Gone Green

After many different directions, I have decided to take this blog green. In addition to the occasional other news I may pop off on, I will be offering green tips and tricks from myself and the web. I hope you enjoy.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Mr. Obama's Challenges

As predicted, Obama is now the president of the USA. He is facing more challenges then any other candidate before him has. Two wars, a decaying economy, horrible job market, housing problems, and general disaster at home and abroad.

The first thing he needs to do it begin fixing the economy. Step one of this is put his foot down on Pilot, BP, Shell, Exxon and the like. Curb their prices, disallow the price control they exhibit over this country. If they have record billion dollar profits, they are doing something wrong. Once gas is regulated, food and utililty prices will come down a bit.

Second is the jobless problem. This will take longer because jobs have to be created, and money has to be available to do so.

Third the wars. He has promised to continue to fight Al Queda, and pull the troops out of Iraq. Good luck with that.

International policy. Yes, world leaders are rejoicing. Rejoicing we have an untested, untried president. Russia is thumbing their nose in your face by expaning their missle policy, china owns us through trade debt, plus the middle east.

Time to drop the change we need, all for change, hold hands dance and be lovely dovey. Time to get firm, decisive, and make the change that the country needs.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Foreclosure pains

Its getting to the point now, where almost daily the news reports somebody doing something drastic when the repo man comes for their home. There have been reports of suicides, chaining, fights, desecration and more.

I know times are tough, and people are struggling, but killing yourself doesn't hurt the banks. And it leaves family and friends with the burden of having to bury you. Think of them before you kill yourself.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Why the Republicans will lose this election

Yes, I am calling it now. The republicans will and have already lost this election. They are not even trying anymore.

It began with Sarah Palin. I understand that it was political, to get a women in for VP pick. However in this case it was the wrong choice. She is and was mired in controversy in her home state of Alaska. This alone should have been reason enough not to pick her. But by picking her McCain destroyed his claims of inexperience on Obama. If something were to happen to McCain, Palin would become president. She is not experienced enough to handle that, and the American people know and understand this.

The next major failing is their inability to handle the racist remarks coming from their supporters at their rallys. McCain had the decency to look embarressed, but did nothing to stop the hecklers. As much as he proclaims himself to be decisive, he appears terribly undecisive when facing these dregs of humanity.

Their poll numbers are collapsing daily, and Obama really doesn't have to do anything except to not make a political, or personal gaffe. The republicans I believe know this, and are throwing the rest of the election. The main reason is the disaster the country is in. The shape of Amreica cannot be fixed in 4 years. Progress can be made, but not a complete and utter recovery. In 4 years the republicans will be back to rescue America, or that will be how they play it. The fickle Americans who love to debate over sports, cars and American Idol will believe the new stance, and we will have a Republican again for 4 or 8 years, to undo the mess of the Democrats. It will be the same type of campaign that allowed our current president to remain in power for 8 years.

Policies and politcs change with the wind, and the American peoples opinion goes with it. Who knows the shape we will be in come 2012, but one thing will be certain, there will be a Republican who is young, experienced and ready to attack Obama running a smooth and slick campaign.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Barack Obama and the Sheeping of America

Not since JFK have Americans fallen in love with a candidate so completely, and not since Bill Clinton has there been such a polished and articulate public speaker. Obama firmly has America under his sway, hanging on every word, every moment. Obamamites, as I like to call them, believe he is the messiah, can do no wrong, will fix every problem, and will lead America to a glowing new age. A few see him for what he is, and that is a politician.

Make no mistake, Obama is brilliant, articulate, well groomed, and very charismatic. However, and this is not a slam against him, he is a politician. This campaign has turned into a mudslinging campaign, finding it hard to seperate fact from fiction.

There are in my opinion, 3 types of Obama supporters.
Type 1: Obamamites. These are the ones who are turning this into a religious experience. He can do, and has done no wrong, is Jesus re-incarnated and will be the saviour of the country. Comments about Obama are responded to with accusastion of racism, or anti American, or being stupid, or part of a Rovian comspiracy to undermine the election. They are fanatics of the worst kind.

Type 2: The Traditional Democrat. These are the people who vote democrat, no matter what. They would never dream of voting any other way. Their parents, friends, family have always voted democrat, and they are a proud follower of this tradition.

Type 3. The "He is the lesser of two evils" type. This is actually two subtypes. People in this catagory have reservations about him. Either based on his policy, or his past voting history. The other half are of the he is not bush camp. People in this catagory typically have thought this out, compared the two on their own, and are voting based on the difference between the two campaigns.

There may be a few other types, but for the most part, his supporters fall into one of these three categories.

Obama himself has a large lead, probably unsurmountable without a major mistake on his or Bidens part. And honestly, as cliched as it is, this country needs change right now. Record foreclosures, record gas, record bankruptcies and unemployement has the average American scared about the future. But can or will Obama fix it?

First is can he fix it. At this point, there will be drastic actions that will be needed to "fix" most of the problems. He will have congressional support for a while, and will get to pass a few things. His tax plan is decent enough, and should help middle and lower America. His energy plan however is unsubstantiated and will not alleviate that problem. Plus he never really explains where he will get the majority of the funding to do what he wants. He says he will cut government spending, but how much? He will instantly lose support if he starts cutting out pet projects and people paycheck. Like every other politician before him, he will have to toe the line between feasible and doable.

Will he fix it. Once again, he will make attempts, but if past voting history is an example, it will not be something the people want. Do not forget, he voted yes to FISA. Against everything he has claimed, he preached, he voted to enable eavesdropping, and to not prosecute those who have and did. He also voted for the bailout bill, even though every economist said it was a bad idea. Granted McCain did as well.

He also voted against a Low income energy amendment to increase funding for this program. (Bill Number: HR 3010)

Has voted for defense budgets as are.

Has had a large number of NV in the past year( primarily so they can't be held against him).

Vote for Obama if you think he can help this country, but don't vote for him because you think he will change it all. You will be dissapointed. He is above all else, a politician.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Meals Cheap

Most people right now are struggling for money and trying to find places to cut back, save an extra dollar anyway they can. Many look to cut cost everywhere, but food.

If you want to make a serious attempt at saving money, quit eating out first and foremost. Secondly, use some coupons. Honestly, coupons can save a lot of money if you use them correctly. Correctly? Is there a wrong way? Sure there is. Don't buy something you don't need just because you have a coupon for it.

Here is my list for a weeks shopping.

1 Loaf of bread. Get the two pound kind if your store carries it.
1 dozen eggs
2 lbs of meat
2 boxes of hamburger helper
2 boxes of rice.
5 cans of soup
1 pack of cheese
1 package of sandwhich meat
2 green peppers
1 cucumber
1 12 pack of generic mountain dew
1 box of oreos.


Mix and match various things to fit your taste buds. Remember, we aren't trying to get the best, but survival food. You want to spend only about $30/week on groceries if possible. The average person will spend around $100/week on food, including eating out and buying groceries that sit on the shelf and rot or go uneaten. If you can do this, thats an easy $200 a month in your pocket.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Aliens today?

So, according to net rumors, message boards, and blogs, today is the day the galactic federation of light is supposed to visit earth. They are too make landfall in Alabama.

Well, its currently 2:41pm EST and all that has happened is a voltage swell and a screwed up cell phone. Some people are reporting in that they are feeling odd. Personally my inner ear is screwed up, but that is more then likely related to allergies from the fall.

This appears to be more of a spiritual desire then an actual true first contact. Some of the people claiming this are saying they are mediums, channelers or remote viewers.

All we can do is wait and see.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Local Searching

I always try to stay updated on the local Knoxville scene. To do so I have to try and find new ways and bookmark new sites that help me do so. I also like to see customer reviews and comments anytime I try a new restaurant's, being super picky and all.

Because of my job, I also travel a lot, and being out of town alone makes decision making for dinner difficult. Sure I ask the locals, but it usually ends up being a bad experience because either I can't find it, or I get lost or something. I stumbled across a website the other day called local.com. It is a nice little repository, that is growing rather nicely of local information in areas around the country.

There is two ways to search, either by location or by business, or a combination of the two. Say I want to look for a certain restaurant's in Knoxville, I enter it in and find a listing of the restaurants in the Knoxville area, along with a nice little rating system, and some comments. Also has options to poke around and view a map, gives phone numbers, etc etc.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Dealing with the loss of a loved one

It happens to all of us, we lose a special person in our life due to death. At times it can be almost unbearable. I just lost my grandfather this week and it hit me hard as we were very close.

By nature I am a person who plays it close to the vest. I don't show or share feelings or emotions, part of my guy genes I assume. Things like this tend to get to me pretty hard. In addition having to be strong for my mom and daughter, tends to make one have to wall up. I know from previous experience this is not good, the stress will kill you.

Instead of turning to alcohol or anything, I chose a different way to cope. I spent a lot of time thinking of how much better he is now, and that he is with his wife, and pappaw would never want anybody to grieve him much, he would want us to be happy that he wasn't suffering, and that he was with his wife now.

I took a walk in the woods, to enjoy some quiet and solitude first and foremost. The calming effects of nature are not to be ignored. I found me a quiet spot with a big tree and sat for a while, remembering the good times, and how happy he and mammaw were together. I also tossed a football with my daughter, and spent some time doing yardwork and house work. Things he would have approved of me doing.

We did give him a full military honors burial. He was a WWII vet, and I wanted to make sure that everybody remembered how he served his country in the most decisive war of the century. How he bravely stood against the nazis and sacrificed so much for this country. It was a healing process, because of how proud it made us all of him.

When grieving, I wont tell you to rely on friends or family, though if that works for you, by all means do so. It doesnt work for me, and many others though.

Take the time for yourself, come to terms with it, and live your life. People make so much of death, its not the final thing. The greatest tribute you can make for a loved one is to live your life, love it, and love your family.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Braviax.exe spyware removal

Had this nasty little piece of spyware on my pc last night, along with one called burito.exe and delself. These three together gave me many hours of headaches until I finally got them out. I decided to put down what I did to remove them. Be warned, they are very malicious, so do not sign into anything or any accounts while you have this on. The warning signs of braviax are a new item on your taskbar that has a red x in a circle. It pops up a message "Warning, your pc is infected with spyware, click here for windows to remove it". Sounds very legitimate, but don't. This is a new means of either spreading more spyware, or getting you to buy something that may or may not delete the spyware. This happens to be a trend with spyware lately, it impersonates a windows operating system message, and in turn you download more spyware.

The following steps are a good piece of pre-emptive work everybody should do when they can. First, make sure your antivirus software is up and current. Also make sure you have Spybot Search and destroy loaded and updated, and I also use Ad-Aware. Also download a nifty little file called killbox.

Keep Spybot and Ad-aware updated at all times, and run once or twice a week. Also if you don't have your anti-virus running in the background, make sure you force a complete system scan once a week. Also it is wise to have your firewall running. I know they are a resource hog and sometimes annoying, but they are still pretty much necessary at all times to prevent this crap.


Killbox is a nifty little tool that will stop, or stop and delete any windows process running. Use this carefully, as it will stop and delete any windows process.

Now, for the main part, you have the nasy little braviax virus. First thing to do is print this off then disconnect from the internet. You have probably noticed adaware, spybot, and your antivirus are probably not running, or you can't get them to run. Killbox isnt running either. Don't panic.

Once disconnect from the internet, click start>>Run and type in msconfig. Be very careful here. Click the startup tab, and look for the following: Braviax.exe, burito.exe, delself, cru629. Uncheck any and all instances of this appearing there. Click apply, then ok. It will ask to reboot, do so now.

While rebooting, you need to reboot in safe mode. That means hitting F8 during boot up. Choose safe mode only, then proceed to boot. Once booted do the following.

Start>>Search. Search all files and folders, including hidden ones for braviax. Delete any and all instances you find. Repeat the process for delself, cru629, and burito. Empty your recycle bin.

Click start>>run and type in cmd, hit enter. This brings up the cmd prompt. type cd.. until you get to just the C> prompt.

Now because these like to hide, type del braviax.exe and hit enter. Doesn't matter if it does or doesn't find it. Repeat that except put cru629.dat, then burito.exe, and finally delself.exe Make sure to type del before each of these. So you will have done something that looks like the following:
C> del braviax.exe
C> del cru629.bat
C> del delself.exe
C> del burito.exe

Now you want to change directery so type in cd windows. This puts you in the windows directory. Repeate the above processto where you have done the following:
C:\WINDOWS> del braviax.exe
C:\WINDOWS> del cru629.bat
C:\WINDOWS> del delself.exe
C:\WINDOWS> del burito.exe

Make sure your spelling is correct. Next, cd system32. Your prompt should look like the following: C:\WINDOWS\system32> Complete the following commands.

C:\WINDOWS\system32> del braviax.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32> del cru629.bat
C:\WINDOWS\system32> del delself.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32> del burito.exe

Type exit to exit the command prompt. Next is a very important and potentially hazardous step unless you know what you are doing, or you follow directions very well. Click start>>Run and type regedit then hit enter. Now be very careful here. At the top of the registery editor, click my computer. Then click edit>>Search. Type in just the word braviax, hit enter. Delete every single instance of this word that pops up. When one does, delete, then hit F3 to continue to search. Repeat the process for cru629, burito, and delself. Once you have deleted all these, exit out. Check and empty your recycle bin if need be.

Now, to spybot. Odds are it should up and run normally at this point. If not, do the following. Find where spybot is installed on your computer, and rename the .exe file to SDmain1.exe This will allow it to start up unnoticed by any virus or spyware. Run it, clean everything it gets. Repeat with Ad-Aware and your antivirus. Reboot into normal mode and check things out. If you still have virus or spyware, you may need to take it in. Or update your definitions and re-run spybot, adaware, and your antivirus. Also be sure and rename anything whose name you changed back to the original. I usually just add a 1, it seems to work well.

Good luck and hope this helps.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

How to escape from it all

Financial, physical and emotional stress can bring a person down fast. You have to remember to get some "you" time in there to get away from it all. There are several hobbies one can do to help unwind.

Fishing is a great relaxation for many people, and it doesn't require much time or money to do. A fishing pole, fishing license, bait and water. Preferably the water has fish in it or else you could just do it in your front yard. The major plus about fishing is it gets you outside in the fresh air, near trees and water. Nothing is more relaxing then the breeze off the water blowing through the trees. You don't have to catch anything, just enjoy the air.

Hiking is another very relaxing activity. It requires no investment except decent shoes. I know a lot of people like to hike in flip flops and sandals, but really people, thats just asking for trouble. A snake bite, rock/tree cut and your foot is ruined. If you dont have hiking shoes, at least go with tennis shoes. Keep the toes closed in please. Before you hit the trail, make sure somebody knows where you are going, because most of the time cell phones dont work on remote trails. Check the weather, and don't hike on a trail above your ability. If you are out of shape and a smoker, avoid anything to put a strain on your lungs and body. You are doing this to relax, not die.

These are just a couple brief suggestions. Whatever you do, enjoy it, have fun, and relax.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Moving hints and tips

Having just completed a move from one house to another, I thought I would share some tips, does and don't to help with this overwhelming task.

First is make a timeline and a list. Put down the date of your move. Next is to make a list of stuff you need to do at your new house before you move in. Examples are cable, utility, phone hookups. These can take anywhere from the next day to two weeks, so plan ahead. Also make your reservations for your moving van or moving company.

Get your home owners insurance in place before you move. You don't want to be moving and something drops off the dolly and falls through the floor, and then you have to out of pocket it. Also check to see if you need flood insurance, hurricane, earthquake etc.

Change your address. You can do it online now at usps.gov. This saves a lot of time, but if you can be sure and go by the post office and pick up a moving packet, free coupons are always good.

If you are moving yourself, spend the extra $10 for a furniture dolly, it will save you a lot of time and sore muscles. These are amazing and absolutely essential.

Pack, label and stack accordingly. Make a pile of 2 to 3 boxes of your essentials you will need immediately. Such as aspirin, alcohol and pringles. Okay, well maybe more then that. A good example is a change of clothes, some food, medicine, towles and bathroom toiletries. Label this box well and put it where is can be accessed easy. Also label all boxes with where they go and what they have in it. It makes a huge difference.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Disgusted at WIVK

I have been a listener of WIVK since I can remember. However Thursday they disgusted me beyond reason. There was a tragic school shooting at Central High School that resulted in the death of a student.

WIVK had their frog mascot on location at a local company that specializes in personal safety. I am not and will not put their name here, because I do not want to give them any advertisement. WIVK and WIVK listeners know who I am talking about. In addition to this, they aired commercials with the comments along the lines of "in this day and time, when tragedy can happen anywhere, only one place can help protect your loved ones". It also made several veiled references to this safety company.

It is absolutely disgusting to see this type of commercialization. I understand companies try to find a niche and promote themselves, but airing these commercials withing hours of the shooting is disgusting. The company promotes self defense and stun guns/tasers.

I understand business is business, but I also believe companies need to be responsible for what they promote. Several people I have talked to are outraged. WIVK, be mindful of your audience when accepting commercial spots.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Wonderful Ceiling Fans

A warm summer breeze, a ceiling fans sound droning on and putting you to sleep, people gasping in awe of your beautiful fan over your dining room table, or even one on your front porch cooling you down after a hard days work, a ceiling fan for all dreams and desires can be found at Farreys.com.

If you are not sure what you are looking for, their easy to use customization engine will help you. Looking for a fan by style or brand? No problem, its very easy to use. Maybe you are not sure what you want, or even know enough to determine what you need? Well, just browse by brands. Farreys features many popular brand names such as Casablanca, Monte Carlo, Hunter, and Ellington.

A quick browse and search revealed many models and designs. There appears to be a model for every situation. They even have a search engine for people on a budget, so you can narrow your search to a range you can afford. Personally, I always prefer to search by price, regardless if I am searching for a car, truck, fan or computer. They also have a contact number that is very visible on the page, and does not require any effort to find.

Farreys has been in business since 1924, serving clients for over 80 years with a drive to deliver the best product, in a friendly manner. Give the website a browse, get some fans, and get ready for the warmer weather.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Grocery savings

We all need to save money, because it doesn't grow on trees. Some of the tips I give do not cost money, but they do require a bit of time and research.

Most areas have farmers markets. These are usually a very good place to get good deals on fresh vegetables. Once you establish a relationship with certain ones, you can sometimes get better deals, or they let you come pick it yourself for half price. The gas prices are forcing all farmers more to get their product to market, and to even maintain it. A lot of the smaller ones use farmers markets to unload without the double mark up you get from the big grocery stores. Plus you can talk to them directly and find out what they use fertilizer/pesticide wise, and its a good bet most will not have growth hormones.

Plus local homegrown food taste so yummy!!

Here is a list for East Tennessee markets.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Making gas last longer

Gas is still outrageously overpriced, and we still have to go places. There are many ways to make gas last longer, if we just think a little and pay attention.

1. Drive the speed limit. I know, we all hate to do it, but speeding may get you there faster, but it will consume more gas.

2. Plot your course in advance. Know where you are going and try and take the shortest route. Try to avoid unnecessary backups and trips.

3. Intelligent shopping. Do your shopping on one day a week, get everything you need in one trip. Multiple trips to the store not only affects your gas, it affects your grocery bill, because most people will pick up a few extra things per trip.

4. Plan. Plan your trips, vacations, etc. Try to refrain from many spur of the moment trips.

Just by following these few tips, you can cut back on your gas consumption.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Helping yourself


Many times we get caught up in the problems of the world. Jobs, relationships, money, and hobbies take a good deal of our time. But how often do we do something just for ourselves? If we break down as individuals, how can we help others or even survive?

As men, we have a tendency to push ourselves further then we can, with the belief that we are indestructible. We aren't. We are just as vulnerable today as we were when we were born, and if we don't take care of ourselves, we will break down and sometimes the results are pure tragedy.

To help ourselves, we need to determine what bothers us. Primarily the two things that bother us the most is relationships and money. Everybody is different though. Take some time after work, lock yourself in your room and remove all distractions. Cell phones, pda's, computers, tv, kids, spouse, pets, anything that will break your focus. Get a pen and paper and sit either on the floor or on the bed, anywhere you can make yourself comfortable. Sit in a comfortable position, don't try some yoga position you saw on tv, it really doesn't matter.

Once comfortable, bend yourself over, then slowly straighten up, starting with the base of your spine, and just uncurl. Breathe deeply, drawing the air in through your nose, forcing it down to the bottom of your stomach, and do this for 10 seconds. It may take some time to learn to do this correctly. You are trying to force air and blood circulation to areas that normally don't get any. When you exhale, breath out your mouth, pushing the air from your stomach area out, in a slow controlled fashion. Do this for a few minutes, or until you are relaxed and at peace. Clear your mind when you do this.

Then, let your thoughts flow out and capture the first thing that comes into your head, write it down. Repeat this until you have a few things written down. Analyze what you have down, and think of what you can do to make this worry go away. Once you are done, remove the paper and place it out of sight somewhere that you can't come across it on a daily basis. Focus on one issue and fix it in your mind. When this is done, repeat your breathing excercise until you are relaxed again. This should only take around 15 minutes of your time. The breathing can be repeated anytime you are stressed. If sitting is not an option at work, close your eyes, let your hands hang free, and breathe in and out slowly a few times, let it refresh you.

Sometimes some music or sounds may help, pick your favorite soothing sounds and play them.

Mac users rejoice

Rejoice mac users, your online poker woes have been solved. Macpokeronline is a website specifically designed to find that perfect poker game for mac users. It has extensive tournaments, games, even news and information.

Some people may be hesitant to use an online poker website, but lets be honest, with gas prices as high as they are, why not stay home and get your gambling fix in? The website does not have spyware, malware or virus on it. Their privacy policy also explains they do not sell your private information.

How does one get their money online to do this gambling? They have many means of doing this. PayPal being the main exception, since paypal does not handle gambling transactions.

There is also several types of games on this site as well. You can choose from Texas hold-em( made popular by ESPN of all things) plus several other variations of regular poker. Personally I am a fan of Texas Hold em, its fun bluffing your way to winnings.

Next time you get the urge to gamble, but shudder at high gas prices, head on over, check them out, and have a fun time.

Knoxville Unitarian Church

There was a tragedy that occurred Sunday in Knoxville. A man entered a church with a shotgun, opening fire. He opened fire during a child's play in the church. Two people were killed before male members of the church subdued the attacker.

This man had a degree in mechanical engineering and a nice home. But looking deeper shows more problems. He had a history of violence with his ex-wife, who took out a restraining order against him.

What caused this to happen? Did the pressures of life get to him? Initial reports suggested he went looking for his ex-wife, or that he was mad at the church for not giving him food. Later reports suggest he may have just been trying to have police assisted suicide.

Regardless of the reason or motive, our hearts and prayers go out to the family and members of this church.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Spyware and Virus

Hate them all, hate them all. Ended up with some crazy spyware over the weekend. The Vista Anti-virus. This thing is a bear to get rid of, and be careful googling it. A lot of the sites you come across have you download something specifically designed to get rid of it. Guess what, its spyware as well.

Ad-aware has yet to get rid of this spyware, and McAfee missed it. What I did find and seemed to work is the following steps.

1. Bring up the task manager and kill the process called vav.exe
2. Download Spybot search and destroy( or your spyware remover of choice)
3. Go to your start menu, click run, type msconfig
4. Click the startup tab, uncheck vav.exe
5. Reboot and bring your pc up in safe mode( Click F8 while booting)
6. Run Spybot
7. reboot

This is a very malicious spyware and causes no end of headaches.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Tennessee Tax Free Weekend 2008

Its here, the big weekend. Tennessee is one of few states that has a tax free shopping weekend. From Friday, August 1st till Sunday August 3rd at midnight, sales tax is waved on the following items.

Clothing under $100, school supplies under $100, and computers under $1500. Thats per piece, not a total. There are of course exceptions, and anybody interested should make sure they are aware of them before shopping. This weekend is primarily to help ease the burden of back to school shopping for parents. Kids going off to college, new kids in school, or even returning students.

I am not aware of any store that does not honor this, except maybe those who do not sale anything that meets the requirements. Current sales in most stores are astonishng anyway, especially clothing. With the economy crashing, this is a good way to get the back to school shopping done that needs it.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Penny Pinching

This article is a re-post of an article I posted on associated content which discusses energy savings. This one concerns the utility bill. Some feel this is just something that cannot be changed, but it can be, even if it is a slight change, its still an extra $10 or more dollars a month.

This article discusses what is known as vampire electronics, or electronics that consume power even in their off state. Finding and eliminating them is one of the key means of getting the utility bill even lower. Watts add up over time, and can drive up the cost of your utility bill substantially. Remember to unplug anything that charges over time, once the charge is done, including cell phones, razors and laptops. Switch off the power strip at night for your entertainment center, and turn off the old desktop and monitor. Heaven forbid we may have to wait an additional 15 seconds or so to use the computer or turn on the television.

The first thing you can do is monitor your climate. There is no need to keep the a/c or the heater running at all times. Use the windows, ceiling fans, even blankets to help moderate your indoor temp. When you aren't at home, set the thermostat accordingly. Don't keep your house at a cool 68° during the day, or when out of town on trips. As a nation we are too pampered and complain the minute the temperature is outside our comfort zone. Now, when the time does come to turn on the A/C, shut the windows and doors. This will help cool the house faster.

Next big waste of energy is lights. If you aren't in the room, turn them off. Turn off the porch light as well, or install a motion sensor to turn it on automatically when movement is detected. When a light bulb burns out, replace it with a newer more efficient bulb. These last longer and consume less power. Don't go out and buy up all new lights, it will be expensive, just when the time to replace them comes, cycle them out then.

The final place we will look at is the dishwasher, washer, and dryer. Here are some simple do's and don'ts.

  1. Don't wash small loads unless needed. Wait till there are enough clothes to make a full load.
  2. Don't over dry. The clothes don't have to come out steaming out, just dry.
  3. Do pre-rinse your dishes. Don't keep piling stuff in the dishwasher dirty, and letting it sit. This leads to multiple loads of dishes.
  4. Do wash single plates and cups by hand. Just had a sandwich and coke? Wash it by hand; don't waste the dishwasher by doing this.


Hopefully these small tips will help save a few more pennies in this time of economic uncertainty.

Sex sells


It's a known fact that sex sells. In fact, if you want to sell something, promote something, or get people to look at something, you need a sultry women with come hither eyes starting at you. Men don't care what she is selling, they will stop and look, and become convinced that they need it.

Women on the other hand get sold on sparkly things, and shoes, and the word SALE. Have a commercial with a women in cute shoes, she will be all over it. Same with having sparkly stuff. Women eat that up.

Even in this enlightened age, its still the same. Look at any commercial, you see scantily clad women prancing around selling something or the other. Sometimes there is a scantily clad guy at the beach doing the same thing.

Its the same with online photo albums. I use a hosting service called pbase, and take great pictures. There is also several other's that take the same type of pictures I do( nature and wildlife). On average we receive less hits then those with the nude shots, or women pics.

The ultimate election campaign involves a well built muscular man, and a hot female VP. The female attracts the male and female votes by wearing next to nothing, but cute shoes and glittery eye liner. The man stays out of the picture and only gives interviews at sporting events, wearing rhinestone shirts, and positions himself in front of any sign that says sale.

American people are so easy to manipulate.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

GPS tracking for kids

I am sure everybody remembers a few years ago the huge outbreak in child abductions that was on CNN every single night. And then how shortly there after there was all the talks about RF chipping the kids to find them. Well, its gone one step further now. Well, its been going on for a while, but its pretty easy to get this stuff now. GPS Tracking. Now you can always know where the kids are.

It doesn't stop there though, spouses can track spouses, bosses can track employees( they already do if you didn't suspect, those company dinners? Yeah). Some benefits are of course if your kid or dad get lost, you can find them. Somebody is injured, you can find them. Kid not where she is supposed to be on a date, GPS them to their hiding hole.

But what about the privacy concerns. What about knowing the somebody is GPS tracking you everywhere you go, logging your movements, your locations. Of course somebody will say if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. Well genius, if that was true, stuff like the FISA bill wouldn't be passed. And say hypothetically you go to a friends house one night, you have been tagged by work, spouse, etc. 2 weeks later, the MIB show up at your house with proof you where in an apartment complex at the exact time a terrorist cell was meeting. Under the Patriot act that's all that is needed to haul your butt off to jail. All due to GPS tracking.

Like everything it has its pro's and con's.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Gas prices up again

Gas prices went up in Knoxville to $3.95 on average. Considering since the 4th we held around 3.85 its not too suprising, but still painful. Gas is painful anyway you look at it. Hopefully nearing the end of travel season we can get back below $3 but it is doubtful.

A few tips for conserving gas. Plan your trips accordingly. Try to get everything you need to get in one day, in a logical progression so there is no backtracking or multi-trips to the store. Don't make 6 or 7 trips to the grocery store in one week. Not only do you waste gas, but you will end up buying more then you need. And don't grocery shop on an empty stomach, it will cause you to buy more then you need. Have a snack or something before hand.

Try to pay bills online. Avoid phone payments because a lot of companies charge a convenience charge of $10 or more to do this. Try to avoid electronic draft. With things tight sometimes you need a day extra to keep from bouncing, if they pull it, you get the banks fee, and the creditors fee for bouncing, which can be upwards of $40 total.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Lean Pockets Recalled

Video gamers run to the store, check your freezer, your favorite rocking chair food is being recalled!!!

Oh wait, nothing serious, its one of the healthy ones Spinach Artichoke Chicken. No gamers eat that, just the pizza/ham and cheese ones. And yes, I can make fun of gamers seeing how I am one.

I would suggest however holding off on consuming any lean pockets with either Spinach, Artichokes, or Chicken in it. If past recalls are any indication, when a food is recalled it usually branches out to other products from either the same line, same factory, etc etc.

So don't worry WoW gamers, your hotpockets should be good for tonight's raid/arena match.

End of July

Well, July is almost half over now, and the stifling humidity and heat tennessee usually gets has been a bit absent. Along with all those nice thunderstorms I remember from a child. I haven't seen "heat lightning" in years. The rest of the country has been punished, even parts of west and middle tennesse have, and we have had a couple severe ones in the valley, but nothing like I remember.

Of I am not complaining, being a fall type guy, and with utility prices the way they are, its nice not to be running the AC 24/7. I guess the little paranoid guy in my head keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop. Last years record drought is of course still in my mind.

So much for global warming I guess.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Cherokee Heritage day

Following the pow wow last weekend there is a Cherokee Heritage day coming up August 2nd at James White Fort in Knoxville Tennessee. This year will feature dancing, lineage lookup and impersonations of famous Cherokee.

In addition there will be vendors and food as always. These are always fun and interesting to go to. The storytelling, music and costumes are always vivid and a gentle reminder of times gone past. Personally I wish it was more in the fall(which is where all good festivals belong) but any time is good.

James White Fort is located in downtown Knoxville, which of course is hard to get to, but not impossible with the road construction that is ongoing.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Spirits of Nations Pow Wow

July 12th, 2008 is the Nations of Spirits Pow wow in Knoxville TN. It will be held at Market Square in downtown knoxville. Admission is free, but parking probably isn't. There will be dancing, storytelling, arts crafts, food and a parade of flags. According to the interview on WIVK yesterday, noon and 6 pm are when the two big entrances are held.

With the economy the way it is, free is always good.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Knoxville Zoo, Smart fixed


For those who may or may not know by now, Knoxville is under going road construction cleverly called Smart Fix 40. By giving it a name, they hope to encourage us to think it is going good and all is well. To be honest, its just plain stupid. They shut down I-40 through downtown Knoxville. Yes, that’s right, shut down, a major interstate.



For those who are not familiar with the area, I-640 or I-275 are the detours to avoid this atrocity. Unfortunately for the Knoxville Zoo, neither of these help it out. Conveniently located off I-40 the Zoo has a prime location for catching tourist, and being easy to access from most of Knoxville. With the major pathway through Knoxville shut down, the zoo will be experiencing a downturn in attendance.



I personally can’t say enough about the Knoxville zoo. It is one of the better ones I have been too, and is always adding something new. The animals are all relatively easy to see, more so then most zoos.



If you can get time, go visit and keep them going, it would be a shame to see something happen to our Zoo.

Obama has ticked me off

Yeah, thats right, Barack Obama has ticked me and other Americans off. Some people may or may not have heard about the wiretapping bill that was being pushed through the house and senate. Well, after all his high and mighty words about keeping our freedoms intact, he goes and votes for it. Browse his website to see his stances.

Way to stand up to the peer pressure buddy. You failed your followers, fellow Americans, district, and everything you stood for.

Some may be wondering, whats the big deal? FISA Amendment makes it legal for telcom and the government to tap or get personal records of whomever they wish without a warrant. It also, disgustingly, makes it retro-active so the ones who did it before are free from the lawsuits they were facing.

To view this atrocity in person go to The Thomas online Library. To also see a list of who voted which way, you can go to the senate homepage.

A key couple of notes. McCain did not vote either way, he abstained. Hilary however voted nay. Some rumors are that she may still get the nod come convention time. Stuff like this is able to drive some super delegates from one camp to the other. Obama didn't win enough to outright win the nomination, he still needs the super delegates to vote for him as they pledged.

I don't like either candidate too terribly well, and this is just another example, no matter how they both preach change, nothing will. One voted along party lines against his personal stance, one didn't even have the gall to vote.

Locally local

I always try to stay updated on the local Knoxville scene. To do so I have to try and find new ways and bookmark new sites that help me do so. I also like to see customer reviews and comments anytime I try a new restaurant's, being super picky and all.

Because of my job, I also travel a lot, and being out of town alone makes decision making for dinner difficult. Sure I ask the locals, but it usually ends up being a bad experience because either I can't find it, or I get lost or something. I stumbled across a website the other day called local.com. It is a nice little repository, that is growing rather nicely of local information in areas around the country.

There is two ways to search, either by location or by business, or a combination of the two. Say I want to look for a certain restaurant's in Knoxville, I enter it in and find a listing of the restaurants in the Knoxville area, along with a nice little rating system, and some comments. Also has options to poke around and view a map, gives phone numbers, etc etc.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

End Times


Most major religions have an end times scenario. And every time there is a crisis, there are more people convinced that it is upon them. Are we living in them now? How does one tell if the end is nigh?

Taking a brief look through history we can see all the major civilizations/powers that have risen and fallen. Rome, Babylon, Greece, to name just a few. They all rose to a position of power and wealth, then all fell. Some sense this is where the United States is. A large powerful nation with a large military puts the U.S. at the top of the world powers list. But everyday people are noticing things. The economy is crashing due to rising gas prices and rising food prices. People are losing their homes and jobs, losing their cars, losing even their families.

In addition to the economic troubles at home, there is the troubles over seas. Iraq and Iran are in the news almost daily, with rumors of war in Iran becoming more and more prominent. So, it is obvious how some people may think the end is coming. In all honesty, the next 4 years will determine if the "end" is near for America or not. We really need a leader who will stand up and restore our rights, fix the economy, and get our nose out of other countries business. To be honest, I am of the opinion that we need to bring our troops home, bring our diplomats home, close the borders and fix us before we do anything else overseas.

So, is this the end times? Possibly, if things dont change, it could be the end of America as we know it. But the world? Naw, not till 2012 at the earliest.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Summer Fun and Activities

Since gas is so high now, it seems that people are looking for activities, dealing with bored kids, and basically trying to keep from going crazy. Here are a few of my suggestions.

Look into some local churches for parties, cookouts, etc. This is usually free, and even if you dont belong to the church, or aren't religious, most people are still welcome.

Next, find your states local parks website. Browse to find the festivals of the parks nearest you. Ususally there is something going on once or twice a month, and they are usually free. This is more weather dependent then other activities.

Find some local attractions you may have never been too, and go visit them. Museums, battlefields, parks, anything new and cheap. It just takes some looking.

Go to the movies. Its relatively cheap entertainment, saves gas, and keeps the kids happy.

All in all, summer can be a headache for a lot of people, but with a little work, it makes it worthwhile.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Starving in America

Starving in America. Never thought it would be as commonplace as it is now. Starving for relief from financial worries, gas problems, and medical problems. Gas is skyrocketing, with no end in sight, and nobody has a plan. Hilary has proposed one, but nothing will stop the oil companies from raising prices so we are still paying the same, and then the tax money will be gone from the road construction.

People are in the beginnings of a panic, some are even in full panic mode. Every day its a worry about providing for the family, getting to work, getting the kids to school, paying for gas and food. Where will the money come from? Getting a loan, if one is even accepted, will just provide temporary relief, then the first payment comes due, and its even more to worry about. Some people are losing their homes, some are losing their jobs, and others can't even provide food for their kids. Many parents are going without just to provide. Senior citizens are feeling the crunch on fixed incomes. Everything is increasing in price, but their incoming is staying the same.

Food prices are on the increase, causing even more stress and worry. Just to get a gallon of milk, loaf of bread, sandwich meat, and cheese is near $15 now. Its no longer a matter of getting by, its fast becoming a matter of survival. How many more Americans will be homeless by the end of the month? How many will go without their prescriptions just to eat? The travel industry will feel the sting by months end, because a vacation is out of reach. The thought of spending $1000+ just to get away for a week will discourage many from traveling.

What can be done about this? What should be done? For one, the government will have to step in and put their foot down. They need a mandatory decrease in gas prices, to below the $3/gal level. Force it there. The billion dollar profit of the oil companies will be fine. Second, instead of providing incentives to purchase foreclosure, they need to find a way to prevent them. Most mortgage companies and credit companies are going through bankruptcy. Its not going to matter to them, maybe they can not pay their executives multi-million dollar payouts. Institute a "debt forgiveness plan". Forgive x% of debt per american family, making less then $60k per single person, or $100k per family. Base it off their debt to income ratio.

Allow tax break finally for parents that pay child support. The handful that do pay are carrying the cost of the child, without the tax break that comes with it. This would also induce others to pay, knowing they are getting credit back.

Get the car manufactures to actually think for a second. No vehicle should get below 25mpg. No argument can be made that 16mpg is "good". Its bull and we know it. Also give rebates/tax breaks for people trading in the gas guzzlers for better mileage vehicles.

Quit taking our corn and grain for "alternate fuel". Its starving America. Thats more food that could be put on the table at a cheaper cost.

This is a suggestions. Some things we should not do is destroy the wilderness area's or begin coastal drilling for oil. I have seen this come up time and time again, and it seems to be a ploy by oil companies to open restricted drilling. So they can make more money of course.

Mailbox buying time

Darn kids smacking your mailbox around? Again? Tired of having to replace your mailbox time after time after time? Or maybe your subdivision has started some new stupid rule about "matching mailboxes" and its time to replace your decorative farm one?

Look no further, Mailboxixchange has what everybody is looking for in their mailbox. Residential, apartment, commercial, its all here. Building a new condo subdivision and want them all to look the same? No problem, mail boxes galore here.

Its just a fact of life, sometimes we have to replace our mailboxes, either due to vandalism, act of code, ordinance, or just tired of it. Contractors, home owners, and renters all need mailboxes. Many manufactures sell theirs through mailboxixchange, so there is a wide variety. They also even sell the post and other accessories needed to install your mailbox. So if the kid knocks your old flimsy one down, get a new sturdier one.

Check them out, they have great products, great prices, and ship in a reasonable amount of time.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Financial Terrorism

Financial terrorism is what this country is facing at the moment, led by big oil companies. By attacking the very nerve point of this country, it is causing ripple affects through the economy. Higher gas is leading to higher food, higher clothing, less travel, less spending and a crashing economy.

Why is this being allowed to continue? Why hasn't congress or the president stepped in? Why are average Americans working for gas money, so they can continue to work?

Many Americans drive SUV's and are now stuck with them for the simple reason that they have no resale value anymore, or are upside down in the payment, or are in such a credit mess they can't get financing.

The rich are getting richer even through this crisis. There can be no other explanation for the "foreclosure relief act" or whatever fancy name they called it. Given credit to people who buy foreclosures. How about doing something to keep them from being foreclosed? Rich are buying them up like candy, renting them out to people who lost their homes, and will re-sell them for double the amount in a few years. All the while enjoying their tax breaks.

It's disgusting. And whats more disgusting is that we as Americans are letting it happen.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Online savings with coupons

With riswing gas prices, cost of living increase, and even bread rising, its time to surf for some more savings. I found just the website. Couponchief.com has an abundance of much needed savings.

Spring is coming, so one area I am looking for savings is in lawn and garden. Lucky for me, couponchief has just what I need. Home depot is on there, with monster savings. Free shipping, 20 to 50% off in a clearance section, Plus even some 10% off + free shipping bargains. This will not only save money, by getting a nice savings, but it will also save gas, which as we all know is a priority.

So, lets see, now I have the yard taken care of, but what about my new camaro I just bought. I guess it would be too much to hope for that they have JCWhitney there. Yes, even JCWhitney is located on this page, with very nice savings.

Now, lets see, mothers day is coming up, as well as a few birthdays and such. What one store always says it best? Could they possibly have a hallmark section as well? Yep, surely they do. Hallmark coupons are online, making shopping for mom a breeze.

Now, I have found the three things I was going to drive all over the city for, saving myself time, money, and gas.

Vampire Electronics

Vampire electronics, energy sucking denizens of the night, stealing pennies from our very pockets. These electronic devices consume power even when you think they are safely turned off. Everything from your cell phone charger to the cable box on your tv, they are all guilty of this crime.

In recent years, the term vampire electronics has become something of a catch name for electronic devices that still consume power even when turned off. There may be a difference as small as a single watt, all the way up to possible over 100 watts of power. Little by little, this adds up, creating a higher then necessary electric bill. Here are a few handy tips to help cut down on the amount of electronics causing this, and how to be more aware of what is gnawing pennies from your pocket.

  1. 1. Consumer electronics. TV's, DVD's, stereo systems, and even just the cable box are all guilty. When the switch is turned to the off position, these devices still consume power. There are two solutions to this. One solution is to plug them all into a surge protector strip, and when they are not being used, turn the strip off. Another solution for those that may not want to do this, is to install a timed strip, and have it turn off when you are not around the house, or overnight when sleeping.

  2. Battery Chargers. All types, cell phone, razor, cordless drills, cameras, anything that charges some sort of a battery needs to be unplugged from the wall once the battery is charged. Just a quick walk through my house the other day discovered 5 separate chargers plugged in, consuming power. It's a habit we have gotten into, and one we need to break.

  3. Computers. A lot of people leave their computers on all the time. This is bad from an energy conservation standpoint. With power supplies approaching and surpassing 800 watts, that is just power going down the drain.

These are a few simple ways to save energy in your home, and to keep your pennies in your own pocket.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Tired of the official polls?

So, I am very tired of all the polls that focus on a select few demographics. Naturally, being the number crunching nerd I am, I created a nice little online survey, that takes less then a minute to complete. I am going to run it for two weeks, then repost the results, in all its excel glory to this blog

Please, feel free to take it, then check back in to see what an unbiased poll looks like!

The link is Our Next president.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Buying a used car

With gas prices skyrocketing, and no end in sight, a lot of people are trying to get out of their gas guzzler and get into something a little better on gas, or cheaper payments, or anything they can to save some money. Here are a few tips I found during my latest car buying adventure.

Trade: If you are going to trade your car in, here is some vital information for you. You won't get anything for your car. I talked to several dealers, and they are giving either "fair" or poor" trade in value for cars. And they use whichever is cheaper, KBB or edmunds. So, that $25k new car you bought last summer, is now valued at around $12k. If you have a gas guzzler, good luck with that as well. Of course this leave a majority of the people what is called upside down in the payment.
  1. Option 1: Sell it yourself to a private buyer. This will get you more for your car, and give you cash to take to the dealer. With credit the way it is, cash is a huge bargaining point.
  2. Option 2: Trade it in and take what they give you. This is mostly for people who don't have the patience to sell one on their own. And if you are selling a gas guzzler, you will be competing with the others trying to sell theirs as well.
So, we have your older car taken care of, its either been sold and you have cash in hand, or you are going down to the dealer with it as a trade. Before you go, browse the internet sites of the dealers you will be going to. A lot of time they have "special internet pricing" available if you contact them online. This helps many ways, it saves gas, lets you get an idea of whats in your price range, and most importantly, gives you the opportunity to research what they are selling.

Once you have found a couple of cars you are interested in, do the following things.
  1. Go to Edmunds.com, or KBB.com and get the retail sale price of that car. Compare it with what they are offering for it, try and find some buying leverage. Know exactly what the dealer should be selling that car for.
  2. Go to your bank/credit union. Talk to the loan officer, find out interest rates, what you qualify for, and a guestimate on the payment and terms of that car. Its best to do your own financing with your own bank, instead of the car lot doing it for you. You will probably get a better rate, and if you go in to the lot, saying you have financing, you can haggle a bit more.
  3. Call your insurance provider. The last thing you want is to find out your insurance is going up $60 or so a month because that car is a "high theft" risk, or something else silly.
Now that you have cash/trade, financing, and you know your payment, and insurance, take a few minutes and do a quick analysis of your monthly finances. Make sure you can afford it. Once you have, and you can, its time to head to the dealer. Hopefully, you contacted them through internet sales and have an appointment.

Once you arrive, don't reveal all your cards, don't talk down payment, don't talk trade, anything. If they are pushy, leave, or ask for another sales person. Don't play their game. Its their rules, their game. Ask to see the car, ask to test drive it. Drive it with the windows up, radio down, and listen. Roll the windows down and listen. Check the A/C, heat, fans, turn signals, etc. Depending on the dealer, take it to a mechanic of your choice to check it out.

When you get back to the dealer, and you decide you want it, show them the value of their car if it is priced higher then what it should be, ask them to come down. Chances are they will have to ask their boss, don't let them go alone! Go with them and show the boss the paper work. Sometimes they will, because they know they can get it back in fee's etc. Get that price on a deal sheet. Once they have it on a deal sheet, make your down payment offer. After they subtract it, get it signed, call your credit union before they can add the other fees. Pay for the title and tags yourself at the courthouse, no need to pay their fees.

There are many ways to play the game with them, but the main one is don't give away too much upfront, drop it on them once they give you the lowest price on the vehicle you want.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Ultimate gaming solution

As most of my readers can tell, I enjoy gaming a LOT. Online games, offline games, casino games, you name it, I play it. Being in engineering, I also enjoy all the technicalities that go on behind the scene. I have always wondered what goes into games, who makes them, protection, and distribution.

I came across an interesting website the other day. Betsoftgaming is the website that is home of BetSoft Gaming. This company is on the leading edge of casino game development. Constantly re-releasing and re-vitalizing the industry, they have a focus on a complete casino experience. New state of the art rooms, live dealer interface, BetSoft Gaming will give players and licensee an experience they will never forget. A few unique things I found was simulated horse racing, something missing from a lot of casino's.

I am well aware that the average person thinks it is all rigged; however, BetSoftGaming includes encryption, digital certificates and other new cutting edge protection to make the online experience as fulfilling as a casino experience should be.

Give them a peek at Betsoftgaming, you wont regret it!

Friday, January 18, 2008

Clones

"Begun, the clone war has." So spoke Jedi Master Yoda. His words from a sci-fi movie may be ringing true. In recent news the FDA said its okay to eat cloned animals. Hey, great, more food huh.

Shortly thereafter it was also announced that a human has been successfully cloned, in the laboratory of course, and not actually allowed to live. But it was the first time a human embryo clone had occurred, according to news anyway, in the U.S.A.

If we add two and two together, we come to the conclusion that the FDA just approved the agencies to clone humans for food.

Read it again, yeah, I went there. Realistically, this isn't true. Well, more then likely anyway. However it brings up a question. How far are we willing to go? Back when cloning began, it had a sci-fi feel too it. Scientist warned of the complications involved in cloning animals and humans, and the ethics. Animals are being successfully cloned and living longer, almost as much as humans. I can see the benefits of this to supplement food supplies in needy countries.

But human cloning? This opens the door to moral, ethical, and scientific questions. Should we? Should we develop a life just to test it? What mental state would it have? How deep in the genetic code is the original? If developing a clone, bringing it full term to childbirth, infecting it with childhood diseases to find cures, and then finding a cure for cancer and saving lives happened, would it be wrong?

A situation that definitely bears watching.

Monday, January 7, 2008

The epic mount

Let me break it down easy for you. You need 5000g to get your epic flier. Plus you need 200g for the mount. For some people that can’t save, that seems to be an insurmountable amount of gold required to get the mount. I am going to state very clearly what I did, and how I did it.

I have, and always have had a bad case of alt-ititis. For those not familiar with the term, it means I have a lot of alts. This was a huge money drain on me. Buying mounts, gear, etc etc. First thing I did was parked one in Ironforge near the bank and the auction house. Second thing I did was made a commitment to not level my alts at all, but I was going to use them to help earn my gold.

A quick breakdown of what I have and used.

Level 70 warrior: Miner/Blacksmith

Level 70 Mage: Enchanter/Tailor

Level 62 Shaman: Miner/Jewelcrafter

Of these three, the warrior is the only one with maxed professions. The mage is over 350 with his, and the shaman I leveled jewelcrafting up to the point of being able to prospect adamantite. That’s very important. I get bored farming, I get bored grinding, I get bored raiding, I even get bored doing Battlegrounds, so I knew I would not be able to sit down and do one thing at a time to make this money. So, I browsed the AH to see what was needed at what time with my shaman, who was parked in Ironforge. I started the process at 1000g between all my alts. In less then 5 days I had the money required.

Step 1: Do all the dailies you can. I began the day with my warrior doing his dailies(except for the dungeon ones, too much of a money sink). I then logged in my mage and did his dailies. Approximately 210g for both characters dailies.

Step 2: I flew to nagrand, and hit up elemental plateau. I would kill the water elementals, then fish the nodes. Rinse and repeat. In less then an hour, I had 7 primal waters. It should be noted you need to be familiar with your own servers farming schedule. I knew when to go when there was little or no competition. Mailed the primals to my shaman, put 4 primals on the AH, held the others in reserve.

Step 3: Logged on my frost mage and killed fire elementals in shadowmoon vale until I had 3 primal fires. Sent to AH.

Step 4: There is a blood elf camp in shadowmoon just east of the alliance stronghold. The belfs are spread out, low hit health, and pretty easy for a warrior to tear through. I farmed them until I had several tomes, and around 30 rings. Would take around 1 to 1.5 hours. The tomes sell for average of 15 to 20g a piece, and the rings for 1g apiece. Vendored everything else I looted, except for cloth and greens. These were sent to my mage.

Step 5: Log the mage back in, made the cheapest tailored greens I could with netherweave, dis-enchanted them and sold the arcane dust on the AH. Sometimes I got a shard as well. Also disenchanted all greens looted while farming.

Step 6: Log back onto warrior, and just looked for nodes to mine. All adamantite and gems went to my jewelcrafter. From 3 stacks of adamantite, I would get around 4 blue gems on average. The other gems I cut and sold for 1g on the AH. All fel iron and eternium were smelted together to create Felsteel, which sells for 15 to 20g a bar.

Everything else was just varied to what I would do to kill time, or felt like doing. During this time, I never went into an instance, never bought a thing from the AH, and only paid for repairs and food.

Some more tips or ideas would be to run low level dungeons, and sell the items on the AH, or disenchant them.

I averaged 800g a day, in only about 5 to 6 hours of trying. And don’t worry, once you get your epic, and start the netherwing dailies, the money just flows back in.

Hopefully this little guide will help anybody like me, who has many alts, gets bored easy, and could just be overwhelmed by the amount of gold required to fly fast.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Ceiling Fans

A warm summer breeze, a ceiling fans sound droning on and putting you to sleep, people gasping in awe of your beautiful fan over your dining room table, or even one on your front porch cooling you down after a hard days work, a ceiling fan for all dreams and desires can be found at Farreys.com.

If you are not sure what you are looking for, their easy to use customization engine will help you. Looking for a fan by style or brand? No problem, its very easy to use. Maybe you are not sure what you want, or even know enough to determine what you need? Well, just browse by brands. Farreys features many popular brand names such as Casablanca, Monte Carlo, Hunter, and Ellington.

A quick browse and search revealed many models and designs. There appears to be a model for every situation. They even have a search engine for people on a budget, so you can narrow your search to a range you can afford. Personally, I always prefer to search by price, regardless if I am searching for a car, truck, fan or computer. They also have a contact number that is very visible on the page, and does not require any effort to find.

Farreys has been in business since 1924, serving clients for over 80 years with a drive to deliver the best product, in a friendly manner. Give the website a browse, get some fans, and get ready for the warmer weather.

Lance Cunningham Ford

I can't say enough about this car dealer in knoxville tennessee. If you are looking for, interested in, or just wanting information, about new or used fords, this is the location. I have purchased two mustangs from them in the past year, and they do the deal right.

Located conveniently on clinton highway, right off Interstate 640 and I-75, they are easily reached from anywhere in the area. A large inventory, knowledgeable sales staff, and people friendly finance officers, they have the complete package. Go see Preston for a truly enjoyable sales experience.

Hmmm, coffee!

Coffee, the drink of a lifetime, the good morning picker-upper. The aroma alone can wake one up from the very depths of sleep. So many selections, so many ways to drink, so many ways to brew!

How does one determine a coffee maker? Or even how does one figure out all the information surrounding coffee makers? Well, there is an easy way to do so. In fact, it has all the information one needs, including reviews from users. Wize.com/coffee-makers has all the information you need. Single guy or girl? Casual one cup drinker? No problem, browse through the selection by brand or make. Family type or likes a couple of cups? No problem once again. All listed, searchable, and ready for the discerning coffee drinker. Anything you need to know, to help narrow the selection, is all listed in a nice easy to look up page. If you want a one cup brewer, made by Black and decker, set your search functions, read the reviews.

A wonderful, easy to navigate page, I highly recommend it to anybody wishing to evaluate coffee makers.