17 ways to save on energy

By Bankrate.com

Get a home energy audit every couple of years with your power company to find ways to cut costs. Check with your utility company for rebates whenever you install energy-saving equipment. Add more energy-efficient insulation to your attic, with the appropriate R-value, or resistance to heat flow, for your climate and the type of heating in your house.. Turn down your home thermostat two degrees and save 24 kilowatt hours a month. It might not sound like much, but it adds up. Buy a programmable thermostat, especially if your home is vacant most of the day. Set it to turn on a half hour before anyone arrives home. Adjust your thermostat to a comfortable temperature and wait. Turning your thermostat up or down dramatically wastes energy and increases your heating costs. Lower your hot water thermostat 10 degrees, but no lower than 120 degrees. You'll still get all the hot water you need and save 25 kilowatt hours a month. Fix leaky faucets -- one drip a second is 20 kilowatts a month. Invest in weather-stripping kits if you've got drafty doors. Trade your standard candescent bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs. They are more energy-efficient, last for years instead of months, consume little power and generate little heat. Turn off your computer when not in use, or use the energy-saving "sleep" mode. Seal energy leaks. Caulk over cracks and small holes around windows and exterior walls. Look carefully around plumbing pipes, telephone wires, dryer vents, sink and bathtub drains and under countertops. Participate in your power company's special energy-saving program. Some programs shut down electric appliances for short bursts of time during peak hours. You hardly notice the difference -- except in your bill. Buy major appliances that sport the "Energy Star" sticker. That shows the appliance meets or exceeds standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. Consider a front-loading washing machine. They use 50 percent less energy and one-third less water. Plus, they remove far more water in the rinse cycle, and that translates into big savings in dryer time. When building a home or replacing a roof, select a roof based more on energy efficiency than on how it looks. Light-colored roofs, such as white, galvanized metal or cement tile, do the best job of reflecting the sun, and cool quickly at night. Landscaping with the right mix of trees and shrubs can lower your energy bills by blocking winter winds or the summer sun.

Winners of the "I Look Like My Dog" Contest

JOKE

What's the difference between a psychologist and a magician?
A psychologist pulls habits out of rats

—tom.

HOW TO TICK PEOPLE OFF

1. Leave the copy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17 inch paper, 99 copies.
2. In the memo field of all your checks, write "for sexual favors."
3. Specify that your drive-through order is "TO-GO."
4. If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally with your pen while talking to others.
5. Stomp on little plastic ketchup packets.
6. Insist on keeping your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep them tuned up."
7. Reply to everything someone says with "that's what you think."
8. Practice making fax and modem noises.
9. Highlight irrelevant information in scientific papers and "cc" them to your boss.
10. Make beeping noises when a large person backs up.
11. Finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with prophesy."
12. Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears and grimacing.
13. Disassemble your pen and "accidentally" flip the ink cartridge across the room.
14. Holler random numbers while someone is counting.
15. Adjust the tint on your TV so that all the people are green, and insist to others that you "like it that way."
16. Staple pages in the middle of the page.
17. Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a croaking noise.
18. Honk and wave to strangers.
19. Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints at the cash register.
20. TYPE IN UPPERCASE.
21. type only in lowercase.
22. dont use any punctuation either
23. Buy a large quantity of orange traffic cones and reroute whole streets.
24. Repeat the following conversation a dozen times.
    "DO YOU HEAR THAT?"
    "What?"
    "Never mind, it's gone now."
25. As much as possible, skip rather than walk.
26. Try playing the William Tell Overture by tapping on the bottom of your chin. When nearly done, announce "No, wait, I messed it up," and repeat.
27. Ask people what gender they are.
28. While making presentations, occasionally bob your head like a parakeet.
29. Sit in your front yard pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.
30. Sing along at the opera.
31. Go to a poetry recital and ask why each poem doesn't rhyme.
32. Ask your co-workers mysterious questions and then scribble their answers in a notebook. Mutter something about "psychological profiles."

6 Steps to Reduce Cleaning Time

Make these six items a part of your daily routine and your weekly cleaning time will be cut dramatically.

1) Buy a doormat. Catch the dirt at the door, advises cleaning guru, Don Aslett.

2) Leave your shoes at the door. Wear slippers if your feet get cold. Just don’t let mud and dirt from shoes leave trails throughout your house.

3) Do dishes after eating. Wash them or stick them in the dishwasher immediately. Real Simple magazine reported that dishes actually get dirtier the longer they sit in the sink. The reason is that they mix with water and the bacteria spreads…rapidly.

4) Wipe up spills right away. It is faster and easier to remove them before they gets caked on.

5) Hang up clothes when you take them off. If they are dirty deposit them in the laundry chute or hamper, not on the floor.

6) Don’t let mail pile up. Stand over the recycling bin and then route it to the correct person or place. If you do it daily it remains a simple task. If you do this once a week it becomes a chore!

Toy Sale

Littletikes has a one-day special on select toys. Limit is one special price per item. Shipping starts at $9. Thanks rach and Slickdealio

• Keyheads City Police and Fire Station Set $6.99 (was 50.96)
• Pop Top Playsets Collection $6.99 (was 17.97)
• Fairytale Playset Aladdin Package $6.99 (was 44.97)
• Scribblet $6 (was $23.88) - no limit on quantity
• More special offers

If your order reaches certain limits, you can use the following coupons and items:

• Glowing Animal Flashlight $1.99 with any order
• $5 off $30 KING0530
• $10 off $100 KING1010 (thanks Slickdealio)
• Free shipping on $200+ orders EXIT2006

EMAIL STUFF TO REMEMBER

MANY people need to pay attention to some of this although number 6 wouldn't surprise me if it was true.

Whoever decided to create this note should receive some type of humanitarian award. It says it all!

Number 1:
Big companies don't do business via chain letters.
Bill Gates is not giving you $1000, and Disney is not giving you a free vacation.
There is no baby food company issuing class-action checks.
Proctor and Gamble is not part of a satanic cult or scheme, and its logo is not satanic.
MTV will not give you backstage passes if you forward something to the most people.
The Gap is not giving away free clothes.
You can relax; there is no need to pass it on "just in case it's true."

Number 2:
There is no kidney theft ring in New Orleans.
No one is waking up in a bathtub full of ice, even if a friend of a friend swears it happened to their cousin.
If you are hell-bent on believing the kidney-theft ring stories, see:
http://urbanlegends.tqn.com/library/weekly/aa062997.htm
And I quote:
"The National Kidney Foundation has repeatedly issued requests for actual victims of organ thieves to come forward and tell their stories."
None have.
That's "none" as in "zero."
Not even your friend's cousin.

Number 3:
Neiman Marcus doesn't really sell a $200 cookie recipe.
And even if they do, we all have it.
And even if you don't, you can get a copy at:
http://www.bl.net/forwards/cookie.html
Then, if you make the recipe, decide the cookies are that awesome, feel free to pass the recipe on.

Number 4:
If the latest NASA rocket disaster(s) DID contain plutonium that went to particulate over the eastern seaboard, do you REALLY think this information would reach the public via an AOL chain letter?

Number 5:
There is no "Good Times" virus.
In fact, you should never, ever, ever forward any email containing any virus warning unless you first confirm that an actual site of an actual company that actually deals with viruses.
Try: http://www.norton.com
And even then, don't forward it. We don't care.

Number 6:
There is no gang initiation plot to murder any motorist who flashes headlights at another car driving at night without lights.

Number 7:
If you're using Outlook, IE, or Netscape to write email, turn off the "HTML encoding."
Those of us on Unix shells can't read it, and don't care enough to save the attachment and then view it with a web browser since you're probably forwarding us a copy of the Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe anyway.

Number 8:
If you still absolutely MUST forward that 10th-generation message from a friend, at least have the decency to trim the eight miles of headers showing everyone else who's received it over the last 6 months.
It sure wouldn't hurt to get rid of all the ">>>" that begin each line either.
Besides, if it has gone around that many times we've probably already seen it.

Number 9:
Craig Shergold (or Sherwood, or Sherman, etc) in England is not dying of cancer or anything else at this time and would like everyone to stop sending him their business cards.
He apparently is no longer a "little boy" either.

Number 10:
The "Make a Wish" foundation is a real organization doing fine work, but they have had to establish a special toll free hot line in response to the large number of Internet hoaxes using their good name and reputation.
It is distracting them from the important work they do.

Number 11:
If you are one of those insufferable idiots who forwards anything that "promises" something bad will happen if you "don't," -- then something bad will happen to you if I ever meet you in a dark alley.

Number 12:
Women really are suffering in Afghanistan, but forwarding an e-mail won't help their cause in the least.
If you want to help, contact your local legislative representative, or get in touch with Amnesty International or the Red Cross.

Number 13:
As a general rule, e-mail "signatures" are easily faked and mean nothing to anyone with any power to do anything about whatever the competition is complaining about.

Number 14:
KFC really does use real Chickens, with feathers and beaks and feet.
No, they really do.
Why did they change their name?
In this health conscious world, what was KFC's name?
Kentucky FRIED Chicken.
FRIED is not healthy.
So with the help of a focus group, they changed the name to KFC.
It's short, doesn't offend dieters and it's easy to remember.

Number 15:
Another thing, just because someone said in a message, four generations back, that "we checked it out and it's legit," does not actually make it true.
PS: There is no bill pending before Congress that will allow long distance companies to charge you for using the Internet.

Bottom Line...
Composing e-mail or posting something on the Net is as easy as writing on the walls of a public restroom.
Don't automatically believe it until it's proven false.
ASSUME it's false, unless there is proof that it's true.

Now forward this page to everyone you know or the program I just put on your hard drive while you read this E-mail will open up your CD-ROM and reach out and slap you upside the head!

http://pages.videotron.com/garrick/jokes/email.html

Make your Own Pop Bottle Drip Irrigation System

by Gayla Sanders The last time I forgot to water my outdoor potted plants and discovered them completely wilted and hanging on the cusp of near death, I decided it was time to take action. Some of the plants on my deck receive a full, searing sun all day long during the hottest mid summer days. While these plants thrive under such conditions if properly taken care of, they will die quickly if they don't receive enough water. Although it has been unusually rainy this year in these parts, full sun deck plants will still get extremely hot and dry very quickly. One of the best ways to provide a steady water supply to your plants without your constant attention is the gradual watering system or drip irrigation. Through this method a device is employed that slowly delivers water into the soil directly around the roots. http://www.yougrowgirl.com/garden/dripsystem.php Very Cool idea that can be used year round.

Disposable Income Calculator Disposable Income: Noun. The pittance you have left after rent, food, clothes, insurance and dog food. It's how much you really have to spend on whatever you want.

It's easier to decide how to spend your hard-earned income if you appreciate just how hard you actually worked for it. This simple calculator will tell you how much you earn every hour to spend on whatever you want, guilt free.

http://www.disposableincome.net/

Daddy's Call

· Read more jokes on General

“Hello?”, “Hi honey. This is Daddy. Is Mommy near the phone?”

“No Daddy. She’s upstairs in the bedroom with Uncle Paul.”

After a brief pause, Daddy says, “But honey, you haven’t got an Uncle Paul.”

“Oh yes I do, and he’s upstairs in the room with Mommy, right now.”

Brief Pause. “Uh, okay then, this is what I want you to do. Put the
phone down on the table, run upstairs and knock on the bedroom door and
shout to Mommy that Daddy’s car just pulled into the driveway.”

“Okay Daddy, just a minute.”

A few minutes later the little girl comes back to the phone.

“I did it Daddy.”

“And what happened honey?” he asked.

Well, Mommy got all scared, jumped out of bed with no clothes on and
ran around screaming. Then she tripped over the rug, hit her head on
the dresser and now she isn’t moving at all!”

“Oh my God!!! What about your Uncle Paul?”

“He jumped out of the bed with no clothes on, too. He was all scared
and he jumped out of the back window and into the swimming pool. But I
guess he didn’t know that you took out the water last week to clean it.
He hit the bottom of the pool and I think he’s dead.”

***Long Pause***

***Longer Pause***

***Even Longer Pause***

Then Daddy says,

“Swimming pool? …. Is this 486-5731?”

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