Bristol Palin Is Going to College, and Other Christmas Miracles [Gossip Roundup]

Is Bristol headed for the classroom? The woman who claimed Lindsay Lohan assaulted her is now the one in trouble. A bunch of celebrities are in nice places for the holidays. Let's open this stuffed stocking of a Gossip Roundup. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gawker/full/~3/V33o6XyU5Fg/bristol-palin-is-going-to-college-and-other-christmas-miracles

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Can Robots Inspire Humans to Vote?

Tuesday is election day in the US where many House and Senate seats are up for grabs. Democrats currently control these bodies along with the President's office. So, some voting-inspiring robot stories are in order: Robots love Obama, except little children apparently! Get your Robot Nixon hoodie now! Some day, Optimus Prime could be President. Reboot Hope. Many think Bush had a hidden agenda. Robot President Seal. Clipart curiosity of ClipArtOf.

Source: http://robots.net/article/3069.html

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Saving Money With The Commodity Market

Lately, I have been hearing that based on the commodity futures, prices on items will be going up on some of the staples that we buy at the grocery store. I've always been intrigued by this market and decided to look into these more as a way to save money.

There are 7 sections of the futures market: Currencies, Energies, Financials, Metals, Grains, Meats and Softs - I'm going to look at the Softs area as a way to save money while shopping. I figure that even knowing a month in advance that prices are going to start to climb, then I want to pick up the good deals now instead of waiting.

Taking a snapshot of this Softs list we have: Cotton, Orange Juice, Coffee, Sugar, Cocoa and Lumber


Cotton has a price that is going up for December and I'm thinking that anything made with cotton is going to be going up in price for the new year. That would include clothes, bath towels, some tennis shoes, bedding, cotton swabs/balls, furniture and rugs.

For those bigger purchases that are put off in the hopes that prices might go down, with cotton prices contracted to go up, buying sooner than later may help in the decision making. January is already considered a good time to buy furniture, carpet and bedding with the white sales and new styles coming in for the new year. You would be able to pick up good deals on clothes at the thrift stores, as always.

Orange Juice or rather orange growing season appears to peak in the winter months. Normally when produce is in season the prices go down, but perhaps there is a mini orange juice bubble on the horizon and people are putting money into the industry which is making it go up higher than it has in the last 2 years. So if you see a good price on oranges and orange juice concentrate, grab it and stock up.

Coffee looks like it has a nice jump  with a 13-year high and Starbucks and McDonalds have already announced their plans to pass the coffee increases to customers. And based on a few items I have read, the prices don't appear to be stabilizing anytime soon. So if you have wanted to wean yourself off of high priced coffee and learn to make it at home, now is a good time.

Sugar has two sections, they are sugar #11 and sugar #16. Sugar #11 is the raw sugar, before processing and before what we buy in the store. And sugar #16 are the prices given to processors, consumers and merchants.

flickr/cc - norwichnuts
Right now sugar #11 prices or the raw sugar is skyrocketing in price around the world but doesn't seem to be passed on as much as it could be to consumers, yet. But the buffer would appear to be disappearing for the the next year and picking up sales on sugar during the holidays would be a good move for the coming year. Just keep it in a sealed container and not exposed to moisture, sugar can keep indefinitely this way.

Cocoa has had a huge jump, but is still lower than a year ago. With the prices at their lower end right now, I'm stocking up on dark chocolate powder and making my own mocha coffee at home.

Lumber is the last Softs futures commodity on the list and they appear to be remaining high and stabilized. Obviously not much building is done in the winter and the price isn't as high as it has been in Feb - April of 2010, but again a good way to help make decisions on whether to build the deck to the house now or later.

With many of these price increases impacting the staples in our daily life, not mentioning the grains futures, you may want to begin cutting costs, if you aren't already. And for the eating-out-at-lunch crew, restaurants and fast food chains will be passing on the increases to consumers as well.
* Switch to Generic brands
* Clip coupons to items you already buy
* Consider warehouse membership or splitting one with a friend/family
* Freeze your bulk purchases 
* Pack your own lunch
* Brew your own coffee
* Set aside money to stock up on staples (grains, coffee, orange juice, sugar, milk)


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/IpRp/~3/chKaLt_K244/saving-money-with-commodity-market.html

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Expired Bread and Trashed Produce

I was in a Wal-mart about a year ago, before dawn, to pick up some groceries and walked past the bakery. I stopped and back tracked to watch what was happening.

An employee was looking at different packaged bread then tossing a few here and there into a cart. The cart was pretty well full already and didn't have much room left. Once she packed that cart, she grabbed another one and started filling it with pies, cakes, cookies, etc.

I walked up to her and asked if those items were expired, and she responded that they were. I asked what the store does with them. She replied that they package them all up and toss them in the trash compactor. "Really?" I replied unbelievably. "Yes, she said,  'it sickens me to think how much this store wastes, we don't even give it to a shelter, not even this time of the year."

flickr/cc - Tomi Tapio
It made me wonder that if this was one store, on one night that tossed out 1 1/2 carts full of bakery items. Imagine what all these stores put together throw away in a year! And they go into a trash compactor, so you can't even dumpster dive for the food.

I asked one final question, "If I wanted to buy those, would I get a reduction of price due to the expiration?" She didn't think so, it would have to be run by the management, but seemed unlikely since many others have asked and nothing has been done.

However, since this conversation, it appears Walmart does have a small area in the freezer section where they mark down a few bakery items that are close to expiration (1-2 days away) and they also have some organic bins outside in the back of the store. These bins are supposed to be locked but not all bins have the locks.


Recently I was able to take a look into one of these bins and found them to be as expected, produce items that were in bad shape, but not all of them.  The pineapples looked like they had seen better days, the melons looked ok but I was only interested in the green pepper and the apples.

I grabbed my canvas bag out of my car and tossed in a few Braeburn apples and the green pepper and speed walked to my car so I didn't get into trouble. I was on their property even though they had tossed the food out. This trash bin was full and about a 55 gallon size.

I wanted to call up some Freegans to swoop over and take what they took so the food wouldn't go to waste. And I did try. I looked through Meetup.com for freegans and tried emailing a lady on the site but got no response. Unfortunately, there isn't a regional or city contact for freegans to get the word out on food that is tossed out unless you know someone directly from already being part of the group.


With what I grabbed out of the trash, the 8 apples I picked up would have run about $4 if I bought them in the store and the green pepper ($1) was going to be used on a sandwich for that day. However, after cutting into the pepper, the smell that emanated from the blackened seeds crushed that idea quickly as I'm not as adventurous yet. But the apples have tasted delicious after cutting out the few bad areas! And yes, I rinse the apples thoroughly.

Here is my question to you:
If you didn't know these came from the trash and you pulled them out of the crisper looking like this (pock marks on the apples and bruising on the top of the green pepper as well). Would you have continued to cook and eat them?


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/IpRp/~3/aVZ3iHCrnN4/expired-bread-and-trashed-produce.html

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14 Money Savers @ Home, Apartment Style

I see a lot of great advice for those who own or even rent a home, things I have kept in the back of my mind for when I go single residence. But until them, I am @ home in my mile high apartment and I still want to save money.

I've already discussed how phantom power sucks up your money and that keeping your clothes dryer clean saves as well (if you are lucky enough to have one in your home). But there are still a few items that can save you money in your apartment.

1. Borrow  or Rent it - Room is very limited in most apartments and storage at a premium for items that may be used 2-3 times a year. Renting from the local hardware store may be more worthwhile or check out Borrowtools or Neighborgoods. Of course you want to consider the cost of renting versus buying the item over the long term. And keep your eye out for tools you may need at garage sales (always ask to plug it in).

2. Keep Closets Closed - Having closet doors closed allows you to heat or cool a smaller area and also keeping closet doors closed that have an exterior wall, keep the home insulated. A bonus is that guests won't see your clutter. If you don't have doors this is a great time to get some nice fabric or heavy single size flat sheet to act as your door.

3. Peak and Non-Peak Use - If the utility bill goes directly to you and not split with others then try getting on the utility companies peak/non-peak plan for reduced rates. Some companies have lower rates if you use washer/dryer and dishwasher later in the evening or early morning.

4. DIY Cleaning Supplies - In small areas with few windows, using non-toxic cleaners may be best for you physically and you can save upwards of $50 a year by making your own. And speaking of odor removal ideas, don't forget DIY for stinking feet/shoes and  the smelly bathroom.

5. Fan Yourself - If you have the authorization, install a ceiling fan, even if you have to leave it behind, it can be your best friend in the summer and the winter. If not, fans throughout the house are handy in the summer to keep costs down. And in the winter, open up your window shades to let the heat warm up your room.

6. Changing to CFL - Since the incandescent light bulb is being phased out in 2012 and no longer produced by 2014, it should be easier to get the CFL bulbs for cheaper prices. Just be careful of CFLs that easily burn out. And if you are worried about contamination, then you will be glad to know that LED lights are slowing making it into the stores and they last even longer.

7. Replace AC filters - If you have central air, like myself. There will be a location to change out the filter and hopefully your complex office does it for you. If not, make sure you do it once a year to keep the AC cost down when using it, though some suggest replacing them every month in the summer if it is on everyday.

8. Replacing Grills - If you can hold off until fall or winter for better sales on the BBQ grills, that can save you quite a bit of money. Just replaced our little propane grill in 10 years and saved 31% with free shipping.

9. Heated Water - If you get your bill for heated water, then you should have the ability to lower the water heater temperature. This can save you about $30 a year and reduce any scalding issues. In my case, the water
heater doesn't have temperature settings, but does have A, B, C and Very Hot, so I set mine at A, but this picture shows someone turned it up. (oops) 
For your info:
? (triangle up) = 120?
A = 130?
B = 140?
C = 150?
Very Hot = 160?

Did you know that dropping the water temperature setting by ten degrees typically saves about 4% on the cost to heat water each year.

10. Insurance for Accidents - I know that you would never set your home on fire, but you can't always trust that your neighbor won't accidentally do that. Renter's insurance is something that costs pennies to add with your car insurance premiums and is a nice bit of piece of mind if the unthinkable should happen.

11. Shower Timer - Handy for the person, like myself, who soaks for an hour in a SHOWER. You can buy ones that turn your water off or do like I do and just get an annoying sounding timer for when you shower.

12. Programmable Thermometer - Check with your leasing office to see if you can replace the old thermometer with a programmable one to save money on AC/Heat instead of flipping the switch at whim. In my complex, I can buy one and they will install it, but I have to take it with me when I move.

13. Wrap in Plastic - Especially for north facing windows that get hit with the wind, put up plastic on the windows to keep in the warm and the cold out. This stuff can be put up in about 30 minutes or less. Well worth the expense for the plastic.

14. Bricked Tank - I see suggestions to put a brick in your toilet tank. This is handy if your toilet is not one of the efficient models (mine says 1.3gpf) . If it is an old type, a brick can be wonderful but possibly crack your tank if it is really old. An alternative is to fill up a 20oz plastic bottle and drop it in - just as effective and not as dangerous.


What ways have you saved money in apartment living?


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/IpRp/~3/v2FY_oXPKh8/14-money-savers-home-apartment-style.html

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EA Mobile releases new Android titles, on sale for $1.99 or less

EA Mobile has announced that it's bringing a new lineup of games to the Android OS. The first available titles include The Sims 3, Monopoly, Tetris, FIFA 10, Need for Speed Shift and The Game of Life. All Android games are on sale right now. Monopoly and the Game of Life are $1.99, while all other titles are only $0.99.

More good news for Android users: More games are on the way, with Worms and Bejeweled 2 headlining upcoming releases.

Continue reading EA Mobile releases new Android titles, on sale for $1.99 or less

JoystiqEA Mobile releases new Android titles, on sale for $1.99 or less originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/24/ea-mobile-releases-new-android-titles-on-sale-for-1-99-or-less/

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Earth Defense Force 2 Portable swarms PSP, adds co-op

You don't want to battle all those giant alien bugs alone, do you? As with every other Japanese-developed PSP game released since Monster Hunter, D3 Publisher is porting the Earth Defense Force franchise onto Sony's handheld -- and adding co-op, of course.

Earth Defense Force 2 Portable is, predictably, a port of the original Earth Defense Force 2 for PS2. In addition to the 71 missions included in the original, the PSP version will boast brand new missions. According to a translation by Andriasang, all missions can be played with at least one friend over local wi-fi, as seen in the picture above. However, D3 hasn't confirmed if co-op can support any additional players. (We all know four is the magic number, right?)

EDF2P is currently scheduled for a Spring release next year. Considering Earth Defense Force will be making an appearance in the US on PS3 and Xbox 360, it seems possible that this handheld game will be localized as well.

JoystiqEarth Defense Force 2 Portable swarms PSP, adds co-op originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/24/earth-defense-force-2-portable-swarms-psp-adds-co-op/

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