Moreno Extreme Land Rover Defender

The phenomenon that is Land Rover began in 1948 when the Series I was released with the advertising slogan the 'go anywhere' vehicle. Fifty-Seven years later, what began as a post war project to keep the Rover Car Company afloat has developed into a British motoring legend and over two-thirds of Land Rover's sold in the last half century are still in use today.
Now known as the Defender, Land Rover's iconic off-road vehicle is the benchmark for all modern four-wheel-drives and is often described as the 'hero' of the Land Rover range. Often seen as the vehicle of choice for expeditions and adventures including Lara Croft's transport in the Tomb Raider films which proved so popular that Land Rover introduced a limited edition 'Tomb Raider' model. When Sir Ranulph Fiennes embarked on an epic around-the-world trip it was a Land Rover Defender that he chose to rely on.
Available with a choice of three wheelbase lengths - 90, 110 and 130 the Defender offers a range of body-styles. The 90 and 110 are available as a pick-up, hardtop and station wagon whilst the 110 is also available as a double cab and the 130 as a crew cab. Defenders can also be converted or adapted to fulfil more unusual roles such as fire tenders, ambulances and fitted with protective bodywork for peace keeping duties.

Checkout the entire review here!

GM, Segway PUMA Concept

From the 2009 New York Auto Show, Cars.com's Kelsey Mays takes a look at GM and Segway's PUMA (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility) concept.
Out this April 2009


You gotta check it out!
The Amazing future has arrived!

A story like 'a Disney movie' ; Why Susan Boyle inspires us!

After a week of unabashed hysteria about Scottish chanteuse Susan Boyle, it's time to pause and ask: What's that all about?
A psychological boost for a world battered by economic calamity? A spiritual moment for millions in search of transcendence? Maybe it's about rooting for the underdog. Or maybe it's just a new reminder of an old truism: You can't judge a book by its cover.
"Susan Boyle is a Disney movie waiting to happen," says church worker Janelle Gregory, 34, of Olathe, Kan.

But why?

• It's the vindication. "When they were making fun of her, I was getting annoyed," Carrigan says. "And inside I'm thinking, 'I hope she blows them away.' I was so happy when she just let them have it."

• It's the surprise. "If you have expectations of someone, you need to be prepared to be surprised by them," says Paul Potts, the chunky former cellphone salesman who was the Susan Boyle of Britain's Got Talent in 2007 and has since sold millions of records as an opera-and-standards singer. His second album, Passione, arrives in the USA May 5. "It's part of human nature to make judgments based on first impressions, but sometimes we allow ourselves to be misguided by first impressions."

• It's the guilt. Why the surprise? There's no correlation between appearance and talent, says Scott Grantham, 35, a financial analyst in Atlanta. "If she didn't look the way she did, would there be the same reaction? I don't think so," he says. "We make snap judgments based on appearance, and when we see those judgments were premature, we overcompensate by going so far in the other direction."

• It's the shame. Boyle forced people to recognize how often they dismiss or ignore people because of their looks. "Is Susan Boyle ugly? Or are we?" asked essayist Tanya Gold in Britain's The Guardian.

• It's the psychology. "There's an emotional state called elevation, characterized by a warm, glowing feeling, that we get when someone transcends our expectations," says Lynn Johnson, a psychologist in Salt Lake City. Boyle is "an elevator — we want to believe in something higher, that there's meaning in life and that the ugly duckling can become the beautiful swan."

• It's the hope. "She has truly touched my heart and soul and lifted my spirits," says Anne Jolley of San Jose, who describes herself as 47, unemployed, frumpy and "disheartened, disenfranchised, disillusioned and dis-just-about-everything-else in these bleak times." The messages of Boyle, she says, are that "there is hope still in this world; that dreams really can come true; that cynical people can be turned around; that maybe my best years are not behind me after all."

• It's the distraction. With everything going on in the world, "our economy in the tank, my husband and I worried that we will lose our jobs — this was a feel-good/underdog story, and I ate it up," says Lisa Sweetnich, 40, a CPA in Massillon, Ohio.

• It's empowerment. "What are we all crying about?" asked writer Letty Cottin Pogrebin, founding editor of Ms. magazine, in her Huffington Post blog. "Partly, I think it's that a woman closing in on 50 had the courage to compete with the kids — and blew them out of the water."

• It's the authenticity. Unlike most of the contestants on, say, American Idol, Boyle clearly has not been groomed to be a pop star, so she is perceived as the real deal, says Ken Tucker, editor at large of Entertainment Weekly. "People want their idols to be authentic."

• It's the spiritual solace. "We're responding to someone who does not have the packaging expected of us, especially women, and in that moment of recognition, people got in touch with something so soulful and spiritual," says Laurie Sue Brockway, inspiration and family editor of Beliefnet.com. "People felt blessed by that."

For many, it all comes down to ancient wisdom. Rahn Hasbargen, an accountant in St. Paul, cites John 7:24: "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."

"Never has that verse been explained more dramatically than in the case of Susan Boyle," Hasbargen says.

More people flock to Twitter as a conduit for information

Maybe you know about Ashton Kutcher’s obsession with Twitter. Last week the actor became the first tweeter to reach 1 million followers, and on Friday he got Oprah to join in.
You might have even heard about Corey Menscher, the new dad who made a tweeting habit of documenting every time his wife felt their baby kick before the boy was born in January.
But did you know this? The FBI twitters. So does the Johnson County sheriff’s office. Don’t forget the University of Missouri and the University of Kansas. Or physicians in Wisconsin who on Thursday took followers through a knee surgery, tweet by tweet.
It seems this land of Twitter — where life is documented on the Internet in 140 characters or less — isn’t just about celebrities or the silly anymore. It’s about real information, in real time.
Sometimes that can be tweeters telling people about a shooting in their town, or about who was arrested overnight and is now in the county jail. Or letting residents know about severe weather headed their way.
“Twitter is a scanner. It’s a scanner of life, scanner of the country,” said Jen Reeves, an expert in new media and a professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
And so many organizations are jumping in.
The sheriff’s office in Cass County, Mich. — population roughly 50,000 — posted its first tweet March 26. “Just started tweeting today! Hopefully found a way to get out our info to more of our citizens in a unique way.”
The next day: “Have more complaints of scams in Cass. People need to remember to NEVER give out personal info to unsolicited email, mail or phone calls.”
The FBI set up its Twitter page last fall, making it one of about 20 law enforcement agencies at the time with one. Today, at least 150 police agencies twitter, and the FBI has more than 2,600 followers.
During President Barack Obama’s inauguration, the bureau told its followers on Twitter which entrances to downtown Washington were closed and which were open. On a daily basis, tweets can be about new criminal charges across the country or wanted fugitives, even cold cases in need of information and where to call with it.
“The ‘Wanted’ posters of the past, while there’s a purpose for those, this is the new version of that,” said Special Agent Jason Pack, a spokesman in the bureau’s national press office. “Twitter is another tool we can use to put the faces and cases out there. … We want to keep up with the times and reach people we ordinarily wouldn’t be able to reach.”
Created three years ago at a San Francisco podcasting company as a way for people to instantly communicate with one another, Twitter.com isn’t just for the young. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, the average Twitter user is 31.
And the number of those twittering grows every day. The same Pew study said that in May 2008, 6 percent of adult Internet users said they used Twitter or a similar microblogging service. Seven months later, the number had grown to 11 percent.

“People still ask, ‘Why would you want to do that?’ ” said Jen Humphrey, the spokeswoman for KU’s Biodiversity Institute, which includes the museum. “Microblogging is a phenomenon that has a great deal of power and allure for a community conversation.”
And the conversation is instant. Quicker than mass e-mails or phone calls, tweets can be sent to and from cell phones or BlackBerrys, too.
That is one reason Twitter would be a good way to alert students of an emergency on a college campus, such as a shooting or major incident, said Jeffrey Beeson, an MU spokesman.
“It’s the fastest way to notify people that we have,” Beeson said. “Hopefully we don’t have to use it for that.”

How To Nail An Interview (22 Tips)

Check this advice out
22 tips to ace an interview.

1. Cover letters are worthless
If you think a well-crafted cover letter (or email) explaining your lack of experience is going to make you stand out, you're wrong and shouldn't even waste your time. With 100's of people applying, there's just no time to read your "pitch". It's all about your resume. That's what sells you. That's what gets you the job interview.

2. 10 seconds to sell or say so long
Unless your resume catches the interviewer's eye in 10 seconds it's over, you're done. So the big question is how do I catch the interviewer's eye? Here comes the best advice on how to get a job interview you'll ever get. Cater your resume to the job description!!! I can't stress this point enough. It's imperative that you cater your resume to each position you apply for. And I mean taking each line on the job description and writing a line on your resume to reflect your experience with regard to that line.
Yes, it takes more time than sending the same resume to 100's of jobs, but you're far better off applying to a fraction of those jobs with a resume specifically written for each job. Put yourself in the interviewer's shoes. Their job is to hire the most qualified candidate. They've been given a set of qualifications to look for: aka the job description, and that's exactly what they're after, so give it to them!

3. Be on time
There is no excuse for it, none! You don't want a pissed off person interviewing you. Leave extra early, do whatever it takes. Blaming it on traffic or anything else doesn't matter (even if it's true).

4. Cell phone off
Obvious… but easily forgotten, at least it was with 2 of the people interviewed. Double and triple check to make sure your cell phone ringer is turned off.

5. Know the company, and why you want to work there
Google the company you're interviewing for. Learn as much as you can about the company's mission, objectives, goals, and future plans. If you're asked why you want to work for the company, you best answer something better then, "I like the company's location", which was said.

6. Bring resumes
Your interviewer(s) will likely have a copy of your resume but bring spares. It shows you're prepared and serious about getting the job.

7. Bring a notepad
Very few people bring a notepad with them to a job interview. It's a very subtle thing that makes you stand out. Take notes when appropriate.

8. Dress in a clean conservative manner
Make sure you go into an interview having showered and wearing clean clothes. If you like wearing cologne or perfume, don't wear any on the day of the interview. What's subtle smelling to you may be overwhelming to your interviewer.

9. Profiles to private
If you don't think interviewers Google you or look you up on Facebook or MySpace, you're crazy. Hiring managers I've talked to all do this, as one put it, "to weed out people who wouldn't be a good fit in the company's culture." Don't give them ammo to not like you, set your profiles to private.

10. Don't make jokes
Too many people think they are funny when in reality they're not. A job interview isn't the place to test your material. Be friendly and outgoing, save the jokes.

11. Don't babble
When answering a question, answer the question. Don't start out answering a question and then veer off to talk about something else. Make sure your answer directly reflects the question being asked.
12. Don't badmouth a boss
Bad mouthing a previous boss in a job interview is a huge negative. They may have been the worst boss in the world but expressing that in a job interview is a huge mistake.

13. Don't flirt with the interviewer
Common sense but apparently needs to be stated.

14. Don't play with your face/hair
Interviews can be a nervous experience but rubbing your chin, twirling your hair, or anything else along those lines makes you look like you're lying or lacking confidence, both not good.

15. Don't mention your spouse's job
Ok, likely doesn't apply to you, but for her…yes.

16. Have good eye contact
Staring at the floor, ceiling, or wall when speaking or listening makes you appear disinterested. Again, simple and obvious but happens way more then you'd think.

17. Honesty is (sometimes not) the best policy
It's important to be open and honest in a job interview but sometimes certain things are better left unsaid.

18. Have goals
Maybe you don't have any idea where you want to be in a few years professionally but figure out something to say. If you don't and you're asked, you appear un-ambitious, which leads an interviewer to think you'd be a lazy employee.

19. Have accomplishments
Be prepared to talk about something that you're proud of accomplishing, whether professionally or personally (or a failure and what you learned from it).

20. Have passion
Be able to express why you want to work in that field/industry and what you do to further your knowledge (books, blogs you read). The more intelligent or informed you are the more impressive you'll look.

21. Ask Questions
At the end of the interview make sure you have some questions to ask. If the interviewer doesn't offer you a chance, ask to ask. Again, it reinforces your strong interest in the job.

22. Send a thank you note
It's easy to send an email but take the extra effort to mail your interviewer a hand written thank you note. It reinforces your interest in the job. It doesn't need to be long, just make it sincere.

There you have it. The best job interview tips you'll ever get.
Stick to them and you'll be on your way to getting hired :)

reference- http://www.howtonailaninterview.com/ to see the videos too!

'Talent' star keeps singing, raves keep coming

The often scathing critic Simon Cowell called Susan Boyle -- the breakout singing sensation from "Britain's Got Talent" -- a "little tiger."

On CNN's "Larry King Live," she showed she's no one-trick pony.
During a taping of the show Friday, she nailed a verse of Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" after King asked her to sing.
"Amazing. That was just absolutely stunning," said "Britain's Got Talent" judge Piers Morgan, who was also a guest. "To sing that with no musical backing is unbelievable. You have the voice of an angel, Susan."
The 47-year-old Boyle's frumpy attire and awkward mannerisms drew snickers and eye-rolling from her audience before she belted out a pitch-perfect number from "Les Miserables" at an audition for the talent contest, making her an overnight sensation. Watch Boyle sing on Larry King »
An unemployed charity worker who lives alone with her cat in Scotland, Boyle has inspired millions with a performance that flies in the face of pop music's penchant for pre-processed princesses. A clip of her audition had more than 19 million views on YouTube by Friday evening.
Boyle, who did a repeat performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" via satellite on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" Thursday night, told King she was aware of the snickers her appearance prompted at the audition.
"That doesn't bother me because I knew I had to get on with my act ... ," said Boyle, again speaking by satellite. "I wasn't sure how I would be received, so I just thought I'd give it a whirl."
Morgan, too, acknowledged the laughter, including his own.

"I sort of feel like apologizing to Susan," he said. "I'm sorry, because we did not give you anything like the respect we should have done when you first came out."
He said the judges had been through a long day with "lots of terrible auditions."
"And then you came out and we thought you were going to be a bit of a joke act, to be honest with you," he said. "And then I can remember ... that second when you had begun to sing, and I had never heard a more surprising, extraordinary voice coming out of somebody so unexpected."
To win the show, which would give her the chance to sing in front of Queen Elizabeth II, Boyle must survive a live semifinal next month and then a final performance if she gets through that.
"She's the most odds-on favorite ever on 'Britain's Got Talent' at this stage of the competition," Morgan said. "But Susan knows there are two big hurdles left. Anything can happen in a live show."
There's already been talk of a recording contract and world tours for Boyle. But she said she's staying focused on the competition for now.

She said she has no plans to get a makeover or alter her wardrobe -- "Why should I? Why should I change?" -- but did predict one big lifestyle change.
"I won't be lonely," she said. "I certainly won't be lonely anymore."

'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' Britain's most played hit

Procol Harum's 1967 classic "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" is the most-played song in public places in Britain over the last 75 years, the music licensing body said Monday.
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was second, while The Everly Brothers' "All I Have To Do Is Dream" came third in a chart released by Phonographic Performance Limited, which licenses recorded music for broadcast or public performance, to mark its 75th anniversary.
Wet Wet Wet's version of "Love Is All Around" was at number four and Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" -- which topped the British charts for a record 16 weeks -- was at number five.
Procol Harum frontman Gary Brooker said topping the chart was a "great and unsought honour".


The singer, who wrote the song's music, won a Court of Appeal battle last year over the royalty rights to their best-known hit.
"It isn't something I could have remotely imagined when I wrote the song and then made that legendary recording with Procol Harum all those years ago," he said.
"Every musician and singer hopes to reach out and communicate to the audience, so it means a great deal that the record has such an indefinable popularity and lasting appeal."
The oldest song in the top 75 was Glenn Miller's "In The Mood" from 1939, while the most recent was OutKast's "Hey Ya!" from 2003.
The Beatles had three entries -- "Hello Goodbye" at number 11, "Get Back" (13) and "From Me To You" (51) -- as did Robbie Williams -- "Angels" (six) "Rock DJ" (16) and "Strong" (56) -- the joint-highest number of entries on the chart.
Bing Crosby, the Everly Brothers, Elton John, Elvis Presley and John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John all had two entries each.

Crosby's pair -- "White Christmas" (10) and "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" (30) -- were the highest of the four Christmas songs to feature.

Top 10 (artist, song, year released):
1. Procol Harum "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" 1967
2. Queen "Bohemian Rhapsody" 1975
3. Everly Brothers "All I Have To Do Is Dream" 1958
4. Wet Wet Wet "Love Is All Around" 1994
5. Bryan Adams "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" 1991
6. Robbie Williams "Angels" 1997
7. Elvis Presley "All Shook Up" 1957
8. ABBA "Dancing Queen" 1976
9. Perry Como "Magic Moments" 1958
10. Bing Crosby "White Christmas" 1942

Exercise Your Neck by just Reading this Message.

Doctor advises patients to exercise their neck by just reading this message.

Requisite


In the end, all patients go home happily without asking the doctor for any medications. 'It is very effective,' said the doctor.

'All my patients never come back to me again.'

10 Tips For Getting Fit Over 40

Exercise science has proven that anyone can become fit and healthy at any age and that it's never too late to start. Here are 10 tips that will help you get fit over 40.
1. Check with your doctor. If you have any existing health conditions or you've been inactive for a long time, you need to get medical clearance before you start to exercise.
2. Evaluate your current fitness level. In order to develop an effective over 40 fitness program, you need to know what your current fitness level is. Cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition are all factors that need to be evaluated. Having a personal trainer evaluate your current fitness level is a good idea, even if you don't plan on working with a personal trainer on an ongoing basis.
3. Define your goals. What goals do you want to achieve? Do you want to lose 20 pounds of fat? Do you want to run a 10K race? Goal setting has to be a part of any over 40 fitness program.
4. Be consistent. Once you start an over 40 fitness program you have to follow it on a consistent basis if you want to derive any permanent benefits from it.
5. Warm up before exercising. A warm up should be a part of everyone's exercise program regardless of their age, but it's especially important for older exercisers who might be more susceptible to injuries. Warming up will stimulate blood flow to your muscles, increase your joint flexibility and range of motion, and get you mentally prepared for your workout. Do several minutes of easy aerobic exercise prior to more intense aerobic exercise. Do one or two light sets of each weight lifting exercise before using heavier weights.
6. Stretch after exercising. Stretching and warming up are not the same. Warming up should be done before exercise, stretching should be done after exercise. Stretching is especially important for older exercisers who may have lost some flexibility over the years.
7. Emphasize form and technique when lifting weights. You want to challenge yourself when lifting weights, but not at the expense of good form and technique. The over 40 exerciser needs to be especially careful to use good form and technique in order to avoid injury. Use muscle power, not momentum, when lifting weights. Don't heave, swing, or bounce the weights. Lift and lower the weights in a steady and controlled manner. Concentrate on feeling the muscle you're working (this is called the mind-muscle connection).
8. Give yourself enough recovery time after exercising. As you age, you need more recovery time after exercising, especially after weight lifting. Give your body the time it needs to rest and recover and it will get stronger and healthier.
9. Start slowly and build up gradually. Don't push yourself too hard too fast. Slowly and gradually progress from your existing fitness level.
10. Enjoy yourself. A fitness program has to be enjoyable if it's going to become a regular part of your life. When you first start a fitness program, especially when you're older, you may think it's a chore. But the more you keep at it, the more enjoyable it will become. You might just find that your fitness program becomes a positive addiction.

Nikon Hits It With New D5000

If you’re considering an entry-level Nikon D.S.L.R., you might want to aim higher. The company has just announced the D5000, a model that bridges the gap between its popular D60 and D90 models by offering features like high-definition video capture, a larger sensor, an 11-point auto-focus, and Live View at a reasonable price of $849.

Those familiar with Nikon’s naming conventions will note the new four-digit numeric range. “The D5000 name is intentionally designed to set the camera apart,” says Steve B. Heiner, a senior technical manager for Nikon. “It’s not necessarily an entry-level D.S.L.R.—the price is a bit higher, and the features are more advanced. But even the most beginner photographer can use it and, at the same time, it’s also great for an advanced amateur.”

The D5000 will be sold as a kit with an 18mm to 55mm (equivalent) f/3.5-5.6G VR lens for $849. Nikon will also offer a two-lens kit that adds a 55mm to 200mm (equivalent) f/4-5.6 zoom lens for $1,100, or body-only for $729.
The D5000 is built upon the small chassis of the D60 (which costs approximately $600) but adds many of the finer attributes of the D90 (now selling for roughly $1,200, with lens). The 12.3-megapixel D5000 employs the same sensor as the D90, for instance, and it offers the same 11-point auto-focus system (the D60 has only three AF points). That means the D5000 will provide faster and more accurate auto-focus than the D60.

Perhaps the most attention-grabbing feature borrowed from the D90 is high-definition video capability. The D5000 can record video at 720p (1280×720 pixels at 24 frames per second), and video can be captured with image stabilization when using a Nikkor lens.
Unlike the D60, the D5000 includes Live View, which enables you to compose photos or video on the LCD (in addition to the viewfinder). The D5000’s Live View offers subject tracking auto-focus to automatically lock onto a moving subject. And its 2.7-inch swing-out LCD can be rotated and tilted for framing low- and high-angle shots—a feature that even the D90 doesn’t include.
The D5000 also packs a whopping 19 automatic scene modes (as compared with 5 on the D90) as well as several new in-camera editing features, including a soft filter effect to smooth out faces and a perspective control that enables users to correct distortions of up to 10 percent that often appear in architectural photographs.

And for geo-taggers, the D5000 is compatible with Nikon’s GP-1 GPS unit, which means you can add longitude and latitude data to images. (The GP-1 will set you back roughly $210, however.)
With features like these, why even consider the more expensive D90? “There are a couple of reasons,” says Heiner. “The D5000 cannot control multiple SpeedLights, and it lacks a depth-of-field preview capability, as well as the ability to accept an ancillary battery pack.”
Still, no matter how you look at it—either $350 less than the D90 or $250 more than the D60—the D5000 delivers the best of both models at a reasonable price. It’s definitely worth waiting a few weeks before you make a final buying decision.

Passenger lands plane in Fla. after pilot dies

Read the news today!

A passenger landed a twin-engine plane in Florida after the pilot died in flight with a total of six people on board.
Federal Aviation Administration officials say the pilot died after takeoff from an airport in Naples on Sunday. It was on autopilot and climbing toward 10,000 feet when the pilot died.
The passenger who took over is licensed for single-engine planes but isn't certified to fly the larger King Air craft.
An air traffic controller helped the passanger down by calling a friend in Connecticut who knows the King Air plane and relaying instructions. The plane landed safely at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers.
The plane had been headed to Jackson, Miss. The names of the pilot and passengers have not been released.

Normally this is the stuff of B grade movies, but for it to be true!

Spendid!

How to Wear a Wrist Watch

I'm right-handed, and my watch feels more comfortable on my right wrist, but I've heard that I should wear it on my left wrist so the watch or the movement doesn't get damaged. Does it matter?
— Aaron Sherman, Davis, Calif.
I've heard that, too, but I don't think that's the whole story. Seems to me we've historically worn watches on our left wrists because they're easier to wind with our dominant right hands. This is, of course, irrelevant if one's watch is automatic. Or if it's quartz, driven by battery. Or if one is left-handed, in which case it's whatever the hell makes him most comfortable. It's also worth noting that a lot of watchmakers — Seiko, Panerai, and TAG Heuer among them — make lefts, or watches made with the movement reversed so the crown is placed at the nine-o'clock position instead of the normal three o'clock. I still wouldn't advise wearing it on the basketball court.

Coolest Coffee Mugs and Cups

On/Off Mug

Created with heat sensitive pigment, at first glance the On/Off Mug ($27.00), looks like a standard black mug with big white letters that say "OFF". Nothing fancy, but once you add the hot beverage of your choice, the mug changes color to white and in big black letters it states: "ON".

Drink Selector Mug

Tired of telling people how you like your tea or coffee? Twist rings on your Drink Selector Mug ($22.75) to reveal your choice of drink and your milk and sugar preferences.
Gun Mug

Sick and tired of high design constantly cast as sensitive and wimpy? Then kill a little time with this clever Gun Mug ($14.99) that replaces the boring office cubicle mug by a gold plated trigger custom made mug.

Darth Vader Mug

Let the Dark Lord of the Sith watch over your coffee with your Darth Vader Mug ($16.99).

Equal Measure Cup
View your measurements in a surprising new light - next time you make brownies, use a tyrannosaur's brain of flour, or sugar equal to the water in a cumulus cloud the size of a bus. The Equal Measure Cup ($11.49) is half measuring cup, half laboratory beaker, and all fun.

And since I like them better, they are better.

Seth Godin is probably one of the most insightful marketing thinkers and writers that I have known.
And Below is one of his posts that simply spells out out what real life is really is.
And for me this simply screams " the baiscs, never forget the basics, always go back to the basics" and I have highlighted the phase the spells it out for me.

What does better mean?


Are zippers better?
For years, I always wore jeans with a zipper. After all, zippers are better. They're faster and easier and they do what they're told. What an amazing invention! How did we survive without zippers?
Last year, just for kicks, I bought a pair of jeans with a button fly. Middle age crisis, I guess.
Now, that's all I wear. Buttons are better.
How can buttons be better? They're archaic. They take a long time. They're difficult.
Except that I like the way they look. And since I like them better, they are better.
This is a hard lesson for marketers, particularly technical marketers, to learn. You don't get to decide what's better. I do.
If you look at the decisions you've made about features, benefits, pricing, timing, hiring, etc., how many of them are obviously 'better' from your point of view, and how many people might disagree?
There are very few markets where majority rule is the best way to grow.

And the reminder "hard lesson for marketers"
Hard indeed!

The Ideal Pillar Post. The Super Pillar Post

I haven't written a post here for a while.

Not that I haven't had anything to write about, just wanted to write about something really worthwhile.

Pro bloggers like Yaro and Gideon ( my blogger heroes) have always talked about writing a series of 'pillar posts'.

So I thought I might just take the advice of the experts and get to it.

So hmmm,

Now that I'm getting down to it.

What is a pillar post?

" What is a pillar post? A pillar post is a post that is very long, instructional, and is usually a list (or at least that’s what I like to call it). A pillar post can take many, many hours and up to days to write, but they are definitely worth it. On July 18 I published a post called 75 Ways to Increase Your Site’s Traffic. I like to refer to it as a pillar post. It is a list of 75 items and is instructional, telling you how to get more traffic to your site or blog."

and with

"You should write one because people love posts like that. They can get so much from it and they can tell you are very serious about what you’re doing. I’ve gotten more comments on that post than any other, and also more people have linked to it."

is something about it from the super blogging blog

http://superbloggingtips.com/2007/08/why-you-should-write-a-pillar-post/

But how to write one? I spent a few hours (on the MRT) pondering this question;

"Pillar posts are not hard to write. No matter what your niche, a pillar post cannot be very hard to write, or even to come up with an idea for one. True, they might take awhile, but they aren’t hard. For my pillar post, I chose a very general topic in my niche: increasing traffic. Choosing a general topic makes it a lot easier and lets you have more to write about, and that’s essential for a pillar post. All you have to do is think up what your post will be about, and then brainstorm all the items in the list."

And then also...

"When you write a pillar post, and if it’s a decent one, you will receive many links from it and lots o f comments. Just be sure to proofread it as best you can before you publish it and make sure it makes sense, because if it doesn’t, you’ll lose valuable links."

So, Voila!