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Do you like stuff? So do we! Stuff for the mind, for passing time, for sharing, for yourself, for fun. Mariva's Guide brings you interesting, innovative, beautiful, entertaining and useful products, web sites, articles and images -- in other words, this, that and the other thing.
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Super Bowl commercials |
What’s the best part of the Super Bowl? The parties? Making food or ordering in? The risque halftime entertainment? The fact that for some, it marks the end of seventeen weeks of misery?
While you’re thinking it over, ponder your favorite Super Bowl commercials. |
Posted February 6, 2006 by Mariva in business, entertainment, finance, fun, games, news, social
Pure Beauty’s makeover
I walked into Pure Beauty to pick up the perfect Smoothies hair clips, which had always been in stock. But I noticed this time that the selection was very low, and I asked the sales clerk what gave. She informed me that Pure Beauty’s current CEO has decided to give the store — and the business model — a makeover. "It’ll be less of a beauty supply shop and more of a beauty boutique," she said. Huh?
Posted January 27, 2006 by Mariva in beauty, business, fashion, news
Katamari
Knowing that I have an addictive personality — at least with regard to the "soft addictions" — I do my best to stay away from treacherous time traps like Freecell Solitaire. And if I owned a game console that could play Super Mario, I’d probably never see the light of day. 
Posted January 18, 2006 by Mariva in entertaining, entertainment, fun, gadgets, games, gifts, home, innovations, news
Since Sliced Bread
Got an idea for improving the U.S.? Quit yelling at the talking heads on TV and submit your idea to Since Sliced Bread, an idea competition sponsored by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Since Sliced Bread is looking for interesting and practical ideas on how to grow the national economy in positive and productive ways. The judges include CEOs, writers, technologists, nonprofit directors and scholars. Be sure to submit your idea by December 5, 2005.
Update (January 10, 2006): Over 22,000 ideas have been submitted to the Since Sliced Bread contest, and the judges have narrowed down that massive brainstorm to 21 finalists. This week, you can view the finalists’ plans and vote for your favorite three ideas.
Update (February 22, 2006): Now that the winners have been announced, you may send your favorite ideas to your elected leaders.
Posted January 10, 2006 by Mariva in community, innovations, news
Friday
Friday movie collection
Friday Night Lights movie
NPR’s Talk of the Nation: Science Friday (program site)
Bike Friday: folding travel bicycles
Photo Friday: weekly photo challenge
Posted January 6, 2006 by Mariva in community, entertainment, fun, innovations, movies, news, resources, social, travel
Farai Chideya
Congratulations to my acquaintance and email buddy Farai Chideya for completing the AIDS Marathon in Dublin, Ireland. I love her renditions of ’80s pop tunes, sung exhaustedly at around mile twenty. I’ve always thought she was beautiful, and I’m sure she looks fantastic now after all that training.
Posted January 4, 2006 by Mariva in community, health, news
the antisocial bagpiper
I often find the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s daily news show As It Happens amusing in a, well, Canadian sort of way. While much of the news comprises standard reports about national or global affairs, some segments focus on stories with a distinctly maple leaf flavor, such as fishing contests, hockey games, hunting adventures and so on. But stories set in other countries have a folksy tone as well. A story on December 9 had me cracking up: Andrew Caulfield, a thirteen-year-old bagpiper, had gotten in trouble with the city council of Paisley, Scotland for playing his bagpipes too loudly and disturbing a neighbor. The council threatened to label the boy as "antisocial." Listen as Caulfield recites a litany of what antisocial really means. (Forward your audio player to 21 minutes, 37 seconds to listen to the 8-minute segment.)
Posted December 16, 2005 by Mariva in entertainment, music, news
U.S. postage stamps with new rates
Well, the bad news is that U.S. postage rates are increasing slightly on January 8, 2006. The good news, however, is that postage stamps with the new rates are available today — and the Navajo Jewelry two-cent stamp is gorgeous. While you’re at it, don’t forget to order some last-minute holiday postage stamps. The holiday cookies are cute, and the Santa ornaments are pretty. There are also Hanukkah and Kwanzaa stamps, as well as a Dear Santa holiday music CD.
Posted December 8, 2005 by Mariva in arts, gifts, holidays, jewelry, news, resources, social
Happy Thanksgiving
The Sun Herald’s “A Thanksgiving to remember“
NPR: "After Katrina, a Happy Thanksgiving for Alabama Family"
The Times Picayune: "Katrina blows away Thanksgiving plans"
Star Tribune: "Holiday weighs heavily on Katrina victims"
more Katrina-related Thanksgiving stories…
How to help:
VolunteerMatch
Idealist
Red Cross
Network for Good
USA Freedom Corps
Happy Thanksgiving.
Posted November 23, 2005 by Mariva in community, holidays, news, resources
electronic paper
Reuters released a story titled “Electronic paper moves from sci-fi to marketplace.” The first paragraph references Neal Stephenson’s sci-fi novel The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer, because the plot features an electronic book that utilizes nanotechnological paper. Several companies are currently developing electronic paper, the first stage of this amazing technology.
Posted November 8, 2005 by Mariva in books, gadgets, innovations, news
