Evacuation Tip of the Day

It has been reported that Texans will face certain death with Hurricane Ike. The last time this warning was issued was with Hurricane Katrina. So if you live in Texas get out of there now!

E-Break Tip of the Day

Have you ever wondered what pulling your emergency break would do while traveling at a high rate of speed? Well don't, it's not good. In 100% of the cases we studied (totaling 2) we found that boyfriends and girlfriends broke-up not too long after the incident if both were in the car during the event.

The E-Brake, "a great way to put a quick stop on your relationship!"

Rabies Prevention Tip of the Day

For a helpful (albeit somewhat humorous) how-to video called, "Catch the bat!":




-Steph

Leadership Tip of the Day

1,000 sheep led by a lion is more dangerous than 1,000 lions led by a sheep.

Christmas Tip of the Day

Did you not get any presents today? Ek, sorry about that. There are 2 likely causes. Either 1) You are on the naughty list or 2) You forgot to crate your overly protective dog and he wouldn't let Santa get more then a toe down the chimney.

Meat Department Tip of the Day

Rumor has it that grocery stores use dye to make their meat look fresh. The truth? According to Oklahoma State University they don't. The FDA and USDA don't allow food processors to dye meat, but there is a small controversy about using carbon monoxide to color meat.

Thanks Blair and Anna for alerting us of this potential

Id Bracelet Tip of the Day

If you have a baby, make sure the nurses don't tie the id bracelets too tight. Or your newborn may get scrapes on one of her arms and feet.

Chocolate Bunny Tip of the Day

Just in case the need ever arises, here are three ways to kill a chocolate bunny.

Pedestrian Tip of the Day

OK, memo to Kentucky drivers. Last time I checked, in our fracking commonwealth, pedestrians have the right of way. So try your best not to hit me when you attempt to beat me to the punch making a left turn onto a cross street. I, and runners/walkers of Kentucky really enjoy stopping dead in our tracks to avoid being mauled over while you pretend like you're entitled to do that. Just because you haven't exercised in several years doesn't mean the rest of us should be denied the privilege.

Not to quote Kentucky law or anything, but:

Drivers must yield to pedestrians under the following conditions:

• When pedestrians are at a marked or unmarked crosswalk and there is no traffic light
• When turning a corner and pedestrians are crossing with the light
• In any situation that could threaten the pedestrian’s safety

I think that pretty much covers my bases. That is all.

Steering Tip of the Day

If you happen to purchase a steering wheel cover, you might want to wait to apply it until you're NOT driving. Otherwise, you could accidentally cause your car to swerve out of control, risking your life and the lives of others.

Mozy Tip of the Weekend

You should backup your computer files. "I know I know." It is very important that you back up for your files. "I'll get around to it." There are only two kind of computer users out there, those who have had a major hard drive failure and those who will. "Isn't there a third kind?"

For a simple and free way to keep your files backed up try Mozy, they have a Mac and Windows version. The files get backed up to their server so you don't have to worry about buying an extra hard drive or anything. Plus you get up to 2GB free! Use this link to get another 12% on top of that!

Now you don't have anymore excuses!

Pizza Tip of the Day

5 Million Frozen Pizzas are being voluntarily recalled. First, I'm kind of surprised there are even 5 million frozen pizzas in the country. It seems like maybe I should have become a frozen food chef because there is obviously some money it. The problem involves something wrong with the pepperonis on the pizzas. As it turns out, instead of the high quality red paint General Mills asked their Chinese manufacturer to paint the pepperonis with, the manufacturer subsisted it for a cheaper red paint containing lead.

Ok, so maybe we can't blame this on communists, but it would be more interesting then the truth, another E. coli scare. What does the "E" stand for anyway?

Fire Tip of the Day

Whatever you do, don't use water to put out an oil-fire on the stove. See why in this shocking, but informative video.

London Tip of the Day Part 3

No, in Germany, they don't drive on the left side of the road, but yes in England they do. Foot traffic is even opposite. Have no fear though, there are signs everywhere not only to remind you which side of the hall (in the subway stations) to walk on, but also where to look for traffic!

Flipping Tip of the Day

So the slotted turner you were using to flip burger yesterday just didn't cut it did it? You can hardly flip a dead cow, much less slash an attacker with a 4" blade or open a bottle. Next time try the Barbecue Turner of Death™ from Pampered Chef. Because you always needed a never-needs-sharpening knife to open your Ale-8 while flipping burgers.

Spying Tip of the Day

Thanks to our friends Sydney and Jack Bristow from Alias for this tip. If you ever decide to extract someone who poses a TREMENDOUS threat to national security for WHATEVER purpose, don't under any circumstance handcuff him or her to a nearby railing while you go kill people. Chances are, he'll figure a way out and you shouldn't assume he'll be right where you left him. Just a thought. It may end up being something you regret for a long while. So, good luck with that. Come to think of it, don't extract someone like this ANYWAY!

Chaperoning Tip of the Day

Hopefully one day you will have the opportunity to chaperone some type of trip with students. If you are so lucky, this trip will include middle school students and be overnight. If this is the case for you, one of the most important items you can bring is a roll of tape. Yes, tape. Did you know that tape is an overnight field trip miracle? You see, when tape is attached to the door and the wall next to it, and the door is opened, the tape cannot be reattached. Therefore, it insures that if a student escapes during the night...you will find out about it! This is very important if you, the chaperone, want to sleep and not worry about where your students are in the middle of the night. So, next trip you go on, don't forget the tape!

Key Tip of the Day

For anyone who has heard my numerous key stories, I have another one that has prompted me to write a Tip O Da Day. In turn, I will follow my own advice. Making the switch from an apartment to a house lends itself to many adjustments, one of which is the ability to lock doors from the inside prior to leaving the house and simply pulling the door closed with no dead bolt option, as is the case in my new garage. After a long night of housework, which may have been a contributor to the night’s events, I start to collect my things and was very concerned that my coworker Rick had all his belongings. You can imagine me asking repeatedly, “Do you have all your stuff? Do you have your keys?” as I ran around trying to collect my own things. Well, I am sure you can see where this is going! I found myself in my garage with Rick, his stuff, and all of my stuff minus my keys--which ironically were the most important item. It sure didn’t take long for me to have my first house adventure! After unsuccessfully attempting the credit card trick to unlock the door, we headed to my apartment to break into it and retrieve the second set of car and house keys. As you will see, God had His hand in this situation. With the recent warm weather, I had opened my kitchen window to enjoy the unseasonable warmth and when winter weather returned I closed it, but never locked it, so the breaking and entering into the apartment simply entailed taking the screen off and voila--I was in! So, needless to say, the next task on my to do list was to get copies of my house key made and make sure they are in the hands of more responsible adults, considering my history with keys and continuing mishaps of this sort. So there you have it folks, copy those keys, stash them with friends, relatives, at the office, or anywhere outside of a potential lock-in area!
-Jen

Safety Tip of the Day

When you're removing something that you've just broiled (that's using the "broil" setting on your oven, or 500°F, depending on your model, and using the uppermost rack--for steaks, toasting garlic bread, etc.), pull the actual rack out (most of these slide out nicely) and then pick up the dish. It's way too risky to try and stick your oven-mitted hands or potholders in there, maneuvering to get the dish without burning holes in the cloth. Also, some oven mits/potholders smolder and others go up in flames, so just be wary of what's going on at the ends of your arms and try not to be in the middle of an extra-deep conversation while attempting such an endeavor.

Rancid Tip of the Day

Today's tip is brought to us by my dear, sweet Grammy who is visiting! Before she came, I tried hard to make sure that our house didn't look completely like the bachelor pad it is. This even included cleaning out the fridge. But, apparently something was lacking.

We opened the fridge, and out wafted the nastiest, foulest smell to ever be unleashed from a refrigerator. Grammy tried to shield her nose, but this smell reached her too. I sought her advice as to what could be causing this odiferous malady. She said the culprit undoubtedly was two-week-old hamburger patties (that's right, from our kick-A Superbowl party).

So, Grammy's tip ended up being this: Don't keep beef (or any other meat) in the fridge for more than one week. I felt Grammy might be just a bit over cautious, but I listened to her wisdom. When I tried removing the rapidly-decaying patties, I was alarmed that the bottom of the package had become wet with bacteria-encrusted nastiness. The cardboard had affixed itself to the fridge! Grammy was right--there was NO way that meat was edible.

We'll see if it helps the smell. But, thank you Grammy for this AMAZING tip!

Fondue Tip of the Day

Yes, it's been said, the quickest way to a woman's heart is through fondue via her chafing dish. Well, not exactly, but chocolate covered strawberries certainly are an aphrodisiac. At any rate, for the sheer reason that fondue is a turn-on for women, it is obviously difficult and temperamental. Let's start with chocolate. One essential is a double-boiler. Or, if you like bubble gum, "dubble" boiler. This boils the water, and then you put the chocolate in the "dubble" part, so as not to scald it. Chocolate will BURN if you look at it funny, I've found. Now. You think you're done when the chocolate melts, but OH no. It will be too thick. It will never stick to strawberries, or anything girls like for that matter. So, you have to add milk. But when you do, it will simultaneously be gooey, runny, and STIFF all at the same time--it defies science. Don't panic. Add more milk. And keep stirring. Eventually, it will be silky smooth--just like the ladies will perceive you to be. Dip your sensuous accouterments and just be careful not to injure yourself, like the guy in this video. Thanks, Steph, for finding this amazing ad!

Cooking Tip of the Day

Don't put fresh cookies on top of a stove burner that is still on. Scientific tests have proven that this may cause said cookies to "smoke" and otherwise become filled with carcinogens and do not make for proper eating. If someone in the kitchen does say "why are the cookies smoking", it's usually not best to ignore that comment.