As Alan Shore of Boston Legal said… “Everyone in-love is something of an idiot.”  Then let me be a big idiot

L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole

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L is for the way you look at me,
O is for the only one I see.
V is very, very extra-ordinary,
E is even more than anyone that you adore…

And love is all that I can give to you,
Love is more than just a game for two.
Two in love can make it,
Take my heart and please don’t break it,
Love was made for me and you.

~Interlude~

L is for the way you look at me,
O is for the only one I see.
V is very, very extra-ordinary,
E is even more than anyone that you adore…

And love is all that I can give to you,
Love is more than just a game for two.
Two in love can make it,
Take my heart and please don’t break it,

Love was made for me and you…
Love was made for me and you…
Love was made for me and you!

I use the subway, but my dad drives all the time.  So I researched on tips on how to save on gas.

• These sites offer a list of local gas prices: msn.com and gasbuddy.com.

• The Federal Trade Commission compiled a list of tips to improve gas mileage:

1. On the Road: Drive More Efficiently
2. At the Garage: Maintain Your Car
3. At the Pump: Use the Octane Level You Need
4. In Advertising: Check Out Claims About “Gas-Saving” Gadgets
5. In the Showroom: Consider the Alternatives.

Click here for the detailed list.

• Meanwhile, Edmunds.com took on six gas-saving tips and tested them on how much they save on gas:

Test #1 Aggressive Driving vs. Moderate Driving
Result: Major savings potential

Test #2 Lower Speeds Saves Gas
Result: Substantial savings on a long trip

Test #3 Use Cruise Control
Result: Surprisingly effective way to save gas

Test #4 A/C On, Windows Up vs. A/C Off, Windows Down
Result: Nice in theory; not true in practice

Test #5 Check Your Tire Pressure
Result: Important for safety and to reduce tire wear

Test #6 Avoid Excessive Idling
Result: More important than we assumed

Click here for test details.

An Amish boy and his father were visiting a nearby mall. They were amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by two shiny silver walls that moved apart and back together again by themselves.The lad asked, “What is this, father?”

The father (having never seen an elevator) responded, “I have no idea what it is.”

While the boy and his father were watching wide-eyed, an old lady in a wheelchair rolled up to the moving walls and pressed a button. The walls opened and the lady rolled between them into a small room. The walls closed and the boy and his father watched as small circles lit up above the walls.

The walls opened up again and a beautiful twenty-four-year-old woman stepped out.

The father looked at his son anxiously and said, “Go get your mother.”

This is a sequel to my previous post: roughing it high above the ground.  But this time, we won’t be roughing it as much.  The following treehouse accommodations feature bathrooms, kitchens and maybe a jacuzzi in the rooms!

Out’n'About Treesort, Cave Junction OR

  
click photos to enlarge

Treetop Hideaway, Dora MO

 
click photos to enlarge

Treehouse Cottages, Eureka Springs AR

  
click photos to enlarge

And for the kids, a treehouse sold at Costco:

Stuff for the female gadget-lovers!  And here’s a link to pink overload I.

The customizable FJ notebook gives you the power to create a notebook to meet your computing needs and reflect your own individual style. New Graphic Splash Edition colors include Pink Feathers, Blue Burst, Orange Burst, Orange Flowers and Green Flowers.

Capture spectacular photos—even in low light without a flash—with the ultra-compact Cyber-shot® DSC-T10.

Enter the pink PS2. We’re not yet entirely sure when (or if) it’s hitting US shores, but it’s launching on the 8th of November over in Old Blighty.  (via Engadget)

The Intempo Digital ‘Buddy’ is designed to be a beautiful and easy to use… never mind all that techie stuff, just stick it in the car and never get lost again! It really is that straightforward.

Reuters | JonBenet suspect case dropped 

Reuters | US stem-cell firm optimistic on ethical concerns

After a year of owning a credit card for the first time, I found myself oweing more than $1500.  I did pay more than the minimum, but the debt didn’t go down – until I got my income tax refund the following year and decided to use it to pay off my entire debt instead of spending it for something I really like just like I used to the previous years.

My credit card balances finally had gone down to $0 and I promised myself to work up a budget.  Amazingly I did and has been keeping at it for 5 years now.  Now I don’t think I could live without one.

How I do my budget:

I created a spreadsheet (yes, I prefer my own spreadsheet than those money software available) that allows me to track down my weekly expenses.  Not daily coz it’s too much effort to update daily, and not monthly coz too much just happens in a month that I wouldn’t remember all of them at month’s end.

Each week, I give myself an allowance.  At the end of the week, whatever is left of my allowance I set aside.  I call it my “side-savings.”  This “side-savings” is what I spend for things I want, but don’t need.  No “side-savings”, no luho .

I usually pay my bills (phone, MTA, internet, etc) in the middle of the month.  So I budget an over-estimated amount for each bill every 15th of the month.

The end of the month is savings time.  I transfer a part of my income to my ING savings that I don’t touch.  In addition, I transfer to my Citi savings a pre-calculated amount based on my annual and semi-annual expenditures (medical bills, travel, gifts, domain registration, timeshare maintenance fees and taxes, tuition and books, etc).  Yup, I save up to pay some of my bills.  Whatever is left remains in my checking account for future deficits.  But if it reaches a certain amount, I usually transfer it to my ING savings.

The end of the month is also shopping time for me.  I take out my “side-savings” and treat myself.  If I wanted something that cost more than what I have in my “side-savings,” I try wait for the next month.  However, too often I find myself just digging through my other funds instead of waiting .

Useful Articles:
How to build your first budget
50 ways to trim your budget
9 ways to build a killer credit score

FDA has now approved Plan B to be available without prescription.  It will now be available to women at least 18 years of age.  It will remain behind pharmacy counters for easier implementation of the age restriction.  Link

Forbes recently published their list for America’s Drunkest Cities.  Milwaukee is #1, Boston is #4, Las Vegas (believe it or not) is only #14 and New York is #32.  I guess we (NY) are doing good, aren’t we?  Link

Currently, the two NY baseball teams top the East division of their respective leagues.  I am not a Yankees fan, but I like the Mets.  I’m glad the Mets has finally come out of their slump.  I’m looking forward to another subway series.  Link

Of course, my Dell battery was recalled and I placed an order for a replacement last week.  I got a shipping confirmation yesterday and received the battery today!  Whoohoo a new battery!  I’m just glad the old one hasn’t exploded on me.  Now Apple has joined Dell in battery recall.  Link

People are not born photogenic.  Some people are photogenic because they’re willing, more relaxed and confident infront of the camera.  And maybe because they’re just beautiful in every angle and every move.  For those people who think they’re not photogenic enough, there are steps to looking better in photos.

From wikiHow:

• Wear clothes with colors that suit you.
• Hide your blemishes.
• Determine your best angle.
• Get rid of a double chin.  Tilt your head down slightly and try to position yourself so that the camera is a little above your eye level.
• Stick your neck out.
• Relax.
• Think happy thoughts.
• Smile with your eyes.
• Practice good posture.
• Get a better photographer.
• Edit or enhance photos.
• Fake it till you make it.

From Digital Camera University:

• If you are standing – turn slightly and rest your weight on one foot. It may FEEL goofy, but you WILL look better.  If you are sitting – angle to one side or the other.
• Lean slightly toward the camera.
• Develop a ‘trigger.’  Firing a trigger is a reminder to do the things that make you look good. Believe it or not, THE most successful trigger we found over the years was called the ‘rear cheek squeeze.’
• Learn to ¾ smile.
• Never look directly at the lens – ALWAYS, look slightly ABOVE the lens.
• If needed, use ‘teeth whitener’ to have pearly white teeth.
• Dress for timelessness – Stay away from patterns, go more for solids.

I’ve been having this very uncomfortable pressure on my chest and throat since Thursday night.  Acid reflux, heartburn?  But I don’t feel the burning nor the acidic taste in my mouth.  I took acid reducer anyway, but that did not work.

I finally decided to go see a doctor today – six days after.  But the earliest appointment I could get would be tomorrow.  So I went to the hospital.  The triage nurse interviewed me, checked my vitals, and took an EKG.  I was expecting to go back to the waiting room and wait to be called by a doctor, like the others.  But no.  I was put on a stretcher and wheeled straight to the examination area.  Somebody mentioned sinus tachycardia.

The doctor saw me and prescribed antibiotics.  I had throat infection.  I asked about the EKG and he said I’m young, I’m fine and there’s nothing to worry about.  Whew.  So now here I am blogging with my ailing throat and a slight headache.