Arty Fowl GN2 - Lucky Luke 17 - Rainbow Orchid Vol I

It's an absolute bitch being enamored with European comics in Canada. It takes a long time if ever for titles to make it across the Atlantic. So I was quite thrilled to score these titles at our local Indigo this week.

Artemis Fowl - The Arctic Incident - Graphic Novel. Arty teams up with Butler, Captain Holly Short and Commander Root in saving Haven and rescuing Fowl Sr. Nice graphics. I've read the novels, so it puts pictures to the story in my head.

The Adventures of Julius Chancer - Rainbow Orchid Volume 1. Back in 2008, Garen Ewing did a fund raiser run of 50 copies. I happened to be lucky enough to have one signed by the author for my collection. Garen now has his books published by Egmont, and I had to get a copy for my reading pleasure.

Lucky Luke - No. 16 - Apache Canyon. I'm unsure what method Cinebook is using in determining the sequence of these releases, but they in no way follow the chronological order of the French publications. I do note however that they've only been releasing volumes in which Morris collaborated with Goscinny and that's a good thing as his humour and timing is amazing.

Meanwhile I have a stack of 24 Lucky Luke books in Mumbai just waiting for someone kind enough to carry them across to Canada for me........

Retro Radio Redux - Part 2

Following up to my earlier posts (MRR RSM RRR-1 RRR-1.5) I had promised a video of the unit in action. I finally managed to upload the same. Enjoy!!

Most people think that it just sits there and does nothing - then I fire it up!!!!!

Anthropologie Plagarie

Aaliyah recently ripped her favorite jeans at the knee. An unfortunate consequence of youth, playgrounds and a generous dose of crazy. What with the onset of Fall and lower than average temperatures around the 'Golden Horseshoe', I would be billed as a bad parent for sending her to school with ripped jeans.

Borrowing from an idea that I saw at Anthropologie, I set about to repair her jeans while upping the cool factor at the same time.

Using a patch cut out from a Byvik cushion cover meant for an Ektorp sofa that we got at the IKEA AS-IS section and some strips of Heat-n-Bond I mended the knee section of the jeans that should see her through the season, while looking cool at the same time.

She LOVED it!!!!!

Ripped!!

IKEA Byvik cushion for EKTORP

Cutting the patch to size

Aaliyah, rocking the look

Sounds So So Good

After over two years of being in storage, I finally bit the bullet and got my Rotels converted to 110V. Sure I could've run them through a step up transformer - Not!!

The local agents are Brack Electronics in Toronto and they did an amazing job of the conversion. Thank You Mr. Claudio Landucci!!!

I spent an hour connecting everything together and spent the next few listening to music the way I should've been doing so for the past two years.

Oh. They sound so so very good!!!

Jewelery Storage Solutions

With Lynda's jewelery overrunning her small closet, I had decided a long time ago to solve her problem.

OK, I know the drill, we're supposed to listen and do nothing - but I thought that just this once.....

So I decided to go all out on this one and got her a Gerstner International GI-530 Red Oak Tool Chest. These chests were made to store precision hand tools and are felt lined to protect those tools.

Me thinks it does a good job of storing her jewelery.....

The chest in it's natural setting

The top section holds watches (Lynda does not wear a watch)

With the drawers open

Get Your Tenori-On

I just discovered, while strip mining the web, this unique instrument called the Tenori-On. It's made by Yamaha and is quite something else. It consists of a 16 x 16 matrix of LED switches that allow the musician to create a range of sounds on different levels and BPM.

Search Tenori-On on YouTube and see what it can do.

The downside???

It costs $999. That's puts in the hands of only very serious musicians.

"There has to be an alternative" - I said to no one in particular. "What about a software version?"

Well what do you think.

Drumroll please..............................

May I introduce you to the Weepr (Not sure which name is worse...)

It costs $999 less than the Tenori-On - Which makes it free!!!!!

I down loaded it and Aaliyah and I sat in bed trying to get some beats going. Great fun. Worth a try!!!!

Tiramisu

Tiramisu - Literally meaning "Pick me Up" probably in direct reference to the Sugar and Espresso content. Sort of like a sugar high!!!!

Lynda and I first discovered this amazing 'comfort food' somewhere in the 90's when DHL moved their office to the Al Maskan building in Karama. Located in the East corner of the building, the cafe, whose name escapes me, was our favorite go-to place for a cup of Earl Grey and a slice of Tiramisu.

Through the years that we lived in Dubai, we would visit the small cafe with increased frequency and knew the exact days when the Tiramisu would be prepared. By the time we moved to Bahrain, I had sort of mastered the dish. In my mind at least!!!

This Thanksgiving weekend, we're driving across to London, Ontario to have lunch with Lynda's Uncle, Stanley and his 5 sons.

I've made Tiramisu to take along and hope that they like it.

I've realised through the years, that it's not to everyone's taste. And that's not a problem as well. I'll just bring it home.....

Show Me Your Billy

The ubiquitous BILLY bookcase, the most versatile of IKEA bookcases, is turning 30 years old this month! Over 41 million BILLYs have been sold worldwide since its introduction in 1979 - enough to circle the globe twice. Now, THAT’s a lot of bookcases!

To celebrate, IKEA has introduced limited editions of the BILLY bookcase, BILLY BJÄSTA and BILLY JÄDER.

But the real action is over atwww.votrebilly.fr where BILLY fans upload their hacks

I like this one where the rear hardboard panels have been replaced with translucent colored panels of acrylic.

Owl City - Fireflies

I just caught this song on the radio a couple of days ago. It's no. 6 on my playlist at the bottom. You can scroll down and play it if it is not already doing so.

Quite amazing as Owl City is a one man project. Turn the lights off or close your eyes. Free yourself from any distractions and listen to this haunting track.

More about Owl City here.

Google Street View - Canada

Wednesday, the 7th of October, saw Google Street View being rolled out in select cities in Canada. I was fortunate to recognize the cars as they passed by our neighborhood earlier in the year. I did not catch the car as it zoomed past our house, but later as we took the girls out cycling to Clark Park, we saw the car again as it imaged Balmoral Drive.

Me: "Hey Lynda, Girls - The Google Maps Car again!!"

Lynda: "So there's this pair of shoes that I need"

Me: "This is big. We're going to be immortalized on Street View"

Lynda: "It's Tan. Can we go to Anthropologie later"

Me: "Smile & wave, girls - Smile & wave."

Me: "OK - I'LL smile & wave"

Lynda: "Who the hell are you waving at??"

(pause)

"Long Sigh"

ND Magnetic Hooks

ND usually stands for Non Destructive and is usually followed by the word 'Testing' when used to describe material analysis without destroying the material in question.

In my case it stands for hooks that will affix to the walls of Lynda's cabin without the need to affix a fastener.

The walls of Lynda's cabin at work are sheet metal partitions covered with fabric. Lynda had been issued strict instructions by the building manager that no hooks of any sort would be allowed to be affixed to the panel for the purpose of hanging her frames.

I sorted through the box of magnets that I had culled earlier and isolated those that had some sort of threaded hole within the body. Using the screws that I had saved, I affixed hooks (I used the Hilti Fix hooks that are not normally sold in North America) to the magnets.

They are super strong and should hold almost anything. They're not that good looking, but it does not really matter as they will be hidden by the frames.

The hooks affixed to my fridge

Another angle showing the profile of the hooks

These hooks are part of the Hilti-Fix system that is sold in the

Middle East and Europe and are meant for fixing into concrete walls