Daily stuff

Free Gifts 4 Kids

2009-11-03T15:07:00.000-08:00

http://www.freegifts4kids.com/

get involved with good search

2009-09-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

help me raise money for my daycare and search with good search

good search

2009-09-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

GoodSearch

& GoodShop

YOU SEARCH OR SHOP

WE GIVE!

Raise money for Robyn's Little Tykes just by searching the web and shopping online!

Search the web now!

Money-saving coupons!

Add to your site

Celebrating an eco-friendly and organic Easter

2009-04-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

Eco-friendly Easter Eggs

The best Easter egg is the one you can eat afterward! If you go the hard-boiled route, choose eggs that are cage-free and organic like Organic Valley Organic Eggs or Sparboe Farms Organic Eggs.

But what about the Easter egg dye or paint? You can actually make your own natural Easter egg dye from common foods, like grape juice, tea, lemon peels, and more.

If you don't think you'll eat the hard-boiled Easter egg, consider the Mexican tradition of cascarones (or confetti eggs). Here's how to make them:

1. Take your (organic, cage-free) egg and open the top of the egg. You can use a pin, a knife, or even a chopstick.
2. Empty out the inside of the egg into a bowl. (Tip: Sometimes it helps to make a very small hole at the other end of the egg and blow through to get the yolk and white out a little faster.)
3. Rinse out the inside of the egg.
4. Decorate with your natural egg dyes.
5. Fill the egg shell with a bit of confetti (if you can, try to find some made from recycled paper or make your own from junk mail).
6. Cover up the end with a bit of glue and tissue paper.
7. Make scrambled eggs! (Or your other favorite dish with eggs.)

If you're looking for fillable eggs, check out these crocheted Easter eggs from SalvagedExpression -- not only are they handmade, they're reusable, and you avoid any plastic.

But if you do already have the refillable plastic eggs, don't fret! Just make sure to keep them out of the trash and reuse them for as long as you can. And if you don't want yours any more, take them to Goodwill or Freecycle them.

Organic Easter candy

Easter candy is a tradition! You've got your chocolate bunnies ... chocolate eggs ... even jelly beans. Instead of grabbing the standard Hershey's stuff or marshmallow Peeps that have been sitting on the shelf for ages waiting for Easter day, opt for organic and natural candies.

For your organic chocolate bunnies and eggs, try: Allison's Gourmet Vegan Chocolates, Sjaak's Organic Chocolate, and Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates.

For organic jelly beans, try Surf Sweets organic jelly beans. Or if lollipops are more your thing, try Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops.

Eco-friendly Easter toys and gifts

If you love giving away (or getting) stuffed animals on Easter, there are tons of lovely eco-friendly toys.

For soft and snuggly organic cotton bunnies and more, check out:

* miYim plush toys made from organic and natural cotton
* Under the Nile toys for baby and infant toys made from 100% organic cotton
* Naturel by Kaloo soft toys made from organic cotton
* Sckoon organic cotton plush toys

Reusable Easter baskets

Whether you make Easter gift baskets or have baskets for your kids (or yourself) to partake in an Easter egg hunt, choose a reusable basket. Not only will your baskets get used over and over again, they can be put to good use during the rest of the year as napkin holders or even as fruit bowls.

And try to avoid the green "floss" grass in the bottom of your baskets -- the most common kind is made from plastic and usually ends up in landfills. If you really miss the look of grass in your basket,there's always natural raffia ribbon which you can reuse later for gift wrap. You could even try edible Easter grass -- and even if you choose not to eat it, it will at least biodegrade. Or use up some junk mail, magazines, or old newspapers. Just shred them up and you'll have a great nest for your Easter eggs.

Organic Easter menu

There are all sorts of great recipes for Easter. For an eco-friendly meal, the best rule of thumb is simply to get as many organic and local ingredients as possible, regardless of where you get your recipes.

Beyond that, if you're looking to lower your impact, try serving a vegetarian meal.

For ideas for vegetarian Easter recipes, check out:

* VegParadise.com
* About.com
* VegCooking.com

Eco-friendly Easter fun for the family

* Along with the Easter eggs and Easter candy, hunt for or give away packets of seeds. Not only are they super eco-friendly, you can have fun planting them together.
* Go for a walk. It's spring time! Get outside for a bit.

When to switch off your lights

2009-04-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

Does switching the lights on and off use more energy than leaving them on? The answer is no, despite the common misperception that turning a light on creates a power surge. The thinking is that it's more economical to just leave a light on rather than pay the costs of flicking it back on.

In reality, that "surge" lasts for only a fraction of second, according to Francis Rubinstein, a staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Any "start-up" energy costs are minuscule at best and are more than offset by the money you save from turning your lights off, even if it's only for a short time.

So if you're strictly concerned about saving energy (and money), you should turn your lights out when you're not using them.

The bigger issue with turning lights on and off frequently, though, has to do with shortening the product's lifetime, says Christina Kielich at the Department of Energy.

It doesn't affect the lamp life of an incandescent bulb very much, says Rubinstein. So it makes sense to always turn them off when you a leave room, even if it's only for a few minutes.

Compact florescent light bulbs, on the other hand, are a somewhat different story. Flicking them on and off repeatedly will affect how long they last, although, Rubinstein points out that the impact is minimal for most households.

How much flicking on and off is too much? The general consensus is that it's best to turn off CFLs when you are leaving for 15 minutes or longer. In fact, Energy Star recommends installing florescent bulbs in fixtures that are used for at least 15 minutes at time. So it doesn't make sense to use them in places where you'd need to switch them on and off constantly.

The rule of thumb is a little different when you're at the office, according to Rubinstein. Turn out florescent lighting when you're leaving for at least 5 minutes. The reason? Full-size florescent systems aren't as sensitive to frequent cycling as CFLs and won't impact the life of the bulb as much.

Twitter

2009-04-11T07:05:00.000-07:00

follow me on twitter to get updates on the everyday me.
http://twitter.com/WhatevaItTakes

2009-03-23T07:33:00.000-07:00

my webstore

2009-03-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

Visit My Website

free is good

2009-02-07T09:47:00.000-08:00

Find your local reuse group
http://green.yahoo.com/earth-day/find-a-group.html
just click on the link or copy and paste into your browser and then put in your zip code and hit enter to find a yahoo freecycle group local to you.

Solving Global Warming

2009-02-07T09:41:00.000-08:00

The Tipping Point
The time to put global warming solutions into place is now.

We can't wait any longer. Scientists say we need to turn the corner on global warming within 10 years to prevent very dangerous impacts from becoming inevitable. Each year that passes without tackling global warming head-on makes the problem more difficult and expensive to solve.

But at the same time, global warming has finally gotten our attention -- Americans are increasingly aware that a warming climate is a real threat to our way of life, and that we have a choice about how bad it will get.

The choice lies here: $16 trillion dollars will be invested in energy development over the next two decades. Will it be poured into polluting, obsolescent technologies that will bring on the worst of global warming? Or will these investments be shifted into to advanced, low-polluting technologies that will create the new energy economy that's needed to shut down global warming?

It's up to all of us to increase the heat on our elected officials: we need the right policies -- and we need them now -- to ensure that the technologies described here are deployed on the scale and timeframe that is needed to achieve deep reductions in global warming pollution by mid-century.

1. Boost Energy Efficiency
The cheapest and fastest way to cut global warming pollution is to make things that use electricity -- like appliances, industrial equipment and buildings -- more energy-efficient. We know this works -- most of us have bought an Energy Star appliance or two, and have seen firsthand how much money and energy they can save. But there's still much room for improvement, and we must continue to push for products that waste less energy. Likewise, "green building" design and construction can dramatically reduce the enormous amounts of energy that buildings consume in heating, cooling, lighting and water use.

2. Better Cars and Smart Growth
Our gasoline-burning cars are the second-largest source of U.S. global warming pollution. But Americans will put more than 300 million new cars on the road over the next 20 years -- if these cars are the best, most efficient vehicles Detroit can make, we'll take a big step toward solving global warming.

Using hybrid engines and other ready-to-go technologies in today's cars could nearly double the mileage they'd get from a gallon of gas, saving a lot of money at the pump. By 2050, fuel-cell technologies and other advancements could boost efficiency to 54 miles per gallon.

We can curb our appetite for oil even further by adopting "smart growth" principles in our cities and towns, encouraging developers to build compact, walkable communities that allow people to spend less time behind the wheel.

3. Biofuels and Renewable Energy
Business-friendly, cost-competitive and ready to meet a significant portion of America's energy needs, renewable energy has gone mainstream. Wind power is the fastest growing form of electricity generation in the United States, expanding at an average annual rate of more than 20 percent. Solar energy employs more than 20,000 Americans in high-tech, high-paying jobs. And clean-burning biofuels made from plants show great promise as a replacement for gasoline -- ethanol producers already make 4 billion gallons of fuel a year, and new methods for making ethanol from farm wastes or energy crops could compete with oil on a very large scale in addition to providing extra income for farmers. By 2050, renewable energy and biofuels could meet a significant chunk of our energy needs.

4. Return Carbon to the Ground
Coal is the most carbon-intense of fossil fuels. Reducing use of coal through energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies will be the cornerstones of the solution to global warming, but the plain truth is that hundreds of new coal-fired power plants will probably be constructed around the world in coming years. Coal generates more than half of the electricity we use today, and it is in plentiful supply in such countries as China, India and the United States.

A critical choice remains. Power plants have a long lifespan -- build the new coal plants with dirty, 19th-century technologies and we lock ourselves into high levels of global warming pollution for decades. We can instead choose a 21st-century alternative: Using existing technologies -- each in commercial operation today -- we can convert coal into a clean-burning gas and capture and dispose of the carbon dioxide deep underground, dramatically reducing air pollution from this dirtiest of fuels. If the United States doesn't invest in this technology, neither will China, India and other countries with large coal supplies.

Five recycling mysteries solved!

2009-02-07T09:39:00.000-08:00

Wondering what to do with your stash of old batteries or the cans of unneeded paint taking up space in your garage? You know you shouldn't throw them out, but it really is time to get rid of them.

Resist the temptation to toss them in the trash anyway. The reason: They (and everything on the list below) contain toxic chemicals capable of contaminating the environment if not disposed of properly.

Unlike items that are picked up at the curb, you'll have to make a special effort to unload these ones responsibly. But, with a little advance planning and some good info, you'll see that it's really quite simple to dispose of these seemingly mysterious items. Here's how:

* Batteries. Recycling rechargeable batteries is fairly easy. Home Depot, Staples, Radio Shack, Best Buy, and other retailers take them back free of charge. There are fewer options for single-use batteries, but look for bins at your local Whole Foods Market, Ikea, or library. Otherwise, your best bet is the local household hazardous waste drop-off site. Where is it and what are your closest drop-off options? Search here for answers.

* CFLs. These energy-efficient bulbs are becoming easier to get rid of. Just drop old bulbs off at any Home Depot or Ikea for free recycling. Or ask about CFL recycling at your local Ace Hardware or home improvement store. You can search for other nearby solutions.

* Electronics. Every retailer that takes back rechargeable batteries also accepts mobile phones, as do most wireless providers. For computers, cameras, televisions, and others it's worthwhile do a little homework because some stores charge fees depending on item and brand. Check out Best Buy, Staples, and Office Depot to see what's the best fit. Some places, like Radio Shack, have trade-in programs where you can receive store credit for your old gadgets.

* Motor Oil. In case you need some motivation, consider this factoid from Earth911: Every gallon of used motor oil that's improperly disposed of can contaminate one million gallons of drinking water. Bring it to Wal-Mart, Autozone, Jiffy Lube, or search online for more convenient choices.

* Paint. It's among the harder items in this group to dispose of, but it's worth it and totally doable. If the paint is still in good shape, consider donating it. As of now, there aren't any retailers that accept used paint so you'll need to make a special trip. Search Earth911 for a comprehensive list of options.

Consumer Reports Picks the Best Cup o' Brew

2009-02-05T07:15:00.000-08:00

Consumer Reports Picks the Best Cup o' Brew
Our top-rated Colombian coffee is also a CR Best Buy
By ConsumerReports.org

Folgers, Maxwell House, and Starbucks are America's best-selling ground coffees. But all three were iced by Eight O'Clock Colombian coffee in our taste tests. As for Starbucks, it didn't even place among the top regular coffees and trailed among decafs.
Photo: Courtesy
of Eight O'Clock Coffee

Our tests of 19 coffees also show that some of the best cost the least. At about $6 per pound, Eight O'Clock costs less than half the price of Gloria Jean's, Peet's, and other more expensive brands.

Like your joe without all the caffeine? Dunkin' Donuts and Millstone were the front runners among the decafs. But Folgers Gourmet Selection Lively Colombian came in close behind and costs up to $3 less per pound. But even the best decaffeinated coffees couldn't match the best regular brews in our taste tests.

What we tasted
Our coffee experts focused on 100 percent Colombian — a best-selling bean — for regular coffee. Most of our decaffeinated coffees are a blend of different beans.

What makes a great cup of Colombian? Lots of aroma and flavor, some floral notes and fruitiness, a touch of bitterness, and enough body to provide a feeling of fullness in the mouth. Woody, papery, or burnt tastes are off-notes.

Weeks of sipping and swirling confirmed that even 100 percent Colombian coffee and its Juan Valdez logo don't guarantee quality. Our trained testers unearthed other surprises:

Still so-so after all these years
Chock full o'Nuts and Maxwell House have pushed coffee that's "heavenly" and "good to the last drop" since 1932 and 1907, respectively. But off-notes, little complexity, and, for Chock full o' Nuts, variable quality put both behind Eight O'Clock.

When boutique isn't better
Midwest-based Caribou and Kickapoo beat an array of larger players among regular coffees. But Bucks County Coffee, from Langhorne, Penn., tasted only OK, and Peet's, from Berkeley, Calif., was burnt and bitter, despite costing $14 per pound. Peet's, Archer Farms, and Kickapoo also varied from batch to batch.

Caffeine differences
None of our decaffeinated coffees had more than 5 milligrams of caffeine per 6-ounce serving. But among regular coffees, Caribou and Bucks County had roughly four times the caffeine (195 milligrams) of some of the lowest-level brews. Medical experts say up to 600 milligrams per day is probably safe for most and can help keep you alert. But heart patients and women who are pregnant or nursing should stay below 200 milligrams, which might mean sidestepping those brands among the caffeinated coffees we tested.

How to choose
Several of our top coffees could save you $25 to $70 per year over pricier brands even if you drank just one 6-ounce cup per day. Here's what else to think about:

Consider how you take it
Coffees judged very good taste fine black. Milk and sugar can improve a mediocre coffee, but not even cream is likely to help the lowest-scoring decafs.

Choose a good coffeemaker
The best coffeemakers from our January report reached the 195º to 205º F required to get the best from the beans and avoid a weak or bitter brew. A top Michael Graves model costs just $40.

Consider grinding for fresher flavor
Even the best pre-ground coffee can't beat the best fresh-ground when it comes to taste. One top grinder from our January report, the Mr. Coffee IDS77, costs only $20.

my jams

2009-01-27T10:48:00.000-08:00

Biggest full moon of the year 12/12/08

2008-12-12T16:05:00.000-08:00

The full moon Friday night will be the biggest one of the year as Earth's natural satellite reaches its closest point to our planet.

Earth, the moon and the sun are all bound together by gravity, which keeps us going around the sun and keeps the moon going around us as it goes through phases. The moon makes a trip around Earth every 29.5 days. But the orbit is not a perfect circle.

The moon's average distance from us is about 238,855 miles (384,400 km). Friday night it will be just 221,560 miles (356,567 km) away. It will be 14 percent bigger in our sky and 30 percent brighter than some other full moons during the year, according to NASA.

Tides will be higher Friday night, too. Earth's oceans are pulled by the gravity of the moon and the sun. So when the moon is closer, tides are pulled higher. Scientists call these perigean tides, because the moon's closest point to Earth is called perigee. The farthest point on the lunar orbit is called apogee.

Some other strange lunar facts:

The moon is moving away as you read this, by about 1.6 inches (4 centimeters) a year. Eventually it'll be torn apart as an expanding sun pushes the moon back toward Earth for a wrenching close encounter.
There is no proof the full moon makes people crazy.

10 Workers to Tip This Season

2008-12-08T14:49:00.000-08:00

1. Bartender
Base Pay per Hour: $7.30
Tips per Hour: $10.30
Percent of Total Hourly Income in Tips: 59%

Fortunately for this service provider, we all tend to get a little more generous as the night goes on. But, it's a good thing when you consider that bartenders are getting the majority of their income from the extra dollars we place on the bar. Typical tip: 10-15 percent of the bar bill.

2. Waiter/Waitress
Base Pay per Hour: $4.60
Tips per Hour: $9.90
Percent of Total Hourly Income in Tips: 68%

Wow, nearly 70 percent of your waiter's income is based on that tip that you give. So, if you think that a bottle of wine would make a nice addition to your steak dinner, be ready to pay the service charge along with it. Typical tip: 15-20 percent of the bill, 20 percent at fine restaurants or if you have a large group. I know all to well about this when I was a waitress those cheap assholes used to leave me $1.00. so be more generous people.

3. Massage Therapist
Base Pay per Hour: $26.30
Tips per Hour: $4.80
Percent of Total Hourly Income in Tips: 15%

Between lugging heavy shopping bags, traveling thousands of miles and trying to tolerate your family's funky quirks, you may be a little tense. Wouldn't a rejuvenating rub down clear you mind? Typical tip: 10-20 percent of the total, 20 percent if it is a really great massage.

4. Hairstylist
Base Pay per Hour: $9.90
Tips per Hour: $3.50
Percent of Total Hourly Income in Tips: 26%

Oh, if you could only get that perfect cut and color before those annual holiday get-togethers. You can! Just remember that your hairstylist relies on you to provide nearly 30 percent of their income. Typical tip: 15 percent of the total.

5. Concierge
Base Pay per Hour: $13.80
Tips per Hour: $1.50
Percent of Total Hourly Income in Tips: 10%

How about an evening in the big city, complete with a hotel stay, a stage show and a romantic table for two? It sounds nice but could require some planning. Let your concierge do all the work and then make sure to say thanks. Typical tip: $5-10 is average, more for special services or favors.

6. Doorman
Base Pay per Hour: $11.00
Tips per Hour: $4.90
Percent of Total Hourly Income in Tips: 31%

Nothing is quite as exciting as getting dressed up to go out on the town then having the front door magically swing open in front of you as the doorman whistles for your taxi. How much does he deserve for this luxurious treatment? Typical tip: $1 dollar or more for help with luggage or finding a taxi on the street.

7. Parking Attendant
Base Pay per Hour: $8.90
Tips per Hour: $3.70
Percent of Total Hourly Income in Tip: 29%

You toss them the keys and when they toss them back, how much do they get? Typical tip: $1-2, depending on how far they travel to get your car.

8. Van Driver
Base Pay per Hour: $10.20
Tips per Hour: $1.30
Percent of Total Hourly Income in Tips: 11%

Whether you're off to visit grandpa and grandma or are helping coordinate their arrival at your house, you will likely need to tip an airport or hotel van driver. Typical tip: $1 or more per bag, especially if they help you with your luggage.

9. Musician/Singer
Base Pay per Hour: $49.10
Tips per Hour: $4.10
Percent of Total Hourly Income in Tips: 8%

No holiday party is complete without a jazzy guitar riff playing in the background or a bright-lipped brunette cooing about winter. But, what are these pleasant sounds worth? Typical tip: $35-75 per person.

10. Taxi Driver
Base Pay per Hour: $16.10
Tips per Hour: $4.40
Percent of Total Hourly Income in Tips: 21%

Taxi drivers zig-zag through congested main strips and zoom along back roads to get you there on time. What sort of tip do they deserve? Typical tip: 15 percent of fare, $1 per bag up to 5 bags, $2 per bag for 5 or more bags or if bags are very heavy (50 lbs. each).

what does giving 100% mean?

2008-12-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

This is a strictly mathematical viewpoint...it goes like this:

What Makes 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 103%? What makes up 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:

H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

and

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But,

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

And,

B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T
2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103%

AND, look how far ass kissing will take you.

A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G
1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7 = 118%

So, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that While Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it's the Bullshit and Ass kissing that will put you over the top.

'REMEMBER SOME PEOPLE ARE ALIVE SIMPLY BECAUSE IT IS ILLEGAL TO SHOOT THEM'

if you ever deside to travel to equador...

2008-11-25T19:23:00.000-08:00

my sister in law and her husband are tour guides over there, here's her website to get in touch with them....
www.tailoredtoursofecuador.com

crafts for a good cause...

2008-11-24T19:32:00.000-08:00

do you like making blankets or caps, why not make them for babies in need? here's a great site called mama to mama, you can send in blankets and caps and they donate your handmade items to babies. here's the link: http://www.soulemama.com/mama_to_mama/

Free samples

2008-11-19T07:53:00.000-08:00

let's get crafty

2008-11-13T17:00:00.000-08:00

if you're like me or know some who like a stylish scarf to complete an outfit the this fun projest is just for you and best of all it's under $10 read below for step by step guide.

Batik Silk Scarf

Adding designs and patterns to your next dye project is a breeze with a simple batik technique that’s guaranteed to turn some heads.

Materials:
double boiler (or glass bowl and slightly larger saucepan)
prewashed silk scarf
wax
cold-water fabric dye
clothespins
small cookie cutter
plastic tub or metal sink
kraft paper
iron

1. Using a glass bowl and a saucepan as a double boiler, heat the wax until it's melted.

Safety tip: Be sure to tilt the inner container; otherwise a vacuum could form and you could receive a nasty burn.

2. Clip the clothespin to the side of the cookie cutter and dip the cookie cutter into the wax for at least 20 seconds.

3. Place the wax-dipped cookie cutter onto the scarf and press lightly until the wax is transferred to the scarf. Allow the wax to cool.

4. Mix the dye (following package instructions) in a large tub or a metal sink. Wet the scarf and place it in the dye bath; stir and let the fabric sit in the dye for about an hour.

5. Rinse the scarf in cold water until the water runs clear; hang the scarf to dry.

6. Place the fabric between pieces of kraft paper and press with a hot iron to remove the wax.

7. Rinse in hot water with a mild detergent to remove remaining wax, then let the scarf hang to dry.

*TIC TAC TOE*

STEP-BY-STEP

Select a 12-inch-square slate tile, and affix 11/2-inch felt pads (#54111) to the underside of the tile at each corner.
Using chalk, draw a grid on the tile. If desired, spray the tile with a clear topcoat (#39449, #282329).
For game pieces, choose polished stones (#139462) from the garden center. Draw Os on dark stones using white paint, and mark Xs on light stones using a black permanent marker.

sex and candy story (funny)

2008-11-13T08:47:00.000-08:00

It was another Payday, and I was tired of being a Mr.Goodbar. So I saw Miss Hershey standing behind the Powerhouse on the corner of Clark and Fifth Avenue, and I whipped out my Whopper and whispered, "Hey Sweetart, how'd you like to Krunch on my Big Hunk for a Hundred Thousand Dollar Bar?"

Well, she immediately went down on my Tootsie Roll, and, Uno, it was like pure Almond Joy. I couldn't help but grab her delicious Mounds 'cause it was easy to see this little Twix had the Red Hots. It was all I could do to hold back a Snicker and a Krackle as my Butterfinger went up her tight little Kit Kat and she started to scream: "Oh Henry, Oh Henry!"

Soon she was fondling my Peter Paul and Zagnuts and I knew it wouldn't be long before I blew my Milkduds clear to Mars and gave her a taste of the old Milky Way.

She asked if I was into M&M but I said, "Hey Chicklet, no kinky stuff"-- and then I said, "Look, you little Reese's Pieces! Don't be a Zero, be a Lifesaver. Why don't you just take my Whatchamacallit and slip it up your Bit O'Honey?" (and oh, boy, what a piece of Juicyfruit she was, too).

She screamed, "Oh, Crackerjack, you're better than the Three Musketeers!" as I rammed my Ding Dong up her Rocky Road and into her Peanut Butter Cup.

Well, I was givin' it to her Good 'n' Plenty when,all of a sudden ... my Starburst. As luck would have it, she started to grow a bit Chunky and complained of a Wrigley in her stomach.

Sure enough, nine months later,

out popped a Baby Ruth.

Top 5 Classic Children's TV Shows and their 2008 Reincarnations

2008-11-13T08:45:00.000-08:00

So many of today’s children’s shows are reminiscent of children’s shows from the past. Check out this list of classic shows and the new shows they inspired.

Classic show: ZOOM. ZOOM aired on PBS between 1972 and 1978. A cast of seven kids performed and demonstrated songs, games, experiments, and recipes submitted by viewers. Viewers of the original series can probably still speak Ubbi-Dubbi, a Pig Latin-esque language occasionally spoken on the show, and remember the Zoom mailing address’ Boston zip code, 02134, which the ZOOMers sang in every episode.
Today’s reincarnation: Fetch with Ruff Ruffman. Sure, ZOOM was brought back to life between 1999 and 2005, but Fetch gives the ZOOM premise a much-needed game show twist. A cast of six real life kids compete in challenges given by Ruff Ruffman, an animated dog. The challenges range from dancing and yoga to cooking and science experiments.
Classic show: Jem. This animated series ran from 1985 to 1988. The show's heroine, Jerrica Benton, led a double life, moonlighting as Jem, lead singer of an all-girl rock band called the Holograms.
Today’s reincarnation: Hannah Montana. This live action Disney series premiered in 2006 and stars Miley Cyrus as Miley Stewart, an average teenager by day and a rock star named Hannah Montana by night. Strangely, this modern day Jem is comparatively low tech: Jerrica required the help of a holographic computer named Synergy in order to make her transformation to rock star while Miley requires only a blonde wig.
Classic show: Clarissa Explains It All. This show ran on Nickelodeon from 1991 to 1994 and starred Melissa Joan Hart, who later went on to become Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. Clarissa was a typical preteen dealing with typical preteen angst over boys, zits, and sibling rivalry. She frequently broke the fourth wall (addressed the audience) to explain her situation.
Today’s reincarnation: Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide. This show ran on Nickelodeon between 2003 and 2007 and followed Ned Bigby and his friends as then navigated middle school. Ned frequently broke the fourth wall to give tips and advice to the audience.
Classic show: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. This show ran from 1993 to 1995 and originally featured 5 rangers, teenagers who had been given the power to morph into superheroes and summon giant robots in order to protect the fictional town of Angel Grove.
Today’s reincarnation: Power Rangers: Jungle Fury. The Power Rangers have been reincarnated continuously since 1993: Time Force, Wild Force, Ninja Storm, Dino Thunder, etc. The current version, Jungle Fury, features only three teenage rangers who work at a pizza parlor and moonlight as superheroes.
Classic show: Sesame Street. This show premiered in 1969 and combined live action, muppet, and animated segments to teach kids their ABCs and 123s.
Today’s reincarnation: Sesame Street. This show is irreplaceable—it’s the longest running children’s program on TV. Adults will be happy to find that many of their favorite characters are still around and that many of their favorite celebrities drop by to sing songs and hang out with Elmo.

Got a favorite children’s TV show? Whether it was a show you watched when you were little or a show you watch when you’re babysitting, let us know by leaving a comment.

Netwinner.com is it rigged?

2008-11-10T19:56:00.000-08:00

here is a blog/article that I've found and is very interesting, as for me myself it does make sense as i haven't won anything from net winner either.....

Net Winner is a free online sweepstakes/flash-game which rewards it’s members with points who can then trade in their point for gift cards (25,000 points = one $25 gift card). Along with their points system they have ways to win money which comes in a form of a check through the mail, and even claims a Jackpot that could be won. Well, I was a member of Net Winner for a little over 5 months. I didn’t really have a passion for the site because the site requires massive amounts resources at which makes the site run slowly, and even slows down your system it self. However I would occasionally log on and “try my luck” (as advertised). Keeping in mind for the majority of the time while I was a member, Net Winner had only offered one game (Money Wheel) which is a lottery type of game (Got very boring after a few tries). You pick 4 double digit numbers, and 1 single digit number (IE: 06, 76, 24, 99, 0) and then the game would reveal the numbers and if your numbers lit up you won according to how many numbers you matched. Over the course of the 5 month period I was a member, I had only made 58,000 points and never once won any money prizes which range from $25 - the Jackpot of $1,040,849.16.

Well, recently Net Winner released a new game called (Banko) which is “bingo with a twist” as they put it. The twist is kind of like the popular television show “Deal or No Deal.” Basically you get a bingo card (banko card) with a matrix of 5*5 spaces (5 rows across, 5 rows down). The numbers are then supposedly drawn randomly (try your luck - game of chance) and the number of balls drawn are variant between 30 - 70 numbers. As the numbers are called the spaces are automatically marked for you (you do nothing but watch - yeah real fun huh?) and throughout the game you cave 4 different ways you can win. The ways you can win are the traditional “bingo” (match 5 numbers, a straight line side-to-side, top-to-bottom, or diagonally), the next way is “4 corners” (match the number on each corner of the card), then there’s “pattern” (match the numbers that are in the shaded pattern on the card), and the last way to win is “banko” (cover-all, cover every number). The twist is, you can’t get a banko if haven’t yet got a bingo, so if you get a bingo, you would have to turn down that prize to continue further into the game. Problem is, you never know how many balls will be called total. The prize that you win is supposed to be determined by a rotating bar, every 5 numbers that are called the prize bar rotates to accommodate the odds of winning each way.

I banko for just over a week, and yes it’s still in it’s beta stages there were glitches happening all to often. While playing the game on several accounts it would not credit me the points (ie: I win 10 points with a bingo, turn it down for a bigger prize.. I get 4 corners for 10 points, so now I have turned down both the bingo and 4 corners for something bigger.. I then get the pattern but it fails to bring up the scorecard so I can claim the prize.) or another incident (ie: I am set to win the Jackpot every way possible, 5 different ways, and 3 numbers still need to be called, all of a sudden the balls come out as K-0, K-0, K-0). After the fourth occasion of this happening I reported it to the administrators and they told me it was a glitch and that their is nothing they can do about it. They did not honor any of the prizes that I should have won.

After being treated the way I did, I wanted to know what was causing the glitch and how can I recommend them as to how to fix the glitch. With my knowledge to flash programming, I downloaded the banko.swf file and recompiled the action script out of it so I can view the source code (completely legal, although frowned upon in the flash community). While observing the source code I came across multiple lines of code which raised suspicion of fraud. The site claims and advertises that their games are “games of chance, or games of luck.” But the content I was looking at suggest otherwise. The balls aren’t randomly drawn like at a bingo hall, their was no random block of code in there, the balls were reliant on a remote server which suggests that they them selves control which numbers are called. The numbers of balls being called per games wasn’t random as informed in the how to play instructions either, it was reliant on the remote server as well. I also found the array(s) in which the balls are stored. I say array(s) with an S’ signalizing plural because they are stored in 2 arrays, a “winning ball array” and a “anti-winning ball array.” The winning ball array contains the balls that are on your card, the anti-wining ball array holds the balls that are not.

What this all means is, NetWinner is rigged. How is it rigged? Well, if NetWinner has control of the numbers and the amount of balls that are called per game, they can manipulate which balls are called, when they will be called, and when to stop calling the balls. Which also means that the prizes will be predetermined.

So when I turned down the bingo, and the 4 corners for something greater and wasn’t credited when I won on the pattern it was because I wasn’t expected to go that far into the game. I wasn’t suppose to win more than 20 points that game so I wasn’t credited the 250 for the pattern that was uncovered. Likewise, when I was needed 1 number in 5 different ways (any ball that came out that was a number I had I’d win) to get the Jackpot, the anti-winning ball array ran out of items (numbers), trying to prevent me from getting it and defaulted to it’s default number of 0’s (ie: K-0).

I contacted the administrator my finding, and for the most part he agreed. He stated, “we would have to be complete fools if we didn’t have a control as to who wins what.” I replied with, “If your prizes accommodated the rate at which your sponsors pay you, there would be no need to rig your games. Instead, you have ridiculous prizes to gain peoples interest in your site but can not, nor attend to pay them if they should hit those ridiculously high prizes.” He then said, “OK heard enough from you and then quickly banned me and forfeited the 58,000 points I had earned over the course of my membership.

When I received a reason as to why I was banned, it had nothing to do with decompling the game and checking out the source code, why? Because I wasn’t in violation of the TOS. Instead they gave false accusation,

Dear finalgroundz,

Your profile was reviewed and rejected due to the following reasons:

1) Your profile information was supplied in the wrong language.
2) Your profile contains illegal information. Make sure that you: do not use black language, do not specify your contact information in the wrong text fields;
3) You have uploaded unacceptable photos to your profile;
4) We doubt that you are a real person.

–

Netwinner Community mail delivery system!!!
Auto-generated e-mail, please, do not reply!!!.

I didn’t do either one of those claims. As you can see, I am a real person… I have a blog, I’m posting accordingly. NetWinner is an English language site, I am speaking English. All my information was correct, I had even verified my account which has you verify your address and whatnot. I never one uploaded any foul our offensive material to my profile, here is my profile http://netwinner.com/community/finalgroundz only picture I can find somewhat offensive to certain crowds would be the picture of the girls butt, which is not on my profile she’s on my friends list so, I have no control of what she uploads and displays as he profile picture.

My overall assessment is, this site is truly rigged and unfairly treating it’s members (not to mention fraudulently adverting it’s site to be luck based). I wasted 5 months on there site and warn you, do not waste your time. Just to give you a idea as to what a waste of time it is, they have been around for about 3 years and are making hundreds-of-thousands of dollars from their members viewing ads on their site and only paying it’s members chump-change. Out of the 3 years they have been around they. they have only paid out $82,500.00 which is very misleading because they are accounting the values of the gift cards they give out which are given out by their sponsors at not costs to NetWinner.

I have since contacted the BBB and filed a complaint, and have notified an attorney to see about legal actions as well.

———————————————————————————————————–

If you would like to check out the source code here are the steps:

1.)Download the UN-plug add-on extension for FireFox that enables you to download .swf files.

2.)Download Flare, the program needed to extract the source code out of the .swf file.

3.)Go to http://www.netwinner.com/games/banko/game.html, then navigate to the top of the browser where it says tools, click it to open the menu and select un-plug.

4.)Select to save the banko.swf file.

5.)Exit out of the browser, and navigate to where you saved the banko.swf file, right click the file to bring up the list and choose decompile from the list.

6.)It will create a text file, open the text file with any text editor of your choice to view the source code.

men are like......

2008-11-10T13:58:00.000-08:00

For all those men who say, Why buy a cow when you can get milk for free. Here's an update for you: Nowadays, 80% of women are against marriage, WHY? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage..

Men are like....

1. Men are like Laxatives . They irritate the crap out of you.

2.Men are like Bananas . The older they get, the less firm they are.

3. Men are like Weather . Nothing can be done to change them.
4.Men are like Blenders You need One, but you're not quite sure why.

5. Men are like Chocolate Bars .. Sweet, smooth, & they usually head right for your hips.

6. Men are like Commercials . You can't believe a word they say.

7. Men are like Department Stores .. Their clothes are always 1/2 off!

8.Men are like .. Government Bonds .... They take soooooooo long to mature.

9. Men are like .. Mascara . They usually run at the first sign of emotion.

10.Men are like Popcorn . They satisfy you, but only for a little while.

11. Men are like Snowstorms . You never know when they're coming, how many inches you'll get or how long it will last.
12. Men are like Lava Lamps . Fun to look at, but not very bright.

13. Men are like Parking Spots All the good ones are taken, the rest are handicapped.

websites for daycare providers/homeschoolers

2008-11-10T13:56:00.000-08:00

http://www.thedaycarelady.com/printables.htm (has tons of great forms, menus, etc...)

http://www.kinderstart.com/educationdaycarechildcare/

http://www.freeology.com/formsforteachers/

http://www.afds.com/index.cfm ( this on is for home insurance)

http://www.supportingproviders.com/childcareforms.htm

http://www.learnspanishtoday.com/cj_vls/index.html (free Spanish lessons online)

http://www.dayweekyear.com/en_index.jsp (create your own calendar)

everythingpreschool.com

edhelper.com

schoolexpress.com

learningpage.com

kidzone.ws

first-school.ws

dltk-teach.com

activitypad.com

preschoolcoloringbook.com

tlsbooks.com

discountschoolsupplies.com (this is to get great supplies, equipment for home or school)

enchantedlearning.com

lessonplans4teachers.com (all grade levels)

http://www.bookitprogram.com/enrollment_online/homeschoolform.asp (this one is great it's a reading program they will send you vouchers/reward coupons for a free pizza from pizzahut)

www.daycareprovider.org

sittercity.com

www.toyboxtime.com

www.crayola.com

www.familyfun.com

www.bornlearning.org

www.feltfantasies.com

www.colormountain.com

www.cartoncritters.com

www.letteroftheweek.com

www.stepbystepcc.com/preschoolpages

www.readyforlearning.net/

www.preschoolrainbow.org

www.nuttinbutkids.com/printables.htm

www.perpetualpreschool.com

www.childcareland.com/free.html

www.kinderart.com

www.totcity.com

www.atozkidsstuff.com

www.free-coloring-pages.com

www.abcteach.com

www.aea8.k12.ia.us

www.childfun.com

whether Democrat or Republican.....

2008-11-10T13:54:00.000-08:00

Whether Democrat or Republican, you should get a kick out of this!

A little boy goes to his dad and asks, 'What is Politics?'

Dad says, 'Well son, let me try to explain it this way:

I am the head of the family , so call me The President.

Your mother is the administrator of the money, so! we call her the

Government.

We are here to take care of your needs, so we will call you

the People.

The nanny, we will consider her the

Working Class.

And your baby brother, we will call him the Future.

Now think about that and see if it makes sense.'

So the little boy! Goes off to bed thinking about what Dad has said.

Later that night, he hears his baby brother crying, so he gets up to check on him.

He finds that the baby has severely

soiled his diaper.

So the little boy goes to his parents' room and finds his mother asleep.
Not wanting to wake her, he goes to the nanny's room Finding the door locked, he peeks in the keyhole and sees his father in bed with the nanny.
He gives up and goes back to bed.

The next morning, the little boy says to his father, 'Dad, I think I understand the concept of po litics now.'

The father says, 'Good, son, tell me in your own words what you think politics is all about.'

The little boy replies,

'The President is screwing the Working Class while the Government is sound asleep.

The People are being ignored and the

Future is in deep shit.

recycling old books....

2008-11-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

if you are a crafty person like me, or want to be here's a few great ideas to recycle books( and if you know of more please let me know)

use the pages as wallpaper. I knew of someone who did that and it actually turned out pretty good.

make hard covers into purse....

Materials:

old hardcover book
old button to match
craft knife
glue fabric
metal handle frames
beads
grosgrain ribbon
braided ribbon trim
cardboard
sewing machine
pins
scissors
paper

Steps:

1. Cut the pages out of book with knife.

2. Select fabric to match book and iron it.

3. Measure book's height and width, add 1 inch to each, and use those measurements to make a triangular pattern for the side pieces.

4. Cut main lining piece, four side pieces (half and half), one pocket piece, and a bottom piece out of fabric.

5. Pin side-pieces together, right sides in.

6. Select beads for the handle, and string them on frame. Fold four 2-inch pieces of grosgrain ribbon over handle frame feet and pin in place.

7. Find old button to match book. Thread through a piece of ribbon and make a loop closure to fit it.

8. Sew two pinned triangular side pieces.

9. Sew ribbons on handles and button closure. Glue handles and button closures into book cover; allow to dry.

10. Glue ribbon trim to outside of book.

11. Iron side pieces right side out, with 1/2 inch on all sides ironed in, and pin to hold the fold.

12. Glue bottom of triangular side-pieces onto book spine. Cut cardboard to the size of the spine. Glue into place.

13. Glue side pieces onto book cover, one side at a time.

14. Iron main lining with 1/2-inch seam around each edge.

15. Glue main lining into book.

16. Cut another piece of cardboard the same size of spine, cover with fabric, and glue into bottom.

Holiday shopping.....

2008-11-10T13:42:00.000-08:00

well it's that time again.... the holidays, so when you do your holiday shopping do you only look for great deals/sales, do you use coupons to help save money? or do you just go with whatever and get something that they want? I try to look for sales and hope that whatever they want is on sale. coupons are a huge help but are not always for what's on the list. I/we usually get on big thing for everybody and a bunch of little things.

naming children after objects.....

2008-11-10T13:27:00.000-08:00

O.k. I'm sure you've heard of kids named after flowers, days of the week, months, and even seasons but what if someone named there child after a tree like....
oak
redwood
pine
Burch
etc.... how popular do you think that would be? it's seems celebrities are known for naming there kids silly names....
Apple
Blanket
Miller lite
I'm sure the list goes on and on.