"Low-Tech Fixes for High-Tech Problems"

Reading through some articles I've bookmarked, this one is really fascinating! Some of my favorite tips:

• If you find yourself without your cell phone charger and your phone is dying, put it in the refrigerator. The cold slows down the draining of the battery.
• When you're low on printer ink, put the ink cartridge under the hair dryer and warm it up. It will give you a couple more pages of printing.
• Instead of buying DVD/CD cleaner, use mouthwash or vodka.
  
• If your hard drive crashes, stick it in the freezer.

There are more tips there. Very interesting.

"Recession Has People Running to Library"

This news story is not unique - there are tons of stories out there now on how library usage is up with the economy sucking so much (not that it stops librarians from being laid off!) but what's cool about this story is that it talks to the head librarian at the public library I go to! There is footage inside the library! I could have been there! And the clip isn't even from the DC area.

Back from Vacation

Not that I'm sure anyone missed me but I am back from my family vacation now! We (Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister-in-Law, Niece, Nephew) spent a week in Hilton Head sharing a home and living together like one large extended family. I will say that it went better than I expected. My niece seems to be a sweet, smiley, well-behaved baby. She seems to be teething but, even with that discomfort, really didn't cry too much. She's really adorable too. My nephew, on the other hand, is 3 1/2 and spoiled rotten and gets to do pretty much anything he wants but he was mostly bearable. But, also shrill.

It was pretty cold in Hilton Head, like low to mid 50s every day. Coupled with the wind, it was downright chilly, probably close to 40. And, of course, colder at night. There was one really nice day where it might have even hit 70. I mostly spent my time just vegging with the family and reading. We did go shopping a couple times, of course, and I happily got a few really cute tops for a good price. And I watched a few movies, including some kids' ones that my nephew insists on watching during dinner. But, as a result, I got to see a genre of movies that I don't typically see!

Although I flew down there and landed in Charleston, where my parents picked me up on their drive down, I rode home with my parents. The drive wasn't too bad at all. We got home Saturday evening at about 11pm, but I think that was pretty good time considering we really didn't leave Hilton Head until 12:30pm, plus we then stopped for lunch, went to an outlet mall, and then stopped again for dinner. But I'm glad I didn't drive the 10-11 hours by myself. My parents stayed in DC for Sunday so I hung out with them and they finally went back to Cleveland yesterday while I went back to work.

Surprisingly, things didn't get too backed up at work while I was gone. I think that it was a good week to be gone. Anyway, just wanted to fill you in on the basics and let you know that I'm back and might possibly post more often. And I might upload some pictures from the trip.

FML - F*&# My Life

Heh. So when you think your life sucks, go to the FML site and see what shitty things have happened to other people and maybe you won't feel so bad! (via)

Bacon

I have no idea why anyone would invent this but it's pretty funny anyway. Display any Web site with a strip of bacon over it. For instance, here's my site! Find out more here...

Dallas libraries let you pay to check out hot titles

Interesting business model for a library. So you can pay $5 to get first priority to check out a hot new book or DVD. Loan periods are the same as if you don't pay the $5 but paying the money puts you at the top of the waiting list. I know library waiting lists for hot items can be pretty long so this is an intriguing way for the library to get a little money and patrons can maybe be a little more satisfied, but I wonder how many people are actually going for it. In the article, someone mentions that they can just wait their turn and spend the $5 elsewhere and I would tend to think that many might feel that way, especially in this economy. I know if I am spending $5 to get a new release movie at the library, I would probably rather go to a video store and spend less than that to rent it, or maybe I would consider spending the $10 or $15 more to just purchase it outright rather than $5 to keep it for a week. As for books, if I'm that interested in a hot new release, I likely will buy it anyway. (via)