Comcast is doing something different,
adding your router output as free WiFi to others passing by. It is
also an opt-out solution, which means it is enabled by default and
you need to turn it off. It also does not pay you for this use by
others.
Comcast is quietly turning on public hotspots in its customers’
routers and turning private homes into public hotspots. Other
Comcast customers get free Wi-Fi wherever there is a Comcast box and
the company gets to build out a private network to compete with
telecoms, but using your resources.
Fifty thousand users with basic modems that Comcast cable provides
have already been turned into public hotspots in Houston, and there
are plans to enable 150,000 more.
It is using your private residence as a corporate resource and using
your electricity, your Internet connection, and potentially opening
up your private browsing to hackers. Comcast says these two streams
are independent, but that has never stopped hackers. There is also
nothing to stop someone from downloading illicit material, software,
and other junk from your hotspot, implicating you if caught. Remember,
if there is a line out, that means there is also a line in. Caveat
Emptor Comcast users.
Jun 20, 2014
Five Food Hacks
To cook potatoes evenly, drop in cool
water, not hot. Hot water will make the outsides mushy and not cook
the insides evenly. Allowing to water to warm up with the potatoes
cooks the outside and inside evenly. Potatoes are more dense than
veggies.
Heat the pan before cooking veggies. Preheating the pan and using a bit of olive oil keeps the veggies from sticking and helps them evenly brown without making them mushy.
Meat should never be tossed into a cold pan, in the oven or on the stovetop.
Slicing onions vertically is to slice along with the fibers of the onion. When you slice with the fibers, the onion pieces hold up a bit better as they cook. If you do not want them to retain the shape, cut along the side like circles or dice them and they will be more mushy.
Cakes should be light and airy and one way to help is to alternately mix in dry and wet ingredients. It is bubbles, unpopped and whole, that give an open crumb in cakes. When you are beating sugar into softened butter or when you are beating eggs into a froth, you are making bubbles. Adding dry ingredients keeps the bubbles from popping and makes for a light, airy cake. Dump and stir is better for more dense things, like brownies.
Heat the pan before cooking veggies. Preheating the pan and using a bit of olive oil keeps the veggies from sticking and helps them evenly brown without making them mushy.
Meat should never be tossed into a cold pan, in the oven or on the stovetop.
Slicing onions vertically is to slice along with the fibers of the onion. When you slice with the fibers, the onion pieces hold up a bit better as they cook. If you do not want them to retain the shape, cut along the side like circles or dice them and they will be more mushy.
Cakes should be light and airy and one way to help is to alternately mix in dry and wet ingredients. It is bubbles, unpopped and whole, that give an open crumb in cakes. When you are beating sugar into softened butter or when you are beating eggs into a froth, you are making bubbles. Adding dry ingredients keeps the bubbles from popping and makes for a light, airy cake. Dump and stir is better for more dense things, like brownies.
Sit Straight, Be Confident
In a recent study,
participants were asked to think about and write down their best or
worse qualities while they were sitting down with their back erect
and pushing their chest out in a confident posture, or slouched
forward with their back curved. Then, participants completed a
number of measures and reported their self-evaluations. Researchers
found the effect of the direction of thoughts (positive/negative) on
self-related attitudes was significantly greater when participants
wrote their thoughts in the confident posture. The postures did not
influence the number or quality of thoughts listed, but did have an
impact on the confidence with which people held their thoughts.
Mason Jar Cooking
Mason jars have been around for years and
only recently have folks begun to use them for cooking things in a
microwave. Taking soup to work and heating in a mason jar is an old
standby for office workers, but have you thought of doing this for
the family?
Many other things can be cooked in mason jars for individual servings and no mess. It works for mac and cheese (with bacon bits of course). Try cobblers and pies, just be sure to put the fruits on the bottom and dough on top. Same trick for pizza, put the dough on top, so it can rise.
Have not tried this, but will do so soon. The recipe calls for putting fruit in the bottom of a small mason jar and filling it halfway with pancake mix (the mix rises from cooking), or dropping in some chocolate chips on top of the mix, then microwaving for 60 - 90 seconds. Great way to make individual pancakes quickly and with less dirty pans. A side benefit of Mason jar cooking is strict portion control, which is good if you are trying to watch your weight.
Many other things can be cooked in mason jars for individual servings and no mess. It works for mac and cheese (with bacon bits of course). Try cobblers and pies, just be sure to put the fruits on the bottom and dough on top. Same trick for pizza, put the dough on top, so it can rise.
Have not tried this, but will do so soon. The recipe calls for putting fruit in the bottom of a small mason jar and filling it halfway with pancake mix (the mix rises from cooking), or dropping in some chocolate chips on top of the mix, then microwaving for 60 - 90 seconds. Great way to make individual pancakes quickly and with less dirty pans. A side benefit of Mason jar cooking is strict portion control, which is good if you are trying to watch your weight.
Friday Votes
I steadfastly stay away from politics on this
forum, so the following is just a statement of fact. The US Senate
had four votes on Friday during 2013 and no Friday votes during
2014. My conclusion is that they must need the Friday time to
read and digest my Friday Thoughts.
Jun 13, 2014
Happy Friday
It is no coincidence that all the greatest works of art and
literature were created before the snooze button.
It is also no coincidence that the greatest Fridays happen when you have a Happy Friday!
It is also no coincidence that the greatest Fridays happen when you have a Happy Friday!
Essential Oils
An essential oil is a concentrated liquid
containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are
also known as volatile oils, or ethereal oils. An oil is 'essential'
in the sense that it carries a distinctive scent, or essence, of the
plant. Essential oils do not form a distinctive category for any
medical, pharmacological, or culinary purpose. They are not
essential for health.
Sage is best for blood-pressure reduction. In a 2013 study, women who smelled clary sage experienced reduced blood pressure and breathing rates. They were also able to relax during a stressful medical exam. Sage also increases memory and attention.
Peppermint is best for stress relief. Research shows that breathing in eau de peppermint can decrease the body's levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. It also reduces fatigue.
Orange is best for decreasing anxiety. A study found that people who sniffed it before a stressful test were able to stay calm under pressure without anxiety spikes.
Rosemary is best for enhancing brainpower. Breathing it in can improve speed and accuracy during demanding mental tasks, per a 2012 study. Other research found its scent left people feeling refreshed and mentally stimulated. It also has been known to reduce fatigue.
Cinnamon is best for improving focus. It may stoke the area of the brain that governs alertness. Research found that drivers were more focused after breathing in cinnamon-oil scents.
Lavender increases relaxation and relieves some symptoms of PMS. A 2013 study found that it also eases pre-period symptoms such as mental confusion and depression. It also reduces some migraine pain.
Olive Oil may help you lose weight, according to a recent study in the American Journal of Nutrition. It says the scent of olive oil might help you feel full.
A diffuser is the most effective way to unleash essential oils into the air, but you can add one or two drops of oil into a bowl of steaming hot water. Another option is to place one drop of oil on a cotton ball, put it under your nose, and inhale normally for one to two minutes.
Essential oils should never be used for more than one hour at a time. Look for 100 percent pure and organic oils free of fillers, pesticides, and synthetic chemicals.
Sage is best for blood-pressure reduction. In a 2013 study, women who smelled clary sage experienced reduced blood pressure and breathing rates. They were also able to relax during a stressful medical exam. Sage also increases memory and attention.
Peppermint is best for stress relief. Research shows that breathing in eau de peppermint can decrease the body's levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. It also reduces fatigue.
Orange is best for decreasing anxiety. A study found that people who sniffed it before a stressful test were able to stay calm under pressure without anxiety spikes.
Rosemary is best for enhancing brainpower. Breathing it in can improve speed and accuracy during demanding mental tasks, per a 2012 study. Other research found its scent left people feeling refreshed and mentally stimulated. It also has been known to reduce fatigue.
Cinnamon is best for improving focus. It may stoke the area of the brain that governs alertness. Research found that drivers were more focused after breathing in cinnamon-oil scents.
Lavender increases relaxation and relieves some symptoms of PMS. A 2013 study found that it also eases pre-period symptoms such as mental confusion and depression. It also reduces some migraine pain.
Olive Oil may help you lose weight, according to a recent study in the American Journal of Nutrition. It says the scent of olive oil might help you feel full.
A diffuser is the most effective way to unleash essential oils into the air, but you can add one or two drops of oil into a bowl of steaming hot water. Another option is to place one drop of oil on a cotton ball, put it under your nose, and inhale normally for one to two minutes.
Essential oils should never be used for more than one hour at a time. Look for 100 percent pure and organic oils free of fillers, pesticides, and synthetic chemicals.
Island in a Lake
The largest island on a lake which is
itself on an island in a lake is eighty two acre Treasure Island
(Ontario, Canada) in Lake Mindemoya, which is on Manitoulin Island
in Lake Huron.
Manitoulin Island contains two more, Lake Manitou and Lake Kegawong. Each of these lakes also have islands within them.
Manitoulin Island contains two more, Lake Manitou and Lake Kegawong. Each of these lakes also have islands within them.
Monty Python
Speaking of essential, Monty Python just
updated one of its songs for the World Cup. LINK The
timeless comedy troupe is doing ten reunion shows in London
starting next month.
In addition, a box set of all their albums is also coming out. It will be called Monty Python's Total Rubbish: The Complete Collection. The set contains remastered versions of all nine UK-released albums.
Their final live show next month is to be broadcast into 450 UK cinemas and 1,500 worldwide. It will be on my calendar and always better to watch with a crowd, because laughing obscures the next rapid fire bit of humor and it is difficult for a person to take it all in at one time.
In addition, a box set of all their albums is also coming out. It will be called Monty Python's Total Rubbish: The Complete Collection. The set contains remastered versions of all nine UK-released albums.
Their final live show next month is to be broadcast into 450 UK cinemas and 1,500 worldwide. It will be on my calendar and always better to watch with a crowd, because laughing obscures the next rapid fire bit of humor and it is difficult for a person to take it all in at one time.
Smile, Be Happy
In one set of studies, depressed
participants were invited to take a few minutes once a day to
relish something that they usually hurry through, such as eating a
meal or taking a shower. When it was over, they were instructed to
write down in what ways they had experienced the event differently
as well as how that felt compared with the times when they rushed
through it.
In another study, healthy students and community members were instructed to savor two pleasurable experiences per day, by reflecting on each for two or three minutes and trying to make the pleasure last as long and as intensely as possible. In all these studies those participants prompted to practice savoring, regularly showed significant increases in happiness and reductions in depression.
Researchers told people to smile and the subjects actually felt happier. More than 26,000 people were randomly assigned to groups and asked to carry out various exercises designed to make them happier. When it came to increasing happiness, those altering their facial expressions came out on top.
In another study, healthy students and community members were instructed to savor two pleasurable experiences per day, by reflecting on each for two or three minutes and trying to make the pleasure last as long and as intensely as possible. In all these studies those participants prompted to practice savoring, regularly showed significant increases in happiness and reductions in depression.
Researchers told people to smile and the subjects actually felt happier. More than 26,000 people were randomly assigned to groups and asked to carry out various exercises designed to make them happier. When it came to increasing happiness, those altering their facial expressions came out on top.
Dale Carnegie
His teachings never go out of style. Here
are a few worth adopting.
- Become genuinely interested in other people.
- Smile.
- Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
- Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
- Talk in terms of the other person’s interest.
- Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.
- Become genuinely interested in other people.
- Smile.
- Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
- Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
- Talk in terms of the other person’s interest.
- Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.
Monkey Business
This is a bit out of the ordinary, but
came across this site and felt the need to share. If you have a
friend or family member that needs cheering up, or has a birthday,
or anniversary or whatever. You can buy them a monkey phone call.
You can order from this site http://www.monkeyphonecall.com
and they will call your friend/victim, explain the reason for the
call and make monkey sounds into the phone. We are never too
old to be silly.
Wordology, Ultimate and Penultimate
When 'ultimate' it
is used as an adjective it describes something that is the best,
highest, or the most extreme example. As a noun the word ultimate
means the final or last in a series or the best, greatest, and
most extreme.
Penultimate means the second-to-last item in a series of things. It does not signify a large or vast number of variables, or the abundance of something. It is one.
To clarify, Chapter 14 in a 15-chapter book is the penultimate chapter and the ultimate chapter would be the 15th chapter, not necessarily the best or most exciting.
Penultimate means the second-to-last item in a series of things. It does not signify a large or vast number of variables, or the abundance of something. It is one.
To clarify, Chapter 14 in a 15-chapter book is the penultimate chapter and the ultimate chapter would be the 15th chapter, not necessarily the best or most exciting.
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