Sunday, March 2, 2008
Simplify Your Cleaning
8:00AM Tamar Weinberg | If keeping a clean household is a top priority for you but you can’t make the time, simplify the task as much as possible. Keep your home clear of clutter on a regular basis. It is a lot easier to clean an uncluttered room than it is to clean a room that is filled to the brim with stuff. Tackle the task of cleaning different rooms consistently. The bathroom, for example, should be cleaned every other week and as you notice a mess to decrease the amount of labor required at any given cleaning period. If you see a spill, it only take a minute to clean it up, so don’t let it sit there. If you accumulate dirt and grime, it will only add to the clutter of your mind and your humble abode. By keeping everything simple, you avoid making cleaning seem like such a chore. What are your secret cleaning weapons? Let’s hear them in the comments. The Minimalist’s Guide to Simple Housework [Zen Habits] More »
The Best Medical Advice at Your Fingertips
7:00AM Tamar Weinberg | Empower yourself with the most accurate medical advice online by utilizing the tools available to you online. CNN proposes that you filter out websites that are not backed by medical professionals and to only focus your energy on those that do have medical credence. Additionally, seek out bloggers who have the same disease so that you can learn more about their personal experiences. Chances are, they have done some substantial research themselves and have linked to the most powerful resources on the subject matter as well which gives you access to additional useful guides and articles. Study the organisations and people who post to determine whether their goal is informational (versus marketing). In the former case, you’re usually given more objective information. Combine all tools available to you because nothing works alone. Be curious and view the medical advice from all angles before accepting anything as truth. Tips for Savvy Medical Web Surfing [CNN] More »Record Free Screencasts with uTIPu
6:30AM Adam Pash | Windows Only: Record free screencasts with the robust, freeware screen recording utility uTIPu. uTIPu includes the ability to both record audio and draw on your screencasts, and even has left and right click indicators to really help your viewer follow along. In addition, free accounts with 250 MB of storage are available for uploading and storing your screencasts. Perfect for sending a tutorial to a relative or recording your mad desktop rearranging skills for posterity. Above is a screencast created with uTIPu demonstrating, you guessed it, how to use uTIPu! uTIPu: Freeware Screencaster [uTIPu via Download Squad] More »
Definition Inspiration from Visual Thesaurus
6:00AM Tamar Weinberg | View the relationships between words using webapp Visual Thesaurus which displays synonyms, antonyms, adverbs, and adjectives for any particular search word. Enter a phrase in the search box. Your search term will appear in the center of the screen and additional nodes will crop up to indicate related terms. Click on any of these nodes to dig deeper and get more word associations. Mouseover any node to get a quick definition. Visual Thesaurus is a powerful tool that quickly builds vocabulary. The only downside is that the application runs for a limited amount of queries and then you’re prompted to pay the $2.95/month fee. (Tip: Reopen the Java application and you can run additional searches.) Previously mentioned VisuWords does nearly the same thing (albeit slower) and is completely free. Visual Thesaurus More »
Create Eye Catching Color Effects on Black-and-White Photos
5:30AM Adam Pash | DIY web site Instructables demonstrates how to create eye-catching photos by taking a color photograph and turning it into a black and white photograph with only one element still in color using GIMP photo editing software. The results are impressive and would make for a great new desktop background or living room centerpiece. If you give it a try, share your results in the comment section! If you prefer Photoshop, we’ve covered the same effect for Photoshop users, too. Gimp Color Effects on a B&W Photo [Instructables] More »
Dealing With Debt Collectors
5:00AM Tamar Weinberg | Avoid the harassment and hassle from debt collectors by taking away their power. Weblog Five Million Dots advises to divide your funds among entities you owe money to. This reinforces the notion that you are aiming to follow up on your end of the deal. Solidify that commitment by picking up the phone and calling the debt collectors to inform them that you’ve made a payment. As you continuously do this, the collectors will be less compelled to remind you about these expenditures as you are already on top of it. Additionally, if you’re being hounded by collectors, check out your rights when dealing with debt collectors. What are your best tips for dealing with debt collectors? Share them in the comments. Dealing with Debt Collectors – How to Take Away Their Power [Five Million Dots Blog] More »
Keep Yourself Warm When Running or Biking
5:00AM Tamar Weinberg | Stay warm when you’re biking (or for any other outdoor sport) by choosing the right clothes. The Whole Lotta Nothing weblog targets this article (and some of the clothing suggestions) to bikers, but it really can be extended to anyone who is outdoors for prolonged periods in the coldest winter days. Wear a skullcap to keep your ears warm. A waterproof one will make rainy days more bearable. Don’t forget gloves and wear those most suitable for the temperatures outside. You might prefer a lightweight glove for warmer days but a heavier one when it gets a lot colder outside. If you’re an avid athlete, the expenses for such clothing recommendations might be high, but in the end they’re worthwhile if they keep you warm and fitter in the coldest weather. Winter Riding Tips for Your Road Bike [A Whole Lotta Nothing] More »
Brew Your Own Coca-Cola
4:30AM Adam Pash | The Unusual Food Handler weblog has whipped together a home-made method for making Coca-Cola that by their admission is slightly sweeter, slightly less acidic, but remarkably delicious. If you’re a Lifehacker with a tinkerer’s streak in the kitchen, then brewing your own frosty mug of home-made Coca-Cola is the perfect weekend project for you. Indulge your inner chemist and share the results with us. Photo by Arroz con Nori. How to make Coca-Cola at home [Unusual Food Handler via DIY Life] More »
DIY Heating Pad
4:00AM Tamar Weinberg | If you’ve ever had sore muscles or pains that require the application of heat, a reusable and cheap heating pad can be had by combining an old flannel shirt and dried beans or rice. Cut the shirt into two equal sizes and sew them together like a pillow. Fill with dried beans or rice and then sew together the remaining flaps of the fabric. Now it’s ready for use. Throw your new “heating pad” into the microwave for approximately one minute. (It might be recommended to watch the heating process closely so that nothing burns!) If the warmed-up pad is hot enough for you after the timer goes off, apply to your aches and pains and let them melt away. If not, shake the bag and stick it into the microwave for another few seconds. How to Make a Home Made Heating Pad [Uncooped] More »
