From Monday...

During the Christmas holidays we look a year back and start remembering all the promises we made to ourselves. Then, we forget them for a week and make the very same New Year's resolutions we did last year, only to forget them again for another year. Of course, I am the exception. You see, I don't make any resolutions; what's the point after all?

You are probably wondering what have New Year's resolutions got to do with the 101 things. Well, for Thing #60 I have to live without something I love for a week. Now it's a bit tricky to find something I 'love' that will actually make this Thing a challenge. I thought of staying away from the PC for week, but then I stopped dreaming.

So, I decided to revert this Thing. Instead of living without something I love for a week, I will do something I don't love for a week: exercise. I used to exercise occasionally, but then I became old and boring (hey, that's why I am going through the book right?) and stayed away from regular training (yes, once a month) for some time. It's high time I got back to it... from Monday.

101 Things You Need to Know... and Some you Don't

I was looking to buy a copy of the "101 things to do before you are old and boring" and came across the "101 things you need to know and some you don't". Similar idea, same approach and another 101 things to do!

If you want to buy your own copy, try Amazon.

Thing #30: Make a one-minute movie

The Gateshead Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian and cycle bridge spanning the River Tyne in England between Gateshead on the south bank, and Newcastle upon Tyne on the north bank. Minuscule hydraulic rams, one on each side, tilt the bridge back on special pivots to allow small ships and boats to pass underneath. Its appearance during this manoeuvre has led to it being nicknamed the Blinking Eye Bridge.

This more than one minute video does not show the blinking eye effect (click here to see this) but it does show the boat passing underneath! Enjoy!



Links of interest:

• Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Web cam
• Tilt times
• 360 degrees virtual tour
• Specification

Thing #62: Cook a meal & Thing #99: Be vegetarian for a week

East meets west! Cooking for friends is always nice, especially when they help you cook (and they wash the dishes too). After careful consideration and long deliberation we decided to try for starter a more European style menu and for main course a more Asian style menu.

The "European" menu:

• Salted fish in oil
• Houmous bruchetta meze
• Tuna with sweetcorn
• French fries
• Ouzo

The "Asian" menu:

• Prawn crackers
• Spring rolls
• Rice noodles with seafood
• Scallops in a soya sauce
• Crab claws on a bed of prawns
• Vegetable dumpling with crab sauce
• Sea weed star

All the above are suitable for vegetarian who eat fish, so I also claim Thing #99 done. I know it's not for a week but the shear complexity of the above menu is a good enough reason to make such a claim.

Oh, and for desert go to a friend and have coffee.

Thing #80: Start your own secret society

I started my own secret, but as it is secret, I can not tell you more about it.

Thing #88: I did not do it

From Quality Assurance Department:

Dear Reader,

We would like to bring to your attention that on Thursday, 10 May 2007 a video clip was posted from YouTube. That very same video clip had been posted before on Saturday, 6 January 2007. We strive to provide quality posts and you, the reader, should demand better service. Posting the same clip twice and receiving no complains can be interpreted as:

1. you don't pay any attention to what is posted
2. you don't actually visit the site, hence no way to pay attention
3. you have the memory of a goldfish

Of course, one could argue that this was my fault as I forgot that I had posted the clip and then went on and posted it again. In such case, I have to assume responsibility for the deterioration of the posting quality. Of course, this is not an option and I will blame it on you who did not notice it and claim that Thing #88 is now completed.

Thing #30: Make a one-minute movie... and stay Current

I came across Current.tv a few days ago. Current features "pods", or short programs, of which are created by viewers and users; a very interesting approach indeed, which seems to work, as I have a watched a few pods already. I am blogging this! Try it out! Their web site is: Current.tv