{ Asymmetrical Symmetry }

Top 10 Tips for Great Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Wed, 26 May 2010 02:58:00 +0000

Do you wish you were a better photographer? All it takes is a little know-how and experience. Keep reading for some important picture-taking tips. Then grab your camera and start shooting your way to great pictures.

Look your subject in the eye
Use a plain background
Use flash outdoors
Move in close
Move it from the middle
Lock the focus
Know your flash's range
Watch the light
Take some vertical pictures
Be a picture director

See the details and howto at Kodak's web site.

Watching videos with multi-part files

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Wed, 26 May 2010 02:39:00 +0000

Have you downloaded a video with a bunch or rar files/part files and don't want to have to uncompress them? Use NZBPlayer with VLC player.

How to Determine if an Mp3 is Truly 320kbps

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Wed, 26 May 2010 00:38:00 +0000

How to determine if an mp3 is truly 320kbps or just a re-encode

1. Open Adobe Audition
2. Drag and Drop (or open) am MP3 file
3. Click on View > Spectral Frequency Display (Shift+F)

A true 320kbps source will be 20Hz or above.

128kbps re-encodes or 192kbps re-encodes will be stuck @ 16Hz or 18Hz

NOTE: There is an exception for this rule - oldies, acoustic, piano songs, and low volume music will have lower frequencies even if encoded with 320!

Maximize Your Laptop's CPU Speed

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 06:19:00 +0000

I just discovered that by having a different power scheme in your Power Management Settings, with Intel's SpeedStep setting set in your BIOS, that your laptop will run slower than it's rated speed. I have a laptop and used CPU-Z to check its specs- it was running at 1.6GhZ, but the core was a 2.8GhZ! Geez, what a loss of power! So I read up and discovered that the power scheme needed to be "Always On" or "Home/Office PC".

If you're using a laptop with WinXp, download CPU-Z, and see what the speed is, or just make sure your scheme is set to one listed to get the most from your CPU. However, make sure you monitor the temperature and/or use good cooling options.

Guide to Better Skin

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:33:00 +0000

I just found a nice eBook, an official Complete Idiot's Guide publication with great information for people of all ages, to get the facts straight about having great looking and healthy skin. Yeah, Proactiv(R) and systems like that are great, but there's more to it than that.

Maybe because I'm getting older do I care more about taking care of myself, but also everyone should have the information and truths to keep them looking great from kids to seniors. Hope this can help you out, or maybe at least your kids(if ya got any).

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Better Skin (2004)

Cell Phone Myths & Truths

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:33:00 +0000

from Cnet

Last week I received an e-mail that I've received many times over, particularly since I've been writing about cell phones. Just one glance at the subject line, "5 Things You Never Knew Your Cell Phone Could Do" and I knew what was inside.

If you have an e-mail account, I'm sure you've received this e-mail at least once. It probably came form one of your "forwarding friends." You know who they are--they mean well, but they insist on forwarding every chain letter and spam e-mail they receive.

Unfortunately, this specific e-mail is hardly worth the time it takes to open it. While it is true you can get free directory assistance by dialing 1-800-FREE-411 (you'll still use calling minutes and you have to listen to a bunch of grating ads), and that a GSM phone's IMEI can help if your handset is stolen, the other three tips are not only completely ridiculous, but also kind of annoying.

Your phone as a key
The most preposterous tip promises that you can unlock your car door with the magic of a cell phone. It goes something like this: "If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away."

Even if the e-mail says something like "It works fine!", this is pure fantasy. Keyless entry works on a radio frequency, and a radio frequency cannot travel over a phone line. Also, as anyone who has a car with keyless entry can attest, you have to be close to the car for it to work.

Magical battery life
This tip, which promises additional battery life for your cell phone is so bad, it's laughable. "Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370#. Your cell phone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50 percent increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell phone next time."

No, this does not work, and I don't think that I have to justify why not. I'd only say that if this was really true, why would cell phone manufacturers keep such functionality secret? And if it was true, don't you think they'd just include that additional battery capacity in the first place?

Emergency!
Do you have an emergency? If so, be careful when reading this tip. "The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you."

This is both true and false. The 112 number is the emergency number for European Union countries, but if you dial it on a GSM phone while in the United States, your call will be redirected to 911. Indeed we tried it on both an AT&T and a T-Mobile, phone and we got through. On the other hand, it doesn't work for CDMA phones from Verizon Wireless or Sprint. And I have no idea of it will work in other non-EU countries. In any case, you're better off dialing 911.

From Snopes

The claim that pressing the sequence *3370# will unleash "hidden battery power" in a cell phone seems to be a misunderstanding of an option available on some brands of cell phone (such as Nokia) for Half Rate Codec, which provides about 30% more talk time on a battery charge at the expense of lower sound quality. However, this option is enabled by pressing the sequence *#4720# — the sequence *3370# actually enables Enhanced Full Rate Codec, which provides better sound quality at the expense of shorter battery life.

Claim: Can you cook eggs or popcorn with cell phones?
Verdict: FALSE

10 Ways to Help Lower Your Energy Bill

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 02:21:00 +0000

10 Ways to Help Cut Your Energy Bills

Smart Strip Surge Protector
	Conserve electricity with a Smart Strip

Programmable Thermostat
	Help reduce heating costs

Ceiling Fan
	Circulate warm air with a ceiling fan

Motion Sensor
	Turn off lights automatically

Dimmer
	Help conserve power with a dimmer

Weather-Proofing Kit
	Seal warm air in and keep cold air out

Low-Flow Showerhead
	Save water with a low-flow showerhead

WaterSense Toilet
	Reduce excessive water waste

ENERGY STAR CFL Bulbs
	Use less energy with CFL bulbs

WaterSense-Labeled Faucet
	Go green with a low-flow faucet

Pets & Their Needs

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:02:00 +0000

I love "my" cat and dog - Mimi/Mossimo(don't ask) & Pepper, respectively. They actually belong to my sister & niece, whom I live with, but I'm with them during the day and do quite a bit with them. I've really become attached here lately. I realize more everyday the connection that humans have with animals, esp. their pets. I recently bought a scratch-mat for Mimi, and he seems to enjoy and take to it well, instead of sharpening his claws on my shoe strings. The company that makes the mat, as well as many other items, is World Wise. I visited their site and they seem to be quite into cats, but also have products for dogs. They have this great pie chart showing the needs of each pet. Below is a screenshot, but be sure to take a look at their site. Here's some info about them:

World Wise is a leading manufacturer of environmentally responsible toys, treats, accessories and bedding for cats and dogs. Our high-quality pet products are made from natural, recycled, reclaimed or certified organic materials.

Spam & Phishing Alert!

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:25:00 +0000

I recently got a email from "MSN" telling me about updating Windows and it looked real. It even came from my own email! Definitely not, but spammers are sneaky these days.

Free Update Windows XP,Vista

About this mailing:
You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to MSN Featured Offers. Microsoft respects your privacy. If you do not wish to receive this MSN Featured Offers e-mail, please click the "Unsubscribe" link below. This will not unsubscribe you from e-mail communications from third-party advertisers that may appear in MSN Feature Offers. This shall not constitute an offer by MSN. MSN shall not be responsible or liable for the advertisers' content nor any of the goods or service advertised. Prices and item availability subject to change without notice.

©2008 Microsoft | Unsubscribe | More Newsletters | Privacy

Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052

You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to MSN Featured Offers. Microsoft respects your privacy. If you do not wish to receive this MSN Featured Offers e-mail, please click the “Unsubscribe” link below. This will not unsubscribe you from e-mail communications from third-party advertisers that may appear in MSN Feature Offers. This shall not constitute an offer by MSN. MSN shall not be responsible or liable for the advertisers’ content nor any of the goods or service advertised. Prices and item availability subject to change without notice.

Needless to say, Microsoft does not send spam. Please don’t click unsubscribe links and buttons coming from spam messages, doing so would only serve to confirm your email is working and ready to receive more of the same.

Never click on the hidden links.

resources from Certified Bug

c|net

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:15:00 +0000

CNET, the leading technology media site in the world, now makes it easier to find the trusted news, product reviews, downloads and videos that you care about.

Visit CNET
See what's new in quick tour

DVD Ripping & Backup Tools

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:00:00 +0000

from lifehacker.com's, Five Best DVD Ripping Tools; edited for simplicity, but be sure to read the original post for more info

Rip or Copy a DVD

Here's a look at five of the best and most popular DVD ripping tools and DVD making tools (mostly for Windows).

DVD Shrink (Windows)

Despite the fact that the freeware DVD Shrink (download) hasn't been in active development for years, this freeware decrypter, ripper, and compressor is still a favorite all-in-one stop for ripping and backing up DVDs. Its compression feature is what sets DVD Shrink apart, compressing 8GB dual-layer DVDs down to 4GB sizes that will fit on standard, single-layer DVD-Rs (i.e., the type of DVDs most consumers can burn to). It's even inspired us to write our very own DVD Shrink helper application, DVD Rip, which turns the already simple DVD Shrink process into a one-click ripping affair.

HandBrake (All Platforms)

The free, cross-platform HandBrake makes ripping DVDs to a bevy of useful, playable file formats a cinch, with support for iPods, PSPs, Apple TVs, PS3s, and pretty much any other format your device requires. It's fast, free, and takes the difficulty out of both ripping and transcoding. (original post)

DVDFab HD Decrypter

Much like DVD Shrink, DVDFab HD Decrypter cuts through copy protection and rips DVDs to your hard drive. Unlike DVD Shrink, DVDFab does not offer compression tools. DVDFab is shareware, but its trial version lets you do nearly as much as you'd ever need. That said, users who pony up for the platinum edition don't seem to have any regrets. (original post)

MacTheRipper (Mac OS X)

Freeware application MacTheRipper breaks copy protection from DVDs and rips the contents to your hard drive—which makes it the go-to Mac version of apps like DVD Shrink or DVDFab. Like the other two, MacTheRipper doesn't encode its rips to other formats (instead it just rips the DVD menu and all to your hard drive), but that's what Handbrake is there for.

DVD Decrypter

The freeware DVD Decrypter works much like DVD Shrink and DVDFab, ripping DVDs to your hard drive by tearing through pesky copy protection. Like DVD Shrink, DVD Decrypter hasn't been actively developed for a while, but it's still doing the job for most folks without complaint.

Honorable Mentions

Honorable mentions go out to AnyDVD (Windows, shareware) and DVD43 (freeware, Windows, original post). I want to put a special word in for both of these, particularly DVD43 since it's freeware. Whenever popular ripping tools like DVD Shrink, HandBrake, DVDFab, or DVD Decrypter fail to break the copy protection, these lightweight tools are a must-have. They run in the background and disable copy protection as soon as the DVD is inserted, leaving any ripping tool free to grab the contents without having to deal with decryption at all.

My third honorable mention is a shameless plug for the free, Windows-only DVD Rip, Lifehacker's very own helper application that works in conjunction with DVD Shrink to set up automated one-click rips. DVD Shrink does all the heavy lifting, but DVD Shrink makes it simple enough that the entirely tech unsavvy should have no problems ripping a DVD.

Last, if you'd like a more detailed look at how you might put these programs to use, check out Lifehacker's guide to turning your PC into a DVD ripping monster.

If you wish to keep the DVD in it's entirety, with no compression, and all menus in tact, try this method or Drive-in(Mac OSX).

Charlie's Suggestion:

I like to use Nero Recode with Any DVD running in the background when I need to compress or remove parts of a DVD, especially if I plan on burning it right away. Unfortunately Nero & AnyDVD is not free and occassionally doesn't break the encryption, but works well most of the time. Here's a tutorial on using Recode.

Make a DVD from backups or video files

Of course if you have DVD/VOB files or an image file(iso, img, nrg) already, just use ImgBurn, Nero, or your DVD burning software. However, if you have AVI files or other video file formats, subtitles or such, then use one of the following:

DVD Flick | DVD Flick aims to be a simple, yet powerful DVD authoring tool. I've used this a few times now, and it seems to work great. It's a little weird when making the files to be burned but otherwise a great program and it's freeware.

Get it here.

ConvertXtoDVD video converter & DVD burner

This award-winning divx to dvd video converter software burns video & audio formats to DVD. Video conversion supports avi, divx, wmv, mkv, xvid, vcd, vob, dvd & more.

It's an all-in-one video conversion and burning software.

Product page here

Interesting Info on Midday Naps

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:16:00 +0000

Scientists say that a successful midday nap depends on two things:Timing, and (no kidding) caffeine consumption.

Experiments performed at Loughborough University in the UK showed that the sleep-deprived need only a cup of coffee and 15 minutes of shut-eye to feel amazingly refreshed.

Right before you crash, down a cup of java. The caffeine has to travel through your gastro-intestinal tract, giving you time to nap before it kicks in.

Close your eyes and relax. Even if you only doze, you’ll get what’s known as effective microsleep, or momentary lapses of wakefulness.

Limit your nap to 15 minutes. A half hour can lead to sleep inertia, or the spinning down of the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which handles functions like judgment. This gray matter can take 30 minutes to reboot.

taken from Wired.com - Cheat on the Need to Sleep which has quite a few interesting and insightful things regarding sleep

Ways to Save Money

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:16:00 +0000

1. Save on Gas
According to the Federal Highway Administration, an American family with one car and one minivan or SUV consumes roughly 1,200 gallons of gas a year. To find the cheapest gas near you, visit www.gaspricewatch.com or www.gasbuddy.com and enter your zip code — volunteer "price spotters" update these sites with local gas prices. Also, going over 60mph wastes gas.

Tip: Tuesday is often the cheapest day of the week to get gas.

2. Save on Groceries
According to the Food Marketing Institute, the average American household spends $90 a week on food. Here's 6 ways to slash your bill:

Don't bring the kids and you'll be able to stick to your list
Use the store's discount card — according to Real Simple magazine, you can save up to 18%
Avoid prepackaged goods — Consumer Reports found that two pounds of precut carrots was $7.16, compared to $1.29 for the same amount of uncut carrots
Buy frozen foods after peak times, like Thanksgiving & Christmas
Stock up on coupons — visit www.couponcart.com or www.coolsavings.com, or clip them from your local newspaper
Shop on double coupon days

3. Save on Electronics
Looking for a good deal on consumer electronics? Visit TechBargains.com, Slickdeals.net, or FatWallet.com to sign up for free email alerts, or RSS feed that let you know when a particular item (iPod nano) or something in a general category (MP3 players) goes on sale.

4. Save on Water
According to the American Water Works Association, you can save money on water if you: Turn faucets off completely — a slow drip can waste up to 34 gallons of water a day. Take shorter showers — a 4-minute shower uses 10 gallons of water, compared to 17 gallons for 8 minutes. (Let me know if you can do this and actually wash your hair). Repair leaks immediately — they account for 14% of your household water usage.

5. Save on Directory Assistance
You can get specific address information and phone numbers sent to your cell phone, Treo, or BlackBerry by text messaging Google or Yellow Pages — perfect for those last minute "I forgot the number/address" moments on the way to a sales call (or figuring out who else you might see if an appointment cancels or runs shorter than expected). Here's how…

Set up Google in the contacts list of your device in the same way you add a friend.
Add Google's number as 46645 (GOOGL) - you can do this each time without adding them to your contact list, as well, or 97411 (YP411) for Yellow Pages. I like Google's location settings you can setup which allow for really quick results.
Type in the name of the business or person on which you want the information, their city, and their state and send it as a text message.

Within 3 seconds (this is my experience), if the information is available, it will be sent back to your device. If you have a Treo, iPhone or BlackBerry, you can highlight the phone number and push dial… you'll need to do the talking — one thing Google won't do for you.

If you don't have texting capabilities or are using a landline, try 1-800-GOOG-411. Yep, it's free.

6. Save Electricity
Plug electronic devices into surge protectors, or power strips and turn them off when you leave the house.

7. Make sure your air filter and coils are clean.

Also, here's some long term, more in-depth things you can do:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16369214/

The Zombie Survival Guide

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:28:00 +0000

Complete Protection from the Living Dead
by Max Brooks

The Zombie Survival Guide is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now. Fully illustrated and exhaustively comprehensive, this book covers everything you need to know, including how to understand zombie physiology and behavior, the most effective defense tactics and weaponry, ways to outfit your home for a long siege, and how to survive and adapt in any territory or terrain.

Top 10 Lessons for Surviving a Zombie Attack

Organize before they rise!
They feel no fear, why should you?
Use your head: cut off theirs.
Blades don’t need reloading.
Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair
Get up the staircase, then destroy it.
Get out of the car, get onto the bike.
Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!
No place is safe, only safer.
The zombie may be gone, but the threat lives on.

Don’t be carefree and foolish with your most precious asset - your life. This book is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now without your even knowing it. The Zombie Survival Guide offers complete protection through trusted, proven tips for safeguarding yourself and your loved ones against the living dead. It is this book that can save your life.

Download your copy

Also, here’s a chart that might help when surrounded by the undead:

This is from a tshirt designed by Olly Moss

Eco-friendly Bulbs Contain Toxic Mercury

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:21:00 +0000

By MARTIN DELGADO
from Daily Mail

Danger: The new eco-friendly light bulbs contain toxic mercury (picture posed by model)

Energy-saving light bulbs are so dangerous that everyone must leave the room for at least 15 minutes if one falls to the floor and breaks, a Government department warned yesterday.

The startling alert came as health experts also warned that toxic
mercury inside the bulbs can aggravate a range of problems including migraines and dizziness.

And a leading dermatologist said tens of thousands of people with skin complaints will find it hard to tolerate being near the bulbs as they cause
conditions such as eczema to flare up.

The Department for Environment warned shards of glass from broken bulbs should not be vacuumed up but instead swept away by someone wearing rubber gloves to protect them from the bulb's mercury content.

In addition, it said care should be taken not to inhale any dust and the broken pieces should be put in a sealed plastic bag for disposal at a council dump – not a normal household bin.

None of this advice, however, is printed on the packaging the new-style bulbs are sold in. There are also worries over how the bulbs will be disposed of.

Scroll down for more

Under new regulations for hazardous waste, councils are obliged to recycle them.

At present, they should be placed in special bins also used for batteries at a council dump. But in future, councils will have to provide a collection service or install special recycling banks for the bulbs.

There are fears that without a proper disposal system, the mercury content could contaminate water supplies.

But disposing of one municipal recycling bin full of bulbs costs about $1,267/£650 each time, adding to fears of higher council tax bills.

The warnings cast a shadow over Government plans to begin phasing out traditional tungsten lights this month.

Ministers hope that using the more environmentally friendly bulbs will save at least five million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year.

The bulbs are due to become compulsory in homes in four years.
Campaigners are calling for an opt-out so that people with health problems can still use old-style bulbs.

Others are thinking of hoarding the familiar pear-shaped bulbs so that they can keep on using them even after they have disappeared from the shops.

Independent environmental scientist Dr David Spurgeon warned yesterday: "Because these light bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, they could cause a problem if disposed of in a normal bin.

"It is possible that the mercury could be released into the air or from land-fill when they are released into the wider environment. That is a concern, because mercury is a well-known toxic substance."

And dermatologist Dr John Hawk, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that some people already find it difficult to tolerate the fluorescent-strip lighting that is widely used in schools and offices, which works in the same way as the eco-friendly bulbs.

He said: "Fluorescent lights seem to have some sort of ionising characteristic where they affect the air around them.

"This does affect a certain number of people, probably tens of thousands, in Britain, whose ailments flare up just by being close to them.

"Certain forms of eczema – some of which are very common – do flare up badly anywhere near fluorescent lights, so these people have to just be around incandescent (old-style) lighting."

ComicLife 1.3 (Windows)

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Sat, 24 May 2008 18:37:00 +0000

from plasq.com

Here’s a really cool program that you can make Comic Book/Sequential Art pages real easily. From the developer’s site:

Be the Hero You Are!

Comic Life lets you create astounding comics, beautiful picture albums, how-tos... and more!

The easy-to-use interface integrates seamlessly with your photo collection. Drag in your pictures, captions, Lettering text (‘KA-BLAM!’) and speech balloons and your work is done!

You can even use your webcam within Comic Life to make a comic on the spot!

Here’s some examples on Flickr

It’s Fast
Comic Life gives you fun and professional templates for instant, impressive, photo layouts. Tweak your creations to your hearts desire!

Super-Shine
Looking for something special? Enhance the look of your photos with the many included filters like hand-drawn, painted and night vision.

Share your Life Stories
Comic Life makes it easy to share your creations with friends and family via the web and email.

Keepin’ it Real
Print your creations to share with Grandma (when her ’net is down). Laughter ensues.

Tried and Tested
Get your hands on the award-winning Comic Life, as used loved by millions of kids, grownups, schools and police forces around the world.

Download your copy

Choose Your Medicine: Laughter, Music, Optimism

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Sat, 24 May 2008 18:02:00 +0000

11 ways to knock out stress and lower your chance of heart disease

By Therese Droste , is a freelance health and fitness writer based in Washington, DC.

Stress: The word lingers like a threatening hiss. And that's appropriate, because too much stress, over time, can cause you to acquire risk factors--diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure--that lead to heart disease.

How does stress work? It releases adrenaline from the autonomic nervous system. "This adrenaline release sets up a whole cascade of reactions, including increased heart rate and blood pressure and stimulation of blood clotting cells, called platelets. Stress hormones can damage blood vessels by altering their flexibility and making them more vulnerable to plaque disruption," explains cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, MD, author of The Women's Healthy Heart Program.

Chronic stress can result in unhealthy habits, such as smoking, being sedentary, overusing alcohol, eating poorly, and being socially isolated, she adds.

Too stressed out to even think about taking care of yourself? Here are some tips to help you out:

Be optimistic. PollyAnna was right: Optimists live longer than pessimists, according to a study of over 1,100 people tracked for 30 years by researchers at the Mayo Clinic.And, in a separate study of 999 people, men and women ages 65 to 85, researchers in the Netherlands found that optimistic participants had lower rates of heart disease and were 77% less likely to die of cardiovascular diseases.

Switch jobs. Yes, your critical boss really can make you sick. The more your job stresses you out, the greater your chance of developing metabolic syndrome, a combination of factors that increase the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to a study of over 10,000 British civil servants.

Turn on the tunes. Researchers found that classical music, particularly Baroque--think Pachelbel's Canon in D--works well. Music with adagio movements of 60 beats per minute produced heightened alpha brain wave activity similar to that found during deep relaxation and meditation.

Don't yo-yo diet. Is fitting into that slinky black dress worth a heart attack? A study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health showed that consistently gaining or losing weight increased the risk of cardiovascular disease due to lower levels of HDL, the good cholesterol.

Take control. "When you perceive you're not in control, that's when stress hormones come into play," says Goldberg. Know what triggers your stress, and work to lessen the feelings so the stress is not prolonged.Toast less. "Some people use alcohol to reduce stress, but it's a two-edged sword that most likely will lead to dependency," says JoAnn Manson, MD, DrPH, chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Abusing alcohol raises levels of triglycerides, which are fats in the blood, and can lead to high blood pressure and heart failure.

Practice Tai Chi. Moods were raised and cortisol levels dropped in one study of tai chi practitioners. When compared to other participants in the study who walked 6 kilometers per hour, the tai chi practitioners were found to have similar heart rate and blood pressure levels."Have you heard the one about...?" Researchers at Loma Linda University Medical Center had adults view funny videos, and found that humor triggered a physiological response similar to exercise. Laughter increased endorphins and neurotransmitters, lowered stress hormone levels, and activated T-cells, which fight viruses. Too buttoned up to belly laugh? Consider joining a laughter club for some help (www.laughterclubnsw.com).

Forgive someone. Stanford researchers, in a study of 259 people who received forgiveness training, found that 70% of them had decreased feelings of hurt, 27% had reduced physical symptoms of stress, and 15% had lower emotional stress.

Make friends. "Women need each other, especially after a sudden stressful event," says Goldberg. A 2005 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that women's hearts are more vulnerable to sudden stressful events, and that highly emotional experiences cause a surge in stress hormones and temporarily weaken the heart muscle.

Meditate. In a Canadian study of 90 patients, those who meditated in a group for 7 weeks, as well as additionally at home, had lower scores of mood disturbances, stress, depression, anxiety, and anger than the group that did not meditate. So take time to center. Most experts and meditation teachers recommend 20-minute periods.

taken from Prevention.com

Practical Ways to Save Money

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:36:00 +0000

1. Save on Gas

According to the Federal Highway Administration, an American family with one car and one minivan or SUV consumes roughly 1,200 gallons of gas a year.
To find the cheapest gas near you, visit www.gaspricewatch.com or www.gasbuddy.com and enter your zip code — volunteer “price spotters” update these sites with local gas prices. Also, don't drive over 60mph unless you have to. This is the speed where your car starts wasting gas. Be sure to use your air condition at higher speeds to reduce drag on your vehicle and increase gas mileage.

Tip: Tuesday is often the cheapest day of the week to get gas.

2. Save on Groceries

According to the Food Marketing Institute, the average American household spends $90 a week on food. Here’s 6 ways to slash your bill:

Don’t bring the kids and you’ll be able to stick to your list

Use the store’s discount card — according to Real Simple magazine, you can save up to 18%

Avoid prepackaged goods — Consumer Reports found that two pounds of precut carrots was $7.16, compared to $1.29 for the same amount of uncut carrots

Buy frozen foods after peak times, like Thanksgiving & Christmas

Stock up on coupons — visit www.couponcart.com or www.coolsavings.com, or clip them from your local newspaper

Shop on double coupon days

3. Save on Electronics

Looking for a good deal on consumer electronics? Visit TechBargains.com, FatWallet.com, or Slickdeals.com to sign up for free email alerts, or RSS feed that let you know when a particular item (i.e.iPod nano) or something in a general category (MP3 players) goes on sale.

4. Save on Water

According to the American Water Works Association, you can save money on water if you: Turn faucets off completely — a slow drip can waste up to 34 gallons of water a dayTake shorter showers — a 4-minute shower uses 10 gallons of water, compared to 17 gallons for 8 minutes

Repair leaks immediately — they account for 14% of your household water use

5. Save on Directory Assistance

You can get specific address information and phone numbers sent to your cell phone, Treo, or BlackBerry by text messaging Google or Yellow Pages — perfect for those last minute “I forgot the number/address” moments on the way to a sales call (or figuring out who else you might see if an appointment cancels or runs shorter than expected). Here’s how:

Set up Google in the contacts list of your device in the same way you add a friend.

Add Google’s number as 46645 (Googl) - you can do this each time without adding them to your contact list, as well, or 97411 (YP411) for Yellow Pages. I like Google’s location settings you can setup which allow for really quick results.

Type in the name of the business or person on which you want the information, their city, and their state and send it as a text message.

Within 3 seconds (this is my experience), if the information is available, it will be sent back to your device. If you have a Treo, iPhone or BlackBerry, you can highlight the phone number and push dial. You’ll need to do the talking — one thing Google won’t do for you.

If you don’t have texting capabilities or are using a landline, try 1-800-GOOG-411. Yep, it’s free.

6. Save Electricity

Plug electronic devices into surge protectors, or power strips and turn them off when you leave the house.

7. Make sure your air filter and coils are clean.

Also, here’s some long term, more in-depth things you can do:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16369214/

You get what you pay for, sorta

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Tue, 09 May 2006 19:58:00 +0000

I'm a big fan of free and cheap stuff, especially if it works just as well and doesn't compromise the end result. I've been using this WiFi card for a laptop, a TecNew brand(yeah, nice name). I lost the driver CD a while back, and boy do I regret it. This is my second time reinstalling Windows on this laptop and I can't believe how hard it was to find the drivers! There is not a TecNew company website and even after searching for the model no. and such, the website that I finally got the driver from is not very helpful or well laid out. Anyways, I got the drivers and good to go. So if you have a wifi card make sure you keep the driver disk or upload the files in a safe spot. Thanx a lot to Mattias Schlenker (mattias at schlenker-webdesign.de)

TecNew WIFI LAN PC Card; 802.11b; FCC ID #: PQP-WP288P (www.e-tech.nu/Popup_Support/1122)

Contact Me or Request Some Help

noreply@blogger.com (shadowspydre) — Tue, 02 May 2006 02:23:00 +0000

Fill out my Wufoo form!