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April, 2014

  1. Another Outpost in the Post-Cable Universe

    April 6, 2014 by admin

    We recently ditched the cable bill, in favor of streaming shows from the internet.  Our primary choice for television content so far has been Netflix, which connects seamlessly with our Nintendo Wii.

    But Netflix has its own limitations in content.  They don’t carry everything.

    One of the benefits of releasing ourselves from cable TV is that we are no longer  chained to a single pathway for content.  A reliable and fun secondary source has turned out to be Youtube!YouTube1-1024x408

    Not only can you program your own music lists to create your own home version of MTV.  You can also load up full episodes of various television shows.

    Did we mention YouTube is totally free?

    We like this option for older shows not carried by Netflix, be they comedies like The Young Ones, or the Facts of Life or documentaries like the Day The Universe Changed.  YouTube also hosts a number of original shows available only on the internet like the strange and hilarious They’re Made Out of Meat.

    Check it out next time you are drawing a blank in your searches for new shows.

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  2. New Musical Express

    April 4, 2014 by admin

    images-1New Musical Express, once the go-to magazine for news about the hottest bands in the UK, is now host to a great website that includes tons of news articles, retrospectives, free album streaming, and free downloadable Mp3s.

    NME (as those “in the know” call it) is one of the largest online music magazines these days!  And did we mention the free music?

    Only trouble is, freebies aren’t grouped together into one single part of the site.  So the best way to find the many free tunes is to head over to NME, and type ‘free mp3’ into the search window and marvel at all the posts that pop up.

    Just today we found remixes of Roxy Music, 19 free songs from London-based record label Something In Construction, and songs from The Weather and Seven Saturdays.

    Although NME is a UK magazine, the music reviews and downloads are not all British bands- indeed the last two bands noted above are from Portland, OR and LA, respectively.

    So put NME in your bookmark file, and check in regularly.  You are bound to find some great new music (along with keeping up to date on the latest in music news- like Kate Bush doing live shows! )250px-Nme_cover

     

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  3. The Cooking Plum

    April 2, 2014 by admin

    Of her own volition, our Plum has recently embarked on a mission to cook dinner for the family one night a week.   We love it!

    * It was all her idea. (Yay!)

    * She plans the menu, with just a little help from TRDad. (Yay!)

    * After some angst about whether or not we could afford a special ingredient Plum wanted, she now has her own budget and creates her own    IMG_1096shopping list.

    It’s going pretty well.   Yes, like any beginning chef, she keeps coming back to the same few meals that she thinks she can make well.  But Plum is slowly starting to experiment with finding some new choices.  We know her repertoire of ‘good dishes’ will only expand as time goes on and her confidence grows.

    We love that Plum is embracing this important life skill on her own terms and in her own way.  TRDad is there to back her up and to teach hands-on skills needed to make each dish.  But our Plum is the Chef- there’s no doubt about that!

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