the website name says it all.....

........er, it's Cats in Sinks!

Soooo.....you can look at lots of pictures of cats sitting in.....um....sinks and stuff......if you want to!

Make your OWN soft toys......

More information and download the Plushie demonstration package here (Windows only)

Christmas cats and dogs

Inanimate Alice

A digital story.....currently 3 episodes online here Looks like episode 4 is due anytime soon.

'Inanimate Alice' tells the story of Alice, a young girl growing up in the first half of the 21st century, and her imaginary digital friend, Brad.
Over ten episodes, each a self contained story, we see Alice grow from an eight year old living with her parents in a remote region of Northern China to a talented mid-twenties animator and designer with the biggest games company in the world.

Amazing party trick

http://view.break.com/410281 - Watch more free videos

Christmas nostalgia

.....at the WishbookWeb. Full page scans (literally thousands of them!) from vintage US Christmas Catalogues dating from 1944 onwards.

Music video

Amanita Design (creator of Samorost .....the game) created this music video for Under Byen - Plantage. There's lots more interesting videos in the post for 12th December from Blue Tea

DIY Christmas decorations with pizazz

Simple but stylish!

Find out how at Design*Sponge

Dutch plan to build a new island

From the International Herald Tribune

"AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands wants to redraw the map of Europe - literally.
Dubai built Palm Island. Now the world leaders in land reclamation are considering an island in the shape of a tulip to fight overcrowding and shield the coastline from the rising sea."

Read the rest of the article here

Pimp my sleigh.....somebody has to!

KwikFit Insurance goes festive here

North Pole Inner (as in Hollow) Earth Expedition.....

.....er, no comment!

another game

The usual rules apply.....just click on stuff and see what happens! The aim is to uncover all ten of the characters (pastel coloured bears with, what looks like, piles of poo on their heads - though I suppose it might be Mr Whippy-style ice cream.....but it's Japanese, so nothing's a given!)

Play it here

Sarah and Bex putting the world to rights (with lots of thumb action)

Caught on camera (phone) at the Victorian Christmas Market in North Shields last Sunday.....shame I didn't think to capture the (oh so victorian but rather damp!) belly dancers a little to the west. And, well done Chris and Heaton Voices for a festive soundscape!

Cool fire stations

Guess this one's for Richard, and maybe even Nick at a push...........

This one and 6 more from around the world here

Actually, this isn't such a bad idea.....

......but perhaps some false hair would be nice!

Dear Santa.......

They don't build motels like this any more!

CoralCourt specialised in catering for the US clandestine assignation trade from the early 40's until it was demolished (SHAME!) in 1995, the integral garages (to hide your car from spying eyes) were a big selling point.

For pattern lovers

Images from Bourgoin's Arabic Tessellations, 1879.

198 public domain, high quality images here on Flickr

Natures revenge

I was clearing out the memory chip on my phone and found this (so sorry about the quality!) Daizy and I went to visit the Blue Reef Aquarium at Tynemouth a couple of weeks ago and one of our favourite tanks was the one full of heavily pregnant daddy seahorses, this one was so fat it couldn't get off the tank floor......it's a small victory, but worth celebrating!
More details on Wikipedia and from the Knysna Seahorse Project

This weekend's 'point and click' challenge

Found on Neatorama......haven't tried it yet, I'm off to a wine tasting tonight to sample some Festive Fizz

For fans of point’n'click puzzle games, “Guest House” has a different
twist to it with strange contraptions, Egyptian hieroglyphics and interesting
music. More games of the genre can also be found at Lazylaces with “Rental
House” and “Terminal House”.
Source: Lazylaces

So this is Christmas......

In the 60's child star Shirley Temple re-emerged into the spotlight by
announcing her candidacy for Congress. She lost the election, but Temple
displayed her trademark tenacity and went on to enjoy a long and successful
career with the United Nations and the State Department. Currently retired, she
reports that she is at peace with her life and proud of her accomplishments in
two of the nation's most influential arenas. "If I had to do it all over again,"
Shirley Temple Black recently declared, "I wouldn't change anything."

Hmmm....maybe she should revisit that opinion.....just listen to this!

Mass attack

Addictive Flash game.....even up the scales by growing and dropping balls......sounds easy but it gets harder!

Link

MUCH LATER.....Haven't made it past level 3 so far, I'm putting it down to a temporary senior moment and a sticky keyboard!

Brian and his techie mates......

.....(actually only half of Brian, he shuffles off stage left early in the procedings) appear briefly at about 1min 28secs in (they were probably out taking a mass tab break!!) and are cajoled into wishing the world at large a happy christmas. I'm afraid they don't measure up to Johnny's virtuoso performance, so don't hold your breath......

The Gem

This one's for Ma.....a film from the Haltwhistle Film Project featuring one of her favourite places...just don't get her started!

Porky Pig sings Blue Christmas

French kissing map

"Over 18.000 votes have been cast in a poll to determine once and for all the answer to the burning question: Combien de bises? That’s French for ‘How many kisses’, and kissing in France is a lot more complex than the French’s somewhat overstated reputation for carefree libidinosity implies." Read the rest of the post at "Strange Maps" (dated 2nd December 2007) to ensure you don't commit a crashing faux pas by either pecking too much or too little next time you're in France .

By the way, "Strange Maps" is about just that.....and worth a look!

A tool for telephone blackmailers?

Type in some text and have it converted to an audio file that you can save and use for your own nefarious purposes (choose from English, Spanish and Italian options) at vozMe

My first attempt at raking in top dollar below!

Good things should never end.....

.....but try telling Bex. Here's a contribution from her late employer!
Click on the website name (or maybe twice!) to find out how they're spending the money they've saved on her salary.

Ho, ho ho!.........

We've had loads of fun with this at work today (only during coffee breaks and over lunch of course!) Upload up to 4 headshots (easy editing tools inbuilt) and get ready to dance at ElfYourself

If you get into the head transplant mindset there's others you could amuse yourselves with

• Gizmoz
• ScroogeYourself
• My ABC Adventure (more for kids, but also hilarious for for the young-at-heart!)
• AGE-O-MATIC

How-to videos for science experiments

"Are you a fan of Instructables or SuTree? Looking for a place with just science-related items? SciVee is a site for video clips of science experiments and processes that might be just up your alley. The service originally opened up to the public in late August but today is unveiling a newer, updated look with some new features to help users find and interact with content."

(To my shame I can't remember where I copied and pasted this from.....when I work it out I'll post a credit)

Perhaps someone with more highly developed scientific tendencies than me would like to review, Chris?.....I just thought it looked like it might be interesting!

Sometimes you just can't beat an old-fashioned pencil.....

Conceptis - Few websites do free online/printable number/picture pizzles as well as Conceptis. Try your hand at weekly sudoku puzzles, or get fancy with kakuro, battleships, slitherlink, hashi, and half a dozen varieties of picture-forming puzzles. Some can be played online and all can be printed and solved with a good old fashioned pencil.

Found at Jay is Games, (er....I find a lot of stuff here!!)

Santas workshop

Lots of pop up card templates to print and make here

Harriet Martineau....late of Tynemouth

"Hey, I know that name" I bet you're thinking

That's because you've seen the English Heritage Blue Plaque on the southern side of Front Street, Tynemouth...well, maybe!
Harriet Martineau was an English authoress and temporary resident in the north......
"From 1839 to 1844 she was an invalid at Tynemouth, but recovered through mesmerism" ......but, hey......didn't we all!
There's lots more about the lady at Wikipedia here
You can download a pdf copy of one of her books "Feats on the Fiords" (with very nice art deco illustrations, one shown above) here at the Internet Archive

Confession.....I've never read anything by the woman....I just liked the pictures!

Download free mp3s

Now I'm not sure whether this is all legal and above board....but they say it is!

Try it here Search by artist or title.

Some sample searches and numbers of results

• christmas 1410
• beatles 743
• bob dylan 431
• rolling stones 170

and last but not least......OK, so MAYBE least!

• david essex 1 (sorry anne!)

Trip the light fantastic

An idea for all those discarded cocktail umbrellas you'll no doubt be accumulating over the festive period (but be liberal with the fire-retardant spray before you flip that switch!). On the other hand you could just buy one ready made from Bright Lights Little City , but be prepared to dig deep for the priveledge!

Pictures from an exhibition

The quality of the photos isn't brilliant (it doesn't do justice to the artwork on show), but I only had my phone with me.....hopefully though you get the picture! I asked about the reason behind the name of the studios, but that seems to be shrouded in mystery or a cloud of alcohol. But apparently the building itself has a chequered history (not related to mushrooms).....it once acted as an overflow for the city morgue and before that it was a toffee factory!

Game overload

Think I know what I'll be doing tonight!.....Lovely graphics and lots of point and clicky goodness on offer at Tipping Point

LATER.....Stuck? (OK, so I was!), there's a stage-by-stage walkthrough here

tis the season to be glittery.....

Add some tacky glitter to your Photos

Lots of games trial....it's the weekend, OK?

Apparently this gizmo updates every week.....not sure whether that's a threat or a promise (and the good news, possibly, being that it'll disappear off the front page in a couple of weeks!)

They all feature the sort of repetitive music that revisits you in your dreams....be warned!

Chat Noir

Play it here

Try to keep the cat from escaping the field by clicking on a spot. Dark green means 'no way out'...satisfyingly difficult in a gentle sort of way.

Name that booze......

77%LUSH Take the booze test by clicking on the image.....I dare you!

At your convenience.....

The UK's first SMS service for finding the nearest toilet launched in London today. Just text the word "toilet" and SatLav, run by the Westminster City Council, points you the nearest public toilet. From the Associated Press:

The system, which covers 40 public toilets, pinpoints the caller's position by measuring the strength of the phone signal. The texts cost about 25p, and most of Westminster's toilets are free.
The council said it hopes the service will stop people from urinating in alleyways, saying some 10,000 gallons of urine ends up in Westminster streets each year.

"Satlav".....don't you just love it?

Trying out Windows Live Writer

I'm trying out Windows Live Writer again to see whether there's been any improvements. Also to find out whether the plugins work with Blogger or only Windows products. On the left is an alternative way of displaying captioned pictures.....unfortunately there's no way of changing the colour of the background or the drop shadow....but hey, it costs nothing!

Then there's the option to add a map or an aerial photo with added notes (click on the image to find out the latest status of pantomime tickets!)

A couple of podcast sources.....

They say........

"You’ve found the world’s premier horror fiction podcast. Pseudopod brings you the best short horror in audio form, to take with you anywhere.
WARNING: This is a podcast of horror fiction. The stories presented here are intended to disturb you. They are likely to contain death, graphic violence, explicit sex (including sexual violence), hate crimes, blasphemy, or other themes and images that hook deep into your psyche. We do not provide ratings or content warnings for specific stories. We assume by your listening that you wish to be disturbed for your entertainment. If there are any themes that you cannot deal with in fiction, that are too strongly personal to you, please do not listen.
Pseudopod is for mature audiences only. Hardly any story on Pseudopod is suitable for children. We mean this very seriously."

I say...."good for the metro, haven't lost any sleep yet!

And for the scifi buffs there's their elder sister podcast Escapepod, currently up to episode 133, with everything available as downloadable mp3s or as a regular podcast if you're that organised....and I think this has to be my favourite! They don't do a 'mission statement', just good fiction.

Sarah's (sort of) selling exhibition.....

For Richard and Janet.....and anybody else for that matter!
Taking place at The Mushroom Works (that's the blue dot on the map) on Saturday 1st December, 10 til 4ish for the "What do you take me for, I've got a proper day-job" fraternity (early afternoon best) together with the possible unveiling of Hails' long-awaited, monkey-based animation (if pressed he might be persuaded to slip the DVD into the player!). Apparently the official opening (on Thursday) has been slightly scuppered because they have competition....the agent representing Banksy (graffiti giant) is in town arranging another high-profile event that clashes. Support your neighbourhood/family artists!!

Still on the food theme.....

Another recipe video site at FoodTube

Here's a "Cooking with the Hippy" taster. Chana......spicy chickpeas and potatoes with incidental olive oil application, laid-back rainstick action and lots of lurve for added value!!

Another new restaurant alert

suggested by Anne and John.....hopefully review to follow in the not too distant future!

Website

Menu

Fab contribution from Lizzie (Lines not Lowe!)

300th post!

Talking cats

And the translation.......

Try to buy the blue cup....

....or just wait a while after the page has loaded (works best with the sound turned on!)

http://producten.hema.nl/

No equivalent in English for....

Kummerspeck (Germany): "Grief bacon" - the weight that you gain by overeating when you’re worried about something.
Attaccabottoni (Italy): A "buttonholer" - someone who corners casual acquaintances or even complete strangers for the purpose of telling them their miserable life stories.
Modré Pondeli (Czech): "Blue Monday" - When you skip coming in to work to give yourself a three-day weekend.
Razbliuto (Russia): The feeling you have for a person you used to love, but don’t anymore.
Shitta (Iran): Leftover dinner that’s eaten for breakfast.
Tartle (Scotland): To momentarily forget the name of the person you’re talking to. The word helps reduce the social embarrassment of such situations: "I’m sorry, I tartled there for a moment."
Pana po’o (Hawaii): To scratch your head in an attempt to remember something you’ve forgotten.
Ngaobera (Easter Island): A sore throat caused by too much screaming.
Backpfeifengesicht (Germany): A face that’s just begging for somebody to put their fist in it.
Papierkrieg (Germany): "Paper war" - bureaucratic paperwork whose only purpose is to block you from getting the refund, insurance payment, or other benefit that you have coming.
Rujuk (Indonesia): To remarry your ex-wife.
Mokita (New Guinea): The truth that everyone knows, but no one will speak about.
Gorrero (Spain, Central America): Someone who never picks up the check.
Fucha (Poland): Using your employer’s time and resources for your own purposes.....much as I'm doing right now!

from Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Wonderful World of Odd.
This book focuses on the odd-side of life and features articles like the strangest TV shows never made, the creepiest insect on Earth, odd medical conditions, and many, many more.
Since 1988, the Bathroom Reader Institute had published a series of popular books containing irresistible bits of trivia and obscure yet fascinating facts. Check out their website here: Bathroom Reader Institute

Weekend timewaster

The Evolution of Dance

For Anne.....cat in a bath

One for Chris

1 hour long, magazine-style, science programmes (delivered in a satisfyingly 'quirky' fashion!) from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.... available as podcasts or as mp3 downloads from their large archive. You can download whole programmes or individual segments (3 or 4 subjects covered per show) Perfect biking fodder!!
Quirks and Quarks homepage

Oh no it isn't.......OH YES IT IS!!

This years Panto at the Priory Theatre Tynemouth.....anyone fancy it? If so, give me a ring with preferred dates and I'll book tickets. Current takers, me (natch!), S, H and D, Ma, Anne and John

Update....and Chris and Bex (Nick said "Er......probably not".....so boo, hiss to him!!)

Update 2...and Richard, Janet, Laura and Ben. Now all we have to do is settle on a date....I'm on the case!

Update 3....it occurs to me that we have a ratio of 3 under-10s to 10 (so-called) grownups, we may have to spread the 'smalls' around to look credible.....at a push, one child to 3 and a bit adults looks ALMOST normal! But be warned, party frocks, alice bands and clean ankle socks for the ladies/long shorts, scabby knees, clip-on dicky bow ties and a dollup of Brylcreme for the gents MAY have to be declared mandatory! PS.....Grandmas are exempt!!

If only I'd known.....

.....about 'Aspirine Usines du Rhone'.....
Instead I had to manage with a pot of cheap honey and some generic painkillers from the corner shop!

New additions on your right

A recipe/ingredients search (see following post) for those times when you're cullinarily challenged (so that'll be most days of the week for me!) and a 'free iTunes downloads' for anyone who has nagging gigabytes to burn (but have a sneaking suspicion that this one won't be there long, the selection available didn't ring any bells for me!)

UPDATE....iTunes search removed, decided it was a waste of space!

Sample 'Nosh' search

I typed in Couscous (because that's what I was planning on for tea) and this was the first in the list.....looks yummy (though I'll probably replace the saffron with a pinch of turmeric!)

Couscous Salad with Almonds, Raisins, Orange Zest and Saffroned Onions

This recipe serves:8

1 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron threads with 2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup roasted almonds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
grated zest of 1 orange
2 cups instant couscous
1 cup water
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
lemon juice to taste
chopped parsley

1. Put the raisins in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer. Set aside to plump. In a small saucepan combine the crushed saffron filaments and water and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat to steep.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over moderate heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the saffron mixture and orange zest and simmer 3 minutes. Drain the onions and set aside.
3. Place the couscous in a medium sauce pan. In a separate pan, combine the water, 1 cup of the raisin soaking liquid, orange juice, spices and salt and bring to a boil. Pour this over the couscous and cover with foil. Let sit for 10 minutes then fluff with a fork.
4. Drain the raisins but reserve any liquids that remain in case you need more moisture for the couscous. Toss the raisins, onions, and almonds with the couscous. Adjust seasoning. You may want to add a bit of lemon juice to bring out the spices. Add salt to taste. Top with parsley.
Variation: Chopped, dried apricots may be added to the dish or can replace some of the raisins in the salad. They also need to be plumped in hot water.
To roast whole, slivered, chopped or sliced almonds: Spread in an ungreased baking pan. Place in a 350°F oven and bake 10 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant; stir once or twice to ensure even browning. Note that almonds will continue to roast slightly after removing from oven.

A bit of judicial weeding

I'm planning on removing some detritus from the 'far right'....and maybe adding some new ephemeral stuff. Anyone who wants me to leave (or re-instate) anything in particular give me a bell.

point and click

another weekend time waster. This ones from Salford University, play it here.

This one's for Ma......

VideoJug: How To Deal With Ants