Lessons learn from the movie UP

UP ooozes with lots of great lessons about life. A few that hit home for me were:

1. You're never too old to do anything. 
2. The best direction is onwards and upwards. 
3. If there's something light and bright in your life, have faith in it and let it lead you in the right direction. It will be a memorable journey if you have faith.
4. Who said the only teachers were ever adults? We can learn so much from children if we just stop and take time to listen to them.
5. Make sure you and your sweetheart get to do everything you ever wanted to do.

Via 

Before you shop.

Chictopians recommend considering several questions before purchasing an item:

1. Do I need this?
2. How many times will I wear it?
3. Is it made of quality materials?
4. Does it flatter my body?
5. Could I better spend the money on something else?

The things Mom says...

“Do you think I was born yesterday?”
“You’d forget your head if it wasn’t screwed on.”
“Don’t make me stop this car”
“If everyone else jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?”
“It’s all fun and games until someone pokes an eye out.”
“Money doesn’t grow on trees!”
“Don’t use that tone with me.”
“Don’t make me come in there.”
“Elbows off the table.”
“I don’t care what [name of best friend]’s parents say, in our house you follow our rules.”.
“We can talk about the rules when you start paying rent.”
“While you’re living under this roof…”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
“Why? Because I said so, that’s why!”
“Clean up your room, missy.”
“Is that too much to ask?”

Via Oh My Handmade Goodness.

Seth Godin's list of what High School could teach.

What's high school for?
Perhaps we could endeavor to teach our future the following:

1. How to focus intently on a problem until it's solved.
2. The benefit of postponing short-term satisfaction in exchange for long-term success.
3. How to read critically.
4. The power of being able to lead groups of peers without receiving clear delegated authority.
5. An understanding of the extraordinary power of the scientific method, in just about any situation or endeavor.
6. How to persuasively present ideas in multiple forms, especially in writing and before a group.
7. Project management. Self-management and the management of ideas, projects and people.
8. Personal finance. Understanding the truth about money and debt and leverage.
9. An insatiable desire (and the ability) to learn more. Forever.
10. Most of all, the self-reliance that comes from understanding that relentless hard work can be applied to solve problems worth solving.

10 fun cyber loafing destinations.

1. Romance isn't dead.

2. Switcheroo!

3. WWGDBD - (what would God Damn Batman do

4. Fashion PixFix

5 Snack break!

6. Bits of everthin'

7. Pigs and Rats and Crocs (ohmy)

8. Yeeky geeky - (WARNING - R rated verbal content)

9. Yeeky party people

10. Art Envy

10 Habits of Highly Organized People

1. Walk away from bargains: Just because you can buy a cashmere sweater for $20 or three bottles of ketchup for the price of one doesn't mean you should. "Ask, 'Do I have something similar?' and 'Where am I going to store it?' before making a purchase," advises New York City professional organizer Julie Morgenstern, author of Shed Your Stuff, Change Your Life.
 

2. Make peace with imperfection: Efficient people give "A-level effort" to the most important projects (say, work assignments or a kitchen redesign), and for the rest they do just enough to get the job done, says Renae Reinardy, PsyD, a psychologist who specializes in hoarding disorders. Maybe you give yourself permission to bring store-bought cookies to a school bake sale or donate a bag of stuff—unsorted!—to Goodwill. "Trying to do every task perfectly is the easiest way to get bogged down," says Reinardy. 

3. Never label anything "miscellaneous": You put a bunch of things into a file or box and write this catchall across the front. "But within a week you've forgotten what's in there," says Morgenstern. Instead, sort items into specific groups—"electric bills," "lightbulbs," and so on.

 

4. Schedule regular decluttering sessions: Rather than wait until an industrious mood strikes (we all know where that leads), have a decluttering routine in place—whether it's spending 15 minutes sorting mail after work or tackling a new project every Sunday afternoon.
 

5. Stick with what works: "I have clients who will try every line of makeup, every cell phone—it's exhausting," says Dorothy Breininger, president of the Delphi Center for Organization. Don't waste time (and money) obsessively seeking out the best thing. 

6. Create a dump zone: Find a space to corral all the stuff that you don't have time to put away the moment you step in the door, says Breininger. Once you're ready to get organized, you won't have to hunt all over the house for the dry cleaning or your child's field trip permission slip.

7. Ask for help: "The organized person is willing to expose herself to short-term embarrassment and call for backup," says Breininger. Which is to say, that elaborate four-course dinner you planned? Change it to a potluck.

8. Separate emotions from possessions: It's healthy to be attached to certain items—a vase you picked up in Paris, your grandmother's pearls. But holey concert tees or cheap, scuffed earrings your husband gave you years ago? Just let them go.

9. Foresee (and avoid) problems: You wouldn't leave the house on a gray day without an umbrella, right? People who appear to sail through life unruffled apply this thinking to every scenario, says Breininger. Have a cabinet packed with leaning towers of Tupperware? Organized folks will take a few minutes to short-circuit an avalanche before it happens. (In other words, rearranging that cupboard now is easier than chasing after wayward lids as they scatter underneath the fridge.)

10. Know where to donate: It's easier to part with belongings if they're going to a good home. Identify a neighbor's son who fits into your child's outgrown clothes, or choose a favorite charity. "It will save you from searching for the perfect recipient every time you need to unload something," says Morgenstern.

George Orwell's Rules for Writers

1. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. A writer can do very little with words in their primary meanings. He gets his effect if at all by using words in a tricky roundabout way.

The top 5 reasons Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series has been voted off my island.

5.

Her magical high school is not sufficiently fleshed out.

Where are the unicorns? Where are the rainbows and fluffy lambs? Wait. What? It's not a magical alternate dimension paradise?

Then how come a 17 year old new girl, who is painfully negative and unsociable all the time, is so instantly popular? Bella Swan (yes, ironic initials) "stumbles", "stutters", "glares" and "mumbles" through the whole miserable series and yet she is strangely attractive to all the boys.

*cough*BS*cough*

4.

Ms. Meyer treats punctuation like confetti at a parade.

Throw a random handful in the air, watch it fall prettily and let it sit wherever it pleases.

3.

The "dust moats stirring in the sunlight" sentence.

Although I am curious about that one... Do dust moats still need a drawbridge? Is it like quicksand? Does the sarlacc* lurk under the surface?

2.

The vampires sparkle.

For no known reason since there is absolutely no creation myth given to support this. They just step into sunlight and ta-dah! Sparklefest. And just to make it more confusing, they only sparkle in sunlight. A photosynthetic allergy sparkle that only reacts to the correct frequency spectrum.

1.

Edward is horrifying.

And no, I do not mean in a sexy chill down my spine vampirey way.

He's condescending and superior, calls her an idiot often, "sighs" at her attempts to do anything by herself, threatens her "for her own good", creeps into her room and watches her sleep, is jealous, moody and controlling. He graphically describes the way she would look dead, licks her tears and objects to her friendships with anyone other than the pre-approved Angela. He even takes her truck apart so she is forced to stay home when he says she should. Sex with him leaves her covered in bruises.... Am I the only one who sees domestic abuse parallels here?**

Bonus point:

Ms. Meyer seems to follow the "Baby Kangaroo Tribbiani" method of synonym use.

Right click, pick one, run with it. The bigger the better, right? Even if you end up with phrases like "feathery barrenness", "his eyes dissected my expression", and "little sprouts of hope... budding in my mind."

Edit:

** Went loafing cyberspace and discovered that I'm not! Check this out. Weird but true. :)

Also see this for grammar and editing fun-a-palooza.

This is a re-blog because I was editing on Blog 1.0 and suddenly realised this was a List! Yay.

A song for every day of the week*

*from off my iPod playlist.

Monday:

So many to choose from. But this one remains my ultimate 'Monday Sucks' song.

Tuesday:

How many other songs have sparked a chain of fast food places in their name?

Wednesday:

Is it warped that the blues make me feel happy?

Thursday:

Ok so the fact that there aren't really lyrics makes this a slight cheat... But it's progressive from the good old days so that should get points.

Friday:

Enough said. :)

Saturday:

Another day with lots of songs about it. So I picked the one song I'm most embarrassed to own up to owning.

Sunday:

This time, despite the wealth of choice, I pick the anthem.

10 tips to optimise your blog.

Via Smitten

6 answers to commonly asked questions

1) Yes.

2) Boxers.

3) Card.

4) Large whiskey with water.

5) Down the hall, second door on your left.

6) No.

Four basic priciples of a good healthy lose weight diet

1. Never wake up to tea or coffee. First eat something that'll help increase blood sugar levels that are always low in the morning, and then have your cuppa.

2. Eat every two hours; it actually creates a conducive environment in the body to burn fat!

3. Eat more when you're active (working, travelling) and less when you're inactive.

4. Try to wind up your last meal at least two hours before bedtime so that the body gets ample time to repair wear and tear and rejuvenate while you sleep.

Rujuta Diwekar and Kareena Kapoor. for more follow www.twitter.com/rujutadiwekar 

Do’s and don’ts for the peace journalist

1. Avoid portraying a conflict as consisting of only two parties contesting one goal. The logical outcome is for one to win and the other to lose. Instead, a peace journalist would disaggregate the two parties into many smaller groups, pursuing many goals, opening up more creative potential for a range of outcomes.

2. Avoid accepting stark distinctions between "self" and "other". These can be used to build the sense that another party is a "threat" or "beyond the pale" of civilised behaviour — both key justifications for violence. Instead, seek the "other" in the "self" and vice versa.

3. Avoid treating a conflict as if it is only going on in the place and at the time that violence is occurring. Instead, try to trace the links and consequences for people in other places now and in the future. Ask: * Who are all the people with a stake in the outcome? * Ask yourself what will happen if ...? * What lessons will people draw from watching these events unfold as part of a global audience? How will they enter the calculations of parties to future conflicts near and far?

4. Avoid assessing the merits of a violent action or policy of violence in terms of its visible effects only. Instead, try to find ways of reporting on the invisible effects, eg, the long-term consequences of psychological damage and trauma, perhaps increasing the likelihood that those affected will be violent in future, either against other people or, as a group, against other groups or other countries.

5. Avoid letting parties define themselves by simply quoting their leaders' restatement of familiar demands or positions. Instead, inquire more deeply into goals: * How are people on the ground affected by the conflict in everyday life? * What do they want changed? * Is the position stated by their leaders the only way or the best way to achieve the changes they want?

6. Avoid concentrating always on what divides the parties, the differences between what they say they want. Instead, try asking questions that may reveal areas of common ground and leading your report with answers which suggest some goals may be shared or at least compatible, after all.

7. Avoid only reporting the violent acts and describing "the horror". If you exclude everything else, you suggest that the only explanation for violence is previous violence (revenge); the only remedy, more violence (coercion/punishment). Instead, show how people have been blocked and frustrated or deprived in everyday life as a way of explaining the violence.

8. Avoid blaming someone for starting it. Instead, try looking at how shared problems and issues are leading to consequences that all the parties say they never intended.

9. Avoid focusing exclusively on the suffering, fears and grievances of only one party. This divides the parties into "villains" and "victims" and suggests that coercing or punishing the villains represents a solution. Instead, treat as equally newsworthy the suffering, fears and grievance of all sides.

10. Avoid "victimising" language such as "destitute", "devastated", "defenseless", "pathetic" and "tragedy", which only tells us what has been done to and could be done for a group of people. This disempowers them and limits the options for change. Instead, report on what has been done and could be done by the people. Don't just ask them how they feel, also ask them how they are coping and what do they think? Can they suggest any solutions? And remember refugees/the dispossessed have surnames as well.

11. Avoid imprecise use of emotive words to describe what has happened to people. * "Genocide" means the wiping out of an entire people. * "Decimated" (said of a population) means reducing it to a tenth of its former size. * "Tragedy" is a form of drama, originally Greek, in which someone's fault or weakness proves his or her undoing. * "Assassination" is the murder of a head of state. * "Massacre" is the deliberate killing of people known to be unarmed and defenseless. Are we sure? Or might these people have died in battle? * "Systematic" eg raping or forcing people from their homes. Has it really been organised in a deliberate pattern or have there been a number of unrelated, albeit extremely nasty incidents? Instead, always be precise about what we know. Do not minimise suffering but reserve the strongest language for the gravest situations or you will beggar the language and help to justify disproportionate responses that escalate the violence.

12. Avoid demonising adjectives like "vicious", "cruel", "brutal" and "barbaric". These always describe one party's view of what another party has done. To use them puts the journalist on that side and helps to justify an escalation of violence. Instead, report what you know about the wrongdoing and give as much information as you can about the reliability of other people's reports or descriptions of it.

13. Avoid demonising labels like "terrorist," "extremist", "fanatic" and "fundamentalist". These are always given by "us" to "them". No one ever uses them to describe himself or herself, and so, for a journalist to use them is always to take sides. Instead, try calling people by the names they give themselves. Or be more precise in your descriptions.

14. Avoid focusing exclusively on the human rights abuses, misdemeanours and wrongdoings of only one side. Instead, try to name ALL wrongdoers and treat equally seriously allegations made by all sides in a conflict. Treating seriously does not mean taking at face value, but instead making equal efforts to establish whether any evidence exists to back them up, treating the victims with equal respect and the chances of finding and punishing the wrongdoers as being of equal importance.

15. Avoid making an opinion or claim seem like an established fact. ("Eurico Guterres, said to be responsible for a massacre in East Timor ...") Instead, tell your readers or your audience who said what. ("Eurico Guterres, accused by a top UN official of ordering a massacre in East Timor ...") That way you avoid signing yourself and your news service up to the allegations made by one party in the conflict against another.

16. Avoid greeting the signing of documents by leaders, which bring about military victory or cease fire, as necessarily creating peace. Instead, try to report on the issues which remain and which may still lead people to commit further acts of violence in the future. Ask what is being done to strengthen means on the ground to handle and resolve conflict non-violently, to address development or structural needs in the society and to create a culture of peace.

17. Avoid waiting for leaders on "our" side to suggest or offer solutions. Instead, pick up and explore peace initiatives wherever they come from. Ask questions to ministers, for example, about ideas put forward by grassroots organisations. Assess peace perspectives against what you know about the issues the parties are really trying to address. Do not simply ignore them because they do not coincide with established positions.

Peace Journalism — How To Do It, by Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick, 2000.Jake Lynch is a correspondent for Sky News and The Independent, based in London and Sydney. He is a consultant to the POIESIS Conflict and Peace Forums and co-author of The Peace Journalism Option and What Are Journalists For?> Via.

TOP 20 QUESTIONS PARENTS STRUGGLE TO ANSWER

1. How does it rain?

2. Where did I come from?
3.  Are girls and boys different?

4. What do ants eat?

5. Where does the wind come from?

6. Where does God live?

7. Why is the sea salty?

8. What makes thunder?

9. What makes a rainbow?

10. What do fish drink?

11. Why can’t I remember being born?

12. What is heaven?

13. How do spiders build webs?

14. Why is the sky blue?

15. How does a man get inside the TV?
16. 
Why do I have to go to bed when it’s not dark?

17. How do bees make honey?

18. Why can planes fly in the sky?

19. How does Father Christmas get down the chimney?
20. 
How are babies made?

Via

Top 10 food scenes in Children's literature

1. Maria's tea party in The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
2. Famous Five picnics in the series by Enid Blyton
3. Robber tea in The Box of Delights by John Masefield
4. Marilla's raspberry cordial in Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
5. Apples and books in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
6. Milly-Molly-Mandy's muffins in Milly-Molly-Mandy by Joyce Lankester Brisley
7. William in the sweetshop in William's New Year's Day from Just William by Richmal Crompton
8. Pippi's pancakes in Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
9. Paddington's elevenses in Paddington Bear by Michael Bond
10. Match tea jammy buns in In the Fifth at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton
       
More about each one here - http://books.guardian.co.uk/top10s/index/0,,2290902,00.html

Golden Rules of Shopping by Mary Portas

1. Don't stand for shoddy service. If you're not being served, simply walk out of the shop. There are few stores selling an item that can't be found elsewhere. It may be an inconvenience, but these shops won't improve their standard of service until their sales figures give them reason to.
2.  Never shop on a Saturday. OK, you've got the day off, but so has the rest of the world. By the afternoon, the merchandise can be all over the place and the staff are flagging.
3. Dress the part. Wear flat shoes, jeans and vests so you are as comfortable as possible when you are walking up and down the High Street. And go shopping on a good hair day — if your hair looks bad, the whole outfit won't feel right. The same applies with make-up.
4. Go online first. Use the internet to do your research before you go out to the shops. Log on after the major catwalk shows to get ideas for what's coming up and check out the season's key fashion pieces.
5. Don't buy in haste. If you're not sure, don't buy it. If you've got time and don't mind taking the risk, put everything back - except exceptional items - until the end of the day before making a choice.

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