Dads & Babies

There is nothing cuter than young Dads holding their even younger babies and cuddling them. Seeing a Dad toting his own baby instead of dumping it on the mother is immensely cute. And increases the Dad-in-question's hotness by a long shot! This picture had me staring at the baby and the famous Dad Nick Lachey for ages. Not that Nick Lachey is not quite handsome and hot on his own, but his son Camden is a very cute baby. Dad and son are watching baseball games in the picture and Camden looks just adorable in his eenie weenie black onesie!

X Factor US

The X Factor is a UK based reality TV show showcasing singing sensations. The X Factor also having an Australian edition, now has a USA edition. The first season was not very popular, but the second was much awaited as the four judges were Simon Cowell, LA Reid, Demi Lovato and the pop princess Britney Spears. I have been following this TV show, although I'm not much of a fan of reality TV shows. But this show actually had me coming for it again and again and I already have my favorites in the contestants. Contestants range from 13 year old to 40 year olds and groups also participate.

Wi-fi Thieves

Everyone is familiar with the routine. You pull out your laptop or mobile in a new city or random place and start looking for free wi-fi networks to hijack.

It's one of the slightly stealthy joys of modern living. In response to this era of wi-fi promiscuity, an interesting trend has emerged in wi-fi naming conventions. Rather than go with the default network assignation, people are customizing their wi-fi name, knowing full well that friends, neighbors and passersby are scanning for free wi-fi access all the time. Here are some funny wifi names: 

15. FBI Surveillance Van 7

14. Connect for identity theft

13. Trapped in router send help!

12. No Wi-Fi For You

11. My Neighbors Suck

10. Don't Even

9. Only If You Help Me Pay For It

8. That 70's Router

7. Sorry, you can't use this

6. Nope, not this one either

5. We Can Hear You Having Sex

4. AllYourBandWidthRbelongToUS

3. Router? I Hardly Knew Her!

2. Stop using our network, Steve

1. Hey You Kids, Get Off My LAN!

IPhone 5

As I did a post about Samsung Galaxy S3, not to play favorites as I have S3, let's tell you all there is to know about the (infamous?) IPhone 5.

Faster, lighter, thinner and prettier are the obvious new things, including a redesigned body with lighter materials and a taller 4-inch screen. There's also the new cameras and iOS 6, Apple's latest mobile platform.

Despite the clever name Apple gave its much-maligned new 8-pin connector at the base of the phone — replacing the wide-mouth 30-pin connector used for years, and making your accessories obsolete without an adaptor — "Lightning" doesn't transfer your data any faster than the older cable. Therefore, if you shot a bunch of HD video on iPhone 5 and want to transfer to your PC or Mac, it'll still be at USB 2.0 speeds (480 Mbps), which is 10 times slower than USB 3.0 (5Gbps).

Similar to issues with the new (third-generation) iPad, iPhone 5 gets very warm to the touch on the back of the unit after playing around with it for a while — especially with memory-intensive tasks such as gaming or video playback. It's not going to burn your hand or anything, but the new aluminum back, replacing a thick layer of glass, means you're going to experience major warmth, so don't be alarmed.

You likely know Apple has bundled its new EarPods in the box, delivering a more comfortable fit, added durability and most importantly, better-sounding audio over the classic white ear buds. But the phone has better audio tech all around, including three microphones -- one on the front, one on the back and one on the bottom — working together for clearer audio and noise-canceling technology. Um, so this might be interesting for those who actually talk on phones these days. Hehe.

ASOS

Living in Pakistan deprives me of the most amazing shoes and clothes that I see online and wish I could just order from Amazon, Nordstorm or NetAPorter.com. But these websites, unlikely to deliver to Karachi, Pakistan and even if they do charge us shipping which is actually more than the price of the objects we are buying. I would love to buy online, but wasting money in shipping is not appropriate.
But then I found ASOS.com. It is a UK based online retailer of apparel, shoes and accessories and ships all around the world with (wait for it!), FREE shipping, including Pakistan for standard shipping. I couldn't believe this myself, but then I went ahead and ordered, expecting some kind of value-added tax or hidden charges but I was happily surprised. They charged my credit card with the exact amount, and more so gave me 10% off at the final bill for indulging in the MEGA10 sale. It is to be delivered via Royal Mail within 9 working days to my house, and I just hope it arrives safely. If it does, ASOS is going to be my best stop for all online apparel shopping.

Samsung S3 or Iphone 5?

How seriously are Samsung's Galaxy products threatening Apple's dominance? So seriously that Apple and Samsung remain embroiled in litigation over whether Samsung infringed on Apple iPhone and iPad patents to make its Galaxy smartphones and Nexus tablets.

Sales of both Samsung products were banned in the U.S. for a bit, but now the Galaxy S III is available to customers for as much as $150 less than the iPhone. The phone's Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, 4G LTE capability and quick dual-core processor are lovely, but the Galaxy SI's strong 8-megapixel camera and S Beam technology that allows users to move photos, videos, documents and other files between phones by tapping their backs together are its biggest advantages. 

While its S Voice is a pale replica of the iPhone's Siri and drains an already weak battery, the Galaxy S III is already beating the iPhone in an area where Apple was once thought invincible: apps. Say what you will about Google Play's selection compared with the App Store, but Google execs never had to offer an embarrassed apology for the quality of Google Maps.

IMAX

You must have heard about people wanting to go to watch a movie in an IMAX, but what really is an IMAX? IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems. IMAX is the most widely used system for special-venue film presentations.

To watch a movie in an IMAX theatre, the experience is unbelievably amazing. The huge screen and its image quality has a whopping difference. There are currently only 643 IMAX around the world in 52 countries, with the hugest IMAX screen in Sydney, Australia

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Are you a fan of Audrey Hepburn and Breakfast at Tiffany's? Then this is just for you. Audrey Hepburn fans will likely “go lightly” into this chic retreat, which pays tribute to Tiffany’s. High above Fifth Avenue (and steps from the iconic jeweler), the 1,700-square-foot suite is decked out in robin’s-egg blue and shimmering chandeliers, and offers floor-to-ceiling views of New York’s Central Park. Inspired accents include an elaborate jewel-shaped mirror and a console that evokes an engagement ring. And whether you’re hosting a bridal party or a breakfast, there’s plenty of Tiffany table service to go around.

This Tiffany Suite is at the St. Regis Hotel, New York with $9500 per night.

Great Barrier Reef

Looking at travel destinations around the world, I came across the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. If all goes well, I will be moving to Sydney in 2014 and therefore this caught my eye.

Pure white sand and coral reefs teeming with fish are the hallmarks of these castaway islands off of Australia’s northeastern coastline. More familiar islands, including Lizard, Hayman, and Bedarra, are havens for divers, as they provide easy access to potato cod fish and gaping giant clams—and they’re home to ultra-chic hideaway hotels. Scuba diving and snorkeling has been something that I look forward to doing, and will probably be my first time here!

Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays is the reef’s most photogenic beach: a 4.5-mile stretch of sand that seems to go on forever. Lizard Island Resort, a five-star enclave that counts 40 contemporary suites and 24 private beaches.

Chinese Affair

The next destination is for the history buff in me. I recently read a series of books, the 39 Clues, which got me enamored with this historical spot.

A train crossing of China's Silk Road takes you through a cultural journey from the Far East to the Mideast, from modern Chinese mega cities through an ancient arid desert plateau to stunning mountains. For an ideal 10-day trip, you can follow the ancient trade route used from the 1st century B.C. to the 10th century A.D. starting in Xian, home of the Terra Cotta Warriors. Along the way, travelers can make stops at the official end of the Great Wall at Jiayu Guan, the Mogao Buddhist caves near Dunhuang, the aforementioned desert basin of Turpan, and the provincial capital Urumq– an ideal base for a day trip to Heavenly Lake. 

All of these had been mentioned in the book, and now my yearning to see these Terra Cotta Warriors has intensified. The idea that people lived here centuries ago, gets my spine tingling and makes me see that we are insignificant in this world; just a mere speck.

Land of the Incas

The next location is for the little adventurer in me who would have loved to be an archaeologist if born in another time and another place. The Inca Trail footpath is an ancient Andean passage from Cusco, capital of the Incan empire, through the Sacred Valley, to the 15th-century ruins of the civilization's crown jewel, Machu Picchu, Peru. Cleared from centuries of thick forest growth since historian Hiram Bingham introduced it to the world in 1911, this fabled lost city of the Incas defiantly guards its mystique.

Did it serve as a citadel? An astronomical observatory? A ceremonial city or sacred retreat for the emperor? Why did the Incas construct, inhabit, and then deliberately abandon it in less than a century? How did the Spanish conquistadors miss it? Whatever its intended purpose, Machu Picchu remains the world's greatest example of landscape art, sitting gracefully like a proud saddle between two enormous Andean peaks.

Visitors come to run their hands over the massive, smoothly cut stone, which fit together seamlessly without mortar. Other travelers make it a point to experience daybreak, when the light creeps over Machu Picchu's jagged silhouette and slowly, with great drama, illuminates the ruins row by row, building by building. Most spectacular is the winter solstice sunrise, when sun rays stream through the Temple of the Sun window, setting the stone at the center of the temple ablaze.

Ultimate Honeymoon

I love to travel, and have always dreamed of going around the world to places which are stunning and breathtakingly beautiful. So I am going to give you a brief glimpse of few of the dream places over the next few days which I aspire to visit someday hopefully. 

Nothing says ultimate honeymoon like Bora Bora, French Polynesia. Lush mountains slope down to a lagoon striped with bands of clear water ranging from deep blue-green to neon-turquoise. Around the lagoon, palm-fringed atolls and coral reefs trace a wispy pentagon, and everywhere, suspended boardwalks lead like tentacles to overwater bungalows for newlyweds and other romantics. Too perfect a tropical getaway to be a secret, Bora Bora is nevertheless remote and expensive enough that the island's luxurious mystique has remained intact.

Matte Milk Chocolate

I can't get enough of eating chocolate, but now I can wear it too!  Too Faced helps curb chocolate cravings with their Milk Chocolate Soliel Matte Bronzing Powder. Infused with real cocoa powder for a chocolaty smooth finish, it adds warmth to your skin along with a comforting chocolate scent. Using this, I can feel like I'm dipped in chocolate heaven all day long. This is definitely going on my must-have list the next time any relative from the US comes over.

September 11 Attacks

The September 11 attacks referred to as 9/11 were a series of four coordinated suicide attacks upon the United States in New York City and the Washington, D.C. areas on September 11, 2001. On that Tuesday morning, 19 terrorists from the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger jets. The hijackers intentionally flew two of those planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, into the North and South towers of the World Trade Center complex in New York City; both towers collapsed within two hours. The hijackers also intentionally crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and intended to pilot the fourth hijacked jet, United Airlines Flight 93, into the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. However, the plane crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after its passengers attempted to take control of the jet from the hijackers. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks, including all 227 civilians and 19 hijackers aboard the four planes.

This September commemorates the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. This incident has inspired numerous movies, shows, documentaries and books and has forever marked this day to be remembered as 9/11 all around the world. 

Hart of Dixie

Hart of Dixie is a comedy-drama series which premiered on the CW television network in September 2011 starring the famous Rachel Bilson as Dr. Zoe Hart, who after her dreams of becoming a cardio-thoracic surgeon fall apart, accepts an offer to work in a small medical practice in Bluebell, Alabama. 

The first season mostly revolves around Zoe adjusting to life in Bluebell and struggling to bring in 30% of the patients to her practice: a clause she needs to adhere to if she wishes to keep half the practice from Brick Breeland, the other resident GP in Bluebell. She finds this difficult as she is on the odds with most of the local residents due to her city personality. Zoe also struggles with her growing feelings towards George Tucker, feelings his fiance Lemon Breeland is fully aware of leading her to make it her mission to ensure Zoe leaves Bluebell. Other story lines include Wade's feelings for Zoe which may or may not be returned, Zoe's friendship with the Mayor, Lavon Hayes, and his past with Lemon, and Zoe's unresolved issues regarding her family.

Although the show has received mixed critical reviews, with some referring to Bilson as a Barbie in a medical dream house and not as a convincing heart surgeon, the show is touching and enjoyable like a light-hearted rom-com. The show has been renewed for a second season for October 2012.

Earthquake in 1999

Today is 7th September, and looking back over the years, it has been an eventful day in history. Too many events of importance have taken place on this day, but I will just talk about one of them. In 1999, a major earthquake of magnitude 6.0 occurred in Athens, Greece. The 1999 quake was the most devastating and costly natural disaster to hit the country in nearly 20 years. More than 100 buildings (including three major factories) across the area collapsed trapping scores of victims under their rubble while dozens more were severely damaged. Overall, 143 people lost their lives and more than 2,000 were treated for injuries in what eventually became Greece's deadliest natural disaster in almost half a century. This event took Greek seismologists by surprise as it came from a previously unknown fault, originating in an area that was for a long time considered of a particularly low seismic activity zone.

Thor's Day

Today is Thursday, and it is the day of the week that has been named after Thor. Thor, the Thunderer, is perhaps the most famous of the gods of the Northmen, and was considered by some to be greater even than Odin. He was the God of the Peasants--the poor people, while Odin was thought more of by the rich people and the great fighters. Thor usually rode in a chariot of brass, drawn by two goats, Tooth-cracker and Tooth-gnasher, and it was this chariot which was supposed to make the thunder; hence Thor's name. Thor, alone of all the gods, was never allowed to cross the bridge joining Asgard and the earth, lest this chariot should break it down. Thor was of very great strength, like Hercules among the Greeks and Romans, and possessed a wonderful hammer called Miolnir, the Crusher, which always returned to his hand when he had thrown it at an enemy.

Chick-Lit

The genre of chick-lit (literature) is one that I enjoy a lot. It consists of light, funny and enjoyable reading, mostly contemporary based. The projected audience is mostly females in their mid twenties and above, and it is one of the most best selling genres out there. The best thing about these books is that they have the most captivating and attractive covers, which automatically make you want to read these books.
My two favourite authors from this genre are both British, and British chick-lit is quite famous. Sophie Kinsella and Lindsey Kelk are two very successful British chick-lit authors, and I have read all their published works. Sophie Kinsella is most famous for her Confessions of a Shopaholic series, and Kelk is famous for her I Heart Series. Both have been on the Times best-selling list, and currently working on new novels.

Unusual Ice Cream Flavors

We've always had chocolate, strawberry or vanilla from the local ice cream parlor. I like to try new flavors, so I always choose new interesting ones whenever I see them. But when I heard of these 10 weird flavors, even I lost my appetite.
1. Cheddar Cheese
2. Avocado
3. Roasted Pineapple and Black Pepper
4. Jalapeno Strawberry
5. Earl Grey
6. Peanut Butter and Jelly
7. Garlic
8. French Toast
9. Buttered Popcorn
10. Black Licorice 

Hurrah!

For all those caffeine addicts out there like me, hurrah! We've been hearing for years that coffee or caffeine is bad for our health. But let's rejoice now, for experts on an American Society for Nutrition panel recently concluded that drinking three to five eight-ounce cups a day lowers your risk of Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and colon and liver cancers. That's ridiculously beneficial! Now your morning cup of coffee is no longer a guilt trip, but something to be proud of.

It has also been revealed that women who drink at least six cups a day are less likely to develop high blood pressure in a study in 2005 by Harvard scientists. 

Besides that, dark chocolate is also not that bad if taken in minimal and measured amounts daily. Enjoying a small amount of flavonoid-filled dark chocolate may prevent clogged arteries and reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Also, eating up to 3.6 ounces daily can be as effective as beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors at lowering blood pressure. Studies have also shown that eating chocolate releases serotonin, the feel-better brain chemical. No wonder I indulge in chocolate when I feel down, and end up feeling on top of the world soon after.