I had the underwhelming misfortune of encountering "Jedward" on The Graham Norton show. Did you know, they are called "John" and "Edward" and that the name "Jedward" is a merging of the two names?

Isn't that amazing? Did you also know that a big "L" on your head stands for loser? No? Read on...

I wasn't quite sure what I was seeing. What a strange pair. They are incredibly irritating when they talk. Which is quite often.

I could go as far as to call them precocious twats, but that's just me being nice.

It's really the hair that makes them stand out.
















However it has been done before:




















Even Vanilla Ice did it before you.















Hey wow. That's the first time I've accused Vanilla Ice of being first. Or original. Eeek!!


So now high hair is back. And it can go a little bit too far sometimes:




















I thought this sort of thing stopped in the 80s. The ozone layer. Remember? Did you know that Bon Jovi single-handedly destroyed a 40 metre hole over a New Jersey stadium just from the sprays used in their dressing rooms!

Really? Well, no.

And yes, hairsprays are made from hydrocarbons now, not chlorofluorocarbon. But it's the principle that counts.

I mean, for example, how much do you think Lady Gaga consumes in hair products per week?

Think about it...

technorati tags: for hair, hair, hair extensions, hair style, hair styles, hairstyles, lady gaga, xfactor, crazy hairstyles, jedward

I have been reviewing my posts over the years and noticed that I seem to have invented a number of words and/or phrases. No, you say, some of these words were already invented when I posted them. Yeah? Well, I... didn't know about them at the time so it still counts as an authentic invention. I think.

Fun Words and Phrases to Expand Your Vocabulary:

Nad Whack - (Verb)
What happens when you swing your arms while walking and don't realise there is an unsuspecting and rather vulnerable bloke behind you.
Ref: Keep Your Hands By Your Sides At All Times

Runnething - (Verb)
Sort of like running but... more.
Ref: Fresh Pots!!!

The ol' sidewinders - (Phrase)
Something you would be showing if you wore a particularly hideous style of jeans. Hint - it involves hair.
Ref: Bikijeans

Mascara Malfunction - (Phrase)
Doing your makeup too fast.
Ref: Mascara Malfunction

Bunker Rage - (Phrase)
What happens when you land in a massive bunker and simultaneously forget how to play golf. Includes new words such as Graghph and Ruh!
Ref: Bunker Rage

Rasthermathugraaaa!!! - (Noun? Verb? Expletive?)
What you say when you unexpectedly get your first birdie.
Ref: Birdie Comes Before Par

Hannibal Lecter Dinner Set - (Phrase)
Something characterised as highly innapropriate.
Ref: Wacky Gifts for Wacky People

Flavor Wave Alien Incubator - (Phrase, Noun)
That thing Mr T. sells on the infomercials.
Ref: Mr T and the Flavor Wave Alien Incubator

Flame Grilled Microwave - (Phrase, Noun)
Hungry Jack's secret cooking technique.
Ref: Hungry Jacks Flame Grilled Burger

Sadistic Gift File - (Phrase)
List of items to buy for people you either don't like or wish to torment for no reason in particular.
Ref: Sadistic Gift File #1 - Gong Alarm Clock

Shopping 2.0 - (Noun)
When shops and nerds collide.
Ref: Canadian Deal-Finding Website

Shopputting - (Verb)
Un-stealing something. For example, sneaking into a supermarket and putting something of yours on the shelves. Note: At the time of writing this post, I was not aware of the term.
Ref: Security Supermarket Threat.

On-Footpath Shopping - (Phrase)
The opposite of online shopping.
Ref: Deals Direct: An Online Shopper's Utopia

Big Hairy Man Boobs - (Phrase, Noun)
The credit for this one goes to a 6 year old girl telling me and my partner about her Dad.
Ref: From the Mouths of Babes

Goat Bagging Mushroom, Frog's Nest Entrails With Lark's Vomit - (Phrases)
Direct result of writer's block.
Ref: F@ck! F@ck! F@ck!

Bat Faeces Soup - (Phrase, Noun)
A good reason to be a vegetarian.
Ref: Bat Faeces Soup

Wedding Sausage - (Noun, Phrase)
Ok, I didn't make this one up. There exists an actual deli item called 'wedding sausage'. But seriously, can you not see a joke here?
Ref: Saving on Groceries

The Hairy Soup Diet - (Phrase)
Rather effective weight loss diet consisting of soup. With the addition of a hair.
Ref: Waiter, There's A Pubic Hair In My Soup!!

Oh, and for those arriving here through the Google search "pubic hair soup", welcome to my blog!!

And... you need help.

technorati tags: shopping, golf, fashion, jeans, new terms, phrases

It's easy to feel like you are behind the eight ball when it comes to Women's fashion. Sometimes I just throw on the first thing that I see in the morning. Actually, no, that's most days. But sometimes I like to think about what goes into a look, how to accessorise, and all the other fun things that come with being a fashionista.




















Enter Stylecaster.com - The site features the most popular look of the day, featured trends in fashion, various types of colour combination for picking the best looks.

Create your own unique style and find out what inspiration keeps the future of style and fashion both updated and constantly changing. Personally, I like to shop, so I was pleased to note that you can shop by designer (just like my own sidebar feature!), or by category such as bags, shoes, accessories etc. I managed to find items such as bathing suits, sunglasses, and of course, my elusive "messenger bag". It will be mine. Oh yes...

The latest fashion industry news keeps us up to date with what is happening with the latest designers and new trends.

And of course, my favourite fashion accessory, funny t-shirts. A bit nerdy, a bit grungy. Just my kind of style...

Brought to you by Stylecaster.com

This is an airbrushed photograph for a Ralph Lauren campaign. The woman in the photograph is not really that skinny, as you can see in the contrasting photograph. The ad campaign apparently needed airbrushing because the model "wasn't skinny enough".

Airbrushing is a scary thing. It can create a bust, reduce a curvy bottom, get rid of a slightly protruding stomach or erase cellulite. Not only that, it can erase acne, crows feet, skin imperfections, remove freckles and shape eyebrows.

I'll tell you, finding out all this made my eyebrows raise a tad.

But, that's not all, it can also re-shape jawlines, add cheekbones, whiten teeth and the white of the eye, change nose shape, sculpt hair, slim the waistline and remove splotches, jowls, under eye bags and raise eyebrow height.
















After these "before" pictures were accidentally released untouched, there were gasps and disdain towards Kim Kardashian for what appeared to be... CELLULITE!!

Aaargh!!!!

Call out the National Guard!!!

Go to code red!!!

In response, Kim Kardashian said "So I have a little cellulite. What curvy girl doesn't?"

















Nowadays, people often see a picture in a magazine and take it on face value. Photographs are not what they appear, and are becoming more extravagantly airbrushed as time goes on.












For example, Faith Hill is a naturally beautiful woman. Why do they feel the need to give her the Barbie treatment?

So many times I have heard other women say "oh, I wish I looked like that" when they see a picture of a celebrity in a magazine.












Perhaps they don't realise that these celebrities don't exactly look like that either.

With professional hair, makeup teams, wardrobe consultants, skin technicians, personal trainers, professional photographers and the magic of airbrushing (or some might say, Photoshopping), you would probably look pretty amazing too.

This is not an exercise in cutting tall poppies down to earth. Actors, models, you name it, they have natural beauty and their own uniqueness.

The purpose of this article is actually the reverse - for ordinary women and men to realise that they don't have to be perfect to be attractive. Our expectations of how people should look have reached new heights.

Stars get cellulite, acne, bad hair days and baggy eye days just like everyone else. It's just that we can't see it under all the airbrushing. Some celebrities probably look at their own publicity photos and say "why can't I look like that" when they have just crawled out of bed in the morning.




















The debate about airbrushing has caused such a furore that French Elle Magazine has opted to grace their cover with stars without makeup and no airbrushing as a backlash against this worrying trend.

The women featured are shown as who they are.

Sans airbrush.

Perhaps one day we will be kind to ourselves and enjoy being who we are. Without expectations.
















Recommended reading:


The Beauty Myth
Succulent Wild Woman

technorati tags: airbrushed celebrity
stars without makeup, airbrush before after, the beauty myth, real beauty, Kim Kardashian,airbrush disaster, Faith Hill, Jessica Alba, Ralph Lauren, model

Special days have a way of creeping up on you. Before you know it, it is someone's Birthday, Valentine's Day or some other special occasion. And lets face it, not all of us have time to get to the shops to find gifts at the last minute. That's where Gift Cards can give us the unfair advantage. Gift cards give the recipient a wide range of items from which they can choose the perfect present for themselves.

The best part about shopping online is the convenience. You can buy gifts at any time, get special discounts and take delivery without even leaving your computer. No crowds, no traffic jams, no public transport and no headaches. Everybody wins.















Using GiftZip is surprisingly easy. Check out how the Gift Cards work for the complete rundown on how to use the site. You may have a gift in mind, say a Ralph Lauren gift card. Just search for the store logo and click - now you should see this box:

















It won't take you long to figure out how to use this feature. Just click on "GiftZip It!" and it will take you to Ralph Lauren's site to purchase the gift card.

Your gift card will then be sent to the email address of your recipient. It can be also sent to your own email address to print for your records.

This is the perfect solution to those last-minute gift panics. Just choose a brand and you can send a gift card in minutes. This is a great idea for the times where you just can't get to the shops or it is just too late to think about hunting around for the perfect gift. It works especially well if you happen to know the preferred brand of your nearest and dearest - they can find exactly what they want and you can provide them with the ultimate shopping experience.

You can also find Gift Certificates for unique gifts. In this section you can purchase gift cards for special, personalized items like t-shirts, baby items, custom printed artwork and charity gifts. I especially liked the Canvas on demand gifts - you can use your own photo and get it printed on a canvas. There is such a wide selection of gift ideas you should be able to find something for everyone. The site contains gift card ideas for him, for her, house, gourmet items and sporting goods.

Hmmm, methinks a golfing gift might be on the cards, if you pardon the pun...

Welcome to the wonderful world of weird and wacky toilet seat designs. I used to frequent a cafe in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. The toilets in this establishment were my favourites, due to their pristine cleanliness and due to their crazy toilet seat designs.

I have finally tracked down these wonderful hand-crafted designs so you can make a theme room for your bathroom:


Rubber Ducky Toilet Seat


















Rubber ducky, you're the one... who makes... actually I'm going to stop singing now. This would be perfect for kids and the young at heart alike. Rubber duckies are not just for baths anymore!!











BeachToilet Seat




















She sells sea shells by the.... dunny.

Do you have a beach house? Do you live near the ocean? Why not create a beach theme for the smallest room in the house. Complete with sand and shells nicely encased in smooth poly resin so you won't get sand caught in an unspeakable place.



Barbed WireToilet Seat



















This looks painful, but is actually quite nifty and rather artistic. A bit odd, I must admit but I always liked this design. No need to look out for the redback spider hiding somewhere in the loo, it's already on the seat!


DolphinToilet Seat





















My personal favourite. It's blue, it's got little dolphins, sand and shells inside it. It's very er... relaxing.

technorati tags: bathroom design, buy toilet, buy toilet seat, buy toilet seats, clear toilet seat,designer toilet seats, ebay, novelty toilet seat, novelty toilet seats, plastic toilet seat, toilet seat,toilet seats, barbed wire, sea shell, dolphin, rubber ducky

Yoda. He never goes out of style. He has been quoted alongside the greatest philosophers of our time. He has influenced many individuals and created a kind of spirituality adhered to by Star Wars fans and their relatives:   

Yoda Computer Bobble-Head Ornament

















I couldn't think of a better character to perch atop a computer screen, head bobbing and wisdom dispersing as you do... whatever it is you do on your computer.


Here are a few possible Yoda computer ornament quotes:

"Invoices you must print"

"Porn you must not surf"

"Tweet you must"

"Get off Facebook you will, or forever will it dominate your destiny"


(bobs head)

technorati tags: action figure, action figures, action figures toys, collectibles, ebay, jedi starwars, star wars, star wars action figures, star wars figures, star wars toys, starwars, yoda,star wars accessories

A big congratulations goes out to Yani Tseng, a.k.a. "The Birdie Machine" for winning the Handa 2010 Women's Australian Open at the Commonwealth Golf Club.

Tseng (Taiwan) shot a 7-under par to score a 66 to beat juggernauts Karrie Webb and Laura Davies on the final day. Speculation about the possible winner included talk of Giulia Sergas (Italy), Laura Davies (UK) and Karrie Web (Aussie). Meanwhile Tseng continued to quietly pummel the course into submission. Suddenly, during the back nine of day 4, people started to realise that not only was she leading the pack, she was streaking away with birdie after birdie. In the last two or three holes, we also realised that nobody was going to catch her, unless they figured on shooting a few double eagles in a row.

She is not called "The Birdie Machine" for nothing. She birdied five holes on the back nine and left the other competitors in a cloud of dust. Chances are we will be seeing a lot more of Yani Tseng in the future.

technorati tags: australian open golf, australian women's open, commonwealth golf club, golf, golfaustralia, golfers, karrie webb, laura davies, women's golf, yani tseng, melbourne golf

This morning at the service station, a combination of sleep deprivation, silght derangement and desperate need for stimulants conspired against me when I saw this sign hanging in the window:

"Coffee. You know you want one."

The sign showed a steaming take-away cup filled with caffeine-laden goodness.

Yeah? Yeah I guess I do want one. Mmmm. Enticing. Hang on, I don't even drink coffee...

Caffeine devil sitting on my shoulder says:

You know you want one...

I haven't had a coffee for over a year. I don't feel the need for it. I'm over it, I'm totally um....

(walks zombie-like into service station. Presses "cappuccino" button, frothy goodness filling my cup and runnething over)

Drinks coffee in 2 minutes flat. Eyes wide awake, and I'm WIRED!!!!

Now I know why Dave says:

FRESH POTS!!!!

Language warning: If you are offended by the f-word used in jest with regards to coffee, don't watch this video!!

technorati tags: coffee, cup coffee, dave grohl, espresso

An unusual development in the "no coverage for Karrie Webb on free-to-air digital tv" saga (see my Karrie, Women and Sport post). Days after the 2010 ANZ Ladies Masters Karrie's win suddenly hit the news.

This could have occurred for a number of reasons:

1. The networks forgot about the tournament, then suddenly remembered days later.
2. The Pro Shop's coverage (One HD) sparked a resurgence of interest in womens' golf.
3. Karrie has been recently been "controversially" discussed as Australia's greatest sporting export.

Wins and Awards - Centenary medal, Golfing Hall of fame (the youngest inductee at age 30), Order of Australia - 49 professional wins. (36 LPGA tournaments including 2 U.S. Women's Open and 3 British Open wins, 8 or 11 ALPG tournaments, depending on the reporting, Japan LPGA 2)

4. A representative from digital free-to-air TV read my post. (Unlikely, but possible).

Whatever the reason, it's great to see Karrie in the news again, and tomorrow (money day) we will find out if she add another win to the tally by triumphing at the Handa Australian Women's Open on Sunday.

technorati tags: handa, women's open, australian women's open, commonwealth golf club, royalpines, anz ladies masters, australian masters, channels, digital tv, freeview,golf, golf course, golftournament, golfers, karrie webb, ladies tournament, anz masters, local,news, sport, television,womens golf,

Wikipedia's definition about t-shirts describes a buttonless, collarless shirt in which to cover a person's torso. I define it as essential clothing. Without t-shirts, honestly I wouldn't have anything to wear!!

Remember the movie "The Hangover"? Well, the Hangover tshirts are now available. The guys wake up in Vegas with a tiger in the bathroom and a baby in the closet. Just a typical day, really.

The baby is dubbed Carlos because nobody knows its name. And because he looks like a Carlos. His real name is actually Tyler.

Memorable quotes from the film:

Stu Price: We're in a stolen cop car with what is sure to be a missing child in the back. What part of this is cool?
Alan Garner: I think the cop car part's pretty cool.
(quote IMDB)

So, you too can wear the t-shirt with baby Carlos. Possible accessories include a hangover, a tiger, stolen vehicles and amnesia. Only kidding!! Wear with caution.





















Other funny t-shirts include the obligatory Lolcats shirt:





















And this rather sinister Pac Man t-shirt:

















Run Blinky!!

Interesting bit of trivia: Did you know that in the original version of Pac Man, Blinky's actual name was "Shadow".

Firstly, congratulations to Karrie Webb on winning her seventh ANZ Ladies Masters. It was good to see the free to air channels broadcasting day 1 & 2 highlights and full coverage of days 3 and 4, so well done on that front.

The results of the tournament apparently weren't newsworthy enough for Channels 9, 7, 10 and ABC. Not even Sports Tonight. Oh well, just another victory for the greatest golfer to come out of Australia (and yes, that does include Greg Norman!). I don't suppose it has something to do with it being a "Ladies" tournament. Hmm....

Other newsworthy articles were Lara Bingle's naked scandal, some other footballer duffed up somebody else, and oh yes, Richard Green DIDN'T win in a golf tournament overseas, getting knocked off by Camilo Villegas. But his not winning was more newsworthy than Karrie Webb actually... winning. Go figure.

Karrie Webb triumphed with a blistering course record of 11 under (61), and was a joy to watch. I think the Ladies Masters is a brilliant event. I attended this tournament in 2009 and 2008. 2010's tournament was held on the Gold Coast, so it was a little far to travel over the weekend. It would be nice to have some acknowledgment that the tournament actually happened. It's about time that golfers such as Karrie Webb, Katherine Hull and Laura Davies get their fair share of coverage.

Sooo.... given the lack of proper news coverage, here is iseekgolf's Bruce Young talking to Karrie Webb about her 7th ANZ Ladies Masters Victory.

technorati tags: royal pines, anz ladies masters, australian masters, channels, digital tv, freeview,golf, golf course, golf tournament, golfers, karrie webb, ladies tournament, anz masters, local,news, sport, television, womens golf,

After a number of enquiries eg. "where do I buy Mr Flibble?" as a result of my last Mr Flibble post, I have finally tracked down the site where you can buy the elusive Mr Flibble puppet.

The site is called Mr Flibble Is Cross, which is an appropriate name as Mr Flibble is very cross indeed. You can buy Mr Flibble, watch Mr Flibble videos and remenisce with all the Mr Flibble related quotes from the legendary episode of Red Dwarf III - "Quarantine".
























I have been asking myself the question "why do so many people want to buy Mr Flibble"? After a bit of research (it didn't take long!) I found that the main reason was for fancy dress purposes. That's right, there are a number of guys and girls out there itching to don the red and white checked gingham dress, the army boots, the blonde plaited wig and hat. And this outfit would look pretty silly (what am I saying!) without a Mr Flibble hand puppet to complete the look.

Of course, some people want to buy the puppet as memorabilia. To scare their children into cleaning their rooms perhaps.

Parent: (said in monotone) "If you don't clean your room, Mr Flibble will become very cross. And you know what happens when Mr Flibble gets cross, don't you?"

Kid "Aaargh!!!" (cleans room in record time)

To all the fellow Red Dwarf fans, good luck with your search for Mr Flibble, long live Quarantine and thank God for British comedy!!

technorati tags: buy red dwarf, mr fibble, mr flibble, mr flibbles, red dwarf, red dwarf 3, reddwarf collection, red dwarf dvd, red dwarf episode, red dwarf mr flibble puppet, red dwarf mrflibbles, red dwarf part 3 red dwarf series, reddwarf, quarantine

It can be a maze finding the right web hosting company for your site. I recently bought a domain for $10 - but domains are only half the deal. Hosting is an essential tool for any website owner or blogger and many hosting companies provide space for your web files - it's like paying rent on an apartment. Most companies have a pay-by-the-month system and some web hosting can cost up to a few hundred of dollars a month, depending on your choice.

Host Gator has provided me with a coupon host gator to allow you to get your web hosting for 1 cent for the first month an then $9.95 per month thereafter.

I have secured a special coupon code for my readers: savesavesave to use at checkout for $9.95 off hosting packages.




















Host Gator provides plans with unlimited domains, unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth and shared SSL certificate. There is no contract and support is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The package also includes a site builder, for those of us who are not coding inclined, and to kick off the site's traffic (and sales!), it also throws in a $50 Adwords voucher.

technorati tags: best hosting, web hosting cheap, buy web hosting, website hosting, hostgator,cheap web hosting, domain name, domains,hosting,hosting domain, web host, web hosting, webhosting domain, web hosting site, webhosting

Just when I thought I'd seen it all, this comes along:

Doga (Dog Yoga)





















A.K.A. "Dog Yoga" or "Ruff Yoga". I saw this book in the newsagent today and lost it.

1. I hope they don't want the dog to read it. I have enough trouble getting them to say "woof"

2. Getting a dog to "sit", "stay" and "don't chew the furniture" can take years in dog training school. The mind boggles at a dog trying to learn "Salute to the Sun" in a short period of time.

3. Dogs would be good at the "Downward Dog Pose", I'll give them that.

4. Is the yoga actually taught by dogs? If so, THEN I'm impressed.

5. Possible dog poses to try:

"Digging the roses out of the garden" pose

"Smell another dog's behind" pose

"Go mad at the doorbell" pose

"Bark at nothing in particular for 30 minutes" exercise

The strange and rather challenging "Leg humping" pose

"Tap dance across tiles and slide into a bicycle and a bunch of toys" pose


According to the author, dogs are already born yoga masters. Well, good. Perhaps they can teach me. The book is, of course a little tongue in cheek (or tongue flapping out the car window, depending on your species) and combines humour and yoga and er... well, dogs.

Apparently dogs have a natural "tranquility" - yeah. Tell that to the mailman.


Yes, dogs can do a lot of things, but can they do this?

Hmm. I don't think so.

"Dogs are natural yoga masters" eh?

Well... some humans can naturally do yoga. At least I think that's what this guy is doing.

Perhaps we can just leave yoga to the humans and let dogs just be... er... dogs.

technorati tags: doga, funny animal pictures, funny animals, funny pics, funny picture, funnypictures, funny stuff, yoga

I love fridge magnets. There really is no end to these little beauties. Whenever I think I've seen every possible configuration, somebody comes up with a new concept. It seems you can put anything on a fridge these days, just attach a magnet and off you go.

Here are some of my faves:

Ladybug Fridge Magnet
So cute!!

























Child Proof House Fridge Magnet
I love her deranged smile...



























Art Deco Travel Poster (Leather) Fridge Magnet
I love Art Deco posters, I would pretty much buy Art Deco anything. They don't make 'em like that anymore...
























Origami Fridge Magnet
Beware. I am a black belt in Origami.


















Leaf Fridge Magnet
From the people that brought you "Tree" - now here's "Leaf!"





You can make magnets out of anything and everything. It would also be fun to make fridge magnets out of ordinary household items. Just buy a pack of magnets on ebay and start creating!!

technorati tags: arts & crafts, arts and crafts, arts crafts, craft, craft ideas, etsy, fridge, kidscrafts, magnet, magnetic, magnets, paper crafts,

Would you pay 15 thousand dollars for a meat pie?

Well I wouldn't, I'm a vegetarian.

In a recent NineMSN Travel article, a number of expensive menu items are detailed - here are the Top 6 Expensive Meals:

#1 $1156 Caviar Omelette (Norma's New York)
I don't care if they use caviar from the rarest fish in the world and dodo eggs.
I can whip up an omelette in about 7 minutes using free-range Victorian grown eggs. Whack in a bit of caviar from the deli if you must but either way you'll save about $1149.

#2 $193 Chicken Club Sandwich (Cliveden, London)
Apparently the kind of meal recommended by Henry IV. A good king by all accounts but rather expensive taste. Made from 30 month air cured ham. Eeew!! Perhaps we are paying by the month for this service...

#3 $15,820 Wagyu Beef Pie (Fence Gate Inn, Lancashire)
Made with $965 per kilo beef. What, did the cows eat gold during their time on this earth? I'm sure it's a nice pie, at almost $2000 per slice it would want to be. If it's anything like the pies I have sampled at the footy at the MCG, I'd rather a nice used car if it's all the same to you.

#4 $1146 Ice Cream Sundae (Serendipidy 3, New York)
And I thought the Pancake Parlour was expensive! Whee!! 23 carat edible gold leaf. From what I've read, gold is the sort of thing you buy and keep in a safe or under your bed - as opposed to stuffing it in your noggin'. Each to his own I suppose.

#5 $289 Truffle Chocolate (Knipschild, Conneticut)
A rare French perigod truffle surrounded by a... chocolate truffle. It's enough to give you a Knippshion (sic)!
Big whoop. Gimme a six pack of Ferrero Rochers and we'll call it even.

#6 $10,000 Diamond Martini (Algonquin Hotel, New York)
I've had expensive nights out. Just last Friday I had $25 in Wild Turkey shots and a lovely hangover to boot. This diamond martini, it appears, hurts your wallet as well as your head. But the bonus? You get a diamond stuffed down the bottom of your glass. Whacko the doodle bang. A real diamond. If I want a martini, I'll buy a martini. If I want a diamond, I'll go to a jeweller's.
Important Note: Don't drink this one too fast.


Sooo, I could either have the most expensive meal in my life...
OR
For $28,604 I could buy a 2005 Volkswagen Golf and have $11,454 left over for a nice holiday in Byron Bay.

Which would you choose?

technorati tags: worlds expensive, most expensive, expensive pie, expensive dining, food,restaurant, meal

During my online shopping exploits, I have created a large number of collections, be it cookware, DVDs, clothing or gadgets.

I am proud to announce: My cookware collection is almost complete (say in Darth Vader voice!)

Regular readers of my blog are aware of my Baccarat cookware obsession. There is something about stainless steel with a copper base that makes cooking that much easier. After hunting around many online shopping outlets, I discovered OO.com.au

I ran a search for cookware on the site to see if I could get some kind of deal:


My prayers were answered rather quickly as I spied an 18cm Baccarat pot normally priced at $70 selling for $44.95. Without hesitating I pressed the "buy" button and filled out my details. I was able to pay with paypal, making it even easier for me to... SHOP!!! (insert crazed PayPal convenience induced frenzy here)

The pot arrived in mint condition. The speedy delivery was facilitated by a reputable courier service and the item was vaccuum wrapped very carefully. I really couldn't fault the service and would buy from OO.com.au again.

Other bargains I have bagged from this site:

High Definition Set Top Box with HDMI and DVI - $149 (this was at a time when HD set top boxes were around $399!)

I have never had a problem with this unit. It was a bargain at the time and it is still up to date in 2010.


Baccarat Pinnacle Stockpot with lid (5.4L) - I told you I was obsessed with Baccarat! Normal retail price was somewhere around $120 but I nabbed it for $34.95. And I got a special delivery discount during a half-price delivery promotion period, saving another five dollars in the process.

Be sure to look out for the slam dunk 24 hour deal - a heavily discounted sale item that only lasts for - you guessed it - 24 hours!


I must say that my shopping expeditions are going extremely well and I am saving a heap of money. I will be returning to OO.com.au shortly to search for HD recorders.

Searching is simple - for example you can type in "Hard Drive recorder" to see the results:



You can then reorder the listings by lowest price, highest price and popularity.


This allows you to search within your budget and get the best possible deal. I desperately need to get a hard drive recorder to catch up on all the tennis and golf events that are screened at 3am. And that would be past my bedtime (tee hee!)... But that's another story....

Rant time.

The old 2 minute noodles had a tangy flavour - a kind of salty, zingy hit. Apparently Maggi have taken it upon themselves to do some sort of focus group study.

You know the kind where the "consultant" guy gets paid $750 per hour to talk, well... bollocks.

"Okaaay. You know what 2 minute noodles need? Let's ask a random selection of bland-palated people and see what they think."

"Okay, now they have chosen the cardboard tasteless ones, we need a name"

"We'll brand them as 'EXTRA DELICIOUS' - they'll love it!"


Yeah.

Extra delicious to who? People with a cold?

Thanks to this treachery, we now have 2 minute noodles with very little flavour and barely-recognisable rehydrated vegetables. Vegetables that are still crunchy when the noodles are cooked!! Mmmm....

But you know what? They are now 14 grams lower in fat!! And "ovenbaked"...


Whoopeee.

You know what I want? I want those 14 grams of fat re-absorbed into those noodles so I can have the taste back.

What happened to my ridiculously wrong munchy snack that tastes like real (pardon the pun) 2 minute noodles!?!?

Grrrr!!! ARgh!!!

~End Rant.

technorati tags: maggi, 2 minute noodles, extra delicious, oven baked, new 2 minute noodles,maggi noodles

There is something about being on holidays that messes with the space-time continuum.

1. Time goes waaay to quickly.

2. Alarm clocks become increasingly redundant because for some reason I decided that 3pm was a good time to wake up, and 3am was a sensible time to go to sleep.

3. Calories do not count because I tend to get more exercise on holiday. Being out and about and walking all the time, those chocolate mint sticks have negative calories. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

4. Time is taken up by difficult matters such as whether to play golf or go to the park and go for a walk with hand weights.

5. After 2 days of being outdoors my Neapolitan tan (red, white and brown) indicated that I might benefit from the use of sunscreen.

6. Exactly three days before holidays end, I remember that I really wanted to do this or that and I have officially run out of time.

7. Exactly 1 hour after holidays end, I am planning for my next holiday.

technorati tags: holiday, tan, travel, golf, sunscreen, leisure

Skype To Go - How You Can Make a 9c International Call

How does Skype to Go Work? I was a little confused about this so I had to do a little research. I wanted to make international calls from my mobile as I have a growing need to talk to overseas contacts. I tried calling using normal Skype and although it was cheap and convenient, at times my microphone has managed to cut out at inopportune moments. This can make it difficult to carry on a trans-Atlantic conversation without worrying about the quality of the line.

I wanted the freedom to call internationally from my mobile, and it just so happens Skype to Go does just that.

I found Skype to Go on the main Skype website and decided to give it a try - I used my existing account with Skype (it's free to sign up) and I decided since I was going to be calling overseas frequently, I would buy around $16 credit. I have called the US around 10 times using this service and the calls are ridiculously cheap. My balance has hardly budged at all and it will probably take me a few years to fully run it down.

How it works:

You are assigned your own Skype to Go number - I have mine programmed into my mobile phone.

On the Skype site you can set up a kind of speed dial phonebook - the great thing about setting up the numbers through Skype is that it automatically puts in the country code - all you need to do is nominate the country you are calling.

From your mobile, you can now call your Skype to Go number and the menu gives you the option of calling a number manually or selecting any one of your speed dial contacts.

Skype to Go will now put you through to the international number and you pay around 9c per call, which is an amazing deal considering most mobile phone rates for international calls.

The brilliant thing is that with $16 credit, I can call Australia to the US over 150 times before I even need to think about recharging.

technorati tags: skype, free call, cheap international call, cheap overseas call, cheap calling, skypeto go