Eeee...k

Nailing Down Da Vinci - Creating Leonardo One Nail at a Time

2009-01-30T14:28:00Z

Holy moly, check out this artist's amazing work. Leonardo Da Vinci's portrait all in nails! Some people are too creative for their own good. :)

11 Rules They Don't Teach You in School

2009-01-29T15:29:00Z

11 Rules They Don't Teach You in School
from "Dumbing Down our Kids" by Charles Sykes

Rule 1:
Life is not fair - get used to it

Rule 2:
The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself

Rule 3:
You will NOT make $40,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both

Rule 4:
If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss

Rule 5:
Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping - they called it opportunity

Rule 6:
If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them

Rule 7:
Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your own room

Rule 8:
Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life

Rule 9:
Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time!

Rule 10:
Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11:
Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Helpful Hints for Everyday Life

2009-01-28T13:08:00Z

If Men Could Edit Women's Magazines

2008-12-16T21:13:00Z

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Keep in mind...

2008-09-24T13:26:00Z

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18 Rules for Living a Fulfilling Life

2008-09-23T11:24:00Z

Dalai Lama’s 18 Rules for Living a Fulfilling Life

The Dalai Lama issued eighteen rules for living a fulfilling life. Such good rules of thumb. Re-assess & implement where necessary. Enjoy!

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
Follow the three Rs:

a)      Respect for self
b)      Respect for others
c)      Responsibility for all your actions.

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Spend some time alone every day.
Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
Be gentle with the earth.
Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Prayer for the Stressed-Out... Amen

2008-09-22T15:39:00Z

Bad Poetry at Its Best

2008-09-15T16:27:00Z

This poem always makes me laugh. Lillian E. Curtis penned this bit of encouragement sometime during the 1870s. A lesson useful for just about... nothing in my life. Enjoy!

Only One Eye
by Lillian E. Curtis

Oh! she was a lovely girl,
So pretty and so fair,
With gentle, lovelit eyes,
And wavy, dark-brown hair.

I loved the gentle girl,
But oh! I heaved a sigh,
When first she told me she could see
Out of only one eye.

But soon I thought within myself,
I'd better save my tear and sigh,
To bestow upon some I know,
Who has more than one eye.

She is brave and intelligent,
Too she is witty and wise,
She'll accomplish more now, than many,
Who have two eyes.

Ah! you need not pity her,
She needs not your tear and sigh,
She makes good use, I tell you,
Of her one remaining eye.

In the home where we are hastening,
In our eternal Home on High,
See that you be not rivaled,
By the girl with only one eye.

I Love You. (A Poem)

2008-08-12T14:38:00Z

All You Need is Graph

2008-08-11T22:46:00Z

Put on your dancing shoes & hum yourself some Old School. (Dear me, did I really type that? lol.) Consider yourself old if you score 100%. :)

15 Ways to Reduce Your Stress Level at Work

2008-08-11T18:13:00Z

While many people dream of owning their own business, the stress associated with being an entrepreneur is far from desirable. A recent Staples survey of U.S. business owners with 1 to 20 employees found that two thirds of them work on evenings, weekends and holidays; 49 percent work while driving and 18 percent deal with business e-mails and messages while in the bathroom. Before you let the stresses of running a business get to you, take a look at these tips that may take some of the weight off of your burdened shoulders:

Get moving – Exercise plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. It can help to relax muscle tension and improve sleep. When stress is at its peak, get up and move. Talk a walk around the parking lot or do some stretches at your desk. Away from work, yoga, Tai Chi and martial arts are excellent stress-busters.
Time management – Using your time efficiently will reduce stress. Set daily objectives and prioritize them. Concentrate on what is important to you and set aside the less important issues.
Take a deep breath – A common response to stress is shallow breathing. Breathing shallowly deprives the body of adequate oxygen and prevents us from thinking clearly and functioning properly. The next time you feel stress, take five or six long, deep breaths – in through your nose and out through your mouth - and your body will respond with reduced muscle tension, lower blood pressure and slower heart rate.
Find a hobby – When your job has built up to be too much for you to handle, find something you enjoy doing that you can use to relax and release the tension. A hobby will allow you to spend some quiet time to yourself in calm surroundings.
Laugh – You’ve always heard laughter is the best medicine, now you have proof. Laughter reduces stress by releasing endorphins into your body that lower your blood pressure, stimulate your brain, release tight muscles, change your emotional outlook and thinking and increase your oxygen intake.
Know your trigger points and hot spots – Sit down and make a very specific list of stress trigger points and hot spots for you. Do you get nervous when you drink too much coffee or do you get nervous when you have to speak to a certain group of people? Figure out how you can change these things so they are not a problem for you anymore.
Reduce chemical stress – Certain chemicals like caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and sugar can raise energy short term, but can make things worse in the long run. Try to limit their use during the day and especially before you go to bed.
Consider environmental changes – Things like noise, bad lighting and poor air quality can increase stress. Open windows if possible and use plants or humidifiers to provide moisture. Make sure work areas are well-lit and find a quiet place to work or use headphones with relaxing music.
Keep a journal at your desk – This will allow you to jot down appointments, meetings and deadlines for work assignments. Knowing what is expected of you will allow you to plan more properly and stay more organized.
Take care of your health – Try to get at least eight hours of good sleep every night. Also, be sure to eat three balanced meals each day in order to provide your body with the essential nutrients for living a healthy life.
Avoid office gossip – Engaging in office gossip will not only waste your time resulting in more pending workload, but it will also cause more stress. Gossiping about other people, particularly your officemates, can get you into a lot of trouble and being in the middle of office fireworks will certainly cause additional stress.
Talk it out – You need to remember that you’re not alone. Talking to family or friends helps you to vent and they may be able to help you come up with a new solution to the problem that is causing you so much stress.
Improve your attitude – A negative attitude can have a negative impact on accomplishing your goals. Keeping a positive outlook can give you the energy and momentum that you need to get through the work day.
Create a de-stressing toolbox for your desk – Include items that can help you’re your mind and alleviate stress like a favorite CD, picture, quote or poem.
Put things in perspective – Really think about how important whatever is stressing you will be in a week, a month, or even a year from now.

Stress at work in inevitable, especially for an entrepreneur. However if you follow these tips or find another one that works for you; you can lessen the amount of stress at work and may even improve your health.

Source

The Worst Album Covers Ever Created

2008-08-11T13:17:00Z

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13 Things Your Waiter Won't Tell You!

2008-08-09T14:00:00Z

Don't go out before reading this!

1. Avoid eating out on holidays and Saturday nights. The volume of customers guarantees that most kitchens will be pushed beyond their ability to produce a high-quality meal.

2. There are almost never any sick days in the restaurant business. A busboy with a child to support isn't going to stay home and miss out on $100 because he's got strep throat.

3. When customers make personal attacks, adulterating food or drink is a convenient way for servers to exact covert vengeance. Waiters can and do spit in people's food.

4. Never say "I'm friends with the owner." Restaurant owners don't have friends. This marks you as a clueless poseur the moment you walk in the door.

5. Treat others as you want to be treated.

6. Don't snap your fingers to get attention.

7. Don't order meals that aren't on the menu. You're forcing the chef to cook something he doesn't make on a regular basis, and it won’t be as good.

8. Splitting entrées is okay, but don't ask for water, lemon, and sugar so you can make your own lemonade.

9. If you find a waiter you like, always ask to be seated in his or her section. Tell all your friends so they'll start asking for that server as well. The server will be grateful and take good care of you.

10. If you can't afford to leave a tip, you can't afford to eat in the restaurant.

11. Always examine the check. Sometimes large parties are unaware that a gratuity has been added to the bill, so they tip on top of it. Waiters "facilitate" this error.

12. If you want to hang out, that's fine. But increase the tip to make up for money the server would have made if he or she had had another seating at that table.

13. Never, ever come in 15 minutes before closing time. While you're chitchatting over salads, your entrées will be languishing under the heat lamp while the dishwasher is spraying industrial-strength, carcinogenic cleaning solvents in their immediate vicinity.

This is great information - but we've known that going out to eat often leads to mild food poisoning. Considering that many workers don't necessarily wash carefully after you-know-whatting.

However, many people have a great deal of stomach acid which kills a lot of things.

Also, they say, when eating Sushi, a little alcohol helps prevent food "issues." Of course these days, Sushi fish is frozen a good long while to kill pathogens and parasites.

Our bodies are quite strong, and can take a little sputum and pus... after all, it's in every burger!

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Time to Put a Cork in It

2008-08-08T21:44:00Z

... and, now, a smile for the weekend. Happy Relaxation to one and all!

By the way, a million thanks for all your kind words. :) Didn't think anyone was paying attention.

~ e

The Moment

2008-08-07T10:15:00Z

Ya know, I've never been a get-on-the-bandwagon kinda gal. The latest fad is "Going Green." Everyone, everything, every political campaign seem to tweak Green nowadays. I doubt the sincerity of the mass but, hey, if 3% remain after the fad shifts... we'll all benefit in the long run.

That said, I found this lovely poem. I'll share, if you'll excuse my momentary sentimentality.

The Moment

The moment when, after many years
of hard work and a long voyage
you stand in the centre of your room,
house, half-acre, square mile, island, country,
knowing at last how you got there,
and say, I own this,

is the same moment when the trees unloose
their soft arms from around you,
the birds take back their language,
the cliffs fissure and collapse,
the air moves back from you like a wave
and you can't breathe.

No, they whisper. You own nothing.
You were a visitor, time after time
climbing the hill, planting the flag, proclaiming.
We never belonged to you.
You never found us.
It was always the other way round.

Margaret Atwood