F off?

That’s what a new commercial geared at the environment and energy conservation looks like it is telling us. What it is actually telling us is to “FLICK off”. The message flashes in the commercial quickly a few times, and the font they used makes the “L” and the “I” actually look like a “U” in “FLICK”.
Now, is this commercial to appeal to youth? (“hey, cool it looks like f#ck”). Doesn’t it sort of insult our intelligence and our sense of humor? Not to mention what the older generations might think of it. However, on the other hand, it does effectively grab attention – at least it did mine. So much so, that I took a few minutes to visit their website. Their message is good and worth checking out.
Hopefully it does catch a lot of other peoples’ attention, be it in a negative or positive way.

A Natural Solution

Want an environmentally friendly, natural solution for the weeds in your yard? I came across this recipe, and will try it out this weekend. Mix 4 cups vinegar with 1/2 cup salt and 2 tbsp dish soap in a spray bottle. Spray the solution on the weeds on a sunny day. Apparently this will cure your yard and patio of weeds.

Another reason among the many to ditch those nasty pesticides!

Easy money just a click away....

Check out the left hand side of my webpage and click on my Google AdSense tab. Spend a few minutes today setting up an AdSense account and adding some easy code to your webpage, then sit back and let your site make money for you for years to come!
Everyone wins...you make money and visitors to your site can get connected to products, info or services of interest to them!

It really is that easy!

Want to try something fantastic?

Well then you'll want to look on the left hand side of my site and click on the Firefox tab that I have. Firefox is a great new way to browse the web, making your experience much more fun, personalized and secure than it was before!

Download Firefox today to find out what all the fuss is about!

Digital camera progress and depreciation

When we bought our digital camera 4 years ago, it was a 2.0 megapixel, going for $300. It has a video feature (a couple minutes then the memory is full) and a couple other nice features. But compared to the digital cameras of today (you can get a 7 megapixel for $150 or so) it's thick and clunky and outdated already! I must give kudos though, like our 9 year old computer that we just recently had to retire, the electronics we've chosen over the years seem to have incredible lasting powers!
If you can believe, I just saw an advertisement in a flyer today for a no-name UNDERWATER digital camera for $24. Whaaa??? It didn't specify the amount of memory or megapixels, but wow...that is cheap. And underwater? How does that work without wrecking it? I think I have to check it out nonetheless, I'm intrigued!

It really does amaze me how certain technologies advance in performance capabilities and decrease in value over such a short period of time...

No! Not the blue screen!

The worst thing that can happen to a PC happened to ours on Saturday morning. I went to start up the computer, only for it to come up to a blue error screen giving a cryptic code number paired with the message "hard disk error"...ok, whaaaa?
No matter what I tried, what start up mode etc, the end result was always the same: the dreaded blue screen. I couldn't help but be reminded of the "hi I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" commercial - the one where the PC on the cart had a "fatal error" and was a "goner". For a split second I found myself yearning for a Mac, even though I hadn't set a hand on one since 8th grade.
It's funny (ironic?), my husband and I were talking the other day about how amazed we were that our computer was still working. It's 9 years old you see, with all original parts inside. It would moan and groan the whole time it was on too. These days, to have a computer that old is unheard of.
After being computer-less for the better part of a week, we have since moved on to a faster, smaller, computer that is so quiet you don't even know it's on! I must give kudos though, to our old computer, it did a good job.

How does your vehicle rate?

In my quest to compare vehicle fuel efficiency, I came across a neat website: http://www.fueleconomy.gov. With this website, you can find the fuel efficiency of any vehicle, compare side-by-side, even find out how much it costs to drive it 25 miles and how much it costs to fill it up!

Worth checking out, especially if you are looking for a new vehicle.

It's not a car, truck, van or SUV....

...it's a CUV. A "crossover utility vehicle". Bigger than a car, but not as big as an SUV. A whole new class of vehicle designed with the goal of attracting the masses with something new. I'll be honest, I can't help but be reminded of when they came out with station wagons. Remember those? LOL The best ones were with the "wood paneling" down the sides and the blue body tones. As if!
I must admit though, the crossovers I have seen are pretty good looking vehicles. Certainly not a station wagon, that's for sure.
But who do these vehicles appeal to? Perhaps the family driver who isn't into minivans or SUVs. Maybe the driver who is a bit phobic of a big vehicle, but wants more space than a car. Or the person who likes SUVs, but wants to save on fuel consumption.
But wait! Before you jump on the crossover train, there are a couple things you should know. First, the crossovers cost anywhere from over $7,000 to $13,000 more than an SUV. For my research purposes, I compared the Hyundai Veracruz (starting at $39,995) to the Hyundai Sante Fe (starting at $27,000) and the Ford Edge (starting at $34,350) to the Ford Escape (starting at $27,000).
And if you think you'll be saving on fuel, guess again on that one! According to the website, the Sante Fe takes 11.9L/100km in the city, and the Veracruz takes 13.9L/100km in the city. So the Veracruz takes more gas! And the Ford Edge takes 13L/100km in the city, whereas the Ford Escape takes 10.3L/100km in the city. Now, these would obviously vary by model here, I just looked at the basics. But it does show a telling tale.
So...you pay more money, use more gas...for a vehicle that isn't a car nor SUV...hmmm...I think I will pass and stick with my not-so-gas-guzzling SUV!

A Bright Idea?

Pretty soon it will be illegal to produce and sell incandescent light bulbs in Canada. Their replacement? The energy saver bulb. A 13 watt energy saver light bulb is equivalent to a 60 watt incandescent. What does this mean? Well, up to 78% savings on the lighting portion of your electricity costs. Which in turn, leads to less demand on our energy grid. Now imagine how much energy would be saved if everyone switched? And less energy demand means less harm to our environment from the coal-fired energy plants.
Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? It really is. However, there is quite a price point difference to switch over. For your average 2 pack of incandescent bulbs, you are looking at around $1.98. For your average 2 pack of energy saver light bulbs, you are looking at $9.98. So, five times the cost to be environmentally responsible. If you are looking to outfit your home with these new bulbs, it would cost the average homeowner over $100 depending on your lighting situation. Seems like quite the investment (penalty?) to be environmentally responsible (take a look at my entry about hybrid vehicles as well).
I think they should really lower the price of the light bulbs to encourage everyone at every income level to replace their old bulbs. If not, unfortunately, those on a tight budget may be compelled to stockpile the cheaper, energy hungry incandescent, before the lights go out on them and they are yanked from the shelves for good.

Coffee Table Computer

Move over desktop and laptop, Microsoft has come out with a coffee table "surface computer". No keyboard or mouse either, this 150lbs gizmo responds to touch, pen and voice. Talk about a new form of entertainment for the living room. You can even place your camera on top to transfer, then edit photos. Have a cell phone? Place that on top and buy some ringtones while you're at it. And who needs messy finger paints or etch-a-sketch when you can finger paint virtual-style on your coffee table.
The first are set to be released in November. But save your pennies cuz they cost a pretty one - from $5 to $10 thousand apiece. Yikes! Wouldn't want to rest your beverages on that coffee table, that's for sure!

Wow, what next?