Tell someone that you're looking to improve your home, and they'll ask you about a new paint job, new furniture, refinishing the floors, or new decor. But one of the best and most flexible ways to create a new look is through the creative use of home lighting fixtures.
Premier Lighting has lighting products to fit all styles and all areas of the home. Think of the different moods and environments you can create with track lighting ... wall sconces ... and more effective bathroom lighting.
Lighting can really make or break a room or outdoor location, so it's a smart idea to check out the best options for a space.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Just Because Your Urinal's Talking to You Doesn't Mean You're Drunk
New Mexico has a new partner in cracking down on drunken driving-- talking urinal cakes. The pink enclosures display an anti-drunk-driving message, "You drink, you drive, you lose." And to make sure the point gets across, the urinal cakes speak the message, too. The talking urinal cakes are said to cost $21 each and the batteries supposedly last for three months. The talking urinal cakes have been installed in some bars in Albuquerque this week; they will be distributed to bars in other cities later on.
I've heard that New Mexico has perhaps the biggest drunk driving problem of any state in the U.S., so maybe this is a good idea. Supposedly talking urinals were used in New York City a couple of years back, but I didn't see any. And Country Music Television used talking urinal cakes as a promotional technique a few years ago.
I haven't run into any talking urinals in person. However, I did have the experience of Eddie Murphy speaking to me right as I was pulling down my zipper in the men's room of a NYC bar last week. (There was a talking sign for his new movie "Norbit" above a urinal, and after I walked past it it started it's spiel.)
A few thoughts come to mind regarding the anti-DWI talking urinal cakes:
* The campaign might indeed cut down on drunk driving, but not in the way you'd think If I was three sheets to the wind and heard my urinal talking back to me, I might well have a heart attack right then and there.
* Who'd want a job servicing these things and installing new batteries? It's great they last three months, but eventually someone's gotta go in there and put in a fresh battery.
* Why are these deodorizers called urinal "cakes" anyway? Makes it sound like something you'd find in a demented bakery.
I hope nobody bakes me a urinal cake for my birthday.
I've heard that New Mexico has perhaps the biggest drunk driving problem of any state in the U.S., so maybe this is a good idea. Supposedly talking urinals were used in New York City a couple of years back, but I didn't see any. And Country Music Television used talking urinal cakes as a promotional technique a few years ago.
I haven't run into any talking urinals in person. However, I did have the experience of Eddie Murphy speaking to me right as I was pulling down my zipper in the men's room of a NYC bar last week. (There was a talking sign for his new movie "Norbit" above a urinal, and after I walked past it it started it's spiel.)
A few thoughts come to mind regarding the anti-DWI talking urinal cakes:
* The campaign might indeed cut down on drunk driving, but not in the way you'd think If I was three sheets to the wind and heard my urinal talking back to me, I might well have a heart attack right then and there.
* Who'd want a job servicing these things and installing new batteries? It's great they last three months, but eventually someone's gotta go in there and put in a fresh battery.
* Why are these deodorizers called urinal "cakes" anyway? Makes it sound like something you'd find in a demented bakery.
I hope nobody bakes me a urinal cake for my birthday.
SI Swimsuit Models Arrive at the Newsstand, and On Your Phone
Valentine's Day is almost here, and this year Sports Illustrated is giving a gift to men everywhere for the occasion. That's because Feb. 14 is the day the latest edition of the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue hits the stands.
Believe it or not, this is the 43rd edition of the famous swimsuit issue, and of course over the years it's become more than just an issue of a magazine. It's always been a controversial and much talked-about phenomenon.
For those who love the gorgeously photographed shots of gorgeous women in exotic locales, it means getting down to the store before all the copies sell out. For some women, the swimsuit issue is an offensive display of scantily dressed ladies in a sports magazine. And to some loyal SI readers, it's an unwelcome intrusion into the sports coverage of their favorite publication. Every year Sports Illustrated can count on getting some subscription cancellations from irate readers angry about the inclusion of swimsuit photos among their sporting content.
Whatever your stand, there's one thing everyone can agree on: the swimsuit issue has become a yearly cultural phenomenon that's way more than just a magazine. Naturally, the swimsuits and styles have changed a lot over the years, and so has the swimsuit issue. Years ago SI started bringing the swimsuit issue phenomenon to calendars, videos, TV programs, and of course the Internet. This year there's one more place you can find the lovely swimsuit models: on your cell phone.
That's right, now you can see your favorite SI models whenever you want by downloading cell phone wallpapers from SI Mobile. These are straight from the magazine's photo shoots and cost only $1.99 each. And they're available from all major wireless carriers.
The SI Mobile site features more than 50 supermodels from Heidi Klum to Maria Sharapova, Marisa Miller, Molly Sims, and 2005 SI cover girl Carolyn Murphy. And it includes wallpapers from classic SI cover girls from past years, including multiple-year cover models Elle Macpherson and Kathy Ireland.
What's more, SI Mobile users can go beyond just photos of the models. You can download video clips from the photo sessions, ringtones with video, animated screensavers, and more.
If you're used to just buying the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, you're missing out on a lot of the fun! Check out the new swimsuit issue goodies from SI Mobile.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Mild Winter?! Yeah, right...
It seems like just a few weeks ago when folks in the Northeast were complaining about the warm weather and wondering if we were going to get a real winter.
In fact, it was just a few weeks ago, back in late December, when it was about 50 degrees on Christmas day in New York City. The weather was unseasonably warm, and the City had experienced its first snowless December in 100 years.
I doubt that many New Yorkers are complaining about those warm days now, when the City has been in the throes of a cold snap that has left the wind chills hovering in the single digits for much of the last two weeks. Snow is predicted for late Tuesday/early Wednesday--three to six inches worth--and NYC should consider itself lucky that that's all it's getting.
Upstate New York has gotten bombarded with snowfall that's remarkably heavy even for those wintry northern climes. Some areas have been hit with eight to 10 feet of snow, which makes Denver's December/January allocation of the white stuff look pretty tame.
The warm weather in December was a fluke; winter has not gone away. Of course, next week it could be back in the 50s again. It's said that the best way to deal with changeable weather is to dress in layers. So look for me on the streets of the city; I'll be the one with the duffle bag full of 10 layers of clothes, trying to dress appropriately for whatever curveball this El Nino-influenced can throw at me.
In fact, it was just a few weeks ago, back in late December, when it was about 50 degrees on Christmas day in New York City. The weather was unseasonably warm, and the City had experienced its first snowless December in 100 years.
I doubt that many New Yorkers are complaining about those warm days now, when the City has been in the throes of a cold snap that has left the wind chills hovering in the single digits for much of the last two weeks. Snow is predicted for late Tuesday/early Wednesday--three to six inches worth--and NYC should consider itself lucky that that's all it's getting.
Upstate New York has gotten bombarded with snowfall that's remarkably heavy even for those wintry northern climes. Some areas have been hit with eight to 10 feet of snow, which makes Denver's December/January allocation of the white stuff look pretty tame.
The warm weather in December was a fluke; winter has not gone away. Of course, next week it could be back in the 50s again. It's said that the best way to deal with changeable weather is to dress in layers. So look for me on the streets of the city; I'll be the one with the duffle bag full of 10 layers of clothes, trying to dress appropriately for whatever curveball this El Nino-influenced can throw at me.
Friday, February 09, 2007
A New Home on the Web Where Jewish Singles Can Mingle
Dating has come a long way since those pre-Internet days when people posted short classified ads full of cryptic abbreviations like "SWF" and "DJM." The Web makes it easy to offer in-depth details, photos, and much more, and the new site Jsingles.com makes it simple for Jewish singles to browse, mingle, and connect.
It has the professional-looking design and features of the major online dating sites, but caters specifically to Jewish singles of all ages. It includes Jewish Personals featuring detailed bios, photos, and the ability to "send a message" or "send a flirt." But what makes the site even more useful is its collection of articles.
Being Jewish means very different things to different people, and in some of these articles Jsingles helps users navigate the tricky aspects of dating in this environment. Some people are religiously observant Jews; to others being Jewish is strictly a cultural and ethnic identity. For example, there are articles on mixing Jewish religion and dating ... the difference between Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews ... the Jewish holidays and what they mean ... picking the right Jewish dating service ... and more.
The site also contains tips on finding local Jewish singles events, the pros and cons of fee vs. paid Jewish personals Web sites, and insights on how women can find the right single Jewish man.
Finding Mr. or Ms. Right will never be easy, but Jsingles.com makes it possible to increase your chances of success!
It has the professional-looking design and features of the major online dating sites, but caters specifically to Jewish singles of all ages. It includes Jewish Personals featuring detailed bios, photos, and the ability to "send a message" or "send a flirt." But what makes the site even more useful is its collection of articles.
Being Jewish means very different things to different people, and in some of these articles Jsingles helps users navigate the tricky aspects of dating in this environment. Some people are religiously observant Jews; to others being Jewish is strictly a cultural and ethnic identity. For example, there are articles on mixing Jewish religion and dating ... the difference between Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews ... the Jewish holidays and what they mean ... picking the right Jewish dating service ... and more.
The site also contains tips on finding local Jewish singles events, the pros and cons of fee vs. paid Jewish personals Web sites, and insights on how women can find the right single Jewish man.
Finding Mr. or Ms. Right will never be easy, but Jsingles.com makes it possible to increase your chances of success!
"Collapse": Is Our Society Heading for Extinction?
Last night I had the pleasure of attending an intriguing talk by professor Jared Diamond, the author of the bestselling books "Guns, Germs, and Steel" (which won the Pulitzer Prize) and, more recently, "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed." The focus of the talk was the latter book, and he offered some great insights on what we can learn from the failures of a variety of civilizations around the world and throughout history.
These civilizations, like ours, were great and successful societies which nevertheless ended up with vacant, abandoned cities. While he suggests that our society is indeed in a dire situation due to environmental degradation and global warming, he feels it's not too late to turn things around. After the talk he took questions from audience members, and in particular encouraged attendees under the age of 30 to come up and ask questions. He said that this was because it is these young people who will be living in our society decades down the road, and thus have the most to gain--or lose--from what changes occur or don't occur to turn things around.
These civilizations, like ours, were great and successful societies which nevertheless ended up with vacant, abandoned cities. While he suggests that our society is indeed in a dire situation due to environmental degradation and global warming, he feels it's not too late to turn things around. After the talk he took questions from audience members, and in particular encouraged attendees under the age of 30 to come up and ask questions. He said that this was because it is these young people who will be living in our society decades down the road, and thus have the most to gain--or lose--from what changes occur or don't occur to turn things around.
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