Friday, May 23, 2008

Flickr

This is a test post from flickr, a fancy photo sharing thing.
Posted by Jason at 1:56 PM 0 comments

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Create Invisible Shelves - wikiHow


How to Create Invisible Shelves


from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Add some cool to your pad on the cheap! This is a great way to start conversation about your favorite books and how cool you are for making books float on your wall. This trick of the eye shelf is truly amazing. Try it for yourself.

Steps


  1. Choose a suitable book that you don't want to read ever again. This will become the "sacrificial" book that makes the shelf.
  2. Make the supporting shelf.
    • Open the sacrificial book's back cover and use your tape measure to find the halfway point.
    • Make a mark on the page.
    • Trace the bracket from the mark out.

  3. Cut the shelf book.
    • Use your utility knife to cut into the pages of the book, following the outline of the bracket.
    • Toss the excised text to the wind.
    • Cut deep enough so the back cover of the book can be closed tight against the pages.

  4. Use your knife to make a notch in the book edge for the "L" bracket. This way the book can sit flush against the wall.
  5. Add the book screw.
    • Get your drill out and drill through the holes in the "L" Bracket.
    • Secure the "L" bracket in place by screwing together the pages of the book. The pages will rise up the screw as you insert it, so use your hand to hold the pages down.
    • Drill two holes near the outside corners of the book, one on each side.
    • Secure the pages by inserting screws into the holes.

  6. Glue the shelves. Cover the inside back cover of the book in glue and close it.
    • Place a stack of books or some other type of weight on top. Now let it dry - overnight, at least 8 - 12 hours. Cheating at this stage is not advisable; if you do, you might find a pile of books at the floor.

  7. Wait for the glue to dry.
  8. Figure out where you want the books to go and find the stud. Do this by knocking on the wall until you hit a solid point. Another way to find a stud is to get a stud finder.
  9. Mount the bracket to the wall using the large wood screws.
  10. Stack them high. Find your favorite, most intellectually and artistically impressive books and stack them up high enough to cover the bracket, largest to smallest. Now let your friends try to figure it out.


Tips


  • When cutting the book, avoid injury by cutting away from your body and use a flat and stable surface to rest on. Also be sure that the surface is protected in case you slip and damage an item of furniture.


Things You'll Need


  • 1 "L" bracket
  • 1 utility knife
  • 1 drill
  • 1 Phillips head screwdriver
  • 5 small wood screws (flat-head)
  • 3 large wood screws (flat-head)
  • 1 tape measure
  • 1 Elmers glue/strong craft glue bottle (i.e., a bottle filled with glue)
  • 7 books to shelve
  • 1 big book that you'll never read again but looks good on the wall
  • 1 1972 Smith's Drillhead


Related wikiHows




Sources and Citations


  • VideoJug Video of making an invisible shelf. Original source of article. Shared with permission and appreciation.



Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Create Invisible Shelves. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Posted by Jason at 5:41 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Quit Soda Pop - wikiHow


How to Quit Soda Pop


from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

If you're someone who's drinking eight or more cups of soda pop a day instead of eight cups of water, then it may be time for a change. Sweetened drinks are the only substance linked directly to weight gain through clinical research, and a possible explanation is that you're consuming calories without feeling full.[1] Since the weight loss benefits of diet soda have come into question[2] more and more people are considering giving up their precious pop completely. Read on if you would like to take a step into becoming a healthier person by banning soda from your life.

Steps


  1. Determine why you are quitting soda. There can be several reasons, and any one of them can make living a soda-free life an attractive option:

  2. Stock up on substitutes. Water is the healthiest and cheapest replacement for soda, but quitting soda cold turkey and making the big switch to water might mean setting yourself up for failure. The best way to quit any kind of addiction is to ease your way out of it. Here are some suggested soda substitutes:

  3. Track your soda consumption. Estimate, as accurately as you can, how much soda you're drinking per week. (This is very important for the next step.) Do you drink soda with lunch at work? In between classes? While you're unwinding in front of the TV? Calculate how many calories you're racking up from soda alone; to get an idea of how fizz might be affecting your weight, calculate how many calories you're supposed to be getting per day and see how much of that you're getting from soda. For many people, this is a powerful observation that might give you the motivation you need to change this habit.
  4. Make a quitting schedule. Whatever the amount of soda you drink per week, cut that amount by 25% for one week, then by 50% the next, and so on. Gradually increase your consumption of the substitutes you chose. Be sure that you're still consuming the same amount of liquid (if not more) or else you may become dehydrated, which will make quitting even more difficult.
    • If you drink most of your soda at home, this will be easier to do. Just buy less and less soda every week. If the soda isn't purchased, then you won't feel the urge to drink it when you're at home.
    • If you drink a lot of soda from vending machines, don't carry a lot of extra change with you. If you carry a lot of extra change around, it may be time to start paying for other items with that change so you won't have the urge to stick that money in the machine for the soda.
    • If somebody who you live with loves to drink soda, then ask them to hide it so you won't have to drink any. This may seem a little strange, but it will eventually pay off.

  5. Prepare for caffeine withdrawal. Do not underestimate the addictive power of caffeine. If most of the soda you drink has caffeine, you may experience headaches and other withdrawal symptoms for about a week, especially if you cut your soda consumption dramatically. Likewise, if you depend on both the caffeine and sugar fix that soda pop brings to get you through the day, you'll probably feel more tired while your body adjusts to not having carbonated "pick-me-ups".[5] If the symptoms are too dramatic, tweak your schedule so that you're weaning yourself off more gradually.
  6. Remind yourself what your goal is constantly so you will not forget. Write yourself a note that says something along the lines of "Don't drink soda," and stick this note in a place where you are likely to see it. One very effective way to remember that a 20-ounce bottle of soda is the equivalent of 17 teaspoons of straight sugar[6] is to fill empty bottles with that amount of sugar and keep them in places that you normally drink soda (the fridge, at your desk, etc.). If you normally drink from the can, find out how much sugar is in each can, put it in a zip lock bag, and drape it over the top of an empty can. The sight of all that sugar can be a sobering reminder of what you're really trying to avoid.
    • To calculate how much sugar is in a particular bottle or can, look on the nutrition label for how many grams of sugar there are per serving. If you have a scale, weigh out that amount of sugar; you can also remember that there are about 4 grams of sugar per level teaspoon. Repeat for every serving that there is in the container (check the label) and you'll see how much sugar you're consuming with each bottle or can.[7]



Tips


  • Drink water more often. If you used to drink soda for supper, then replace your soda can with a glass of water. This way, you will be starting a healthier habit.
  • If you want something sweet or a snack, try fruit for a healthy option, or a cookie or two. Fruit contains important nutrients, and even cookies do not carry as great of a health risk as soda.
  • Remember, drinking soda pop once in a while is okay. Everything in moderation.
  • Buy a refillable water bottle. When you have something you can grab and go, even if its to the other room, it helps a great deal!
  • Put a water cooler in your home.


Related wikiHows




Sources and Citations


  1. ↑ http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/09/18/kd.liquid.calories/index.html

  2. ↑ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,159579,00.html

  3. ↑ http://edrabin.blogspot.com/2005/11/hop-on-pop-carbonation-and-bone-health.html

  4. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/features/soda-osteoporosis

  5. ↑ http://www.starling-fitness.com/archives/2004/03/12/how-to-quit-soda/


  6. ↑ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10697344/from/RS.1/

  7. ↑ http://www.marshallbrain.com/science/sugar-in-soda.htm



Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Quit Soda Pop. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Posted by Jason at 5:20 AM 1 comments

Quit Soda Pop - wikiHow

Quit Soda Pop - wikiHow
Posted by Jason at 5:19 AM 0 comments

Friday, April 18, 2008


How to Butterfly Coil a Rope


from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Carrying the least amount of necessities needed when going climbing is important. Traveling light and fast will make it easier to climb. Learning how to coil a rope into an easy-to-carry backpack will eliminate carrying a backpack with you as you climb or even hike. This coil is used predominantly by mountaineers and rock climbers, though it is also a very handy and quick way to carry any long rope.

Steps


  1. Double the rope. Find the half point of the rope and fold the entire thing evenly in half. This is done so that once the rope is coiled, you can use the two free ends as shoulder straps. It can be time consuming, but you won't spend as much time coiling later on. You can skip doubling the rope and still follow these steps, but in the end you will have only one strap and will need to improvise when securing it to your body.[1]
  2. Set aside a loose end. Grab both ends of the rope and measure 1 1/2 - 2 arms' length (the distance between your hands when you hold them out straight sideways). Let this section hang loose so far, as it will be used later to complete the coil.
  3. Measure another full arms' length and put it on your shoulders, with your neck in the center.
  4. Coil the rest of the rope behind your neck. When you are holding the rope up, one end will be the short loose end that you set aside earlier, and the other end will be the long one that needs to be coiled.
    • Grab the long end with the opposite hand (without letting go of the rope you're already holding).
    • Measure out your arm's length and put that length behind your neck, never letting go of the rope you grabbed.
    • Repeat this process, alternating hands because every time you coil the rope, you'll be bringing the long end to the opposite side. You'll find more and more rope accumulating in each hand, which could make this task difficult if you have small hands and a long length of thick rope.

  5. Take the coiled rope off your shoulders. Fold it in half by putting your hand in the center and letting the ends hang loose.
  6. Wrap the folded rope just below your hand 4 or 5 times around with the two free ends of the rope set aside in the first step. Don't remove your hand from the fold because you will need it there for the next step.
  7. Pull the loose ends partially through the fold with your hand, making a loop. Pass the free ends through this loop and tighten.
  8. Hold the coiled rope by the loose ends and swing it to your back. Then bring one loose end over each shoulder as carrying straps.
  9. Bring the loose ends to your back again, where they will intersect over the coiled rope, preventing it from bouncing around as you're walking.
  10. Bring the free ends forward once again, this time around your waist, and tie a knot.


Tips


  • If you're already wearing a backpack, you can tie the rope to your pack. Some packs have straps at the top specifically for this purpose.[2]
  • Many people prefer the butterfly coil over the mountaineer's coil because it doesn't twist the rope.[3]
  • If you have trouble figuring this out from the pictures and description, watch the video referenced below.


Things You'll Need


  • Rope


Related wikiHows




Sources and Citations



  1. ↑ http://www.gunks.com/index.php?pageid=205&pagenum=2&smGroup=2&smID=4

  2. ↑ http://books.google.com/books?id=3hgJ0gvwIIIC

  3. ↑ http://books.google.com/books?id=3hgJ0gvwIIIC



Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Butterfly Coil a Rope. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Posted by Jason at 5:30 AM 0 comments

Butterfly Coil a Rope - wikiHow

Butterfly Coil a Rope - wikiHow
Posted by Jason at 5:25 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

PepperJam Review

PepperJam is an affiliate marketing firm that according to recent
reviews, is already becoming viral.

According to their official press release…

"…Pepperjam Network addresses the two primary shortcomings of other existing affiliate networks, namely (1) poor, unreliable communication tools and (2) lack of affiliate transparency…"

I have decided to give it a whirl. Initial signup was a breeze: after the standard form fill out, and email confirmation, you may receive a phone call for verification.

Lots of promotional options are available with Pepperjam, including product links, banner ads,
and text links.
Posted by Jason at 10:26 AM 0 comments
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