Pete & Jay's Tip O Da "Day"

So we're all excited about the 17" MacBook Pro. But what makes its super-cool is a little pricing inconsistency that no one's pointed out yet. Turns out the brand new 17" MacBook Pro is actually cheaper than a 15" MacBook Pro. The 17" MacBook Pro is $2799 with a 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo chip, 120GB Harddrive and 8x double-layer SuperDrive. The 15" MacBook Pro starts at $1999, but doing a little bit of configuring on the old Apple Store , you can max out the 15" with similar specs: 2.16GHz, 120GB and 4x single layer drive all for only $2899. So, for $100 less dollars Apple is throwing in a larger screen and better SuperDrive, now that's a deal! Someone over in Apple pricing land must have been playing a little bit too much Soduko to notice. Until then, enjoy justifiying your $2799 purchase.

Are you a Mac user who hates Microsoft, but find yourself unfortunately dependent on certain pieces of software from them, such as Microsoft Office? Do you wish your Mac could no longer be sullied and polluted by the world of clip-art, word-art, "it-looks-like-you're-writing-a-letter" comments and bouncing paper clips that will help you manage your lists? Well, now you can. It used to be that since the rest of the world uses Excel, Word, etc., you had to have these programs on your computer to open such documents. And, with Office costing $400, it's a huge investment for crappy software. But, thanks to an opensource program, Neo Office , you'll be able to open and save Microsoft Office documents with FREE software, that probably works better than Office. Let the Microsoft delete-a-thon begin!

Attention all Lexington, Kentucky residents. Video Supreme in the Boston Road Shopping Center (off Man O War), despite the name, is not a video store just for the perverse of society. No, in fact, it's just a regular old video store where you can use your free birthday rental to get the straight-to-video "Kronk's New Groove." I don't know why you'd do that, but apparently that's what some people do. So much more than that though, Video Supreme, in a weird melding of worlds, also carries a stock of American Apparel merchandise. If you're not familiar with the hot, L.A. clothing manufacturer, we suggest you cozy up. A sweatshop-free manufacturer and retailer, American Apparel makes clothes that are high-quality and very hip... and are never on sale. Nor can they be found anywhere around here. Until, Video Supreme that is, where every item is now 50%. We don't know how it happened, but if a stranger hands you candy, do you question it? O...

With gas prices officially out of control. Maybe its time to move to an area of the country with cheaper gas. Maybe to the next county, or maybe to Albany Wyoming .

So we have some surprisingly cold weather here at TodD Intergalactic Headquarters today. We would like to take this opportunity to remind you that it is important to stay warm. A hot beverage can help, but like today you may not be expecting cold weather so you may hot have hot beverages laying around. In those cases, drink your lukewarm beverage like it is hot. Hold it with both hands, keep it close to your mouth, elbows tucked it, and just imagine the steam rising. It will warm you up, or at least your mind for a few seconds.

Kids, even more so then regular grown up folks, are susceptible to simple bribing. For example, you get to watch TV as long as you exercise . Whatever happened to the good old days when kids played because it was fun , on wait Nintendo and Power Rangers.

Sometimes when people make mistakes you can get a free half piece of pizza you weren't expecting or a meal paid in full. One should always look forward to and enjoy these rare moments.

Ok, so you wanna be cool. I hope this doesn't put Tip O Da Day outa business: The Book Of Cool

The need to keep my calendar sorted out is something I strive for. I guarentee will forget and/or double plan somehting if its not on my calendar. Google has just released their new online Calendar service. Its online so you can get it from anywhere, share it with people, even if they don't use Google Calendar and it is easy plan events and have people easily respond if they're coming or not (good bye Evite). Since you probably don't care I'll try to avoid telling you about all its awesomeness.

Here's a news story we dug up from The Kansas City Star back on Christmas Adam: A Blue Springs woman was taken to a hospital emergency room early today after a cell phone became lodged in her throat. The woman was in an argument with a boyfriend when the incident occurred, said Sgt. Steve Decker of the Blue Springs Police Department. Decker said police were told that the woman tried to swallow the telephone because she didn't want the boyfriend to have it. However the case is under investigation. Police responded to a call about a non-breathing person about 4:50 a.m. in the 3000 block of Southwest U.S. 40, Decker said. Police arrived and found that the 24-year-old woman was having trouble breathing. Her identity was not released. The woman was taken to the emergency room at St. Mary's Hospital in Blue Springs. She still had the telephone in her throat upon arrival at the hospital, Decker said. Do we really need to say more? Some times ideas for retailation aren't as go...

I've noticed a lot of people talking about sleep lately. Here are some tips from a recent Newsweek coverstory : "Sleep experts say you should use the bedroom only for sleep and [other married couple stuff]--not as an auxiliary office or entertainment center with the TV blaring into the night. Take a hot shower before bed and keep your room cool (the temperature change induces sleepiness). Try to relax just before bedtime. Don't do anything that might raise anxiety--like paying bills or watching a horror movie. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. If you vary those times more than 90 minutes, you can mess up your sleep-wake cycle. Try to lower the lights as you get ready for bed and get some bright sun in the morning to let your brain know when it's night and day. Don't use alcohol to help you sleep. And, perhaps most important in the age of Starbucks, cut down on caffeine--especially in the afternoon and evening."

Are you like me, and have a serious problem stereotyping people from around the world. What are the French known for? Crepes? Itialians , Pizza ? German's, Chocolate? I'm not sure what us American's are know for, but I would put my money on either Baby Back Ribs or Candy Corn . Turns out, I don't know what I'm talking about, but thanks to The Prejudice Map I now have a clue. [sign of relief]

Are tomatoes a fruit or a vegetable? Turns out, it depends who you ask. Botanically, they are a fruit . By definition, a fruit is the ripened ovary , together with the seeds, of a flowering plant. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash and pumpkins, therefore, are all fruits. However, culinarily, they are a vegetable . In cooking terminology, vegetables can be used as part of a main dish, whereas fruits are used for side dishes or desserts. True, there are exceptions, but any chef worth his salt (ha!) knows that you wouldn't put tomatoes in a fruit salad. As a result, tomatoes are legally considered a vegetable . In the 1800s, the United States had tariffs on imported vegetables, and farmers wanted to know whether tomatoes would incur a tariff or not. In 1887, the Supreme Court ruled that fruits and vegetables should be classified by usage, following the culinary definition, and that tomatoes were therefore legally a vegetable. So now you know .

You have every right to be concerned if your barber, stylist, hair-cutter and/or beauty consultant says "oops" whilst cutting your hair. It's probably bad.

Ok, so when you were a kid, counting coins was kind of fun. You would count them, and wrap them in little pieces of paper. Use them to pay tolls and buy candy. It was great because that's pretty much all you had. Now you've got at least eight real dollars in you wallet and a pile of coins is doing a great job of making your dresser look messier and not much else. Those machines at grocery stores will count your change for you have been around for a while, but when you realize that they're going to give you 91¢ for every $1 you stick in, you decide that you'd rather just have your change making your dresser look messy. But now a new day has come. Coinstar machines can now convert your coins into a useful currencies…iTunes Music Store & Starbucks gift cards! And at a 1 to 1 ratio to boot! Its time to clean out the couch!

Adobe Illustrator is really fun to design stuff in, even if your end product is going to be a website, PowerPoint, or any other pixel based environment, but you might be surprised by what it looks like when you leave the comfort of your super sharp Vector Environment. Well be surprised no longer, use "Pixel Preview" (Under the "View" menu) to take the guess work out of what that .25 pt line will look like when you're done.

Phobias we all have them. Everyone knows what claustrophobia is but do you know what dikephobia or iophobia is? Here are some of my favorites. Bolshephobia - Fear of Bolsheviks Geliophonia - Fear of laughing Lachanophobia - Fear of vegetables Leukophobia - Fear of the color white Porphyrophobia - Fear of the color purple Triskaidekaphonia - Fear of the number 13 Go here for the complete list

To lazy to cheap to go out and buy your favorite candy or other food item? Based on pure speculation we're petty sure you can get a similar flavor by combining two or more other items to create some of the world's signature tastes: Lemon Heads = Fruit Loops + Pledge Fiber One = Gravel wrapped in grass Winterfresh = Toothpaste + Bazooka Joe White Rice = styrofoam packing + Elmer's Paste Taco = Burrito

It is generally best to avoid clichés , but some are useful in describing something (instant recognition could help you communicate more effectively). However, avoid cliché's that don't mean anything, at all, what-so-ever, such as: Another Day-Another Dollar Soup to Nuts Stuff the Sausage One bird in the hand is better than two in the bush As easy as pie Have your cake and eat it too As with every List of the Day, I'm sure we missed plenty, add yours to the comments

If you have a TracFone , or are just over your minutes on your cell phone, you may not just want to pay just to chat. People have got to get to the point, cause you are paying for every minute. Here are some things you can say to help you save every penny: Hello, What do you want? Call me back when you get to the point Go Skip the small talk Please speak in short hand What do you think I am, made of money Could you email me? This better be important Iknowyoucantalkfasterthanthat Hello, ok, bye I'm on a freaking TracFone

It's list week here at Tip O Da Day. And our writers are sure to have left something off each list, so please add it to the comments. So without further ado , here is the first list of "List Week": Looking for some fun, ask Wal-Mart (or Wal-Mark, depending on the accent) where you can find the following, and then gaze at their blank stares. If your Wal-Mark is like ours, they likely have no earthly idea what you are talking about: Fondu Pot Extra Long Sheets Cliff Notes Granola Britta Water Filters A Cork

If it's 11:50 and you realize no one's posted a tip, just make up a really stupid one about whatever's on your mind.

Pete and Jay and Staff are smart (even if not always humble), but we're nothing when it comes to the likes of MacGyver . Now that dude can think of cool uses for everyday things just like that ! So all you OS X users out there, pick of the Macgyverisms Dashboard Widget. With 200 useful MacGyver tips.

Deodorant does not taste good.

If a stranger on the street wants to sell you a flat-screen TV at a bargain price, it's probably a good idea to open the box to make sure you're getting what you paid for.

Based on this very disturbing story of a guy killing his roommate because there was no toilet paper we can learn one of two things: A) Make sure you have plenty of TP in the house B) Be careful who you choose to be your roommate

So looking for a reason to party late tonight? On Wednesday, at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 in the morning, the time and date will be 01:02:03 04/05/06. This won't happen again until 3006. At which point Tip of the Day will be officially closed, and we won't be around to remind you of it. Oh, ya I guess it will also happen around lunch again, but after that it will totally be over. So bust out dice, inbreed cats, and what ever else you might need to conjure up the first 6 digits and party away!

Never-ever believe anything a website, especially one that attempts to use humor, that was posted on April 1st. April Fools!

If you're like us here in the main Tip O Da Day offices, then it is likely that you forgot to set you time ahead this morning. We've all done it before. But, I feel that means that you have to go somewhere out and eat a nice big breakfast. I'm not sure why you have to do that, but every time it happened to me since I was a child, I went out for a nice big breakfast that morning. I think it was in the bylines when Ben Franklin Invented it

When maintaining a Tip of the Day site, it's important to note that it takes a great deal of time. And, it's a daily burden. You can't just pack up and go to Cancun. You gotta make the donuts. So, it's often helpful to recruit a talented writing team to help out with such an endeavor. But, as busy lifestyles emerge, creativity and contributions can dwindle. So, starting Monday, we're going to make "Tip of the Day" "Tip of the Week™." It's been a pleasure serving you daily, so check back every Monday for some sweet action.