Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:59:58 GMT

The plain brown box, offers "frustration-free" packaging

Amazon.com is launching a multi-year program this holiday season as part of their effort to go Green, offering a select few popular products in recyclable cardboard packaging. They call it "Frustration-Free Packaging." That"s right - no hermetically sealed plastic clamshells, cut-inducing sharp plastic edges, or annoying metal twist-ties.

Sure, the packaged toy (or mouse, or memory card) may not look pretty on the shelf or under the wrapping, but opting for the cardboard will save you from what Amazon refers to as "wrap rage" and the late-night, pre-holiday panic that sets in when you realize you don"t have a pair of bolt cutters sitting around.

More importantly, the cardboard boxes are fully recyclable, reducing the use of excess plastics and other non-biodegradable materials.

It"s a small step; right now the program is only offered for 19 popular products. And it"s pretty funny that Amazon"s revolutionary new packaging is just a rediscovery of what companies used before the ubiquitous plastic came into use. But I still applaud Amazon for taking this step, and hope other companies will follow Amazon"s example.
Posted by: Sarah      Read more     Source

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:44:24 GMT

Woman in Labour

Keith Olbermann has named this guy the "Worst Person in the World" after he ticketed her for going into labour at rush hour. What a dick. Oh Keith, we just love you after your emotional PROP 8 VIDEO.

Thanks to Jon for the tip.

Posted by: Kevin      Read more     Source

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 11:26:49 GMT

Flair Hair

Flair Hair.All of us have our own "bad hair" days and some of us have "no hair" days, but here is something that will do the job with added little fun. A little flair: your very own Flair Hair visor. This thing will cover your dome and its built-in visor will protect your eyes from the sun, while giving you a distinctive, 1970s, Bjorn Borg-at-Wimbledon look. Costs $19.99. Posted by: Venus       Read more     Source

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 02:24:56 GMT

Knit Night Cupcakes

Knit Night Cupcakes.Knit Night Cupcakes comes from Lauren Ulm''s Veganyumyum.com which featured an article on knitting with marzipan and aptly it got a heavy response. Mini sweeter, scarf and yarn balls were made from marzipan and used to decorate the cupcakes. Its really impressive edible craftsmanship and here are the photo tutorials.

And here is a video of Lauren on the M Stewart Show showing how to make these:

Watch the "Knit Night Cupcakes Making" Video on Youtube Posted by: Venus       Read more     Source

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:39:07 GMT

Puerco Adobada: Red Chile Pork

This is a traditional Mexican recipe of pork slow cooked in chile sauce (adobo). Yes, this recipe takes some time to make. Yes, it has LOTS of chilies in it.  But it is well worth the effort, as much of the heat cooks out and you end up with these chunks of amazingly tender pork bathed in a warm, earthly sauce. Posted by: Fred      Read more     Source

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 04:31:25 GMT

Just an old can in the woods

This is a picture of an old can sitting on an old stump (in case you couldn’t figure it out). This photo is from the same washed out series of photos I took when Libby and I had gone down to Fallen Timbers a month ago. I boosted the contrast a bit, but the photo still lacks the crispness the camera seems to give when the battery has a full charge. I’m assured that battery life is not the issue though.

Each winter we find a weekend when we can hike the perimeter of our woods. We do this just to have a look for ourselves at the property lines. Our fear is that at the far-flung corners of our woods our neighbors may be up to no good, so it is important to have a look. We do this in the winter since the leaves on the trees and shrubs are gone so the passage is easier and the line of sight is more open.

When we were last at Fallen Timbers (that other little bit of forest on the edge of the Missouri Ozarks we have), we didn’t hike the full perimeter, but we did manage to wander to the farthest point — our northern fence line.

An old forest road runs along our northern fence line. The neighbor must use is occasionally since it stays open through the seasons. Because of this road, I’m guessing most of my interloper incursions come from the north. It was near here some years ago that we found a well-used hunting station. (I left a note there just before deer season one year, simply reminding the interloper that he was on private land without permission, and the station seems to have been abandoned ever since.) We also find some trash in the woods along this fence. Occasionally we find a fresh beer can, but most of the trash seems to be pretty old. That we keep finding trash is likely a factor of the varying paths we take in this part of the forest and the relative leaf litter on the ground.

The can you see above is a bit of that old trash. I happened to be carrying my metal detector that day — having swept the burial mounds without a peep from the detector — and saw the can on the far side of a tree. So I turned on the metal detector and set off a series of dings and peeps, which amazed Libby, until I picked up the can and showed her my find.

Fallen Timbers is only forty acres in a square. The relative distance from our northern boundary to where we park the TOYOTA is not that great, but the terrain and the scrub is. Some day maybe we’ll carry a trash bag to this part of our woods and collect all of the old trash, but getting it back to the truck without having the bag shredded will be a challenge.

Over at Roundrock I’ve put a round rock atop a stump, and every time I visit the spot, the rock has been knocked off. I wonder now, if an old can on an old stump will offend the equilibrium gods in the forest of Fallen Timbers in the same way.

Missouri calendar:

• Collect pecans as they drop from trees.

Today in Missouri history:

• Tom Horn, a Missourian, legendary scout, Pinkerton agent, military man, and general rabble rouser, was hanged for murder on this date in 1903.

Posted by: Roundrockjournal      Read more     Source

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 19:28:39 GMT

Shiba Inu LIVE puppy cam

This live stream of Shiba Inu puppy cuteness is better than a YouTube video because it NEVER ENDS. (Thanks to Ed for the tip!)

Posted by: Kevin      Read more     Source

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:44:51 GMT

The Ultimate Historic Transport Show

Purists may disagree but I believe the most interesting classic car shows are those that include other forms of vintage transport. Perhaps the best among them is the annual Geneva Classics at PalExpo in Geneva, Switzerland. In case you're not familiar with the name, I should explain that PalExpo is the giant display hall where the Geneva Auto Show is held each year. It is superbly located adjacent to the international airport and enjoys fast rail transport into town from the station underneath. (We North Americans should be so fortunate!) This year's Geneva Classics celebrated five forms of historic transport: cars, motorcycles, aircraft, boats, and trains. Okay, there was just one of the latter but the arrival of an historic railway train at the PalExpo station made it complete. Classic Driver magazine has a lovely story about the event.

Editor Steve Wakefield writes that "the display of Bugattis, for example (and we're talking real Bugattis here - Types 35, 35B, 35/51 and 43 Grand Sport), all retained the red and white livery of Switzerland in which they competed. The racing boats, dotted throughout the hall, have competed on various lakes in Switzerland. Most imposing of these was the 'Lady Trix', a 100-year-old racing sailboat with a mast 11m high, towering above the automotive exhibits. The aircraft, spread between the hall and the adjoining airport tarmac, also provided dramatic contrast, and included a 1919 Bleriot, 1934 de Havilland Moth Major, 1937 Lockheed Electra (having recently completed its role in the film 'Amelia', the story of Amelia Earhart), 1939 L-12 Electra Junior and 1951 D.H.C. T.Mk20 Chipmunk." Steve also reminds the fortunate few of how easy it is for Londoners to fly into Geneva from Luton, spend a few hours at the show, take the tram into town from the PalExpo station, enjoy a great dinner, then fly back, all in one day.

[Photo of Lockheed Electra: Classic Driver] Posted by: Philip Powell      Read more     Source

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:04:47 GMT

Wandering to the east

This, as you have likely guessed, is not a picture from Roundrock. Rather, it is from the Botanical Garden in St. Louis, where Libby and I spent the weekend.

Whenever we go to St. Louis, we always try to spend a few hours in this garden. No matter the season, there is always something to see and enjoy there. I suppose everyone should visit the Arch at least once in their life, and the zoo there is excellent as well. And if you have children, the City Museum is a must see. But the Botanical Garden is what we keep coming back for.

The birthday weekend for my niece was nice. All of the cousins (except for three of my four) were there, and that’s always an interesting dynamic. Included was my newest nephew, who is all of two and a half months old now. Yes, I got to hold him. Of course there was too much food, too many activities, plenty of conversation, and then the protracted good-byes at the end.

I hope to get out to Roundrock this weekend. Maybe we can cook those ’smores over a campfire as Libby has wanted. I’ll be sure to let you know.

Missouri calendar:

• Average day of first frost in northern Missouri.

Today in Missouri history:

• William Bradford Waddell was born on this date in 1807. As a frontier outfitter and freighter he lost a lot of money attempting to supply the military forts across the west. The Pony Express was one of his projects as well. He died a poverty-stricken, broken man though his dreams and prospects suggested otherwise.

Posted by: Roundrockjournal      Read more     Source

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 02:27:26 GMT

America's China Addiction: Time to Kick It?

Hats off to Richard Brubaker over at his blog, All Roads Lead to China, for pointing out this Financial Times article. If you enjoy understanding the big picture, the piece is insightful....

The author of the Financial Times article, David Piling, says that in a conversation about America's economic woes he asked a Chinese official recently if America hung itself "with Asian rope?" The Chinese official's response: "No. It drowned itself in Asian liquidity."

What do you call someone who makes $40,000 a year and spends $55,000 a year? Answer: an American. What do you call someone who makes $25,000 a year and still manages to save $8,500 each year? Answer: Chinese.

We may not be able to trust China's economic data. We may not be sure what we're getting when we buy Chinese stuff. But we do know this much for sure: China has money. Hard cash. It's just laying around, waiting to be invested in something. And (just like the Japanese) they've been loaning it to us under the Bush Administration. Brubaker's quote of the FT article sums it up well:In one sense, this is a story of Asian prudence versus US recklessness. By accumulating vast savings - China and Japan alone boast 40 per cent of global central bank reserves - Asians have lived below their means so that Americans could live beyond theirs. Asia bankrolled US budget and trade deficits and provided the cash for banks and individuals to go on a spending spree and for Washington to fight wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.Of course the problem is obvious (at least to Target and Wal-mart). If that guy making $40,000 a year in, say, Atlanta or Phoenix stops spending an extra $15,000 each year, sales go down at retailers. Then people get laid off and we start calling it a recession. But everybody knows we can't keep spending more than we make forever.

Bottom line: we're addicted to money. The Chinese and Japanese have been supplying us with it. We can't keep it up forever. But if we decide to wean ourselves off of it, withdrawal will probably be a bitch....


Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, David Joyner Posted by: Greg Cruey      Read more     Source