Happy Inauguration Day 2009!

President Obama needs your help decorating the Oval Office, or at least IKEA think so. Restyle, redecorate, add a dog or a few secret service agents to your Oval Office redesign at www.embracechange09.com.

My design incorporates two dogs -- note how Henry is watching under the desk and Lola is watching for trespassers, a typical afternoon -- and an art easel. I would need more stuff on the tables like magazines and stickers, but all in all I'm digging it.

I guess I should at least have a bottle of it in the cupboard

A few years ago Thomas signed up to be a Maker's Mark Ambassador which means he has his name on some whisky-filled barrel deep in the heart of Kentucky, and it also means we get tons of cool stuff in the mail. Today a mysterious black tube arrived. Inside was a tube of wrapping paper adorned with stars made out of tiny Maker's Mark bottles, some To/From hang tags and a hank of red ribbon emblazoned with the Maker's Mark name. Thomas said, "You should go work for Maker's Mark, hon. They let their designers do cool shit!" I agree.

He'll be stored in the underground mausoleum

"Ooh, hon! 'Lego Loses Its Unique Right To Make Lego Blocks, the European Department of Justice has decided that the Danish company Lego does not have exclusive rights to the lego building block anymore. Lego went to court after a Canadian firm had made blocks that were so like lego blocks that they even fitted the real blocks made by Lego. The European judge decided that the design of the lego blocks is not protected by European trade marks and so anyone can make the blocks.' DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?"

"It means Lego is in a bad place."

"NO! It means we will soon be able to buy trashcan-size containers of legos!"

"And, do what with those?"

"We could build a structure, a big lego structure in the backyard!"

"Um, no?!"

"Oh, yes hon. We could build a shed! Down in the bottom of the yard! IT COULD LOOK LIKE ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL! We could have a shed that looks like St. Paul's, perfect!"

Scrabble anyone?

Now I understand why my husband is always so insistent on winning every game of Scrabble, he's terrified of the alternative.

Totally fun

If you have a Mac go get this app! Drag and drop your photos over the Poladroid and out spits a cropped, retro version of your image. You have to watch them develop and you can even shake them around to help them expose.

via TUAW.