I love the concept, but somehow, I think that holes in the beams would also violate their lease agreement, at least the spirit of it.

The Value of Nothing: How to Reshape Market Society and Redefine Democracy ([www.amazon.com])

In Canada the only ones that I don't have to buy in order to try our are the Sony eBook Reader, and the iPod/iPad. It bothers me that I cannot read the font of the product on the images in the article without a lot of trouble.

I bought snuggies (or whatever they were called back then—they were the same thing) in 1980 for my wife and I. Always awkward then; I'm not sure they would be any less awkward now.

@otheron: Study after study shows that toilet seats pass germs and bacteria along far less than anything our hands touch ; it's amazing this still comes around. Scrubbing and disinfecting is a great idea.

Bubble Wrap turned fifty, officially, yesterday! Long live Bubble Wrap!

Every jurisdiction probably has different rules. This article holds that which is common to very many jurisdictions. The closer you can get to following your community's rules, however, the less wastage, noxic and toxic fumes, etc., will be produced by the process, and isn't that the raison d'etre for recycling in…

There are a couple charities who help out their members by having them sell all-occasion cards. The charity is listed on the back. I used to avoid them for the price, but in recent years I found that it is a good way to donate, and I have a ready stock of the all-occasion cards (I write inside what it is for with a…

my method is to have different passwords, and an encrypted file for them that I update religiously. I also have a handful of throwaway aliased email accounts that I use with a handful of fake names for the lesser important (i.e. non-financial or work-related) uses of passwords.

@Lody: I like Filemenu Tools, which allows me to add right-click tools to any and all files/folders/drives. My standard configuration for all files is the option to look at the file in Ted Notepad (still my favourite) and HxD, a Hex editor. That way I can see inside any file, and in some cases edit them if need be.…

I quit using dryer sheets as soon as I found out about the plastics and chemicals they contain.

@mbacon: My suggestion parrots yours in that a stool of the right size should be under the door. Kids lean on it as they do things.

This would have saved me on a safe trap a few years ago. Make sure the bucket is unlined so the mouse/rat cannot climb out.

What kills me are all the ads, etc., on web pages that also get converted. I gave a cursory test of PDFmyURL, and while it is a great concept, for most of my stuff, I will stick to Printliminator and doPDF PDF print driver.

Ever since I saw, "Food, Inc.", I haven't purchased sliced meat (or any meat that doesn't come from a local farmer). I've always used a lot of leftovers an don't mind if they are the same thing for a few days.

Problem: the refrigerator warms up the instant you open the door to put the ice in.

I try to only use rechargable batteries, and I keep my charger in a box with both a left and right side to it; the left for those needing charging, and the right for recently-charged, but not yet in an appliance batteries.

@Crashproof: I largely agree with your overall sentiment that standard optimization is good. However, my point is that there is sufficient variance in computer systems that after a basic level, tuning and optimization is more an art than a science. What works on system A may or may not work on system B.

We can go overboard in washing them too often. Fruits and vegetables go in the cleanest bag (but don't we wash them at home before using anyway?, and the packaged stuff doesn't matter.

I don't have enough learning curves in my lifetime for all the new stuff that comes my way that would possibly be valuable. I have to pick and choose. I am open to replacements to Everything and MemPad and PStart, but I no longer put much time into looking them over.