Really? I can’t say that I’ve seen the increase myself, but oh well — at least I have a job, which is a good thing considering the unemployment rate around here.
Month: February 2004
Screw mowing the lawn
I’m getting me some fake grass.
Anaheim, along with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, is test-driving synthetic lawns as a way to conserve water.
If it works, residents who install the faux grass may soon be eligible to receive rebates, similar to those offered for low-flow toilets and water-efficient washing machines.
…
Public utility officials estimate that about 40% — perhaps as much as 70% — of an average residential water bill goes to outdoor uses. And 90% of that water is used on lawns.
Living in a desert like we do, I’m wouldn’t be surprised to see this show up at some point. I know that my dad-in-law who does landscaping for a major resort in the area has had to paint dry grass green during drought years around here (yes you read that right: he painted grass green). Link via Les.
Dad Kills Known Sex Offender
Dad’s in-law is caught in a possible compromising situation with 2 year old daughter. The dad knows the guys history of sex abuse, so he immediately beats the registered sex offender up, and kicks him out. He takes girl to hospital, no penetration. But later on, he decides to gun the man down in the street with 9 bullets.
Personally, I think the man should’ve been shot, too, despite the fact that he wasn’t found guilty this time — he was before. I know I would’ve probably had done the same thing if somebody came near my daughters, even if it meant I’d go to jail. Full story on the shooting.
Low-carb diets are creating false sense of health
Not only is the science behind the low-carb diets a bit shaky, but people don’t know how to label their food properly, creating a false sense of security:
At Subway we tested the Turkey Bacon Melt Wrap. Subway claims that it has 22 grams of carbs, while our lab results showed it at 28 grams…
At Carl’s Jr., we tested the low-carb Six Dollar Burger, which the company claims has six grams of carbohydrates. Our lab results: 9 grams…
We tested TGIF’s Sizzling New York Strip with Blue Cheese. TGIF claims 6 net carbs and 11 total carbs. Our lab found 20 total carbs…
Low-Carb Emporium claims 15 grams of carbs per bagel. Our lab found triple the carbs — 55. Low-carb Emporium says they just re-did the formulas and will be getting lab reports on new formulas soon.
I don’t want to get into a debate about how well the diet works, as it’s not my place. If I had actually followed through and got my R.D. from Colorado State, then I’d actually form an opinion here. But I do know that the diet’s creating a lot of buzz, it probably works for some folks, but for endurance athletes (like myself — once I recover from my surgery), carbohydrates are still the best way to fuel yourself.
And while there’s good legitimate criticism of the diet out there, it doesn’t help when one of the most vocal “doctor’s groups” denouncing the diet is actually a front for PETA.
I think what gets me is all the people that think that low-carb means “Avoid bread, eat lots of sausage, butter and beans.” That’s smart thinking — you’ll die faster than most. And those folks claim they’re healthy as an ox. Right…an ox with cholesterol-filled arteries.
And then people also get mad when they don’t lose weight fast enough. For christ sakes, people, exercise! Low carb, high carb, no carb, whatever, your body can’t lose wait unless you burn off more calories than you put in — period.
Me, when I get my strength back and try to get back into competitive shape, I’ll go back on the diet that was good for me when I was working out more: 60-20-20 — 60% carbs, 20% protein, 20% fat — give or take a bit either way. It always worked for me, and no sense in screwing with what works.
Update on 2/11: Not only that, but Dr. Atkins was obese and unhealthy when he died.
Recycle and trade your junk in Central Oregon
One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Usually you’d have eBay for something like this, but what if you just want to get rid of it, and it’s something that would be better off gotten rid of locally? Bendites now have a solution. From their site:
SWAP is designed to promote reuse of materials in Central Oregon. It is a free and convenient way for individuals and businesses to exchange reusable or surplus products and prevent them from ending up in the dump.
Do you have used plastic buckets, glass jars or wood pallets collecting dust in your garage? Place a listing on SWAP for reuse by someone else.
Are you looking for used building supplies, packaging material or fabric scraps? Search our SWAP database. We may have what you are looking for and then some.
I have some excess stuff that I think I might just end up listing on there. The hard-to-find search screen is here.
Why I vote down tax measures
Oregonians have just rejected measure 30, and a series of draconian cuts are falling. It’s a disaster for rural schools. So what is Oregon’s governor doing? He’s visiting Iraq.
And I’m willing to bet he isn’t using his own money for that trip. Link from Rob.
A woman’s ultimate fantasy?
A recent Harris On-line poll 38562 men across the US were asked to identify woman’s ultimate fantasy.
97.8% of the respondents said (correctly) that a woman’s ultimate fantasy is to have two men at once.
While this has been verified by a recent sociological study it appears that most men do not realize that in this fantasy one man is cooking and the other is cleaning.
Another Flash time-killer
Paddle Juggling — a game that’s a pain in the butt with a touch pad, but still horribly addicting and fun.
Recycle your Pepsi caps and iTunes codes
You probably heard about Pepsi’s promotion to put codes under it’s caps for free songs on iTunes (they had a commercial during the Super Bowl). But what if you have no use for those codes? Like I, for example, aren’t that into music that I need to get stuff off iTunes. So what to do? Recycle the codes for good use:When you submit a winning Pepsi code to the Tune Recycler, we’ll redeem it for music from honest, independent labels. There are a few great independent labels in the iTunes store that give their musicians up to 40-50 cents, right from the first sale. When you use the Tune Recycler, you know that no money is going to support price fixing, payola, or lawsuits against families with children–and most importantly, the money goes to a musician. That way, you don’t have to sign up with iTunes to get one song, but you can still put that cap to use.
I know I’ll be sending my codes there. iTunes is a slick service, but I really have no reason/need to fund the pockets of the major labels — I’d rather it go to an independent, and that’s where this will be going.