Archive for January, 2011

MythBusters Demolition Derby part 2


13 Jan

I love the myths filmed at New Mexico TechSpeed, Collison welding is cool.  The world seems clearer through the shock wave and so much messier once it passes. (Well, that part is science.)

I was surprised they didn’t use a guide wire for car drop. Considering the distance, it wasn’t surprising the dropped car missed the X. But maybe there isn’t a wire strong enough, or they were concerned about it being in the way of the car on the ground.

Still, as a kid who loved RC vehicles, it would be so cool to control one going 105 mph.

 

Casting Blame


12 Jan

I don’t like the phrase “Don’t retreat, reload.” I don’t think our political leaders, or wanna be political leaders, should encourage violence. Yes, there was violence in out country’s founding, but we have moved away from that. But sadly, this is not uncommon, on either side of the aisle.

However, I should know better than to blame violent acts on rhetoric. As a gamer, as someone who has read the Chick tracts, I know better. D&D, heavy metal music and GTA do not make people commit violent crimes. Neither did Sarah Palin’s words. That responsibility lies solely with the shooter.

Astronomy Picture of the Day


11 Jan

I love the Astronomy Picture of the Day website. It is my default for having beautiful, work safe, not personal, wallpaper on my office computer.

Not every picture they post is good for wallpaper, but many are. In fact, while I try to update my wallpaper at least once a week and sometimes more, my current wallpaper is from December 13.

It’s soothing to take a moment to look at the night sky in the midst of a hectic work day, especially in the PNW, when, during the winter, we can go forever without seeing the moon and stars ourselves.

Kitchen Gadgets I Love (2)


10 Jan

We fell in love with electric tea kettles when we went to England. While some of our hotel rooms did not have clocks or phones, they all had an electric kettle. Considering we are both tea drinkers, especially when we’re sick, we quickly determined that we needed one of those at home.

During the summer, it often gets put away. But as soon as the nights start cooling down, it’s time for hot cocoa and tea.

Besides boiling water faster than on the stovetop, the kettles have an auto-off switch, which prevents them from being boiled dry when distractions arise.

Seahawks vs Saints


09 Jan

I am a Raiders fan, so despite living in the Seattle area, I was not expecting much from the Seahawks in this playoff game. I wasn’t offended by their losing record, like so many (though the Raiders were 8-8), but I really was assuming a blowout.

The game started as expected, with the Saints scoring on their first two drives, one of them coming from a Hasselbeck interception. But then, Hasselbeck was able to answer touchdown for touchdown, and the Hawks defense finally showed up.

It’s just a reminder, record doesn’t matter in the playoffs, just who wins this game.

 

Cheddar Sausage Cheesecake


08 Jan

There’s not much I can eat right now, so for New Year’s Eve, I emotionally blackmailed my husband in to making a savory cheesecake- a sausage and cheddar cheesecake, with a cheez-it crust. It’s beyond yummy. It’s rich and decadent, and perfectly edible by one who can not chew.

We try to make it somewhat less heart attack inducing by using Neufchatel cheese, ground turkey sausage, and reduced fat cheez-its, but its not healthy.

It is probably for the best that cheesecakes are not easy to make. Otherwise, I might be living off this delicious dish for the next month.

Controlled / No Spend


07 Jan

I have been a member of the Controlled / No Spend board since last February. This board does for my budgeting what my critique group does for my writing. They take what I have, point out the good, and show me how to make it better. They offer the moral support to say no, I do not need a trip to the vending machine or company cafeteria today.

The ladies there take a holistic approach to finances and understand that the complicated bits of our lives can have the biggest influence on how, when, and where we spend our money.

MythBusters Demolition Derby Part 1


06 Jan

While my DVR claimed this was a new episode of MythBusters (and recorded it for me), I quickly realized that that was not exactly the case. It was a whole bunch of old “myths” repackaged for two themed episodes. Not that I can blame them, and I do like watching the crashes.

Of the complete myths we saw last night, my two favorites are the fruit stand- because driving through one in real life looks exactly like it does in the movies –and the instant convertible- because it’s plausible and the car went up the bern and jumped a fence.

Student Loan Frustration


05 Jan

Citibank owns my graduate student loans. In December, I called to complain that my auto-payment had been cancelled. They said it was because I had already made a payment that billing cycle. Well, I made a payment this billing cycle, so imagine my surprise when an auto-payment was taken from my account this morning. It’s what I wanted, but not what they told me, and there was no communication letting me know the terms of their auto-pay had changed. And worse, the amount wasn’t for my new minimum payment, my old minimum payment, or even the difference between the two.

Kitchen Gadgets I Love (1)


04 Jan

I am not the cook in the family, but I do occasionally have to do the cooking. To that end, there are some kitchen gadgets I could never live without. Number one is our rice cooker.

We used to have a small rice cooker, perfect for two people, but when it dies, we bought an industrial sized one that also doubles as a steamer. Most of the time, we make the minimum amount of rice required by the cooker, but its nice to have the option for more for lunches and dinner guests. We’ve never used the steaming function, though.

 

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