About Me

I've had an "about.me" account for a while now but only 8 visitors, heh. Oh well, here's the link.


About.me/loatswil

It's really a great easy to use site for making a free portal to yourself.

Make Candy in Your Microwave for Easy Homemade Gifts [DIY Creations]

Making candy at home reads like a simple job: boil water and sugar, basically. But in practice, it's a lot of time standing over a stove. Food science maestro Harold McGee suggests your microwave makes homemade gifts and sweet snacks much easier. More »

2 cups raw nuts or seeds

2 cups sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

1. Chop the nuts or seeds if they are large; otherwise, leave them whole. Put them into a 4-quart glass bowl with all other ingredients except the baking soda and vanilla extract. Stir in 3/4 cup water. Heat in a microwave oven on high power for 5 minutes. Using oven mitts or potholders, carefully transfer the bowl to a countertop and stir with a heat-resistant spatula. Repeat 2 or 3 more times, until the syrup thickens and the nuts begin to stick together. Then heat for 1-minute periods, stirring in between, until the syrup begins to turn light golden brown.

2. Line a baking sheet with foil. Add the baking soda and vanilla extract to the syrup and stir vigorously. Quickly pour the mixture out onto the baking sheet and use the spatula to spread it as thin as possible. Allow to cool to room temperature, then peel off the foil and break the brittle into pieces. Store in an airtight container.
Yield: About 2 pounds.

Glif Unboxing :-)

Woohoo. It arrived! Not much of a box but still cool packaging.
TheGlif.com

XKCD Weather Humor

How typical. We call it the Tonganoxie split =)

Google Apps Links Page

I've created a Links page for our Home Page on most of my computers. It uses a Google Site (Actually Google Apps) page for flexibility.

Http://links.loats.net

Drinks for cold and flu season

Under the Weather? Try These Soothing Sippers Recipe Roundup:

During cold and flu season, we make sure the pantry is well stocked with honey, ginger, lemon, and a few other ingredients so we can easily stir up soothing beverages for ourselves and loved ones. Here are five of our go-to drinks for calming a sore throat to combating a full-blown, hacking cough.

Clinton Lake North Shore

Just got back from a nice run at Clinton. It was really windy and a little chilly but felt nice. I ran to Lands End and decided to do the red loop along the shore. It's a very rocky trail. I can't see how people can do that on a mountain bike but I guess they are pretty crazy. After about 7-8 miles my left knee always start hurting. I sure hope that passes with time. I'd like to be able to do a marathon some day. I have been on the Glucosamine / Chondroitin for a couple weeks now. Hopefully that will help. I don't have any other joint pain while running and the little pain I have in my knee only comes after a few miles. I guess it could just be a matter of conditioning too. I really think I'll have to start some other kind of training if I intend to get serious about a marathon. Maybe some weight training of some kind.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe: Mashed Potato Puffs

Well, we can certainly make some of these...

Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe: Mashed Potato Puffs: "
Most Thanksgiving leftovers are perfectly good reheated. We don't need too many ways to eat leftover stuffing, for instance (although pan-frying it is pretty sublime). But mashed potatoes often aren't as good reheated as they were fresh. We've got a mound of them left over, too, and here's what we're going to do: Make crispy, creamy, cheesy mashed potato puffs."

New Balance MT101

I just finished my second run in my new New Balance MT101s and I can't say enough good things about them. They are so light and comfortable. I used to really feel it in my feet after a longer run but the last two runs (8 and 5 miles) I must say my feet felt just great. I did just about 5 miles today on mainly gravel and concrete. I normally do trail runs when I'm not barefoot on the treadmill but I didn't feel like driving to a trail today. It was only about 55 degrees and windy. The temperature is supposed to drop 30 degrees in the next 12 hours so I'm glad I got in a run before the drop. I don't think I will make the Turkey Trot 5k tomorrow. It's forecast to be 25 degrees at 8am =/ Here is a link to my DailyMile page.

MT101 Review from Running and Rambling.

Hot Toys for the Holidays

Hot Toys for the Holidays: "
Filed under: Holidays, Toys, Gear Guides: Babies, Gear Guides: Big Kids, Gear Guides: Tweens, Gear Guides: Teens
Sure, you can watch the toy commercials on TV and read the advertising inserts in your local newspaper. But if you really want to know what the hot toys are this holiday season, listen to the playtime experts at the Toy Industry Association.

Click on these links to find what's hot right now. Then, if you want to play even further, go to ToyAwards.org and register your vote for the 2011 inductees to the Toy Industry Hall of Fame. Winners will be announced in early 2011.

In the meantime, happy shopping and merry everything!

Deathly Hallows part 1

We (Tyler and the kids) had a chance to see Deathly Hallows part 1 early last night (no we didn't stay up until midnight). There was a Boy Scout leader who coordinated with a local theater to have a showing for scouts and families. The atmosphere in the theater was nice and we didn't have to fight a huge crowd.

I must say I was pleasantly surprised. There were some changes from the book (we didn't even see the invisibility cloak) but nothing too out of line (burning down the Weasley home). They didn't seem to keep themselves concealed or hidden in the movie as much as they were in the book. The book has them using poly-juice potion and the invisibility cloak when visiting Godric's Hollow but the movie just had them walking around in the open. Even at the wedding, when Harry was poly-juiced in the book, he was just Harry in the movie. Much of his time infiltrating the Ministry of Magic was spent under the cloak but in the movie he just walked around as Runcorn.

Over all there weren't too many side-tracks or changes from the book. I guess when you have two full movies (part one is over 2 hours long) to break apart one book you should be able to do it without butchering things too much.

It ended right about where I thought it would and it set us up for a spectacular part 2. I must say for someone who wasn't all that jazzed about the series when it first came out, it has certainly lived up to the hype. I can't wait to see Harry standing over you-know-who with both wands in his hands.

IPhone DST Alarm Bug

You would like to think a company like Apple would learn from mistakes of the past. Apparently not.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3542

Beef with Snow Peas

Beef with Snow Peas: "
This is not a Thanksgiving recipe. I repeat: This is not a Thanksgiving recipe.

You’ve probably already figured that out by now.

I was cooking my Thanksgiving recipes yesterday–chopping and rinsing and brining–and out of the blue, I knew.

I knew.

It came to me in a vision. I saw it written on a bright white wall. “Ree,” the bright white wall read. “You must make beef with snow peas. It is your destiny.”

I have long since stopped trying to ignore visions of words written on bright white walls. Every time I follow what the words on the wall tell me to do, things have always worked out okay in my life!

What about you guys? How often do you do what the bright white wall tells you to do?

Oh. You don’t see visions of words written on bright white walls?

Never mind.

Let’s just make the beef with snow peas and forget this ever happened…okay?


Ingredients

• 1-½ pound Flank Steak, Trimmed Of Fat And Sliced Very Thin Against The Grain
• ½ cups Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 3 Tablespoons Sherry Or Cooking Sherry
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger
• 8 ounces, weight Fresh Snow Peas, Ends Trimmed
• 5 whole Scallions, Cut Into Haf-inch Pieces On The Diagonal
• Salt As Needed (use Sparingly)
• 3 Tablespoons Peanut Or Olive Oil
• Crushed Red Pepper, For Sprinkling
• Jasmine Or Long Grain Rice, Cooked According To Package

Preparation Instructions

In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Add sliced meat to bowl and toss with hands. Set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet (iron is best) or wok over high heat. Add snow peas and stir for 45 seconds. Remove to a separate plate. Set aside.

Allow pan to get very hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade still in the bowl. Add half the scallions. Spread out meat as you add it to pan, but do not stir for a good minute. (You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible.) Turn meat to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a clean plate.

Repeat with other half of meat, allowing pan to get very hot again first. After turning it, add the first plateful of meat, the rest of the marinade, and the snow peas. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Check seasonings and add salt only if it needs it. Mixture will thicken as it sits.

Serve immediately over rice. Sprinkle crushed red pepper over the top to give it some spice.

Wedding prep

Joe and Louise getting ready for Casey's wedding. Flickr Set updated as well.

Eat Your Way to a High-Energy Workday [Energy]

Eat Your Way to a High-Energy Workday [Energy]: The majority of eating advice centers on losing weight. Instead, let's look at how changing what you eat can help fend off mid-day energy slumps and blah feelings from your work day. More »

*Percolates with a bonecrushing sound*

This weekend I brought home a percolator from my parents garage sale. I have clear memories of this thing rattling away on the stove when I was growing up. It doesn't rattle the same way on a gas stove but it still makes great coffee.

Top Five Regrets of the Dying

This sounds a lot more depressing than it is (original).

For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.

People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learned never to underestimate someone's capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people have had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.

It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.

2. I wish I didn't work so hard.

This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.

By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.

We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.

When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.

Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.

Bronnie Ware is a writer, singer/songwriter, songwriting teacher and speaker from Australia. She has lived nomadically for most of her adult life. Bronnie shares her inspiring observations and the insights gained along the way through the diversity of her work. To read more of her articles and learn about her other work, please visit Inspiration and Chai at http://www.inspirationandchai.com

Chia Fresca

I think I'll stop by the Merc on the way home and see if they carry Chia seeds.

Icy Chia Fresca
Ingredients
1/2-1 Tbs Ground chia seed
~6 ice cubes
1/2 cup water
1/2 lime
4 drops vanilla stevia

Instructions
Place all in a blender and let ‘er rip. Serve in glass. I like to use a spoon to scoop up the icy slush. A sprig of mint on top would be great, I’m sure. You could also use lemonade instead of water.

Royals 5k Results

I didn't do too bad for my age group; 11th out of 47 people. Now I shoot for beating 25 minutes I guess. Maybe I'll try some longer races or at least start training for one.

Here are all the results.

WiiPhoto turns your TV into a digital photo frame

Need to look into this one...

WiiPhoto turns your TV into a digital photo frame: "Calling all Wii owners! WiiPhoto beams pics from your iPhone, iPod, or iPad straight to your console-connected TV. It can tap your Flickr and Facebook accounts, too."

Email overload? Try Priority Inbox

Email overload? Try Priority Inbox: "Posted by Doug Aberdeen, Software Engineer

People tell us all the time that they’re getting more and more mail and often feel overwhelmed by it all. We know what you mean—here at Google we run on email. Our inboxes are slammed with hundreds, sometimes thousands of messages a day—mail from colleagues, from lists, about appointments and automated mail that’s often not important. It’s time-consuming to figure out what needs to be read and what needs a reply. Today, we’re happy to introduce Priority Inbox (in beta)—an experimental new way of taking on information overload in Gmail.

Gmail has always been pretty good at filtering junk mail into the “spam” folder. But today, in addition to spam, people get a lot of mail that isn't outright junk but isn't very important—bologna, or “bacn.” So we've evolved Gmail's filter to address this problem and extended it to not only classify outright spam, but also to help users separate this 'bologna' from the important stuff. In a way, Priority Inbox is like your personal assistant, helping you focus on the messages that matter without requiring you to set up complex rules.



Priority Inbox splits your inbox into three sections: “Important and unread,” “Starred” and “Everything else”:



As messages come in, Gmail automatically flags some of them as important. Gmail uses a variety of signals to predict which messages are important, including the people you email most (if you email Bob a lot, a message from Bob is probably important) and which messages you open and reply to (these are likely more important than the ones you skip over). And as you use Gmail, it will get better at categorizing messages for you. You can help it get better by clicking the or buttons at the top of the inbox to correctly mark a conversation as important or not important. (You can even set up filters to always mark certain things important or unimportant, or rearrange and customize the three inbox sections.)

After lots of internal testing here at Google, as well as with Gmail and Google Apps users at home and at work, we’re ready for more people to try it out. Priority Inbox will be rolling out to all Gmail users, including those of you who use Google Apps, over the next week or so. Once you see the 'New! Priority Inbox' link in the top right corner of your Gmail account (or the new Priority Inbox tab in Gmail Settings), take a look.

A Home-Brewed Cup of Tea Has 20 Times the Healthy Stuff of Most Bottled Teas [Health]

A Home-Brewed Cup of Tea Has 20 Times the Healthy Stuff of Most Bottled Teas [Health]: "If you turn to tea for a healthy dose of antioxidants, keep in mind that the antioxidants, or polyphenols, found in commercially bottled tea is up to 20 times less than you'll find in homebrewed tea. More »

Runners Diet

The Runner's Diet from Runner's World

Carbs to Choose Often

Fruits (about 60 calories per serving)
Apple, orange, pear, nectarine: 1 small (tennis ball size)
Banana: 1 small (5 inch)
Peach, plum: 1 medium (fist size)
Grapefruit: 1/2 whole fruit
Canteloupe: 1 cup
Berries: 1 cup
Fresh pineapple: 3/4 cup
Canned fruit (in its own juice): 1/2 cup

Low-Starch Vegetables (about 25 calories per serving)
Carrots, celery, cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, leeks, onions, green beans: 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked
Green pepper: 1 whole
Asparagus: 7 spears cooked or 14 spears raw
Lettuce/raw greens: 1 cup 100-percent vegetable juice: 1/3 cup

Carbs to Choose with Caution (watch those portions!)

High-Starch Vegetables (about 80 calories per serving)
Beans (lima, navy, pinto): 1/3 cup
Corn: 1/2 cup
Peas/lentils: 1/2 cup
Baked white or sweet potato with skin: 1 small (tennis ball size)

Pasta/Rice (about 80 calories per serving)
Couscous (cooked): 1/3 cup
Brown or white rice (cooked): 1/3 cup
Noodles/pasta (cooked): 1/2 cup
Bulgur (cooked): 1/2 cup

Breads/Cereal/Crackers (about 80 calories per serving)
Tortilla (white or wheat): 1
100-percent whole-wheat bread: 1 slice
Mini-bagel: 1
English muffin: 1/2
Pretzels: 3/4 ounce or 8 sourdough nuggets
Popcorn (air popped): 3 cups
Saltine crackers: 6
Rice cakes (all varieties, large): 2
High-fiber cereals: 3/4 cup
Oatmeal: 2/3 cup cooked or 1 instant packet Step 4
Selecting Proteins

While protein's primary role is maintaining muscle integrity, it also satisfies hunger. Protein provides a greater feeling of fullness, ounce for ounce, than an equivalent amount of carbohydrate. The effect: You're content with fewer calories. That's why 25 percent of your calories should come from protein.

When you choose proteins, lean is always best. Fat adds flavor to protein--but also calories. So be sure to limit the number of calories in the protein sources you choose. A good rule of thumb: The fattier the protein, the smaller the serving.

Protein Picks

Very lean (about 35 calories per serving)
Chicken or turkey breast (skinless): 1 ounce
Fish fillet (all whitefish): 1 ounce
Canned, water-packed tuna: 1 ounce
Shellfish: 1 ounce
Egg whites: 2 large
Egg substitute: 1/4 cup

Lean (about 55 calories per serving)
Chicken or turkey (skinless dark meat): 1 ounce
Salmon, swordfish, herring, trout, bluefish: 1 ounce
Lean beef (flank steak, top round, ground sirloin): 1 ounce
Veal or lamb (roast or lean chop): 1 ounce
Pork (tenderloin): 1 ounce
Canadian bacon: 1 ounce
Low-fat hot dogs: 1
Low-fat luncheon meats: 1 ounce

Dairy Products (about 90 calories per serving)
Fat-free or 1-percent-fat cottage cheese (calcium fortified): 1 cup
Low-fat, sugar-free yogurt: 3/4 cup
Fat-free, sugar-free yogurt: 1 cup
Low-fat cheese (all types): 2 ounces

Most dieters immediately start cutting fat. But instead of just cutting out junk-food sources of fat, they also cut fatty foods that are healthy, including nuts and nut butters, and olives and olive oil.

Foods with a little fat help slow the rate of digestion and provide a sense of fullness. Try to get 25 percent of your daily calories from good fats by selecting heart-healthy vegetable, nut, and fish sources.

Fats of Choice

Full-Calorie sources (about 50 calories per serving)
All oils: 1 teaspoon
Avocado (medium): 1/8
Almonds, cashews, filberts: 6
Peanuts: 10
Pistachios: 15
Olives (green or black): 8 medium
Peanut butter (creamy or chunky): 1 teaspoon

Reduced-Calorie sources (about 25 calories per serving)
Light tub margarine: 1 teaspoon
Light mayonnaise/salad dressing: 1 teaspoon
Light cream cheese: 1 teaspoon
Fat-free salad dressing: 1 tablespoon

Hot Weather

It looks like August is here. It may not be as hot as this post from Fail Blog but still pretty darn hot.

5k Training

Well, I am getting ready to run my first 5k on Saturday. I've been running on the treadmill at a 3-4% incline for a few months now. I'm nervous about running outside and around other people =)

I've also just started an account at the Daily Mile. I figure I'll start tracking now since I am just starting my official 5k career.

I'll be sure to post my time here sometime on Saturday.

*update* Well I came in right at 28 minutes. That's the same pace I've been running on the treadmill. I've been at 3-4% incline on the treadmill so I guess that's a pretty good comparison. I'm really happy with the time. I was worried that I'd be closer to 30 minutes. Now I have some motivation to continue =)

Marantz 4240

I did some browsing around Craigslist and found a receiver that I liked: an old Marantz 4240 with all the knobs and buttons and blue light. I have it on an old sewing table and managed to mount the old Bose 101 speakers underneath. They are concealed quite well and still offer a great sound. Now with the Airport Express, I can stream RadioABF while I work and it sounds great.

Stormy skies

Stormy skies:
"In the past several months, powerful storms have wreaked havoc in many places, torrential rains in central Europe and parts of China, tornadoes in Australia, Montana and the American Midwest, and strong thunderstorms across the northeast. Now, as Tropical Storm Bonnie makes landfall in Florida and heads into the Gulf of Mexico, oil cleanup is being suspended, and the final 'kill' operation is delayed for at least one more week. These storms have been destructive and deadly, but beautiful and awe-inspiring at the same time. Collected here are a handful of photographs of stormy skies, lightning strikes and storm damage from the past several months. (37 photos total)

A large storm cell moves over farmland between the towns of Ross and Stanley, North Dakota on Monday July 12, 2010. A tornado was reported to have touched down for a few minutes from the cell. (AP Photo/ The Forum, Dave Samson)

Make-Ahead Muffin Melts

Make-Ahead Muffin Melts:


This is another recipe from my mother’s recipe binder—the one she inadvertently left here one beautiful day back in 2008. Okay, so it wasn’t all that beautiful for her, considering I didn’t give it back for weeks and weeks. And okay, it was months.
Ingredients

• 12 whole Hard-boiled Eggs, Peeled And Chopped
• 2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
• 1 cup (real) Mayonnaise
• 12 slices Bacon, Fried And Crumbled
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Dijon Mustard
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
• 6 whole English Muffins Split

Preparation Instructions

Combine eggs with all other ingredients. Fold together gently. Cover and store in the fridge overnight.
Spread on English muffin halves, then broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until hot and bubbly. (Don’t set them too close to the heating element.)
Serve immediately!

Alton Brown Parsley and Sesame Salad

Ingredients
4 ounces (about 2 quarts) Italian parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons lemon zest
6 tablespoons walnut oil
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions

Wash and dry the parsley. Pick the leaves, and set aside. Discard the stems.

In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, walnut oil, sesame oil, honey, and salt and pepper, to taste. Add the parsley and sesame seeds and toss to combine. Allow the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes before serving so that flavors meld.

Magic House

More Magic House mayhem.

Magic House

We were at the Magic House in Dt. Louis most of the day. Highly recommended.

Busch Stadium

Here is a shot from our room in St. Louis. Great game last night. What a fantastic venue for a game. Beats the pants off the K.

Day Early!

Well, it came a day early. Good thing too as I wasn't going to be home tomorrow.

I am charging it now and running through the activation process.

Newsweek Easter Egg Reports Zombie Invasion

Newsweek Easter Egg Reports Zombie Invasion: "danielkennedy74 writes "Newsweek.com becomes the latest in a long list of sites that will reveal an Easter egg if you enter the Konami code correctly (up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, b, a, enter). This is a cheat code that appeared in many of Konami's video games, starting around 1986 — my favorite places to use it were Contra and Life Force, 30 lives FTW. The Easter egg was probably included by a developer unbeknownst to the Newsweek powers that be. It's reminiscent of an incident that happened at ESPN last year, involving unicorns."

Memory Tricks: Remembering How Many Cups in a Gallon

Memory Tricks: Remembering How Many Cups in a Gallon:

Now that the sting has worn off a bit, we can divulge the full story of how we bought the wrong amount of strawberries for our review of the Gluten-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble. It was all because--on the spot, in the store, without Google Calculator to save us--we couldn't remember how many cups were in a quart!

Telling this story to a friend later, she laughed and said, 'Don't you know about the gallon-eating-the-quarts trick?' At our blank look, she grabbed a pen and drew a diagram like the one above...

An adobe photo-shop

*sigh*

An adobe photo-shop:

Wise words...

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook the other day. I can't say how many times I have read or heard about something only to try it for myself in order to really experience it. If only we had time to experience it all.

The Buddha replied, “You have a right to be confused. This is a confusing situation. Do not take anything on trust merely because it has passed down through tradition, or because your teachers say it, or because your elders have taught you, or because it’s written in some famous scripture. When you have seen it and experienced it for yourself to be right and true, then you can accept it."

77 Great Quotes That Will Change Your Life

Here are some great quotes. I took the liberty of removing the pictures and personal commentary but here is the link to the original post.

77 Great Quotes That Will Change Your Life:

1. “Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose.” – Tom Krause
2. “The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.” – Sven Goran Eriksson
3. “If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.” – John Maxwell
4. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C. Maxwell
5. “They can’t hurt you unless you let them.” – Unknown
6. “The key to change… is to let go of fear.” – Rosanne Cash
7. “If you wait to do everything until you’re sure it’s right, you’ll probably never do much of anything.” – Win Borden
8. “Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.” – Raymond Lindquist
9. “Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill
10. “There is far more opportunity than there is ability. “ – Thomas A. Edison
11. “Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.” – James Dean
12. “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.” – Unknown
13. “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” – Brian Littrell
14. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
15. “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
16. “Never, never, never, never give up.” – Winston Churchill
17. “Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” – Abraham Lincoln
18. “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Rohn
19. “Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” – Wayne Dyer
20. “There’s always a way – if you’re committed.” – Tony Robbins
21. “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” – Confucius
22. “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” – Walt Disney
23. “Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” – Benjamin Spock
24. “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
25. “Action will remove the doubt that theory cannot solve.” – Petryl Hsieh
26. “Using no way as a way, using no limitation as limitation.” – Bruce Lee
27. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
28. “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” – Confucius
29. “Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.” – Buddha
30. “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” – Maria Robinson
31. “All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” – Buddha
32. “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” – Aristotle
33. “God helps those who help themselves.” – Benjamin Franklin
34. “That some achieve great success is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.” – Abraham Lincoln
35. “A jug fills drop by drop.” – Buddha
36. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle
37. “Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.” – Bruce Lee
38. “A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.” – Bruce Lee
39. “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.” – Chinese Proverb
40. “Everyone who got where he is has had to begin where he was.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
41. “Fall seven times, Stand up eight.” – Japanese Proverb
42. “The path to success is to take massive, determined action.” – Tony Robbins
43. “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. “ – Thomas A. Edison
44. “When the solution is simple, God is answering.” – Albert Einstein
45. “Know thyself.” – Plato
46. “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” – Lao Tzu
47. “Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?” – Confucius
48. “Only the shallow know themselves.” – Oscar Wilde
49. “Wisely, and slow. They stumble that run fast.” – William Shakespeare
50. “When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion.” – Abraham Lincoln
51. “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” – Buddha
52. “If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” – Bruce Lee
53. “Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” – Thomas Jefferson

54. “Simplicity is the key to brilliance.” – Bruce Lee

55. “Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” – Lao Tzu
56. “The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action.” – Confucius
57. “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw
58. “We acquire the strength we have overcome.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
59. “Every choice you make has an end result.” – Zig Ziglar
60. “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan
61. “Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.” – Unknown
62. “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu
63. “A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu
64. “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” – Confucius
65. “One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.” – Unknown
66. “Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason” – Jerry Seinfeld
67. “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other” – Abraham Lincoln
68. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” – Plato
69. “People spend a lifetime searching for happiness; looking for peace. They chase idle dreams, addictions, religions, even other people, hoping to fill the emptiness that plagues them. The irony is the only place they ever needed to search was within.” – Romana L. Anderson
70. “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” – Muhammed Ali
71. “Procrastination is the bad habit of putting of until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.” – Napoleon Hill
72. “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.” – Albert Einstein
73. “Beware the barrenness of a busy life. “ – Socrates
74. “Take time for all things: great haste makes great waste. “ – Benjamin Franklin
75. “Time you enjoyed wasting is not wasted time.” – T.S. Elliot
76. “Don’t let the past steal your present” – Cherralea Morgen
77. “Time spent laughing is time spent with the gods.” – Japanese Proverb

Hey, Toto -- Kansas Has The Best Drivers, Survey Says - Wall Street Journal (blog)

Hey, Toto -- Kansas Has The Best Drivers, Survey Says - Wall Street Journal (blog): "

New York Times (blog)

Hey, Toto -- Kansas Has The Best Drivers, Survey Says Wall Street Journal (blog) Kansas drivers scored an average 82.3% – enough to come out on top in the National Drivers Test, an annual study by GMAC Insurance that ... How bad are DC drivers?Washington Post (blog) New York Drivers Among the Most Ignorant of Traffic LawsStreetsblog New York (blog) all 39 news articles »

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Kansas Weather!

Looks like we are right in the cross-hairs! Sure makes for an exciting day.

Happy birthday, NCSA Mosaic!

Ah, the memories.

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Happy birthday, NCSA Mosaic!:


Good golly, was it really seventeen years ago that NCSA Mosaic 1.0 was released? How far we’ve come in the nearly two decades since images were first rendered inline with text. Now we take it for granted that we can watch movies in our browsers!

As usual, thanks to Wired for the trip down nerd memory lane!

Sleeveface

This is a pretty interesting idea. Here is one of my favorites from this compilation.

Here is the official site... and here is the Flickr pool.

How to Back Up and Play Your Wii Games from an External Hard Drive [How To]

How to Back Up and Play Your Wii Games from an External Hard Drive [How To]:

Connecting an external hard drive to your Wii to backup and play your games is a simple way to keep expensive discs out of harms way, decrease game load times, and organize your collection with swanky cover art. Here's how it works. More »

How to Try the New Google Docs Apps

How to Try the New Google Docs Apps: "Here's how to try Google Drawings and the new interfaces of Google Documents and Google Spreadsheets:

* create a new drawing by opening the documents list, clicking on 'Create new' and selecting 'Drawing'.


* to see the new document editor, go to the settings page, click on the 'Editing' tab and select 'Create new text documents using the latest version of the document editor.' Unfortunately, you can't see the existing documents in the new interface. The new document editor is code-named 'kix' and it's a completely new application.


* to switch to the new spreadsheets editor, open a spreadsheet and click on 'New version' at the top of the page. All spreadsheets will now open in the new interface.


The new interface is not yet available for presentations.

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