Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Refurbished Dell Pocket DJ MP3 Players + $5 s&h - 5 Gigs for $25 or 20 Gigs for $40

Creative.com offers the refurbished Dell Pocket DJ 5GB Digital Jukebox MP3 Player for $19.99. With $5 for shipping, that's nearly $175 less than what Dell charged for this MP3 player back in 2005. Features include a 4.4-oz. weight, 10-hour battery life, MP3 and WMA support, earbuds, 1.62" blue back-lit display, and USB 2.0 interface. A 90-day warranty is included, although it's unclear who supports it.

Other Dell DJ models are available (select them from the drop down menu):
I bet this doesn't last very long. These will also likely double as a small portable USB hard drive as well.

MP3 Players from Dell at Dealtime

Do You want over ONE MILLION books for free? This is for real, but it's only good for a few days!

So what's the catch? They are E-Books that you download for free. Until Aug. 4th The World eBook Fair is offering the free downloads from some of the worlds top E-Book providers. Load up while they are free, you don't see a deal like this every day.

FREE BOOKS! FREE BOOKS!

Happy Birthday NASA!

50 years old and going strong, they have not only helped mankind reach beyond our planet on to others, but technologies they have developed have so enriched our lives it would be hard to think about modern life without them. The discovery channel will be noting their groundbreaking work over the next 90 days. Check out the link below for on-line video, articles and more. It's going to be some pretty cool stuff.

NASA - The first 50 years at The Discovery Channel

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

BlackLight's physics-defying promise: Cheap power from water

Imagine being able to convert water into a boundless source of cheap energy. That's what BlackLight Power, a 25-employee firm in Cranbury, N.J., says it can do. The only problem: Most scientists say that company's technology violates the basic laws of physics.

Such skepticism doesn't daunt Dr. Randell Mills, a Harvard-trained physician and founder of BlackLight, who recently claimed that he has created a working fuel cell using the world's most pervasive element: the hydrogen found in water.

"This is no longer an academic argument," Mills, 50, insists. "It's proven technology, and we're going to commercialize it as quickly as possible."

For the first time in his company's 19 years of persistent trial and error, Mills says he has a market-ready product: a fuel cell that produces a chemical reaction to alter hydrogen atoms. The fuel cell releases heat that turns water into steam, which drives electric turbines.

The working models in his lab generate 50 kilowatts of electricity - enough to power six or seven houses. But these, Mills says, can be scaled to drive a large, electric power plant. The inventor claims this electricity will cost less than 2 cents per kilowatt-hour, which compares to a national average of 8.9 cents.

More from CNN Money

40 Positive Effects of a TV Free Week

“What could you accomplish if you stopped watching TV? What would you do with all the extra time?” My wife asked me these questions two weeks ago. After a short discussion, we decided to find out for ourselves. We completely eliminated television from our lives last week. It turned out to be an incredibly rewarding experience. We now have a plan to drastically reduce our future viewing habits.

See what this writer accomplished. Here are 40 positive effects from our week without television.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Get Rich By Saving Every $5 Bill

There's a woman who saves every $5 bill she gets, blogs Get Rich Slowly. She's been doing so for three years and has saved $12,000.

JD at Get Rich Slowly also shares his wife's personal money saving trick:

For several years, Kris has been rounding every transaction up to the next dollar in her checkbook. If she spends $49.74 at the grocery store, she enters this in her checkbook as $50. If she spends $33.13 on gas, she enters it as $34. As a result, she saves an average of 50 cents every time she performs a transaction. In 2-1/2 years, Kris saved an extra $500 using this method. That's enough to treat herself to something nice.

Learn More tricks at Get Rich Slowly

Abortion clinic prayer vigils coming to 100 cities - For 40 days and nights, Christians will seek end of killing

In two previous campaigns by Christians to disrupt America's abortion industry with continuous prayer, officials with the 40 Days for Life campaign say 35,000 have participated in vigils, 514 babies have been saved and five abortion industry workers have lost their jobs.

Now a third campaign is on the calendar, with a signup deadline of July 29 for cities to take part in the outreach. Most locations will have prayer warriors on the sidewalks outside abortion clinics 24 hours a day from Sept. 24 through Nov. 2.

Spokesman David Bereit said the first campaigns have seen 150,000 people praying and fasting for an end to abortion in the U.S., and half of the 35,000 marching in vigils were on the lines for the first time.

He also said two abortion centers have closed their doors following the campaigns.

"We have had 340 cities express interest [in the new campaign,]" he told WND. "We are well on our way to having more than 100 actually registered.

"It's a massive undertaking. People are committing to call on believers to pray and fast for 40 days – that's 960 hours with people physically present," he said.

More from WorldNet Daily

Thursday, July 24, 2008

South Dakota Remains First Abortion-Free State after Planned Parenthood Abortionists Refuse to Work


On Monday, July 21, eight women arrived at the Planned Parenthood office in Sioux Falls abortions but were instead met with locked doors and a hand-written not indicating the only abortion clinic in South Dakota was closed.

Planned Parenthood remains closed for abortions after their abortionists, who are flown in from other states, refused of work under the new law that went into effect last Friday. The law orders abortionists to inform patients of the humanity of their babies and that the procedure could affect their mental health two hours before the abortion can be done. The law also provides that abortionists can be sued if they do not comply.

This law was the brain-child of attorney Harold Cassidy and passed with the help of determined pro-life leaders Dr. Alan and Leslee Unruh, who pushed for the regulation in the face of opposition even from those in the pro-life movement. The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals cleared the way for the law's enactment last week.

In remains unclear if the Planned Parenthood office has permanently ceased the practice of abortion. However, several women who were scheduled for abortions this week went to a pro-life center instead where some have reportedly changed their minds about having abortions.

More at Christian News Wire

Who is this T. Boone Pickens guy and what is this plan of his?


He is a Texas Oilman who has a very interesting plan to replace 20% of our electricity with wind power, while running our cars on natural gas. Sound a little crazy? Not really when you look at the facts. Can we afford to do it? Sure, it will cost almost what it cost to buy 2 years worth of oil, but as gas keeps getting higher and higher, and nations that hate us are possibly leading to our eventual financial collapse, the big question should be: Can we afford not to?

Find more videos like this on PickensPlan


The powerful T. Boone Pickens Plan

The 20 Best Curing Herbs

Today, many people looking for alternatives to prescription and over-the-counter drugs are turning to herbs for relief from everyday ailments and chronic diseases. But, with so many herbs to choose from, how can one be sure which are the most useful and effective? For our Fifth Anniversary issue, Veggie Life clears up some of the confusion by gathering the most effective, well-researched herbs we've covered since our debut. There's a brief synopsis of each herb, including when and how to use them and recommended dosage for optimal healing power.

More from The Wellness Blog

Detoxify Yourself: 101 Tips to Remove the Poison from Your Body and Your Life

With air pollution, harmful pesticides and an unhealthy diet, your body is probably full of chemicals and poisons that you don’t even think about. If you want to detox your entire body, mind, spirit and life, turn to this list, which has over 100 ideas for removing the poison.

More from Nursing School Search

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Cut more than $1000 dollars from your budget? Try these tips!

When it comes to cutting costs, consumers always look at the big stuff. Postponing that vacation. Keeping your car a few more years. Nixing the addition on the house.

But it's often the little things that can make an even bigger difference. For instance, Joseph Montanaro, a certified financial planner for USAA Financial Planning Services, says he saved $130 a month just by kicking his daily Dr Pepper habit. That's a savings of $1,560 over a year.

We calculated the savings you might see from making various adjustments over a period of one year, from carpooling to work, to drinking a cheaper cup of coffee, to taking a quicker shower. If you do all the things we suggest here, you could save at least $5,000 over a year's time. That's real money.

So, what lifestyle change can save you the most cash? Read on.

How much can you save over one year if you...

Find Out at Yahoo Finance

The Car of Tomorrow Has an Extension Cord

Forget hydrogen. The car of the future has an extension cord and a great big laptop battery.

The next evolution of the automobile will be plug-in hybrids that get their juice from a household electrical outlet. They'll start rolling into showrooms within in 18 months. Experts say plug-in hybrids could account for about 20 percent of vehicle sales within a decade -- and half of all sales by 2050.

"It all boils down to the three ways electricity is better than gasoline," says Felix Kramer of Cal Cars, a plug-in advocacy group. "It's cleaner, it's cheaper and it's domestic."

Advocates say plug-in hybrids are the best chance to address global warming and wean the nation from oil. Consumers remain unsure about electric vehicles. Ethanol's a shaky proposition because of the food-for-fuel debate. And it'll be decades before hydrogen is a viable option. That, advocates say, leaves plug-ins as the best option. They'll go up to 40 miles on a charge; but they'll also have a gas engine to keep you going beyond that at 80 to 100 mpg or more.

More from Wired

Saving at the Supermarket: 15 Great Grocery Shopping Tips

A shopping list is a useful way to remind yourself what you do and do not need to purchase. But most frugality experts emphasize shopping with a list because it prevents impulse purchases. Impulse purchases wreck grocery budgets. In Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, Paco Underhill writes:

Supermarkets are places of high impulse buying for both sexes — fully 60 to 70 percent of purchases there were unplanned, grocery industry studies have shown us.

More than half of all grocery purchases are unplanned! No wonder creating and sticking to a list can bring down grocery costs.

But that’s not the only way to save money at the supermarket. Over the past two years, I’ve published a lot of tips for saving money on your grocery bill. Some of these have been obvious — others less so. All of them can help you save at the supermarket. Here are some of the best:

More from Get Rich Slowly

Also: 20 Of The healthiest Foods Under $1

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Josh Hamilton - An amazing story of faith and overcoming drug addiction

Not a Great Night to be an Atheist

Josh Hamilton had a dream that he would be in Yankee Stadium in a Home Run Derby contest. The 27 year-old slugger from the Texas Rangers had his dream come true July 14, and he put on the greatest display of power and consistency in the history of the event. It wasn’t long ago that Hamilton wasn’t a professional baseball player at all. He was a cocaine and heroin addict. He had dropped out of baseball for three years.Once a prospect for the Tampa Bay Rays, Hamilton’s addiction cost him his job.

The thrill of being at the ball park was not as great as the craving for the next high. Drafted in 1999, he started using after an auto accident in 2001. Hamilton’s drug addiction led to a suspension by Major League Baseball for violation of the league's joint drug treatment and prevention program on February 18, 2004.

Read more, including the Happy Ending at Drug Addiction Support

Amazing Video Dept. See an Octopus squeeze through a one inch hole

The variety of God's creation is just awesome. I love this little video. From Google Video.

Want to see Jars Of Clay in concert FOR FREE?


With dozens of Christian music festivals taking place from coast to coast this summer, it's nice to find something unique about one.

Sonshine Festival, which takes place July 17-19 in Willmar, MN, kicks off Wednesday night, July 16, with a free concert by Jars of Clay. No tickets are required and everyone is invited. The folks at Sonshine Festival just want to show their appreciation to the community that has hosted their annual Christian music festival for the past 27 years.

The festival then kicks into high gear on Thursday, with a line up that includes artists like Jeremy Camp, Third Day, Newsboys, TobyMac, Pillar, BarlowGirl, Superchick, Thousand Foot Krutch, Kutless, David Crowder Band and Skillet.

For more information about the event, camping, or tickets to the festival visit the Sonshine Festival wesite.

From Beliefnet

Saturday, July 12, 2008

HERO - Fort Worth dad deploying to Iraq, the country that took his son

In a few days, Francisco Martinez will land in Iraq.

He is one of tens of thousands of men and women who, with various motivations, enlisted in the armed forces, knowing that they’d someday end up there.

For Martinez, Iraq is a kind of perdition, a receptacle for all the dark emotions, anguish and guilt that have buffeted him for the last three years.

When Martinez steps off the airplane, he will be in the country that took his only son, a 20-year-old skateboarder and budding graphic artist whose loss is felt every single day of his father’s life.

This deployment — in fact, his entire enlistment — is completely his doing. Nobody forced this on Martinez, except maybe the sniper who put one well-placed bullet in Spc. Francisco G. Martinez on March 20, 2005, in Ramadi.

More from The Star-Telegram

See-Through Solar Hack Could Double Panel Efficiency

If there's one thing most people know about solar cells, it's that they are too expensive.

Now, MIT researchers think they may have found a way to double the performance of solar arrays with cheap dyed glass and some tricks borrowed from fiber optics.

Their so-called solar concentrator could be placed on top of existing solar arrays. It could capture some wavelengths of visible light and guide them to high-voltage solar cells on the edges of the array, while still allowing the infrared light that largely powers current solar systems to pass through.

"If you stick one of these on top of existing solar panels, we think we could nearly double the performance of these systems with minimal added cost," said Marc Baldo, the lead researcher on the work.

The new research, published tomorrow in the journal Science, is another major advance in solar energy, a field that's received renewed interest due to concerns about climate change and rising fossil fuel prices. The new MIT technology marries the science behind two of the most promising ways of harnessing solar energy: light concentrators and thin-film solar cells.

More from Wired

Getting dream wedding dresses at bargain price

The fairytale weddings that many couples have yearned for are starting to come back down to earth -- leveled by everyday problems like house payments and rising gas and food bills.

The wedding industry has long been considered one of most recession-proof. Most brides, grooms and their parents see the "big day" as a once-in-a-lifetime event not to be skimped on.

Check out these money saving tips from CNN

Monday, July 7, 2008

Son's Death In Iraq Drives Father To Build Life-Saving Robot

It's called the LandShark, and the shopping cart-sized robot is a memorial to a young U.S. soldier killed in Iraq whose father is convinced the device can be effective in thwarting at least some of the explosive attacks that are aimed at U.S. forces in that war-torn country.

When Army Pfc. John Hart was killed in a 2003 ambush, his grief-stricken father, Brian Hart, decided to channel his heartache and anger into finding a way to help U.S. troops, who lacked proper armor and other protection.

"He asked me to help him," Brian Hart told The Associated Press, recalling a call he got from his son in Iraq. "Get us body armor and vehicular armor," the son requested.

"He thought he'd be killed on the road and in an unarmored Humvee," the father continued. "And a week to the day later, he was."

The elder Hart's solution was to create Black-I Robotics, a company that develops relatively inexpensive unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) aimed at combating the ever-more-effective and deadly improvised explosive devices that have caused the majority of casualties among U.S. military personnel in Iraq.

More from Information Week

Friday, July 4, 2008

The Origins of 10 of Your Favorite Muppets

I, like a lot of you, grew up on Sesame Street and the Muppets. But do you ever stop to wonder where they came from? Some of the characters we know and love today were recycled from other T.V. shows and commercials Jim Henson worked on and others were invented by using whatever materials were around. Be prepared for a little nostalgia for today’s Q10. And don’t be offended if I left out some of your favorites (I know, Big Bird?!) – not all of the characters have interesting background stories. But if you know the story behind one that I left out, share with us in the comments!

Here's One Example -

10. Oscar the Grouch is performed by the same guy who does Big Bird, Carroll Spinney. Spinney said he based Oscar’s cranky voice on a particular NYC cab driver he once had the pleasure of riding with. He was originally an alarming shade of orange. In Pakistan, his name is Akhtar and he lives in an oil barrel. In Turkey, he is Kirpik and lives in a basket. And in Israel, it’s not Oscar at all – it’s his cousin, Moishe Oofnik, who lives in an old car.

More fun from Mental Floss

Why John McCain may still be alive - Billy Graham and McCain's Father Prayed for Son's Release from POW Camp

The Reverend Billy Graham says he prayed for John McCain when he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam -- decades before the two finally met for the first time in North Carolina on Sunday.

Publicist Mark DeMoss says the 89-year-old evangelist told McCain that he met the senator's father, who was an admiral in Honolulu, during the Vietnam War.

Graham recalled that he and Admiral McCain prayed for young John McCain's release, and did so again at a subsequent meeting.

This past Sunday, DeMoss says the Republican presidential candidate prayed with both Billy and Franklin Graham during a 45-minute private meeting.

From Christian World News

Firefighter Lifts Car, Rescues Pinned Woman

An Ocala firefighter lifted a vehicle about a foot off the ground, allowing other firefighters to free the arm of a driver who was involved in a crash.According to Ocala fire officials, two firefighters who were not at the fire station drove up on the crash, which took place on Northeast 36th Avenue, at about 12:15 p.m. Tuesday.An older model Chevrolet Blazer was on its side and two people were inside the sport utility vehicle, fire officials said. A small white car had apparently pulled out of a nearby convenient store parking lot and struck the SUV, causing it to flip, fire officials said.

The Blazer driver's arm became trapped between the vehicle and the pavement as the SUV overturned, firefighters said.Firefighters responding to the crash stabilized the overturned Blazer, but the driver could not be removed from the vehicle until her arm was freed, officials said.Firefighter Chris Hickman lifted the SUV about 12 inches off the ground, allowing other firefighters to free the driver's arm, officials said. The roof of the SUV was cut away by firefighters, and the woman was removed and airlifted to Shands Teaching Hospital in Gainesville, fire officials said. Her condition was not released.The occupants of the other vehicle were not injured.

From Local6.com

10 Fireworks Effects to Watch For

I had no idea there were so many different types of effects and I definitely didn’t know they had names. To me, their names are, “The Ones That Do That Shooty Thing,” “The Ones That Scream” and “The Ones That Kind of Sparkle Out”. Very technical. If you’re like me, here’s a mini-lesson for you – try to spot them at whatever fireworks display you attend this weekend. I don’t usually do pictures with the Quick 10, but thought this post kind of warranted them.

From Mental Floss

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Happy thoughts may dampen cravings for a Smoke


Want to quit smoking? Next time the urge to light up strikes, think of snow-capped peaks instead of the fleeting pleasure of a white cigarette. That's the conclusion of a new brain study which shows that thinking happy thoughts could help dampen cravings.

Mauricio Delgado, a cognitive neuroscientist at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey, and his colleague Elizabeth Phelps of New York University measured the brain activity of 15 volunteers as they played a simple game.

More at NewScientist

Also - Working Out May Help Prevent Addiction - From CNN