Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Ten Reasons to Buy Windows Vista
Ten Reasons to Buy Windows Vista: "And a few reasons to think twice before upgrading."
Why We Homeschool
abc13.com: Greased, naked student disrupts lunch: "A high school lunch period was disrupted Monday by a greased, naked student who ran around screaming and flailing his arms until police twice used a stun gun on him, authorities said."
Why We Homeschool
abc13.com: Galveston teacher under investigation for inappropriate conduct: "Galveston teacher under investigation for inappropriate conduct"
Why We Homeschool
HOUSTON METRO | KHOU.com | News for Houston, Texas: "HISD educator says student attacked him"
Tired Mom
Sent in to Crosswalk.com from a tired mom...
I had put in an 18-hour day at work and was upset to find my four-year-old Zack asleep in bed with my husband when I got home. Zack squirms so much it is impossible to get a decent night's sleep when he is with us. Exhausted, I collapsed into his bed instead, where I slept better than I had in years.
The next morning, I asked my husband, "Why was Zack in bed with you?"
"Oh," he replied, shrugging, "he wet his bed, and I was too tired to change his sheets."
I had put in an 18-hour day at work and was upset to find my four-year-old Zack asleep in bed with my husband when I got home. Zack squirms so much it is impossible to get a decent night's sleep when he is with us. Exhausted, I collapsed into his bed instead, where I slept better than I had in years.
The next morning, I asked my husband, "Why was Zack in bed with you?"
"Oh," he replied, shrugging, "he wet his bed, and I was too tired to change his sheets."
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
There is nothing like a male (guys)
By DAVE BARRY
This classic Dave Barry column was originally published May 12, 1996.
Today we present another part of our ongoing series, ''Stuff That Guys Do.''
Our first example of guys doing stuff comes from the University of Washington Daily, which recently published a report written by Jeremy Simer and sent in by alert reader Donna Bellinger, headlined, ''Fraternity Game Turns Into Arrest.'' What happened, according to this report, was that some guys were up on the roof of the Theta Delta Chi fraternity house, and, as guys will do when they spend any time together in an elevated location, they began sharing their innermost feelings.
I am, of course, kidding. These guys, being guys, began dropping things off the roof, starting with smaller items, and eventually escalating -- this is when the police were summoned -- to a chair and a rowing machine.
A fraternity member is quoted as follows: ''We're frat guys. What can you say?''
Far be it from me to indulge in sex stereotyping here, but I am willing to bet that the reaction of you readers to this story is divided along gender lines, as follows:
FEMALE REACTION: ''Why would anybody do anything so stupid?''
MALE REACTION: ''A rowing machine! Cool!''
The simple truth is that guys have this overpowering urge to watch stuff fall and crash. If you ever see an inappropriate object, such as a piano, hurtling toward the Earth from a great height, you can be virtually certain that guys are responsible.
Ask yourself this question: If you were standing in the middle of a bridge spanning a magnificent wilderness gorge, at the bottom of which was a spectacular whitewater river, what would you do?
FEMALE RESPONSE: Admire the view.
MALE RESPONSE: Spit.
Yes, the truth is that there are few things that a guy enjoys more than proudly watching a gob of spit -- his spit; spit that he produced -- falling a tremendous distance. This is a male impulse that females frankly cannot relate to, just as males cannot relate to the female impulse to go into greeting-card stores and spend hours shopping for greeting cards even when there is no particular occasion or person you need to send a greeting card to, which is what women frequently do when guys are out spitting.
I am not suggesting here that all guys ever do is drop stuff. Sometimes they also throw stuff, and sometimes this can lead to trouble. I have in my possession an official U.S. government memorandum, sent to me by an alert but anonymous reader, that was written by Paul E. Thompson, acting director, Western Region, Inspection Operations, Food and Safety Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Here is the first paragraph of this memorandum, which I absolutely swear I am not making up:
'This is to remind all personnel of the danger and inadvisability of engaging in activities commonly referred to as 'Horseplay.' A few examples of horseplay include, but are not limited to: throwing spleens, squirting water and flipping lymph nodes.''
In professional journalism, we have an old saying that we frequently say, which goes like this: ''You do not print a story about federal employees engaging in horseplay involving spleens or lymph nodes without making a sincere effort to get the other side.'' So I contacted the USDA's Western Region office, which is located -- and let this be a lesson to those who claim that the federal government is poorly managed -- in the West.
I spoke with Dr. Bruce Kaplan, a public affairs specialist, who explained that, ''on rare occasions,'' poultry and meat inspectors, as well as plant employees, will become bored and flip meat and poultry organs at each other.
(He did not specifically state that these were guys doing this, but some things go without saying.)
''In the poultry plants, they will flip spleens,'' explained Dr. Kaplan. ''In the red-meat plants, they will flip lymph nodes.''
Dr. Kaplan stressed that ''there is absolutely no danger in terms of food safety.'' The problem, he said, is the safety of plant workers: ''When they walk on the floor where these organs fall, they could slip.''
In hopes of making the public more aware of the potential danger, I asked Dr. Kaplan to describe a poultry spleen.
''These are little small spleens,'' he explained. ''They're tiny little slippery spleens.''
I think we can draw several conclusions from this story:
1. First and foremost, ''Slippery Spleens'' would be an excellent name for a rock band.
2. Although it has become fashionable to knock ''big government,'' we must not forget that, without the quick and decisive action by the USDA in the form of acting director Thompson's memorandum, the ordinary public, in the form of food-plant workers, would have no protection from the threat of slipping on organs flipped by USDA inspectors.
3. If the USDA ever has a shortage of inspectors, it should definitely consider recruiting members of Theta Delta Chi.
This classic Dave Barry column was originally published May 12, 1996.
Today we present another part of our ongoing series, ''Stuff That Guys Do.''
Our first example of guys doing stuff comes from the University of Washington Daily, which recently published a report written by Jeremy Simer and sent in by alert reader Donna Bellinger, headlined, ''Fraternity Game Turns Into Arrest.'' What happened, according to this report, was that some guys were up on the roof of the Theta Delta Chi fraternity house, and, as guys will do when they spend any time together in an elevated location, they began sharing their innermost feelings.
I am, of course, kidding. These guys, being guys, began dropping things off the roof, starting with smaller items, and eventually escalating -- this is when the police were summoned -- to a chair and a rowing machine.
A fraternity member is quoted as follows: ''We're frat guys. What can you say?''
Far be it from me to indulge in sex stereotyping here, but I am willing to bet that the reaction of you readers to this story is divided along gender lines, as follows:
FEMALE REACTION: ''Why would anybody do anything so stupid?''
MALE REACTION: ''A rowing machine! Cool!''
The simple truth is that guys have this overpowering urge to watch stuff fall and crash. If you ever see an inappropriate object, such as a piano, hurtling toward the Earth from a great height, you can be virtually certain that guys are responsible.
Ask yourself this question: If you were standing in the middle of a bridge spanning a magnificent wilderness gorge, at the bottom of which was a spectacular whitewater river, what would you do?
FEMALE RESPONSE: Admire the view.
MALE RESPONSE: Spit.
Yes, the truth is that there are few things that a guy enjoys more than proudly watching a gob of spit -- his spit; spit that he produced -- falling a tremendous distance. This is a male impulse that females frankly cannot relate to, just as males cannot relate to the female impulse to go into greeting-card stores and spend hours shopping for greeting cards even when there is no particular occasion or person you need to send a greeting card to, which is what women frequently do when guys are out spitting.
I am not suggesting here that all guys ever do is drop stuff. Sometimes they also throw stuff, and sometimes this can lead to trouble. I have in my possession an official U.S. government memorandum, sent to me by an alert but anonymous reader, that was written by Paul E. Thompson, acting director, Western Region, Inspection Operations, Food and Safety Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Here is the first paragraph of this memorandum, which I absolutely swear I am not making up:
'This is to remind all personnel of the danger and inadvisability of engaging in activities commonly referred to as 'Horseplay.' A few examples of horseplay include, but are not limited to: throwing spleens, squirting water and flipping lymph nodes.''
In professional journalism, we have an old saying that we frequently say, which goes like this: ''You do not print a story about federal employees engaging in horseplay involving spleens or lymph nodes without making a sincere effort to get the other side.'' So I contacted the USDA's Western Region office, which is located -- and let this be a lesson to those who claim that the federal government is poorly managed -- in the West.
I spoke with Dr. Bruce Kaplan, a public affairs specialist, who explained that, ''on rare occasions,'' poultry and meat inspectors, as well as plant employees, will become bored and flip meat and poultry organs at each other.
(He did not specifically state that these were guys doing this, but some things go without saying.)
''In the poultry plants, they will flip spleens,'' explained Dr. Kaplan. ''In the red-meat plants, they will flip lymph nodes.''
Dr. Kaplan stressed that ''there is absolutely no danger in terms of food safety.'' The problem, he said, is the safety of plant workers: ''When they walk on the floor where these organs fall, they could slip.''
In hopes of making the public more aware of the potential danger, I asked Dr. Kaplan to describe a poultry spleen.
''These are little small spleens,'' he explained. ''They're tiny little slippery spleens.''
I think we can draw several conclusions from this story:
1. First and foremost, ''Slippery Spleens'' would be an excellent name for a rock band.
2. Although it has become fashionable to knock ''big government,'' we must not forget that, without the quick and decisive action by the USDA in the form of acting director Thompson's memorandum, the ordinary public, in the form of food-plant workers, would have no protection from the threat of slipping on organs flipped by USDA inspectors.
3. If the USDA ever has a shortage of inspectors, it should definitely consider recruiting members of Theta Delta Chi.
Baby Boomer Hit Parade!
It's been fun being a baby boomer ... until now. Some of the artists of the '50s and'60s are revising their hits with new lyrics to accommodate aging baby boomers. They include:
1. Herman's Hermits--- Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker.
2. The Bee Gees--- How Can You Mend a Broken Hip.
3. Bobby Darin--- Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' a Flash.
4. Ringo Starr--- I Get By With a Little Help From Depends.
5. Roberta Flack--- The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face.
6. Johnny Nash--- I Can't See Clearly Now.
7. Paul Simon--- Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver .
8. The Commodores--- Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom.
9. Marvin Gaye--- Heard It Through the Grape Nuts.
10. Procol Harem--- A Whiter Shade Of Hair.
11. Leo Sayer--- You Make Me Feel Like Napping.
12. The Temptations --- Papa's Got a Kidney Stone.
13. Abba--- Denture Queen.
14. Tony Orlando--- Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall.
15. Helen Reddy--- I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore.
16. Leslie Gore--- It's My Procedure, and I'll Cry If I Want To.
17. Willie Nelson--- On the Commode Again
1. Herman's Hermits--- Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker.
2. The Bee Gees--- How Can You Mend a Broken Hip.
3. Bobby Darin--- Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' a Flash.
4. Ringo Starr--- I Get By With a Little Help From Depends.
5. Roberta Flack--- The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face.
6. Johnny Nash--- I Can't See Clearly Now.
7. Paul Simon--- Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver .
8. The Commodores--- Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom.
9. Marvin Gaye--- Heard It Through the Grape Nuts.
10. Procol Harem--- A Whiter Shade Of Hair.
11. Leo Sayer--- You Make Me Feel Like Napping.
12. The Temptations --- Papa's Got a Kidney Stone.
13. Abba--- Denture Queen.
14. Tony Orlando--- Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall.
15. Helen Reddy--- I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore.
16. Leslie Gore--- It's My Procedure, and I'll Cry If I Want To.
17. Willie Nelson--- On the Commode Again
I love lawyers
A Mafia Godfather finds out that his bookkeeper has cheated him out of ten million dollars. His bookkeeper is deaf and that was the reason he got the job in the first place. It was assumed that a deaf bookkeeper would not hear anything that he might have to testify about in court.
When the Godfather goes to confront the bookkeeper about his missing $10 million, he brings along his attorney, who knows sign language. The Godfather tells the lawyer "Ask him where the 10 million bucks he embezzled from me is."
The attorney, using sign language, asks the bookkeeper and the bookkeeper signs back: "I don't know what you are talking about."
The attorney tells the Godfather: "He says he doesn't know what you're talking about."
The Godfather pulls out a pistol, puts it to the bookkeeper 's temple and says, "Ask him again!"
The attorney signs to the bookkeeper: "He'll kill you if you don't tell him!"
The bookkeeper signs back: "OK! You win! The money is in a brown briefcase, buried behind the shed in my cousin Enzo's backyard in Queens!"
The Godfather asks the attorney: "Well, what'd he say?"
The attorney replies: "He says you don't have the guts to pull the trigger."
When the Godfather goes to confront the bookkeeper about his missing $10 million, he brings along his attorney, who knows sign language. The Godfather tells the lawyer "Ask him where the 10 million bucks he embezzled from me is."
The attorney, using sign language, asks the bookkeeper and the bookkeeper signs back: "I don't know what you are talking about."
The attorney tells the Godfather: "He says he doesn't know what you're talking about."
The Godfather pulls out a pistol, puts it to the bookkeeper 's temple and says, "Ask him again!"
The attorney signs to the bookkeeper: "He'll kill you if you don't tell him!"
The bookkeeper signs back: "OK! You win! The money is in a brown briefcase, buried behind the shed in my cousin Enzo's backyard in Queens!"
The Godfather asks the attorney: "Well, what'd he say?"
The attorney replies: "He says you don't have the guts to pull the trigger."
Monday, January 29, 2007
PC Gadget: "Do you know the time?"
From Kim Komando
You probably don't think much about your computer clock. But you rely on it more than you realize.
However, the Windows clock is a little ho-hum. Sure, it will show you a calendar when you double-click it. That’s about it, though.
If you want more power from your clock, download AlfaClock Classic. This free program gives you a handy boost.
You can customize the display of the clock. You can also set reminders – which is good for those who love to surf. It can even read you the time!
You probably don't think much about your computer clock. But you rely on it more than you realize.
However, the Windows clock is a little ho-hum. Sure, it will show you a calendar when you double-click it. That’s about it, though.
If you want more power from your clock, download AlfaClock Classic. This free program gives you a handy boost.
You can customize the display of the clock. You can also set reminders – which is good for those who love to surf. It can even read you the time!
Urban Legends: "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter"
The claim that some comestible is but a "single molecule away" from being a decidedly inedible (or even toxic) substance has been applied to a variety of processed foods. These types of statements (even if they were true) are essentially meaningless. Many disparate substances share similar chemical properties, but even the slightest variation in molecular structure can make a world of difference in the qualities of those substances.
http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/butter.asp
http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/butter.asp
Urban Legends Reference Pages: Oil of Olé
Claim: Ordinary use of Canola oil is dangerous to consumers.
Status: False.
Urban Legends Reference Pages: Canola Oil
Status: False.
Urban Legends Reference Pages: Canola Oil
Struggling to sleep?
From www.heartwiseministries.org
SLEEP IS VERY important to the body. Not everyone needs the same amount of sleep. Even animals require different amounts of sleep. A giraffe sleeps an average of 1.9 hours a day, but a brown bat spends 19.9 hours a day asleep. Can you imagine spending 83 percent of your time asleep? We do spend up to one-third of our lives asleep, however; yet few of us spend all of our sleep time doing it well. Sixty million Americans suffer from insomnia, yet the FDA recommends using sleeping pills for only two weeks or less. What is the answer? Here are a few suggestions:
SLEEP IS VERY important to the body. Not everyone needs the same amount of sleep. Even animals require different amounts of sleep. A giraffe sleeps an average of 1.9 hours a day, but a brown bat spends 19.9 hours a day asleep. Can you imagine spending 83 percent of your time asleep? We do spend up to one-third of our lives asleep, however; yet few of us spend all of our sleep time doing it well. Sixty million Americans suffer from insomnia, yet the FDA recommends using sleeping pills for only two weeks or less. What is the answer? Here are a few suggestions:
- Keep the stomach empty four hours before going to bed. When you eat, the stomach is not resting. Acid is being formed to digest food, and sometimes this acid reflexes back into the esophagus and causes problems
- Avoid stimulants. This may include caffeine, which can last up to 20 hours in the body. Also, Television can keep the mind revved up. Try to keep the mind relaxed. Read the Bible and pray before sleeping.
- Get more exercise. This will make you more tired.
- Keep the room dark. Darkness stimulates the production of melatonin from the pineal gland. This is the substance God made which helps us sleep naturally
- Laugh. This promotes endorphins, which counteract stress hormones and relax our muscles.
- Avoid anger. Ephesians 4:26 advises us, ''Do not let the sun go down on your wrath'' (NKJV).
Chili Judge
Copyright 1997 W. Bruce Cameron Please do not remove the copyright from this essay
Recently I was honored to be selected as an Outstanding Famous Celebrity in my Community to be a judge at a chili cook-off because no one else wanted to do it. Also the original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking directions to the beer wagon when the call came.
I was assured by the other two judges that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy, and besides they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted this as being one of those burdens you endure when you're an Internet writer and therefore known and adored by all.
Here are the scorecards from the event:
Chili # 1: Mike's Maniac Mobster Monster Chili
Chili # 2: Arthur's Afterburner Chili
Chili # 3: Fred's Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili
Chili # 4: Bubba's Black Magic
Chili # 5: Linda's Legal Lip Remover
Chili # 6: Vera's Very Vegetarian Variety
Chili # 7: Susan's Screaming Sensation Chili
Chili # 8: Helen's Mount Saint Chili
Recently I was honored to be selected as an Outstanding Famous Celebrity in my Community to be a judge at a chili cook-off because no one else wanted to do it. Also the original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking directions to the beer wagon when the call came.
I was assured by the other two judges that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy, and besides they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted this as being one of those burdens you endure when you're an Internet writer and therefore known and adored by all.
Here are the scorecards from the event:
Chili # 1: Mike's Maniac Mobster Monster Chili
- JUDGE ONE: A little too heavy on tomato. Amusing kick.
- JUDGE TWO: Nice, smooth tomato flavor Very mild.
- CAMERON: Holy smokes, what is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway with it. Took me two beers to put the flames out. Hope that's the worst one. These people are crazy.
Chili # 2: Arthur's Afterburner Chili
- JUDGE ONE: Smoky (barbecue?) with a hint of pork. Slight Jalapeno tang.
- JUDGE TWO: Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
- CAMERON: Keep this out of reach of children! I'm not sure what I am supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. Shoved my way to the front of the beer line. The barmaid looks like a professional wrestler after a bad night. She was so irritated over my gagging sounds that the snake tattoo under her eye started to twitch. She has arms like Popeye and a face like Winston Churchill. I will NOT pick a fight with her.
Chili # 3: Fred's Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili
- JUDGE ONE: Excellent firehouse chili! Great kick. Needs more beans.
- JUDGE TWO: A beanless chili, a bit salty, good use of red peppers.
- CAMERON: This has got to be a joke. Call the EPA, I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been sneezing Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now and got out of my way so I could make it to the beer wagon. Barmaid pounded me on the back; now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. She said her friends call her "Sally." Probably behind her back they call her "Forklift."
Chili # 4: Bubba's Black Magic
- JUDGE ONE: Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
- JUDGE TWO: A hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.
- CAMERON: I felt something scraping across my tongue but was unable to taste it. Sally was standing behind me with fresh refills so I wouldn't have to dash over to see her. When she winked at me her snake sort of coiled and uncoiled—it's kinda cute.
Chili # 5: Linda's Legal Lip Remover
- JUDGE ONE: Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground adding considerable kick. Very impressive.
- JUDGE TWO: Chili using shredded beef; could use more tomato. Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.
- CAMERON: My ears are ringing and I can no longer focus my eyes. I belched and four people in front of me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed hurt when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue by pouring beer directly on it from a pitcher. Sort of irritates me that one of the other judges asked me to stop screaming.
Chili # 6: Vera's Very Vegetarian Variety
- JUDGE ONE: Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spice and peppers.
- JUDGE TWO: The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic. Superb.
- CAMERON: My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous flames. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except Sally. I asked if she wants to go dancing later.
Chili # 7: Susan's Screaming Sensation Chili
- JUDGE ONE: A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
- JUDGE TWO: Ho Hum, tastes as if the chef threw in canned chili peppers at the last moment. I should note that I am a bit worried about Judge Number 3, he appears to be in a bit of distress.
- CAMERON: You could put a hand grenade in my mouth and pull the pin and I wouldn't feel it. I've lost the sight in one eye and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My clothes are covered with chili which slid unnoticed out of my mouth at some point. Good, at autopsy they'll know what killed me. Go Sally, save yourself before it's too late. Tell our children I'm sorry I was not there to conceive them. I've decided to stop breathing, it's too painful and I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air I'll just let it in through the hole in my stomach. Call the X-Files people and tell them I've found a super nova on my tongue.
Chili # 8: Helen's Mount Saint Chili
- JUDGE ONE: This final entry is a good, balanced chili, neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge Number 3 fell and pulled the chili pot on top of himself.
- JUDGE TWO: A perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili, safe for all, not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.
- CAMERON: Momma?
Why We Homeschool
Pills handed out 'like candy' hospitalize students | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "Drugs, including Xanax, were passed out 'like candy', police say"
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Bosses behaving badly
Bosses behaving badly: "Bosses behaving badly
The mind-boggling mishaps that took place in the executive - and hotel - suite."
The mind-boggling mishaps that took place in the executive - and hotel - suite."
101 Dumbest Moments in Business
101 Dumbest Moments in Business : "The year's biggest boors, buffoons, and blunderers"
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Sunrise in Seattle
Sunrise in Seattle
Originally uploaded by JetMan777.
Waking up in Bellevue WA before heading over the pass to Cle Elum
Airline pilot is stricken after takeoff, dies - CNN.com
Airline pilot is stricken after takeoff, dies - CNN.com: "The pilot of a Continental Airlines flight became ill after takeoff and was later pronounced dead after the plane made an emergency landing, a company spokeswoman said."
Friday, January 19, 2007
Office Vocabulary
Blamestorming - Sitting around in a group discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed and who was responsible.
Seagull Manager - A manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, messes up everything, and then leaves.
Blowing Your Buffer - Losing your train of thought.
Chainsaw Consultant - An outside expert brought in to reduce the employee headcount, leaving the brass with clean hands.
CLM (Career-Limiting Move) - Used among microserfs to describe ill-advised activity, e.g., trashing your boss while he or she is within earshot is a serious CLM.
Depotphobia - Fear associated with entering a Costco or Kmart because of how much money one might spend. Electronics geeks experience Shackophobia, Tandyagonia, or Circuit Cityatosis.
Adminisphere - The rarefied organizational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the Adminisphere are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve.
Dilberted - To be exploited and oppressed by your boss. Derived from the experiences of Dilbert, the geek-in-a-cubicle comic strip character. "I've been dilberted again. The old man revised the specs for the fourth time this week."
Flight Risk - Used to describe employees who are suspected of planning to leave the company or department soon.
404 - Someone who's clueless. From the World Wide Web error message "404 Not Found," meaning that the requested document could not be located. "Don't bother asking him -- he's 404, man."
Generica - Features of the American landscape that are exactly the same no matter where one is, such as fast food joints, strip malls, or housing development subdivisions. Used as in "We were so lost in Generica that I forgot what city we were in."
GOOD ("Get-Out-Of-Debt") Job - A well-paying job people will take to pay off their debts, which they will quit as soon as they are solvent again.
Keyboard Plaque - The disgusting buildup of dirt and crud found on computer keyboards.
Ohnosecond - That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you've just made a BIG mistake.
Percussive Maintenance - The fine art of whacking the daylights out of an electronic device to get it to work again.
Prairie Dogging - When someone yells or drops something loudly in a "cube farm" (an office full of cubicles) and all the co-workers' heads pop up over the walls to see what's going on.
Telephone Number Salary - A salary (or project budget) that has seven digits.
Umfriend - A relationship of dubious standing or a concealed intimate relationship, as in "This is Dale, my...um...friend."
Yuppie Food Stamps - The ubiquitous $20 bills spewed out of ATMs everywhere. Often used when trying to split the bill after a meal: "We owe $8 each, but all anybody's got are yuppie food stamps."
Seagull Manager - A manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, messes up everything, and then leaves.
Blowing Your Buffer - Losing your train of thought.
Chainsaw Consultant - An outside expert brought in to reduce the employee headcount, leaving the brass with clean hands.
CLM (Career-Limiting Move) - Used among microserfs to describe ill-advised activity, e.g., trashing your boss while he or she is within earshot is a serious CLM.
Depotphobia - Fear associated with entering a Costco or Kmart because of how much money one might spend. Electronics geeks experience Shackophobia, Tandyagonia, or Circuit Cityatosis.
Adminisphere - The rarefied organizational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the Adminisphere are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve.
Dilberted - To be exploited and oppressed by your boss. Derived from the experiences of Dilbert, the geek-in-a-cubicle comic strip character. "I've been dilberted again. The old man revised the specs for the fourth time this week."
Flight Risk - Used to describe employees who are suspected of planning to leave the company or department soon.
404 - Someone who's clueless. From the World Wide Web error message "404 Not Found," meaning that the requested document could not be located. "Don't bother asking him -- he's 404, man."
Generica - Features of the American landscape that are exactly the same no matter where one is, such as fast food joints, strip malls, or housing development subdivisions. Used as in "We were so lost in Generica that I forgot what city we were in."
GOOD ("Get-Out-Of-Debt") Job - A well-paying job people will take to pay off their debts, which they will quit as soon as they are solvent again.
Keyboard Plaque - The disgusting buildup of dirt and crud found on computer keyboards.
Ohnosecond - That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you've just made a BIG mistake.
Percussive Maintenance - The fine art of whacking the daylights out of an electronic device to get it to work again.
Prairie Dogging - When someone yells or drops something loudly in a "cube farm" (an office full of cubicles) and all the co-workers' heads pop up over the walls to see what's going on.
Telephone Number Salary - A salary (or project budget) that has seven digits.
Umfriend - A relationship of dubious standing or a concealed intimate relationship, as in "This is Dale, my...um...friend."
Yuppie Food Stamps - The ubiquitous $20 bills spewed out of ATMs everywhere. Often used when trying to split the bill after a meal: "We owe $8 each, but all anybody's got are yuppie food stamps."
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Buying a Computer for Vista ... and Beyond
Buying a Computer for Vista ... and Beyond:
"If most accounts are to be believed, Vista is a frightening monster that will place more demands on your hardware than any other operating system you've ever encountered. "
"If most accounts are to be believed, Vista is a frightening monster that will place more demands on your hardware than any other operating system you've ever encountered. "
Windows Vista A to Z
Windows Vista A to Z:
Reviews, analyses, how-tos, hot issues and predictions about Microsoft's new OS
Reviews, analyses, how-tos, hot issues and predictions about Microsoft's new OS
Telecommute. Kill a career?
Telecommute. Kill a career?: "Employees who frequently telecommute may damage or kill their chances to advance within a particular career, according to a recent survey."
China now may have ability to knock out U.S. GPS and spy satellites
U.S. official: Chinese test missile obliterates satellite - CNN.com:
• Chinese use a missile to ram and destroy an old, orbiting satellite
• Experts: China now may have ability to knock out U.S. GPS and spy satellites
• Washington issues formal diplomatic protest"
• Chinese use a missile to ram and destroy an old, orbiting satellite
• Experts: China now may have ability to knock out U.S. GPS and spy satellites
• Washington issues formal diplomatic protest"
Joel Osteen Tops Most Influential Christians in America
"Barbara Walters' most fascinating pastor, Joel Osteen, now tops the list of the 50 Most Influential Christians in America."Joel Osteen Tops Most Influential Christians in America
'Idol' tops itself again, sets record
'Idol' tops itself again, sets record - CNN.com:• 'American Idol' premiere gets highest ratings in its history
• 37.3 million people watched 6th season opener
• Some fans disappointed by focus on poor performers"
Seating Maps & Reviews for 100 Airlines; Covers most Boeing and Airbus Airplanes
Seating Maps & Reviews for 100 Airlines; Covers most Boeing and Airbus Airplanes: "Airplane Seat Comfort Reports ™
Your Official guide to airplane seat reviews, rating and in-flight services"
Your Official guide to airplane seat reviews, rating and in-flight services"
Part from plane bombards house
edmontonsun.com - World - Part from plane bombards house: "A small piece of metal apparently from an aircraft crashed yesterday through the roof of a home near Midway Airport,"...
Microsoft to Offer Windows Vista Online - Forbes.com
Microsoft to Offer Windows Vista Online - Forbes.com: "Microsoft Corp. will make its new Windows Vista operating system available for sale and download online, marking a new step for the software company, which has previously sold Windows only on packaged discs or pre-loaded on computers."
A Day In The Life...
I decided to wash my car. As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the hall table. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the trash can under the table, and notice that the trash can is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the trash first but then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash anyway, I may as well pay the bills first. I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go to my desk where I find the can of Coke that I had been drinking.
I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. I see that the Coke is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the coke a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye-- they need to be watered. I set the Coke down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.
I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote.
Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, we will be looking for the remote, but nobody will remember that it's on the kitchen table. So I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.
I splash some water on the flowers, but most of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.
At the end of the day: the car isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter, the flowers aren't watered, there is still only one check in my check book, I can't find the remote, I can't find my glasses, and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.
Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail.
I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. I see that the Coke is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the coke a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye-- they need to be watered. I set the Coke down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.
I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote.
Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, we will be looking for the remote, but nobody will remember that it's on the kitchen table. So I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.
I splash some water on the flowers, but most of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.
At the end of the day: the car isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter, the flowers aren't watered, there is still only one check in my check book, I can't find the remote, I can't find my glasses, and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.
Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail.
"Executive Function" Self-Test
1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?
The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, insert the giraffe, and close the door.
This question tested whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.
Did you say, "Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the door?" Wrong answer.
Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door.
Correct Answer: The elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in there.
This tested your memory.
OK, even if you didn't answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities:
4. There is a river you must cross but it is inhabited by crocodiles. How do you manage it?
Correct Answer: You swim across. All the crocodiles are attending the Animal Meeting.
This tested whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.
According to Accenture Consulting Worldwide, around 90% of the professionals they tested got all questions wrong. But many preschoolers got several correct answers. Accenture Consulting says this conclusively disproves the theory that most professionals have the brains of a four-year-old.
What's It Like To Have Add?
by Edward M. Hallowell, M.D.
What is it like to have ADD? What is the feel of the syndrome? I have a short talk that I often give to groups as an introduction to the subjective experience of ADD and what it is like to live with it:
Attention Deficit Disorder. First of all I resent the term. As far as I'm concerned most people have Attention Surplus Disorder. I mean, life being what it is, who can pay attention to anything for very long? Is it really a sign of mental health to be able to balance your checkbook, sit still in your chair, and never speak out of turn? As far as I can see, many people who don't have ADD are charter members of the Congenitally Boring.
But anyway, be that as it may, there is this syndrome called ADD or ADHD, depending on what book you read. So what's it like to have ADD? Some people say the so-called syndrome doesn't even exist, but believe me, it does. Many metaphors come to mind to describe it. It's like driving in the rain with bad windshield wipers. Everything is smudged and blurred and you're speeding along, and it's reeeeally frustrating not being able to see very well. Or it's like listening to a radio station with a lot of static and you have to strain to hear what's going on. Or, it's like trying to build a house of cards in a dust storm. You have to build a structure to protect yourself from the wind before you can even start on the cards.
In other ways it's like being super-charged all the time. You get one idea and you have to act on it, and then, what do you know, but you've got another idea before you've finished up with the first one, and so you go for that one, but of course a third idea intercepts the second, and you just have to follow that one, and pretty soon people are calling you disorganized and impulsive and all sorts of impolite words that miss the point completely. Because you're trying really hard. It's just that you have all these invisible vectors pulling you this way and that which makes it really hard to stay on task.
Plus which, you're spilling over all the time. You're drumming your fingers, tapping your feet, humming a song, whistling, looking here, looking there, scratching, stretching, doodling, and people think you're not paying attention or that you're not interested, but all you're doing is spilling over so that you can pay attention. I can pay a lot better attention when I'm taking a walk or listening to music or even when I'm in a crowded, noisy room than when I'm still and surrounded by silence. God save me from the reading rooms. Have you ever been into the one in Widener Library? The only thing that saves it is that so many of the people who use it have ADD that there's a constant soothing bustle.
What is it like to have ADD? Buzzing. Being here and there and everywhere. Someone once said, "Time is the thing that keeps everything from happening all at once." Time parcels moments out into separate bits so that we can do one thing at a time. In ADD, this does not happen. In ADD, time collapses. Time becomes a black hole. To the person with ADD it feels as if everything is happening all at once. This creates a sense of inner turmoil or even panic. The individual loses perspective and the ability to prioritize. He or she is always on the go, trying to keep the world from caving in on top.
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Museums. (Have you noticed how I skip around? That's part of the deal. I change channels a lot. And radio stations. Drives my wife nuts. "Can't we listen to just one song all the way through?") Anyway, museums. The way I go through a museum is the way some people go through Filene's basement. Some of this, some of that, oh, this one looks nice, but what about that rack over there? Gotta hurry, gotta run. It's not that I don't like art. I love art. But my way of loving it makes most people think I'm a real Philistine. On the other hand, sometimes I can sit and look at one painting for a long while. I'll get into the world of the painting and buzz around in there until I forget about everything else. In these moments I, like most people with ADD, can hyperfocus, which gives the lie to the notion that we can never pay attention. Sometimes we have turbocharged focusing abilities. It just depends upon the situation.
Lines. I'm almost incapable of waiting in lines. I just can't wait, you see. That's the hell of it. Impulse leads to action. I'm very short on what you might call the intermediate reflective step between impulse and action. That's why I, like so many people with ADD, lack tact. Tact is entirely dependent on the ability to consider one's words before uttering them. We ADD types don't do this so well. I remember in the fifth grade I noticed my math teacher's hair in a new style and blurted out, "Mr. Cook, is that a toupee you're wearing?" I got kicked out of class. I've since learned how to say these inappropriate things in such a way or at such a time that they can in fact be helpful. But it has taken time. That's the thing about ADD. It takes a lot of adapting to get on in life. But it certainly can be done, and be done very well.
As you might imagine, intimacy can be a problem if you've got to be constantly changing the subject, pacing, scratching and blurting out tactless remarks. My wife has learned not to take my tuning out personally, and she says that when I'm there, I'm really there. At first, when we met, she thought I was some kind of nut, as I would bolt out of restaurants at the end of meals or disappear to another planet during a conversation. Now she has grown accustomed to my sudden coming and goings.
What is it like to have ADD? What is the feel of the syndrome? I have a short talk that I often give to groups as an introduction to the subjective experience of ADD and what it is like to live with it:
Attention Deficit Disorder. First of all I resent the term. As far as I'm concerned most people have Attention Surplus Disorder. I mean, life being what it is, who can pay attention to anything for very long? Is it really a sign of mental health to be able to balance your checkbook, sit still in your chair, and never speak out of turn? As far as I can see, many people who don't have ADD are charter members of the Congenitally Boring.
But anyway, be that as it may, there is this syndrome called ADD or ADHD, depending on what book you read. So what's it like to have ADD? Some people say the so-called syndrome doesn't even exist, but believe me, it does. Many metaphors come to mind to describe it. It's like driving in the rain with bad windshield wipers. Everything is smudged and blurred and you're speeding along, and it's reeeeally frustrating not being able to see very well. Or it's like listening to a radio station with a lot of static and you have to strain to hear what's going on. Or, it's like trying to build a house of cards in a dust storm. You have to build a structure to protect yourself from the wind before you can even start on the cards.
In other ways it's like being super-charged all the time. You get one idea and you have to act on it, and then, what do you know, but you've got another idea before you've finished up with the first one, and so you go for that one, but of course a third idea intercepts the second, and you just have to follow that one, and pretty soon people are calling you disorganized and impulsive and all sorts of impolite words that miss the point completely. Because you're trying really hard. It's just that you have all these invisible vectors pulling you this way and that which makes it really hard to stay on task.
Plus which, you're spilling over all the time. You're drumming your fingers, tapping your feet, humming a song, whistling, looking here, looking there, scratching, stretching, doodling, and people think you're not paying attention or that you're not interested, but all you're doing is spilling over so that you can pay attention. I can pay a lot better attention when I'm taking a walk or listening to music or even when I'm in a crowded, noisy room than when I'm still and surrounded by silence. God save me from the reading rooms. Have you ever been into the one in Widener Library? The only thing that saves it is that so many of the people who use it have ADD that there's a constant soothing bustle.
What is it like to have ADD? Buzzing. Being here and there and everywhere. Someone once said, "Time is the thing that keeps everything from happening all at once." Time parcels moments out into separate bits so that we can do one thing at a time. In ADD, this does not happen. In ADD, time collapses. Time becomes a black hole. To the person with ADD it feels as if everything is happening all at once. This creates a sense of inner turmoil or even panic. The individual loses perspective and the ability to prioritize. He or she is always on the go, trying to keep the world from caving in on top.
advertisement
Museums. (Have you noticed how I skip around? That's part of the deal. I change channels a lot. And radio stations. Drives my wife nuts. "Can't we listen to just one song all the way through?") Anyway, museums. The way I go through a museum is the way some people go through Filene's basement. Some of this, some of that, oh, this one looks nice, but what about that rack over there? Gotta hurry, gotta run. It's not that I don't like art. I love art. But my way of loving it makes most people think I'm a real Philistine. On the other hand, sometimes I can sit and look at one painting for a long while. I'll get into the world of the painting and buzz around in there until I forget about everything else. In these moments I, like most people with ADD, can hyperfocus, which gives the lie to the notion that we can never pay attention. Sometimes we have turbocharged focusing abilities. It just depends upon the situation.
Lines. I'm almost incapable of waiting in lines. I just can't wait, you see. That's the hell of it. Impulse leads to action. I'm very short on what you might call the intermediate reflective step between impulse and action. That's why I, like so many people with ADD, lack tact. Tact is entirely dependent on the ability to consider one's words before uttering them. We ADD types don't do this so well. I remember in the fifth grade I noticed my math teacher's hair in a new style and blurted out, "Mr. Cook, is that a toupee you're wearing?" I got kicked out of class. I've since learned how to say these inappropriate things in such a way or at such a time that they can in fact be helpful. But it has taken time. That's the thing about ADD. It takes a lot of adapting to get on in life. But it certainly can be done, and be done very well.
As you might imagine, intimacy can be a problem if you've got to be constantly changing the subject, pacing, scratching and blurting out tactless remarks. My wife has learned not to take my tuning out personally, and she says that when I'm there, I'm really there. At first, when we met, she thought I was some kind of nut, as I would bolt out of restaurants at the end of meals or disappear to another planet during a conversation. Now she has grown accustomed to my sudden coming and goings.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
IKEA - Commerical Tries to Rewrite American Values
One Million Dads.com
Many of you have written about the IKEA furniture commercial. Although IKEA is not a nationally known company, they are growing, with stores in most major U.S. cities. IKEA is a Sweden-based retail furniture company and they are trying to force their liberal worldview on Americans through television.
Their latest U.S.-aired commercial features a homosexual male couple and young female child on the floor, resting up against each other, as they lean on the front of their couch. The voiceover poses the question: 'Why shouldn't sofas come in flavors, just like families?'
This is just one of many pro-homosexual ads IKEA airs around the world.
Please let IKEA know that the promotion of homosexual couples as a 'family' is offensive and undermines American values.
Send Your Letter Now!"
Many of you have written about the IKEA furniture commercial. Although IKEA is not a nationally known company, they are growing, with stores in most major U.S. cities. IKEA is a Sweden-based retail furniture company and they are trying to force their liberal worldview on Americans through television.
Their latest U.S.-aired commercial features a homosexual male couple and young female child on the floor, resting up against each other, as they lean on the front of their couch. The voiceover poses the question: 'Why shouldn't sofas come in flavors, just like families?'
This is just one of many pro-homosexual ads IKEA airs around the world.
Please let IKEA know that the promotion of homosexual couples as a 'family' is offensive and undermines American values.
Send Your Letter Now!"
Airline Cabin Announcements
All too rarely, airline attendants make an effort to make the in flight "safety lecture" and announcements a bit more entertaining. Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported:
1. On a Southwest flight 245 (SW has no assigned seating, you just sit where you want) passengers were apparently having a hard time choosing, when a flight attendant announced, "People, people we're not picking out furniture here, find a seat and get in it!"
2. On a Continental Flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants."
3. On landing, the stewardess said, "Please be sure to take all of your belongings. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's something we'd like to have.
4. "There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane"
5. "Thank you for flying Delta Business Express. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."
6. As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Ronald Reagan, a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella, WHOA!"
7. After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in Memphis, a flight attendant on a Northwest flight announced, "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as hell everything has shifted."
8. >From a Southwest Airlines employee: "Welcome aboard Southwest Flight 245 to Tampa .. To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised."
9. "In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with more than one small child, pick your favorite."
10. "Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you, or your money, more than Southwest Airlines."
11. "Your seat cushions can be used for flotation; and, in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments."
12. "As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses."
13. And from the pilot during his welcome message: "Delta Airlines is pleased to have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!"
14. Heard on Southwest Airlines just after a very hard landing in Salt Lake City the flight attendant came on the intercom and said, "That was quite a bump, and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault, it was the asphalt."
15. Overheard on an American Airlines flight into Amarillo, Texas, on a particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain was really having to fight it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Amarillo . Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!"
16. Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."
17. An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the first officer to stand at the door while the Passengers exited, smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying our airline." He said that, in light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that so someone would have a smart comment. Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a cane. She said, "Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?" "Why, no, Ma'am," said the pilot. "What is it?" The little old lady said, "Did we land, or were we shot down?"
18. After a real crusher of a landing in Phoenix, the attendant came on with, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Capt. Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we'll open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal."
19. Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement: "We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today. And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of US Airways."
20. Heard on a Southwest Airline flight. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing and if you can light 'em, you can smoke 'em."
21. A plane was taking off from Kennedy Airport . After it reached a comfortable cruising altitude, the captain made an announcement over the intercom, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to Flight Number 293, nonstop from New York to Los Angeles . The weather ahead is good and, therefore, we should have a smooth and uneventful flight. Now sit back and relax.. OH, MY GOD!" Silence followed, and after a few minutes, the captain came back on the intercom and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am so sorry if I scared you earlier. While I was talking to you, the flight attendant accidentally spilled a cup of hot coffee in my lap. You should see the front of my pants!" A passenger in Coach yelled, "That's nothing. You should see the back of mine."
1. On a Southwest flight 245 (SW has no assigned seating, you just sit where you want) passengers were apparently having a hard time choosing, when a flight attendant announced, "People, people we're not picking out furniture here, find a seat and get in it!"
2. On a Continental Flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants."
3. On landing, the stewardess said, "Please be sure to take all of your belongings. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's something we'd like to have.
4. "There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane"
5. "Thank you for flying Delta Business Express. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."
6. As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Ronald Reagan, a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella, WHOA!"
7. After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in Memphis, a flight attendant on a Northwest flight announced, "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as hell everything has shifted."
8. >From a Southwest Airlines employee: "Welcome aboard Southwest Flight 245 to Tampa .. To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised."
9. "In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with more than one small child, pick your favorite."
10. "Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you, or your money, more than Southwest Airlines."
11. "Your seat cushions can be used for flotation; and, in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments."
12. "As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses."
13. And from the pilot during his welcome message: "Delta Airlines is pleased to have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!"
14. Heard on Southwest Airlines just after a very hard landing in Salt Lake City the flight attendant came on the intercom and said, "That was quite a bump, and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault, it was the asphalt."
15. Overheard on an American Airlines flight into Amarillo, Texas, on a particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain was really having to fight it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Amarillo . Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!"
16. Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."
17. An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the first officer to stand at the door while the Passengers exited, smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying our airline." He said that, in light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that so someone would have a smart comment. Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a cane. She said, "Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?" "Why, no, Ma'am," said the pilot. "What is it?" The little old lady said, "Did we land, or were we shot down?"
18. After a real crusher of a landing in Phoenix, the attendant came on with, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Capt. Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we'll open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal."
19. Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement: "We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today. And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of US Airways."
20. Heard on a Southwest Airline flight. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing and if you can light 'em, you can smoke 'em."
21. A plane was taking off from Kennedy Airport . After it reached a comfortable cruising altitude, the captain made an announcement over the intercom, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to Flight Number 293, nonstop from New York to Los Angeles . The weather ahead is good and, therefore, we should have a smooth and uneventful flight. Now sit back and relax.. OH, MY GOD!" Silence followed, and after a few minutes, the captain came back on the intercom and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am so sorry if I scared you earlier. While I was talking to you, the flight attendant accidentally spilled a cup of hot coffee in my lap. You should see the front of my pants!" A passenger in Coach yelled, "That's nothing. You should see the back of mine."
Creating Your Own Personal Financial Plan
Mark Biller
A question we've heard countless times over the years is "What's the most common mistake people make when managing their finances?" Our answer: making spending and investment decisions apart from a personalized financial plan. No matter how good your investing choices are, if they're made outside the framework of a larger plan, you're inviting trouble.
Imagine that you're preparing to build your dream home. Over the years, you've accumulated scores of ideas that you'd like to see incorporated into it. Before construction begins, you sit down with your builder to review your design goals. You ask him how long before the blueprints will be ready, but to your surprise, he tells you he doesn't work that way. Rather than planning everything ahead of time, he prefers to develop the design as he goes along. He'll keep your ideas in mind, but "blueprints are so restricting," he says-he wants to have the freedom to be spontaneously creative as the house is being built.
Most of us would be reluctant to hire a builder like that! When building a house, we recognize it's a good thing to have a carefully considered blueprint for action before taking on a challenging task. In fact, the more important the project (e.g., having open heart surgery), the more emphasis we place on careful planning.
Unfortunately, too many people use the "we'll work out the details as we go along" approach when it comes to one of the most important projects they'll ever take on-building a secure financial future. Yet, in much the same way that we live in a physical home, we each "live" in a financial home as well, one that has been created by our past decisions. Just as our dream house could end up poorly designed due to a lack of planning, many people reach retirement and find their financial home isn't what they've always hoped for. That's usually what results from a lifetime of making financial decisions independent of a master blueprint. The good news is this doesn't have to happen to you. Get 2007 off to a good start by setting aside time this month to create a personalized financial plan that's designed to build the kind of future financial home you'll enjoy living in.
In a moment, we'll look at typical planning situations for people at three various stages of life. But before we do, let's examine two basics common to every financial plan. The first is the necessity of developing a clearly defined set of God-given goals. Clearly defined goals establish your financial priorities. In his book, Storm Shelter, Ron Blue lists the following five steps for setting good goals: List your goals, consolidate and refine them, prioritize them, make them measurable, and keep them visible. The monthly surplus established by your budget (which I'll get to in a moment) is the wind in your sails, but your goals are the compass you navigate with. Set good goals and keep them in front of you-you'll be surprised at how much more productive and focused you'll feel as you start living with a clearer purpose.
The second common denominator of all good financial plans is a spending plan (i.e., budget). You may not like it, but it's an absolutely essential tool for everyone who hasn't yet received a seven figure inheritance. Without a spending plan, you can't intelligently implement saving and investing strategies because you don't know if you have any extra money to save or invest.
Even if you seem to have extra money left over each month, without a budget you won't know if that money should be saved for those once-a-year items (such as insurance premiums and summer vacations) or if it truly represents a surplus. Also, it's unlikely you'll be in a position to give generously to God's work if you don't plan for it.
As you work through your goal-setting and spending plan, remember that this is a spiritual endeavor, not merely a mental one. Your personal financial goals and budget will reflect how you view and use money. Since, as Christians, we are managers rather than owners, it's vital that you allow God to speak to you regarding your plans for His money. Married couples should absolutely make these planning decisions together, not just because it ensures "buy-in" from both parties, but because it establishes you as a team rather than opponents. One-half of marriages end in divorce, and 80% of those are due, in part, to money problems. Jointly establishing a financial plan may have farther reaching implications than you think.
While there are no "one-size-fits-all" financial plans, certain experiences are common to particular phases of life. As you read the following scenarios, don't get discouraged if you feel "behind." The point is not to provide benchmarks of how far along you should be, but rather to provide guardrails to keep you on track and to help you think through issues common to each phase. Your situation will probably differ somewhat from what's here, so make sure to personalize these to your individual circumstances.
The Young Person/Couple
For many young people these days, youth translates financially into "easy credit and lots of debt." More than likely, the first decade out of school is spent paying off school loans, car loans, and credit card bills. Outfitting an apartment or first home can really pack on the debt, especially if you aren't following a spending plan in those early years. Throw in trying to save for a wedding, the down payment on a first home, building a savings reserve, and paying for the arrival and growing up of your little bundle(s) of joy. And just about the time your education is paid off, it's time to start saving for college for the kids.
Sound bleak? It doesn't have to be. Unfortunately, many young couples waste the most productive financial years they'll have for a while: those early marriage years when both spouses are likely working and there are no kids in the picture yet. This is a golden opportunity to make serious headway financially, but all too often it isn't seized due to lack of planning (and because there's so much fun stuff to buy!). The sense of urgency that arrives with those two exciting words-"I'm pregnant"- often comes too late. Here's what's needed:
1. Make a budget, relying on your current spending to establish realistic initial estimates in each category. Usually this requires a period of tracking your expenses carefully to ensure your budget is using realistic figures. Establish your short and medium term financial goals. Then look at your budget again. Does your available surplus put you in position to realize your goals? If not, it's not unusual to go through several rounds of belt-tightening before finally settling on a workable budget. Consider these to be normal growing pains-chances are, it's your first experience setting and living on a serious budget.
2. Attack your debt, while avoiding further debt. This is tougher than it sounds, since most young people have yet to establish a savings reserve from which to absorb unexpected expenses. Couples considering having children are wise to attempt budgeting all living expenses from one income, while applying the other entirely to debt reduction and saving. Sure that may reduce the money you have for "fun stuff" now, but you'll sure appreciate the flexibility later when your expenses soar and income potentially drops in half.
List all of your debts, including balances and interest rates. There are two main debt-payment strategies to choose between. If you are highly disciplined, you will save the most money in interest expense by paying off your highest interest rate debts first. But a more motivating strategy for many is the "debt snowball" approach, in which you pay off the debt with the lowest balance first, then the next lowest, and so forth. Don't underestimate the value of this psychologically; if seeing your debts fall one after another keeps you motivated, it's worth paying a little extra interest.
3. Start building your emergency fund by opening a money market account and having money automatically deposited into it each month. For most people, it's a good idea to start saving a small amount even before they've finished paying off their debt. Some of this depends on the interest rate of your loans, but having a small savings account will help keep you from slipping back to your credit cards when unexpected expenses arise. A savings account balance of three to six months living expenses is routinely recommended by financial planners. That may seem like a lot, but you'll have plenty of use for it if buying a house or having children are on the horizon.
4. Take advantage of free money at work by contributing to your retirement plan up to the amount your company matches. This is slightly controversial if you are in a deep debt hole, in which case you should skip this step for now. But if your debt is manageable, meaning you have a clear plan to pay it off reasonably soon, take advantage of employer matching in your 401(k) or other retirement plan if it's available. Beyond the amount matched, additional contributions take a lower priority.
5. Fund a Roth IRA. A Roth IRA, funded in your twenties or thirties, is an incredible deal. You'll get 30+ years of compound growth, then get to take that money out tax-free! Roths can also double as college savings accounts, or even last-resort emergency savings vehicles. Because they are so potent yet flexible, you should make a serious effort to start funneling money into one as soon as you get your debt under control and emergency savings up to a reasonable level.
5. Choose your investing strategy. Whether you're investing at work or in a Roth IRA, you need a clearly-defined strategy. Sound Mind Investing offers two primary strategies to follow: Just-the-Basics, and Upgrading. Both are founded on core principles that should be a part of any investing plan, and each can be adapted to your situation.
Once you get your long-term strategy up and running, continue to follow it no matter what the markets may be doing. In other words, don't let current events (and the emotions surrounding them) interrupt your monthly contributions.
6. Start a college savings account. If you already have a child, the clock is ticking on their education saving. There is definitely a right way and a wrong way to do this, so educate yourself. It's easier than it seems: use a Roth IRA, Section 529 plan and/or Coverdell Education Account (formerly known as Ed IRAs). Avoid the old tools you've heard about: EE bonds, custodial accounts, and so on. And don't buy into the idea that you need to save a gazillion dollars for college either. Worst case, there will likely be loans or part-time jobs available to make sure Junior can still go to college. Don't be paralyzed by the huge numbers you read about; just start saving what you can.
The Middle-Age Couple
As bittersweet as having the kids leave home may be, for most couples it marks a financial turning point from peak spending years to peak saving years. Coinciding with the decline in child-related expenses are the highest earning years for most workers, and in some rare cases, paying off the mortgage. At any rate, there's probably more surplus money available now than ever before, and it's a good thing. The day-to-day expenses of child-rearing have likely left you feeling a little behind regarding your retirement plan. It's catch-up time now. Your priority list includes:
1. Revise your budget to reflect your new level of income and expenses. This budget revision should be an annual event anyway, but I'll include it in case you haven't adjusted your budget in a while. Take a new look at your short and medium term goals as well. It's getting down to crunch time, so if you're serious about meeting those goals, you don't have as much of a time cushion as you once did. Use that as motivation rather than letting it discourage you.
2. Take a financial inventory of your household. What debt do you have outstanding? What needs are coming up-additional school payments, cars that need replacing, home repairs you've put off? At this stage of life, debt should be pared back to bare minimums. If you haven't already done so, pay off those credit card balances, car loans, and other consumer debts. You likely have the cash flow now that you can eliminate or reduce interest expense on big-ticket items, like car purchases, through advance planning and saving. If it's not there yet, build your emergency saving account balance up to where it should be.
3. Get realistic estimates of how much money you'll need to retire. SMI's "Counting Down to a Financially Secure Retirement" worksheets can help you with this task, as can many of the good calculators available at other financial websites. Having specific figures in mind will help motivate you if you need to start saving more, or potentially keep you off the austerity budget if you're doing better than you thought.
4. Review your investing strategy. For many people, this will have already happened years ago as a result of managing retirement plan money at work or IRAs they've established. But how you divide your money between stocks and bonds (which affects your risk level) changes as you move closer to retirement, so it's important to make sure your allocations are still appropriate. See point #5 for young couples for more on this.
5. Maximize your retirement plan at work. Your 401(k) or other retirement plan at work probably represents your best opportunity to quickly save large amounts for retirement. The tax advantages of such an account, which usually include pre-tax contributions, coupled with employer matching or other contributions, make it tough to beat. This isn't true in every case though, so investigate the details of your plan, as well as the investment options offered within it. Most 401(k) plans will allow you to save as much as $15,500 in 2007, and an additional $5,000 if you're at least 50 years old.
6. Take advantage of IRA opportunities. If you're married and your gross income is over $103,000, you probably won't gain an immediate tax benefit from contributing to an IRA. But that doesn't mean it's not worth doing so anyway. Or you may qualify for a Roth IRA, which can provide years of valuable tax-free growth. Remember, your time horizon isn't just until you retire, it's through your retirement, which these days often extends 20-30 years. So if you've maxed out your retirement plans at work, definitely consider an IRA. For 2007, the maximum investment amount is $4,000, and if you're at least 50 years old you can add an additional $1,000 per year.
The Retirement Couple
The big day has finally arrived! Freedom! But with the freedom from your job comes the unsettling loss of that familiar friend: the regular paycheck. That loss of steady income makes many retirees feel like they're at the mercy of the financial markets to a much greater extent than they prefer. Don't panic, you can have peace of mind despite this adjustment. But it's definitely time to make sure your personal financial plan reflects these major changes. Here are the key points:
1. Decide whether to take your company retirement plan money in a lump sum or an annuity. This is an extremely important decision and should be made with great care. If you'll be making this decision soon, schedule an appointment with a CPA or financial planner to talk about which is a better option for you.
2. Re-create your budget to reflect the realities of your retirement income. This doesn't just mean the changing amounts; it means the change in the timing of these payments as well. Match your living expenses to the amount and timing of your income, obviously remembering to include things such as social security income, pension benefits you receive, and so on.
3. Determine your strategy for withdrawing money from your retirement plans. This is a major decision, one you should make with a firm grasp of your income needs (from your newly revised budget). Let's review a few popular options:
- Taking a fixed amount out at regular intervals is simple enough, but it exposes you to market declines and increases your risk of outliving your money more than other methods.
- A slight variation involves taking out a fixed percentage at regular intervals. This improves your odds of not outliving your money, as you take less out if your account balance declines. As long as you are still able to meet your expenses, this can work well.
- Another option that greatly insulates you from market fluctuations is to set aside 3-5 years of living expenses in a money market fund account, and pay all current expenses from that account rather than your investments. History shows that over five-year periods, the stock market has made money an overwhelming percentage of the time. This is a good way to extend your time horizon, allowing you to be slightly more aggressive in your asset allocation, by insuring that you won't be taking money out of your plan disproportionately during down markets.
4. Consider the implications of which accounts you withdraw from when. Traditional IRAs, including IRAs you may have rolled over from your company retirement plan, have mandatory distribution rules that require you to start withdrawing from these accounts at age 70½. Roth IRAs, by contrast, have no mandatory distribution rules, and in fact, get favorable treatment should you die and leave them to your heirs. While this decision requires some individualized number crunching and thought, taking money out of your traditional IRAs rather than your Roth IRAs early in retirement will generally leave you with more flexibility in your later years than vice versa (due to the smaller mandatory distributions you'll incur).
An even more aggressive way to leverage this difference in the IRA rules is to consider delaying the start of your Social Security benefits initially when you retire. You'll have an extremely low taxable income as a result, which you can use to your advantage by converting chunks of your Traditional IRA into a Roth at rock-bottom tax rates. Having more Roth and less Traditional IRA assets will increase the flexibility of your future withdrawals, perhaps lower the overall tax rate paid on those IRA assets, and boost the amount of your monthly Social Security payments once they do begin. This sort of maneuver is complex enough that it's likely wise to enlist the help of a good CPA to evaluate its effectiveness in your specific situation.
5. Reconsider your asset allocation and risk threshold. Retirement is a time to reduce risk, taking only as much as is necessary to meet your financial needs. Even if you've been an "all stocks, all the time" investor throughout your life, it's foolish to take that added risk if you can live comfortably on the income provided from less aggressive investments. So look closely at what your specific income needs are, and throttle down your risk if you're able. The new SMI Managed Volatility Fund may be a useful tool for the stock allocation of those at this stage, since it attempts to offer some downside protection while still pursuing the Upgrading strategy.
Conclusion
I've merely touched on some of the most important aspects of creating your personal financial plan: identifying your season of life and risk temperament, determining your ideal asset allocation, applying our model portfolios, and so on. But all of this information is explained in detail in our bonus reports for new readers: the SMI New Reader Guide, and Jumpstart to Successful Investing.
While these lists aren't comprehensive, they do highlight key items to address in your personal financial plan at each stage of life. Ultimately, your financial priorities and plan of attack can only be decided by one person, and that's you. But having a step-by-step financial plan can help you stay on track when the inevitable financial temptations grab your eye.
Your goals are worth sacrificing to achieve, and taking the time to establish a comprehensive plan is the first step. This year, replace your good intentions with action by creating-and faithfully following-a personal financial plan. When it comes time to move into the financial home you've built for yourself, you'll be glad you did.
© Sound Mind Investing
Published since 1990, Sound Mind Investing is America's best-selling financial newsletter written from a biblical perspective. Visit the Sound Mind Investing website.
Texas shut down 300 miles of I-10 Tuesday
• Texas shut down 300 miles of I-10 Tuesday
• Death toll of 54 across nine states, with 20 in Oklahoma
• Some 320,000 homes and businesses still without electricity
• Forecasters say more freezing temperatures on the way
Storm leaves 54 dead, thousands shivering - CNN.com
• Death toll of 54 across nine states, with 20 in Oklahoma
• Some 320,000 homes and businesses still without electricity
• Forecasters say more freezing temperatures on the way
Storm leaves 54 dead, thousands shivering - CNN.com
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
How many Starbucks is too many?
from digg
Fact: If you stand on the corner of Regent Street and Wigmore Street in central London, you are within five miles of 164 branches of Starbucks.
You can calculate your personal "Starbucks density" on the company's website (Starbucks.com/locator).
A serious case of caffeine overdose | The Guardian | Guardian Unlimited
Fact: If you stand on the corner of Regent Street and Wigmore Street in central London, you are within five miles of 164 branches of Starbucks.
You can calculate your personal "Starbucks density" on the company's website (Starbucks.com/locator).
A serious case of caffeine overdose | The Guardian | Guardian Unlimited
Monday, January 15, 2007
New Christian Computer Company in Houston! "Golden Technical Services"
"Golden Technical Services"
Web Site Design | Home Office Setup | Wireless Networking | Hardware Training | Software Training | Computer Upgrades | Small Office Networking | Virus / Spyware Protection | Streaming Video Consulting
Sites rent jets
Travelers who are tired of long security lines can rent private planes online. The rentals run around $10,000. That's more expensive than commercial flights. But it's relatively cheap in the world of private jets. For aircraft owners, it puts passengers in normally empty jets returning home.
READ ARTICLE HERE:
New Web sites offer private flights - International Herald Tribune
READ ARTICLE HERE:
New Web sites offer private flights - International Herald Tribune
Investing 101
From Kim Komando
Today's Cool Site...
Not everybody can be Warren Buffett. But we'd all like to get as much out of our investments as possible.
Successful investments aren't a result of luck. They're a matter of wise choices based on knowledge.
With a little education, you can improve your investment performance. That may sound daunting. But you can get a great start on Morningstar's site.
You'll find more than 170 lessons on stocks, bonds, funds and strategy.
The lessons are free. But register to track your progress. You'll earn points for taking quizzes. You can trade the points for gifts.
TO VISIT TODAY'S COOL SITE, GO HERE:
www.morningstar.com
Today's Cool Site...
Not everybody can be Warren Buffett. But we'd all like to get as much out of our investments as possible.
Successful investments aren't a result of luck. They're a matter of wise choices based on knowledge.
With a little education, you can improve your investment performance. That may sound daunting. But you can get a great start on Morningstar's site.
You'll find more than 170 lessons on stocks, bonds, funds and strategy.
The lessons are free. But register to track your progress. You'll earn points for taking quizzes. You can trade the points for gifts.
TO VISIT TODAY'S COOL SITE, GO HERE:
www.morningstar.com
Sunday, January 14, 2007
10 ways you mindlessly waste money - MSN Money
By MP Dunleavey
Silently, secretly, your money disappears under some hideous voodoo spell, right? No way. Take a look at some ways you're flushing your cash down the loo -- and what you can do about it.
READ THE ARTICLE:
10 ways you mindlessly waste money - MSN Money
Silently, secretly, your money disappears under some hideous voodoo spell, right? No way. Take a look at some ways you're flushing your cash down the loo -- and what you can do about it.
READ THE ARTICLE:
10 ways you mindlessly waste money - MSN Money
A simpler way to save: the 60% solution
By Richard Jenkins
How many of you have tried budgeting and think it's a waste of time? Come on, let's see those hands.
OK, that's just about everybody.
I've kept a budget of one kind or another, first on paper and then with the help of various software programs, for about 20 years -- despite a strong suspicion that I was wasting my time. The illusion of control, I argued to myself, was better than none at all.
My approach to budgeting was to carefully track my spending during the month and to adjust my budget targets up and down in each category, so that my total expenses never exceeded my income.
Useful? Sometimes.
Anal-compulsive? Probably.
READ THE ARTICLE:
A simpler way to save: the 60% solution - MSN Money
How many of you have tried budgeting and think it's a waste of time? Come on, let's see those hands.
OK, that's just about everybody.
I've kept a budget of one kind or another, first on paper and then with the help of various software programs, for about 20 years -- despite a strong suspicion that I was wasting my time. The illusion of control, I argued to myself, was better than none at all.
My approach to budgeting was to carefully track my spending during the month and to adjust my budget targets up and down in each category, so that my total expenses never exceeded my income.
Useful? Sometimes.
Anal-compulsive? Probably.
READ THE ARTICLE:
A simpler way to save: the 60% solution - MSN Money
Start with saving; the spending will follow - "The 60% Solution"
By MP Dunleavey
It's part budget and part financial philosophy, and it works like this:
* Keep your monthly committed expenses, including taxes, to about 60% of your gross income.
* Save 10% for retirement and 10% for long-term expenses, such as a down payment, new car, major home repair or other big, infrequent purchase.
* Set aside an additional 10% for smaller, irregular expenses, such as a new appliance, minor home and car repairs, or a new battery for your laptop.
* Use the 10% left over for wild, crazy parties (or anything else that strikes your fancy).
The beauty of this system, in theory, is that it covers spending AND saving. But the trouble is, everyone in the group got stressed out about the idea of trying to pare down monthly spending commitments to 60%. That's not surprising, given that some of us were, until recently, spending more than 100% of our incomes and racking up debt.
READ THE ARTICLE:
Start with saving; the spending will follow - MSN Money
It's part budget and part financial philosophy, and it works like this:
* Keep your monthly committed expenses, including taxes, to about 60% of your gross income.
* Save 10% for retirement and 10% for long-term expenses, such as a down payment, new car, major home repair or other big, infrequent purchase.
* Set aside an additional 10% for smaller, irregular expenses, such as a new appliance, minor home and car repairs, or a new battery for your laptop.
* Use the 10% left over for wild, crazy parties (or anything else that strikes your fancy).
The beauty of this system, in theory, is that it covers spending AND saving. But the trouble is, everyone in the group got stressed out about the idea of trying to pare down monthly spending commitments to 60%. That's not surprising, given that some of us were, until recently, spending more than 100% of our incomes and racking up debt.
READ THE ARTICLE:
Start with saving; the spending will follow - MSN Money
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Adrenalin Junkies! Ski-Glide the Eiger!
Get your adrenalin pumping by just watching it! There's rocks EVERYWHERE, but that's nothing compared to the massive drops over the edge of the mountain!
François Bon and Antoine Montant perform the world first speedflying descent of the mount Eiger in Swiss. See more here:
YouTube - Ski-Gliding the Eiger
François Bon and Antoine Montant perform the world first speedflying descent of the mount Eiger in Swiss. See more here:
YouTube - Ski-Gliding the Eiger
A Tale of Two Bakers
Two bakers lived in a small town. They were highly competitive, but both had many customers. This changed when one baker bought a new bread slicing machine that cut four loaves at once. He could serve people faster, so he soon got all the business in the town. The other baker was forced to close. The second baker went to the first and asked, "How were you able to get all the business in town? It seems that you got lucky all of a sudden." The first baker replied, "I'm not sure. I think it has something to do with the four-loaf cleaver I found."
Beautiful newsletters in a snap
Want to add pizzazz to holiday greetings, club newsletters or family updates? You don't have to be a desktop publishing expert to wow family and friends. I'll tell you about an easy (and free) way to create newsletters with attractive layouts and photos.
Beautiful newsletters in a snap
Beautiful newsletters in a snap
Windows Vista offers real improvements
Kim Komando
Microsoft will release the newest version of Windows called Vista next week. As always, it is pouring on the hype. Beneath the superlatives, though, there are real improvements.
Windows XP, the current operating system, is reliable and full-featured. But it has its problems. Vista improves many of those things.
Four versions of Vista are available to the public. They are Home Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate. Enterprise is available only through volume licensing.
I'd avoid Home Basic; it's missing essential features.
REST OF ARTICLE:
Komando.com, Website for The Kim Komando Radio Show®, Kims Columns: "Windows Vista offers real improvements"
Microsoft will release the newest version of Windows called Vista next week. As always, it is pouring on the hype. Beneath the superlatives, though, there are real improvements.
Windows XP, the current operating system, is reliable and full-featured. But it has its problems. Vista improves many of those things.
Four versions of Vista are available to the public. They are Home Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate. Enterprise is available only through volume licensing.
I'd avoid Home Basic; it's missing essential features.
REST OF ARTICLE:
Komando.com, Website for The Kim Komando Radio Show®, Kims Columns: "Windows Vista offers real improvements"
Ponder this for the New Year
From Veronica
1. Ever wonder about those people who spend $2.00 apiece on those little bottles of Evian water? Try spelling Evian backwards: NAIVE
2. Isn't making a smoking section in a restaurant like making a peeing section in a swimming pool?
3. OK.... so if the Jacksonville Jaguars are known as the "Jags" and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are known as the "Bucs," what does that make the Tennessee Titans?
4. If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhea...does that mean that one enjoys it?
5. There are three religious truths: (a). Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. (b) Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian faith. (c) Baptists do not recognize each other in the liquor store or at Hooters.
6. If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes?
7. If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?
8. Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just stale bread to begin with?
9 Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person who drives a racecar is not called a racist?
10. Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?
11. If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?
12. If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?
13. Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?
14. What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?
15. I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me ...they're cramming for their final exam.
16. I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks, so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use? toothpicks?
17. Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?
18. If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?
19. You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive.
21. Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?
22. If a cow laughed, would milk come out of her nose?
23. Whatever happened to Preparations A through G?
24. As income tax time approaches, did you ever notice: When you put the two words "The" and "IRS" together it spells "THEIRS"?
1. Ever wonder about those people who spend $2.00 apiece on those little bottles of Evian water? Try spelling Evian backwards: NAIVE
2. Isn't making a smoking section in a restaurant like making a peeing section in a swimming pool?
3. OK.... so if the Jacksonville Jaguars are known as the "Jags" and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are known as the "Bucs," what does that make the Tennessee Titans?
4. If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhea...does that mean that one enjoys it?
5. There are three religious truths: (a). Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. (b) Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian faith. (c) Baptists do not recognize each other in the liquor store or at Hooters.
6. If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes?
7. If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?
8. Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just stale bread to begin with?
9 Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person who drives a racecar is not called a racist?
10. Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?
11. If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?
12. If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?
13. Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?
14. What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?
15. I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me ...they're cramming for their final exam.
16. I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks, so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use? toothpicks?
17. Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?
18. If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?
19. You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive.
21. Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?
22. If a cow laughed, would milk come out of her nose?
23. Whatever happened to Preparations A through G?
24. As income tax time approaches, did you ever notice: When you put the two words "The" and "IRS" together it spells "THEIRS"?
Friday, January 12, 2007
WAAAAAAYYY too much free time
Passing a Tennis Racket around the Human Body
http://damncoolpics.blogspot.com/2007/01/extreme-flexibility.html
http://damncoolpics.blogspot.com/2007/01/extreme-flexibility.html
From a strictly Mathematical Viewpoint
What Equals 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been in situations where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 101%? What equals 100% in life?
Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these Questions:
If: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 1 9 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.
Then:
H-A-R-D-W-O-R- K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%
and
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%
But,
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%
AND, look how far the love of God will take you
L- O- V- E-O-F-G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%
Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that: While Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it's the Love of God that will put you over the top!
Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these Questions:
If: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 1 9 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.
Then:
H-A-R-D-W-O-R- K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%
and
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%
But,
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%
AND, look how far the love of God will take you
L- O- V- E-O-F-G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%
Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that: While Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it's the Love of God that will put you over the top!
The Fern and the Bamboo
Author: Unknown
One day, I decided to quit. I wanted to quit my job, to quit my relationships, to quit my spirituality; I even wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God. “God”, I said, “Can You give me one good reason not to quit?”
His answer surprised me. “Look around”, He said, “Do you see the fern and the bamboo?”
“Yes”, I replied.
“When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.”
“In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.”
“In the third year there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit.”
“In the fourth year, a gain, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. Still, I would not quit.”
“Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge they could not handle,” He said to me.
“Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots? I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you! Don’t compare yourself to others. The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful. Your time will come,” God said to me. “You will rise high.”
“How high should I rise?” I asked. “How high will the bamboo rise?” He asked in return.
“As high as it can?” I questioned.
“Yes”, He said, “Give Me glory by rising as high as you can. And remember...I will never leave you, nor forsake you. I will never give up on you. I will never, ever quit on you.”
Everyone has days when they want to “quit”. When there are struggles... obstacles in life, remember we’re just growing roots!! God has a purpose in mind for each one of us and we need to talk to Him and let Him help us realize that purpose. Always remember, He’ll never leave us, He’ll never forsake us, and He’ll never quit on us.
One day, I decided to quit. I wanted to quit my job, to quit my relationships, to quit my spirituality; I even wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God. “God”, I said, “Can You give me one good reason not to quit?”
His answer surprised me. “Look around”, He said, “Do you see the fern and the bamboo?”
“Yes”, I replied.
“When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.”
“In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.”
“In the third year there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit.”
“In the fourth year, a gain, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. Still, I would not quit.”
“Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge they could not handle,” He said to me.
“Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots? I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you! Don’t compare yourself to others. The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful. Your time will come,” God said to me. “You will rise high.”
“How high should I rise?” I asked. “How high will the bamboo rise?” He asked in return.
“As high as it can?” I questioned.
“Yes”, He said, “Give Me glory by rising as high as you can. And remember...I will never leave you, nor forsake you. I will never give up on you. I will never, ever quit on you.”
Everyone has days when they want to “quit”. When there are struggles... obstacles in life, remember we’re just growing roots!! God has a purpose in mind for each one of us and we need to talk to Him and let Him help us realize that purpose. Always remember, He’ll never leave us, He’ll never forsake us, and He’ll never quit on us.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Moving to New Orleans
On a flight getting ready to depart for New Orleans, Louisiana:
Jack was sitting on the plane when a guy took the seat beside him. The guy was a wreck, pale, hands shaking, moaning in fear.
"What's the matter?" Jack asked.
"I've been transferred to New Orleans, there's crazy people there. They've got lots of shootings, gangs, race riots, drugs and the highest crime rate."
Jack replied, "I've lived in New Orleans all my life. It's not as bad as the media says. Find a nice home, go to work, mind your own business, enroll your kids in a nice school and it's as safe as anywhere in the world."
The guy relaxed and stopped shaking and said, "Oh, thank you. I've been worried to death. But if you live there and say it's OK, I'll take your word for it. What do you do for a living?"
"Me?" said Jack. "I'm a tail gunner on a Budweiser truck"
Jack was sitting on the plane when a guy took the seat beside him. The guy was a wreck, pale, hands shaking, moaning in fear.
"What's the matter?" Jack asked.
"I've been transferred to New Orleans, there's crazy people there. They've got lots of shootings, gangs, race riots, drugs and the highest crime rate."
Jack replied, "I've lived in New Orleans all my life. It's not as bad as the media says. Find a nice home, go to work, mind your own business, enroll your kids in a nice school and it's as safe as anywhere in the world."
The guy relaxed and stopped shaking and said, "Oh, thank you. I've been worried to death. But if you live there and say it's OK, I'll take your word for it. What do you do for a living?"
"Me?" said Jack. "I'm a tail gunner on a Budweiser truck"
Senate Tired of Your E-mails, Phone Calls; Expected to Pass Bill that Will Keep You from Getting Needed Information
From Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association
Contact Your Two Senators Today!
Without a doubt, this could be the most important letter I have written you.
American Family Association
Contact Your Two Senators Today!
Without a doubt, this could be the most important letter I have written you.
The U.S. Senate is poised to pass Senate Bill 1 (section 220), which would effectively keep AFA and every other pro-family organization in America from providing you information on bills in Congress. Under Senate Bill 1 (Section 220), we would only be able to provide you information on a bill at a high cost and at great danger of being penalized by Congress. Click here for AFA's review of S1 (Section 220).
To put it bluntly, members of Congress are tired of getting your e-mails and phone calls, and Senate Bill 1(Section 220) is designed to keep information from you that might inspire you to call or write your senator.
The new Democratic Senate thinks that if it can keep you from getting information—which is what Senate Bill 1 (Section 220) would do—then it will not be getting e-mails and phone calls from you.
Senators favoring this bill are simply tired of hearing from you. That is the bottom line. They don’t want to hear from you. They don’t want you to be informed. They want to silence you. How? By simply keeping you from receiving information that AFA provides.
I know that language is strong, but Senate Bill 1 (Section 220) will do exactly what I’ve said.
Take Action
- Enter your zip code above or below to create and send an e-mail to your two senators today.
- Call your two senators at 202-224-3121. (Simply ask for one senator. Then call the other one at the same number. Ask your senators to vote against Senate Bill 1 (Section 220).
- Please forward this to your friends and family. It is vitally important that they know what members of the Senate are trying to do.
- Print this information, and share it with members in your Sunday School class and church and urge them to send an e-mail and call.
Thanks for caring enough to get involved. If you think our efforts are worthy, would you consider making a donation to help us continue? Click here to make your donation.
Sincerely,
Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association
Adobe releases patch for cross-site scripting flaw
January 10, 2007 (Computerworld) -- Adobe Systems Inc. has released a security update to address a cross-site scripting vulnerability in versions 7.0.8 and earlier of its Adobe Reader and Acrobat software.
The company yesterday also posted a security bulletin detailing server-side workarounds that Web site owners could use to prevent their sites from being co-opted into attacks using the vulnerability, which was disclosed last week.
The updates come less than a week after two security researchers in Italy disclosed a flaw in an Adobe Reader feature called Open Parameters that could allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript into a browser session. The discovery of the flaw caused considerable concern because of the ease with which it could be exploited and because it allowed any Web site hosting PDF files to be used to carry out an attack.
In response to those concerns, Adobe last week urged all users of its software to upgrade to Version 8 of Adobe Reader and Acrobat, both of which were unaffected by the flaw. At that time, the company also said it would release patches addressing the issue for users who wanted to continue using older versions of the two programs.
Yesterday's security update from Adobe also addressed additional vulnerabilities identified in versions 7.0.8 and earlier of Reader and Acrobat, the company said. The vulnerabilities, which have been assigned a critical severity rating by Adobe, allow for attackers to take complete control of an affected system.
"One way to prevent the Adobe Reader and Acrobat Plugins from passing JavaScript to the browser is to force PDFs to open outside of the browser and Adobe Reader or Acrobat Professional," the company said. Another way to mitigate the risk is "consider creating server-side code (ColdFusion, Java, PHP, ASP.NET, etc.) to read the file and send it back as part of the Response," the company noted.
Steps for taking both actions were detailed in the bulletin released yesterday.
The company yesterday also posted a security bulletin detailing server-side workarounds that Web site owners could use to prevent their sites from being co-opted into attacks using the vulnerability, which was disclosed last week.
The updates come less than a week after two security researchers in Italy disclosed a flaw in an Adobe Reader feature called Open Parameters that could allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript into a browser session. The discovery of the flaw caused considerable concern because of the ease with which it could be exploited and because it allowed any Web site hosting PDF files to be used to carry out an attack.
In response to those concerns, Adobe last week urged all users of its software to upgrade to Version 8 of Adobe Reader and Acrobat, both of which were unaffected by the flaw. At that time, the company also said it would release patches addressing the issue for users who wanted to continue using older versions of the two programs.
Yesterday's security update from Adobe also addressed additional vulnerabilities identified in versions 7.0.8 and earlier of Reader and Acrobat, the company said. The vulnerabilities, which have been assigned a critical severity rating by Adobe, allow for attackers to take complete control of an affected system.
"One way to prevent the Adobe Reader and Acrobat Plugins from passing JavaScript to the browser is to force PDFs to open outside of the browser and Adobe Reader or Acrobat Professional," the company said. Another way to mitigate the risk is "consider creating server-side code (ColdFusion, Java, PHP, ASP.NET, etc.) to read the file and send it back as part of the Response," the company noted.
Steps for taking both actions were detailed in the bulletin released yesterday.
AAA unveils online gas station locator
By DAN CATERINICCHIA ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
WASHINGTON -- The automobile club AAA is encouraging motorists to log on to find gas stations along their route and avoid becoming among the more than 2.5 million people who will need emergency fuel delivery this year.
Starting Thursday, travelers who use AAA's free TripTik online mapping tool can find the nearest gas stations and best fuel prices for about 100,000 U.S. locations. Users simply slide their mouse over each location to see prices for multiple fuel grades.
The service is designed for people planning long road trips on their computer as well as commuters with an Internet-connected laptop trying to find the closest place to fill up before the gas gauge hits "E."
Data come from the Oil Price Information Service, which regularly updates prices at gas stations nationwide. The locations are updated weekly and multiple-grade fuel prices are updated four times daily, according to AAA.
AAA officials say that numerous local club affiliates had asked the national organization to expand its Web site's fuel services offerings, especially after the summer months when gasoline reached $3 per gallon and more people came to the site to use the fuel cost calculators and other tools.
- Dan Caterinicchia, AP Business Writer
WASHINGTON -- The automobile club AAA is encouraging motorists to log on to find gas stations along their route and avoid becoming among the more than 2.5 million people who will need emergency fuel delivery this year.
Starting Thursday, travelers who use AAA's free TripTik online mapping tool can find the nearest gas stations and best fuel prices for about 100,000 U.S. locations. Users simply slide their mouse over each location to see prices for multiple fuel grades.
The service is designed for people planning long road trips on their computer as well as commuters with an Internet-connected laptop trying to find the closest place to fill up before the gas gauge hits "E."
Data come from the Oil Price Information Service, which regularly updates prices at gas stations nationwide. The locations are updated weekly and multiple-grade fuel prices are updated four times daily, according to AAA.
AAA officials say that numerous local club affiliates had asked the national organization to expand its Web site's fuel services offerings, especially after the summer months when gasoline reached $3 per gallon and more people came to the site to use the fuel cost calculators and other tools.
- Dan Caterinicchia, AP Business Writer
Houston in the LA Times: "Houston is feeling energized"
"When the rest of the country is doing well, it seems like Houston is often struggling. But when the rest of the country is struggling, it seems like Houston is often doing well."
Read here
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Scorpion on a plane -- passenger gets pantful of pain
- Man flying from Chicago to Vermont is stung on each leg
- The scorpion falls out of his pants while he's waiting for luggage
- Airline spokeswoman apologizes, says incident will be investigated
- Passenger says now he may have to see the movie "Snakes on a Plane"
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Patients
Five surgeons are discussing who makes the best patients to operate on. The first surgeon says, "I like to see accountants on my operating table, because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered."
The second responds, "Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is color-coded."
The third surgeon says, "No, I really think file clerks are the best; everything inside them is in alphabetical order."
The fourth surgeon chimes in: "You know, I like construction workers. Those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over at the end, and when the job takes longer than you said it would."
But the fifth surgeon shut them all up when he observed: "You're all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There's no guts, no heart, and no spine, and the head and tail are interchangeable."
The second responds, "Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is color-coded."
The third surgeon says, "No, I really think file clerks are the best; everything inside them is in alphabetical order."
The fourth surgeon chimes in: "You know, I like construction workers. Those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over at the end, and when the job takes longer than you said it would."
But the fifth surgeon shut them all up when he observed: "You're all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There's no guts, no heart, and no spine, and the head and tail are interchangeable."
Monday, January 8, 2007
Large plume of ethylenediamine released over Sugar Land
Firefighters are responding to an emergency call today at the Nalco chemical plant on U.S. Highway 90 near Texas Highway 6 in Sugar Land, said Sugar Land police spokesman Doug Adolph.
Adolph said fire officials don't know what is burning, although a large plume of white smoke could be seen for miles. By 2:15, the smoke had dissipated. Authorities, however, ordered a shelter-in-place at five Fort Bend schools: Lakeview Elementary, Sugar Mill Elementary, Sugar Land Middle School, Kempner High School and M.R. Wood.
Video footage from the scene indicates that a tanker truck may have been venting its contents.
Nalco, according to its Web site, is the leading provider of integrated water treatment and process improvement services, chemicals, and equipment programs for industrial and institutional applications.
Anyone else find it an odd coincidence that the US is also experiencing (the same day) a mysterious gaslike odor in Manhattan and dead birds prompting a shutdown of downtown Austin ?
Adolph said fire officials don't know what is burning, although a large plume of white smoke could be seen for miles. By 2:15, the smoke had dissipated. Authorities, however, ordered a shelter-in-place at five Fort Bend schools: Lakeview Elementary, Sugar Mill Elementary, Sugar Land Middle School, Kempner High School and M.R. Wood.
Video footage from the scene indicates that a tanker truck may have been venting its contents.
Nalco, according to its Web site, is the leading provider of integrated water treatment and process improvement services, chemicals, and equipment programs for industrial and institutional applications.
- Houston Chronicle Report: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4454957.html
- KHOU Channel 11 TV Report: http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou070108_jj_swleak.1e540959.html
- KPRC Channel 2 TV Report: http://www.click2houston.com/news/10697121/detail.html
- KTRL Channel 13 TV Report: http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=local&id=4915798
Anyone else find it an odd coincidence that the US is also experiencing (the same day) a mysterious gaslike odor in Manhattan and dead birds prompting a shutdown of downtown Austin ?
Sunday, January 7, 2007
How to avoid crying when chopping onions
Lifehacker reader and foodie Ian Beyer offers a helpful tip for how to avoid onion-slicing-induced tears:
Using a knife, cut a cone out of the bottom of the onion (where the roots come out). The diameter of this cone should be about a third of the diameter of the onion, and about 1/3 deep. Take this piece and throw it away (don't put it down the disposal!). This piece contains the part/gland that makes baby Jesus and everyone else in the room cry when you're chopping it up. Once you've gotten that piece out, chop off the top, peel, and slice the onion.
Been doing it for years, and it works like a charm. You know your cone is too small if it doesn't work, because you've cut into that teargas grenade.
Using a knife, cut a cone out of the bottom of the onion (where the roots come out). The diameter of this cone should be about a third of the diameter of the onion, and about 1/3 deep. Take this piece and throw it away (don't put it down the disposal!). This piece contains the part/gland that makes baby Jesus and everyone else in the room cry when you're chopping it up. Once you've gotten that piece out, chop off the top, peel, and slice the onion.
Been doing it for years, and it works like a charm. You know your cone is too small if it doesn't work, because you've cut into that teargas grenade.
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Drinking String
A piece of string walks into a bar. The bartender looks at him and says, "We don't serve string here." The string tries to order a drink, but the bartender threatens him with a pair of scissors. The string leaves, and tries several other bars. Each time, he gets the same response. The piece of string is so frustrated, his ends are fraying. Finally, he decides to try one last bar. When he walks in, the bartender asks him, "Are you a piece of string?" The string replies, "No, I'm a frayed knot."
10th Annual Wacky Warning Label Contest
It's official: M-Law's 10th Annual Wacky Warning Label Contest is over.
First prize has gone to a washing machine label urging not to put people in washers. Started to promote awareness of excessive litigation, the contest highlights common sense warning labels, such as the one that warns not to dry cellphones in microwave ovens. Companies find it necessary to stick crazy warnings on their products because of previous insane lawsuits.
First prize has gone to a washing machine label urging not to put people in washers. Started to promote awareness of excessive litigation, the contest highlights common sense warning labels, such as the one that warns not to dry cellphones in microwave ovens. Companies find it necessary to stick crazy warnings on their products because of previous insane lawsuits.
Alien Cover-Up
Many will recall that on July 8, 1947, witnesses claimed that an unidentified object with five aliens aboard crashed onto a sheep and cattle ranch just outside Roswell , New Mexico .
This is a well-known incident that many say has long been covered up by the U.S. Air Force and the federal government.
However, you may NOT know that in the month of March 1948, exactly nine months after that historic day:
See what happens when aliens breed with sheep. This piece of information may clear up a lot of things.
This is a well-known incident that many say has long been covered up by the U.S. Air Force and the federal government.
However, you may NOT know that in the month of March 1948, exactly nine months after that historic day:
- Albert Arnold Gore, Jr.
- Hillary Rodham
- John F. Kerry
- William Jefferson Clinton
- Howard Dean
- Nancy Pelosi
- Dianne Feinstein
- Charles E. Schumer and
- Barbara Boxer
See what happens when aliens breed with sheep. This piece of information may clear up a lot of things.
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