The Savvy Life

Everyone who owns an iPod or associates with someone who owns an iPod knows that the built in battery is less than ideal. I’ve heard they’ve improved but this still might be valuable knowledge. I came across this at Lifehacker.com: How to replace your iPod’s battery.

Although surgery on your beloved iPod may seem horrifying, it’s actually a pretty simple procedure. The video shows you how to open the casing, pop out the old battery and swap in a new one, all without leaving a scratch on your precious.

The blog entry over there links to video that demonstrates how to replace the iPod battery. If it is the difference between owning a brick and cracking the case, I think we can all agree we might as well crack the case.

Some might argue that I’m not the type of person to truly enjoy a romantic movie and some would be right. That fact isn’t going to stop me from producing my own Top 5 list. These five movies never fail to make me feel romantic and I guarantee they will make any dinner and a movie date romantic as well.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

To love someone so much that you wipe them from your mind in order to avoid the pain of not having them is a strong love indeed and the premise of this movie. During the process though, Joel Barrish realizes he cherishes the memories of Clementine and losing those memories will be like losing her all over again.

Joel: [voice over] random thoughts for Valentine’s day, 2004. Today is a holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap.

Desk Set

A whip smart woman matches wits with a computer which is going to replace her. It is a modern tale of romance set in the fifties. Richard Sumner is a consultant who is installing a computer (EMERAC) in a television network’s research department and Bunny Watson is the head of research. This is a Spencer Tracy/Katharine Hepburn movie so the love between the two is palpable.

Bunny Watson: I don’t smoke, I only drink champagne when I’m lucky enough to get it, my hair is naturally natural, I live alone… and so do you.
Richard Sumner: How do you know that?
Bunny Watson: Because you’re wearing one brown sock and one black sock.

When Harry Met Sally

The ultimate story of friends who become lovers is one that resonates truth. Yes, it is all a bit contrived and goes on far too long, but that is forgiveable since it is supposed to be somewhat farsical, yet beyond the farce, we can see great romance can come from friendship and that is a heartwarming thought. Not every love affair needs to begin with an explosion of passion, some can begin with a slow simmer.

Harry Burns: Because no man can be friends with a woman that he finds attractive. He always wants to have sex with her.
Sally Albright: So, you’re saying that a man can be friends with a woman he finds unattractive?
Harry Burns: No. You pretty much want to nail ‘em too.
Sally Albright: What if THEY don’t want to have sex with YOU?
Harry Burns: Doesn’t matter because the sex thing is already out there so the friendship is ultimately doomed and that is the end of the story.
Sally Albright: Well, I guess we’re not going to be friends then.
Harry Burns: I guess not.
Sally Albright: That’s too bad. You were the only person I knew in New York.

The Princess Bride

There may be a certain level of corniness to this movie but who can deny that this type of swashbuckling love isn’t romantic? Westley is the commoner, the stable boy and Buttercup is his employer. There is no way he could successfully woo her as a stable boy so he leaves to make his fortune, only to be reported as dead. Upon news of his death, Buttercup died inside for she truly did love Westley. She is soon engaged to a Prince and subsequently kidnapped, only to be rescued by her one true love, Westley. Now they fight together for their right to love.

Westley: I told you I would always come for you. Why didn’t you wait for me?
Buttercup: Well… you were dead.
Westley: Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.
Buttercup: I will never doubt again.
Westley: There will never be a need.

Casablanca

Love may be painful, but it is still worth it. The love story in Casablanca is about true love, adult love, the type of love that requires sacrifice and because of that, this is the all time most romantic movies ever. The love Rick has for Ilsa is so intense and so true that he let’s her go.

Rick: I’m saying it because it’s true. Inside of us, we both know you belong with Victor. You’re part of his work, the thing that keeps him going. If that plane leaves the ground and you’re not with him, you’ll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.
Ilsa: But what about us?
Rick: We’ll always have Paris. We didn’t have, we, we lost it until you came to Casablanca. We got it back last night.

(more…)

February 14th is sneaking up on us and it seems a box of chocolates and a cute card are no longer acceptable as Valentine’s Day gifts. If I were to believe the radio ads, there is only one acceptable gift on Valentine’s Day… jewelry. The funny thing is none of the commercials seem to urge women to buy gifts for men. I’ll save that observation for a rant for a different day.

If jewelry isn’t up your alley or up the alley of the person of your affection, then you may be interested in these Five Picks for High-Tech Love.

Digital Jane Austen

Face it, men, on Valentine’s Day there is exactly one great film: Pride and Prejudice.

As nice as she acts during supposedly great films like Citizen Kane, The Godfather and The Departed, there is simply nothing to compare on this special day to Mr. Darcy and his ego issues.

This is not news. What is news is that finally, great gal-friendly movies are now available for download.

No more messy discs and battling players — direct-from-the-Web movies ($5.95) have gone mainstream.

Words of warning: You will be paying top dollar per film — almost six bucks.

These are great suggestions, but for the sake of everything you hold dear, do not forget the roses, box of chocolate, and that really cute card with the little boy and little girl holding hands in a field of wildflowers that says, “I wuv you!”

Sundays always make me think of breakfast, even when I’m nursing a hangover from the night before. There is something about a big plate of food on a sunday morning that makes things like the War on Terror, North Korean nukes, and celebrity deaths seem almost survivable. I believe outside of the bedroom, the kitchen is one of the best places to experiment and try different things. With that in mind, I’m always willing to change how I prepare my meals.

Omelets

When it comes to making omelets, I will admit, that I tend to rush them and they come out inconsistently. If I were to cook breakfast for someone I’m trying to impress, I’d skip the omelet. This YouTube video presents a technique of omelet making that I am familiar with as ‘camp eggs’. I never thought about doing this at home but the results look pretty tasty.

Bacon

In my opinion, you can’t call it breakfast without bacon. I have my tried and true method of cooking bacon, the microwave, but is it really the best, most efficient way to cook bacon? Cooking for Engineers analyzed the bacon problem and tested multiple ways of cooking bacon. They even grilled bacon, which I have to say is about the most delightful thing I’ve ever heard. Those words, put together like that, scream “I am man!” Surprisingly, in the opinions of the chef over at Cooking for Engineers, grilling and baking bacon produced a better slab of meat than microwaving or pan frying. Yet, baking bacon took a long time. For those of us who attempt to watch the amount of fat we eat, it was interesting to note that baking did render out a lot more bacon grease than the other methods. That is something to keep in mind for the next BLT sandwich.

Hashbrowns

Hashbrowns are the Holy Grail of breakfast food for me. When done right, the hashbrown will transport you into a state of pure bliss. Unfortunately, making them is a pain and rarely turns out like you hope they will. VeganYumYum has my mouth watering with a version of hashbrowns that might magically transport me to that state of bliss.

The worst offense against hash browns, in my mind, is confusing them with home fries. Home fries have never excited me the way glorious, crispy, hash browns do. Home fries are made from chunks of potatoes. They are usually mushy, kinda slimy, and covered in a mishmash of spices, unlike their delectably lacy and crunchy cousin which are not made from chunks at all; dare I point out that they are, well, hashed?

Now that the solids are properly prepared we need a proper sunday morning beverage, and no, the half-full can of Mountain Dew sitting on the desk is not an appropriate sunday morning beverage.

Bloody Mary

Never have I seen a better reason to drink alcohol in the morning. Bloody Mary’s are spicy and delicious. This cocktail compliments a savory breakfast like no other beverage. Since ‘holy grail’ seems to be the phrase of the day, here is a variation on the Bloody Mary called The Holy Grail which will give you a kick in the pants.

While this looks delicious, I’m less than thrilled with the level of spiciness just tomatoe juice provides. Yes, using pepper flavored vodka does help in the spicy department it isn’t enough. A dash of tabasco sauce or a few drops of your favorite hot sauce really helps this drink achieve it’s full potential.Eggs, bacon, potatoes and vodka make the perfect Sunday morning meal.

When I read about ‘living a bold life’ I honest to god had visions of a swashbuckling pirate who stands arms akimbo and laughs with his chest out and head back. Oh, it is a bold manly laugh, even though the swashbuckling pirate is wearing tights. Boldness is a unique character trait. It implies courage. It implies spontaneity. It implies self-confidence. Being bold is taking responsibility and taking action. Ask for that girl’s phone number. Take a salsa dance class. Get up on stage and do a stand-up comedy routine. Seize life.

We all would like to live a bold life. Being bold is not being boring. The first step to being bold is knowing the rules. Ten Commandments for Living a Bold Life sets up a framework in which we can start to build a new bold life. I personally struggle with the tenth commandment.

X. You shall not ponder so long.

There’s nothing less captivating or inspiring than watching a man ponder. Heck, even Thoreau eventually stopped staring at the pond and wrote a book.

I tend to overthink. Overthinking leads to doubt and doubt leads to inaction. An object at rest tends to stay at rest. So just because taking action is sometimes hard, it isn’t necessarily a deficiency in ourselves, it is inertia exerting itself on us. We know inertia can be overcome and once we are in motion, it will be easier to stay in motion.

I read The Curse of the Money-Saving Gadget and felt that guilty twinge. How many devices have I purchased using the rationalization that it will be the device that will save me money, save me time, save me from boredom, or save me from disorganization? I think I have a closet devoted to these devices.

The lesson here is simple: know thyself. Before you spend money on a gadget — especially one you believe will save you money — stop to ask yourself if it’s something that you will actually use. Be honest. For some, an espresso machine or an ice cream maker or a voice recorder might be an everyday tool. For others, they’re expensive doorstops.

Knowing yourself is the best advice anyone could get when it comes to finances or technology. You need to know what you are willing to use and devote yourself to before you follow a fad.

Talk about being on a roll. Apparently, a study conducted in England examined how women rate attractiveness and determined that women are attracted to men other women find attractive. Sound a bit circular? It is.

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder but other people’s opinions matter too when it comes to the attraction between men and women, according to researchers. They found women are more attracted to a man if other women like him too.

Love Lectures has the full write-up on this social phenomenon.

Men, maybe it is time to ditch your guy friend as a wingman and get your gal pal to hang with you at the bar.

The air we breathe is often taken for granted. If it doesn’t smell bad, it must not be bad. That isn’t always the case, unfortunately. Indoor air quality is a lot worse than people assume it is. Personal Finance Advice offers 10 Ways To Improve Indoor Air Quality.

I’m sure that with winter now in full force that there are many others with their windows shut tight and the air inside their houses and apartments not circulating near as much as it does at other times of the year. Some studies have shown that air quality during the winter months is 1000% worse in homes than during other times of the year. For those seeking relief, here are the ten 10 steps that we made to improve the air quality of our home.

Some of them are basic common sense, and others are more interesting. Not all are suitable for apartment living, unfortunately. When living in an apartment or condo in the city, you can’t always store your toxic chemicals in a shed in your backyard.

It may have started with PAMA pomegranate liqueur but it isn’t ending there. Pomegranates are an obscure fruit to say the least. A deep red skin wrapped around thousands of tart seeds, the pomegranate has a history that goes as far back as the Greek myths, but up until now, it remained a rarity as a fruit and completely unheard of as a liqueur. Whether or not there was a demand for pomegranate liqueur can be debated, but once it hit the market, consumers realized it was the exact bit of tartness they had been missing.

I first came across PAMA at CostCo and was compelled to purchase it immediately. Pomegranates have always been a favorite treat for me and I knew immediately that I was going to love pomegranate liqueur. The bottle has a nice rounded square shape to it and it is topped off with a small cork, which gives it an old world feel. What was unpleasant was the price. At a suggested retail price of $24.99 for 750ml, my bottle was destined to be reserved for special cocktails and not an everyday item. That would have been okay if it didn’t taste so damn good.

The cordial maker DeKuyper may be riding to my rescue. In March DeKuyper is launching a pomegranate flavored cordial. DeKuyper is known for making a splash with it’s “pucker’ line of cordials. An Appletini wouldn’t be the same without that Apple Pucker. DeKuyper is planning on retailing the 750ml bottle for $10.99. If it tastes comparably to PAMA, I will be delighted.

This is a blog dedicated to the finer things in life and how to attain them.