The Oxford University has just come out with the list of top ten irritating phrases in English. The phrases appear in a book called Damp Squid, named after the mistake of confusing a squid with a squib, a type of firework.

The researchers who compiled the list monitor the use of phrases in a database called the Oxford University Corpus, which comprises books, papers, magazines, broadcast, the internet and other sources.

The top ten most irritating phrases:

1 - At the end of the day

2 - Fairly unique

3 - I personally

4 - At this moment in time

5 - With all due respect

6 - Absolutely

7 - It's a nightmare

8 - Shouldn't of

9 - 24/7

10 - It's not rocket science

Top 10 Things on My Mind Right Now

1. What am I going to wear for New Years?!

2. Will the girls enjoy the let's-come-up-with-ideas tea party?

3. Shouldn't've had the poha this morning.

4. Need to refresh my bedside table with more books

5. Sugar intake! Jeez, how much can I have.

6. Looking forward to being in Kav's mum's home on Sunday.

7. Is my kurta looking faded?

8. Did I water the plants yesterday or on Monday?

9. It's a nice day.

10. Where's my real-time to-do list book?

10 Most Romantic Movie Lines

#10: “If there’s any kind of magic in this world, it must be in the attempt of understanding someone, sharing something. I know, it’s almost impossible to succeed, but…who cares, really? The answer must be in the attempt.”–Celine (Julie Delpy), Before Sunrise (1995).

#9: “It seems right now that all I’ve ever done in my life is making my way here to you.”–Robert Kincaid (Clint Eastwood), The Bridges of Madison County (1995).

#8: “Michael…I’ve loved you for nine years, I’ve just been too arrogant and scared to realize it, and… well, now I’m just scared. So, I realize this comes at a very inopportune time but I really have this gigantic favor to ask of you. Choose me. Marry me. Let me make you happy. Oh, that sounds like three favors, doesn’t it?”–Julianne Potter (Julia Roberts), My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997).

#7: “We’ll always have Paris.”–Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), Casablanca (1942).

#6: “Loretta, I love you. Not like they told you love is, and I didn’t know this either, love don’t make things nice–it ruins everything. It breaks your heart. It makes things a mess. We aren’t here to make things perfect. The snowflakes are perfect. The stars are perfect. Not us. Not us! We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and die…Now I want you to come upstairs with me and get in my bed!”–Ronny Cammareri (Nicolas Cage), Moonstruck
(1987).

#5: “I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss from her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it.”–Seth (Nicolas Cage), City of Angels (1998).

#4: “Winning that ticket, Rose, was the best thing that ever happened to me… it brought me to you. And I’m thankful for that, Rose. I’m thankful. You must do me this honor, Rose. Promise me you’ll survive. That you won’t give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless. Promise me now, Rose, and never let go of that promise.”–Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio, Titanic 1997),

#3: “I love that you get cold when it’s 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle in your nose when you’re looking at me like I’m nuts. I love that after I spend day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it’s not because I’m lonely, and it’s not because it’s New Year’s Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”–Harry Burns (Billy Crystal), When Harry Met Sally (1989).

#2: “No, I don’t think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That’s what’s wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.”–Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), Gone With the Wind (1939).

#1: “It was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were suppose to be together… and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home… only to no home I’d ever known… I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like… magic.–Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks), Sleepless in Seattle (1993).

Via Love Tips

Half dozen "sweet" accessories.

Cupcakes, cupcakes everywhere and not even one to eat!

1. A light snack.


2. Taste.


3. Toppings


4. Sparkle.


5. Entertainment.


6. Philosophy.

5 geek accessories.

1)
Ms Pacman earrings! One Ms Pacman + one Ghost for her to chase.














2)
Prickie button badges. Choose 3.








3)
Love poem t-shirt.















4)
Caffeine molecule mug.



















5)
Lego + Balenciaga = geek chic pumps.

100 things...

The BBC's ultimate list of things we found out in 2006...

I'm particularly amused by item 2. :)

5 Band-aids

(to make you smile through the pain...)

1 - Kiss it better.















2 - Bless it.


















3 - Colour it happy.



















4 - Feed the fever.














5 - Booty shake.











Find most of these here.

25 best movie title sequences

I love watching movie title sequences . Not only how cool they look but also all the silly details :Was there a funny sounding clap boy ? Was there any Indian name in the entire crew? What is the order of names the stars are featured in ? and titles say a lot about the movie too . Here are 25 cool movie title sequences on youtube . Check it out !

Q: What did you do as a child, but just can’t do any more?

Saw this lovely list on the net.
Found it was very interesting.

via whatjapanthinks.com

10 New Year's Resolutions

that made me laugh

1. I resolve to give up coffee this year. It leaves too little space for beer.
2. I resolve to stop pretending that smoking helps me lose weight. Technically, coughing is not an ab exercise.
3. I resolve to stop exercising. It's a waste of probably educational TV time.
4. I resolve to find out why I really "need" 11 email addresses.
5. I resolve to buy all my lottery tickets from a luckier store.
6. I resolve to slow down as I drive by the gym on the way to get ice cream – out of respect.
7. I resolve to stop opening the fridge every fifteen minutes to check if the Snickers fairy has visited.
8. I resolve to give up shouting advice at reality TV stars. If they were smart enough to listen, they wouldn't be there.
9. I resolve to eat more vegetables. (Chocolate comes from beans)
10. I resolve to avoid doing meaningless bullet-point lists in an attempt to meet post count.

16 New Networks

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.05/networks_pr.html

25 Things I Learned on Google Trends

http://www.micropersuasion.com/2006/05/25_things_i_lea.html

10 reasons to quit

"We need this to look really amazing - It's really got to stand out. D&AD work! But the budget is small so don´t spend any time working on this."

"Give us a layout for the ad that's more like the one our CEO designed on PowerPoint."

"There's a lot of empty space in this ad, but I'm just not sure that the audience we are targeting is the empty-space audience."

"The good news is, you have the weekend to work."

"I like edit 1 and 3"
(Client on hearing same v/o played 4 times)

"He wasn't there for the final day, but we need him inserted because he attended. And it has to look very realistic. Please use any pictures you have on file since he has no time for a shoot now."
(Client explaining why her bosses picture has to be cut-paste into a group picture.)

"Concept 1 is approved. Although why don't you show me something that incorporates concept 1 with concept 3 and uses the headline from concept 2? Make the logo bigger like in concept 2 and the copy larger from concept 3. You guys did a great job, you are right on target with concept 1."

"I think the white background is great but customers will understand a pink one better"

"There are just a few things we need to change in tomorrows press ad."
(Client, 3 minutes before material deadline.)

"Can we see a few more layout options?"
(Client after seeing 3 options for a 10cc Black & White ad)

99 things to do before you die.

Click on the surprise bar here and let it pick something for you.

travel.discovery.com

Top 10 cheat codes

1. Runescape Cheats
2. Need For Speed Carbon Cheats
3. GTA: San Andreas Cheats
4. Guitar Hero II Cheats
5. Gears of War Cheats
6. Fish Tycoon Cheats
7. Final Fantasy 12 Cheats
8. Mortal Kombat Cheats
9. Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 Cheats
10. Pokemon Emerald Cheats

Yahoo.com recently did a post on this. Click here for links.

Good advice

The Top 100 Things I'd Do
If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord

40 Things That Only Happen in Movies

http://moronland.net/moronia/moron/976/

18 tricks to teach your body

1. If your throat tickles, scratch your ear!
When you were 9, playing your armpit was a cool trick. Now, as an adult, you can still appreciate a good body-based feat, but you're more discriminating. Take that tickle in your throat; it's not worth gagging over. Here's a better way to scratch your itch: "When the nerves in the ear are stimulated, it creates a reflex in the throat that can cause a muscle spasm," says Scott Schaffer, M.D., president of an ear, nose, and throat specialty center in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. "This spasm relieves the tickle."

2. Experience supersonic hearing!
If you're stuck chatting up a mumbler at a cocktail party, lean in with your right ear. It's better than your left at following the rapid rhythms of speech, according to researchers at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. If, on the other hand, you're trying to identify that song playing softly in the elevator, turn your left ear toward the sound. The left ear is better at picking up music tones.

3. Overcome your most primal urge!
Need to pee? No bathroom nearby? Fantasize about Jessica Simpson. Thinking about sex preoccupies your brain, so you won't feel as much discomfort, says Larry Lipshultz, M.D., chief of male reproductive medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine. For best results, try Simpson's "These Boots Are Made for Walking" video.

4. Feel no pain!
German researchers have discovered that coughing during an injection can lessen the pain of the needle stick. According to Taras Usichenko, author of a study on the phenomenon, the trick causes a sudden, temporary rise in pressure in the chest and spinal canal, inhibiting the pain-conducting structures of the spinal cord.

5. Clear your stuffed nose!
Forget Sudafed. An easier, quicker, and cheaper way to relieve sinus pressure is by alternately thrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then pressing between your eyebrows with one finger. This causes the vomer bone, which runs through the nasal passages to the mouth, to rock back and forth, says Lisa DeStefano, D.O., an assistant professor at the Michigan State University college of osteopathic medicine. The motion loosens congestion; after 20 seconds, you'll feel your sinuses start to drain.

6. Fight fire without water!
Worried those wings will repeat on you tonight? "Sleep on your left side," says Anthony A. Starpoli, M.D., a New York City gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at New York Medical College. Studies have shown that patients who sleep on their left sides are less likely to suffer from acid reflux. The esophagus and stomach connect at an angle. When you sleep on your right, the stomach is higher than the esophagus, allowing food and stomach acid to slide up your throat. When you're on your left, the stomach is lower than the esophagus, so gravity's in your favor.

7. Cure your toothache without opening your mouth!
Just rub ice on the back of your hand, on the V-shaped webbed area between your thumb and index finger. A Canadian study found that this technique reduces toothache pain by as much as 50 percent compared with using no ice. The nerve pathways at the base of that V stimulate an area of the brain that blocks pain signals from the face and hands.

8. Make burns disappear!
When you accidentally singe your finger on the stove, clean the skin and apply light pressure with the finger pads of your unmarred hand. Ice will relieve your pain more quickly, Dr. DeStefano says, but since the natual method brings the burned skin back to a normal temperature, the skin is less likely to blister.

9. Stop the world from spinning!
One too many drinks left you dizzy? Put your hand on something stable. The part of your ear responsible for balance -- the cupula -- floats in a fluid of the same density as blood. "As alcohol dilutes blood in the cupula, the cupula becomes less dense and rises," says Dr. Schaffer. This confuses your brain. The tactile input from a stable object gives the brain a second opinion, and you feel more in balance. Because the nerves in the hand are so sensitive, this works better than the conventional foot-on-the-floor wisdom.

10. Unstitch your side!
If you're like most people, when you run, you exhale as your right foot hits the ground. This puts downward pressure on your liver (which lives on your right side), which then tugs at the diaphragm and creates a side stitch, according to The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Men. The fix: Exhale as your left foot strikes the ground.

11. Stanch blood with a single finger!
Pinching your nose and leaning back is a great way to stop a nosebleed -- if you don't mind choking on your own O positive. A more civil approach: Put some cotton on your upper gums -- just behind that small dent below your nose -- and press against it, hard. "Most bleeds come from the front of the septum, the cartilage wall that divides the nose," says Peter Desmarais, M.D., an ear, nose, and throat specialist at Entabeni Hospital, in Durban, South Africa. "Pressing here helps stop them."

12. Make your heart stand still!
Trying to quell first-date jitters? Blow on your thumb. The vagus nerve, which governs heart rate, can be controlled through breathing, says Ben Abo, an emergency medical- services specialist at the University of Pittsburgh. It'll get your heart rate back to normal.

13. Thaw your brain!
Too much Chipwich too fast will freeze the brains of lesser men. As for you, press your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth, covering as much as you can. "Since the nerves in the roof of your mouth get extremely cold, your body thinks your brain is freezing, too," says Abo. "In compensating, it overheats, causing an ice-cream headache." The more pressure you apply to the roof of your mouth, the faster your headache will subside.

14. Prevent near-sightedness!
Poor distance vision is rarely caused by genetics, says Anne Barber, O.D., an optometrist in Tacoma, Washington. "It's usually caused by near-point stress." In other words, staring at your computer screen for too long. So flex your way to 20/20 vision. Every few hours during the day, close your eyes, tense your body, take a deep breath, and, after a few seconds, release your breath and muscles at the same time. Tightening and releasing muscles such as the biceps and glutes can trick involuntary muscles -- like the eyes -- into relaxing as well.

15. Wake the dead!
If your hand falls asleep while you're driving or sitting in an odd position, rock your head from side to side. It'll painlessly banish your pins and needles in less than a minute, says Dr. DeStefano. A tingly hand or arm is often the result of compression in the bundle of nerves in your neck; loosening your neck muscles releases the pressure. Compressed nerves lower in the body govern the feet, so don't let your sleeping dogs lie. Stand up and walk around.

16. Impress your friends!
Next time you're at a party, try this trick: Have a person hold one arm straight out to the side, palm down, and instruct him to maintain this position. Then place two fingers on his wrist and push down. He'll resist. Now have him put one foot on a surface that's a half inch higher (a few magazines) and repeat. This time his arm will cave like the French. By misaligning his hips, you've offset his spine, says Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., co-owner of Results Fitness, in Santa Clarita, California. Your brain senses that the spine is vulnerable, so it shuts down the body's ability to resist.

17. Breathe underwater!
If you're dying to retrieve that quarter from the bottom of the pool, take several short breaths first -- essentially, hyperventilate. When you're underwater, it's not a lack of oxygen that makes you desperate for a breath; it's the buildup of carbon dioxide, which makes your blood acidic, which signals your brain that somethin' ain't right. "When you hyperventilate, the influx of oxygen lowers blood acidity," says Jonathan Armbruster, Ph.D., an associate professor of biology at Auburn University. "This tricks your brain into thinking it has more oxygen." It'll buy you up to 10 seconds.

18. Read minds!
Your own! "If you're giving a speech the next day, review it before falling asleep," says Candi Heimgartner, an instructor of biological sciences at the University of Idaho. Since most memory consolidation happens during sleep, anything you read right before bed is more likely to be encoded as long-term memory.


http://www.menshealth.com/cda/recipe.do?site=MensHealth&channel=nutrition&category=abs.diet&conitem=08f099edbbbd201099edbbbd2010cfe793cd____&pageLocation=true

famous peoples last words

Nostradamus (Michel de Notre Dame) 1503-1566
"Tomorrow, I shall no longer be here."

Picasso, Pablo (1881-1973)
"Drink to me!"

Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770-1827)
"Friends applaud, the comedy is over."

Edison, Thomas A. (1847-1931)
"It's very beautiful over there."

Archimedes of Syracuse (298-212 B.C.)
"Wait 'till I have finished my problem!"

Marx, Karl (1818-1883)
"Go on, get out! Last words are for fools who haven't said enough!"

Things that caught my eye

1. TWIG FLOWER VASE





2. FRANK GEHRY FISH DROP TIFFANY EARRINGS





3. LIGHT IN THE FOREST LAMP




4. MINISOCKS





5. SPOTLIGHT LAMP




6. ROSE NECKLACE



7. PERSONAL LIBRARY KIT






















8. REVERSIBLE BAG



LINKS COURTESY HTTP://LINK-E-LINK.BLOGSPOT.COM

'Cool' thingamabobs

1) Drinkwear by Carrie and Co.
Set of four brightly coloured “tennis shoe” coasters that slip onto the “foot” of your glass and let you wander. Put your glass down wherever you like without worrying about finding a coaster.


2) Beer bands by Fred
All beers are created equal, or so it seems when you're trying to find yours at a party. So just stretch a beer band around your bottle or can and separate yourself from the pack.


3) Ice cube Tray by LEGO®
LEGO® has always been super cool so this just seems perfect. Made out of flexible durable silicone this is child safe and totally non toxic. Igloos anyone?


4)Diamond Ice by Fred
Pseudo bling to jazz up any party. Love the tongue in cheek kitsch of is. And you just set cranberry juice ice cubes for rubies or lemon juice ones for emeralds!


5)Pink Elephants by Accoutrements
Lots of alcohol = pink elephants. Atleast that is what Dumbo taught us.

The Bizarre Bling countdown

From merely odd to truly bizarre.


5) Bling for your pocket
Crystals on your phone, your PDA and your iPod. Incidentally, I don’t get goth bling at all. Bling is about the flashy shiny-shiny ka-ching life. Goth is about cynicism and existential angst… this is like “I shine therefore why am I?”


4) Bling for your sole
Designed for Reebok by Manish Arora ‘Fish Fry' shoes cost between Rs 6,000 to Rs 20,000. There are 12 designs made of leather, suede and specialized mettalic fabric. Welcome to the world of couture sneakers.


3) Bling for your bath
Diamante Duck. To add a splash of shine to your bathtime.


2) Bling for your game
The Xbox 360 just got glitzy. Used as a secret weapon: opponents get distracted by the console and ignore the screen.



1) Bling for your thirst
Bling H20, the ultimate in designer bottled water… To quote, “Limited edition, corked, 750 ml, recyclable frosted glass bottles, exquisitely handcrafted with Swarovski Crystals”. My only question being WHY??

5 movies where vampires have an unexplained penchant for leather

Chronologically and not counting same cast sequels

1 Interview with the Vampire

2 Blade

3) Queen of the Damned

4) Underworld

5) BloodRayne

Top 10 Dinosaur Myths

Thanks to Spielberg, not only are dinosaurs famous, there are enough misconceptions about them. NewScientist Magazine sets the record straight.

Top Ten Coolest Things Seen with Google Earth

http://topadsensekeywordsfree.blogspot.com/2006/09/top-ten-coolest-things-seen-with.html

The 100 Best Skate Photos On Flickr

Just discovered this excellent collection (via Diablogue.)

Things I will miss if the Internet ever replaced books in the future.

IQ, on his blog MisEntropy, writes that books would meet their nemesis and would die out in a few decades.

If that were ever to come true, I would miss -

1. The smell of a new book
2. Finding people's names in second hand ones
3. Bookshelves that are just waiting to be raided
4. Colorful bookmarks
5. Curling up with hot chocolate and a good fat novel
6. Pressing roses and leaves and finding them years later
7. Reading under a blanket with a tiny flashlight after everyone's gone to sleep

What would you miss?

Top 40 Magazine Covers

Compiled by the American Society of Magazine Editors, this list chronicles the top 40 magazine covers of the last 40 years.

The 25 Worst Websites

A list compiled by PC World who promise "no one is safe from our look at the world's dumbest dot-coms and silliest sites."

The World's Most Misnamed Websites

Copy-pasted from a forward from Vinod D'sa (somebody ask him to join us, no?)

Everyone knows that if you are going to operate a business in today's world you need a domain name. It is advisable to look at the domain name selected as others see it and not just as you think it looks. Failure to do this may result in situations such as the following legitimate companies who deal in everyday humdrum products and services but clearly didn't give their domain names enough consideration.

1. A site called 'Who Represents'. Here you can find the name of the agent that represents a celebrity. Their domain name iswww.whorepresents.com <>

2. Experts Exchange, a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views at www.expertsexchange.com http://www.expertsexchange.com/

3. Looking for a pen? Look no further than Pen Island atwww.penisland.net <>

4. Need a therapist? Try Therapist Finder at www.therapistfinder.comhttp://www.therapistfinder.com/

5. Then of course, there's the Italian Power Generator company:www.powergenitalia.com <>

6. And now, we have the Mole Station Native Nursery, based in New SouthWales: www.molestationnursery.com http://www.molestationnursery.com/

7. If you're looking for computer software, there's alwayswww.ipanywhere.com <>

8. Welcome to the First Cumming Methodist Church. Their website iswww.cummingfirst.com http://www.cummingfirst.com/

9. Then, of course, there are these brainless art designers, and their wacky website: www.speedofart.com <>

10. Want to holiday in Lake Tahoe? Try their brochure website atwww.gotahoe.com

Top Ten Flea Markets in the World

"Flea Markets are places where you can find hidden gems. It’s simply too hard to describe the euphoria you experience when stumbling upon an accidental treasure at a flea market. There are countless of flea markets around the world, and Discovery Travel and Living brings you the best of them."

Current Account Balance Of Countries

A list of 150 countries and their current account balance compiled by the CIA. If you scroll down to the very end, you'll find the US with the largest current account deficit of anyone in the world.

The Top Ten College Pranks Of All Time

A list compiled by the Museum Of Hoaxes.

My current 5 favourite random quotes

1)
I wanted to buy a candle holder, but the store didn't have one. So I got a cake.
- Mitch Hedberg

2)
An original idea. That can't be too hard. The library must be full of them.
- Stephen Fry

3)
Friendship's more lasting than love, and more legal than stalking.
- Jane on ‘Coupling’

4)
There's no rehab for stupidity.
- Chris Rock

5)
People would take pains to tell her that beauty was only skin-deep, as if a man ever fell for an attractive pair of kidneys.
- Terry Pratchett

5 songs where the lyrics are mostly the title

1) Wild Honey Pie - The Beatles

2) Is There Anybody Out There - Pink Floyd

3) You Always Sing The Same - Red Hot Chili Peppers

4) No Money No Honey - Beck

5) Around The World - Daft Punk

5 songs that are mostly list

1) We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel

2) Everybody’s Free (To Wear Suncreen) – Baz Luhrmann

3) 21 Questions – 50 Cent

4) Affirmation - Savage Garden

5) Surfin' USA - The Beach Boys

10,000 reasons civilization is doomed

http://www.10000reasons.org/

Designs That'll Never Grow Old

Ten Things They Never Taught Me in Design School

1. Talent is one-third of the success equation.
Talent is important in any profession, but it is no guarantee of success. Hard work and luck are equally important. Hard work means self-discipline and sacrifice. Luck means, among other things, access to power, whether it is social contacts or money or timing. In fact, if you are not very talented, you can still succeed by emphasizing the other two. If you think I am wrong, just look around.

2. 95 percent of any creative profession is shit work.
Only 5 percent is actually, in some simplistic way, fun. In school that is what you focus on; it is 100 percent fun. Tick-tock. In real life, most of the time there is paper work, drafting boring stuff, fact-checking, negotiating, selling, collecting money, paying taxes, and so forth. If you don’t learn to love the boring, aggravating, and stupid parts of your profession and perform them with diligence and care, you will never succeed.

3. If everything is equally important, then nothing is very important.
You hear a lot about details, from “Don’t sweat the details” to “God is in the details.” Both are true, but with a very important explanation: hierarchy. You must decide what is important, and then attend to it first and foremost. Everything is important, yes. But not everything is equally important. A very successful real estate person taught me this. He told me, “Watch King Rat. You’ll get it.”

4. Don’t over-think a problem.
One time when I was in graduate school, the late, great Steven Izenour said to me, after only a week or so into a ten-week problem, “OK, you solved it. Now draw it up.” Every other critic I ever had always tried to complicate and prolong a problem when, in fact, it had already been solved. Designers are obsessive by nature. This was a revelation. Sometimes you just hit it. The thing is done. Move on.

5. Start with what you know; then remove the unknowns.
In design this means “draw what you know.” Start by putting down what you already know and already understand. If you are designing a chair, for example, you know that humans are of predictable height. The seat height, the angle of repose, and the loading requirements can at least be approximated. So draw them. Most students panic when faced with something they do not know and cannot control. Forget about it. Begin at the beginning. Then work on each unknown, solving and removing them one at a time. It is the most important rule of design. In Zen it is expressed as “Be where you are.” It works.

6. Don’t forget your goal.
Definition of a fanatic: Someone who redoubles his effort after forgetting his goal. Students and young designers often approach a problem with insight and brilliance, and subsequently let it slip away in confusion, fear and wasted effort. They forget their goals, and make up new ones as they go along. Original thought is a kind of gift from the gods. Artists know this. “Hold the moment,” they say. “Honor it.” Get your idea down on a slip of paper and tape it up in front of you.

7. When you throw your weight around, you usually fall off balance.
Overconfidence is as bad as no confidence. Be humble in approaching problems. Realize and accept your ignorance, then work diligently to educate yourself out of it. Ask questions. Power – the power to create things and impose them on the world – is a privilege. Do not abuse it, do not underestimate its difficulty, or it will come around and bite you on the ass. The great Karmic wheel, however slowly, turns.

8. The road to hell is paved with good intentions; or, no good deed goes unpunished.
The world is not set up to facilitate the best any more than it is set up to facilitate the worst. It doesn’t depend on brilliance or innovation because if it did, the system would be unpredictable. It requires averages and predictables. So, good deeds and brilliant ideas go against the grain of the social contract almost by definition. They will be challenged and will require enormous effort to succeed. Most fail. Expect to work hard, expect to fail a few times, and expect to be rejected. Our work is like martial arts or military strategy: Never underestimate your opponent. If you believe in excellence, your opponent will pretty much be everything.

9. It all comes down to output.
No matter how cool your computer rendering is, no matter how brilliant your essay is, no matter how fabulous your whatever is, if you can’t output it, distribute it, and make it known, it basically doesn’t exist. Orient yourself to output. Schedule output. Output, output, output. Show Me The Output.

10. The rest of the world counts.
If you hope to accomplish anything, you will inevitably need all of the people you hated in high school. I once attended a very prestigious design school where the idea was “If you are here, you are so important, the rest of the world doesn’t count.” Not a single person from that school that I know of has ever been really successful outside of school. In fact, most are the kind of mid-level management drones and hacks they so despised as students. A suit does not make you a genius. No matter how good your design is, somebody has to construct or manufacture it. Somebody has to insure it. Somebody has to buy it. Respect those people. You need them. Big time.

- Michael McDonough
Michael McDonough, award-winning architect and industrial designer, consults world-wide on corporate futurism, personal environments, and product development. His design philosophy is rooted in systems convergence theory, synthesizing traditional and modern design, emphasizing new materials and sustainable technologies.
http://www.michaelmcdonough.com/bio.php4

My current 5 favourite bits of movie dialogue

1)
Avi: Should I call you Bullet? Tooth?
Bullet Tooth Tony: You can call me Susan if it makes you happy.
- Snatch

2)
Jack Sparrow: Stop! Not good! What are you doing? You burned all the food, the shade... the rum!
Elizabeth: Yes, the rum is gone.
Jack Sparrow: Why is the rum gone?
Elizabeth: One; because it is a vile drink that turns even the most respectable men into complete scoundrels. Two; that signal is over a thousand feet high. The entire royal navy is out looking for me, do you think there is even the slightest chance they wont see it?
Jack Sparrow: But why is the rum gone?
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

3)
C. S. Divot: You mashuga!
Hrundi V. Bakshi: I am not your sugar.
- The Party

4)
Clouseau: Now, this time I'm going to stand on your shoulders!
Cato: What good will that do?
Clouseau: Because I'm taller than you are, you fool!
- Revenge of the Pink Panther

5)
Tyler Durden: You know why they put oxygen masks on planes?
Narrator: So you can breathe.
Tyler Durden: Oxygen gets you high. In a catastrophic emergency, you're taking giant panicked breaths. Suddenly you become euphoric, docile. You accept your fate. It's all right here. (pointing at the emergency instruction manual) Emergency water landing - 600 miles an hour. Blank faces, calm as Hindu cows.
- Fight Club

Top 5 lists on you T-shirt

Check out T-lists - what this blog would have ended up becoming in some time. Or so I'd like to believe :)

list of my favourite pics from my phone

List of Bests

Found another list website where you can
1. Create a list of your favorite products, places, people, goals, food, etc
2. Mark off your progress on an existing list
3. Compare your progress on a list with someone else

5 (of the million things) to do in Mumbai

1 The Kalaghoda Fair The art district around the Jehangir Art Gallery transforms into a huge open air gallery filled with colour. The whole thing looks like an installation.


2. Leopold's Stroll in with a copy of Shantaram, then identify the characters around you.


3. Bandra Sausages, mini skirts, coffee, sailor boys home for the holidays, the Saints, fresh bread, quaint roads.


4. Prithvi Never been here. But I intend to. In exactly 24 hours :)


5. Chor Bazaar Ah, bliss. Walk around collecting nonsense you'll regret the next day. Hey! But no, wait, there are some great finds here as well.

Time Magazine's 50 coolest websites of 2006

Time magazine compiles this list every year. There are also links on the page to the top 50 lists of 2003/4/5.

Top 250 Movies on IMDB

IMDB users, the worldover, vote and decide who's features on their list of all time top movies. Have a look, and see if you find some of your favourites.

Top 10 Best Presentations Ever

Came across this list at the Know More HR blog.

14 TV shows I like

1. 24
2. Firefly
3. Friends
4. Seinfeld
5. Fireball XL5
6. Fraggle Rock
7. Poirot
8. Yes Prime Minister
9. Chitrahaar
12. Sex and the City
13. Life on earth
14. Yeh jo hai zindagi

My Favourite Films

Citizen Kane
Limelight
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron
Sholay
Ninotchka
Natural Born Killers
Whisper of my heart
Sin City
Do Bigha Zameen
Ninth Gate
Amelie
Manichithrathazhu
Mouna Raagam
Shiva
A moment of innocence

I...

love boxes, of all kinds and forms, and sizes and colors
am a wrapping paper addict
can't keep my feet still
can't stop doodling
write shoddy poetry and unfinished stories
like to walk in the rain
collect all sorts of things
am scared of horror films
read out passages from books to an imaginary audience
tried counting sheep to sleep but it didn't work
paint like a spastic kid
don't like exams
love watching the sun stream in
want to buy a rocking chair someday
like walking barefoot on grass
love the smell of wet earth
have a stack of books I haven't read
love making lists

5 designer's dream gifties

Honey and vanilla eco soap
Lanolin and palm oil-free soap with a 10p donation to the Orangutan Foundation from the sale of every soap.


Xocoa Chocolate Bars
Designer chocolate from Barcelona. Available in regular flavours like rum, orange or coffee as well as more unusual ones; green tea, rosemary and Jamaican pepper.


Gum Philosophy chewing gum
The world in a pack. Quotes on Love, Art and Life on a giftable pack of chewing gum.



Custom cds
Super cool limited edition screen printed cds in bright designs and funky patterns. Or digital vinyl cds that look oh so retro.


Happiness Tea
The pack reads:
1.Put the kettle on to boil. 2.Warm your favourite teapot. 3.Add one teaspoon of tea for each person. 4. Pour in boiling water and allow to brew for ten minutes, while you do one or more of the following: Lie on the sofa like a great big slug. Hug somebody. Dance like you danced when you were five years old. Rest. Take off your shoes and wiggle your toes. Sing like Pavarotti. Shake like Elvis. Help yourself to a huge slice of chocolate cake. Call a friend. Listen. Remember the last time you laughed out loud. Tickle somebody. Sit where you can feel the sun on your face. Smile. Look out a window and drink in the world. Run a hot bath. Wrap yourself in a duvet. Think about someone you love. Light a candle. Be still. Be present. Just be. 5.Stir and pour. 6.Enjoy.

top 5 client comments

1.
client comment:We love it like this, we were wondering if we could change the font and the color, and can we move a few things around?
client comment:Please also put a landlord hat on the landlord.

2.
Designer: "We should probably talk about the look and feel of the Web site before we get to work. Just explain how you would like it to look..."
Client: "Well, I don't think we really want it to look too much like a Web site. You know what I mean?"

3.
"i checked with a friend and they said there definitely IS a rainbow effect in photoshop, why did you tell us there wasn't one?"

4.
"more fonts. use more fonts!"
"ummm... how many do you want?"
"how many do you have?"

5.
"Can't we make the text blink?"

Top Hindi Movies - Comedies

Here is my list of favorite Hindi Comedies . I am not a big fan of Mahmoods brand of humor and hence Padosan / Bombay to Goa dont find mention . I haven't seen Kishore Kumars classics as well (Chalti Ka Naam gadi,Half Ticket etc) so they are not included as yet. Movies like Hera Pheri, while hilarious are not entirely original so they don't find a mention as well.

1. Jane Bhi Do Yaron(1983)

A movie which has achieved cult status over the years. Kundan Shah has never managed to achieve what he did in this movie . Both Sudhir Mishra and Vidhu Vinod Chopra were assistants on this movie.

2. Gol Maal (1979)

Thanks to Doordarshan, i have seen it on TV . Utpal Dutt's character is probably the single most funniest character on screen . Hrishikesh Mukerjee is definitely one of the most versatile directors with his films ranging from Anand, Abhiman, Guddi, Namak haram to Classic comedies like Gol Maal & Chupke Chupke.

3. Andaz Apna Apna (1994)

A casting coup and then getting the Khans to do such buffonnery . The movie though not a huge commercial success, is a must watch . Sample this for some tyical lines in the movie "When Salman Khan is asked whether he has seen the movie Sholay (1975), he says "Haan, pure tees baar (yes, thirty times)", Aamir Khan jokingly says "Iske baap ne likhi hai".

4. Munnabhai MBBS (2003)

A surprise inclusion. But the Circuit and MunnaBhai chemistry puts the movie right up there. Was successfully remade in three southern languages of Tamil,Telugu and Kannada within a year. Sharukh was originally cast to play the title role.He is however credited with consulting inputs.

5.Chupke Chupke(1975)

Dharam Paaji is probably the most under rated Hindi actor. A Hrishida classic. Was released in the same year as Sholay with Dharmji, Amitabh and Jaya in both the movies.

All Time Grossers Inflation Adjusted ( Bollywood)

1. Sholay
2. Mughal E Azam
3. Mother India
4. Hum Aapke Hain Kaun
5. Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
6. Gadar -Ek Prem katha
7. Sangam
8. Bobby
9. Kranti
10.Ganga Jamuna
11.Raja Hindustani

Source : Box Office India

top 5 droolables for a writing table

1. Vintage Writing paper
Carefully composed and cut from classic magazines, this parade of imagery and text turned in on itself, folds visual record into visual haiku.

Each set comes with five envelopes. Each one unique. Each it’s own quiet statement. With warmth and graphic flare, Fake Forest invites you to enclose your personal stories in the inherited visual language of our past.

2. Alphabetized found paper index file holder

Patterns and textures abound throughout, inviting reverie as you organize your life outside of the electronic confines of your Inbox. These are the cards for those precious few.

3. Wrapping Paper

Papers that materialize the anticipation of something special, and bid you to pass it on.

4.

Billboard Poster Material Bags

This design can really piss you off. How can anyone be so fucking clever?

Constructing universal, ungendered extra-weight containers from the thick, velvety paper of decommissioned European billboards?Imagine, these objects have graced the expressways of France, Switzerland and Germany: sentinels of the endless parade of auto-humanity. Like Bela Lugosi in "Glenn or Glenda" they hovered above us, influencing our thoughts and habits: puppet-masters of our commercial unconscious. "Pull the strings!" they bellowed as we sped past.

5

iMac Cover

You can’t be there all the time. No matter how committed you are to your computer, no matter how devoted, there are just some hours your screen is going to have to spend alone. But with the iCover, alone is a less lonely proposition. Specially designed to fit Mac screens, just slip on the iCover and your screen is protected from dust, scratches, splatters, sunlight, prying eyes and other perils. Hasn’t your screen spent enough time lounging around in the nude?

Top 5 death scenes - Bollywood

1.Anand

Rajesh Khanna's " babumoshai" resonates in my mind , every time i think of this scene. Defn one of the most memorable characters in a Hindi movie .

2. Sholay

Amitabh's dead scene - do i need to say more ?

3. QSQT

The first love which goes awfully wrong . Aamir and Juhi's - Romeo & Juliet death scene enthralls me even today

4. Parinda

Anil Kapoor and Madhuri dixit on their first nite , and Nana Patekar killing them

5 . Ek Duje Ke Liye

A great movie , Kamal and Ratis death scene , which makes their love truly timeless!

My top 5 Geeta Dutt songs

05. Mera Dil Jo Mera Hota
from Anubhav (1971)

04. Hawa Dheere Aana
from Sujata (1959)

03. Aaj Sajan Mohe Ang Laga Lo
from Pyaasa (1957)

02. Chale Aao Chale Aao
from Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962)

01. Aye Dil Mujhe Bata De
from Bhai Bhai (1956)

Top Six Reasons Bangalore needs a Makeover

1. Terrible condition of the roads - dig, fill, dig, fil, dig, fill, yawn.

2. Public Transport - The only place where the autodrivers don't want to go anywhere

3. IT - Can we have some other professions listed in the Ascent for a change? The very thing that made Bangalore famous is now making it too unidimensional.

4. TOI - We desperately need a better newspaper; The Hindu is good, but a bit too intense.

5. Victoria was pulled down to create Bangalore Central???

6. No Night Outs - The pub city shuts at 11:30 pm (this one's dedicated to Kay).

Top Five Hollywood Dialogues

1. "Rosebud" - Charles Foster Kane in Citizen Kane

2. "My biological clock is ticking and ticking and ticking..." Lisa in My Cousin Vinnie

3. "P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney." - Dory in Finding Nemo

4. "Money never sleeps..." - Gordon Gecko in Wall Street

5. "May the force be with you." - Star Wars

List of my 10 favourite Calvin strips

A random selection of 10 great Calvin strips :

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6

7.

8.

9.

10.

Top Five Poems

1. THE LOVE SONG OF J ALFRED PRUFROCK by T S Elliot
"LET us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky..."

2. WARNING by Jenny Joseph
"When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me..."

3. BROADCAST by Philip Larkin
"Giant whispering and coughing from
Vast Sunday-full and organ-frowned-on spaces..."

4. CONFORMIST by C.P. Surendran
"First thing in the morning
He trips on the one chair in his room..."

5. MOTH by Ranjit Hoskote
"Pressed up against the narrow pane, the moth is rust,
its wings the colour of blood drying on stone..."

My top 5 Groucho Marx quotes

5. "She's afraid that if she leaves, she'll become the life of the party."

4. "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."

3. "I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception."

2. "Remember men, you are fighting for the lady's honor; which is probably more than she ever did."

1. "Room service? Send up a larger room."

My top 5 'sequential art' characters :)

1. Batman

2. Conan The Barbarian

3. Phantom

4. Modesty Blaise

5. Spiderman

Top Five Comic Book Characters

1. Batman

2. Green Lantern

3. Elektra

4. Wolverine

5. Mystique