. . .

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

I have tried a whole bunch of vitamins to see if I can find the one that harmonises with my system. Some vitamins are supposed to be brilliant but if they don't specifically work for you, then they aren't much use at all.













Centrum - I tried these a couple of times. I felt no difference whatsoever. In fact for me (you may be different) they were a bit of a waste of money.













Cenovis Women's Multi - I'd say these were average. They seemed to have a tiny effect on wellbeing but not so much that you would notice. Take it or leave it, I suppose.












Swisse Ultivite - Firstly, these were expensive. Secondly, they are supposed to be tested by all sorts of experts etc. - I didn't really notice any difference. Not that great. Of course, these may work for you in different ways, they just didn't really do anything for me.

And the winner is...












Nature's Way Energy Multi
I don't exactly know what the secret ingredient is, but these babies work!! I took one this morning and yesterday and already I am feeling better. They give you a boost like you have just had a sustained-release coffee, without the caffeine of course!! It gives me enough energy to exercise, and also lowers stress levels. These may not work for you in the same way but for me they are perfect.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Stress is a daily part of all of our lives. And sometimes you just want to scream, or beat the living $h!t out of some clown who won't serve you due to some bureaucratic loophole in their tiny consciousness. Or when you try on what seems like 50 tops and all of them seem to have been made for people who don't give a crap what they look like. Tassels, frilly bits, bloody tent shaped bits that don't do anybody any favours. Or when Blogger corrects favours in the spell check because the US spelling leaves out every second letter. What's next? We're going to spell it favrs? Or Frs? Or F?
Or clothing shops that insist on playing techno music at full volume with the subwoofer thumping through your eardrums while you
A. Try something on
B. Try to make a decision about the clothes
C. Try to hear yourself think!!

Then you hear the obligatory glass-shattering tones of the shop assistant "howy'goingintherealright?" The thing about Australians is that when they get lazy or think it doesn't matter, they string an entire sentence together into one word. Cricketers do it all the time.
"yeahwellitsbeenatoughtestbutIthinktheboysgaveitagoandwe'lltrytadobetternexttime"

In fact, a lot of Australians could be race callers without any training at all.

I really can't stand change rooms. One time I had a shop assistant try to COME IN to the change rooms while I was trying stuff on. I draw the line at yelling through the saloon doors. I don't know what she was thinking.

It's amusing that I have a shopping blog but I can't stand shopping for clothes. That's why I buy so much stuff online. You completely do away with the change room. It has its pitfalls of course, eg finding out you bought UK or US sizes by mistake, but it generally works for me. And I don't end up pale, exhausted and with a thousand-yard stare at the end of it.

I think I feel better now. I'm off to get a chamomile.

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Monday, May 21, 2007

...TOP STORIES...

...John Howard has an "Education Revelation" - if he doesn't make some promises now, he's toast...

...Malcolm Turnbull is afraid of pirates...

...The Flying Kangaroo sells soul...nobody buys it...

..."Work Choices" has been renamed "Work No Choices" to avoid confusion...

...And this just in,

...Aussie blogger struggles to fit into jeans after an extra-hot tumble drying incident...


Tuesday, May 15, 2007

I have visited a number of blogs in the past and wondered what those little avatars on the sidebar were all about...














Since joining BlogCatalog, I realise that my avatar will show up every time I visit another BlogCatalog member. And they can then see my profile and check out my site. I am amazed at the number of messages I have received from BlogCatalog members so far. It's sort of annoying I didn't think of doing this before.

Here's the link to my BlogCatalog profile. And this is what it looks like:

















You can send messages to other members, add people as contacts, join communities and rate other blogs. It's a great way to widen your blog audience. If you want to join BlogCatalog, just follow the link and register your blog.


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The step by step blueprint to attract a flood of subscribers. Become a six figure blogger by following these steps. Free ebook.



Monday, May 14, 2007

Paintball Emporium's site proudly states itself to be "home of the paintball bodybags". Let me explain. The rather grisly term refers to a waterproof, multi-chambered bag to hold all your paintball equipment.

















There is some pretty heavy duty stuff here - with a range of fierce looking Paintball Guns - featured here is the creatively named "Psycho Ballistics Delta .68" paintball gun.










The design of Paintball Emporium's site is subtly reminiscent of a computer game welcome screen. And paintball is the next logical step up from a computer game - more fun and a lot messier!

Have you ever been curious as to what paintballs look like? This packet looks a bit like frozen peas - but you wouldn't want to be hit by one of these! Paintball Emporium carries a large range, including glow in the dark, so you must endure your shame even at nighttime!









According to some paintball enthusiasts, the important points are whether or not a paintball will break in your chamber or on impact. The cheaper brands can sometimes get broken by the bolt in the chamber, creating what is termed a "chop", which is not what you need when you are trying to fire at someone.

Other things to look out for are the quality of the shells - specifically whether any of the paintballs have dimples or deformities as this can affect accuracy. Furthermore, you don't want a paintball that bounces, for the obvious reason that your hit will not be shown on your target, much to their amusement! It is also important to have a certain thickness and visibility in the paint so your opponents can't just wipe it off when nobody is looking.

Paintball Emporium is a kind of one-stop-shop for paintball supplies. The prices are close to wholesale and the range includes everything paintball: clothing, goggles, guns, sights, harnesses, air systems, squeegies, plus videos and magazines for the enthusiast.

According to their info page, products are shipped directly using UPS and you must be 18 years or older to purchase from the online store. It also contains a disclaimer just in case you do something silly with a paintball gun and decide to blame the suppliers. Paintball is not a game to be taken lightly - it is important to learn the ins and outs before just blasting away. Get some good training, watch the safety briefing video and find out everything you can. As far as supplies go, Paintball Emporium could be a good place to start.


Important Note: This has been a paid review. This does not mean I am paid to have an opinion that pleases others. My review contains my own observations about the subject matter - both positive and negative. The review may contain criticism, suggestions and comments of my own choosing. See disclosure policy for more details.

I have been very frustrating trying to locate my Technorati Rank of late. The new Technorati system seems to display "authority", but for the life of me I can't find the rank anymore. After a bit of searching I have finally found a good Technorati Rank Checker. The site is called RankWidget and it will give you the option to display a widget on your site with the Technorati Rank displayed. If you are like me, and just want the "your rank is..." part, then this is a good place to find out.

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I bought this book on Ebay last week. The seller marked the postage as $6.00 and soon after I won the book, they upped it to $10.00 - hmmm. I wasn't impressed actually. I sent back an email politely pointing out that they had added the wrong postage amount and they sent one back to draw my attention to the fine print at the bottom of their ad, stating that the postage is increased for other states and all items are posted via registered post. Infuriatingly, their contradictory ad states that their postage is $6.00 flat rate, and that there will be no registered post option.

What can you do? You can't reason with these people, they are like snakes or lizards. They just listen to you, nod, and slither away. It is impossible to get them to realise they have made an error and should therefore cover all costs, rather than forcing the buyer (me!) to cover the costs of their misleading ads. Grrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

Aside from this, the book appears to be a comprehensive Pilates manual. I already own "Pilates - The Authentic Way" by Dina Matty and Keft Burdell, which is a mini-pilates book packed with great exercises. You really feel like you have exercised after doing a few repetitions of these exercises! It hurts!

"The Pilates Body" by Brooke Siler contains the same exercises found in "Pilates - The Authentic Way", plus a number of exercises I have not yet seen, such as the "Bicycle" and the "Boomerang".
I am more familiar with Yoga than Pilates, and I am fast realising that the two are completely different. For one, pilates hurts more but I can really feel how it will make a difference over time. There is a quote by Joseph H. Pilates on the back cover, reading "In ten sessions you will feel the difference, in twenty you will see the difference, and in thirty you'll have a whole new body." In other words, you won't recognise your ass when you walk by a shop window.

My only criticism of the book is that the illustrations aren't in colour. Aside from this, I am looking forward to working through this book slowly. In "Pilates - The Authentic Way" I learned that it is best to do only a few exercises at a time and get them right, rather than do a lot of exercises at once. This is great advice and makes sure you take time to learn the principles rather than rushing through without paying attention to detail.

I'm off to dust off the Pilates mat!


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Thursday, May 10, 2007

It's happened again. Can't think of a damn thing to write. I haven't bought too many things recently, but I have lost of bunch of stuff. When my hand knocked the glass of water off a table the other week, I lost 2 of my favourite books.

The casualties:



*Sigh!*
*Double Sigh!*
F#@&

I miss this book terribly. I used to refer to it almost daily. Now it's gone. It was one of my favourite books. Sadly, the pages were stuck together when I finally discovered the damage. And it had begun to get mouldy. And it smelt. Can you believe it?



Well. I ask you. I had only read this one once or twice and it gets mangled when I'm halfway through reading it. Hmmphf.

I mean, really. Couldn't my copy of Dean Koontz "Midnight" been waterlogged? Or perhaps that Womens Weekly cook book? But noooooooooooooooooooo. It had to be my yoga book and my Patricia Cornwell book. Oy veh.

To cheer myself up I bought "The Last Precinct" on Ebay for $10.95, which included $4.50 of postage, which is reasonable. So far it's the best one yet.



I think the most outstanding books so far in the Kay Scarpetta series are:
  • Postmortem - Wait for the scary bit. You'll know.

  • The Body Farm - Scary $h!t when you find out what's really happening

  • Point of Origin - Yikes!! That's all I need to say. Emotionally draining and freakish. But whatever you do, don't read this one before the other ones.

  • From Potter's Field - It's dark, exciting, I like it.

  • Cause of Death - Spooky

  • The Last Precinct (even though I haven't even finished reading it)
Clearly, I love all the Kay Scarpetta books but the ones I have just described have that extra special "something". That's what I think anyway. Feel free to comment on your favourite ones, or am I the only Patricia Cornwell / Kay Scarpetta fan in the world?

P.S. I haven't read "Trace" or "Predator" as yet.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

On its associated blog, Fusedeals, states quite simply that the purpose of their site is to "share information about deals and bargains from other websites".
















(click to enlarge) The site layout conjures up images of no-nonsense tech sites and ye-olde Bulletin Board Services. While perhaps seeming a little intimidating for first-time users, the layout is entirely appropriate to the purpose of the site. No pretty pictures, just deals in plain text, with mouse-over boxes containing enlarged details.














How It Works:

The site features a number of feeds from various discount shopping deal sites. The idea is very simple, yet infinitely functional - the latest deals on one single page, automatically updated throughout the day so you can snag the deals.

The deals feature anything from Laptop computers and HD connect cables to sets of dumbbells and cutlery. You simply click on the deal and end up at the site where you can purchase almost immediately. For some of these external sites you will need to register and sign in before adding items to your cart.

Here's an example of the site in action:

If you were to click on the following deal featuring a Toshiba HD-DVD Player:










You would then be transported to the featured ad on Gottadeal, one of the sites providing feeds for Fusedeals. When you click on the item you will be transported to the original sales site, in this case - Amazon.com where you can buy the product.

Daily Deals frequently update throughout the day and the sheer coverage of shopping sites makes this a powerful tool for finding the best deal. Make sure you check out the external online stores before buying "blind". A little bit of research will give you peace of mind when purchasing goods online.

Suggestions:
I would love to see a search engine of some sort included on the site. I understand that this may be difficult or impossible using feeds. Also, it would be great to see deals grouped into categories instead of grouping by the deal websites. But these suggestions may possibly overcomplicate a simple and effective concept.


Important Note: This has been a paid review. This does not mean I am paid to have an opinion that pleases others. My review contains my own observations about the subject matter - both positive and negative. The review may contain criticism, suggestions and comments of my own choosing. See disclosure policy for more details.





I have been tagged by Kilroy, who is running "Kilroy's Education Meme", plus if you check out the post, you can participate in the carnival as well.

Here goes...

-----(-)->
What was the name of the teacher that was most influential in your life from grades K through 6?

My answer: Er.. I didn't have grade K or 6, I went to a Community School. What's that, you ask? It's a long story. My most influential teacher was Phil (yes, we called them by their first names!) - Phil taught maths and philosophy and general ethics and how to mess with the man. Valuable lessons.

-----(-)-> What subject did you favor in high school?

My answer: English Literature. That's why I can talk good.


-----(-)-> Did you attend a university and if so did you attain a degree?

My answer
: Bachelor of Education from
Melbourne University (4 years). I am qualified to teach Drama and Psychology. P.S. I hate teaching and decided not to pursue it at all. I prefer writing about stuff and drawing funny pictures.


-----(-)-> Do you learn best through books, by watching or hands-on?

My answer
: It depends what it is you are learning. Eg. I learned a lot from reading a chapter in a book about how to do a golf swing. Then I learned from watching, then from hands-on. All three, then.


-----(-)-> Has education been an ongoing process for you? How do you feel about that?

My answer
: Yes. I like to learn new things every day. Sometimes I annoy myself by reading obsessively about a subject that has no apparent bearing on my life. How do I feel? Um, ask Dr Phil.


----(-)-> What seven people are you tagging to do this?

My answer
: 7 people!!! I don't know 7 people.
Hehehe. How about 3?
Saboma from Maryannaville

Arvind Iyer from arvind iyer
Bhalla saab from The Fun Hunt

Thursday, May 03, 2007

My collection of Patricia Cornwell novels is growing. Fly my pretties!! Heheehehheheeheh!
Sooon I shall have THEM ALL!!! Whahahahahah!



















I managed to snag it for $2.00 plus $5.10 postage & handling. This is when Ebay works for you!

Verdict - Success!

Unnatural Exposure is the latest to add to my slightly disturbing and definitely obsessive collection of Dr Kay Scarpetta books. If you ask me, anyone who doesn't like these books doesn't like fiction or can't read. Or both. Or perhaps they are squeamish. I'm not. But I'm a Scorpio. Death and dismemberment don't bother me, as long as it's fictional - book or movie. I'm not a psychopath though. Really. Wouahahahahahahah!!!

Actually, Unnatural Exposure scared the living crap out of me. I may never sleep again.

Okay, here's my collection as it stands today (In order of publication - I revel in my nerddom!):

Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell - Yes
Body of Evidence by Patricia Cornwell - Yes
All That Remains by Patricia Cornwell (August 1992) - Yes
Cruel & Unusual by Patricia Cornwell (December 1993) - Yes
The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell - Yes
From Potter's Field by Patricia Cornwell - Yes
Cause of Death by Patricia Cornwell - Yes
Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell - Yes
Point of Origin by Patricia Cornwell - Yes
Black Notice by Patricia Cornwell - Yes
The Last Precinct by Patricia Cornwell (October 2000)
Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell (October 2003) ?
Trace by Patricia Cornwell (September 2004)
Predator, was released on October 25, 2005

Not far to go now. I put a question mark after Blow Fly because somehow, mysteriously that one got soaked in an unknown liquid from an unknown source. Oooooh, scary. I probably knocked a glass over in the middle of the night. Had to dry the damn thing with a hairdryer. Worst thing was that I was in the middle of reading it. Next thing I know the pages are stuck together. I will prevail. * Sniff*!

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

I visited Albert Park Driving Range for the first time last week. I didn't know what to expect, as I am not a particularly sports-oriented person by nature. But I love golf. It's strange how much I love golf, yet the most I have played is a number of rounds at Studley Park Golf Course (par 3 pitch & putt). Still, I have this sense of certainty that I have a natural ability at golf. I, just as many people have done before me, first started playing Tiger Woods on Playstation and recently ended up with an Obi-Wan Kenobi sense of knowing that I could play in the Ladies' Masters in 2008. All this without doing more than a couple of practice shots in the park and hitting a few putting strokes on the kitchen linoleum.

So when I arrived at Albert Park Driving Range I expected to be sitting back watching my partner hit 100 balls, acting out my role as a "Butch Harmon" type figure, pointing out diversions from the swing plane and the like. I have watched many golf videos by Seve Ballesteros, Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman, and consider myself to be a combination of caddy / coach and professional motivator, only without the requisite golf playing ability necessary to facilitate such a role.

So it caught be particularly off guard when he turned around and said "do you want a go?" I didn't even stop to consider anything, I just jumped up and said "yeah!"
Not realising that this "yeah" conveyed no actual underlying idea of what I was going to do when I got to the tee. Without thinking I grabbed the 1-wood, did the grip (I know that much at least!) and whacked the ball. To my amazement, it went up and straight towards one of the yellow flag markers. My partner was equally amazed, and encouraging. "Hit a few more!" he said. So I did, and to my surprise I actually got some good ones. Later on when I started thinking about it too much, I topped the ball, sending a 150 metre worm-burner down through the thick sea of other balls dotting the landscape.

Then I did what I am pretty sure has never been done in the Ladies' Masters, nor any other professional tournament. I hit the ball down and into the tee, sending it sproinging back like a boomerang 3 metres behind me and rolling rather pathetically towards my partner's feet. He stood there open-mouthed for a moment, trying to take in the situation, then burst into fits of giggles. Red faced I walked the longest 3 metres I have walked in my life, picked up the offending ball of shame and muttered "I'll just try that again."

Overally, I was pretty happy with the shots I made, aside from that backwards shot, the worm-burners (there were more than one of these!) and my spectacular sideways shot hit directly into the tightly-packed foliage of a conifer tree, never to be seen again. The range will have to strike that ball off their inventory until a strong gale is forecast.

Value for money was good: -
$7.70 for 50 balls
$14.30 for 100 balls
$2.20 clubs
$3.30 putting

I will be back "fore" more. Haahahahaha! So sorry about that one, it's just that I was trying to type "for" and I did "fore" as a typo. So I thought I'd keep it in. I know. Even my typos do bad jokes.

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Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Last night I had a dream - I woke up (in the dream) and then woke up my partner saying excitedly "I've got a Page Rank 4! I've got a Page Rank 4!"....

I came in today, checked my blog and suddenly it read "Page Rank 4". And I thought to myself..." No $h!t" It was quite a shock actually.

Then I thought, what does that make me?

A psychic nerd?

You may remember my drawing from Nightmare on Web Street where I had dreams in HTML. I have modified it for the occasion:
















It just goes to show that if you try hard enough, and love long enough, anything is possible.

Excuse me, I need to find a wastepaper basket.


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