DOGDUK License Plate
I didn’t understand this “DOGDUK” license plate until I got closer and saw the bordering frame around the license.
Lion Keeps My Mess
Boo, now I have to start tidying up my Mac whenever I shut down for the day. Taking a cue from the iPhone and iPad iOS, Lion now features Resume. Whenever you fire up an app, it will return to its last state with files open, windows placed, etc. When I power on my Mac, it’ll resume from the previous shutdown condition, starting up apps that were running, opening files, and moving windows around. So if I had a mess of stuff while shutting down, that mess persists after a restart.
I don’t know if I like this or not. At the end of the day, I’ve had enough. I want to shutdown and have all my apps quit automatically then start the next day with a clean desktop. With Lion’s Resume, my new day already feels like the burden of yesterday. There is that shutdown option to reopen windows when logging back in. I think I’ll uncheck that box to help clean up my mess.
Recovery Steps for Mac OS X Lion
Mac OS X 10.7 aka Lion has introduced a few new ways to recover from a troubled computer. You can boot your computer and hold down the Command-R keys to perform recovery and maintenance options like running Disk Utility or restoring from Time Machine.
For newer Mac hardware like the Mini and Air, there’s a built-in Internet Recovery for serious problems. If your drive crashes, Internet Recovery kicks in and over a broadband connection will download a minimal but running version of Lion. From here, you can perform recovery and maintenance options.
If you’re more comfortable with the OS on removable media, here’s an article about creating a bootable flash or external drive and creating a Lion install disk.
A Surefire Way of Catching Centipedes
A wise man once told me an ancient secret that guaranteed catching of a centipede within your home. It goes something like this…
If you see a centipede in your home and fail to catch it, this is what you need to do. Get a piece of raw chicken. Then inject poison to pollute this poultry. Next place that poisonous chicken near the last sighting of the centipede. Now leave and wait…
You see, in ancient folklore, the centipede and chicken are symbolically linked like the yin and the yang. Both creatures are simultaneously attracted and repelled by one another and cannot exist separated. There is no East without the West, no North without the South, no centipede without the chicken.
So back to the story… Upon return, you will find the chicken and its soulmate, the centipede, together again but this time linked by death. I was so amazed by this tale and its venerable wisdom that I forgot to ask an important question – what kind of poison do I use?
MacLife Compares the 13-in MacBook Air and Pro
Don’t know whether to go Pro or get an Air? MacLife compares the new MacBook Air with the recent MacBook Pro.
The Airs are looking more and more attractive!
The Green Sandy Beaches of Hawaii
Israel Kamakawiwo’ole sang about the white beaches of Hawaii, but did you ever hear of the green beach of Hawaii? Yes, green. This natural rarity can be seen on the Big Island at Papakolea where Olivine semi-precious stones have been eroded by the ocean making green sand.
Fortunately (or unfortunately), this phenomenon is shielded by a long and moderately difficult hike, limiting its access.
Check out pictures of the Papakolea Green Beach from To-Hawaii.com.
Thanks to @mirthlab for the information and picture.
Starbucks Treat Receipts Are Back
About a week late, but Starbucks is doing their treat receipt promotions once again.
Buy a drink in the morning, bring back your receipt after 2pm and treat yourself to any cold grande drink for only $2. That’s a bargain for you fellow caffeine addicts.
Summer Promotion at Ferguson
For the rest of July, Ferguson’s Hawaii has a summer promotion on select items. If you’re looking for Hansgrohe’s Talis S and Allegro E, and Delta’s Pilar, Allora, Linden, and Brizo Solna kitchen faucets, you’re in luck.
After seeing these local prices, I went from Allegro E Gourmet to Brizo Solna to the Talis S.
From Allegro to Solna
So I had the Hansgrohe Allegro E Gourmet kitchen faucet in hand but was scared off by it size and potential water splashing. Then someone recommended the Brizo Solna. It’s new and features Scandinavian style and is from Delta’s luxury line of faucets.
What’s neat is its concealed sprayer. Magnetically locked into place, you can’t see the sprayer hidden inside of the faucet. But with a slight tug, the sprayer unlocks for use.
Since it’s new, there’s promotional pricing to encourage purchases. Normally $400, the special pricing is about $270.
Quick Look at Photovine
Photovine, Google’s new social photo sharing service, is still in private invitation mode, but on Saturday morning, they posed a simple challenge on Twitter.
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/photovine/status/92252397509947393″]
I replied back with a proposed vine called “Yummy colors” using this picture. And soon enough, I was invited to “plant a photo and watch it grow.”
Photovine is not strictly about pictures but rather the topical vines that tie various images together. It’s not like the filter frenzy of Instragram. It’s not for uploading galleries of images to showcase ala Flickr. It’s the community’s creativity that makes Photovine interesting. It’s your personal interpretation of a vine and the images you attach that drives Photovine. While some vines are straight forward (“What I’m Drinking”), the creative, open-ended vines are more entertaining like “Where I Stand” and “Warm and Fuzzy” (that’s showcased in the teaser video below).
Currently, Photovine is accessible via a native iPhone app with an Android version expected (Photovine sprouted from Google you know). I haven’t seen Photovine realized as a web site. So far, I’ve started a vine (Yummy colors), added several pictures to vines, liked pictures, left comments, and interacted with other members – all the basic features you’d expect from a social-based service. I’m still finding users to follow (not so easy in my opinion) and looking through countless vines to watch grow. Yes, I did encounter a bug and a crash or two, but Photovine is still new, and I’m sure improvements will abound along with additional features and refinements.
Sorry, although I am an invited member, I don’t (yet) have the ability to invite others to check out Photovine.
And lastly, the image that epitomizes the Photovine “warm and fuzzy” has to be this one. Creates a lasting mental image, no? 🙂
Hansgrohe at Costco!
Now this was definitely a surprise. On a whim, I made a quick visit to the Iwilei Costco and what did I see? In plentiful stock is the Hansgrohe Allegro E Gourmet kitchen faucet!
That’s $249.99 for a faucet that typically runs over $300. No wait, no shipping costs, just pay at the register, and walk out with a Hansgrohe.
This Allegro E Gourmet (part #04275805) is in the steel optic finish and comes with a lifetime warranty. This may be a Costco “special” version however. Just keep in mind that if physically similar to other Allegro E kitchen faucets, this is a large faucet. It’s 16 1/2″ high, has a 11 3/8″ projection, and the spout height is 10″. But at the cost, you can’t really complain. 🙂
Confused About Hansgrohe Talis S Kitchen Faucets
Hansgrohe has a good selection of high quality kitchen faucets, and I was intrigued once I saw my first Hansgrohe in action and up close. Heck, I even went with their Focus S Remodel Kit after learning about it. So why not continue the trend with a kitchen faucet?
While I originally like the Allegro E stylings, that water splashing was just way too much. I’m wondering if that 11 1/2″ spout height has anything to do with the force of the water splashing down on dishes? So I’m looking at other Hansgrohe kitchen faucets and the high arc Talis S looks cool. But there are a few models of the Talis S (not counting the smaller prep faucets) that is confusing.
Their web site shows:
- Talis S (#14877001)
- Talis S² HighArc Kitchen Faucet (#04310001)
- Talis S HighArc 2-Spray Pull-Down, (same as the Interaktiv HighArc 2 Spray Pull-Out??) (#06801000)
Then there’s also the “old” Talis S from what I understand. So which one is which? The current Talis S is a 2.2 GPM model and has an angled handle.
The “old” Talis S has a handle that is at 90-degrees (not slightly angled) and needs clearance behind the faucet profile for hot water. If your sink backspalsh is too close, the “old” Talis S handle would bump into it.
The “old” Talis S sounds like the Interaktiv HighArc2 model which sounds like the Talis S HighArc 2-Spray Pull-Down. These feature a 360-degree range of motion for the spout and a movable body for cleaning purposes. There is no mention of magnetic docking for the spray head.
The Talis S2 is a water-conserving 1.5 GPM faucet, has a magnetic docking spray head but only swivels 150 degrees. It has the slightly angled handle.
Then there is the Talis S. It’s 2.2 GPM, has the angled handle, needs no clearance for hot water, and has the magnetic spray head. Both the Talis S and S2 are 16 1/2″ tall with a 8 3/4″ projection. The spout height is 8 7/8″, a few inches lower than the Allegro E Kitchen Faucet. All of these come in finishes of chrome or steel optik.
You can find any and all of these models on Amazon but be sure you have the right model number for which Talis S you want. You might be able to find these stocked locally in Hawaii, just depends. As of today, I know Ferguson Hawaii has the Talis S available. Here’s a picture of their inventory on the shelf (looks like a mix of Talis S and the HighArc 2-Spray Pull-Down), but they supposedly have more in the warehouse.
