I have become aware of a number of TV programs like "A Current Affair" that are uncovering the discrepancies in grocery prices across Australia. Strangely enough (for those of us naive enough to think all animals are equal*) many of the wealthier suburbs enjoy a better range and cheaper prices for groceries. So if it isn't bad enough for these people to live in a crap part of town, the chain grocery stores further insult them by displaying mouldy tomatoes and charging $7 a kilo.


Tips for saving on groceries:

1. Buy in bulk. If you are constantly buying 50g containers of coffee, why not invest in a 500g or 1kg tin? I tried this once (before I gave up coffee!!) and the tin lasted about six months. When you think of how many 50g tins you would have to buy in that timeframe, you realise the saving.










2. Junk mail is a scourge that should be wiped out however a Coles or Safeway advertising mag can save quite a bit of money if you plan ahead. You can find the specials and buy accordingly when convenient.


3. Shop at local markets and grocers. Not only will you often save money and find better quality, you will also be supporting local businesses. Local grocers often have a better organic range of vegetables for half the price you would pay in the supermarkets.

(click to enlarge)



















After all, where else would you get to buy "wedding sausage"? ....*holds in double entendre compulsion* ... too many jokes....


4. Try shopping on your way home, or near your work. As mentioned earlier, sometimes the prices can vary greatly between suburbs. You may be able to make significant savings on various items.


6. Lay off on buying meat. I do not say this because I am a militant vegetarian (I'm not!!) This weekend I watched a Victorian news story featuring the large chain stores and how traces of metal have recently been found in various meats. Unless you think you don't have enough iron in your diet, steer clear for a while.

technorati tags: grocery shopping save money

*"Animal Farm" - George Orwell

The following scenario took place yesterday in the park, early in the evening. My Partner was practicing golf, I had finished my walk and we were seated at a picnic table. Soon we were joined by The Dad and The Daughter.

The Dad: Hi guys, what's happening?

My Partner: Just practising some golf..

Me: Making the most of daylight saving...

The Daughter runs out and circles our picnic table, stopping in front of me.

The Daughter: I'm NINETYSIX!!

Me: Wow, you don't have any wrinkles or anything. Are you sure you're not six?

The Daughter: He doesn't have any wrinkles (runs to The Dad and points)

Me (to My Partner): That's so cute.

The Dad: Hey is The Simpsons actually drawn or is it that computer animation thing?

The Daughter: Homer has three hairs!

Me: I think they have animation cells so they probably draw it. They've got that exhibition...

The Daughter (grabbing The Dad's shirtsleeve): HE's got no hair like Homer Simpson!

(Awkward pause)

The Dad: So did you see that movie "American Beauty" last night?

My Partner: We watched a bit of it.

The Dad: Me too. But I fell asleep just as Kevin Spacey is getting shot in the head...

Me: How can you fall asleep in that part?

The Daughter: But he's HAIRY!! Here, here, here and here (pointing to various body parts)

My Partner: We saw Ratatouille as well.

The Dad: Haven't seen that one.

Me: It made me want to cook something, probably Ratatouille.

The Dad: What's it about?

Me: It's about a rat who wants to be a chef.

My Partner: It's really good.

The Daughter: ...AND HE'S GOT MAN BOOBS!!!

(Stunned silence)

The Dad (ignoring The Daughter): I think I'll rent the DVD out.

The Daughter: BIG HAIRY MAN BOOBS!!!

My Partner: Why don't you try a couple of shots (hands The Dad a golf club)

The Daughter: My mum hasn't got man boobs, she ran out of milk so she can't breastfeed my brother!

(Oh My God)

The Dad: (Loudly) Here, let me have a go.

The Dad hits a couple of shots.

My Partner: Mate, you don't have man boobs...

Me: (stifling giggles)

The Daughter: Little kids get man boobs too.
...but not as big as DAD'S BIG MAN BOOBS!!

The Dad: Hang on a second, we've got to stop this. Where did you hear about man boobs?

The Daughter: (pointing) From you!

The Dad: Really?

The Daughter: (proudly) Yep.

The Dad: Aha.

technorati tags: general

I saw one of those travel documentaries on the weekend. It was one of those "foods of the world" specials. I love to cook (and eat!) so I thought this would be good.

How wrong one can be.

As you know, I am a vegetarian. It is not something I would want to shove down anybody's throat (if you pardon the pun!) but I will tell you one thing.

I would rather be force fed a baked potato (in small pieces of course!) than be forced to drink bat's blood or some of the other "things" they showcased on the show. These things masqueraded as food for a while. Up until the time when one of the presenters had to take a bite.

The most distasteful bit (apart from the food itself) was the insincerity of a particular US based backpacker presenting the show. When eating the food, she will almost always say "Mmmmm. This is soooooo gooood. Mmmmm."

While her face says "Anybody got some Listerine? Like a whole bottle? Germs I tells you. Germs!!!!" I'm sure when the camera is off she spits it out and runs for the nearest bathroom.

I can't even call these things food. I'll just list them. And if my stomach permits (it won't!), I will add photos.



** Bat's blood and bat soup.
The presenter spat the bat's blood out. I wonder why.
Is it just me or is drinking the blood of a vampire kind of symbolic? I tried to find out some more info on this dish but all I could find were Halloween recipes.

Yes, Ozzy Ozbourne was reported to have bitten or eaten a bat onstage. He had an excuse. He was on drugs.




















**Hedgehog. That's right. I can't remember which country. It was either the US or Canada. They went out. They "hunted" a hedgehog, ripped off all the spines, then cooked it. Amazingly, it tasted like sh!t.

This is probably why not many people eat hedgehogs. I don't know about you but when I look at that cute little fella in the picture, I don't automatically think "dinner".



**In Scandinavia, a traditional meal was served - a sheep's head on a plate. Yum yum. You have to eat the eyes, tongue and everything. Remind me not to travel to these places because I'm going to offend a lot of these people.

"You must have the eyeball. You are our honoured guest. We will be offended if you do not eat the eyeball."
"Thanks but no thanks. Got any lentil soup? No? I'll be off then. Nice meeting you."
"You must at least take the eyeball."
"Get f@cked you bunch of weirdos! I'm not going to eat your f@cking Hannibal Lecter food!!"
There endeth my exploits at diplomacy.



**Sheeps' uterus, and "Cock and balls". Pretty self explanatory. The presenter insisted they both tasted like calamari. I don't care if they taste like cheesecake with chocolate shavings, I've got a visual of where they came from. And what's been through them...



**Seal faeces and blubber.
I'm not joking but I hope somebody was. The guy actually tried it. I would have told that travel documentary company to shove it and started walking. These people sat on the kitchen floor in a kind of circle and passed around this concoction.
I mean what is the tradition here?

Did ancient people sit around and say "we've eaten all parts of the seal, now we must try the sh!t"



You know what I think? I think the peoples of the world got extremely bored and started daring each other to eat inedible things. Perhaps they kept doing it for so long that they started to take these hideous dishes a bit too seriously. After a while they couldn't remember exactly why they started eating this crap in the first place and then it became "tradition". Once it is tradition it is hard to break. Even if the tradition is sticking porcupine needles in your behind while dancing on a first-born donkey while gargling bat's blood and seal sh!t.

technorati tags: travel TV bad food

I can't think of anything to write and it's driving me mad. Does anybody else go through this while writing their blog? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGRGHGHHHHGHGGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
THBLELBLBLBLBLBLB!!!

F@ckity! F@ck! F@ck! F@ck!


LABALALALALALALALALALAALLA

WOK TOSSED SALAD

FROG'S NEST ENTRAILS WITH LARK'S VOMIT

GOAT BAGGING MUSHROOM

WAKAKAKAKAKAKA

FRAG

SPLAT

technorati tags: blogging

I haven't been able to get near my computer for a while now, everything has been down. Some nasty little thing calling itself "Virtumonde" decided to worm (pardon the pun!) itself into the registry.

What is your worst nightmare when dealing with spyware and viruses? I'll tell you what mine is, for the damn thing to keep reappearing after a virus and spyware scan. Which, incidentally is exactly what happened.

The trouble with spyware scans is that they take so damn long. But a lot of the time they take so long because you have been infected with spyware. So scanning can take most of the day. Then you "fix" all the problems, restart, and the problems reappear like magic. Black magic.

After installing CA internet protection, I got rid of Spybot S&D and Ad-Aware. I'm not too fussed about Ad-Aware because the only version available now is the 2007 version which is resource hungry and my GOD does-it-slow-things-down. CA Internet protection also slows things down to almost a standstill. They have a fantastic anti-virus (VET) - I seriously think this is one of the best. Their spyware protection is pretty good, it seems to pick up some things that Symantec anti-spyware misses. The firewall, anti-spam and internet surf protect are bloat factor - I uninstalled them.

But...you can't do without Spybot S&D in my opinion. It's free and you can download it from Safer Networking. This is the only program I have found that consistently picks up what the other spyware scans miss out. P.S. Never download an anti-spyware problem from a flashing ad or sponsored link. Always check PC world ratings and various other feedback about the program before downloading.

I have been combing over the registry and using various programs like Vundofix. This program is supposed to fix what the other programs can't. For some reason it didn't work for me but I have read many blogs and forum posts about how Vundofix had worked for them.

Beware if you open IE or Opera or Firefox and your usual pages have unusual ads on them. Be especially wary if an ad disappears, then reappears as a flashing box saying "You have won!!!" or "You are the 999,999th visitor! Click here!". Sometimes they try to look like windows error messages, sometimes naked people holding telephones appear. Which is quite frightening when you were just trying to do a search on Ebay.

After combing through the registry (and a little help from my Obi Wan nerd!) it seems the problem has finally gone. Spybot S&D is a permanent fixture now and in conjunction with CA spyware protection, it should be ok.

Phew!!!

technorati tags: spyware adware malware virus virtumonde

There's a lot of talk about Mortgages these days - the Sub-Prime crisis has affected many countries, interest rates and inflation all contribute to anxiety when choosing a mortgage. It makes it even more important to get a good deal that will put you in the best position to ride out the ups and downs of the global markets and trends. Make sure you visit mortgage comparison sites on the internet, compare bank rates and see how much you can save. You might be surprised. The Reserve Bank has speculated about raising interest rates again so make sure you take these factors into account when choosing a home loan that suits you.

It's that time of year again. After dealing with a bout of 'flu (which I am still trying to shake!!) I have weeded out clothes that I have never and will never wear (more Ebay misadventures!!) like this one:



















Amazingly when you get rid of something, it seems to make room for another, more appropriate something. Like this pair of black cords I found for $13 on Ebay. The postage came to $8 for a total of $21. Which I still consider a success, although a tad more expensive than my other purchases.














Strangely, I have also taken to cleaning every spare chance I get. It must be the weather. Or the change of seasons.

The trouble with Melbourne weather is that you can't tell which season it is. I saw a poor confused tree turn all its leaves brown while we were still in summer. Winter made an appearance during the time we expect 35 degrees and up and now that it's Autumn (fall for US readers!!), almost the entire week will be above 30 degrees Celsius. WTF?? Not that I blame global warming or El Nino or La Nina ENTIRELY... Melbourne is famous for ridiculously inappropriate weather.

I remember this lady coming up to me at the station on the way to play a game of golf. She said "I don't understand. It crazy." I could tell she was talking about the weather, having recently moved from China. "I take my kids to beach. It sunny. Then storm, grey sky, my kids run in from water all freezing" she hugged herself to demonstrate. "I wear shorts, I need raincoat. I need hat, then I need umbrella. CRAZY!!" She shook her head and walked away, gesturing wildly.

As I watched her disappear down to the end of the platform I quietly smiled to myself and thought "welcome to Melbourne."

technorati tags: Melbourne weather ebay clothing shop

Insurance is there to work for you so you shouldn't just go with the first quote you can find. The beauty of the internet is that you can get instant online quotes to compare and contrast to get the best deal possible. No matter whether you are looking for home insurance, Courier Insurance , insurance for your van, truck or car, you can get instant online quotes in minutes.


Autonet Insurance Group (see screenshot) provides quick information about insurance plus special deals including a saving of up to 70% off for van insurance. Clearly, it pays to shop around for the best deal. If you do your research effectively you could end up saving a whole lot more on your insurance policy. For example, if you get a quote for Autonet and you can find a cheaper insurance policy with the same level of cover, Autonet will give you a refund. The quote process seems to be pretty straightforward, with a seven step process (that is, seven screens) to filling out the quote request. Or you can call to speak to a real person if that is your preference. My favourite part of the site was the funny insurance claims section. This includes actual insurance claims. Here is an example of their contents:
"The claimant had collided with a cow. The questions and answers on the claim form were - Q: What warning was given by you? A: Horn. Q: What warning was given by the other party? A: Moo."*
*source: Autonet insurance website.

PHOTO: NASA

Thanks to my anonymous blogging friend/tipster for this one:

Talk about thinking big. Some joker astute entrepreneur has decided to sell a galaxy on Ebay. The seller is from Canada.

I wasn't aware that Galaxy M81 belonged to Canada or indeed any earth region.

I must say, though, the seller has started the bids pretty low at $1.00

What perplexes me is that delivery is $14.00 worldwide.

What about galaxy-wide? Or trans-galaxy delivery. Surely that would cost more than the collective wealth of Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah put together. No, I hadn't heard of him either but apparently he's the Sultan and ruler of Brunei (plus he's the Prime Minister, Defence Minister, Finance Minister and every other minister you can think of) and is worth $30 billion.

Anyway, what I'm saying is it would cost a lot of money to deliver a galaxy.

That's providing you know where you're delivering to.

You can't very well stash it in your garage with your old fishing equipment and skis. And you can't fit it in your "Ebay room" (people have these apparently) no matter how hard you push.

In fact, with a diameter of 70 thousand light years you'd probably have to get rid of our own galaxy to get delivery of this one. Which means you and the rest of humanity would be dead and it probably wouldn't matter how cheap you bought it.

But lets get back to the advantages.

The galaxy could be populated. Which according to the advertisement makes you the official galactic dictator.

I don't think that even the most hapless dictator would be proud of a rulership existing from such a huge distance that his great-grandchildren may be dead years before anyone works out how the hell you get there without running out of either oxygen and/or combustible fuels.

I just hope the title is inheritable.

The galaxy even comes with a certificate of ownership. So you are the 'certified' galactic dictator. That's handy. Most dictators are certifiable.

Let's face it. You're buying a certificate and the domain name "GalaxyM81.com". Which for $15 perhaps that isn't so bad. It makes me think though, if we can sell things we can't deliver, the possibilities are endless.

Or should I say infinite.


See the original listing here.

technorati tags: ebay weird listings galaxy m81

WTF?!?!? I just stumbled on to a site about buttock augmentation.

Each week I spend at least an hour and a half, maybe more, often a lot less, on walking with hand weights.

And I find out that some people are paying money, that's right, thousands of dollars, to get a bigger butt.

Just eat more Sara Lee desserts!!

Stock up on choccies!

Throw away your Pilates equipment and books on yoga.

Switch to full fat lattes.

But, for the love of God, do not withdraw thousands of dollars from your savings account so you can have a larger ass.

Perhaps I could start a new craze.

I'll sell books, DVDs, and I'll even bring seminars to a town near you.

It will be called.

"The big butt diet"

People will go crazy. Ever since J-Lo came on the scene people have wanted bigger booties. Beyonce is another bum icon. Alicia Keys is getting there.

For only $49.95 I'll give you a DVD on how to avoid exercise (especially in the gluteal area!) and how to make friends with every deli owner in your neighbourhood.

I'll give you a special "butt expander pack" consisting of a large rubber band and a pointless lever. But I'll show J-Lo on the machine in the infomercial which will prove beyond a doubt that this thing really works.

And lastly, I'll hold personal development seminars so you can talk to your "inner butt" and find out why it hasn't been allowed to grow.

Just call 1880-BUTT-EXPANDER for further details
Cheques will not be honoured.

technorati tags: buttock augmentation plastic surgery J-Lo

Yesterday, the 13th of February 2008, the apology finally came.
For the first time in a long time, I am proud to be an Australian.

View the apology to Indigenous Australians delivered by Kevin Rudd in Federal Parliament :




AUSTRALIA'S APOLOGY

Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations – this blemished chapter in our nation’s history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.

We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.

To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.

And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.

For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.

technorati tags: sorry apology indigenous australians stolen generation Kevin Rudd parliament

Whether you have a Commercial Mortgage or a residential mortgage you will probably be aware of all the Sub-Prime disasters in the US sending repercussions throughout the world's economies. In this article on mortgage holders debt, Katie Tucker from mortgage brokers Charcoal urges people to cut down now on the amount of money they owe on their mortgages. Interest rates in the UK have been cut so now is clearly the most sensible time to implement such a strategy. She also outlines the importance for those who have "interest only" mortgages to change their mortgage to capital repayment to take a chunk out of mortgage debt.

I got this camera around Christmas and had a ball finding out all the features and putting them to good use. One of my favourite features is the sepia mode, in which you can record a movie in sepia so it looks like one of those old newsreel movies. To do this my partner just walks really fast and blinks a lot. Then he waves and jerkily does a golf swing. He even pulled up his jeans to make plus fours to add to the authenticity. For those of you who aren't familiar with plus fours, here is an example:



The other settings include macro, beach, snow, foliage, nightshot and indoor. Now I am getting the hang of the settings I have realised that "foliage" is the best setting to use at the golf course. I wish I had been able to take it to the MFS Women's Australian Open because I could have got a number of great shots of Karrie Webb - she walked past me once, I watched her doing her practice putts and followed her round until we got tired and went to find a beer. We got tired by the 6th hole at Kingston Heath so I can't imagine how the players must have felt. We ended up sitting under a tree and enjoying the perfect view (4 metres away and in the shade!) of the 15th tee (pictured) and the 16th fairway. In the photo of the 15th tee, I would have been just to the right, a few metres away.





My partner went to get our beers so I sat under this shady tree and watched various players from Australia, Korea, England, Finland, Spain and Italy tee off with nobody else around. It was amazing, like I had my own box seat. When Karrie Webb arrived, so did the crowd, just as I was wondering where all the people had got to. Later I found out that I had been to the 2nd best golf course in Australia, and 21st in the world.

When I think about it, the golf course looked like no course I've ever been to. The greens were like felt and the fairways were like most greens I have putted on.

The light rough was like the fairways at Elsternwick Golf course:



and the rough was almost exactly like the fairways at Studley Park Golf Course.



Hehehe!

One of my favourite features on the camera is the macro setting. I spent a large portion of my holidays bent over small flowers and leaves, testing out the macro. I chose a couple of interesting subjects with which to do my experiments - (click to enlarge):







This flower was actually half the size of my fingernail, maybe smaller



Yes, I did a macro of a VB label. It looks even more refreshing close up.


I would definitely recommend this camera - it's reasonably priced at around $120 and does everything you are likely to be needing, unless of course you are a photography enthusiast, in which case you would have bought a digital SLR with lens attachments.

A great camera for taking holiday snaps, be it landscapes, people or places.


All photos except Kingston Heath taken by Canon Powershot A460

technorati tags: Canon powershot A640 golf

The Sedona Method is a form of personal development to increase happiness and peace. I suppose any method that increases feelings of peace and warmth is a good thing. I personally have tried quite a few methods, I am not professing to know The Sedona method as I have not really tried it. I took a look at the explanation video on the website, which can be found here: beingness presence awareness. I am interested in many facets of personal development, and I tend to have an open mind while trying out the various methods. I agreed with a concept in the film that describes how we have been trained to "not let go" of situations. It's funny that a lot of the personal development seminars and podcasts seem to point to the fact that a lot of people are learning the wrong things while growing up. It's interesting because many parents think they are doing the right thing and perhaps at this point in time a lot of people haven't found an alternate way to live life and teach others to find other ways to live as well. The site offers excerpts from the book "Happy for no reason" by Marci Shimoff and you can find a page on the historical information about the method, which was actually started back in the early 1970s. The site will also be offering a free DVD/CD.

This seems to keep happening to me. I ordered some more lip conditioning balm

spf 15 foundation




and lip plumping gloss



from eyeslipsface and when it arrived, the foundation was broken. I sent a simple email to their customer service section saying that the foundation was broken and whoops I also got the wrong colour so could I please have Tone 1 rather than Tone 2? I thought I might have been pushing it with the last request. So I waited, and a few days later I got a surprise. Not one but two Tone 1 foundations arrived, plus a super shimmery "hypershine" lip gloss in "fairy".



I am liking these guys...

Congratulations to Karrie Webb for winning the MFS Women's Australian Open 2008. Again!!

The tournament was held at Kingston Heath and I WAS THERE!!! Yep. That's right. I was so excited standing not more than a metre from Karrie Webb and her caddy. I could even read his yardage book and see the diagrams. I always wondered what it is that caddies say to the golfer before a shot.

I finally got my answer.

"Trust yourself." he said as Karrie lined up her tee shot.

Very Obi Wan.

And she did just that, winning in a playoff with Shin Ji-Yai. It was described as "tense". Tense!! I wasn't even there on the last day but I would not even get up to go to the loo until the playoff was over.

All I can say is...

Champion.

technorati tags: Karrie Webb MFS Australian Open Kingston Heath

Oobooy. My attention has been drawn to a rather interesting advertising proposal. I'm not even sure where to start with this.

The advertising space is not a billboard, not a TV or radio ad, but one guy's arm.

That's right. An arm.

For a mere $10,000 (US) you can tattoo your logo or slogan into history. Or at least a guy's arm. Who is this guy anyway? I mean I could probably understand buying tattoo space on Roger Federer's arm because you see it all the time on the major tennis championships. Or Tiger Woods, as long as he wears short sleeves. Or perhaps even Dave Grohl. But you know what? I don't think any of them would do it.

Why?

Because it's weird.

Imagine waking up with "Eat at Joe's" plastered across your forearm.

Or Intel. You could take a bad trip and think the aliens finally got to you.

How about an ad for Haemorrhoid cream? That could put funny ideas into your head. Like suggestive selling. Would you like fries with that? It's just a short jump away.

The most frightening thing is the "Buy It Now Price" (for the whole arm). A pinch at $100,000.00 US.

Honestly, it would take more than $100,000.00 to get rid of the shame and embarrassment of walking down the street with "National Herpes Foundation" tattooed on any visible part of my body.

So here's the deal. For 10 grand you only get a 2" x 4" space on an arm. And then you have to renew your contract or he gets the tattoo removed.

I know for a fact that you can buy a number of TV spots during the Australian Open for about $200,000.00 Even if you just bought half that you would surely reach more people than one guy who professes to walk around a lot.

And for the man himself, it's free PR. Hey, maybe I should charge 10 grand for advertising space.

Would you like haemorrhoids with that?

Check out the listing here.

technorati tags: weird ebay listings

I will come right out and say it. I am fantastic at choosing the horse that is most likely going to lose. Or the one that gets scratched just before the starting gate. Actually, that's not true, at the Melbourne Cup (I think it was 1997 - correct me if I'm wrong here!) I decided to bet on "Rogan Josh" because of my inate knowledge of horses and intricate system for choosing the winning nag. Okay, that's nonsense, I chose it because I like curry. But that's not really that weird. I mean some people choose numbers, or jockey colours, or they choose by trainer or sometimes by the jockey. That reminds me, I actually saw Damien Oliver at the 6th at Elsternwick Golf Course. He was riding a motorbike (not a horse!) and he asked my partner and I if I had seen his mobile phone as he had lost it. We hadn't, but two days later he came second in the Melbourne Cup. I should have been paying attention. If I had given a thought to online betting I would found out just how easy it is. Betfair makes it easy and convenient to bet on the horse racing whenever you get the inspiration. It's quick and easy to join and you can put a bet on straight away. You can see today's races at a glance, and because you can see the next race coming up, you'll never have to miss a race. All of which would have been handy for me in this instance. Instead, I just watched the race on TV and went "dang" for the missed opportunity. So there you go folks, learn from my mistakes.

Bush High Definition Set Top Box

Oh yes. It will be mine.

I entered the local Dick Smith outlet armed with $130 cash and a few simple questions. Today was the day. I would get the High Definition set top box and open up a new world of extra golf (EXTRA GOLF!!! Haahahaha! Hee hee!) tournaments and movies on the new TenHD channel. It was all so simple.

Or so I thought. The sales girl walked into view and asked if I was being served.

Me: Hi, I'd like to buy a Bush High Definition set top box.

Sales Girl: Nup. Sold out.

Me: Okay, do you know where I can get one?

Sales Girl: Nup. They're all sold out. You can't get them anywhere.

Me: Anywhere?

Sales Girl: (sarcastically) If you want to spend $399 then you might get one.

Me: Hmm. What about the website then? Can you get one there?

Sales Girl: Nup.

(doesn't this girl know any more words?)

Me: No?

Sales Girl: Nup.

Me: (slowly) Could you check it for me?

Sales Girl: (grunts and logs onto the website on the screen in front of her) There. Nup. You can't get it on the website either.

Me: Really? That's weird.

Sales Girl: Yep. It's a web only offer.

Me: Hang on, doesn't that mean I actually can get it from the website?

Sales Girl: (confused) Oh. Yeah.

(snakes alive! She's worked something out!)

Me: (exasperated) Fine. And can you use a High Definition set top box with a normal TV?

Sales Girl: Nup, you need a brand new TV.

Me: That's weird, I've read that you can use it with a normal TV.

Sales Girl: Nup. (Computer says no)

Me: Thanks. (walks out, with sales girl glaring in my direction)

I decided to stop wasting my time at the front desk and called Dick Smith technical support.

Me: Hi, I'm going to buy a Bush HD set top box from the website. Can you please tell me if it can connect to a normal TV?

Tech Support Guy: Yes, no problem.

Me: Do I need a special cable?

Tech Support Guy: The yellow, white and red one will do. You probably already have one.

Me: Yes, I think I do. So that's it? I can get the the HD channels?

Tech Support Guy: Yes, they won't be in full HD because of your TV set but you'll get all the new channels.

Me: (stunned silence - that's it?) Okay thanks.


Why? Why did that girl insist on working in customer service? She could be just as happy as a parking inspector.

"I'm sorry, I was just dropping off some dry cleaning. Can't you give me a break this time?"

"Nup."

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I was very sad to hear this morning that Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon (US time) in a Manhattan apartment. A great Australian actor and a huge loss. RIP Heath.

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Coffee. It's everywhere. Wafting from the booth at the train station. Steaming out of cafes and restaurants. It's easy to imagine yourself as one of those cartoon characters following the trail of coffee smells with your arms outstretched and eyes half closed. And so it comes that I am reviewing a site that reviews shopping offers on all things coffee. Coffee Reviews is for lovers of coffee and online shopping hounds like myself. The aim of the site is to gather the best "Coffee of the Month Club" offers together in one place so you can check out the offers and see if they are for you.

If you are a fan of Boca Java coffee or Gevalia Coffee, you might be following your nose to the site. The Boca Java offers include 4 bags of coffee and an itunes card for $13.90 (does not include shipping and handling), buy 2 bags and get 2 bags free for $12.00 (not including shipping & handling), free self-stirring mugs and cookies with a purchase of 4 bags of Boca Java, a one-pot coffee maker and a free "time" mug (complete with clock!).

Note: If you make a purchase you are actually joining a "Coffee of the Month Club" which means that after paying for the offer + shipping and handling you will be sent 2 bags of coffee every 4 weeks until you say "stop".

The site claims you are able to quit on the same day you ordered if you are just interested in the initial free offer. Please read the offers carefully because some customers have commented on the high shipping charge of some items - it's important to always check these details before committing to buy.

There are opportunities to leave comments on the site to share your experiences so theoretically the more reviews and comments, the more informative the site will become. I'll be interested to see how it goes in the future.



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.

Hi everyone, so sorry I haven't posted for some time, I have been overwhelmed, inundated and just plain busy. All this while on holidays!! Now I'm going away again so if I don't post for a while don't be too surprised! I hope everyone had a brilliant Christmas and New Year (I did!!) and I will of course be back to show off my new gadgets and gizmos and all the trials and tribulations of online shopping....


BTW, has anyone had a problem with their Google Page Rank? Mine went from a 4 to a 3 without so much as a warning!?!?!?! Grrrr!!!

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I got a lot of my Christmas shopping done early but those last few knick knacks are driving me up the wall. I am going mental trying to work out which Christmas presents to buy for those last few "hard to buy for" people. By the way, I think most people are hard to buy for, I mean how presumptuous are presents anyway? I think each year I get more and more confused about what people want for Christmas. I don't want to inconvenience anyone by getting something big and bulky they can't fit in their place. And I don't want to buy something they don't want. And how do you know if they don't already have it? Maybe next year I'll call up everyone and say:

"Right. Before I buy you any presents this year I want you to fax me a complete inventory of your entire house. Brands and everything." I mean if you want to buy an Itunes voucher for someone, you have to ask them if they have an Ipod. And if you ask them that they are going to have an idea of what you are getting. Argh!! So many decisions and I'm running out of days and hours. Eeek!! So I'm still no closer to buying those last few presents. Next year I'm going to move to Nepal and live in a cave for the month of December.

And I am definitely not going to go into the crush in the city wearing a massive football helmet and wearing boxing gloves, although if you are going to do this, this is what I advise you should wear. And keep some rescue remedy handy in case you have a panic attack.

It's hard to be of good cheer when you are gritting your teeth.

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It can be almost impossible to buy presents for some people. Perhaps they have everything. Perhaps they don't want another pair of socks (although if you ask me, you can never have too many socks, as long as they are black - but I digress). So perhaps you are looking for something really special. FreemanX has a whole range of gifts for all sorts of people. You can book in for skydiving, hot air ballooning, and various extreme activities. I liked the look of "Venice on the Yarra" - you get a gondola, champagne, cheeses, and the trip follows the Yarra through a scenic tour of Melbourne from the water. You can find activities throughout VIC, NSW and other states - from dinner cruises to rock climbing to day spas, you should find something for everyone.

This post was brought to you by FreemanX.

I am sorry for the lack of posts, I have been running around like the proverbial blue arsed fly. No, I hadn't heard of that saying until recently either, but I thought it was ridiculous enough to warrant a mention.

After living in a chrysalis all year I have suddenly unfurled into a social butterfly. Oh yes, that's me...booked up I'm afraid. Yes, I think I can fit you in on this date, oh no, actually I'm going to a meeting/business lunch/wedding/dinner. My little black book is smoking!

The list of things I have to do in the next few weeks (and months after) are massive. I have kicked into organised mode so I am ticking each item off the list and as soon as I have, another one pops up in its place. It's like the magic pudding!! (For those of you who don't know this children's story, go here.)

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It can be a bit tricky to find a good web host and if you don't want to get ripped off, you need to do some research. A visit to the site http://www.webhostingchoice.com provided a search and compare tool which allows you to specify the amount you are willing to pay for web hosting, the search engine then brings back a list of results for you to choose from. Some of the plans will be a small monthly fee (I tried $5 to see if such web hosting companies existed - they did). Some of the plans will be a yearly fee which I personally prefer. I was able to track down some very reasonable rates for web hosting. I would also recommend the next step of researching the individual companies for reviews and comments to make sure they're kosher (a simple Google search will do the trick).

This post was brought to you by Web Hosting Choice.

I thought I'd show something amusing today, I need a bit of cheering up. Hope you enjoy it.

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Oh. My. God. This offends my sensibilities. It's quite horrible. The shonky awards expose dodgy workmanship, questionable ethics and sneaky fine print.

The award itself: a mounted lemon. It says it all, really.








Here are the winners of the Choice 2007 Shonky Awards (which was presented very amusingly by Jean Kittson):











Nutella. The unhealthiest health food.
Strangely Nutella has taken to marketing itself as a low GI food suitable for children.

"Less fat than most peanut butters, less sugar than most jams', said one Nutella ad. This may be the case, but out of all these spreads it has the highest combination of both: it’s almost 85% fat and sugar, packing a whopping 2175kJ of energy into every 100g." (source: Choice Website)

I remember as a child, my mum used to equate Nutella with Satan. I don't think you could even mention the word in the house. So phew! Missed out on all that fat and sugar as my cells were growing. Dang.













Another bizarro product is a washer/dryer from LG that claims to save water. And it does. On the wash cycle.

However, what they don't tell you is on the DRY cycle it uses 74LITRES (!!?!?!?) of water to dry 5kg of washing. As Jean Kittson put it so wonderfully "Who would use water to dry clothes? It's a dryer, not a wetter...I haven't even got a degree and I know that's weird."

Check out this video from the awards ceremony:

technorati tags: Shonky Awards Choice Magazine

Phew!! I'm wearing myself out at the moment. Online shopping has left burn marks on my fingers and skid marks in my wallet.

I'll probably find out in a year or so that I had some sort of compulsive shopping disorder that I tried to sublimate by creating a shopping blog.

But it's just so easy....just one more...*click* $$$ *click*

Nevertheless I did actually find some snazzy bargains on Ebay (no...really? Go on!!!)

My second lot of exhibits for December are a Deborah Hutton Queen Flat Sheet valued around $40.00-$45.00



Cost: $17.00
Postage: $9.30
Total: $26.30

Score!! It's very soft and seems quite sturdy as well. It appears it will go the distance.

Not like that f@$^%#$ing Egyptian cotton sheet that I bought some months ago. The dang thing breaks up at the sight of a long toenail, 400 thread count or not! Ended up sleeping in a massive gap created by two toenail rips that met in the middle and created a kind of rip canyon. Ah, the feel of a scratchy mattress - nothing like it.

And the other bargain:

Himalayan Crystal Salt chunks for baths (and in my case, foot spas!)



Cost: $1.95
Postage: $8.19
Total: $12.75

Not bad for a purchase from a UK seller, considering the exchange rate!!
Himalayan crystal salt contains 84 trace elements and is good for detox baths. I could do with one of those at the moment considering the amount of tox I have been ingesting.

technorati tags: ebay shopping flat sheet himalayan crystal salt

I'm pretty sure everyone remembers the Seinfeld episode where Elaine has the brilliant idea to send personalised Christmas cards instead of the usual boring generic card. Just make sure there are no untoward parts of your body showing when you get the photo taken and you won't suffer the same fate as Elaine. Personalised Christmas cards can be a special gift for family members and friends and this particular approach is popular with politicians as well. So it seems to work as a networking tool as well. You can create custom holiday cards using a photo of your choice - just upload the photo or collage, customise from a template or your own design and create your own personal touch to your cards this season.

Yes, that's right. I have "taken leave of my senses" as they say in the classics. Not really, but I have bought yet another Baccarat stainless steel cookware item. I was very excited to receive the package today:
















A 20cm stainless steel frypan with impact moulded copper base.
Price: $13.40
Postage: $6.95
Total: $20.35

Equivalent RRP - around $60

Tee hee!!

The frypan has never been used so I'll give it a good dishwash and off we go!!

I am in the process of perfecting my vegetarian farmer's omelette recipe (if that isn't the biggest oxymoron of them all!!)

Of course it contains Sanitarium Not Bacon which is now called something silly like "Vege delights bacon style rashers" I mean "not bacon" is a lot catchier!

I mean why don't they just call it vege soy style dead pig substitute delight choices?

Not Bacon. The original name was the best.

~end rant.


Aaaanyway, the farmer's omelette (or is it the farmer's wife omelette? I never know) will be made with fried onions, peas, fresh parsley, cheese and NOT BACON. If there is one thing I am supremely confident about, it is my ability to cook an omelette, omelettes being my signature dish.

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If you are frantically creating and destroying Christmas shopping lists (I may be speaking from experience here!) then here are some new ideas for gifts for those adventurous souls who enjoy high powered torches, night vision goggles and rifle sights.
Hmm, just make sure they are not nutty first before checking out the Gift Guide. You can find discounts and bargains on flashlights, microscopes, binoculars and astronomy gadgets. There is even a personal planetarium / GPS sky guide for identifying celestial objects.












Myself, I can identify celestial objects just by drinking too many beers and looking up. My accuracy may be a bit off, though. Perhaps one of these gadgets could help. And a sky map. I don't think "that big squiggly bit there" really counts as identifying celestial objects.

I'm going to stop talking now.

This post brought to you by OpticsPlanet.com

IZEA Blogs describes in some detail how to get started with Real Rank. Well I'm confused as all get out. What does it all mean? There is this new ranking system that is supposed to rate blogs on actual traffic per day, and the rank can change with the fickle tide of readership numbers. Hmmm. This seems pretty straightforward but the actual numbers themselves give me a headache. The rank is from 1-9. And my rank was 2199 yesterday and 1915 today. So I must have done something right! But how does 1915 fit in a sliding scale of 1-9?? Does that mean I suck? I don't know. Somebody enlighten me here.

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Being a blogger can be tough on your neck, back and shoulders. In fact, being in front of a computer is so common these days we need to whack our behinds back into shape at the end of each day. Enter the Human Touch - a zero gravity massage chair to soothe those tired muscles.















The chair reclines the body into a zero gravity position, which decompresses the spine, allowing the muscles to relax. I like the idea of a foot and calf massager that massages in a wave-like motion. This is a super indulgent Christmas purchase for yourself or a stressed-out relative!

I admit I have been a little remiss in my blogging of late but I have a good reason for doing so. I was hunting BARGAINS!!!

hehehee
(insert maniacal laughter here)
(rub hands with glee)

I found what I consider to be possibly the best cookware you can use. A big call? Perhaps. I have been using a Baccarat 8Lt stockpot for just over a year now and the results have been phenomenal. Imagine using a pot that distributes heat evenly throughout the pot due to an impact moulded stainless steel + copper base. You don't have to stir every 2 seconds because the pot somehow doesn't seem to cook on (burn). Don't ask me how, it could be the stainless steel factor, could be the quality and thickness of the base, I just don't know. Whatever the reason, it makes for a much more pleasant cooking experience. You can cook almost eight litres of pasta sauce, curry, whatever you fancy, and freeze a whole bunch of containers for those nights you can't be bothered cooking. Which for me can be quite a few nights.

So here it is, my newest acquisition:




















Baccarat Pinnacle 5.4Lt Stock Pot $34.95 from OO.com.au
The normal retail price is approximately $80.00, which is a pretty big saving!!

This size pot is better for reducing sauces in a quicker period of time. The 8Lt pot can take a long time to reduce so the 5.4Lt is the ideal choice for making sauces and casseroles.

I have already christened the pot with garlic, olive oil and onions, which became a pasta sauce that is out of this world (I followed my partner's secret recipe!)

In fact it's making me hungry...

It is about lunch time here...

er...signing off!

technorati tags: baccarat pinnacle cookware

OMG. I am totally blown away.

I received the rest of my prize from the competition mentioned in an earlier post. I really can't say enough nice things about E.L.F. Cosmetics (Eyes, Lips, Face) - they are a real find. Because they forgot to send three of my items, they generously threw in the following bonuses:


Therapeutic Conditioning Balm in "Strawberry Creme" - vitamins A & E with shea butter.









Hypershine Gloss in "Joy" - super shiny reflective gloss that stays on for ages.








Plus, (this is the best one!) an e.l.f. cosmetics bag, similar to the one pictured:














Plus my original prizes came through and I have tested each of them:

Natural Radiance Blusher in "Shy" - this is a beautiful shade, goes on smoothly and isn't too overbearing, just a nice hint of healthy colour.














Plumping Lip Glaze in "Plum Pout" - this is my favourite one, you apply the clear glaze first, then apply the colour on top. The thing that annoys me most about plumping lip glosses is that most of them taste like battery acid. This lip glaze smells subtly of strawberries and is very pleasant to apply. Stays on for ages and does just what it says.








Brightening Eye Colour in "Silver Lining" - I have generally found eyeshadow to be a difficult area - the texture can be cakey or the colour just not right, or they can get all gluggy and weigh down your eyelids!.

This one however, gets it just right - the colours are perfect and the consistency is light and smooth and it's easy to forget you are wearing it.












I have noticed they have a 30% off sale going at the moment and if you sign up you get a chance to win $100 worth of e.l.f. cosmetics.

They did an excellent job of looking after me so it's the least I can do to give them a bit of a plug!

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The following post is brought to you by Overstock Art...



















Are you familiar with this picture? It's hard not to recognise Gustav Klimt's distinctive style of painting. Klimt was born the son of a gold and silver engraver in Vienna, which influenced his use of gold and silver in his paintings. It is also hard to ignore a painting that has graced many a lounge room, doctor's waiting room and office. I think I even used to own a poster version of this very picture. It is not very likely that you will be buying the original artwork, unless you are sitting on a lazy million or so. Klimt reproductions are highly sought after today, however you can get hand painted oil reproductions of Klimt Paintings to hang on your own wall, which can be a lot more elegant than a poster. You can also select various canvas sizes and it is possible to order framing as well. There is a nifty feature on the site that allows you to select from a variety of frames and visually preview the painting inside the frame itself.