I love Craigslist...
Email convo between me and a bff regarding Craigslist:
Her: I'll have to get on and look around - I've never really searched through craigslist to know what all is out there.
Me: Oooooooooooooooh my dear friend!!! YOU ARE MISSING OUT :)
Her: Haha the funny thing is - I actually think I am missing out - there's a lot out there - couches...treadmill...lots of things I need/want and don't want to pay full price for! :)
Me: Exactly! Pampered chef products... bookshelves, lamps, movies... opportunities are e.n.d.l.e.s.s. :)
Her: Say what for real!?! Cooking supplies!? Are they a lot cheaper?
Me: OF COURSE!!!
Her: Ok yeah I definitely need to get on craigslist!
Haha LOVE IT :)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Zebra Stripes
I received this email from a co-worker today:
Did you know that Zebra’s have an even amount of white stripes and an odd amount of black stripes?
That email was followed by this confession
sometimes I present inaccurate facts as fact on purpose.
Which intrigues me - and I love the idea - especially since it will give me endless google opportunities... which as you may notice, have been severely lacking lately... Regardless, before the confession, due to my curiousity I was already checking out the validity of the statement
Couldn't validate it, but here is what Wiki has to say about Zebra Stripes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra
It was previously believed that zebras were white animals with black stripes, since some zebras have white underbellies. Embryological evidence, however, shows that the animal's background color is black and the white stripes and bellies are additions.[1]
A mother nursing her young blends into a stand of deadwood.The stripes are typically vertical on the head, neck, forequarters, and main body, with horizontal stripes at the rear and on the legs of the animal. The "zebra crossing" is named after the zebra's black and white stripes.
It has been suggested that the stripes serve as visual cues and identification.[1] With each striping pattern unique to each individual, zebras can recognize one another by their stripes.
Others believe that the stripes act as a camouflage mechanism. This is accomplished in several ways. First, the vertical striping helps the zebra hide in grass. While seeming absurd at first glance, considering that grass is neither white nor black, it is supposed to be effective against the zebra's main predator, the lion, which is color blind. Theoretically, a zebra standing still in tall grass may not be noticed at all by a lion. Additionally, since zebras are herd animals, the stripes may help to confuse predators - a number of zebras standing or moving close together may appear as one large animal, making it more difficult for the lion to pick out any single zebra to attack.[4] A herd of zebras scattering to avoid a predator will also represent to that predator a confused mass of vertical stripes travelling in multiple directions, making it difficult for the predator to track an individual visually as it separates from its herdmates, although biologists have never observed lions appearing confused by zebra stripes.
A more recent theory, supported by experiment, posits that the disruptive colouration is also an effective means of confusing the visual system of the blood-sucking tsetse fly.[5] Alternative theories include that the stripes coincide with fat patterning beneath the skin, serving as a thermoregulatory mechanism for the zebra, and that wounds sustained disrupt the striping pattern to clearly indicate the fitness of the animal to potential mates.
Love it. Zebras are cool...
Did you know that Zebra’s have an even amount of white stripes and an odd amount of black stripes?
That email was followed by this confession
sometimes I present inaccurate facts as fact on purpose.
Which intrigues me - and I love the idea - especially since it will give me endless google opportunities... which as you may notice, have been severely lacking lately... Regardless, before the confession, due to my curiousity I was already checking out the validity of the statement
Couldn't validate it, but here is what Wiki has to say about Zebra Stripes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra
It was previously believed that zebras were white animals with black stripes, since some zebras have white underbellies. Embryological evidence, however, shows that the animal's background color is black and the white stripes and bellies are additions.[1]
A mother nursing her young blends into a stand of deadwood.The stripes are typically vertical on the head, neck, forequarters, and main body, with horizontal stripes at the rear and on the legs of the animal. The "zebra crossing" is named after the zebra's black and white stripes.
It has been suggested that the stripes serve as visual cues and identification.[1] With each striping pattern unique to each individual, zebras can recognize one another by their stripes.
Others believe that the stripes act as a camouflage mechanism. This is accomplished in several ways. First, the vertical striping helps the zebra hide in grass. While seeming absurd at first glance, considering that grass is neither white nor black, it is supposed to be effective against the zebra's main predator, the lion, which is color blind. Theoretically, a zebra standing still in tall grass may not be noticed at all by a lion. Additionally, since zebras are herd animals, the stripes may help to confuse predators - a number of zebras standing or moving close together may appear as one large animal, making it more difficult for the lion to pick out any single zebra to attack.[4] A herd of zebras scattering to avoid a predator will also represent to that predator a confused mass of vertical stripes travelling in multiple directions, making it difficult for the predator to track an individual visually as it separates from its herdmates, although biologists have never observed lions appearing confused by zebra stripes.
A more recent theory, supported by experiment, posits that the disruptive colouration is also an effective means of confusing the visual system of the blood-sucking tsetse fly.[5] Alternative theories include that the stripes coincide with fat patterning beneath the skin, serving as a thermoregulatory mechanism for the zebra, and that wounds sustained disrupt the striping pattern to clearly indicate the fitness of the animal to potential mates.
Love it. Zebras are cool...
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Scams
You can be scammed too...
Here's a helpful, yet scary, website that provides important information about all the different ways thieves steal your money...
http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/448/the-sneakiest-new-shopping-scams/
.
Here's a helpful, yet scary, website that provides important information about all the different ways thieves steal your money...
http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/448/the-sneakiest-new-shopping-scams/
.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
POP ROCKS
Soooooo remember these?!
My co-worker actually found these recently! She came into my office with her mouth just popping away... i LOVED pop rocks... and I had no idea they were still being manufactured!
Now, of course, this led to the question of "how does that happen!?"
Well, here is a bit of Pop Rock history as passed on by: http://www.poprockscandy.com/history.html
*Pop Rocks were developed in 1956
*Introduced to the market in 1975
*Tiny air pockets of carbonation (CO2) are released when melted in your mouth and has a mild "crackling" sensation and "popping" noise.
*The original flavors were Orange, Cherry and Grape.
*The rumor that mixing the candy with carbonated drinks would cause the stomach to explode, was the popular buzz.
*The company tried to explain the rumor by taking out full-page ads in 45 major publications, to explain to all that Pop Rocks generate less gas than half a can of soda and ingesting them could induce nothing worse in the human body than a hearty, non-life-threatening belch.
*1983, Pop Rocks were taken off the market.
*AND NOW THEY'RE BACK!
now you know :)
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
National Evaluate Your Life Day
Who knew?!
http://www.youngandrelentless.com/2010/10/national-evaluate-your-life-day.html
In case you need some more back up:
http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/October/evaluateyourlifeday.htm
Origin of Evaluate Your Life Day: Evaluate Your Life Day was created by the good folks at Wellcat.com
AND in case you want to know what tomorrow celebrates:
http://www.louderbacks.com/home/dict/days.html
although I think a lot of these are dumb...
http://www.youngandrelentless.com/2010/10/national-evaluate-your-life-day.html
In case you need some more back up:
http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/October/evaluateyourlifeday.htm
Origin of Evaluate Your Life Day: Evaluate Your Life Day was created by the good folks at Wellcat.com
AND in case you want to know what tomorrow celebrates:
http://www.louderbacks.com/home/dict/days.html
although I think a lot of these are dumb...
Sunday, October 17, 2010
I Love Jesus, but I drink a little...
This is HYSTERICAL... be sure you get to 4min15sec
http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2007/ellen-gladys-hardy-p1.php
http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2007/ellen-gladys-hardy-p1.php
Friday, October 15, 2010
I have no idea what to title this post...
Received this from a co-worker... love it...
Monday
Mad!!
Tuesday
Slowly coming out of it...
Wednesday
But not quite there, so watch out!
Thursday
The end of the work week is in sight.
Friday & Saturday
TGIF! Luv my Saturday!
Sunday Afternoon
Oh-oh!
Sunday Night
Here we go again!!
Received this from a co-worker... love it...
Monday
Mad!!
Tuesday
Slowly coming out of it...
Wednesday
But not quite there, so watch out!
Thursday
The end of the work week is in sight.
Friday & Saturday
TGIF! Luv my Saturday!
Sunday Afternoon
Oh-oh!
Sunday Night
Here we go again!!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
A few words on merging...
The Merge...
It's something we all must do at some point - possibly daily. The merge... onto the interstate... or potentially the merge off the interstate... Before we moved into our new home, I merged every day getting onto the interstate after work... For the most part, people understand that when you enter 64E from Northampton, you take turns with the other lane... unfortunately, there are others that haven't quite achieved the concept...
Additionally, the people entering 64E at Indian River seem to have no.idea.what.so.ever how to successfully complete The Merge... it is absolutely amazing to me that traffic actually comes to a stop at this on/off ramp.
Now, it's been quite some time since I took my driving test and/or read that little driving booklet the DMV provides before the test, so I'm not sure if this is a topic that is covered. I decided I'd take a gander and try to find some basic instructions for the curious reader [driver]...
I think this website does a pretty good job: http://www.dmv.org/how-to-guides/merging-into-traffic.php
Merging is a relatively straightforward driving skill to learn, but that does not change the fact that the act instills fear in some motorists. This can be chalked up to the high speeds generally involved, and the fact that the task needs to be accomplished quickly, with little room for error. But after a few rounds of practice, your behind-the-wheel confidence will be enhanced and the technique of merging will become somewhat natural.
Still, the procedure requires extreme awareness because the last thing you want to do is have the driver in the vehicle that you are merging in front of end up in your passenger seat. Nor do you want to go into a panic and wander off from the acceleration pedal and land onto the shoulder. Here are some tips to help you become a major league merger.
The Art of Entering Gaps
Merging is designed to permit vehicles to enter and exit a highway without causing disruption in the flow of traffic. Highways are equipped with on-ramps and off-ramps, which generally connect to acceleration and deceleration lanes.
The idea behind this is when you pull onto the entrance ramp, you slowly begin building velocity. At the point where you can make eye contact with the highway, you need to immediately start assessing the gaps and the speed of existing traffic. From here, you should turn on your signal to reflect your intent to other drivers to merge onto the roadway.
Then use the acceleration lane to match the speed flow, and ease your vehicle into an appropriate gap before the acceleration lane ends. Some highways give you slabs of asphalt that are long enough for a jet to take off; others, especially on the East Coast, are so short you will need to make quick decisions or yield.
A successful merge entails you entering the highway almost at or at the speed limit, while causing no disturbance in the speeds of the vehicles behind you.
Tips for Keeping the Flow
Where the entrance ramp ends and the acceleration lane begins, note the continuation of the solid white (or yellow line). Do not cross this line and head out onto the highway. It serves as the transition from the on-ramp to the lane, and crossing it can cause other drivers to miscalculate your speed and possibly collide with your vehicle. This line serves as a good indicator to begin your acceleration and gap-finding quest.
While your driver-side mirror is essential to observing traffic behind you prior to merging, you will also want to actually turn your head and check your blind spot before easing onto the road.
You should always decide on the space you will shoot for before accelerating rather than getting to full speed and then deciding. Why? Well, you only have so many yards in the lane, and if you are at full speed before you know where you are headed, you might run out of room prior to finding a traffic gap. This will cause you to have to stop, cut another driver off, or wind up on the shoulder―definitely not good merging techniques. [amazing concepts here]
If you are not familiar with the on-ramp or highway section you are entering, use extra caution because you may run into all sorts of interesting obstacles including: "no merge lane" signs, which mean you will need to yield, which may require you stop before moving into traffic; and signal lights that stagger vehicles up the entrance ramp, usually during times of high traffic.
During rush hour, when the entire traffic system slogs along at a turtle's gait, the fine art of merging takes on new importance to keep the surge moving. Many times you will be driving along the highway at a good clip, and the next thing you know you are in a mass of bumper-to-bumper madness.
It lasts for a few minutes, opens up, and then clogs again at the next exit. Sometimes this is simply due to the sheer number of vehicles trying to enter or leave the road on a single stretch of asphalt utilized both as a deceleration and acceleration lane. But, you can also bet there is some improper merging going on, causing the entire system to break down into the proverbial bottleneck.[sound familiar, Hampton Roads?!?!]
To keep a good pace in heavy traffic, merging should work like the teeth on a zipper. One vehicle merges; a vehicle already on the highway passes; another vehicle merges; a vehicle already on the highway passes, and so on. Of course, in this day and age of aggressive driving, it may not always work out this way.
The Exiting Factor
When you choose to exit the highway, you may not technically be merging (or being absorbed into traffic); rather, you are leaving the collective, but it still requires a few words.
In cases where there is only a deceleration lane and an exit ramp, you simply need to signal your intentions to other drivers and pull over. You will use the lane to slow your vehicle and continue on to other roads.
However, when the acceleration lane and the deceleration share the same portion of road surface, it can be tricky. Basically, if the vehicle entering the highway is at top acceleration, you will want to pull into the deceleration lane behind it. If you are moving at a greater clip than the vehicle just entering the acceleration lane then you will want to exit in front of the vehicle. Again, theoretically, this will keep the flow of traffic moving smoothly.
I haven't had a chance to watch this video, but I suspect it could be helpful as well... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-OmDGydsHc
Perhaps I should suggest to the local news channels they should do a news piece on the Art of Completeing a Successful Merge?
It's something we all must do at some point - possibly daily. The merge... onto the interstate... or potentially the merge off the interstate... Before we moved into our new home, I merged every day getting onto the interstate after work... For the most part, people understand that when you enter 64E from Northampton, you take turns with the other lane... unfortunately, there are others that haven't quite achieved the concept...
Additionally, the people entering 64E at Indian River seem to have no.idea.what.so.ever how to successfully complete The Merge... it is absolutely amazing to me that traffic actually comes to a stop at this on/off ramp.
Now, it's been quite some time since I took my driving test and/or read that little driving booklet the DMV provides before the test, so I'm not sure if this is a topic that is covered. I decided I'd take a gander and try to find some basic instructions for the curious reader [driver]...
I think this website does a pretty good job: http://www.dmv.org/how-to-guides/merging-into-traffic.php
Merging is a relatively straightforward driving skill to learn, but that does not change the fact that the act instills fear in some motorists. This can be chalked up to the high speeds generally involved, and the fact that the task needs to be accomplished quickly, with little room for error. But after a few rounds of practice, your behind-the-wheel confidence will be enhanced and the technique of merging will become somewhat natural.
Still, the procedure requires extreme awareness because the last thing you want to do is have the driver in the vehicle that you are merging in front of end up in your passenger seat. Nor do you want to go into a panic and wander off from the acceleration pedal and land onto the shoulder. Here are some tips to help you become a major league merger.
The Art of Entering Gaps
Merging is designed to permit vehicles to enter and exit a highway without causing disruption in the flow of traffic. Highways are equipped with on-ramps and off-ramps, which generally connect to acceleration and deceleration lanes.
The idea behind this is when you pull onto the entrance ramp, you slowly begin building velocity. At the point where you can make eye contact with the highway, you need to immediately start assessing the gaps and the speed of existing traffic. From here, you should turn on your signal to reflect your intent to other drivers to merge onto the roadway.
Then use the acceleration lane to match the speed flow, and ease your vehicle into an appropriate gap before the acceleration lane ends. Some highways give you slabs of asphalt that are long enough for a jet to take off; others, especially on the East Coast, are so short you will need to make quick decisions or yield.
A successful merge entails you entering the highway almost at or at the speed limit, while causing no disturbance in the speeds of the vehicles behind you.
Tips for Keeping the Flow
Where the entrance ramp ends and the acceleration lane begins, note the continuation of the solid white (or yellow line). Do not cross this line and head out onto the highway. It serves as the transition from the on-ramp to the lane, and crossing it can cause other drivers to miscalculate your speed and possibly collide with your vehicle. This line serves as a good indicator to begin your acceleration and gap-finding quest.
While your driver-side mirror is essential to observing traffic behind you prior to merging, you will also want to actually turn your head and check your blind spot before easing onto the road.
You should always decide on the space you will shoot for before accelerating rather than getting to full speed and then deciding. Why? Well, you only have so many yards in the lane, and if you are at full speed before you know where you are headed, you might run out of room prior to finding a traffic gap. This will cause you to have to stop, cut another driver off, or wind up on the shoulder―definitely not good merging techniques. [amazing concepts here]
If you are not familiar with the on-ramp or highway section you are entering, use extra caution because you may run into all sorts of interesting obstacles including: "no merge lane" signs, which mean you will need to yield, which may require you stop before moving into traffic; and signal lights that stagger vehicles up the entrance ramp, usually during times of high traffic.
During rush hour, when the entire traffic system slogs along at a turtle's gait, the fine art of merging takes on new importance to keep the surge moving. Many times you will be driving along the highway at a good clip, and the next thing you know you are in a mass of bumper-to-bumper madness.
It lasts for a few minutes, opens up, and then clogs again at the next exit. Sometimes this is simply due to the sheer number of vehicles trying to enter or leave the road on a single stretch of asphalt utilized both as a deceleration and acceleration lane. But, you can also bet there is some improper merging going on, causing the entire system to break down into the proverbial bottleneck.[sound familiar, Hampton Roads?!?!]
To keep a good pace in heavy traffic, merging should work like the teeth on a zipper. One vehicle merges; a vehicle already on the highway passes; another vehicle merges; a vehicle already on the highway passes, and so on. Of course, in this day and age of aggressive driving, it may not always work out this way.
The Exiting Factor
When you choose to exit the highway, you may not technically be merging (or being absorbed into traffic); rather, you are leaving the collective, but it still requires a few words.
In cases where there is only a deceleration lane and an exit ramp, you simply need to signal your intentions to other drivers and pull over. You will use the lane to slow your vehicle and continue on to other roads.
However, when the acceleration lane and the deceleration share the same portion of road surface, it can be tricky. Basically, if the vehicle entering the highway is at top acceleration, you will want to pull into the deceleration lane behind it. If you are moving at a greater clip than the vehicle just entering the acceleration lane then you will want to exit in front of the vehicle. Again, theoretically, this will keep the flow of traffic moving smoothly.
I haven't had a chance to watch this video, but I suspect it could be helpful as well... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-OmDGydsHc
Perhaps I should suggest to the local news channels they should do a news piece on the Art of Completeing a Successful Merge?
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
And how was your day....
I was in the coffee shop yesterday when I suddenly realized I desperately needed to pass gas. The music was really, really loud, so I timed my gas with the beat of the music.
After a couple of songs, I started to feel better. I finished my coffee, and noticed that everybody was staring at me....Then I suddenly remembered that I was listening to my iPod....and how was your day?
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