A coffee maker for the kids

Pretending and the world of "make believe" is so much fun when you're a kid. With so many "grown up" things to pretend with, why do I find this coffee pot strange? Given the preponderance of Starbucks throughout the nation, it should come as no surprise that there's a kid's pretend coffee maker, however I still find it odd. I love Starbucks just as much as the average guy. Who doesn't crave an overpriced cup o' Joe? :) No, I really like them. I just don't know that I want my kids to be playing "make believe" with their own coffee maker. But if I did want them to start learning the value of caffiene early, I'd certainly get them a Let's Pretend Coffee maker.

Reccomended for kids ages 3+. Available at Growing Tree Toys for $21.99.

Antworks

A 21st Century look at the typical "ant farm," Antworks is based on a 2003 NASA Space Shuttle experiment to study animal life in space and test how ants successfully tunnel in microgravity.

The Antworks gel serves as both habitat and nutrition for your ants - allowing you to watch in awe as they turn a brick of aqua-blue gel into a fascinating colony of tunnels.

Ants are easy to care for, they need no food or water (unlike Fido or Fluffy) and while they don't provide much companionship, they're fun to watch!

The ant life expectancy is approximately 6 months. Worker ants will conveniently carry their late brethren to the top of the gel for easy disposal. How nice!

Three interesting facts about ants:

1. Ants are one of the oldest living creatures on earth. Like sharks, they haven't changed much in millions of years. Nature got it right first time, proving the old axiom "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

2. Ants are the world's strongest creature in relation to their size. They can carry 10-20 times their bodyweight. They are also the longest living of all insects.

3. At any given moment, there are at least (10 to the 15th power) ants living on earth. That's 10 Quadrillion ants, representing 0.1% of all the planet's insects.

Available at ThinkGeek for $19.99.

Mirror Puzzle

A neat twist on the standard puzzle, the Mirror Puzzle is just that, a jigsaw puzzle made out of a mirror. Whatever happens to be reflecting in the mirror is the puzzle. Definitely more difficult than a standard puzzle, but also way cooler!

Designed by Tobias Wong and made in New York, it comes with a Lucite top and base. You can pick one up at Uncommon Goods for $200.

(via AskMen.com)

Britney Spears: "Will & Grace" Guest Spot

So many celebrities have done guest appearances on Will & Grace. And with the sitcom in it's final season, Britney Spears has signed on and fianlly taped her cameo.

In her guest spot, Britney plays a Christian conservative sidekick to Jack (Sean Hayes) on the episode “Jack Talk.” "Out TV" the fictional network that owns "Jack Talk" has been bought by a Christian television Nework and Britney's character is brought on to be Jack's new religious co-host.

According to Access Hollywood, "When she made her appearance on the set, she surprised and excited the studio audience so much, the show had to stop just to give her a proper introduction, much to the delight of the crowd."

Be sure to catch Britney on Will & Grace when the episode airs March 30 on NBC.

Photos and Video from Britney's Will & Grace Cameo

(via Access Hollywood on MSNBC)

Style-infused tea bags

Tired of loose leaf tea in strainers or the standard rectangle or circular shaped tea bags? Want to add a little something different to your daily tea? Tea Forté has re-designed the teabag into something chat worthy. Their take on the tea bag is truly a three-dimensional one. First, they've ditched the term "tea bag." Instead, the company prefers to call them “Silken-Tea-Infusers.”

Each Silken-Tea-Infuser is individually hand-crafted in the shape of a pyramid. Using only exquisite whole-leaf teas and rough cut herbs, Tea Forté has eight different tea varieties: Four herbal (Flora, Lemon Gigner, Oasis, Chamomile Tisane), three black (Forté, Earl Grey, Black Currant), and a green tea (Oasis.)

A little pricey, a tin of fifteeen will cost $24. Available at Tea Forté as well as distinguished reatilers.

(via Treehugger)

Be cremated in style

No matter who or where you are, one thing is for certain. We will all die. Yes, it's a morbid, but true thought. If you want to make one final (stlyish) statement from beyond the grave, check out Maximal Design's Soul Ash Solace.

This unit is a combination coffin and cremation urn, crafted of eco-friendly materials (corrugated board, paper-maché and wood) and according to the manufacturer, is also budget-conscious and burns easily.

On top of the coffin there’s a stainless steel hour glass shaped "memory capsule." After cremation, this capsule remains, as a reminder that time heals all wounds.

(via Gizmodo)

Venezuela's Chavez bars Delta & Continental flights

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will bar Continental and Delta from flying to Caracas until Venezuelan carriers are allowed to expand service to the United States. Venezuela is blocked from expanding its U.S. service by a 1995 U.S. Federal Aviation Administration decision that downgraded the country's security, safety and technical rating.

Venezuela's Francisco Paz Fleites, head of the country's civil aviation institute argues in a television interview: "There is a new aviation law and international aviation institute, our radar has improved, as has our control over our planes, pilots and maintenance."

Also affected is American Airlines, the U.S. carrier with the most service to Venezuela. American's service will be cut by 70 percent, according to Francisco Paz Fleites, head of the country's civil aviation institute.

The new restrictions will go into effect on March 1 and apply to both passenger and cargo flights. Combined, the three U.S. airlines have a daily capacity of approximately 3,000 seats on their U.S.-Venezuela routes, company officials said.

(via Bloomberg.com)

My Network TV - Filling the gap left from the WB+UPN=CW Deal

Much of the television world was shocked by last month's announcement that the WB and UPN would be merging to form a new network, CW. While many still may be wondering what will happen with their favorite shows, the greater question is, "what will we do with the absence of a television network?" Will life go on? Oh, the agony of it all!

Never fear, loyal tv watcher, News Corp. has announced that it will fill this "missing network" void with a new network, My Network TV. Expected to launch September 5, 2006, this new nework offering will feature a programming service that will showcase two hours of prime-time shows six nights a week. "Desire" and "Secrets" are two prime-time dramas currently scheduled to run. "Desire" chronicles two brothers on the run from the Mafia, while "Secrets" probes the guilty pleasures of beautiful people in the fashion biz. Similar to the mellowdramatic telenovelas popular in Latin America, both shows are full of soap opera plots (all those exciting twists and turns) and hot young stars (hopefully) in the making.

News Corp. also plans to air reality shows on the new network. Reality shows currently in the works are: "Celebrity Love Island" about six celebs thrown together with six regular Joes on an island (think Survivor + Paradise Hotel), "On Scene," a crime show from News Corp.'s Fox News Channel (sounds like another CSI or similar show), and "Catwalk," a supermodel search (Competition for America's Next Top Model.)

Heavily promoted on other Fox networks, News Corp. will also promote these reality shows and likely the entire network on its recently acquired MySpace, a social networking site.

My Network TV will initially reach 24% of the country through 10 Fox-owned stations in such cities as Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and New York that are now UPN affiliates or independents. News Corp executives have said they are confident that their new network will ultimately be carried in 90% of the United States.

(via LA Times and New York Daily News)

Appetite Suppresant Lip Balm

A new lip balm named "Promise" claims to curb one's appetite after application. Omega Tech Labs, the appetite supressant balm's maker, also touts that "Promise" is a minty all natural lip soother that also freshens breath.

Each 8 ml, roll-on applicator container fits "discretly" into your pocket or purse. A single container should last the average user approximately one month, retailing somewhere in the $4.00 to $5.00 price range.

According to the product's website, "When the urge to snack or have a large meal strikes... Apply liberally to your lips!" Wow. With a tagline like that, it should be sold on tv. Or on the internet. :)

(via Strange New Products)

Cool iPod Cases

Ingenuity and creativity catches our eye. With the gross popularity of the iPod, many accessories have emerged, catering to our wishes to make our iPods cooler, easier to use, and more useful to us. One of the downfalls of the iPod is how easily it becomes scratched. To remedy that, there are a number of iPod cases available. Everything from leather, to nylon, to silicon. Most of these cases are either professional or just plain (boring.) But yawn no more, for I present the Iconz iPod Video Cases.

These cases are a flash of color and a breath of personality for your iPod. Take your pick from six different designs (Looney Toons Tweety, Darth Vader, Speed Racer, Homer Simpson, Batman, and Superman.) These cases protect your iPod's whole unit, screen, casing and click wheel, from scratches. They are officially licensed designs and fit either the 30GB or 60GB video iPod. Available for $29.95 from XtremeMac.

Maybe cartoon characters aren't what you'd have encasing your iPod? Iconz also offers (via XtremeMac) a MLB series of cases for the video iPod as well as an assortment of Cartoon, MLB and NBA styled cases for your Nano.

Fast Food: Order it yourself!

Tired of incompetent fast food employees or waiting in line to place your order? A visit to the combination Taco Bell/KFC in Morrisville, NC may be in order! Let's listen to what Abir Majumdar has discovered:

"I went to one of those Taco Bell/KFC hybrids in Morrisville, NC and all the ordering was done through the gigantic touchscreens. No humans take orders there. You go to the machines and you're presented by an animated Colonel and talking taco. Then you put in an order as if you were at amazon. You can pay with cash and credit card."

Very interesting. I haven't been to a combination Taco Bell/KFC or any other restaurant combination in ages. This just may make me go and visit one! Much like the self-serve checkout machines in grocery stores, I think this is a great idea! After all, I enjoy pushing buttons; so if it'll get me my fast food my way, all the better!

Turns out, I'll be in North Carolina next weekend. Maybe I'll stop into a local Taco Bell/KFC for some self-serve ordering fun!

More pictures from Abir can be found here.

(via Boing Boing)

World Time Clock

This World Time Clock by Charlotte Van Der Waals is a modern and simplistic look at telling time in various world time zones. In the shape of a dodecahedron (12-sided figure), each side has two cities names etched into it, encompassing all 24 world time zones. Simply roll the clock until the time zone you're looking for is at the top of the clock. The World Time Clock is available in black, red molded plastic and stainless steel. Snatch one up for $75 at Junro.

(via Gizmodo and Popgadget)

Ashlee Simpson: What has she done to her face?!

So many people look forward to celebrity mess-ups and pictures of them not looking their best. Ashlee Simpson is no stranger to bad press and slip-ups. Back in October 2004 there was her infamous lip-synching debacle on SNL. (First blaming her band for playing the wrong song, then her acid reflux. Yeah right.) Then her January 2005 perfomance at the Orange Bowl where she screamed (off tune, I may add) her song. At the end of her performance, she was booed off the field by the fans. Finally her December 2005 drunk incident at a McDonald's in Toronto where she was publicly intoxicated and not too nice. (Ashlee, when you drink that much, please don't go out in public, it's bad for your image.) And now, these pictures. Yikes!

Her hair is bleach blond while her skin, an eerie color orange. Lay off the fake tanner, Ashlee, it just doesn't look right. Then there's her lips that (strangely) don't look too natural. Oh Ashlee, stop with the collagen. Love the lips you're given!

Plus, please tell me why she's giving the shaka sign? Is she trying to "hang loose?"

These picture of her is certainly NOT flattering, but it's also nice to know (in a mean way) that celebrities don't always look great. After all, we all have our bad days so it's nice to know (and see) that celebrities do as well. But if I was getting paid that much, I'd certainly make sure I wasn't looking (yikes) like this!

(via Egotastic!)

The Dumpster: Visualization of Teen Breakups

The Dumpster is an interactive online visualization that depicts a slice through the romantic lives of American teenagers. Using postings extracted from millions of blogs, visitors can surf through tens of thousands of romantic relationships in which one person has "dumped" another.

The Dumpster was created by Golan Levin with Kamal Nigam and Jonathan Feinberg and is made possible by support from the Whitney'>Whitney Artport, the Tate Online, and Intelliseek. Version 1.0 was (amusingly) launched, on Valentine's day 2006.

Visit "restricted areas"

Swiss artists Matthias Jud and Christoph Wachter have spent five years scanning both search engines and atlas to collect information, pictures and maps of areas restricted to the general public (military installations). They have documented their findings in Zone*Interdite (restricted area).

Level 01 shows a map of the world with approximately 1,200 restricted areas indicated by green dots. Click on one of the dots and a window will pop up with a short description and more information on the place. Much like a wiki, additional information can be added by users.

The Level 02 part of the project reconstructs particular areas as 3D worlds. A PC version can be explored as a virtual walk through. Currently there are two 3D worlds available: the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and an Islamic training in North Khartoum, Sudan.

Here is a Flash into on the site.

Demos of both Level 01 and Level 02.

(via we make money not art)

A Kegerator for Grown Ups

Tired of retrofitting old refrigerators to hold and dispense your favorite beer? Have enough money to spend on a quality appliance that combines the refrigerator/freezer concept with a keg? Want no more!

HomePub chills and pours beer from a tap on the front of the appliance. Manufactured by the Dutch company, Edy, HomePub’s draft beer system is nestled inside the door where it doesn't take up any space in the refrigerator. Hmmm... Okay. Its quiet dual compressors result in a powerful cooling system that chills down your favorite 5-liter kegs. Beer is kept fresh and cold for approximately 28 days. Available (now in the UK) for approximately $1100.

(via BornRich)

King County Web Site Shows Meth Labs

Crime fighting goes hi-tech!

Not only is the Seattle and King County Public Health department's web site a wealth of knowledge for the cleanup of illegal drug labs, but it also has an iMAP site that allows you to locate and view illegal drug labs.

The list of illegal drug lab includes over 300 meth labs discoverd over the past eight years.

(related story here)

(via Kiro7 and King5)

Brad and Jen: Splitting the Assets

The details of the Brad Pitt/Jennifer Aniston divorce settlement has been announced. How do you divide $60 million in assets? Brad Pitt receives their film production company (Plan B Productions) and Jennifer Aniston receives the couple's $29 million Beverly Hills mansion.

In addition, Aniston will retain a "minor stake" in the production company, which is believed to be worth more than $50 million after a string of 12 successful independent movie releases, including Tim Burton's "Charlie And The Chocolate Factory."

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston got married on July 29, 2000. They announced their separation was on January 7, 2005, and after nearly 4 1/2 years of marriage, Jennifer Aniston filed for a divorce on March 25, 2005, citing irreconcilable differences. The Pitts’ divorce became final in October.

(via The Boston Herald)

Zillow

Are you navigating the exciting, yet sometimes confusing real estate market? Searching for a new home and want to see what other homes in the area are worth? Wondering what your home is valued at?

Well, wonder no more. Zillow (currently in Beta testing, meaning it's not quite complete, but there's a lot of data and features there to check out) is a great free site that provides instant valuations and data for over 60 million homes in the US!

Curious, huh? I sure was. Check out Zillow and see for yourself!

Newsmap

Newsmap is an application that visually reflects the constantly changing landscape of the Google News news aggregator. Displaying different broad topics of news in different colors, the size of the news "blocks" represent the frequency that the story is found globally. Larger blocks denote a wider coverage by the media. Visually, the size and colors of the stories demonstrate the relationships between data and the unseen patterns in news media.

Newsmap is a fascinating look at the news.

What's Up? Newsmap

A recent graduate of the Design Academy in Eindhoven, the Netherlands Jeroen Wijering has created a Flash-based news map called What's Up?. New stories are highlighted on the map, and a balloon appears with a headline; clicking on the balloon sends you to the source of the story. For a news junkie, this is a great tool. Not only does it give current news stories gathered from sources across the globe, but it also presents it in a visually appealling, cool interface.

XBOX 360 In-Store Inventory Tracker

Hello gaming fans!

Still unable to get your hands on the XBOX 360? Tired of checking store inventory time and time again for that coveted gaming system? Well toil no more! You can now download a the XBOX 360 In-Store Inventory Tracker, a handy little app that automatically checks your local BestBuy, Circuit City, and FutureShop's website for the XBOX 360 Premiums at a time interval you specify and alerts you via Text-Message and/or Email.

Head on over to untiltednet.com to get this app.

Cool (but hot) Chocolate Chai Cocktail

Found in the March issue of Cargo Magazine, this cocktail is created with Voyant ($22.99), a "delicious liqueur with the cinnamon, clove, ginger, and vanilla flavors of chai tea." Created by mixologist Nick Mautone, this sweet and creamy rum-based drink is hot and cozy, perfect for cold winter nights!

Chocolate Chai
1 cup hot brewed black tea
1 oz. Voyant Chai Cream liqueur
1 oz. Godiva Liqueur
Whipped cream for garnish
Mint chocolate chips for garnish

In a coffee mug, mix together the first three ingredients and stir well. Top with whipped cream and mint chocolate chips. Says Mautone: "This also makes a wonderful chilled cocktail -- simply substitute two ounces of cold tea, shake with both liquor's, and strain into a martini glass. Garnish and serve in the same way."

Served hot or cold, this fun drink will be sure to impress and is easily enjoyed.

Seattle Restaurant Reccomendations

So I've decided to post a weekly restaurant review. I love to eat out and what better way to share the cool restaurants that I've found than by posting them here! Most of these restaurants will be found in the greater Seattle area, but occasionally I'll venture out and try places in Tacoma and elsewhere. Keep your eyes peeled for my first review, to be posted this week!

Until then, eat happy!

Girl Scout Cookies

News flash! The Washington Girl Scout cookies came in this past weekend! Yeah! While the girl scouts won't be at stores until March, I just wanted to remind you all that the cookies will be here soon, so remember to buy several boxes adn support the girl scouts in their fundraising efforts. Each troop has different goals they set for themselves and are working towards a special event.

If you can't wait until March, let me know I've got a good friend who's working on the inside and can get us the cookies we crave now! If you're curious, here are the sales goals for her troops:

132 boxes to have a mini spa day
86 boxes to go on the Seattle Duck Ride/Tour
100 boxes to ride the ferry, have lunch and tour Bainbridge Island
116 boxes to go indoor rock climbing and have lunch

Check out the cookie varieties available in Washington.

Thanks for supporting the cookie program! Yet another reason to love life, love food, and love(?) the gym! :)