Do not turn on A/C immediately as soon as you enter the car
Especially when your car is parked under the scorching sun for hours midday
Please open the windows after you enter your car and do not turn ON the
air-conditioning immediately. According to a research done, the car dashboard,
sofa, air freshener emits Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen- take note
of the heated plastic smell in your car). In addition to causing cancer, it poisons
your bones, causes anemia, and reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure
will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer may also cause miscarriage.
Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50 mg per sq. ft. A car parked indoors with
the windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene. If parked outdoors
under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up
to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level... & the people inside the car will
inevitably inhale an excess amount of the toxins.
It is recommended that you open the windows and door to give time for
the interior to air out before you enter. Benzene is a toxin that affects your
kidney and liver, and is very difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff.
"When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others"
Do Not Turn On Car A/C Immediately!
Flag for Our Soldiers
The Flag is planted , there are 9+ miles of flower fields that go all the way to the ocean.
The flowers are grown by seed companies..
It's a beautiful place, close to Vandenberg AFB..
Check out the dimensions of the flag..
The Floral Flag is 740 feet long and 390 feet wide and maintains the proper Flag dimensions, as described in Executive Order #10834.
This Flag is 6.65 acres and is the first Floral Flag to be planted with 5 pointed Stars, comprised of White Larkspur.
Each Star is 24 feet in diameter; each Stripe is 30 feet wide.
This Flag is estimated to contain more than 400,000 Larkspur plants, with 4-5 flower stems each, for a total of more than 2 million flowers.
For our soldiers...
Things to know for everday's life
How many of these did YOU know about?
A sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a
knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed.
Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them
neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.
For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put
Dawn dish washing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't
refreeze. (wish I had known this for the last 40 years!)
To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for
a few hours. Then take the candle holder out and turn it upside down. The
wax will fall out.
Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped
in baking soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is!).
Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt
BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on paper towel.
Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S Pads, I immediately take a pair of
scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw
away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would
be much more economical. Now a box of S.OS pads last me indefinitely!
In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get 'sharpened'' this way!
Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little hydrogen
peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works
every time! (Now, where to put the body?) LOL
Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal
for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks.
Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows
on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.
Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely
light scent in each room when the light is turned on.
Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell
freshly washed for weeks20to come. You can also do this with towels and linen.
Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3
hours prior to burning .
To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the
flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt
and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!
To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap
and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove top.
Spray your TUPPERWARE with nonstick cooking spray before pouring
in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.
Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.
When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the
corn's natural sweetness
Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half, and rub it on your
forehead. The throbbing will go away.
Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future
use in casseroles and sauces ........ Left over wine? What's that? :)
To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area
and you will experience instant relief.
Ants, ants, ants everywhere ... Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So,
get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.
Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still,
leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to
tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, and
then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.
Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer..... ... Clean a toilet.
Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush.
The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous China .
Clean a vase.
To remove a20stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water
and drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.
Polish jewelry.
Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the
jewelry for two minutes.
Clean a thermos bottle.
Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let soak
for an hour (or longer, if necessary).
Unclog a drain.
Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down the
drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes,
and then run the hot water.
Twenty reasons never to fly Ryanair
You have to admire the audacity of everyone’s favourite love-to-hate chief executive Michael O’Leary.
His latest stunt, to cause outrage by suggesting that Ryanair might start charging holidaymakers “a pound to spend a penny” onboard, made it on to the cover of The Daily Express. In the process, one imagines, reminding several hundred thousand hard up Britons to take advantage of the airline’s spring seat sale.
This week The Sun reports: “A saucy stewardess is putting the thrills in no-frills airline Ryanair.”
The “34B Czech stunner” , it alleges, has been given her bosses’ blessing to moonlight as a porn star.
Depressingly, all publicity is good publicity when you are the world’s leading budget airline and Ryanair doesn’t give a damn whether you like it or not. O’Leary knows that when it comes to the crunch, especially this credit one, you will still turn to him for a cheap weekend jolly.
But while the airline can be cheap, the customer service truly sucks. So, here are 20 things to remember next time you are led into temptation by those 1p flights.
1. 1p flights are never 1p
Even if you strike it lucky and find a 1p flight you actually want to take, Ryanair charge you for the pleasure of paying for it. To the tune of £4.75. For each passenger. Each way.
And that doesn’t even include…
2. The check-in charge
If you want to book a bag into the aircraft hold you must check in at the airport, which will cost you £4.75 per passenger, per way, if you book online and a whopping £10 per passenger, per way if you pay at the airport or over the phone. And it doesn’t matter if only one person in your party takes a bag, everyone else still has to pay to check in at the airport too.
This week Ryanair announced that it’s all change from May when airport check in will rocket to £20 per person, per way. That is a grand total of £160 for a return flight as a family of four.
All without factoring in…
3. The baggage charge
Which is an extortionate £9.50 per bag, per flight. Or £19 if you book at the airport or over the phone.
4. The sneaky weight limit
Ryanair set its weight limit for hold luggage at 15kg catching the majority of passengers off guard.
You’re not allowed to pool bags either so, even if you have a party of four sharing luggage, if the bag weighs 16kg you will be charged £14 per additional kilo. Nevermind that it makes not a jot of difference to the weight of the aeroplane.
5. Queues glorious queues
If you’re still talking to your partner following the inevitable blazing row about why you shouldn’t just pay the bloody charges listed above, you won’t be after being told to join the back of the enormous queue at the ‘payments’ desk.
6. The additional baggage charge
Probably best to wear all of your clothes at once on the flight if you are travelling somewhere for more than a couple of days (until Ryanair start charging passengers for excess body weight that is). Check more than one bag in and it will cost you another £19 per extra piece of luggage, per way.
7. The website is rubbish. On purpose.
You have no choice but to book a Ryanair flight through its website so the airline may as well make it as stressful an experience as possible. The website is ugly for starters, and it crashes. All the time.
Because you can’t easily browse for dates when cheap flights are available you have to dedicate at least five precious hours of your life to sitting in front of the screen and laboriously trying different combinations to find a good deal.
And if you don’t understand what the hell you’ve just pressed there is no one to e-mail. Because Ryanair want you to spend more money and phone its…
8. Premium rate internet helpline
Calls cost £1 a minute to speak to someone in a call centre. Be amazed if you can explain what your problem is for under a fiver.
9. You can only fly cheap mid week
To get the bargains that make the pain of Ryanair worth the gain you have to be prepared to fly on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, which can rule out the bargain European weekend break. Kind of why you wanted to book with Ryanair in the first place.
10. You have to travel at obscene hours.
Not only are you travelling on a Tuesday you also have to be prepared to wake up at 2am to get to the airport two hours ahead of your 6.55am flight. Or, if you choose a more civilised evening departure time, arrive in your destination at midnight with no where to stay because…
11. The destination airports are in the middle of nowhere.
Don’t expect to fly to Frankfurt if you book a flight to Frankfurt, to name one of many examples. Frankfurt Hahn airport where Ryanair land is 120 km from the city centre.
12. A bottle of water on board costs £3
I know the moral of this story is to buy a drink from WH Smith before you board, but it’s still annoying.
13. Sweaty, plasticky seats
Whatever you do, don’t wear shorts or you might be stuck to your seat forever and forced to listen to…
14. The in-flight musak
Pray that your flight is not delayed before it takes off or you’ll have to put up with the bleepy, computer-game inspired musak that is played on loop as your board, over, and over.
15. The fanfare
Do we really need the shrill fanfare that sounds when/if the flight lands on time? Or does it just ruin the first three minutes of each passenger's holiday?
16. You can’t book a seat
As if the British holiday ritual of crowding round the baggage carousel isn’t enough to warrant the use of blood-thinning medication, Ryanair invite you to partake in the extreme sport that is racing across the tarmac to get a seat next to your companion. Flip flops are a distinct disadvantage.
17. No refunds, ever
Unless you have a spare few days to waste do not even bother trying.
18. Poor compensation
A report by the UK’s Air Transport Users Council has found that the world’s airlines lost more than one million bags in 2007 and more than 42 million pieces of luggage were mishandled worldwide.
Guess who it named as the worst airline for compensation if your bag goes missing or is damaged?
19. You are always being flogged stuff
No we don't want your ridiculously overpriced travel insurance, car hire or Ryanair tea-towels. Go away.
20. Michael O’Leary himself
Don't tell me you can bear to make him any more smug?
By Laura Whateley
50 reasons not to buy an iPhone
The much-anticipated Apple iphone goes on sale in the UK on November 9. No doubt there will be hordes of Apple fans queuing outside Carphone Warehouse and outlets of O2 mobile – the smug operator which secured the contract to become the only supplier in Britain.
But does the new phone deliver or is it all just a load of hype? And will it retain its gloss for the duration of an expensive 18-month contract. Frankly, I don’t think so, but here are 50 other things you should consider before parting with your cash:
1. The handset is expensive. It’s even got Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, chuckling over it like an over excited schoolboy. Unlike some of the other top phones out there, you can’t get the iPhone for free even if you pay the top tariff price of £55 a month. You have to pay an up-front fee of £269. Over 18-months, that adds up to a whopping £1,259.
2. Compare these prices with say T-mobile’s Flext 35 Web n Walk max tariff. For £32.50 a month, you get 450 free calls and 900 texts a month as well as “unlimited” internet surfing. You also get the feature rich Nokia N95 handset for free – costing you a total of £610.98 over 18 months. Don’t just take my word for it. Check out the analysis here by the technology website Cnet.
3. If you’re still determined to get an iPhone, you could of course try innovative ways to raise the money like begging on the street like this guy.
4. But once you have the money, you may end up having to queue like this.
5. When you do get it, you may find the phone's specification to be worse than the phone you replaced it with. Instead of allowing customers to use the latest mobile internet infrastructure which traditional operators have paid billions to establish, the Apple iPhone uses a slow mobile data service called EDGE. The phone works on a 2.5-generation network rather than the current 3.5-generation, making it at least four times slower than your current handset. Perhaps they don’t want the iPhone to be too perfect in case it becomes a religious cult and displaces traditional religious figures.
6. Apple would argue that it does offer free wi-fi internet access in over 7,500 hotspots around Britain, but if you live outside of urban centres, this isn’t going to be any good for you. Rob Mead of Tech.co.uk, says that Edge has only 30 per cent coverage in the UK.
7. The battery life is a bit rubbish part 1. One of the reasons Apple gives for the slower internet speed is to increase the battery life. But if the American experience is anything to go by, most handsets conk out after five hours of talk time, so be prepared to carry around a charger with you. There are however some tips on making your iPhone last.
8. The battery life is a bit rubbish part 2. When the iPhone’s battery dies, you have to send it back to Apple to get a new one (for a fee). It will be the only mainstream phone in Britain to not allow you to change batteries yourself. Here’s a consumer alert posted on YouTube about the issue.
9. The battery life is a bit rubbish part 3. Sending your iPod away for a few days is bad enough, as most of us can probably manage without music for a short time. Being without a mobile for days (or weeks) could be more of a problem. Luckily there are some techies out there who are happy to show you how to replace the iPhone battery yourself.
10. Many will see 3.5 inch display as the crowning glory of the iPhone – the interface oozes quality – but despite what Apple disparagingly called "small plastic keyboards" on other mobiles, they're far more likely to work reliably than a touch-screen. Some have decided the iPhone is not designed for women or for those who’ve grown up texting using their thumbs. Business users are also going to be disappointed as emails may not be so easily typed out.
11. Talking about texting, you may want to consider how big your hands are. If you've got small hands, your iPhone will look really big and we can’t have that can we?
12. But you have to give it to Apple for creating a seemingly scratchproof display. If you’re brave enough, try bashing it around.
13. The rather pathetic two megapixel camera is a disappointment. Phones such as the Nokia N95 already boast five megapixel cameras so a comparison, might leave iPhone customers wondering what they’ve spent their money on.
14. OK, camera phones are never going to beat a digital SLR, but most “standard” handsets now have at least three megapixel cameraphones as this guy Reiter explains in his blog.
15. The Bluetooth service is limited. Though the iPhone comes with the latest version of Bluetooth it can currently only connect with Apple headsets. This means you cannot easily transfer files, music or pictures that you may have on your PC. However, the iPhone headphones do double up as crack pipes which could be useful to some out there. I’m sure this is a temporary glitch, and Apple will sort it out – but having paid out over £250 quid, you don’t want to be dealing with a glitch.
16. Only 8GB storage: Ok, ok, it's the biggest storage capacity of any phone on the market, probably, but 8GB (about 2,000 songs) is still pretty limited when you compare it to the likes of the ipod which can boast 40GB or more. There are also rumours that before the end of the year, Nokia and other handset manufactures will increase the storage capacity of some of their top handsets anyway.
17. The launch of Vodafone’s MusicStation earlier this month is a direct challenge to itunes. It probably has only a fraction of the number of songs as itunes, but at least it’s an alternative.
18. Windows mobile users are used to downloading and installing the applications they want to add, just as with a “real computer.” Not so with the iPhone. Apple probably did this so its operating system is more stable, but people who shell out this much money for a phone expect it to be a fully-fledged hand-held computer too. Luckily, there are ways to pimp out your iPhone with Apple approved software.
19. You’re stuck with 02. Not that I have anything against the Spanish owned firm, but I would have appreciated some choice. Mind you, the Sunday Times In Gear team managed to download software from the internet allowing them to “unlock” the phone so it could be used on other networks such as Vodafone, and if they can do it….
20. Not that I encourage anyone to go down this route, but here’s an online guide anyway.
21. Apple will probably block you from doing this, and moves have already been made to bar potential hackers.
22. Also, if you do unlock the phone, your warranty will be void, and apple might be able to lock your hacked handset with future updates.
23. If you’d rather not hack into it, there are phones that can rival Apple’s latest offering. This review on Tech.co.uk provides some alternatives to the iPhone. Here is a straight comparison between the iPhone and the Nokia N95, which is perhaps the main alternative.
24. There are of course many innovative ways to use the iPhone, although I’m not sure if your manufacturer’s guarantee would cover you for any of these uses.
25. Other ideas seem more impressive and may actually work.
26. Fears that fraudsters are trying to target iPhone enthusiasts with fakes are not unfounded, so don’t be fooled. Here’s an iPhone fake from China.
27. Taking about all things “i”, some imitations are not so great. Not sure if I’m more disturbed by the phone here or the scarily accurate depiction of overexcited Apple geeks.
28. Mobile devices are generally getting smaller but not these new smart phones. You probably can’t flaw the slick Apple handset in terms of design, but it is rather large and bulky. Imagine going on a night out with that bulging out from your pockets…..actually, maybe not a bad thing after all.
29. Perhaps this guy, who’s trying to sell his old Motorola brick phone will remind you why we want smaller and more compact.
30. After all, you wouldn’t want it to be as small as this ipod micro.
31. Having spent all your Christmas and birthday money on the new device, you probably don’t want to drop it intro a blender…
32. There have been many tests on the iPhone, but have you ever wondered what would happen if you froze it? Okay, we haven’t exactly had very cold winters recently, but say you travel somewhere like the Arctic, what would happen then? Thankfully, these circumstances have been thought of as well.
33. Celebs with iPhones 1: Stephen Fry loves everything Apple ever make, but he doesn't love the iPhone and what does that tell you?
34. Celebs with iPhones 2: Mike Tyson has one.
35. Celebs with iPhones 3: Paris Hilton has one.
36. Celebs with iPhones 4: George Bush has one.
37. The iPhone won't work as a modem for your laptop.
38. They're very dangerous to use on a treadmill – this looks serious….
39. The iPhone doesn't look as good as the mockups did before the actual launch.
40. You can get all the same whizziness from an iPod Touch for about £249, and stick with your cheap phone for calls.
41. It encourages some to start producing music videos like this – let this be a warning to you all.
42. Even worse, the iPhone encourages otherwise sensible technology journalists to sing, and that definitely is not a good thing.
43. The price of the iPhone dropped in the US just three months after launch so all of you who have pre-ordered your phone, may find you’ve paid over the odds in January. Some have even threatened to sue Apple.
44. Have you ever wondered what your iPhone would sound like if it spoke back to you? No, nor have I, but here’s what he may sound like.
45. If you’re amongst the first to buy the iPhone in this country when it launches next month, careful who you show it to because this may happen.
46. Some of you may not even get to sample the iPhone numerous functions because the device fails. This guy is obviously disappointed, but his eyes suggest the flaw may not have been just with his handset.
47. If something goes wrong with your iPhone, you'll be sent an Official iPhone Tool, otherwise known as a paperclip.
48. Why is it that smashing the iPhone seems to be one of the main pastimes of users?. Judging by the kinds of videos posted by iPhone owners, smashing the device seems to be a common pastime – makes you think what it is that motivates them.
49. Here’s another one - not that I get any sense of satisfaction from seeing the iPhone smashed.
50. Finally, even those who are convinced by the iPhone, you may still find yourself accepting it only reluctantly like this guy. Ask yourself, does he really sound happy?
List compiled by Ali Hussain.
Bizarre Dispensers you don't see everyday
Clean never felt so dirty
This World Wildlife Foundation paper towel dispenser gives a graphic reminder of the effect paper use has on the environment.
Tissue dispenser shaped like Easter Island Moai (head statues)
Anime Tape dispenser
This wine dispenser, called "Vin au Verre " or "wine with by the glass" in French, is like the grownup version of a soda dispenser (and classier than wine-in-a-box)!
This candy dispenser looks "exactly" like a Wiimote, except it fires candy out of the spot where the IR transmitter should be.
World’s Most Expensive Pez Dispenser.
It's the "World’s Fair Astronaut B", one of two ever made for the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville. One sold on eBay on 2006 for over $30,000
A tape dispenser whale. Awesome!
Frog soap dispenser. Eeeerp!
Luke, I'm your father. Now, have some soap...
9 Coolest Aquariums
AquaDom: world's largest cylindrical aquarium
Placed at the lobby of the Radisson SAS Hotel in Berlin, the 25 meters high AquaDom is the largest cylindrical aquarium ever built. Filled with about 900,000 liters of seawater, it contains some 2600 fish of 56 species. Combined with a vast amount of sandblasted glass, the giant AquaDom gives a transparent-like feeling to the lobby. Guests and visitors are able to travel through the aquarium in a glass-enclosed elevator to reach a sightseeing point and restaurant under the glass roof. Two full-time divers are responsible for the care and feeding of the fish and maintenance of the aquarium. The AquaDom was opened in December 2003. It cost about 12.8 million euros.
iPond = iPod + Aquarium
RSPCA spokesman Hugh Wirth said despite the fighting fish's ability to breathe air from the surface, the tank was far too small for it to receive adequate oxygen. The small volume of water would lead to rapid temperature change and this meant the tropical fish would not live long, he said. "The iPond should be banned", Dr Wirth said.
Aquarium Toilet
Fish 'n Flush is a patented, two-piece aquarium toilet tank, designed by AquaOne Technologies, Inc., an innovator of water-management systems. The aquarium has a 2.2-gallon capacity. When you flush, it looks like all the water is draining out of the tank and the fish are going down, but it's an optical illusion: the fish are actually safe in an outer aquarium made of high-polished plastic. What you see draining is the toilet water in a separate tank behind the aquarium.
Car Aquarium
At the Siam Ocean World in the Siam Paragon shopping center in Bangkok, there is a fabulous car there that cannot be driven. Why? Because it is filled to the top with water! Dozens of fish call this extremely modified vehicle their home. And just so you know, the doors to this car are welded shut just in case any mischievous person thinks it funny to release that much water and fish onto the mall floor.
Phone Booth Aquarium
TV Aquarium
Artistic Aquarium
Jellyfish Aquarium
Made with highly-realistic silicone, the Aquapict jellyfish swim and change color subtly with the five-color LED lighting system (red, yellow, green, blue, and purple). They move by a slow current created in the tank that does not have an obvious flow or bubbles that make it look fake. It looks unbelievably real and beautiful.
Restroom built into the side of a giant aquarium
World's Strangest Furniture
Scrabble Furniture
At the Bloomberg offices in London, employees can leave each other messages using these Scrabble cushions, designed by Stephen Reed Industrial Design and Alistair Willmott. The end tables serve as double and triple word scores, leaving the possibility for some pretty high scoring words. 
Animal Furniture
Fractal Furniture
Plant Furniture
Alien Furniture
Furniture Made from Car Parts
4Legs: a provocative chair
Postingan
