Archive for August, 2009

30
Aug
2009

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-08-30

No Comments
  • New Government Swine Flu Document Reveals Plans For Mass Graves: http://bit.ly/82FKn #
  • RT @officialAVGnews: Fan of World of Warcraft?Beware the latest phishing scam http://bit.ly/TSIrm #fb #
  • One of the funniest Captchas I think I've ever gotten? gettorap :P #fb #
  • What's in YOUR food? http://bit.ly/MccG #
  • Have you seen the video I maked? :P http://blip.tv/file/2511614 #
  • A man must bid his friend adieu: http://stlouis.craigslist.org/zip/1338951376.html #
  • "When I used to live in Los Angeles, I used to step in human feces a lot." (via @shitmydadsays, REALLY funny Twitterer to follow) #
  • So why is it that I post a link to a Craigslist ad and I get all kind of responses, and a video that's of importance I get no response?! #
  • Is toilet humor that much more amusing than your health and the state of the world? Srsly. #
  • Alright, so let's try again, shall we? Took me 2 days to make, is 5 minutes of your time too much to ask? http://blip.tv/file/2511614 #
  • RT @kittyctygazette: CAT SAYS HE LIVED IN FEAR AFTER FARTING IN ELEVATOR -http://bit.ly/2Umm8M #
  • Woot woot I just won a BP gas card from @GasGardenTrivia! Why aren't you following? #
  • OMG OMG Steampunky game is in open beta! \o/ Missed the closed beta. http://www.gatheryn.com #
  • Check out track #4, it's @binary_finary! @RealJudgeJules in the mix. http://bit.ly/lRfVG #
  • My first grader is class of 2020. Man I feel old. #
  • RT @slhamlet: Awesome hack of the week: Control computers remotely from *within* Second Life — even run SL *in* SL: http://tr.im/x4Tp #sl #
  • RT @craftyandcrap: who doesn't love wrong e- cards http://wrongcards.com/ecard/hypochondria #fb #
  • New version of FoxIt reader out. If anyone cares. :P http://foxitsoftware.com #fb #
  • USBank, you have gone too far. $8 per day that I'm overdrafted? We're done. Goodbye. #
  • Two votes for 1st Community from @michaeltomko @LadyNiko, anyone else? Also considering Neighbors. Any other bank suggestions? #
  • RT @michaeltomko: @GaneshaXi I wrote about how I use my First Community acct here. http://bit.ly/4FsPhZ #
  • Woo another 100 points for me with @GasGardenTrivia! :D #
  • RT @STLCajun: Accident at Gravois and Lindberg – traffic backed up something nasty heading west.. #STL #
  • While poking around looking at banks, did you know First Bank of Clayton got $295.4m in bailouts? #stl #
  • Just wrote my love letter to USBank. Will share with you shortly. #
  • RT @threefourteen: New program… Cash for Washing Machines.. just a money laundering scheme or a way to clean up the economy? #
  • There's a cricket singing in the base of the water heater. It uh… echoes. o.O #fb #
  • RT @blackrockcity: Burning Man Information Radio (BMIR 94.5 FM) is now on the air … and soon to be streaming to the world. #fb #
  • Feeding @MisterCrap bad haiku by request. Maybe I should make a career of this! #
  • Oh sorry, was giving @isfullofcrap bad haiku. Boo for Twitter ident crisis! #
  • EXCELLENT! @BillCosby is on Twitter to share his wisdom with us! \o/ I can't tell you how happy this makes me. #
  • RT @vegtalk Vegetarian Recipe: Sublime Scones – MiamiHerald.com http://bit.ly/SZqbs #
  • A lovely little song I have in my head this morning: http://bit.ly/JBfue #
  • YAY TINY TIM! *sings* #fb #
  • Another weird captcha: "pany prostate" o.O #fb #
  • Fresh raw organic cow/goat milk near Bonne Terre, MO: http://bit.ly/tqb6S (nope, I don't drink the stuff, just passing on my find) #fb #
  • Anyone in #stl have any old solar garden lamps or similar solar things they want to give away? Working or not, no diff. :) #fb #
  • More Cock, Darling? (SFW!) http://bit.ly/Dx9QK #
  • Hm, well, vaguely SFW. Yanno, the word "cock" is in there. #
  • 30 hilarious license plates (gets ideas for new plates) http://bit.ly/12IX47 #
  • Gah school bus honking woke us up this morning. -.- #fb #
  • #FollowFriday #stl @veganwrites A fellow St. Louisan vegan :) #
  • Hmm, I want a lawn jockey. Anyone know of somewhere in #stl to get one? They are all the rage in my neighborhood. #
  • RT @nicholaspatten: 50+ Stunning CSS3 Articles, Cheat Sheets and Tutorials Collections. http://bit.ly/opHnW #
  • Yanno what? I really like @netta50. She freaking rocks. Who else would recommend using a kid as a lawn jockey? :D #followfriday #stl #
  • Well okay, @PatchouliW would probably have the same suggestion. We'll #followfriday her too (Patch? Where you been?) #
  • Tactical Canned #Bacon: http://bit.ly/cjCS4 #
  • Friends give friends rides home from the hospital. REAL friends laugh at them on the way for their stupidity or bad luck. :) #fb #
  • RT @SandyShores Friends bail friends out of jail. REAL friends are sitting in the cell next to them talking about how fun their antics were. #
  • I love pick n pull junk yards. A lot. #FB #
  • The joys of a 200k mile car. And nothing really is wrong. http://twitpic.com/fl00w #
  • RT @doctorsound: SPCA Exec leaves dog in hot car, dies. (the dog, not the exec) http://bit.ly/2K93Fx #
  • RT @twcaleb: I betcha these days if a pig sneezes it gets all defensive. "Hey I'm fine! it's allergies! I don't have the flu, BACK OFF!" #
  • RT @PerryBelcher: Michael Jackson Coroner Report — HOMICIDE http://bit.ly/WlUa5 #
  • RT @BillCosby: Mrs. X: "They are reparing the roads to make jobs for the unemployed thereby making the employed late for their jobs." #
  • #8! XD RT @seanbonner: 10 most annoying things people do on twitter http://su.pr/1CQXJr #
  • Does anyone else seem to get a surge of spam followers after a #FollowFriday? #
  • Puppies dressed as cats: http://bit.ly/SDwLn #
  • Meeting up with a good friend who's in today from Dallas. Woohoo! :) #fb #
  • Woo happy birfday @bigjstl! #
  • Huzzah! Tigger and one of his many talents! http://twitpic.com/fppa0 #
  • Been having a great time at the City Museum with kiddo and friends! #FB #
  • RT @techxav: Mac vs. PC: Inside the ad wars http://bit.ly/Vldd7 #

Powered by Twitter Tools

Posted in Twitter

read more
27
Aug
2009

I just saved $25 on my TMo bill!

No Comments

Current Mood:Esctatic emoticon Esctatic

tmobile-shadowSometimes it really pays to not be bleeding-edge in technology. People have all these top-end $300 cell phones, I have a cheapo $50 Windows Mobile phone. It isn’t 3G capable, it’s not touch screen. It does everything (and more) that I need. (Check out my rant on my WinMo phone vs iPhone.) It’s perfectly fine for me. Because of this phone, I am eligible for a cheaper data rate plan. I am not 100% sure of all the details, but this is kind of what I gather is going on with TMobile:
They are rolling out their 3G network (FINALLY), and a lot of their phones are not 3G capable. Those of us who are on EDGE obviously won’t be getting this speed boost. So, I am not entirely sure what is going on, but this is what is available for our WinMo devices, as well as other phones (such as non smartphones). This can’t be used on specialized data phones like Blackberrys or Sidekicks:
$10 unlimited Internet.
\o/
My phone’s Internet bill was $24.99 a month, and while the hubby’s phone had been on a 100mb $9.99 data plan that had been dropped, they said he had to use the $19.99 unlimited. Then he did his homework. His homework showed that we were both eligible for the $9.99 unlimited Internet.

There is also a plan for my phone (TMobile Shadow aka HTC Juno) for unlimited web and text messages for $19.99. Mileage may vary on this plan for your phone.

Got TMo? Give ‘em a call, see if you’re eligible for this. Stomp your foot a bit. Call back if you’re told no and you’re fairly sure you should be getting it, as it is a fairly new thing.

Tags: ,
Posted in Home

read more
26
Aug
2009

The breakup

No Comments

Current Mood:Angry emoticon Angry

The letter:

I have been a US Bank customer for about five years now. In this five years
my "free checking" account has cost me a fortune. I would like to think that
after having been with a bank longer than I have lived in any one place that
I would get some kind of leeway. Instead, my reward is outrageous overdraft
fees and $8 per day charged because I'm overdrawn.

I was offered "cash back rewards" when I signed up, ON EVERY PURCHASE I was
told, but I got the old bait-n-switch, and now I only get cash back from a
handful companies that I don't shop at.

When ordering new debit cards because of expiry (rather than having the
courtesy of a new one being sent), my husband was without a debit card for
over three months, which included having to change our bank account number
due to my car having been broken into. He finally had to pick up his card
at a random branch office because someone thought it would be a great idea
to send it there and not contact us. It wasn't even in the design he ordered.

And speaking of having my account number changed... THAT was the worst
experience I have ever had with any bank. I got misprinted checks and debit
cards, we were treated like we were brand new customers, and the slowest
service to receive our debit cards that I have ever seen. Now I have a ton
of debit cards on my account, I have no clue what they are, and to the best
of my knowledge, it's not very safe to have a ton of credit card numbers
tied to my account. That's the kind of experience I like to have after
having gotten my car broken into and my check book stolen (among other
things).

And now I am really, really overdrawn. I also had a wonderful disconnect
notice from my electric company because the automatic bill pay didn't uh...
automatically pay the bill. It's also caused me to lose my deposit that I've
paid to the electric company. It also caused a load of bouncing within my
account. Thanks for this wonderful (in)convenience!

And your checking advance loan? What a piece of crap. I was trying to get it
all caught up with this thing and get a loan from my mother to make sure my
bills are covered, and this horrid thing took the entire deposit and made my
account $0.

Needless to say, I have had it with US Bank. We're done.

vampireThink this was succinct enough to get the point made to US Bank? Here, I’ll even tell you the (current) story:

Hubs only gets paid once a month. I get paid sporadically through my hosting biz. So he deposited his check, we paid bills. Well, I had borrowed some money from my mother, and she had asked if she could deposit the check yet. I said no. Her husband deposited the check anyway. All hell broke loose in the bank account. Bill pay didn’t bill pay because there was a low amount in the bank. I did a “checking advance” loan (10% interest FTL!) to try to catch it. Then my mother gave me another loan to catch the first check… which was the exact amount of the checking advance loan. It took said advance loan out and put me at $0. During all of this my electric bill, which was the bill pay fail, went ahead and paid. So, like dominoes, it all fell over, and I am now $-287.40 and counting, because they are charging $8 per day that I’m overdrawn.

Yeah, so the finances got screwed up. My fault. However, this is ridiculous…. Getting charged $37.50 per overdraft and $8 a day? Done. My money is my money. I’m breaking up with you, US Bank.

I’m not the only one that hates US Bank:

http://www.patricksays.net/2008/11/02/me-us-bank-and-the-call/ (make sure to check out my comment)

Posted in Home, Rant

read more
23
Aug
2009

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-08-23

No Comments
  • Alright, all you parents hauling your kids off to their first day of school… I AM JEALOUS! :P Couple more days here… :) #fb #
  • This should be the official video for this song: http://bit.ly/jkcOS #
  • Did you know you can vote up/down Facebook ads? Just click the lil thumbs under them! #fb #
  • Happy b'day @donniewahlberg! XD #
  • Words of wisdom from wee lad: Pants are for ugly people. :P #fb #
  • >@Umatter2ChtrG Charter custs nationwide may have high latency and outages due to a major backbone outage affecting multiple carriers. #fb #
  • http://twitpic.com/eae81 – Flooded basement, believe it or not, the couch is NOT in the water. #FB #
  • Mr. T is now slinging FlavorWave infomercial products. #FB #
  • RT @Nitronxi: "@binary_finary haha you called him a twat." #
  • RT @Ravelong: CDC: Adult Game Addicts are Fat and Depressed http://u.mavrev.com/03hsk #
  • Wow someone in Jeffco is passing $5 bills as $100's, very convincing looking! #STL #FB #
  • RT @Dusanwriter: "Designer Fights for Second Life Rights http://ow.ly/knqq – great story, captures the issues we face" #
  • 90% of the soy in the US is GMO. What's in YOUR tofu? #vegan #
  • RT @billmaher: If you care about the environment, it's better to eat a salad in a Hummer than a cheeseburger in a Prius #
  • RT @danger_ranger BUMPER STICKER: " Lower Your Carbon Footprint – Walk To Burning Man " #
  • Wow. Hello, @crystalmethod. Meet @binary_finary. And the rest of the Twitterverse. o.O #
  • $^%& How do slugs, crickets, and roly-polys get in my basement? Ugh! #
  • RT @JDWade: I'm at Monsanto Co – http://bkite.com/0aThh … Don't get dioxin poisoning or anything, man! #
  • RT @BethFrysztak: Feds bust up largest identity theft ring – ever! http://bit.ly/OxP64 #
  • Dear Windows 7: Please don't freaking hibernate when video is rendering. Kthx. #fb #
  • Tomorrow cannot come soon enough. #
  • Currently wearing my angry eyes. #fb #
  • Okay srsly. A 5 minute video should not output to a 15gb .avi or take 9 hours to render. @askmrvideo What say you? #
  • School starts tomorrow. Why is no one answering the bloody phone at the school office? %!%& #
  • My son's school "website" (branch off the district site) is half in Comic Sans, half in Arial. Like, just kind of random font changes. #
  • The main part of the page is in Times New Roman and Tahoma. *shudder* #
  • You would THINK that the school would have someone in the office. Oh no, teacher meetings all morning, over at noon, go home. D:< #fb #
  • RT @joshkocurek Whoa! Just saw the UK Texting PSA they talked about in yesterdays @BuzzOutLoud. WARNING: Very Disturbing http://bit.ly/cLPKS #
  • Scandalous watermelon website violated online decency laws! *giggle* http://bit.ly/38KAcO #
  • Whoops, let's try that again. OMG OMG FOLLOW @KITTYCTYGAZETTE! OMG OMG! :) #
  • There's a radio commercial in St. Louis that has the music from YoVille. Has anyone else noticed this? #fb #
  • How much is it for a new drivers license in the state of IL? I can only find prices for plates… #
  • Hey people not in MO, does your public school charge a "learning materials" fee like they do in IL? Wtf is this #happycrappy? #fb #
  • RT @CraigDanger: Runnin' around robbin' banks all whacked out on Scooby snacks #
  • RT @problogger: Paypal have doubled their fees and are saying it is more useful for users!?! http://bit.ly/3ciVg #
  • Holy massive captcha my blog threw at me: Lackawanna voorhis o.O #
  • RT @JJGrose: @ganeshaxi Government schools are killing America http://bit.ly/q1eX7 #
  • Everyone tell @Nitronxi to stop tweeting and driving!!! D:< #
  • RT @danielvoyager: Linden Lab griefed. http://i25.tinypic.com/258qqub.jpg ( http://plurk.com/p/1mpf3j ) [/me observed, did not do, swear!] #
  • RT @meghoulihan: I want to see pictures of everyones offices/cubicles today…show me your twitpics! #
  • Adobe Premiere, you and I are SO through. You've been encoding 5 mins of video for over 24 hours. I'm breaking up with you. #fb #
  • Win7, you're next for the break-up with your funk file permissions. #fb #
  • I do believe @Nitronxi's cell phone is in awe of his desktop and has named it Muhammad. #
  • RT @Earthnik: Estimated cost of Iraq War could feed and educate every child on Earth for 32 years – http://bit.ly/Fy6zZ #
  • Dear Swansea cops, please stop speeding down my street. Kthx. #
  • QOTD: I've gone from Chippendales to Chips-a-hoy! <3 #
  • RT @Earthnik: British Frankenfood sales pitch: Eat GM: "Better than starving to death!" Kowtowing to #Monsanto – http://bit.ly/JAgep #gmo #
  • Anyone in Crestwood want a kissing booth? #stl http://stlouis.craigslist.org/zip/1332332388.html #
  • Connect your Google Voice to Skype: http://bit.ly/5my5s #
  • So excited a Dallas burner friend is coming to #stl next weekend! \o/ #fb #
  • Is anyone else having issues with their TweetDeck periodically getting stuck and you have to close/reopen it to get it to update? #
  • Woot, @binary_finary vs Spanking Machine podcast up at http://www.djaddison.com/ *crank it* #
  • St. Louis flash mob (08/01/09) http://bit.ly/2UZy6m
    #stl #
  • Gonna scream, @Nitronxi sent wee lad's thermos of soup WITHOUT THE LID!!! D:< #
  • RT @CosmosGirl: everytime I see #battl I think "battle of the hair bands" I am not right… #
  • RT @versadave: Public Service Announcement: Crop dusting kills. #
  • RT @Doubledown_InSL: "Second Life Couple Have Real Life Baby, Name Him "Linden" http://digg.com/u1B9OW&quot; #
  • Anyone in #stl want to go to a spa party with me tonight? Yum, margaritas! #
  • Is anyone else's thumb the same size as their ring finger? *sigh* Stupid fat fingers. #
  • PSA: I keep seeing "CHEAP TEETH WHITENING" one is to rinse with peroxide, the other is a "white light" that has very poor reviews. #fb #
  • RT @Earthnik: BIG MILK – Independent Farmers Feel Squeezed By Milk Cartel – http://bit.ly/lhqpO #moo #
  • Fixing some flapjacks for brekky: http://bit.ly/NdaJr
    #fb #
  • RT @taraburner: "does anyone make handmade custom designed 'note/thank you' cards? DM or email tara@taraburner.com please" #
  • Went out to party for b'day last night, friends said DRINK DRINK! I said NO NO! CAN'T GET TRASHED! Guess who *doesn't* have a hangover! #fb #
  • Oh, sweet irony, #Monsanto #
  • A nap would rock right about now… #
  • Yay for zebras mating! #zooamusement #
  • RT @MargHamp: "A Dog, a Cat, and a Rat"- Loved revisiting this short video. What sweet, furry message of peace! http://bit.ly/19EDYE #
  • Dear coffee: I heart you. <3, me. #

Powered by Twitter Tools

Posted in Twitter

read more
19
Aug
2009

Office show n tell…

No Comments

Current Mood:Bored emoticon Bored

One of my Twitter friends, @meghoulihan, decided we should show off our work spaces. So here’s mine:

IMAG0203This is my current desk… but it’s not mine. This is my husband’s desk. Since my motherboard is still dead, I use his desktop for power apps, then my laptop for regular stuff.

IMAG0204Once I get a new motherboard, this will be cleaned off and will be my desk. All the stuff that’s to the left is sitting in my desk chair. It’s a computer tower (our file server, actually) and stuff to go on my desk.

IMAG0205 copyAnd just for grins… Here’s our full setup. It’s not all uh.. set up yet, but here it is in all its glory. Yes, hubby’s desk is on pallets, as are the shelves. You can’t tell, but my desk is up on bricks. We have a leaky basement, and this is where we want to have our office area set up to keep it out of our main living area, and so we can have a work area that’s not integrated with the rest of the house. It makes me feel more like I have a WORK space, and I can close off the upstairs to have a quiet area I can escape to. So we’ve had to get creative with ways to keep our electronics and particleboard furniture up out of the water. Wee lad’s desk is on casters, so it doesn’t need a platform. And no, he doesn’t commonly play with an oil lamp, that’s just where it landed. His laptop has a broken key, and is on top of the shorter bookshelf. That shiny flash in the top left is my tower. Not quite sure why it’s on top of the file cabinet, but there it is. :)

Posted in Home

read more
19
Aug
2009

Public school charging for textbooks?!

5 Comments

Current Mood:Angry emoticon Angry & Surprised emoticon Surprised

1184809_six_books Every year we hear our friends moan about having to buy textbooks for college or pay for textbook rentals. This is standard for universities, where you’re also paying for your classes. However, in Illinois, the public schools are charging for “learning materials.” As though they don’t tax their residents enough already! Let’s do some math:
(Per child here)
New school clothes: $200 (roughly, may be more or less depending on your kids and budget)
School supplies: $50 (this is what we spent on our first grader)
So there’s $250 just for our kids to start school. NOW we have to add in textbook rental fees?
Let’s talk about the high school kids now. I don’t have a high schooler. But I know that they can have some massive fees:
Band instrument rental.
Sports equipment rental.
Scientific calculators and other math gadgets.
Laptops.

Okay, kids aren’t cheap, I know this. But let’s be realistic folks, the school books should be free! Granted, where I come from we had to pay for damage to our textbooks if there was any, but $50 for a first grader (a high school online friend said he has to pay $150 a year for his) per year per kid… If you have a child that’s very active in stuff in school you could be dropping $600-700 just to start the year!

I am just absolutely floored by having to pay a textbook rental fee, and such a high one. I doubt the school buys new textbooks very often… The aforementioned high school online friend said that his GOVERNMENT book (which is one that should be cycled more often than say, a literature or math book) was 14 years old! Where is this textbook fee going to, anyway?!

In Missouri they only charge for book damage (which apparently they don’t do here in IL). I have heard of some classes that you have to buy your own workbooks for, but they are consumables. You keep the workbook at the end of the year. When I was in high school and we had brand new text books, at the end of the year we’d get charged even for bent corners, and that would get tacked on as school fines. We couldn’t get our final report card until this is paid, and if we didn’t have the money to pay it then our parents would get the bill instead of the final report card, and we’d be deep in the soup! It made us much more conscious of how we treated our books. My high school required that we used book covers. And it was fun to make the book covers too… We would cut up paper bags and tape them together (not to the book!) and then in class we’d doodle on them to decorate them, or we’d get crafty and tape or glue stuff to them. *gets all reminiscent* Sounds like IL may be a little backward on this thing. How frustrating! At any rate, I did a little research, and the courts found that it’s okay to charge for textbooks, linky here.

Tags:
Posted in Home, Rant

read more
16
Aug
2009

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-08-16

No Comments
  • RT @Abletonvids: Underworld Live broadcast NOW! http://bit.ly/1abWR1 #
  • I can have my phone plugged into the charger all day long, but if the charger has no power source it's not gonna charge. #blonde #fb #
  • "I'm just a woman and I really can't do that much" REALLY want to smack this whiny twat on HGTV. #
  • Yay rain = swimming pool in basement. \o/ Me n' my pal squeegee get to hang out a lot today. #fb #
  • Oh I must admit, I make a very tasty cuppa joe. *slurp* #
  • Wee lad's turtle escaped. *sad face* #fb #
  • Win a 24" LCD Monitor or 6 months free hosting from @firehost and @designmoo http://designmoo.com/contest #
  • Wee lad just let a rank fart in my face. About to become seriously violent. #fb #
  • Pokey the turtle has been found! #fb #
  • I think Pokey the turtle is going to get fat. We keep feeding him our old veggies. #
  • Okay, link fail. Check out the beta of http://socialguides.com and use code Tnarfun (just choose a diff city if yours isn't there yet!) #
  • Wasp kicked my ass and stung me between my 1st and 2nd knuckles. Now my knuckles ache. :( #fb #
  • Aaaand Pokey the turtle disappeared again. He seems to be able to climb vines. #fb #
  • Hmm, what's the official term for a newspaper like the RFT? "Local newspaper" doesn't seem quite right. Indy news? #
  • Oi vey, I've got chemicals coming out of my eyes (not literally!) from an all-day blog research project. -.- #
  • RT @doctorsound: So everytime I search St. Louis or STL I always see a bunch of tweets in ALL CAPS. Does STL have a caps lock problem? #
  • Son is demanding I put on pants to help him find Pokey the turtle (again). Don't wanna wear pants. *sigh* #
  • Wow got stung between the knuckles of my 1st and 2nd fingers yesterday, knuckles still ache! =\ Wtf yo! #fb #
  • >@LadyNiko P/T Help Wanted for nursery & landscaping in Wildwood, MO -Quickbooks exp helpful, need backbone to keep boss moving dm me 4 info #
  • Gateway Burners Meet n Greet tonight at @Atomic_Cowboy http://bit.ly/17k27z #
  • RT @GreenByDesign: Few Tips to Living Green in Your Home http://bit.ly/TrJeV #
  • RT @johnhaydon: RT (please) AMBER ALERT missing disabled Oakland, CA boy http://bit.ly/t1zBl #AmberAlert #
  • Why do people feel the need to provide a transcript of a meeting via Twitter? Do it in a blog or something. #hcr #
  • >@STLCajun: Anyone looking to see the Perseid Meteor Shower in #STL tonight? Any recommended places (nice and dark) to check them out?? #fb #
  • %^$% Wee lad got stung by a wasp today, after I got hit yesterday. Time for poisons. WAR IS ON! #fb #
  • Haha @Nitronxi got peed on by Pokey the turtle. #
  • The turtle pee I spoke of earlier… This is what it reminded me of, at 0:30: http://bit.ly/11Y0ED #
  • Bah rotten Google. "Did you mean…" No, I didn't mean..! Where's the "Oh no I didn't" button? Quit giving me false search results! *grumble #
  • >@Actiongrl Thought I'd be helpful&tell the mgr at Goodwill that "Kids" might not b the best DVD to run instore. He thought it was kids film #
  • Does anyone in #STL have a puppy pen or something similar they want to get rid of? Need a better pen for the turtle. #
  • Wee lad was pushing turtle in a Barbie car. Hubs: "Did he have fun?" Me: "I don't know, turtles don't scream WHEE!" #fb #
  • Woo, got some fab schwag from @CourtneyChesley's @TwistedHandmade! Purdy, and the perfect b'day present for me! :D \o/ THANKS! #
  • And for the record, @CourtneyChesley has BEAUTIFUL handwriting! :) #
  • Haha sweeeet: 853 Following -2 Followers #
  • Took a bit of a nap. Had a freaky dream about zombies. o.O #
  • Please, someone in #STL tell me I'm not alone in thinking provel is freaking nasty! Non-St. Louisans see http://bit.ly/EHL8S #fb #
  • So far 4 dislikes and 3 likes on Provel. :o #stl #
  • RT @shelisrael: 52" HDTV for $9.99 at BestBuy sounded too good to be true because it was. http://bit.ly/zdD81 #
  • Was all excited that wee lad had put together a huge bunch of a puzzle without asking for help til I realized it was pre-constructed. :( #fb #
  • RT @nicholaspatten: Coolness: LED Staircase Handrail Concept. http://bit.ly/xK2sl #
  • RT @nicholaspatten: 50+ HD Desktop Wallpapers For Your Inspiration – Abstract and 3D. http://bit.ly/3CivvR #
  • RT @AngeBird: if anyone is willing to help the bf and I move a pool table tmrw morning…we can pay them back in exchange w/ a dip in a pool #
  • Because I have silly things that go through my head sometimes: http://bit.ly/Cr8LX #
  • This is why I heart @PatchouliW: There is no Zuul, there is only… WASHING MACHINE. #
  • >@PatchouliW <opens her washing machine to stare into an abyss in an alternate dimension> I really need to clean my washing machine filters. #
  • Poor translation of Ghost in the Shell: http://bit.ly/G894F #
  • I think I need to get a doorbell for my house, in case I'm downstairs and I get a visitor. Think I should get this? http://bit.ly/taL6A #fb #
  • RT @WorldMoreHappy: "For every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness." #
  • Need to teach wee lad about the diff between cold-blooded and warm-blooded. He can't understand why Pokey doesn't want 2 play in the AM. #fb #
  • Wee lad got Pokey pee'd, kinda like this: http://bit.ly/11Y0ED (about 0:28) #
  • $%^& Gmail, fix your spam filters! OMG getting a ton this morning! #
  • RT @Nitronxi: chuck may need to bust out his 3 wolves shirt to take on hulk #
  • RT @CraigMayhem: someone was wearing #3wolves last night at Atomic Cowboy #
  • I wonder why someone in Hungary is #FollowFriday'ing @StLBot? Why would someone in Hungary care about our social meets? o.O #
  • RT @WorldMoreHappy: Life's Little Instruction Book: Avoid sarcastic remarks. #
  • RT @AbVegan: We seriously need to educate people: http://bit.ly/o6GGh #
  • Coffee and wasabi peas for breakfast. Unfortunately, they don't go together. Trying to decide which is a better wake-up. RAWR! #
  • RT @TimelessP: Windows 7 and Windows Live Messenger trick: set Live Messenger compatibility to "Vista SP2" to get rid of huge taskbar icon #
  • RT @BreakingNews A representative says guitar legend Les Paul has died at 94. #fb #
  • RT @PatrickVeg: Think beef is from pastoral farms? the real truth: http://bit.ly/fOcBg U have a right to safe food! Demand it! #
  • O.M.G. The worst spam I've ever gotten: Uncensored russian children rapes, DON'T MISS IT! I wish I could stab this person repeatedly. #
  • Feh, is EHAP dead? =\ #
  • RT @Nexeus: Well, I'm in Vegas… irony? #SLCC #
  • Yay, another 1900 word blog post. x.X Lol #
  • *rimshot* RT @TheECC: Les Paul, 94, sadly joins the ranks of deceased double-first-name musicians. He is survived by his sister, Ru. #
  • How the heck do I get rid of this swarm of wasps and hornets??! OMG! My yard is FULL of them, can't find all the nests!! #
  • Facebook thinks I should add someone by the name of Omai Bhakurtz. *snicker* Wonder who that is? #
  • Tired from doing a ton of laundry and writing today. Still need to get the laundry sorted. #
  • I think people in my timeline have gone nuts this evening. Lots of strange random stuff… #
  • Rawr! RT @Nitronxi: in the basement flexing man muscles building things out of wood #
  • File association finding, especially when you're not sure which it is, is a major pain in the buttocks. #fb #
  • Going through another account's followers… Wow, there's some total dorks out there. #
  • RT @djc8080 Twittter is the theater of the mind; television is the theater of the mindless #
  • And some dude is arguing with me via text message that a pound of precious metal weighs less than a pound. *unplug* #
  • My friend says the meteor shower is really nice right now, you should go look. I have a giant street light next door or I'd look. #fb #
  • RT @kanomi new post: SL users amazed by San Francisco! http://tinyurl.com/omgc5k #
  • Hm. Husband appears to be unraveling the house, one cord at a time. o.O He's currently pulling coax from under a table. #fb #
  • BRILLIANT! RT @kopper: Ha! http://www.demonbaby.com/pics/americanworld.gif #
  • Sounds like someone dropped a clutch in the road. *revrevrev* *grindgrindgrind* *REVREV* *grindgrindgrindgrind* *REV* *kill engine* -.- #fb #
  • Wonder why @TweetDeck's search is suddenly bringing up random stuff not even related to my search? #
  • Uh ohhh, my momma's on Facebook. :) #fb #
  • Okay, my obligatory #FollowFriday goes out to @binary_finary. Best. Trance. Evar. :) #
  • >@toxicmenges Call me geeky, but I just built a replica of a room in my house in SL so I could rearrange furniture to see which way fit best #
  • RT @fxxxmylife: Today, I made the "Good luck, We'll miss you!" sign for my own going away party. FML http://shrt.fr/6ff8 #
  • After quitting smoking hubs is actually putting on some weight! \o/ Poor lil scrawny dude. #
  • RT @DonSchnure: http://twitpic.com/dy9nv – In case of fire, do not Tweet… #
  • Too bad banks don't have "accident forgiveness" like insurance companies do. *sigh* #
  • Feh. I scored a portable dishwasher off CL and don't know how to make it hook to the faucet. Yes, I've Googled. Any ideas? #
  • Grilling lemon pepper zucchini and tomato kebabs. You know you're jellus. #fb #
  • Why is it so difficult to spell the word "refrigerator"? It has no D in it. Come on. #
  • http://y3p.net:8000/listen.pls @Nitronxi is throwing down some fat vinyl beats! Winamp/iTunes link. Tune in! #
  • RT @lindsaycb: Illinois now offers Ovarian Cancer License Plates for purchase!!! http://bit.ly/aB14I #
  • RT @matthew_ryan: http://twitpic.com/e32eu – Last game of the evening- PC finally defeats Mac! #
  • RT @justwannawrite: Standing amid a sea of naked people at Atomic Cowboy. Wow, is this legal. #
  • He who controls the world's seeds controls the world. Isn't that right, #Monsanto? http://bit.ly/2V9OSw Please watch all 10 parts 10 mins ea #
  • RT @Earthnik: Monsanto patents pigs (and subsequently ALL their offspring) – how's that for seed control? http://bit.ly/smvRg #oink #
  • Oh, George Michael, why for art thou so naughty and getting arrested? #fb #
  • Why did Fox News not air this information? http://bit.ly/q4Rsg #
  • Monsanto wants to patent pigs??! http://bit.ly/16svrA
    #oink #

Powered by Twitter Tools

Posted in Twitter

read more
16
Aug
2009

Vegan barbecue!

No Comments

Current Mood:Happy emoticon Happy

One of my husband’s all-time favorite foods has always been barbecue. But, having gone veggie, we just kind of put the barbecuing out of mind. But, on a whim, we grabbed a free barbecue grill of of Craigslist. It sat under our carport for a while, along with all the other stuff that was waiting to go in the garage because of the mess, unused. So on a whim, I decided to grill up some veggies that mom has given us from her garden. I didn’t make anything complex, I just quartered zucchini and tomatoes and put them on skewers, put lemon pepper and garlic on them, and off to the grill they went. I also sliced a butternut squash in half and wrapped it in aluminum foil to cook on the grill as well. Absolutely delish!!

DSC00239The plates look messy because this was round two of the kebabs. On the right is the other half of the squash still wrapped in foil.

The squash took about 45 minutes to cook, just grill them until they are soft, flipping once. If you use bamboo skewers, make sure to soak them in water for 20 minutes or so before grilling to keep them from catching fire. I really wanted metal skewers, but couldn’t find them at the grocery store.

Tags:
Posted in Home, Vegan

read more
15
Aug
2009

My mother is on Facebook!

2 Comments

Current Mood:Cool emoticon Cool

OH NOES!

Is this how you feel about your parents being on Facebook?

My parents are technologically-challenged. While my step-father is getting better about fixing his own stuff (more because they live way out and us coming over is a bit more complicated than just buzzing up the street), they still have several questions. I check their computer on occasion for spyware (either in person or remotely), but after a particularly nasty bout of it they have been a lot better about not clicking “Yes” and “OK” to everything. He still gets a crap-ton of spam and really strange email, but eh, that’s his mess, not mine.

I’ve made mention a few times about social networking, including Twitter and Facebook. They have seemed interested in it, but not interested enough to ask me how to set up accounts or anything, so I figured they weren’t too terribly worried about joining the ranks of increasingly connected baby boomers.

So I logged into Facebook this morning and saw in the friend suggestions, my mother. I’ve seen the messages on occasion, parents wandering their way on to social media where the “cool kids” hang out. Then the “cool kids” don’t know what to do:
momonfb

An interesting (but typical) mix of opinion on what people think of their parents being on Facebook. It seems to be based on age… The younger folk I suppose are worried about their parents seeing what they may be doing, as though their parents are monitoring them. Depending on age, this could be exactly what they are doing… but it’s not something that I am concerned about. There is nothing that I do or say on my Facebook (or anywhere else, for that matter), that I have serious fears of anyone in the world reading. I simply don’t post something that I wouldn’t want to come back to haunt me.

Okay, I will admit, I am a pretty boring person. I don’t go out and party and get drunk. I don’t feel the urge to “spice” up my language with curse words. But, even if I did, I certainly wouldn’t post this all over the Internet. Surely you have seen the articles of people losing their jobs or something similar over something they have said on social media. Well, there’s not only the job loss thing… There’s also the distinct possibility that you won’t even get hired because of something that you post online. You won’t necessarily see that part, you will just get the message, “We found someone who is more qualified for this position,” or something similar. And yes, it is very true that employers are looking people up before they are hired. In this competitive job market, I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize my chances of being hired.

While you may groan and roll your eyes about this, take a moment to turn the tables: You are a business owner and you want to hire the perfect person for the job. It is generally expensive to hire someone, because you are having to pay the new hire during training, as well as another employee to train them. So if the new hire has two weeks of training and they get paid $400 a week, that’s $800 to just train this new person. That’s not including your (higher paid) employee that is training the new hire. So if that employee is getting paid $500 a week… That’s $1800 that you are investing in a new employee. You also have to invest man-hours into finding the employees (and potentially paying to advertise for it), interviewing them, researching them… It is expensive. So, being a frugal business owner with some tech knowledge, part of your research would be to surf around online to find out what this potential employee is like. Are you going to be more likely to hire the party girl tagged in photos drinking and who appears to have Tourettes with all the cursing, or are you going to be more likely to hire the more sensible-appearing person that has interesting things to say?

So while people may groan and complain about their parents having wandered on to Facebook, I honestly don’t mind. I’m not posting anything online that I would feel I need to hide from my mother. Or an employer. But if she starts giving me lollipops to suck on, I’m going to get a bit concerned… :P

Tags:
Posted in Rant

read more
14
Aug
2009

What, you get free electricity or somethin'?

No Comments

1184807_not_much_moneySince having gotten a house, our utility bills have gone way up. We’ve gone from only paying for electricity in a small two bedroom apartment to paying for electricity, gas, water, and trash in our house (sewer is paid by the property owner), plus our living space is a lot larger. We no longer have an apartment upstairs to leech free cooling in the summer from, along with a thick layer of insulating floor above us to help keep the heat in in the winter.

I have been watching sites to see what they have to say about saving energy. In particular, Green By Design, Mr. Electricity (he quantifies power usage), and TipHero (user-submitted tips).

With looking at all these different sites I decided to compile my own list of simple things that I do to save utilities that costs little or no money. And remember… “Save $5 a month!” here and “Save $2 a month!” there really adds up! And yeah, it really is better for the environment.

Laundry

  • Use a solar-powered clothes dryer, aka a clothesline.
    Check with your local homeowner’s association or municipality to be sure that you can have a clothesline.
    A load of clothes in the dryer can cost 35¢-70¢, depending on your dryer. I have an older dryer, it takes over an hour to dry a load of towels.
    Don’t like the stiff feeling of your clothes dried on the line? I toss mine in the dryer when they are still a little damp for about ten minutes to knock out the scratchies and wrinkles.
    Don’t like the look of the poles in the yard, or concerned about safety? Get the umbrella-style and remove it when you’re finished using it. Tips for putting up clotheslines here.
  • Wash in cold water.
  • If you need the extra heat in your wash, adjust the water knobs going into  your washer to make the warm cycle about the temperature of a warm shower.
  • Do you really need to run your washer on the longest wash setting?
  • Only run full loads, or at least adjust your washer’s load size.
  • Use the auto-sensing feature of your dryer.
  • Clean your lint trap after every load.
    And put it in the garbage. And make sure everyone else puts it in the garbage. Not behind the dryer. Dryer lint is very flammable.
  • Clean out your dryer hose.
    Not only does it reduce your drying time, it is also safer. Again, lint can catch on fire! You can buy a brush at a hardware store.

More energy saving tips for the laundry here.

Computers

  • Shut down at night
    I know, I know, I’m a HUGE proponent for keeping your computer on at night… That’s when it downloads updates and runs virus scans! Leave it on once a week or so.
  • Disable hibernation (sleep mode).
    It’s a waste of electricity. Shut that puppy down.
  • Turn your monitor off when you shut down.
    If your monitor is on “standby” it’s going to continue to use electricity.
  • Disable your screen saver.
    Set your computer to turn the monitor off instead. The screen saver continues to run in the background (even when the computer’s shut the monitor off!), eating CPU cycles and not allowing it to step all the the way down to use less electricity. ESPECIALLY the pretty ones, like the scenery and 3D screen savers.
  • Get a new computer.
    The newer ones are more energy efficient.
  • Get a new monitor.
    Been thinking about upgrading your huge old CRT to a sleek new LCD? Do it, they are more energy efficient.
  • Use a laptop.
    They use less electricity than desktops.
  • Turn off the lights when computing.
    It’s not bad for the eyes, really.
  • Don’t leave games running when you’re not using the computer.
    This is a big one that I have to get on to my kids about CONSTANTLY. They lose computer privileges over it.

Electronic vampires

  • “Standby” is a power eater!
    As I sit here and look at my television with the DVD player and surround sound system, I see three little lights. The TV, stereo, and DVD player are all on standby, awaiting my command. Put it on an accessible power strip, kill the switch when not in use. Oh yeah, that power strip is eating power too.
  • Cable box. Turn it off.
  • Battery chargers.
    If you’re not currently charging a battery, unplug it. You can also put them all on a power strip and kick it off when not in use… Plus all your chargers are in one spot!
    This goes for your laptop’s power cord. It’s always on when it’s plugged in, even when the laptop’s shut down or undocked!
  • Kitchen appliances (the little ones).
    My microwave, coffee maker, and stove all have digital clocks on them. I don’t use them to tell time, because I have a really neat wall clock that uses two AA batteries every three years. Confession: I don’t dig behind my stove to unplug it.
    Other gadgets and do-dads can also suck power.

There’s always the power-saving power strips that kill standby power sucks. I don’t know anything about them, but I have seen them in the store. Feel free to give them a peek.

Check out Green By Design’s power phantom post.

Heating/cooling

  • Summer – 78°-80° Winter – 66°-68°
    Yeah, quit being a weenie. This is going to save you the most money, and you know it.
  • Adjust it at night or when you’re gone.
  • Open your windows!
    Yes, it’s much easier to just let the AC grind on and on when it’s somewhat cool outside, rather than having to run around and open them when it’s cool then close them when it gets warm. How easy is it for you to work for the money that’s paying your electricity?
    Plus it airs out your house, no one likes to have a stale-smelling living area!
  • Use your attic fan if you have one.
  • Get a digital thermostat.
    And program it. If you can’t read the manual, find someone that can. These can save some serious power.
  • Check with your power company!
    My power company, AmerenIP, offers free digital thermostats, installed! The reason? So they can get a better handle on peak usage. These puppies hook up to the Internet, AmerenIP cycles them during peak usage (we have peak power premium costs in IL). I don’t know how they work beyond that, or I’d give a review. I need to send in my form.
  • Weather-strip your doors and windows.
    Don’t get the cheapest stuff you can find. Trust me. It falls off. Also make sure you get the right size. Again, I am speaking from experience. Figure out the depth of the gap that you need to fill and the width of your door frame. You need these measurements, or it’s going to be like going to the store for new window blinds and not knowing the size of your window. And don’t be too lazy to not swipe a wet cloth along it to knock off the dust… Do this while measuring so it’s clean and dry when you go to install it.
    Install it in the morning. That way there’s less undesirable temperature coming in while you’ve got the doors and windows wide open.
  • Put plastic on your windows in the winter.
    Even if you have the super high efficiency ones. It’s a hole in the wall. Cover it.
  • Use your storm windows.
  • Got a doggy door? Make sure it’s insulated!
    I don’t have any experience with these, but I can imagine that the old ones are pretty leaky.
  • Got a mail slot? Insulate that too.
    I don’t have any experience with these either.
  • Shut off the vents in unused rooms.
  • Tell the kids: In or out!
  • Use ceiling fans.
    Counter-clockwise in the summer, clockwise in the winter.
  • Hang out in the basement.
    If you have a basement and it isn’t livable, fix it! Your basement is going to be more comfortable year-round than your regular living space. It can also allow you to keep your heat and air running less.
  • Use your central air fan.
    Setting your fan from auto to on kicks just the fan on. It keeps the air moving, and if you have a basement it will recirculate the more comfortable air from that area.

Dishwashing

  • Wash by hand.
    Yeah, lazy. It uses a lot less energy and water. And since I’ve started hand-washing my dishes, I’ve noticed they look a lot brighter and cleaner!
  • Don’t pre-wash before washing.
    Your dishwasher is made to wash dishes. No need to pre-wash them. If you’re going to pre-wash.. Why bother putting them in the dishwasher at all? Of course you should scrape and rinse the big stuff off, though!
    Got something particularly nasty? Leave it in the sink with some water to soak for a while.
  • Run only full loads.
    If you don’t generate enough dishes to have a full load before it starts getting really stinky, maybe you really should consider hand-washing your dishes.
  • Don’t use the hot dry.
    Not only is it bad for your plastics (especially the hard plastic dishes), it’s expensive!
  • Don’t use the super-heat wash option.
    Your water heater should be hot enough without boiling your plates.
    Again, it’s bad for your plastics.
  • Clean your dishwasher.
    The rotating arms and the bottom filter can get really filthy with use. The arms recycle the wash water, and bits of food and gunk build up in them and clog them. Yuck! This will result in poor performance, and you’ll be re-washing those dishes.
  • Don’t use the heaviest setting unless you really need it.

Miscellaneous

  • Take a short shower.
    If this is how you wake up in the morning, find something else to wake up! Stretches, mild yoga, a cup of coffee. You can be fully bathed in ten minutes or less. Shave outside of the shower.
  • Don’t use a hair dryer.
    If you’re not going somewhere that you absolutely must have coiffed hair for, why not let it dry naturally? Not only does it save electricity, but it also reduces styling damage to your hair. Personally, I don’t usually use styling stuff for my hair, so when I know I’m going to have a long commute I will leave with my hair wet, then brush it when I get to my destination. And yes, I always pack a brush in my car!
  • Turn off the TV & game consoles.
    Because my son is so terrible about this, he now loses privileges to these items when he leaves them on.
  • Turn off ceiling fans when not in use.
  • Use CF bulbs
    Compact florescent bulbs are still more expensive than their regular light bulb counterparts, but their savings are substantial when you use them throughout the house, or at least in  your high-usage lights. Again, check with your power company: AmerenIP has CF bulbs for $1 each! Be careful, gents, in changing your lady’s makeup mirror lights though. The florescent doesn’t have the same natural kind of light that regular bulbs do.
    CF  bulbs can’t be tossed in the trash. Don’t do it. They have to be recycled, take them to the local (big box) hardware store.
  • Turn your water heater down to 120 (or lower).
    Not only does it save power, but it also can save your children (and even  yourself) from being scalded.

I know that there’s a whole lot more that can be done to save power. I’ll add to this list as I think of it, and you are more than welcome to add to the list in the comments! :)

Tags: , ,
Posted in Home

read more
« Older Entries