All that weight had to go somewhere.

Popularity: 2% [?]

This story pisses me off for several reasons, not the least of which is that the mom’s trying to blame it on the Wii controller.

For those who don’t feel like reading the link, a dumbass step-father leaves his loaded gun on the table where his 3 year old can get at it. Unfortunately, the toddler shot herself and not the idiot father.

The mother claims that the child had been playing with a 3rd-party wii-mote which looked like a gun and she probably got confused. First off, what kind of complete numbnut buys a toy gun that doesn’t have the appropriate toy gun parts (orange tip, etc.) Secondly, it wouldn’t matter if she had been playing with a regular wii-mote, a Dora doll or herself, there was an interesting new object on the coffee table and that’s reason enough for her to investigate.  She was 3, that’s what 3 year olds do. The problem here is that these idiots left an unattended, loaded gun where a toddler could get her hands on it.

Your gun belongs in one of two places: Properly holstered on your person OR properly stored in a locked gun case. It should not be left loaded on the coffee table while you wander off to do god knows what. They might have well as left a big ol’ glass of poison on the table for Jr to drink.

What really infuriates me are the people I’ve seen blaming it on the gun (the gun is an inanimate object, it doesn’t fire itself) or the Wii-mote (irresponsible to have a toy gun without toy gun indicators, but still not the cause of this), or whatever game she was playing (a little odd to let your 3-year old pretend to shoot things with a handgun, but I used to play Duck Hunt at age 6). The problem here is irresponsible parenting and complete lack of gun safety, not toys or video games.

Popularity: 11% [?]

It occurred to me, as we were pondering what to do with the leftovers from our tax refund, that I don’t know jack about investing.

Well, that’s not entirely true. I understand the very basics of how shares and the market work (yay, economics) but I don’t really understand the different methods of investing beyond mutual funds. Obviously, this needs to be rectified.

So, does anyone have any good recommendations for books and websites on investing?

I’m NOT looking for get rich quick schemes or information on exactly what to invest in. What I’m looking for is basic, generalized info so I can bring myself up to speed and understand WTF a broker is talking about.

Popularity: 6% [?]

No really, I hate buying household products. Not just because of the whole ‘killing tree, chock full of chemicals’ aspect, but because they’re so flippin’ expensive. We usually buy in bulk, so every couple of months when we do have to restock, it tacks another $50-75 to our grocery budget that month.

The worst part is that all the household coupons now are buy 2 get $ off. I don’t the space to store two gigantic bottles of dish soap and two gigantic bottles of dishwasher detergent and so on and so forth. Even if I did, it’s usually a savings of about $.50 on $20 worth of product when you buy in bulk. If BJ’s has a mailer out, then sometimes you can find a good coupon, but they expire in a month. Sometimes, if I’m super lucky and willing to wait/search, I can get good deals at the grocery store on smaller bottles (I got my Mr. Clean Magic Erasers essentially free that way) but we’re very specific about the products we can use thanks to allergies and environmental concerns.

Are  there any necessary items that you just hate to buy because of the price?

Meat also makes me mad, especially since I’d happily eat a mostly vegetarian diet if Mr wasn’t such a picky eater. I love all the variations of rice and beans that his family cooks, but he’d rather eat a big bowl of mealworms.

I do buy meat in bulk for savings except on the rare occasions when the grocery store meat is on a good sale and is actually decent quality (Bloom around the corner, I’m looking at you. Your meat is nasty.) But again, I can only store so much at once.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Remember when I was whining about the Ubisoft DRM that wouldn’t allow you to play certain games unless you were connected to the internet last week? Well, guess what happens when it fails on their end.

If you said, no one could play their legally purchased games, a winner is you.

Epic Fail, Ubisoft.

Popularity: 11% [?]

• One more strike against ridiculous DMCA notices – http://tinyurl.com/ye792mm #
• 20% off Old Navy, use code ONSPRING #
• Greatest job ad, ever – http://www.yousuckatcraigslist.com/?p=4056 #
• Lands End Men's Overstock sale – http://tinyurl.com/y9gpj4j #
• It's your turn, Nissan owners – http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8547475.stm #
• Up to 75% off Levi's – http://dealnews.com/The-Levis-Store-Up-to-65-off-sale-items-extra-10-off/351078.html?ref=consumerist #
• Can you be sued if an AT&Tworker is injured on your property. http://tinyurl.com/yfpl4rx #
• I am in love with the color and molding in this room. If we redo the living room, this is it. http://tinyurl.com/yhvdv4s #
• 10 for $29.99 sale still going on at America's Basics. I have and love the Britney and Amelie tanks – http://www.americasbasics.com/ #
• Earned another Amazon gift card from Swagbucks, sweet! – http://swagbucks.com/refer/FrugalUrbanite #
• I wonder if this really is legal to do to junk mailers – http://officeofstrategicinfluence.com/bulkmailer/ #

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Popularity: 8% [?]

I get to figure out if I peed myself or I’m starting to leak amniotic fluid.

Ah, the joys of pregnancy.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Two interesting articles from two days ago: one is on the push for ‘Cloud Computing‘ and the other is about a woman who’s annoyed at having to download her photos one by one from Sprint.

If anything, the second article is  a fantastic example as to why I’m not interested in cloud computing or external storage of my information. Yes, I’m a geek and yes, I like gadgets, but I’m very picky about what information gets stored where. I want total control over all my data. After all the stories of info pilfered from stolen phones, naked pictures being uploaded on Facebook, indentity theft and other hijinks, you would think people would be wary about where their info goes, but they’re not. For some reason we think that information that we send somewhere out of our control will be safe and always available.

For example, my websites are hosted by a company in California. If their server goes out and my website goes *poof* there’s nothing I can really do about it. Sure I can complain and if I’m lucky they might keep monthly backups of the data on their servers, but if that data is from the 1st of the month and it’s now the 30th, all my work in between is gone. Consequently, I need to keep a local backup of my databases daily if I’m really concerned about it.

Same thing with cell phones. How many people have lost their cell phone and realized that they’re a) helpless without their contacts list and b) they don’t have all those contacts backed up anywhere. Every other week I spot a frantic “please sent me your #” messages on Facebook. You don’t even have to go low tech with your contacts backup. My main ‘address book’ is a password protected document on my computer (although yes, I do have a physical address book because I’m old school like that.)

So yeah, back up EVERYTHING locally that would upset you if you lost it. That includes priceless pictures of your kids, important documents, contacts, software, music… One of the best investments you can make for your computer is an external hard drive to store items on long term. But don’t forget that those can fail too, so if it’s truly important (digital wedding photos, tax files, etc), either burn it to a disc or make a hard copy a.k.a. print it.

Popularity: 11% [?]

A super easy sewing project that’s also really inexpensive if you shop correctly. They’re also a little classier than the no-sew fleece blankets where you tie the edges together. These are great, quick gifts for baby showers.

Piece o' cake

I call them floor/car blankets because their ability to go into the washer on hot make them suitable for use as floor pads or emergency changing pads and they’re just about the right size to cover kiddo up in the car seat.

Supplies:

Zig Zag Stitch

• 1 yard fleece
• 1 yard flannel (snuggle flannel if you like)
• matching thread

Directions:

• Pre-wash your fabrics. Since these are intended for babies, use a non-scented detergent and skip the softener.
• Cut your fabrics to size and pin right sides together.
• Either serge the sides or use a wide zig-zag stitch and then trim the edges. Leave a few inches on one side to turn the fabric right side out.
  

  Top stitch the right sides to finish the edges and create a strong seam.

• Turn fabric right side out and re-pin edges together. Turn the un-serged/zig-zagged edges under and pin together.
• Top stitch the edges.
• That’s it.

Fleece is generally sold in 60″ widths and flannel tends to be 48″ so you’ll end up with extra fleece. If you’re feeling extra creative, you can cut the extra fleece into a monogram or other appliques. To sew on the applique, use a zig-zag stitch.

Another fun embellishment is to use a fun piece of ribbon as piping. Pin the ribbon sandwiched between the fabrics and with the bulk of the ribbon towards the center of your fabric when you are pinning the right sides together in the beginning.  When you flip the blanket right side out, the ribbon will extend past the seam.

Popularity: 11% [?]

I know a lot of people are worried about the cost of health care and the effects of modern medicine. I see many people turning to ‘natural’ cures like herbal concoctions instead of going to the doctor and that honestly scares me.

I’m actually a big believer in healing from within, but natural cures shouldn’t be done willy-nilly without consulting a health professional. Just because it’s “natural”, doesn’t mean it’s safe. Herb and supplements ARE medicine too, they’re just not regulated by the FDA like Big Pharma’s are. Not to mention that many common supplements can actually interact with life saving medications.

For the love of Pete, do some real research before you start popping any pill, including a supplement.  And I do mean real research, not just looking up any old article on the intertubes. Look for real scientific studies done for peer-reviewed journals and ask an honest-to-jebus medical professional about it. No, that hippy chick at Whole Foods doesn’t count. There are many natural things you can do for your body that are extremely helpful and there are just as many that are toxic and potentially deadly.

In any case, here are 5 Cheap (or Free), Natural, and SAFE things you can do for yourself to improve your health:

1. Get enough sleep. How much is enough depends on the individual, but 7-8 is a good guideline. Lack of sleep seriously affects many aspects of your life, including your general health. If you aren’t getting enough sleep and you’ve already tried the usual remedies, it is time to talk to a health professional.
2. Drink enough water. Again, how much is enough depends on the individual. In general, 64oz is a good starting point, but remember that too much water can actually be dangerous, so don’t go guzzling several gallons a day. Dehydration affects a whole host of body functions, so get into the habit of bringing a refillable water bottle around with you.
3. Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Vitamin supplements can certainly help, but getting your nutrients from your food (where they’re usually most easily digestible) is preferable. You can consult your doctor for more information.
4. Get some exercise. 2-3 hours a week of moderate exercise is the current recommendation. You don’t need fancy equipment or an expensive gym membership. Go outside and walk briskly. Or play tag with your kids. Or climb up and down some stairs. Pop in an exercise DVD. Just get your butt in gear. As always, talk to your doctor before starting any exercise regimen.
5. Brush and floss your teeth properly. You should be brushing at least twice a day and preferably after every meal. Poor oral hygiene has been linked to everything from bad breath to heart disease, so take 5 minutes a day and brush your teeth.’

If everyone in America did these 5 things, our health care costs would drop dramatically as our general health improved.

Got any ‘natural’ tips for staying healthy?

Popularity: 20% [?]