My Newest Lens 

Book Review: A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson

Journey with travel writer Bill Bryson as he sets off to hike the legendary Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. Hiking the Appalachian Trail is something I've wanted to do since I was a kid. A thru hike is probably out of the question but I def...

Fantasy Football 

Fantasy Football Draft Party Ideas

Fantasy draft day. It's the most important day of the fantasy football season. Help your league celebrate it with a great draft party! This guide has helpful tips, ideas and supplies you'll need to plan and host an awesome fantasy football draft par...

Fantasy Football Draft Strategy Guide

The most important day of your fantasy football season. The decisions made today are crucial to your fantasy success and winning the league championship. Do you have a draft strategy? This guide offers a quick overview of basic fantasy football dra...

Fantasy Football Glossary

This site is a glossary of terms for one of the most competitive and addictive games ever invented...Fantasy Football.

Ideas for a Good Fantasy Sports Team Name

Your entire fantasy season depends on this crucial decision. It determines whether you will be feared, respected or laughed at by other players. Don't screw it up. Seriously, it's not that big of a deal. This guide offers ideas to help you pick a grea...

10 Things NOT To Do In Fantasy Football

Fantasy Football is a fun and addictive game. There are tons of guides to help you learn how to play and what you should do to win. The list below is stuff you shouldn't do when playing Fantasy Football. These things will either screw up your chance...

Gotta Lotta Tall Ships 

Tall Ship Art by Geoff Hunt

Geoff Hunt is a talented marine artist and expert on naval history. His stunningly detailed paintings take you back to the era when tall ships ruled the seas. Due to the detailed research he conducts on every ship he paints, Hunt is considered an au...

Sail A Tall Ship

Have you ever dreamed of sailing on a tall ship? This site is a directory of tall ships around the world that you can sail on as a trainee crew member.  Many of these tall ships are also available for charter cruises. Each sail training ship is li...

Tall Ship Movies

From swashbuckling pirates to action packed naval battles, tall ship movies rock! Below is a directory of tall ship movies and documentaries that might interest the tall ship fan in you. Where possible, I've listed the tall ships used in the filming...

Tour A Tall Ship

Ahoy!  Here you will find information on tall ships around the world that are open for the public to tour.  All ships are grouped by region of the world so that you can easily find a tall ship near you or your next travel destination. Tour...

TV and Live Entertainment 

Train To Compete On Survivor

Those three words are the premise of CBS' hit reality TV show, Survivor.  Do you think you have what it takes to compete on Survivor?  This site offers training tips and highlights key areas that potential contestants should focus on when t...

The Office - Is the US or UK Version Better?

I've watched the entire series for the American and British versions of The Office. They're both hilarious but the US version is better. David Brent might say "Yeah, he's American and watched the US version first so who cares what he thinks." He'd b...

Coupling - The Hit BBC Comedy

Coupling is a hilarious British comedy that ran from 2000 to 2004 on Britain's BBC2 and won "Best TV Comedy" at the 2003 British Comedy Awards. The show focuses on the lives and relationships of the six main characters.  They are all c...

All hail, MacHomer!....mmmm, beer

Homer Simpson plus William Shakespeare's MacBeth equals one of the funniest shows you'll ever see. This amazing one man show written and peformed by Rick Miller features over 50 voices from The Simpsons TV series while the script is 85% of the origin...

Books From The TV Show Lost

Welcome to the Lost book list.  Here you will find books that are seen or referenced on ABC's popular television series, Lost. 

An Interview With Mac33 (Part 1) 

• Why and when did you start building lenses?
  I read a CNNMoney article about Squidoo in Feb 2006 and it sounded like a simple way to start building web pages and maybe make some money online. I didn't have a blog or website then and saw Squidoo as a good way to experiment with ideas for sites I might build in the future.
  
  
• Do you have any blogs or websites?
  I'm glad you asked...I just started my first blog. It's a general purpose blog, not Squidoo specific. But I expect that Squidoo will be a frequent topic.
  
  
• What is your favorite lens that you've built?
  Definitely Tour A Tall Ship. It was a spin off from my Master and Commander lens. I had a blast doing the research for it and want to eventually tour every ship listed.
  
  
• What does the 33 in Mac33 stand for?
  That's confidential. I can tell you that it has nothing to do with my age, date of birth, golf handicap or Rolling Rock beer (I prefer Yuengling).
  
  

At The Movies 

Lenses about movies, actors or movie characters.

Fred Thompson Movies

Fred Dalton Thompson is a former US Senator from Tennessee.  He began his career as an attorney who served as an assistant US Attorney and then the Minority Counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee. His movie acting career began in 1985 and he...

Tall Ship Movies

From swashbuckling pirates to action packed naval battles, tall ship movies rock! Below is a directory of tall ship movies and documentaries that might interest the tall ship fan in you. Where possible, I've listed the tall ships used in the filming...

Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World

A captivating movie based on the even better "Master and Commander" book series written by the late Patrick O'Brian.  This movie stars Russell Crowe as British Navy Captain "Lucky Jack" Aubrey and Paul Bettany as ship's surge...

Vizzini

Vizzini is a criminal mastermind from the popular book and movie The Princess Bride.  In the story he is hired to kidnap the beautiful Princess Buttercup and start a war between neighboring countries. Best known for his continual use of the word...

On the Bookshelf 

Books and authors

Master and Commander: The Aubrey-Maturin Series by Patrick O'Brian

"The best historical novels ever written." - Richard Snow, The New York Times The "Master and Commander" series of books written by Patrick O'Brian is full of action, adventure, intrigue and historical insight. Set during the early 19th century, the...

Books From The TV Show Lost

Welcome to the Lost book list.  Here you will find books that are seen or referenced on ABC's popular television series, Lost. 

Book Review: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner is the first novel by Afghan author Khaled Hosseini. It is a well written and tragic story that engages the reader as it paints a picture of life growing up in Afghanistan.

Book Review: American Shaolin by Matthew Polly

The true story of a young American who drops out of college and travels to China in search of the legendary Shaolin Temple. Along the way, he learns a lot about himself and eventually becomes the first American accepted as a disciple of the Shaolin...

Book Review: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Medieval times, cathedrals, castles, knights, deception, love, rivalry and intrigue...sounds like an interesting story. Does this best selling book set in 12th century England live up to the hype?

How To Lenses 

How to Get Rid of Your Hiccups

Have you tried everything to get rid of your hiccups but nothing works? Here's a quick and easy remedy that gets rid of hiccups about 90% of the time for me and others I've shared it with. It's very simple and you can do it all by yourself. There's...

Beginners' Guide to Fantasy Football

Welcome to the insanely addictive world of fantasy football! This guide is for Fantasy Football rookies and anyone looking for advice to improve their fantasy football skills.  Here you will find an explanation of the game, tips to guide you th...

How To Be A Fantasy Football League Commissioner

Congratulations! You've either decided to start your own Fantasy Football League (FFL) or your buddies nominated you to run one when you weren't around. Only problem is that you have no idea what a fantasy football commissioner does.  Don't worry...

How To Build Your Own Halloween Graveyard

Here you will learn how to build tombstones to transform your yard into a Halloween graveyard. Sure, you can just go to Target, Wal-Mart or some other store and buy tombstones, but then your graveyard will look like everyone else's.  The store...

How To Find A Gym That's Right For You

Working out is great for your mind, body and soul.  Finding a good gym is a critical part of helping you achieve your personal fitness goals. What defines a good gym?  It's one that helps you achieve your fitness goals, is convenient and aff...

Historical Places 

Visit Colonial Williamsburg

This guide provides a preview of what you'll see and experience when you visit Colonial Williamsburg, VA. Prepare for your trip with recommended resources, tips for an enjoyable visit and plenty of pictures to get you started.

Tour A Tall Ship

Ahoy!  Here you will find information on tall ships around the world that are open for the public to tour.  All ships are grouped by region of the world so that you can easily find a tall ship near you or your next travel destination. Tour...

Christmas In Colonial Williamsburg

Experience Christmas the old fashioned way in historic Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. Colonial Williamsburg is a great family destination any time of year, but it's best in December when the town's buildings are beautifully decorated for Christmas. A...

Yuengling - America's Oldest Brewery

Founded in 1829, D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc. of Pottsville, PA, is recognized as "America's Oldest Brewery".  Yuengling (pronounced Ying-ling) has a very loyal customer base in Pennsylvania and surrounding states because of their gr...

Personal Finance Lenses 

How To Keep More Of Your Money

Do you want to save more money? Whether trying to make ends meet or save up for something special, the dollars you spend add up quickly. Here are a few ideas to help you save more of your money each month. Not all of these tips may be right for ever...

Tips to Help Your Prosper.com Loan Get Funded

Prosper.com is a revolutionary new way to borrow money. Person to Person (P2P) lending has arrived on the internet and regular people like you and me can now loan money directly to one another via a secure and community based online marketplace. Th...

An Interview With Mac33 (Part Deux) 

• What is your lensbuilding philosophy?
  To Squid or not to Squid, that is the question.
  
  
• Uh, no, the question was what is your lensbuilding philosophy?
  Oh, right, my bad. Build good quality lenses that interest you and that readers will find helpful and/or entertaining.
  
  
• What is your favorite thing about Squidoo?
  The community. There are a lot of good creative people here. I've learned a lot from reading and participating in the SquidU forums.
  
  
• What is your least favorite thing about Squidoo?
  Anything that degrades the credibility of the site. This includes rating swaps, spam, groups with no entry criteria, lenses that waste their intro begging for ratings, etc.
  
  

Music 

Gary Primich

Gary Primich was an amazing blues singer and harmonica player.  A native of the midwest, he began playing the harmonica as a child and mastered playing the blues in Chicago. Whether playing with his own band or in gigs with other musicians, Gary...

Little Walter

In any conversation about blues harp music or playing the harmonica, one name is sure to come up as the musician all others are compared to...Little Walter. During his short life, this blues legend revolutionized how the harmonica is played and impact...

Best Harmonica Beatbox Videos

Harmonica Beatboxing is a cool new musical style that blends harmonica riffs with the percussion of beatbox at the same time, by the same performer. Videos of harmonica beatbox performances are gaining in number and popularity on YouTube.  Below...

Apocalyptica

Combining classical cellos with heavy metal, Apocalyptica is one of the most distinctive metal bands in the world. These metal loving cellists started covering Metallica songs in their spare time and eventually recorded an album of their work. ...

Favorite Lenses I Didn't Build 

Sundials: How to Make a Sundial, How they Work and Some Sundial History

Many people think of sundials as nothing more than historical curiosities. How wrong can you be? Sundials are fantastic things to have in your garden, incredibly beautiful focal points just like any urn or garden sculpture. But sundials are so much m...

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Think solitude and friends..the gentle ripples of water as the canoe glides through... The boink and ploink of water falling from raised blades... A loon wails its plaintive cry... That steady hum in your ears is made by a gazillion mo...

Wingsuit Pilots

Wingsuit skydivers can achieve forward speeds of more than 100 mph (160 km/h). They look like flying bullets, and they can glide with such precision! Also these high-performance bodysuits allow them to slow down their descent to as low as 30 mph (48...

Stuff For Parents 

Get More Mileage From Your Baby's Onesies With A Onesie Extender

The onesie extender is a handy invention that helps your growing baby get more wear out of his or her onesies. It's simply a piece of onesie fabric with snaps on both ends so that you can easily add extra length (up to 4") to a snap-crotch onesi...

Baby Gear That Works

Every new or expecting parent quickly learns that there are a lot of baby gear products out there...and that most of them aren't cheap. Many baby products look really cool and useful. You wish you could buy them all...but you can't and shouldn't. How...

What Nots 

Guide to Maryland Wineries

Maryland has been home to growing grapes and winemaking since Colonial days but the wine industry has really taken off here since the early 1980s. Today there are nearly 20 wineries in Maryland with several more planned.  Many of these wineries...

The Pageant of Peace and the National Christmas Tree

The Pageant of Peace is a ceremony held each year in early December to light the National Christmas Tree.  The Pageant of Peace includes performances by popular entertainers and is highlighted with the first lighting of the National Christmas Tr...

Why I Voted For John McCain For US President

John McCain is the most qualified and best choice for US President in 2008. I voted for McCain in the 2000 and 2008 primaries and voted for him again in the general election. Why? Mainly because he's the only candidate who rises above ideology and p...

The Great Urban Race

Recently I discovered a cool event called The Great Urban Race. It's a race held in cities across the country where two person teams compete against each other to complete a set of fun challenges throughout the city. Consider it a mini-Amazing Race...

Remy - Creator of YouTube's Funniest Videos

Remy (aka GoRemy) is the funniest video star on YouTube! Most of Remy's videos are song parodies and original songs combined with quirky and hilarious visuals. Remy's favorite video topics are tributes to his favorite foods, songs about paying taxes...

Home & Garden 

Push Reel Mowers: The Green (and cheaper) Way to Mow Your Lawn

Using a push reel mower is a smart way to save money, take better care of your lawn and help improve the environment. Today's reel mowers are lighter and easier to use than ever before. They make a great alternative to gas or electric mowers, especi...

Mustache Cups

If you've ever sported a mustache, you know how easy it is for food and drink to get stuck in it. Fortunately, an English potter named Harvey Adams invented the mustache cup to keep your well groomed mustache from getting spoiled by your drink. A c...

How To Get Rid Of Slugs - The Easy Way

Slugs are cool most of the time, they're neat to watch and they serve important roles in the environment. But the little delinquents insist on eating my plants! So how do I get rid of these munching mollusks in an easy and environmentally friendly w...

Squidoo Related Lenses 

How I Rate Squidoo Lenses

Star ratings are a popular topic of conversation in the SquidU forums. Every lensmaster has their own approach to rating lenses. Here is mine. It's a simple checklist to reward attributes that make a great lens and add to the quality of the Squidoo...

Vote For Your Favorite Squidoo Requested Features

We all love cool features.  Can't get enough of them.  No matter how many great features Squidoo implements, the community thinks up more new ones and ways to improve existing ones. There are currently 19 pages of feature request threads in...

Groups 

Yup, Mac33 even builds groups.

Tall Ships Headquarters

Tall Ships A group for tall ship fans and their tall ship related lenses. Image above is the USS Constitution. (image source)

Fantasy Sports Guides Headquarters

Welcome to the Fantasy Sports Guides group!   This group offers guides and advice to help you win your fantasy sports league.

Harmonica Fans Headquarters

Harmonica Fans This group is for all fans of the harmonica, harp, mouth organ or whatever you prefer to call this amazing musical instrument. Here you will find everything harmonica from playing to bios of great harmonica players. If y...

Awards and Recognition 

My Beginners' Guide to Fantasy Football lens was chosen as Lens of the Day by Squidoo on August 17, 2006. Thanks, Squidoo!






The Oct 23, 2007, issue of Woman's World Weekly magazine published a write up about my How To Build Your Own Halloween Graveyard lens. Thanks to WriterTiff for letting me know about it in Squidu!

Say Hi! 

Thanks for visiting my lensography, I'm glad you stopped by.

What I'm Reading Now 

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2009: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers (What Color Is Your Parachute?)

by: Richard Nelson Bolles

Amazon Price: $12.89 (as of 11/23/2008)

I've thought about a career change for a while and have seen a lot of recommendations for this book. I'm actually reading the 2008 version (latest copy my library had).

My What Nots Blog 

Below are recent posts from my blog. Please stop by.

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