$30,000 STAR TREK BASEMENT

$30,000 could be spent on a lot of things and could go a long way to doing things needed in your home. You could get a new kitchen, add value with a number of upgrades such as a loft extension or you could spend it all on a partial recreation of some of the internal areas of the Starship Enterprise!

That last option is exactly what social worker Line Rainville did to her basement recreation room! The room is in the basement of her Notre-Dame-des-Prairies home. As a bit of trivia the Qubec town is just an hour North of Montreal, the birthplace of none other than Captain Kirk’s alter ego William Shatner!

So what do you get for $30k?

In 60s era Star Trek style she has created a partial Enterprise bridge, some of the transporter room, a themed recreation room, an observation deck, and fairly good version of Spock’s quarters! It looks like a fun place for any trekkie to hang out and I am sure she’ll be receiving a lot of emails for visit requests!

Now I guess you want to see the place, right?

Well CNet has pics and more details here - http://cnet.co/1lEw6vX

So, would you ever spend this kind of money on anything like this? Have you ever wanted to recreate the Lost bunker in your basement, Yogi bear’s cave or anything else crazy?

Originally published on my site: The Random Forest.

Canadians have new patriotic swagger

Canadians have new patriotic swagger - Canadians have long been known to be coy about bragging about how great their country is and displaying nationalistic symbols but a recent survey says that is changing.

Canadians have new patriotic swagger

Canadians have new patriotic swagger

The survey was conducted by Ipsos-Reid online. It polled 1,100 people between 20-22 June and was produced for the Historica-Dominion Institute. Results suggest that Canadians are getting brash and proud about their country and in-your-face patriotism is becoming far more normal.

Of course much of this centers around the use of the famous flag symbol, the Maple Leaf. Apparently One in five said they would consider getting a tattoo of it somewhere on their body. This was heightened in the under 55's and strongest in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

From my years in Canada I recognise the red leaf as a distinct Canadian symbol. Like Canadas image it appears non-offensive, does not symbolise war or oppression and looks far cooler than most flags. It's a lucky piece of branding for a country to have!

The years of people saying things good about Canada and celebrating the leaf must be rubbing off if the results of this survey are to be believed.

As a non-Canadian I like the symbol too and like that Canadians don't feel bad displaying it and are ever more interested in going beyond using it just as a flag. Of course if you are not careful nationalism can go too far the wrong way but I think as a whole that is a long way off.

Interestingly the maple tree where the symbol comes from only grows in Eastern Canada but the West seem to love it just as much!

More details of other findings from the survey, including where Canadians rate Poutine as a national food and what they think of Beavers, can be read  in this article over at MSN.

Are you Canadian, how do you relate to your national symbols and patriotism? Do you see a problem with it and would you prefer the old more humble Canadian style to be on the rise instead?

Republished from The Random Forest.

Do you want to work in Customer Service?

I have never worked in customer service but a good friend of mine did for years and he eventually built up to a magerial level and moved into private banking. He enjoyed his days of customer service overall even though some days and customers are very tough. Getting customer service jobs depends on you being a presentable and good person to work with people. If you have these traits and you are confident then you have a good chance.

Working with customers can be very rewarding and if you enjoy the daily interactions and helping to solve peoples problems then why not go for it.

Even the traditional hand dryer is changing!

I remember as a young boy going to a working man's club (a pub with membership requirements) with my dad and when i would use the bathrooms I always enjoyed the bellowing hand dryers spitting out warm air that blew all the water into my face when I tried to dry my hands.

I used to pay so much attention to the energy guzzlers back then but then I did not really think about them for years. Recently with the awesome Dyson hand dryers that are popping up I realized things had even started to modernize in the world of hand drying devices!

The new types and models are much more energy efficient, streamlined, create less noise and in the case of the Dyson like air blade types they don't even use heat!

What other every day objects have you noticed modernizing?

How would you furnish your living space?

Everyone has very different taste and that is a great thing. Your personal living space is often where you get to exercise this and it's important to make a place that you feel comfortable relaxing and socializing in. I was just wondering exactly how you would furnish or have furnished your ideal living space?

I like the modern look so I would go with some cool contemporary sofas, a good quality varnished wooden floor (no cheap veneer) and solid colored walls with no borders or paper.

I would try and pick natural lighting and no fancy fittings. Possibly going for daylight bulbs if my budget allowed. My television would be very big and ideally one of the new 3d ones even though there is not much available to watch yet!

Let me know what you think :).

Get the right gear before you run.

I love running, sadly I can't run much here in Cairo for multiple reasons but when I can, I do!

I think almost everyone could benefit from running but people don't treat it with enough respect. You have to have good gear.... Not necessarily expensive, just right!

First up you need the right shoes. For this you should visit a running shop, talk to the assistant, try shoes on and go for test jogs, get this 100% right! While you are there get some thin double layered running socks.

There are loads of men's running shorts and women's running shorts available and I always choose baggy ones that allow free movement. I wear lycra sports boxers underneath and this helps reduce chaffing possibilities.

For your shirt I would advise a lightweight running shirt that disperses sweat. There are many cheap but good brands available.

What do you wear to run and what tips do you have?

Does HCG Weightloss Work?

I have never used HCG but do have a friend who has. She personally lost weight with it and loves the product but she cannot be 100% sure if the weight loss came direct from HCG or from the ridgid diet and guidelines that come with it.... The jury is still out for her but she will use it again and again until she reaches her desired weight. Her clinic was HCG weight loss Austin but I know she has moved around a lot in the past few months so no idea where she is going now. It's available every where so if you feel like trying it then seek medical advice first and then go see what it is all about.

Have you ever tried HCG? I would love to know your thoughts and experiences.

Working out!

I'm starting week 2 of insanity today.... Phew it's a damn hard workout (been through the whole thing once before!)

Anyway, wish me luck!

When it comes to TV's reception is as important as the main unit....

I don't watch a lot of televison so I don't have cable or anything. I just use a good old antenna and it picks up enough channels for me to get a decent amount of brain rot from soap opera, a few movies and some cooking shows if needed.

But when you pick up a shiny new Lcd TV for whatever reason (mine is mostly used for gaming) you have to consider that you need good reception to get good TV so it's worth looking for an antenna that can pick up the signals you need. If you look through antenna reviews you can find the suitable one for the job.

What do you use your television for? Do you have an antenna, a dish or cable wired up?

Car Insurance, do you look around?

Car Insurance is one of those necessary evils. We need it for our protection and the protection of others as driving can be quite an expensive and dangerous pursuit.

When trying to get new insurance I wonder how many people really look around for their insurance quotes? I mean instead of just call say 2 companies and pick the best one. Or go with a company your friend is with etc etc.

The internet is very helpful these days for finding deals and all info. Just look at a site like carinsurancelist.com and you can get quotes and info for all 50 States of USA. With resources like that it's not that much extra work to truly find a better rate or more suitable plan.

How do you deal with your auto insurance?

My Friend LOVES Disney Vacations!

I have this friend. She is about 35 years old, pretty normal and with a normal office job. However she is absolutely in love with anything Disney.... And I mean anything!

She saves her hard earned cash and uses it all on Disney vacations every year. I know if she had her way she would live in Disney World with a vacation home in Disney Land!

I have no idea how she became so obsessive but I do understand that visiting the Disney parks can be very fun for kids and adults alike!

What do you think of Disney?

Carrying Babies is Hard Work!!!

I don't have a kid of my own but I recently was helping someone out and carrying their baby around in my arms for a while. It's hard to carry that little human around!

In fact I see many parents around here carrying their babies on one shoulder. It looks cool and I am sure the baby loves being up there but I bet it gives you shoulder ache in the long run.

I never had thought about it before but carrying that little weight around with you all day may not be the greatest thing for your energy levels. Luckily I did not have to carry for too long and they have an ergo baby carrier that fit nicely and was comfortable for them.... Really makes the job easier.

Have you considered home schooling with a twist?

The idea of learning from home has been around for centuries but since the Internet has taken hold it's given opportunity for learning at home to really be elevated.

Have you ever considered online schools as an alternative to actually going to college itself?

I know many people that have gone to schools online (just had a person stay with us for 3 months whilst completing her degree online) and have come out with successful and legitimate qualifications. In fact many of the top schools now offer online options.

What do you think of learning online?

Have you ever shopped at Buy.com?

Buy.com first came to my attention when they started showing the Howie Mandel fronted ads last year or so. I don't think they use Howie anymore but I still swing by buy.com to see what deals they have going on.

They have most electronic and computer equipment you could want at pretty decent prices (sometimes the best prices) and they deliver USA wide.

It's also worth checking out there weekly deals for the best deals to be had. For example this week they have an awesome 21.5" Samsung LCD Display for just $153 new and $150 refurbished.

Anyway I was just wandering what you guys think of them and if you have used them to buy any items before?

Talk soon,

Forest.

Make that muddy hole in the backyard look good!

A lot of people have ponds in their gardens. Sadly though many of these are just holes dug in the mud, roughly lined and then filled with water.... They look like little puddles left after heavy rain!

I suggest you dig up that pond again, properly line it and get some nice pond plants to build a little live eco-system. I love seeing fish in ponds too but you may have to put some light gauze over it to stop the local cats eating all your fish! Especially if you plan for some expensive ones!

What have you done with your pond?

Fraud stopping wallets!!

The more technology is used, the more advanced the theft from our day to day lives seems to get! Credit cards now have little RFID chips that apparently can be read even whilst in your wallet... Meaning techno-thieves can theoretically steal from you with out you ever knowing!

So when I heard about a new rfid blocking wallet I thought it was a pretty decent idea!

Basically these wallets block any signals stealing info from your cards, pretty neat eh?

What do you think about all this technology and the theft it allows? Are we just all over reacting?

Everything but the kitchen sink!!

It's very easy when redesigning anywhere in your home to forget little details. If you redo your kitchen but don't pay special attention to things like the kitchen sink and door handles you may end up with a few ugly unpractical features ruining the whole thing!

So pay attention to the details! I love some of the sinks you can buy now and it's super easy with ranges such as the Kohler kitchen sink to bring a touch of high class to your new kitchen.


What kind of sink do you like?

Industrial products, more than you think!

I was thinking about owning a business or a factory, just out of interest and the more you think about it and the details the more you realize you have to have for your business to operate. Any industrial style business requires a myriad of industrial products such as clothing, small machinery, chemical safety things, materials and much much more.

I can't even think where in the physical world this stuff would be purchased but looking on the internet it's amazing how many companies you can instantly find and I guess this also means awesome bulk pricing with delivery is available at cut prices. I love the net!

Do you own an industrial style business? I bet you weekly shop is pretty large!

Have you seen MBT Shoes?

The first time I saw these funky mbt shoes was in Camden in London. I was walking past a small store and I saw them in the window and had to go take a look. My partner was convinced right away but neither of us had the cash right there to purchase them.

For those who have never seen them MBT Shoes have a big curved sole so your foot never sits flat on the floor. The idea is that it develops balance and also constantly tones your legs and backside and even helps with the core. I love this idea as they are also supposed to be very comfortable too!

Anyway now that 100% genuine MBT shoes can now be purchased online for reduced prices I will have to think about getting a pair.

Have you tried these shoes? Are you thinking about it?

I love my digital camera

I remember it does not seem that long ago that digital cameras were the new toy on the block. I was amazed that the pictures could be such high quality but I was also amazed by the far out of reach price!

Well many years have passed since then and about 3 years ago I purchased my first digital camera. In fact it was a DSLR (Digital SLR) and I have been in love with digital camera technology since. The fact that the price of film is no longer a factor and memory cards can store 1000's of pictures really does help you become a better more experimental photographer.

Of course I am sad that the old school film cameras are all but dead but I guess that is just the way life goes.

What do you think of the new wave of digital cameras and how have they helped your photography?