How To Make Your Electronic Gear Last Longer

1. Your iPod

Average life span: Two to three years.

Tip: Protect an iPod with a hard rubber case. The battery will last longer if you let it run down completely once a month before recharging it. It'll be 12 to 18 months before the battery has to be replaced.

2. Your Cell Phone

Average life span: Four years.

Tip: If you recharge your cell phone a lot, don't. The battery works best if you let it drain completely once a week. Also, don't expose a cell phone to very low temperatures, direct sunlight, or crazy heat. That can damage the battery.

3. Your Flat-Screen TV

Average life span: Ten years or longer.

Tip: Keep your fingers off the screen. The pressure causes pixel burnout. Parts can also fail if a TV overheats, so keep the vents clear. Dust your TV with a soft, dry cloth, and skip the cleaning spray. It can cloud the screen.

4. Your DVD Player

Average life span: Four to five years.

Tip: Keep it cool. Avoid stacking other gadgets on top of or under a DVD player, and clear space around it.

5. Your Computer Printer

Average life span: Five years or longer.

Tip: High humidity can cause paper jams and ink clogs, so if you're having problems, you may need to run an air conditioner or a dehumidifier while using the printer. Cover the printer with a dust protector when you're not using it, especially if it's near an open window. Wipe away any dust and grit inside it with a soft cloth.

Source: http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/249/extend-the-life-of-electronic-gear/

Weird Household Uses for Food

Corn Starch
Your child just learned how to tie their shoes and the knots are impossible to undo. Stay calm and sprinkle a little cornstarch on the laces to help you work out the knot.

Peanut Butter
To get gum out of a carpet, scrape up what you can, using an ice cub to stiffen it if necessary. Then rub a small glob of peanut butter into the fibers, and wipe up the whole mess with a cloth.

Milk
Oh no! You forgot to put the cap on your pen and now there is ink seeping into your shirt. No worries -- just grab some milk and soak the area. Depending on the type of ink, this process can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours. Patience is a virtue.

Pepper
Everyone knows Clorox's catchy ditty about keeping clothes bright, but all you need is pepper. Add a teaspoon of pepper to the wash before you add in your clothes and it will keep the colors from fading.

Soda
Next time your drain is clogged and you don't have time to run to the store for some Drain-O just look in your fridge! A 2-liter bottle of soda will do the trick. Just pour it down to clobber the clog.

Salt
Grease stains can be a huge pain when it comes to doing laundry. Before you wash, work a generous amount of table salt into the stain and then launder as usual.

Mayonnaise
It's one thing when your child draws on the wall with crayons, it's quite another when it comes to your wood furniture. Rub some mayonnaise on the crayon mark and let it soak for ten minutes. Then take a damp cloth and wipeaway the mayo AND the crayon!

Source: http://food.aol.com/play-with-your-food/weird-uses-for-food

10 Reasons Worshipping the Sun Is Actually Good For You

Granted, too much sun exposure can potentially be harmful in regards to aging and skin cancer, but exposure to the sun also provides enormous health benefits:

1. Vitamin D: Vitamin D is the only vitamin that can be synthesized in the skin through a photosynthetic reaction triggered by exposure to UVB radiation. Vitamin D, specifically, is important for immune response, mood stability, and bone health. Vitamin D deficiencies have been directly linked to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), osteomalacia (a softening of the bones because of defective bone mineralization), and, increased premature cancer mortality.

2. Happy hormones: Exposure to sunlight enhances our overall mental outlook and sense of wellbeing. The skin's exposure to sunshine releases endorphins. Endorphins are our body's natural anti-depressants, and as a result, a lack of sunshine can cause decreased endorphin production, resulting in depression disorders.

3. Circulation and Heart Health: Sunshine helps to increase circulation by dilating the blood vessels in the skin and enhances heart health by decreasing blood pressure, while increasing cardiac output. This facilitates the transportation of nutrients and oxygen to our cells.

4. Natural Detox: Sunshine exposure helps to increase liver function, which is responsible for filtering and removing wastes from the body. Further, as a result of increased circulation from the sun, we are able to more efficiently eliminate the waste through our blood.

5. Skin Health: Although too much exposure can increase risk of skin cancer, exposure to the sun can increase the healing of skin diseases and conditions such as eczema, skin ulcers, skin fungal infections, and acne.

6. Immune System: Sunshine increases production of both red and white blood cells, strengthening the immune system.

7. Boosted Metabolism: Sunshine can help with weight loss. This is due to the fact that it helps to boost metabolism and maintain blood sugar levels.

8. Natural Disinfectant and Antibiotic: Sunshine kills harmful viruses and bacteria, making it a natural antibiotic and disinfectant. Many disease microbes are killed by sunshine. .

9. Cancer Prevention: Yep. Turns out, that sunshine can actually help prevent some cancers (breast, ovarian and colo-rectal). This is a direct result of the synthesis of Vitamin D, which is important in warding off these types of cancers.

10. Improved Sleep Patterns: Melatonin production is enhanced by sun exposure. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland, that encourages sleep.

So how much exposure gives you these benefits? Depending on your skin type, you probably need 5 to 30 minutes of sun exposure to the face, arms, back or legs (without sunscreen) twice every week. Since exposure to sunlight is a risk for skin cancer, you should use sunscreen after a few minutes in the sun and even in the winter and on hazy, cloudy days.

Source: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/10-reasons-worshipping-the-sun-is-actually-healthy-for-you-484590/;_ylt=AmlxLO4YKxnnz1.zYQ90TV9abqU5

Too Early Trivia Thursday, July 9th, 2009

Question: What percent of U.S. workers called in sick last year....even though they were not sick?

Answer: 35 percent

Too Early Trivia Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Question: In a Forbes survey of New York City kindergarteners, the majority of the kids said they want to be this when they grow up?

Answer: Superhero---Spiderman was the most popular answer.

Social Security Number Code Cracked

Researchers say they found an easy way for the technology-savvy to figure out peoples’ Social Security numbers.

They say they were able to make the predictions using data available in public records as well as information such as birthdates provided on social networks such as Facebook.

And they say it's good news that THEY figured it out, before some bad guys did.

They found that: for people born after 1988—when the government began issuing numbers at birth—the researchers were able to identify, the first five Social Security digits for 44% of individuals.

And they got all nine digits for 8.5% of those people in fewer than 1,000 attempts.

And for smaller states their accuracy was considerably higher than in larger ones.

A reasearcher said he has sent the findings to the Social Security Administration and other government agencies, with a suggestion they adopt a more random system for assigning numbers.

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9996BNG0&show_article=1&catnum=0

Too Early Trivia Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

Question: What percent of women keep a secret ice cream stash?

Answer: 13 percent

Too Early Trivia Monday, July 6th, 2009

Question: What percent of Americans eat chicken at least once per week?

Answer: 89 percent

Vending Machine That Sells Actual Prescription Drugs

A doctor's office has become the first in its state to sell medication through a vending machine.

Patients in McAlester, Oklahoma weren't filling their prescriptions because it was an inconvenience so the doctor's office decided to offer the drugs through the machine.

The Instymed Machine is an ATM style machine that gives out medications to patients within just a few minutes.

The machine has about 50 different types of common medications.

Doctors say it's not designed to take the place of pharmacies, but in some cases where drug stores don't stay open late, it's another option for patients.

The makers of the machine installed a bunch of security safeguards to make it theft proof.

Source: http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=10621273

Improve Office Morale....Work Naked!

A business consultant got an office staff to perform better as a team - by asking them to work NAKED.

Self-styled business psychologist David Taylor says employees can boost team spirit by baring all just for just one day.

So... they went ahead with the daring Naked Friday idea - and they claim it HAS improved their firm's fortunes.

The consultant was brought in at the start of the credit crunch.

He told staffers that, by stripping, they could also strip away inhibitions and talk to each other more openly and honestly.

He says: "Inviting an organization to go naked is the most extreme technique I've used.

"It may seem weird but it works. It's the ultimate expression of trust in yourself and each other."

Source: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2511797/The-office-of-bare-trading.html

Too Early Trivia Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

Question: Frankfurt, Germany claims the Frankfurter was invented in what year?

Answer: 1487

GOT SNACKS?.... YES

A recent survey (by the 'Consumer Reports National Research Center') found that 85% of women admit to eating between between meals, having an averageof two snacks a day.

The survey of 1,000 women 18 years old and older reveals that 53% say snacking has either made them gain weight or kept them from losing weight. (24% of women said it helped them with their diets.)

15% of them who eat between meals said they hid snack from spouses, family and friends.

Chocolate is the most popular treat and favored by 24% of women, chips and pretzels came in second at 19%. 78% drank water to curb snacks and or kept busy.

BTW: activities like going to the movies, feeling stressed and or going to the mall can trigger snacking.

AND: 35% of the women surveyed said they never or rarely checked nutrition on labels.

Too Early Trivia Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

Question: July is National Hot Dog Month....On average how many hot dogs do Americans eat each year?

Answer: 70

Women Are Better Than Men At Pounding Nails

A new study found that women are more accurate at pounding nails. At least in the light.

Women hit the nail on the head more often in lighted conditions in a lab, but in the dark, men did better. .

"On average, men were about 25 percent more accurate than women in the dark, women were about 10 percent more accurate then men in the light."

One scientist says, "Men and women differ in their ability to perceive objects in light versus dark environments, and this has a subsequent effect on motor control".

He does admit, "we don't have a good handle on the nature of the motor control and perceptive differences that would induce this difference, but we are excited to find out."


Source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,529477,00.html

Vending Machine That Sells Flat Shoes

Women who get aching feet after a night out in their high heels are getting some relief.

A company called Rollasoles has a shoe vending machine where women with high-heel pain can get a pair of cheap, comfortable flats to finish out their night.

Rollasoles are up in clubs in England, New York, and Los Angeles and now, the business is expanding to Miami, Florida.

Ladies put $10 in the machine a pair of rolled up flats come out with a matching bag where you can put your heels.

Rollasoles come in colors like Hi-ho Silver, Gold Digger, Back To Black and Ping.

The inventor of Rollasoles was inspired by a girlfriend who loved wearing stilettos and complained about her feet every time they went out.

Source: http://www.clickorlando.com/news/19891745/detail.html

Too Early Trivia Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Question: How many towns in the U.S. are named "Freedom"?

Answer: 5 (the biggest is Freedom, CA with 6,000 residents)