Hmmmm

Drunken Posts Are Bad

2011-01-29T21:44:00.002-05:00

Yep, bad; a bad idea. One shouldn't post when drunken; and yet here I am, posting whilst drunken. Although, given that I was able to choose whilst as the most appropriate word, perhaps not so drunken - meeegh, I could choose "whilst" over "while" in my sleep.

You CAN speak to a real person at Experian!

2010-06-22T12:22:00.004-05:00

After much frustration dealing with the automated phone system at Experian (one of the three credit reporting agencies) I googled how to get a live person and after much trial and error (and more frustration) I found a number that worked! It gets you right through to a breathing human being. The one I got was pretty nice too - although she couldn't fix my address and employer info over the phone.

So, here it is, the live person at Experian number: 714-830-7000

Enjoy!

Digital Dilemma

2010-05-15T11:54:00.013-05:00

I'm going travelling - finally! - in August and I know I don't want to lug my old SLR film camera around. Time to go digital. I've resisted digital so far because I found the lag when taking photos too frustrating and the cost of a DSLR just too much for my meager means.
After much research I've narrowed down the contenders, any advice would be much appreciated.

1. Leica X1 Digital Compact Camera 12.1 MP

It's so beautiful it brings tears to my eyes - I kid you not. You know the way some people get all dewy eyed about new born babies? That's the way I am about well designed things - the perfect marriage of form and function. (Feel free to think I'm a total nutter).

I can find no fault with the camera - the price on the other hand...

$1995.00

2. Vivitar Digital Camera 8.1MP

I like the styling, but it only has 8MP and from reading the reviews, it's not a bad camera but neither is it that great. It will suffer from the digital lag I so dislike, but it's a price I can afford -

$120.00.

3. Don't buy anything, just use the 3MP camera on my iPhone

It's lightweight, I'll be carrying it anyway, and requires no additional financial outlay. However, at only 3MPs the photos won't be particularly great quality and as an SLR user I'm used to good quality prints, and prints than can be enlarged beyond the standard postcard size.

$0.00

So, whadda ya think?

Wisdom from the bottom of a wine glass

2010-02-13T23:04:00.003-05:00

Why I'm not an alcoholic:

I'm not an alcoholic - and not likely to become one - because drinking alone makes me sad. Well, actually drinking makes me want to be around people and be sociable; drinking alone makes me sad because (obviously) I'm not around people.

Who knows, if it weren't for that I might a raging alcoholic. That, and the hangovers :P

Finally Opened My Esty Store!

2009-04-21T16:25:00.008-05:00

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
lilythomson.etsy.com

Feed the Homeless Cats

2008-07-16T11:48:00.006-05:00

Feed cats in shelters by answering a multi choice question. That's it! A girl from Oregon has put together a website and got donors who will donate kibble for each person who answers the daily question - even if you get it wrong. It's easy and you might just learn something while you're at it! Currently you'll only be feeding cats in Oregon, but as more kibble is donated they'll be able to expand.

I Love My Local Baristas

2008-06-05T08:17:00.005-05:00

An odd statement for a self-proclaimed coffee snob, who has all but given up on American coffee, but the folks at my local coffee shop rock. They know what I order (chai, not coffee) - at the beginning I tried to mix it up, not be too predictable, but I like what I like - they'll see me come in, give me a quick look that asks, "The usual?", sometimes they'll have it ready before even I get to the counter. A couple of weeks ago one of the staff called another store to see if they had any croissants left after the last one had been sold out from under my nose while I was waiting in line.
I use a prepaid card to buy my morning chai & croissant, which gets me out of even having to think of tipping, but recently I've been thinking about the tipping thing. As a foreigner who grew up without tipping being commonplace - only if someone REALLY went the extra mile for you, after all what they are doing is their job, its what they get paid to do - I don't particularly like the tipping system. Plus it's another thing that gets added on to what you pay, so the price on a menu is not the price you actually pay. First there is the tip and then the sneaky tax which they add on.
Today however, I reached into my wallet and stuck $10 in the jar. How could I not? They had my order waiting for me when I reached the counter (and as someone who is perpetually 5-10 minutes late for work I really appreciate this), but in the confusion as the staff served a homeless guy who wanted butter and sour cream without having bought a bagel (although he did buy a coffee) they forgot that they hadn't charged me. When I reminded them I got a smile and a shrug, "Ah well, its on the house then".

lily in Lime Laundry

2007-12-31T14:41:00.000-05:00

lily, telling it how it is, care of photographer Evan.

Learn the bloody language or get another job!

2007-12-30T21:07:00.000-05:00

Oh yeah, I just went there!

It might not be PC, but seriously though, why would you work a "service" job when you can't speak to your customers or understand them when they ask a simple question?! Why would you buy a convenience store and staff it with your entire family, who also don't speak the same language as the customers!

I tried to ask the same simple question in 6 different ways, I spoke slowly & clearly, I tried hand gestures (not the ones I wanted to use by the time I left the store though), and using simple words, but nothing. So frustrating!

Emerald Necklace Photos

2007-12-26T16:10:00.000-05:00

Only 3 or so months after they were taken. Not that bad for me really.

Detail from a courthouse facade.

One of the many ponds along the Emerald Necklace.

The only baby squirrel I think I've ever seen.

Detail from a plaque on a bridge built during the depression.

Nice Arse Shot

2007-12-12T10:03:00.001-05:00

Thanks Evan!

A cheat post

2007-09-12T15:29:00.000-05:00

To read about my walk of the Emerald Necklace in Boston check out Evan's photo post :)

Click on this.

Why I love the British

2007-09-06T21:24:00.000-05:00

Well actually, just one of the reasons - humor, and, most importantly, the sense thereof. Yes, they have that wonderful thing commonly known as a sense of humor. Now I'm not saying I always appreciate the humor (Mr Bean for example), but I do appreciate that they use it.

I've been watching a couple of shows on BBC America over the last couple of days, and I’ve noticed that at the beginning of each they talk about closed captioning and how to turn it on. Watching tonight I saw one that tickled my fancy, particularly as I've been living not just in America, but in Boston for a wee bit now.

"The following program contains accents you would have heard a lot more of if you hadn't thrown our tea into Boston Harbor. To find out what on earth anyone is talking about please use closed captioning."

Apparently the BBC reached out to John Oliver, a correspondent on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," to help those poor sods over here that can't understand the Queen's English.

*Tee hee* :)

Fruitiness

2007-08-31T15:28:00.000-05:00

Well, according to all the purveyors of doom and gloom, after this weekend Summer will be gone and Autumn upon us. Now I don't believe this for a second. In my opinion it's still Summer until it stops being typically warm and, well, summery and Labor Weekend has not a thing to do with this.

It is at this time of year that nostalgic New Englanders (ie all of them) begin to wax lyrical about their favorite time of year, "Fall". They speak of such things as the innocent joys of apple picking - and here I must pause momentarily for a rant.

For those of you in the rest of the world, people in New England actually pay orchards to let them pick the apples... Yes, I do mean that instead of the orchards paying workers to pick the apples, otherwise sane and savvy people pay the orchards for the "pleasure" of being manual laborers. It makes no sense!

OK, rant complete (on that topic at least). So with fruit on my mind I bring you my list of most nostalgia inducing, most missed, and just plain yummiest fruit from home. In no particular order...

1. Feijoas
2. Cape Gooseberries

3. Passionfruit
4. Rhubarb

5. Tamarillos
6. Hmm, did I say Feijoas already :)

Mmmm, fruit...

Lisa Ormsby - New Zealand Artist

2007-08-24T14:49:00.001-05:00

My parents and I share a love for art and often have similar tastes, only they can actually afford to purchase it.

When I was back in New Zealand in March (1st time in 5 and a 1/2 years!!) I saw and loved two of their paintings from this artist.

I looked online recently to see what I could find on her and discovered she has a website and found this painting (which I am coveting - and could even contemplate affording).

New York, New York

2007-08-24T13:58:00.000-05:00

Well, it has been more than a week since I last posted (see Getting my arse into gear) , but I do have a good excuse: I just got back after 7 days in the Big Apple.

Highlights to follow...

Stolen, and then stolen again...

2007-08-14T10:48:00.000-05:00

Taken from Refreshing Content who in turn took it from Ads of the World .

The difference between Marketing, Advertising, PR, and Branding.

Hmmm, I wonder, is this a "You know you're a geek when..." you find this kind of a cool representation moment?

Although, the Branding one more represents the results of successful branding, rather than the process.

And I think I just answered the geek question there too : )

FOUND

2007-08-13T12:35:00.000-05:00

Poppy has been found safe and sound - although a little slimmer. Thank you to all the people who responded to the leaflets and posters!

LOST

2007-08-08T15:12:00.002-05:00

Pretty Poppy is MIA. Last seen in the south-west corridor park area of Boston early Sunday morning (8/5/07). She is likely in the South End near(ish) the south-west corridor park. Poppy owns two friends of mine and they're distraught. Please contact me if you have ANY information. She has on a black collar with a silver stripe and a large yellow tag with her microchip information on it.

Lily misses her too, help her come home...

Getting my arse in to gear.

2007-08-06T12:10:00.001-05:00

The time for slacking is over! Having had a wonderful opportunity to do all sorts of things I previously claimed to not have time for has so far resulted in me doing naught, but "No more!" I say. I will post at least once a week, do at least three interesting things each week, and get moving! So here it is for all to see, my proclamation!

And now for action...

Disturbing Images

2007-06-04T12:01:00.002-05:00

Beautiful and disturbing paintings by artist Samuel Bak at the Pucker Gallery in Boston.

Book Me

2007-01-21T21:59:00.000-05:00

With the weather finally turning a little colder here it seems like a good time to curl up somewhere cozy with a book. A comfy chair, a crackling fire, and a cup of hot chocolate, mmmm. "Phaidon Design Classics" in three hefty volumes might not be everyone's first choice, but trashy novel or serious non-fiction, it's a great way to spend a chilly afternoon.

See more of my Book Me list at ThisNext.

Spoiled Rotten Kitty

2007-01-02T01:56:00.001-05:00

What my cat (and yours) needs.

See more of my Spoiled Rotten Kitty list at ThisNext.

So, what have I been doing for the last month?

2006-12-21T14:32:00.000-05:00

Pouring over the internet looking at cool stuff, that's what. Literally making a list, and checking it twice (at least).

It began as a birthday present search, then someone had a baby, someone else had two, Christmas is coming, and so I had many excuses to be trawling the internet looking for stuff. Still, after all the presents are brought, I keep going... somebody stop me... please...

If anyone has an idea of how I can put this obsessiveness to good use, I'd welcome the advice (ie make some money out of it - no start-up costs though, I'm skint).

See more of my I like... list at ThisNext.

Long Time, No Post

2006-12-21T14:24:00.000-05:00

Long time indeed, but I have just put a new set of pictures on my other page and perhaps I'll even take some more tonight *gasp* I don't think I've taken one photo with my "real" camera since Mexico - in fact I have a part roll of film still in my camera from Mexico.

I'll try to get back in the habit of posting, but anyone who knows me knows what a slacker I am about these things.

Scanner!

2006-11-12T01:02:00.000-05:00

Sweet! My flatmate has a scanner! Actually, he's had it the whole time he's been here, but I only just found out today. So here's a doodle. No doubt one of many to be digitized :)

Demolished for a motorway bypass.

2006-10-29T01:07:00.000-05:00

I loved the house I lived in for six years while at uni, but I'll be the first to admit it was not pretty. So it was probably a good choice from a PR perspective to demolish it first. It made it look like they were doing the community a service rather than carving a community in two.

Construction on the motorway bypass that had been fought since the 60's was kicked off in late 2004 with the demolition of 323 Willis St.

A girl was there to chain herself to the bulldozer - I always said I'd lie in front of the bulldozers if the time came, but I'd been in Boston for 3 years by then.

Guess-the-Google

2006-10-28T21:45:00.000-05:00

Good clean fun, but take note - this was made by a Kiwi, so spelling is English English, not American English (e.g. colour not color).

Click the image to play.

I know there's only a couple more days...

2006-10-28T16:39:00.000-05:00

but that pink was driving me batty. So here's a variant for the last few days of October.

Only 5 more days of pink!

2006-10-26T23:53:00.001-05:00

:)

My eyes are excited.

Sprogs!

2006-10-24T00:39:00.000-05:00

I've been away from home for so long that I have "cousin in-laws" who I have never even met and now not one, but two "junior cousins" (first cousins once removed is a little cumbersome to say)!

I don't normally get gooey over children, but not having siblings means no nieces or nephews (at least not by blood), so these little guys are the closest I've got.

Mikaela, who looked rather like Daniel last time I saw a photo & the man himself, Daniel - 1 day old!

Scrapblog

2006-10-23T19:22:00.000-05:00

Think I might be cheating a little here - this is actually a post from the other blog I've been working on, but it was supposed to be just a test ground for templates etc.

I had an idea to find a wood finish background and plaster it with stickers, graffiti, & a blog title as part of a blog template. In my search to find the ingredients I found Scrapblog [beta] (of course it's beta, it might even be beta 2.0).

You're supposed to put pictures in it too, but I was so enamoured with the backgrounds & "stickers" that I didn't even get to the pictures. You can even embed them in your regular blog - but I found for my purposes (only displaying one page) that taking a screen shot & cropping it in Photoshop worked better.

I'm still here...

2006-10-22T22:24:00.000-05:00

It has been a week, but I am still at it. Just "doing it" somewhere else. Honing my design skills (& therefore html & css skills - although I think both the words honing & skills give a false impression) in another location.

Check it out - ya know ya want to (it's not pink, I promise).

Fun with Fotos - Mexico, July 2006

2006-10-15T02:38:00.000-05:00

More photos from my Mexico trip in July, tricked out with the help of fd's flickr toys. Will add titles once I get my files in order.

[add words here]

[& here]

[& here :]

In the Pink

2006-10-12T13:39:00.000-05:00

Check it out - I'm Pink for October!

Anthropology Museum, Mexico City

2006-10-10T18:08:00.000-05:00

It was an overcast day when we visited the Anthropology Museum in Mexico City, but Photoshop took care of that for me :) We spent hours at the museum & still didn't even get halfway round!

The fountain in the courtyard was amazing.

Bovine Liberty, Mexico City

2006-10-10T18:06:00.000-05:00

We found this statue on the way back to the hotel, on the outskirts of Chapultepec park. I don't know what it's real title is but "Bovine Liberty" seems appropriate.

I've been slowly uploading the photos from my trip in July to Flickr but it's slow going. I hit my monthly limit very quickly.

Food, glorious food - Wellington, NZ

2006-10-07T20:23:00.000-05:00

In my Internet wanderings I came across the blog of a couple from San Francisco (in the US) who were moving to Wellington (in New Zealand). Turns out their new apartment will be not that far from my old place, so I just couldn't help put my 2 cents in & comment on how much I miss the food & the coffee. Well, I was asked for my recommendations, so here's a selection of some of my favorites...

WARNING: It's been 5 years & a month (almost) since I came to the States, so the opinions I am about to espouse may be horribly outdated, or just plain wrong by now.

Logan Brown, corner of Cuba & Vivian St's.
Loved Logan Brown. Not somewhere I went all that often as a poor student, but the food was heaven.

Matterhorn, 106 Cuba Mall.
Was a great place to go any time of the day or night. Good food, a big wine selection, ditto for the cocktails, live music, & a lively night out.

Tupelo, 6 Edward St.
This you might need a little help to find. I think it's technically a bar, but has good food as well as a good selection of drinks. The service and the decor give a cosy & intimate to the place.

A Sampling of Malaysian...
Satay Village, 58 Ghuznee St (just round the corner from Cuba Mall).
Cheap and yummy Malaysian food. their Chicken Rendang was always a favorite of mine, & Roti Chanai.

If you want to see your roti being hand tossed & cooked all in front of you, which is pretty impressive, Roti Chanai on Victoria St between Dixon & Manners St's is the place to go.

Kopi, 106 Willis St, also has some very good Malaysian eats, it's a bit more expensive but you don't have to BYO.

A few Cafes
Midnight Espresso, 178 Cuba St - An iconic Wellington cafe, for the coffee, the hot chocolate, & all the yummy goodies they have up at the counter.

Krazy Lounge, Cuba St - I particularly remember liking their brunch a fair bit.

Clark's Cafe in the Wellington Public Library - I don't specifically remember the coffee or the food, but it was a nice place to sit and start a book you just borrowed or gaze out at Civic Square.

Nikau Gallery Cafe, at the Art Gallery, Civic Square - Good food, nice surroundings & reasonable prices considering. Outdoor dining available.

There are sooo many good cafes, & restaurants, not to mention the bars, try them all!

Oh Lily Baby

2006-10-07T19:02:00.000-05:00

My Siamese dream when she was just a baby - and not yet mine.

Are you ready for your close up?

Terrible picture quality, but what can I expect from the camera on my phone? I really, really, really... really want a digital camera. Maybe soon...

Newport, RI, USA (too)

2006-10-02T01:26:00.000-05:00

Summer '05.
Not the most flattering view, but my hair was really long huh?

Spell with Flickr :)

2006-10-02T01:11:00.000-05:00

& that's all that needs to be said.

Cool photo toys

2006-09-30T14:10:00.000-05:00

Pretty cool, Huh? I made this with one of fd's Flickr Toys. The Hockneyizer.

Create a unique "collage" from a single photograph. Choose one of two styles: a "joiner" style image without frames or an image created from simulated Polaroids. Every generated image is unique. This toy was inspired by the photo collages of the artist David Hockney. Works with your photos hosted on Flickr or anywhere else.

But wait, there's more...
Motivator - Create your own (de)motivational poster.
Magazine Cover - Make your own magazine cover!
Mosaic Maker - Make a mosaic from your photos.
Framer - If you frame it, it's art.
Movie Poster - Make your own customized movie poster. Be a star!
Captioner - Add comic book style captions to your photos!
Billboard - Billboardize your message and a fabulous photo!
Stream - An everlasting flow of digital photographs.
Photo Fortune - A pithy fortune with related photographs.
Photo Wall - Amazing ever-changing photo wall.

Brilliant!

I am chocolate Flavored

2006-09-28T18:16:00.000-05:00

I am sweet and a little bit naughty. I am one of the few clinically proven aphrodisiacs. Sometimes I can seem a little hard, but show warmth and I soon melt.
What Flavour Are You?

STOP, THIEF!

2006-09-25T22:50:00.000-05:00

Some bad, bad person stole my credit card info and tried to buy things with it. I don't know how they got it, I still have the card. Luckily the credit card Co is on the ball about these things and gave me a call tonight after they noticed some dodgy transactions. They were really nice about it too.

Ha! Not a very smart criminal though. Tried to buy delivery pizza - so I called up the pizza place and got the address & phone number of the person using my card. I see a visit from the boys in blue in their future. You just shouldn't mess with me!

Wondering how someone got the info though... Well, once the police find out who this person is maybe I'll be able to work out how it happened.

My Siamese Dream

2006-09-25T21:14:00.000-05:00

Loving the blog buttons

2006-09-24T09:27:00.000-05:00

Virtual buttons {& not just virtual buttons, but free virtual buttons}. Which rocks, 'cause I love the buttons (see prickie.com) but what would I do with them if I had some?

If you want your site to be really snazzy, you can spend a couple of bucks and they'll make them to order, just for you.

Newport, RI, USA

2006-09-24T08:05:00.000-05:00

A little something from last summer. Walked along the cliff top in Newport. Got some great photos of architectural details.

Jaime Zollars

2006-09-23T20:52:00.000-05:00

jaimezollars.com

Beautiful illustrations. Really beautiful. These buttons are available on prickie.com - which needs it's own post, because it's very cool & led me to many more great artists. So, some other day...

Mexico City - Entry to bull fighting arena

2006-09-23T15:59:00.000-05:00

Supposedly the largest in the world - according to our guide, who kindly assisted us to bribe one of the police officers guarding the place, so we could take a peek.

Looking back I realise I totally missed the sly aspect of the, er... transaction, just boldly handing the cash over to the officer. I have since learned the handshake & slip 'em the cash method.

Ahhhh!

2006-09-23T14:02:00.000-05:00

Success!

The lovely Lily keeping her sweet self clean in the sun. Possibly the only creature less coordinated than myself.

Hmmm

2006-09-23T11:42:00.000-05:00

Hmmm. Why is it I can upload a photo that comes standard with my operating system, but not one of my own? Grr.