Thursday, October 29, 2009

iPod? Check. Lip plate? Yep. AK-47? You betcha. Ok... let's do this.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

How to Say No Respectfully

Turning down a friendly request can take nerve, but it's often necessary. When you can't or don't want to help out, get yourself together and kindly but firmly turn them down. But if you're not ready, you're simply not ready.

Steps

1. Listen to the request respectfully. Do not interrupt the speaker.
2. Phrase your "no" as simply as possible. Don't raise your voice or become upset, simply say that you cannot help this time. When you say no, say it in a confident, well modulated voice to sound more straightforward.
3. Don't feel obligated to explain. You have your reasons and they may not be ones you wish to discuss. If this is the case, try saying something like, "I'm just not able to." Leave it at that - if you must, change the subject, or say, "I'm sorry, but I need to go."
4. Explain simply, and only if you wish to do so. If the case really is one that you feel okay explaining, make your explanation as simple as possible.
5. Stand firm. If the requestor does not want to accept your answer, tell him or her that your mind is made up and that you will not change it.


Tips

* Be respectful. Even if the person asking isn't.
* If your refusal upsets someone, remain calm and, if possible, remove yourself from the situation.
* Do not lie when you explain why your answer is no. For example, if you do not want to have your sister and brother-in-law stay at your house for the weekend because they are inconsiderate slobs, do not tell them that you will be fumigating the house. Instead, try, "This weekend isn't a good time for us to have stay-over guests." If they press, say, "We have a lot of shopping and cleaning to do to prepare for this next week, and we won't do it if we have company." Hopefully, that will end the discussion. And frankly, that's probably the truth, isn't it?
* This approach can be used for salespeople as well as friends. Telemarketers are human too.
* Preface your 'NO' by saying 'I understand what you are saying' before refusing - it helps if people feel empathy.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

GOLD

Palin Parody 'Going Rouge': Fair Or Foul?

By Mark Memmott

It should not have come as a surprise to former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and her publisher that somebody would take the title of her upcoming memoir, flip two letters and come up with a parody.

That's exactly what's happened. As Entertainment Weekly reports, editors of the "left-leaning" The Nation plan to publish Going Rouge: Sarah Palin, An American Nightmare on Nov. 17 -- the same day that the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee's Going Rogue: An American Life hits bookstores.

The covers will be remarkably similar.

But there will be two easy ways to tell the difference between the two books. First, Going Rouge is going to be a paperback, while Going Rogue will come out in hardcover. And second, Going Rouge will be a series of essays from some very liberal, very critical critics of Palin.

So few folks should be fooled -- though you never know.

1973








Saturday, October 24, 2009

Quick Hits

What's the word, motherlovers?

All's quiet these days, folks. Nothing to report. I'm a pretty happy guy. Let's see what the internet has to offer.

1) Attention photography fans: Learn to Breathe Like a Sniper to Take Better Photos in Low Light.

2) The Most Controversial Magazine Covers of All Time.

3) TV's 25 Biggest Flops Ever.

4) iLike is a social music discover site that allows you not only to discover music playlists available on the web but also to share your own playlists to the world. iLike also links to iTunes and Amazon music stores.

5) Black Friday deals are starting to appear - check you them out at Black-Friday.net.

6) If you are planning to paint your room (house, apartment or flat) and not sure what colors to use, enter a ColorJive.com. It is a website that lets you upload an image of your room, apply desired colors to the walls and see how it looks.

7) If you're tired of all the extra bullmess that appears on Facebook, give Facebook Lite a whirl.

8) 6 Tough Relationship Talks You Must Have. Good advice here for the fellas.

That's it and that's all. Have a listen to Cha Cha Cha by Beny More (I've having a love affair with Cha Cha music these days).



AB

Monday, October 19, 2009

Quick Hits

Hi gang!

Wow I've been busy. I know that seems to be the only thing coming out of my yap these days, but it's true. I started out with the idea that I'd do a little random computer repair work and that has ballooned into huge amounts of freelance work for two fine individuals. So that's awesome. AND there's the fact that the Patriots smoked the fakakta Tennessee Titans this week by a handsome score of 59-0. I had a conversation with Stewie before the season started regarding Brady being rusty, and I said that if the Pats could make it through week six with a 3-3 record then they'd be fine. And they are sitting atop the AFC East at 4-2. Sweetness. Time for some quick hits!

1) If you haven't had the chance to catch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (the funniest show on television), here's a site that shows all the episodes. Do yourself a favour and check it out.

2) I use Google Images a fair amount and have just discovered Google Similar Images, which is much, much better.

3) Top 10 Bone Crushing Hits In Youth Football History.

4) 40 Ways to Download FREE Music Legally – The Ultimate Guide.

5) Top 6 Coolest iPhone Tricks & Tips.

6) How to brew hard cider from scratch.

7) Why Patrick Swayze Was The Second Best Movie Star Ever.

8) In light of news that David Cronenberg is remaking The Fly, here are five directors who have remade their own films.

9) The 100 worst films since 2000.

10) Screentoaster is a free online screen recorder - a great way to remember what you did when fixing your computer, or creating tutorials for others.

11) Here are the movies out on DVD tomorrow.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Cheri
Fados
Casi Divas

Whatevs to that pile o' crap. Have a listen to Cha Cha No. 5 by Al Logan.



AB

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Holy frick.



Brady's six TDs leads Pats to record day over Titans

It was over when ...

The Patriots scored 35 points in the second quarter, all on the arm of Tom Brady. His five touchdown passes in the second quarter were the most by any player in a quarter since 1950.

Game ball

It took six weeks, but Brady finally looked like himself, albeit against the Titans' 31st-ranked pass defense. Playing in the rain and snow, Brady completed 19 of his first 20 passes, displaying the accuracy -- especially on the long ball -- that was missing from his first five starts. Brady finished 29 of 34 with 380 yards and a career-high six touchdowns before he was replaced by rookie QB Brian Hoyer on New England's second drive of the third quarter.

Key Stat

The Titans entered the game with 13 turnovers and a negative-5 turnover differential, and we're not aided by the wintry conditions at Gillette Stadium. They committed five turnovers (three fumbles, two interceptions), including three in the second quarter alone.

Noteworthy

The Patriots' 59 points on 622 total yards are both franchise records. They scored 45 points in the first half, the most for any team in a half since 2002. ... Brady's six touchdown passes tied a franchise record. ... The Titans started 0-6 for the first time since 1984 when the Oilers started 0-10. ... Tennessee has allowed 30-plus points in four of their last five games. ... Since 2003, the Patriots have lost consecutive regular-season games only once, losing two straight in 2006. The Patriots are an NFL-best 29-12 in games following a loss since 2000 (under Bill Belichick). ... Patriots LB Junior Seau was active for the Patriots, finishing with two tackles and a fumble recovery. ... Titans RB LenDale White was carted to the locker room in the second quarter and did not return. Cameras showed White favoring his left leg on the sideline. ... Patriots RB Sammy Morris left the game in the first quarter with a knee injury and did not return.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Movies On the Horizon






Attention True Blood/Vampire Nerds!!!

Featured "Extra" Walk-On Role on HBO's Hit Series, TRUE BLOOD available at auction

*Did I post this just because I wanted to make myself into a vampire? Yes. Yes I did.
Currently Placed Bid:
placed by jetsetjules
$13,501.00
Minimum Next Bid: $16,001.00
Your Max Bid: $
Bidding Increment: $2,500.00
Estimated Value: $10,000.00
Bidding History: 13 bids
time left: 4 days, 21 hrs, 18 mins
lot opened: Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:00:00 -0400
lot closes: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:30:00 -0400

Terms

Includes: a non-speaking, featured "extra" walk-on role on HBO's hit series, TRUE BLOOD. Valid for one person however, the winner may bring a guest on set. Must be at least 18 years old. Availability is based on production schedule. Show tapes in LA. We can not guarentee that the scene the winner is in will make the final cut and be aired.

Includes: a non-speaking, featured "extra" walk-on role on HBO's hit series, TRUE BLOOD. Valid for one person however, the winner may bring a guest on set. Must be at least 18 years old. Availability is based on production schedule. Show tapes in LA. We can not guarentee that the scene the winner is in will make the final cut and be aired.

Be a part of this amazing show and bid now on a featured walk-on role!

Donated by: HBO

Quick Hits

Hello, good people!

You may have wondered where I have disappeared to as of late. Sure there's been a spattering of posts here and there, but let's be honest... my heart hasn't been in it. The reason for that, you see, is that I've... been... WORKING! That's right gang. The seemingly terminally unemployed Andyboy has been busy as a little beaver these days doing actual work for actual money.
I was labouring over the excruciating idea of applying for full time work and going through the wretched interviewing process when it dawned on me. I'll go into business for myself and do strictly freelance work. My time as an Office Manager/Executive Assistant for one of the top Realtors on Hilton Head has prepared me very well for this kind of work.

To date I have been hired by three people who immediately hired me back to do more work. I have also been contracted out for 100 hours worth of work by one of them, and all of this in just a matter of ten days. The money is very good, and while I'm not working as much as I might like right now, I'm taking advantage of that by continuing the volunteer work at the food bank and the YANA club. And if it doesn't work out, I can always go to Plan B. Or Plan C.

Life is really wonderful, people. Time for some quick hits.

1) We're well in to the fall, so here's a collection of pumpkin recipes.

2) What’s in a Nickname? The Origins of All 30 NHL Team Names.

3) The history of the Hollywood studio logos.

4) Super Macro Your Cellphone Camera With A DVD Lens. This is an extremely cool looking trick that I can't wait to try. I even have a busted DVD player to use!

5) The Cheese & Burger Society offers a ton of hamburger ideas at their fantastic website. A must see for grilling aficionados.

6) If you want to help a friend, relative or neighbor who is struggling financially, and at the same time do want them to feel embarrassed and awkward about it, Givinganon has a solution. It is a non-profit website that lets you anonymously donate money to anyone you want. Every penny is forwarded to the recipient without putting him/her into embarrassing situation.

7) Here is a scene from the upcoming disaster flick 2012. Yes, please.

8) Drag Me To Hell is coming out next week and I'm dying to see it. What are the best horror comedies?

9) Attention Twitter nerds - here are the five best Twitter clients.

10) Someone is designing the world's only Bill Paxton pinball machine. Awesome.

11) You Suck At Craigslist documents all the really terrible Craiglist posts out there.

12) Here is the Wikipedia page listing free alternatives to proprietary software. So if you don't like shelling out hundreds of dollars for fancy pants Adobe products or antivirus software, then this is the place for you.

That's it for now party people. Here's Top of the Pops by The Rezillos.



AB

**************************************
Margot says:

"Andyboy's working? You gotta be KIDDER me!"

Rainbow Suspenders: A Celebration .







BAM. Suck it, nerds.

Andy took the Which Star Trek character are you? quiz and the result is Captain Picard

You are a natural leader, and you do well in difficult situations. You have a very private life and are going bald.

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Thursday, October 01, 2009

ESPN NFL Power Rankings: Week 4

RK (LW) TEAM REC COMMENT
1 (1) Ravens 3-0-0 They've got a great defense and an offense averaging 34 points per game. (Chadiha)
2 (3) Colts 3-0-0 The Colts seem to be in their traditional early season form, which means they are hard to beat. (Kuharsky)
3 (2) Giants 3-0-0 The Giants stay ahead of their long injury list by winning. (Clayton)
4 (7) Saints 3-0-0 They're 2-0 on the road and have four of their next five games at home. (Sando)
5 (5) Vikings 3-0-0 Brett Favre has lived up to the hype so far. (Chadiha)
6 (8) Jets 3-0-0 The Jets team that beat the Titans on Sunday might have more staying power than the 8-3 Jets that beat Tennessee in 2008. (Clayton)
7 (10) Patriots 2-1-0 Tom Brady might not have his offense in sync yet, but you can see it's coming. (Clayton)
8 (4) Falcons 2-1-0 You know the Falcons have made progress when a road loss to the Patriots stands as a disappointment. (Sando)
9 (9) Eagles 2-1-0 Expect Donovan McNabb to return after the bye week, but Kevin Kolb kept the offense humming during his absence. (Clayton)
10 (12) Packers 2-1-0 They should be pumped for their first meeting with Brett Favre. (Chadiha)
11 (24) Bengals 2-1-0 They haven't been this impressive since winning the division in 2005. (Chadiha)
12 (11) Chargers 2-1-0 They have a great opportunity to make a statement in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers will be feeling desperate. (Kuharsky)
13 (20) Broncos 3-0-0 A great start against lightweights will now be measured against a much tougher five-pack. (Kuharsky)
14 (14) Bears 2-1-0 It's now hard to remember how lousy Jay Cutler played in Week 1. (Chadiha)
15 (13) 49ers 2-1-0 Nothing quite like a home game against the Rams to cleanse the palate following the taste of bitter defeat. (Sando)
16 (6) Steelers 1-2-0 Think they miss Troy Polamalu? (Chadiha)
17 (15) Cowboys 2-1-0 Tashard Choice and Felix Jones prove the Cowboys can still have a running offense when Marion Barber is injured. (Clayton)
18 (16) Titans 0-3-0 Drops have to be a big practice issue this week, on special teams and for pass targets. (Kuharsky)
19 (18) Cardinals 1-2-0 The bye week comes at a good time because Kurt Warner is hurting and the Cardinals have much to figure out. (Sando)
20 (17) Texans 1-2-0 The Texans lost one they had to have to the Raiders last year. They'll try again, this time in Houston. (Kuharsky)
21 (21) Bills 1-2-0 Terrell Owens' 185-game reception streak was snapped Sunday. The next thing to snap will be T.O. (Clayton)
22 (27) Jaguars 1-2-0 Would a win over winless Tennessee qualify as an upset at this point? (Kuharsky)
23 (22) Seahawks 1-2-0 Two of their top three corners are out and the other one, Ken Lucas, has been banged up. Hello, Peyton Manning. (Sando)
24 (19) Dolphins 0-3-0 With Chad Pennington likely done for the season, the rebuilding program officially begins with new QB Chad Henne. (Clayton)
25 (25) Panthers 0-3-0 Who are these guys? Carolina seems to be searching for its identity three games into the season. (Sando)
26 (23) Redskins 1-2-0 As much as Clinton Portis is being stopped on goal-line plays, maybe Jim Zorn should let Portis call a few plays. (Clayton)
27 (26) Raiders 1-2-0 Raiders' passing average: 119.7 yards per game. Next worst passing average: Cleveland (146.7). (Kuharsky)
28 (31) Lions 1-2-0 That won't be the last victory they get this season. (Chadiha)
29 (29) Browns 0-3-0 As ugly as this looks, it's only going to get worse. (Chadiha)
30 (30) Chiefs 0-3-0 Improved third-down efficiency on offense has to be one of the Chiefs' top priorities. (Kuharsky)
31 (28) Buccaneers 0-3-0 Raheem Morris was all smiles when the Bucs hired him as head coach. He could not have known what awaited. (Sando)
32 (32) Rams 0-3-0 If QBs Kyle Boller or Marc Bulger cannot find open receivers, it's probably because there aren't any. (Sando)
 
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