What’s with all the Sucralose?

Sucralose - glucose with three evil green chlorine atoms!

Why does it seem that sucralose, an artificial sweetener made by chlorinating glucose, is appearing in more and more products where it doesn’t make sense? I don’t understand why beverages that are already full of sugars (typically, high-fructose corn syrup, nasty stuff that makes us fat) need to also include sucralose. These products are not marketed as low-calorie or low-carb. High-fructose corn syrup is already inexpensive and readily available, so I don’t see a cost benefit. What’s the deal? Is it some Giant Evil Conspiracy™ to poison people? Some economic benefit that I don’t know about? High-pressure marketing from the sucralose manufacturers?

I don’t want this crap in my food, drink, body, or environment. Stop putting it in everything! And, if anyone knows why this stuff is appearing with ever-increasing prevalence, please enlighten me!

Magento: Beginner’s Guide – Book Review

I must be doing more Magento work than I realized, as Packt Publishing has asked me to review their new book Magento: Beginner’s Guide for them.
I’ve just received my review copy and I’ll be delving into it in the coming days as I have time.

My first impression is of a good quality softcover book. It’s an on-demand printing, and obviously they are doing it correctly. The book itself is targeted at the store’s operator, and not a theme designer or Magento coder. If you want to set up your own Magento store, having a book like this to explain exactly what everything does, even just in the Admin panel, is a great help.

Stay tuned for the full review!

The Illusionist

The smallest shift in our own attitudes will have an impact on our lives. Seeing your life from a new perspective can show us doors that have been open for years, but we thought were closed. This new self-assessment often yields a fresh confidence, and burst of energy, which we can harness to achieve our own greatness.

What are you doing to achieve your dreams, something which should be everyone’s goal? Whatever it is, it’s difficult, and it requires a leap of faith, a belief in yourself, the confidence and chutzpah to chase after what you want and never, ever give up. I give my mother a lot of credit for digging about inside herself, and finding her strength to be who she really is. It’s hard work. It’s the most rewarding kind, however. Try it yourself, and once you’ve achieved even a little bit of your dream, you’ll never go back.

Magento Devlopment

I’m currently working with a good friend on a Magento extension, which has thrown me into the deep end of the code. As everyone else has said about Magento, the learning curve is very steep, but after it starts to make sense, the software is incredible to work with. After we’ve launched the new venture, I’ll take some time and post a few Magento tutorials – there can never be too many!

Cleric BTS Pictures – Day 6

More behind-the-scenes photos from day six of the film shoot for Cleric.

Betrayal by the innocent. It hurts more, because you never see it coming. Well, Bill saw it coming in the viewfinder of the Red, while Cedric and I handed off the HVX in a dance of taichi meat dolly action. The Alpha Howler woke up on the wrong side of the concrete slab, and decided to weild a seven-foot long battle chainsaw while slaughtering any hive scum foolish enough to attack him. Samara, weakened after her betrayal, was nearly eaten alive by a punk Belower, who selected choice D. How’d that turn out? Watch the bloody movie, mate!

Careful, day six might chop off a limb after the jump:

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