NEW ORDER, OLD TRICKS!

current mood: Dancing!

NEW ORDER have spoken to NME.COM about their long-awaited new album.

Recorded over the past year, ‘Waiting For The Sirens Call’ is divided between guitar tracks in the vein of previous album ‘Get Ready’ and the synth-based tunes that are their trademark.

A single, ‘Krafty’, will be released in advance of the album and, as normal, sleeve art will be designed by Peter Saville.

Other tracks slated to appear on the album include 'Road To Ruin', 'Jetstream', 'Waiting For The Siren's Call', 'MiniDisc 2', 'Pop', 'Working Overtime', 'I Told You So'.

Bernard Sumner told NME.COM: "The last album was guitar-heavy simply because we felt that we'd left that instrument alone for a long time and we thought that was what the general trend was and that was what people wanted to hear. Read more here...

Mini TEC VTEC Mini

current mood: Sweet!

This is too cool! I want one! hehe... then I can race Rich in his MINI!

Car & Driver article:
Just when you thought it was safe to buy a Mini.
BY TED WEST
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM CAIOZZO
February 2005

 

The Mini Tec VTEC is one of the fastest, and, um, furious-est, drives south of a Z06. Just look at the numbers from the one we tested-1792 pounds and a claimed 220 horsepower. The Honda engine was originally for the Acura Integra Type R and was rated for 195 horsepower. But Mini Tec says better-breathing intake and exhaust systems add 25 ponies, and despite copious amounts of wheelspin, the VTEC Mini still scooted to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds. Read more here...

10 tips for better sleep

current mood: Sleepy...

An interesting article from the Mayo Clinic for non-sleepers like Richard... (hey at least he's awake when I get up at 3AM to pee... hehe

10 tips for better sleep
By MayoClinic.com

Feeling crabby lately? It could be you aren't getting enough sleep. Although the average adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep a night, that number could be hard to come by if you factor in work, taking care of children and managing a household.

Then there are the unexpected challenges that can keep you up at night — financial worries, layoffs, illness or relationship issues.

Compounding the problem is the fact that if you don't get the rest you need, you'll find it even harder to deal with the stresses causing your sleep problems to begin with.

Grumpiness isn't the only result of sleep deprivation. Getting too little sleep impairs memory, reaction time and alertness. Tired people are less productive at work, less patient with others and less interactive in relationships.

Sleep deprivation can also be dangerous. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 100,000 crashes each year are due to drivers falling asleep at the wheel.

John Shepard Jr., M.D., of the Sleep Disorders Center at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., offers these tips to help you achieve restful sleep. You don't have to use every tip on the list.

"What works for one person doesn't always work for another," Dr. Shepard says.

Try one or two of the following tips or a combination until you have enough quality sleep to feel alert and well-rested. If these tips don't work, see your doctor. You could have a sleep disorder, such as obstructive sleep apnea, that requires medical attention.

1. Stick to a schedule, and don't sleep late on weekends. If you sleep late on Saturday and Sunday morning, you'll get Sunday night insomnia. Instead, go to bed and get up at about the same time every day.
   
   "You don't need to rely on an alarm clock to wake up when you get enough sleep," says Dr. Shepard.



2. Don't eat or drink a lot before bedtime. Eat a light dinner about two hours before sleeping. If you drink too much liquid before sleeping, you'll wake up repeatedly in the night for trips to the bathroom.
   
   Don't eat spicy or fatty foods. They can cause heartburn, which may interfere with your sleep.
   
   If you get the bedtime munchies, eat something that triggers serotonin, which makes you sleepy. Carbohydrates (bread or cereal) or foods containing the amino acid L-tryptophan (milk, tuna, or turkey) will do the trick.
   
   Don't drink alcohol near bedtime. It may cause you to wake up repeatedly, to snore, and it may exacerbate sleep apnea.



3. Avoid caffeine and nicotine. They're addictive stimulants and keep you awake. Smokers often experience withdrawal symptoms at night, and smoking in bed can be dangerous. Caffeine should be avoided for eight hours before your desired bedtime.



4. Exercise. If you're trying to sleep better, the best time to exercise is in the afternoon. A program of regular physical activity enhances the quality of nocturnal sleep.



5. A slightly cool room is ideal for sleeping. This mimics your internal temperature drop during sleep, so turn off the heat and save on fuel bills.
   
   If you tend to get cold, use blankets. Try sleeping in warmer nightclothes and wear socks.
   
   If you overheat at night, wear light nightclothes and sleep under a single sheet. Use an air conditioner or fan to keep the room cool.
   
   Use a dehumidifier if you're bothered by moist air. Use a humidifier if you're bothered by dry air. Signs and symptoms of dry air irritation include a sore throat, nosebleeds and a dry throat.



6. Sleep primarily at night. Daytime naps steal hours from nighttime slumber. Limit daytime sleep to less than one hour, no later than 3 p.m.
   
   If you work nights, keep your window coverings closed so that sunlight, which interferes with the body's internal clock, doesn't interrupt your sleep.
   
   If you have a day job and sleep at night, but you still have trouble waking up, leave the window coverings open and let the sunlight wake you up.



7. Keep it quiet. Silence is more conducive to sleep. Turn off the radio and TV. Use earplugs or a fan or some other source of constant, soothing, background noise to mask sounds you can't control, such as a busy street, trains, airplanes or even a snoring partner. Double-pane windows and heavy curtains also muffle outside noise.



8. Make your bed. "A good bed is subjective and different for each person. Make sure you have a bed that is comfortable and offers orthopedic comfort," says Dr. Shepard.
   
   If you share your bed, make sure there's enough room for two. Children and pets are often disruptive, so you may need to set limits on how often they sleep in your bed with you.
   
   Use your bed only for sleep and sex.
   
   Go to bed when you're tired and turn out the lights. If you don't fall asleep in 30 minutes, get up and do something else. Go back to bed when you're tired.
   
   Don't agonize over falling asleep. The stress will only prevent sleep.



9. Soak and sack out. Taking a hot shower or bath before bed helps bring on sleep because they can relax tense muscles.



10. Don't rely on sleeping pills. Check with your doctor before using sleeping pills. Doctors generally recommend using sleeping pills for up to four weeks. Make sure the pills won't interact with other medications or with an existing medical condition. If you do take a sleep medication, reduce the dosage gradually when you want to quit.
    
    Use the lowest dosage, and never mix alcohol and sleeping pills.
    
    If you feel sleepy or dizzy during the day, talk to your doctor about changing the dosage or discontinuing the pills.

Determine the quality of your sleep

Insomnia — the inability to get enough sleep — may only last a night or it can last for weeks, months, years or even a lifetime. If you have any of the following signs and symptoms, you may not be getting enough sleep:

• You routinely ignore your alarm clock or snatch a few extra minutes to snooze before getting up.


• You look forward to catching up on your sleep on the weekends.


• You have to fight to stay awake during long meetings, in overheated rooms or after a heavy meal.


• You're irritable with co-workers, family and friends.


• You have difficulty concentrating or remembering.


• It takes you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night.


• You wake repeatedly throughout the night.


• You wake up groggy and not well rested.


• Your spouse or partner complains about your snoring or fitful sleeping.

Sleep centers
Many hospitals and medical centers operate sleep clinics to diagnose sleep disorders. These centers are accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. If you have a sleep problem, your doctor may refer you to a sleep center for testing. The results of these tests will be used to identify your condition so that it can be treated appropriately

Poema 20

current mood: Loving It!

I love this poem:

Poema 20
(de Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada)
- Pablo Neruda

Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.
Escribir, por ejemplo: "La noche está estrellada,
y tiritan, azules, los astros, a lo lejos. "

El viento de la noche gira en el cielo y canta.

Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.
Yo la quise, y a veces ella también me quiso.

En las noches como ésta la tuve entre mis brazos.
La besé tantas veces bajo el cielo infinito.

Ella me quiso, a veces yo también la quería.
Cómo no haber amado sus grandes ojos fijos.

Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.
Pensar que no la tengo. Sentir que la he perdido.

Oír la noche inmensa, más inmensa sin ella.
Y el verso cae al alma como pasto el rocío.

Qué importa que mi amor no pudiera guardarla.
La noche está estrellada y ella no está conmigo.

Eso es todo. A lo lejos alguien canta. A lo lejos.
Mi alma no se contenta con haberla perdido.

Como para acercarla mi mirada la busca.
Mi corazón la busca, y ella no está conmigo.

La misma noche que hace blanquear los mismos árboles.
Nosotros, los de entonces, ya no somos los mismos.

Ya no la quiero, es cierto, pero cuánto la quise.
Mi voz buscaba el viento para tocar su oído.

De otro. Será de otro. Como antes de mis besos.
Su voz, su cuerpo claro. Sus ojos infinitos.

Ya no la quiero, es cierto, pero tal vez la quiero.
Es tan corto el amor, y es tan largo el olvido.

Porque en noches como ésta la tuve entre mis brazos,
mi alma no se contenta con haberla perdido.

Aunque éste sea el último dolor que ella me causa,
y éstos sean los últimos versos que yo le escribo.

What do you think? Like it?

In Good Company

current mood: Dancing!


Karla & Richard saw In Good Company last night and thoroughly enjoyed! It was light and funny and touching all at the same time. For those of you who have ever experienced working for a big company that has to RIF people, you will see that side as well. It’s a story a young man trying to be successful both at a professional career and a personal life, and finding out that one does not necessarily mean the other and that is a choice that we all make someday.

Go see this movie and let us know what you think.

iTunes 4.7.1 update issues

current mood: Perplexed!


After loading the new 4.7.1 update for iTunes last night, I did a quick sync with Richard's iPod. Unfortunately he let me know that he ran into some issues with the album art not being displayed while he was listening to it today.

Quickly I began to research (i.e.:google) the problem which can be traced directly back to updating the version for iTunes. Here is what I found:

from Mac In Touch Forums

posted by Don Andrachuk
Reader David Rosenthal's iPod photo, and mine as well, stopped displaying album art following the update of iTunes to version 4.7.1. I was able to restore that functionality by turning off "Display album art" in iTunes' iPod preferences, saving the setting, and allowing iTunes sufficient time to update the iPod.

When it was done, I re-enabled the option, saved the setting, and iTunes then proceeded to restore the album art to the iPod. The last step took quite a while as I have about 4,700 songs that have associated art. The iPod is functioning fine now.

Considering that Richard has over 7200 songs, we may just have to leave it synching for about 30 minutes, but I think it will work and he will have his album art back right we do the above fix.

iPod Shuffle

current mood: Nerdy


Another new Apple product:

Looks like a lot of fun for the casual user, more inline with those who want to workout while listening to music, which is a bit more difficult to accomplish with the iPod Photo that Richard has. Not so bad when he is walking me, but when he has to run after me after I break away from the leash, the iPod shuffle would be better suited. hehe...

A New Mini...Mac that is!

current mood: Nerdy!


This is especially for Dave! I know you will appreciate this...

If Dave gets this hooked to wireless broadband and installed in his car, he will never stop working!

Full Throttle: MINI Cooper S

current mood: Dancing!


From MotoringFile.com:

Time to warm up the Tivos... this Wednesday (1.12.05) at 9pm EST the History Channel will feature a 1978 Mini on it's Full Throttle program. Here's the preview (from historychannel.com)

Holiday Pictures from San Antonio, El Paso & Dallas

current mood: Bored...

Ok gotta keep busy here while Richard and Karla are at work, so I uploaded all the pictures from the past holiday season. Enjoy!

Remember to click on a Picture to launch the Ofoto Album

New Depeche Mode Video

current mood: Dancing!


So cool! Depeche Mode has a remixed version of the "Enjoy the Silence" video available at their website. Click Here for a quick link to it!

Also they have begun work on a new album!!! Woo Hoo! I love Depeche Mode!

The Aviator

current mood: Dancing!


Richard and Karla went to see The Aviator today. They both liked it, but the ending left a lot to be desired, especially if you know the rest of the story about Howard Hughes. Read about him... quite an interesting man! Can you believe people still use his companies products today? The most common ones being the half-cup bra (a Logan fav!) and set-top boxes for Satellite TV. Most of those sats are made by Hughes Electronics as well.

Anyway, the best part of the movie is the acting. Leonardo DiCaprio is amazing. We'll have to see how well Johnny Depp is in "Finding Neverland" to see who should win the Oscar...

Karla and Richard highly recommend The Aviator.