How to spin a pencil around your thumb

THIS is what has been motivating me at work for the last few weeks. At the international school I went to all the Japanese kids could do this, and I remember spastically spasming the pen across the room much to everyone's amusement the first few times I tried this. As the years have rolled on I've toyed with the concept from time to time but my attempts have been laughable at best and awkward and uncomfortable at worst.

FINALLY I have found the answer- Here.

Hold the pencil between your index, middle finger, and thumb. Your index and middle finger should be spaced about the width of your thumb apart (Your thumb should be able to fit between your index and middle fingers). Your fingers should point upwards about 20-45 degrees. Your middle finger should be against the center of gravity of the pencil (towards the middle, slightly closer to the eraser).

Simultaneously fold your middle finger in (at the joint closest to your hand) and extend your index finger. Your middle finger should end up resting with the inside of its last joint on the thumb.

Catch the pencil after it wraps around your thumb and hits your middle finger, by moving your index finger back to its original position.

Now all I have to do is practice. I give it one day before I'm banned!
Thanks to WikiHow for attempting to teach me new tricks : )

Julie's Secret Obsession

I am addicted to Ah Caramel! Cakes:They are absolutely horrific for you- they are factory made white cakes, with caramel and thick confectionary icing on top, and the whole thing is covered in chocolate. They come two in a plastic pack (of course they come in plastic- that's how ghetto they are!), which means you can never have just one. Well, you could share the second cake with someone, but then you'd resent them for eating your second Ah Caramel Cake. You might begin to plot their untimely death.

I hadn't realized it, but they are only available in Canada. canadaonly.ca is, as you might guess, a site that sells only Canadian food products. They are willing to ship them anywhere in the world. I never really thought the food I was eating was so regional. These are also Canada-specific:The reason being it was a marketing idea from an intern at Ogilvy Advertising in Toronto. Although shreddies are everywhere, Canada is the only place they are being marketed like this. Hooray for cleverness and irony!

Before you ask...

No, honey, just no.
I don't care how much you try to pout or beg, the madness ends here and now- no wigs for cats! How am I supposed to look little Gatsby or Yarn! in the feline goggles in good faith knowing full well that I sanctioned such a ridiculous item of petwiggery? I couldn't live with the guilt and frankly you should be ashamed of yourself for even considering it. Oh, I know you are.

Yesterday was a very trying day at work. I've mentally left the country already so remaining focussed on great customer service is difficult while all around me the department descends into chaos... so I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow to cheer myself up!

I also am very excited because I just went shopping in the 2cv...Where I bought the following items of guilty pleasure...

Which magically became this delicious medley of indulgence!


My girlfriend has gotten me addicted to G & T's so badly its not even funny, I feel like I'm cheating on Jack Daniel's... I can't even look him in the eye when I see him now. Only time will heal that rift- and in the meantime Gordon is here to pick up the slack! (BTW the creme egg in a stick is GENIUS!)

Bad Day at Work?

Well, there are really only two choices.

Option one:
Or option two:
The first is the most practical. But the second is the most entertaining!

Inspiration, the Magazine

Design for Mankind is such an amazing site, and routinely go above and beyond the standard design blogs-- They put out regular e-zines of designer inspiration. Basically, they pull together different designers who work in different mediums and have them do up a page of what turns them on, gets them thinking, gets them working. They've just put out issue number 5.
A cup of tea, and this. Ah, I can feel the universe getting exponentially better.

Is this you?

If this is you, proceed directly to bed. Do not pass go. Do not forget toast and tea. Come out again when the world has stopped spinning!

In a bout of flagrant hypocrisy (do as I say, not as I do) here is a photo of Dex, Sam and I at the pub last night, bitching about our jobs.

My camera is deteriorating really very quickly... The flash has stopped working altogether now and it just won't stop blurring every photo I take! I can't wait to get a decent digital camera in the summer.

Thoughts on the impossible

When I tell people I meet that I'm moving to Toronto at the end of next month (June 25th, 32 days time) I've become increasingly perplexed by how many times I hear "Oh, wow! Thats a HUGE step!". Is it really though? Personally I think it was one of the easiest decisions I've ever made and I'm surprised at how much emphasis others have placed upon it.

Here is a slide from GMail creator, Paul Buchheit’s presentation at Startup School 2008:

I like this idea; as much as it trivialises the opinions of my friends and co-workers it speaketh the trutheth; besides... I look at all I stand to gain and I know that impossible is really just something people say when they're too scared to try.