Sunday, July 26, 2009

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Mario-Style Mini Mushroom USB Massager

Its hard not to think of the classic Super Mario 1-Up mushroom when you see gadgets like last years mini vacuum cleaner or this brand new mini USB massager.
Shoulders or body parts feel tired due to always working with computer? Dont worry. Mini Mushroom USB Massager will help to get rid of your tired and stress.
Product Specifications
Mini mushroom design
Massage your tired body parts
Helps to release stress and get rid of the tired
On / Off knob
Powered by USB
Or powered by 3pcs AA batteries (Not included)
Size: 85*85*70mm
Weight: 110g
The Mini Mushroom USB Massager is available Cherry red, Pink, Purple, Blue or Green and the product is yours for $14 from the gadget4all.com website.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

A four-part series to make your life easy.

Well, parts of it at least.Over the years I have come up with hundreds of amazingly clever and practical systems to help make life easier in the Garrett household. I have invented a system to solve just about every problem, from keeping track of chronically misplaced keys and cell phones to wrangling shoes in the living room. There has only been one minor problem with these systems though. Most of them have failed miserably. Especially the misplaced key ones...There have, however, been four systems to date that have withstood the test of time (and more importantly, the test of incredibly system-resistant children & organizationally challenged parents). I would like to share these systems with you in a four part series with amazing picto-tutorials and helpful tips to make these ideas your own. (I'd give them to you all at once but this is good material!) Part One:Now, I don't know how things happen in the bathrooms at your house. Maybe you have girl children who don't use up all the toilet paper, fail to flush and then leave damp hand towels everywhere imaginable except for hanging on the towel bar. But I do not. Most days our bathrooms look like an interpretive Dali installation. In all honesty, I am just thankful that my boys actually wash their hands. But the hand towel thing...I mean seriously. Is it that hard to hang up a towel? (The answer is yes, it is.) So after giving up on yelling at err, reminding the boys to hang up their towels, this is what I came up with: Carabiner Hand Towels. *Poof* No more hand towels everywhere. Just like that.What you will need for this project: Two to three hand towels per child (and/or adult if necessary) Technically you can get away with one each but not if you do laundry like I do. I actually use bar towels that I buy in bulk at Costco because they are the perfect size and I can bleach them when colds & flus strike. One large carabiner per child (and/or adult if necessary, in a different color for each). Make sure it is large enough and of the right shape to fit over your towel bar. (See variations below if your towel bars are unusually large.) An extra large grommet kit Scissors, a hammer and a good solid surface Pliers are optional but recommended Follow the instructions on your grommet kit and install a grommet in one corner of each towel. Make sure that the surface you are hammering on is SOLID. I also hold the grommet setter with pliers instead of my hand so I can pound with abandon. Learned that the hard way... Once your grommets are set, slip the carabiner on, lock it onto your towel bar and Bob's your uncle! Genius.Some variations of this idea include assigning a different color hand towel to each child, embroidering initials or adding different colors of rick rack or ribbon trim to the towel (in the same color as the carabeener even!), using miscellaneous golf towels with the grommets already installed, using eyelet hooks instead of a towel bar, using loose leaf rings or shower curtain rings in place of the carabiners (which will work well if your towel bars are large), and on and on. So have at it. I'd love to see what y'all come up with if you do this!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Israel warships pass through Suez

The Israeli navy is reported to be "sending a message" to Iran
Two Israeli warships have sailed through the Suez Canal between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, Israeli and Egyptian officials say.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Kwik Hits

Look! Glorious randomness, short-attention-span style! As The Politico notes, The FBI has embraces teh Twitter; From the so-not-a-good-idea department: A glass-bottomed observation deck for the Sears Tower. Yep, all thatll be between you and the sidewalk is over a thousand feet and an inch and a half of glass. Who brought a spring-loaded window punch? The whole kill-yourself-with-drain cleaner-gases suicide trend seems to have migrated to England. Happy happy, joy joy. The headline says it all: Plane crash-lands on toilets; Dont take my word for it; Copyediters reely do mattur. Copyright

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Nigeria rebels claim Lagos attack

Militant action has severely cut Nigeria's oil output Nigeria's most prominent rebel group says it has carried out an "unprecedented attack" on an oil tanker facility in Lagos state.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

BREWERS CONTINUE TO OWN PIRATES

While most of Pittsburgh was busy watching Crosby-Ovechkin II, the Pirates quietly lost their 16th in a row to the Milwaukee Brewers by a count of 7-4, falling below .500 for the first time since they were 4-5 on April 16. That's six losses in seven games for the quickly-fading Buccos.After seven-plus innings of Paul Maholm, who struck out seven and allowed just two runs, the buck stopped at the Pirate bullpen, which surrendered five runs in the final inning and two-thirds. Pirate-killer Ryan Braun rallied the troops with a pinch-hit double in the 8th, driving in two, and Rickie Weeks' three-run ding-dong in the ninth sent the Pirates to the loss column.On the plus side, at least the Pirates managed seven hits and three runs off of the Brewers' Yovani Gallardo, who shut them out last week. Nate McLouth had three hits, Freddy Sanchez hit two more doubles (giving him a league-leading 12) and Adam LaRoche hit his sixth homer, but it simply was not enough.Also worth mentioning: paid attendance (also known as tickets sold) was a mere 8,482. Bad weather, kids still in school, Penguin playoff game...the excuses are plentiful this time of year.The two-game series wraps up Tuesday night at PNC. Ian Snell (3.72, 1-3) starts opposite former Bucco Jeff Suppan (5.88, 1-2).Brewers 7, Pirates 4 [ESPN]Send your news, tips, and links to Mondesishouse@gmail.com.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Sears Tower F103.


Bomb hits Philippine church-goers

A bomb blast outside a Roman Catholic cathedral in the southern Philippines has killed five people and injured at least 26 others, officials say.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

The LLVLC Show #238: Lyle McDonald From 'Body Recomposition'

Physiologist Lyle McDonald applies a low-carb approach to fat lossAlthough I attempt to bring on quite an eclectic lineup of interview guests on my podcast show each week, sometimes my listeners will send me their suggestions about who they would like to hear from. Rest assured I am doing my best to get anyone and everyone in the world of low-carb diet, fitness and health on my show...and even a few who DON'T necessarily adhere to the low-carb principles. All in all, it expands our breadth of knowledge about why we are eating and living the way we do. Today's podcast guest is on of the most highly-requested guests I have received to date.In Episode 238 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore," we are excited to share an interview with Lyle McDonald from "Body Recomposition" who is heavily into the subjects of exercise, ketogenic low-carb diets, fat loss, and muscle growth. He's been quite a prolific author of a series of books that outline the many hours of research he has invested into these topics that matter the most to him. One thing you'll immediately notice about Lyle is his obvious passion and enthusiasm for whatever he is talking about. This interview is chock full of over an hour of juicy, informational nuggets of truth you'll enjoy hearing from one of the leading voices in the exercise and carbohydrate-restriction world today! There are FOUR ways you can listen to Episode 238:1. Listen and comment about the show at iTunes:2. Listen and comment about the show at the official web site:3. Download the MP3 file of Episode 238 [66:15m]:4. Calling (818) 688-2763 to listen via PodlinezSubscribe to the RSS feed or you can click on the "Subscribe" button at iTunes. If you are having trouble, then watch this video tutorial from my producer Kevin Kennedy-Spaien. What did you think about Lyle McDonald and the concepts he shares about in this podcast? Talk about it in the show notes section of Episode 238. Visit his "Body Recomposition" web site and check out the complete Lyle McDonald library of books for even more information about the subjects he discussed in this interview. We'll have another low-carb exercise expert coming up on Thursday with Dr. Doug McGuff. PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE MESSAGE OF THIS SHOW! If you have not already done so, please go to the iTunes page for my podcast, click on "Write a Review" and share what my podcast means to you. And if you'd like to financially support this podcast, then please consider clicking on the "Donate" button on the side panel of the podcast web site. We appreciate your generosity and support! THANK YOU for listening to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore."

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Survivor speaks of Yemenia crash

A 12-year-old girl thought to be the only survivor of the Yemenia air crash has told how she was thrown into the ocean and watched her aircraft sink.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Yemen jet crashes in Indian Ocean

A Yemeni airliner with about 150 people on board crashes in the Indian Ocean near the Comoros, but a child is found alive.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Singer Michael Jackson dies in LA

Pop star Michael Jackson dies in Los Angeles at the age of 50, after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Atlanta Thrashers Team Report

Once again, there isn't a single member of the Thrashers competing in the NHL playoffs, unless you count former Atlanta players Marian Hossa (Detroit), Marc Savard (Boston) and several others. But the team is well represented in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships going on in Berne, Switzerland. When you play for Atlanta, you have to take what you can get when it comes to spring hockey games. A total of nine Thrashers, including captain Ilya Kovalchuk, and one Atlanta draftee are playing for six separate countries in the tournament. The world Championships hardly compare to the intensity of the NHL playoffs, but the fact that so many Atlanta players are competing has to bode well for the team's future. For Kovalchuk, it gives him a chance to continue to build on his leadership skills on the Russian team, traits which improved dramatically as the NHL season progressed. For World Championship rookies like Zach Bogosian and Colin Stuart, who are representing the U.S., it's simply another way for them gain more experience against high-level competition. Both Bogosian and Stuart are expected to be a big part of Atlanta's future, so the more they can play the better it will be for their careers. It hardly compares to the chance to lift Lord Stanley's Cup, but sometimes representing your country can be the highlight of an athlete's career. That's especially true if you aren't used to competing for an NHL title. Unfortunately, that's exactly the case for most Thrashers playing in the tournament.Some teams make huge improvements from one season to the next. The Thrashers aren't such a team. In fact, Atlanta has had a hard time even making baby steps over the last few seasons, a disturbing trend for an organization battling to keep itself from sinking into the financial and attendance abyss. The Thrashers went from being the NHL's third-worst team last season to being the fourth-worst in 2008-09. Minor improvements are not what this team needs. It needs giant leaps, home winning streaks, consistent goaltending, more scoring depth beyond Ilya Kovalchuk and Bryan Little, a couple more promising defenseman like Zach Bogosian and boisterous fan support. Oh, and it wouldn't hurt to have a stable ownership group that could spend less time in the court room, more time in the arena, and more money on free agents. Other than that, the Thrashers are in great shape. The team showed some promising signs over the final five weeks of the season, which included a franchise-best record of 11-3 over 14 games from March 3 through April 3. However, Atlanta took too long to figure out how to balance new coach John Anderson's offense-first style of play while still trying to limit the opposition's scoring chances. By the time the season ended, the Thrashers appeared to have finally figured it out and won 13 of their last 20 games. However, it was clearly too late. Going into next season, the Thrashers have some solid building blocks, starting with All-Star Ilya Kovalchuk, who will enter his first full season as the team's captain next October. Mix in the constantly improving play of rookie defenseman Zach Bogosian along with emerging forwards Bryan Little and Rich Peverley, and the Thrashers should only be a few players away from turning it around. Of course, that's exactly what the team has said for several years. One bright spot on the horizon is the potential addition of 20-year-old center Angelo Esposito next season. Esposito, acquired in last season's trade that sent Marian Hossa to Pittsburgh, has spent the last four seasons playing in the Quebec junior league. Other than adding players that they already have in the system, like Esposito, the Thrashers will continue to have trouble improving the team partly because it's hard to attract top free agents when they've been a non-playoff team for so long. Perhaps the best hope Atlanta has of turning things around lies with the 10.7 percent chance it has of winning the NHL's draft lottery. If the Thrashers do get the No. 1 pick, they probably would select highly touted John Tavares, who would quickly make the team's supporters forget about that little Patrik Stefan mistake. SEASON HIGHLIGHT: It took almost all season for the Thrashers to put together some memorable moments, but when the calendar hit March, Atlanta finally began to show signs of what the future might hold. The Thrasher played their best hockey by far from March 3 through April 3, posting a franchise-best 11-3 record. That stretch, which began with a season-best six-game winning streak, included three straight road wins over the Avalanche, Oilers and Sabres, two overtime wins and two shootout victories. Unfortunately, the Thrashers came crashing back to reality over the final week of the season, losing three of their final four contests. TURNING POINT: Atlanta's postseason hopes were dashed almost from the beginning of the season. For teams to be successful under a new coach they need to develop confidence in his system. And there's no better place to test that confidence than on the road. Unfortunately for the Thrashers, they lost their first six road games, including the first two of the season in overtime.NOTES, QUOTESPhilips Arena has been a dead zone during the NHL Playoffs as usual, but the venue hasn't been without its share of spring excitement with the Atlanta Hawks run through the NBA Playoffs. While the city's basketball team has little to do with its hockey club, hopefully some of the Thrashers' players who remained in town were able to get a feel for what it's like to play in the postseason. Atlanta might not be the most die-hard sports town (and that's putting it mildly) but crowd support had been better than average for the Hawks' playoff games. Hopefully, the same will soon be said about the Thrashers in the playoffs.The Thrashers, in a trend that permeated their season, didn't have any luck when it came to the NHL Draft lottery. Although they had a slight chance of moving up to the No. 1 spot, they remained in the fourth spot. From there, they would likely pick Canadian center Evander Kane out of the Western Hockey League. Kane, a smooth skater, with better-than average play making skills, would give Atlanta another legitimate center. Hopefully, he would be able to make the jump to the NHL quickly. Atlanta needs the help. QUOTE TO NOTE: "Quite honestly, it would be better to be in the playoffs, but it will be a good experience." Thrashers D Zach Bogosian, on playing for Team USA for the first time in the World Championships. ROSTER REPORT MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Once again, Ilya Kovalchuk is Atlanta's runaway MVP after leading the team with 43 goals and 48 assists in 79 games. Along with his scoring prowess, Kovalchuk emerged this season as a locker room leader after Thrashers general manager Don Waddell rewarded him with the captain's "C" halfway through the season. Kovalchuk still takes the occasional shift off, but that sure beats a few years ago, when he would take the occasional game off. MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: The title clearly goes to Mathieu Schneider. Signed as a free agent for $5.6 million during the offseason, Schneider spent most of the first half of the season injured. He was eventually traded to Montreal. The only good thing Schneider did during his time in Atlanta was mentor rookie defenseman Zach Bogosian. And based on Bogosian's play the second half of the season, Schneider is a good teacher. FREE AGENT FOCUS: There have been no contract talks between C Marty Reasoner and Thrashers general manager Don Waddell, but that doesn't mean Atlanta doesn't want to keep the veteran. After all, the deadline to re-sign Reasoner isn't until July 1. PLAYER NEWS:D Tobias Enstrom suffered a facial fracture below his orbital bone when he was hit from behind in Sweden's game against Latvia in the World Championships. Enstrom left the tournament and underwent surgery, but was expected to make a full recovery.LW Ilya Kovalchuk ranked second among all scorers through the first four games of the World Championships with three goals and six assists. Only Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis, playing for Canada, had more with four goals and seven assists.G Johan Hedberg might be from Finland, but he seems to have a bit of "Jersey" in him. Hedberg and his wife, Pernilla, recently went to a Bruce Springsteen concert at Philips Arena. It was Hedberg's third time seeing the New Jersey rocker. Perhaps he just likes when the crowd cheers "Bruuuuuce" because it reminds him of the chants of "Mooooose" he is typically showered with. MEDICAL WATCH:G Kari Lehtonen sat out most of the final month of the season with an upper-body injury, the latest bump along the road for Lehtonen, who has battled injuries most of his short career.LW Ilya Kovalchuk missed a few games late in the season with an undisclosed left arm injury. While he was able to return to form, Kovalchuk and the team might want to consider surgery if there's any question that the problem could return.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Rupert Murdoch: “Internet Will Soon Be Over”

Corporate media forced to charged dwindling readership for news content as establishment propaganda organs wither and die while alternative media soars Paul Joseph Watson Thursday, May 7, 2009 Billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch gave a strange response when asked about plans for mainstream news websites to charge for content, declaring, “The current days of the internet will soon be over.” He was making reference to the fact that corporate media websites cannot continue to survive under their current failing business model. The establishment media is dying and advertising revenue has plummeted as people turn to blogs and the alternative media for their news in an environment of corporate lies and spin. This has forced sectors of the corporate media to charge the dwindling number of loyal readers they have left for news content, a practice which is set to become widespread according to Murdoch. This will only send more people over to the alternative media as the old organs of de facto state-controlled propaganda wither and die. “Asked whether he envisaged fees at his British papers such as the Times, the Sunday Times, the Sun and the News of the World, (Murdoch) replied: “We’re absolutely looking at that,” reports the Guardian. “Taking questions on a conference call with reporters and analysts, he said that moves could begin “within the next 12 months‚” adding: “The current days of the internet will soon be over.” Murdoch’s newspapers and TV networks, which include Fox News and the Asian Star Network, have seen profits plummet from $216m to just $7m year-on-year. MySpace.com is also floundering despite a recent move to replace the company’s entire management staff. It was all but over for the Boston Globe this week, following a threat to close the 137-year-old publication after net losses of $85 million this year alone. Only a last minute cost-cutting agreement on behalf of its owner, The New York Times Company, and The Boston Newspaper Guild, saved the newspaper. But it’s not just establishment newspapers that are struggling to survive - social networking websites like Twitter and corporate online video giant You Tube are also deep in the red. Apparently, paying out millions in server fees for half the population of the planet to watch clips of cute puppies isn’t a sustainable business model. This is why You Tube is being forced to pursue lucrative partnerships with giant production studios and broadcasters, at the expense of user generated content which has been relegated to a sub-section of its website, taking the “You” out of You Tube altogether. Content that may be deemed harmful to You Tube’s corporate agenda and its multi-million dollar partnership deals, like The Alex Jones Channel, is being systematically erased from You Tube’s website under the pretext of flimsy copyright infringement claims. The jig is up for the corporate media. If they continue to allow free access to their content they will go out of business because there’s not enough advertising revenue coming in, whereas if they charge for content they will lose a huge chunk of their audience and their influence in shaping the news agenda will wane completely. This is the price the corporate media has paid for lying, spinning and obfuscating on behalf of the virulently corrupt power elite and expecting the population to eat it up without question. The corporate media monopoly has terminal cancer and they are losing their power, which is why they are aggressively supporting moves to phase out the old Internet altogether and replace it with “Internet 2,” a highly regulated and controlled electronic Berlin wall, where alternative voices will be silenced and giant corporate propaganda organs will dominate once again. This what Murdoch is really getting at when he assures us that, “The Internet will soon be over” and it’s down to us to stop that agenda from being realized. PrisonPlanet.com

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Pete Cashmore: Social Media Marketing: Sears and Kmart Step It Up

The intersection of social media and longstanding brands is a fascinating phenomenon to study. How does a company that has been around for decades react to the fast-paced world of social media? Do they shun it or embrace it? Do they stumble or do they create a deeper connect with their customers? This week, Sears Holdings officially launched two social networks for their customers, MySears and MyKmart. Although these social communities do have a few quirks, the initiative that they represent, coupled with their well-designed social elements, is a sign of how more traditional companies are embracing social media technology to create a better customer experience and a better brand. A little on MySears and MyKmart& So what exactly are MySears and MyKmart? At their core, they are social networks for reviews. Products being sold by Sears are up for review by any community member, on a 1 to 5 star scale, with generally short one line descriptions or criticisms. MySears and MyKmart also incorporate several other useful social elements. They have their own message boards and active blogs. My favorite feature, though, is the Ideas section. This is an area for submitting product ideas to Kmart and Sears, with an up-or-down voting system similar to Reddit. Its a great way for Sears to solicit new ideas and to start a discussion around them. They could also submit their own ideas and get some feedback from loyal customers. Despite some great features, the two social networks do have a few quirks that raise questions. MySears and MyKmart are linked to social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace, but the Twitter links direct you to completely idle Kmart and Sears accounts, a no-no that projects laziness. Its even stranger when you account for the fact that theres an active account for MySears. One other strange issue: some reviews date as far back as 2006. MySears and MyKmart had their soft launches in 2008, so we wonder from where they are pulling these much older reviews. Yet despite these small issues, the overall implementation is great. Thats probably because Sears partnered with Viewpoints, a seasoned social media company with an emphasis on reviews, to build these community websites. Traditional brands and social media What Sears is doing is a more common phenomenon than people may think. Major brands like Ford and Comcast are using Twitter extensively, while other brands like Saturn have their own social networks for their customers. While many older companies have yet to embrace social media technology, others like Sears grasp the advantages presented by new forms of communication. Building community creates more loyal and caring customers. Twitter and Facebook facilitate a wider discussion and can help prevent PR nightmares. And the shareability of social media helps foster the exchange of ideas between brands and consumers. Sears now has two great platforms for collecting ideas from passionate shoppers with the Ideas section of MySears and MyKmart. These networks provide customers with useful product reviews. And finally, Sears now has people who will not only evangelize their brand, but keep them honest as well. This is how many older and more traditional companies are embracing social media, and we think its empowering the customer and improving the quality of major brands. Reviews: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, reddit.com Tags: mykmart, mysears, social media