Recent comments

  • Can you guess what’s in the box?   18 years 21 weeks ago

    Yeah, you could replicate it, but they had the idea. Big difference.

  • Killin 'em Out There: The School Clothes Conundrum   18 years 21 weeks ago

    I've been selling my vinyl LP's just to clear out the space, and I am appalled at how much I spent in my life on those, as well as the later CD's. Not to mention books. I really wish I had put the price of those LP's, CD's and books into an account somewhere and checked the stuff out of the library.

  • How Haggling Taught Me About Life   18 years 21 weeks ago

    I haggled for some flowers without knowing it. The conversation was in chinese (which I don't speak). When I heard the price (25 dollars) for one flower - I repeated what I thought I heard (which was 20 dollars) and somehow managed to get a deal of 2 flowers for 40 dollars, not 50.

    Okay, so the money is not big, but that seems a big discount to me 1/5th.

    But everyone was happy. Except me because it meant I misunderstood the original number in chinese - and I thought I could hear the numbers.

  • What Can You Do With Unwanted Gift Cards?   18 years 21 weeks ago

    I hate them. At least here in MA, all gift certificates have to be good for 7 years and they can't depreciate in value. How dumb is that (the depreciation)? You paid money, cash, for this, how can it possibly be worth less than the $100 you paid 6 months from now. Huge, brilliant, money making scam. But, good advice.

  • Papa Murphy’s update: nice save.   18 years 21 weeks ago

    As the area supervisor of this location, I'd like to thank you for this update. We strive for perfect service each and every day, but unfortunately neither Larry nor myself are able to be in every store every night. Both of us will be working with the manager of this location on new ways and ideas for improving everything about our service starting very soon, as we are doing this at all of our locations. Frequent visitors of our Parker location will notice the difference now from a month ago, seeing our busiest store providing fast and perfect (or near perfect) service to every customer, even on record breaking sales days. We intend to enact this change in all of our locations, but we have to take it one store at a time, and do appreciate the patience and support of all of our customers.

    Thanks,
    Josh Miner
    Papa Murphy's of Denver
    Area Supervisor Denver South

  • Papa Murphy’s update: nice save.   18 years 21 weeks ago

    As the area supervisor of this location, I'd like to thank you for this update. We strive for perfect service each and every day, but unfortunately neither Larry nor myself are able to be in every store every night. Both of us will be working with the manager of this location on new ways and ideas for improving everything about our service starting very soon, as we are doing this at all of our locations. Frequent visitors of our Parker location will notice the difference now from a month ago, seeing our busiest store providing fast and perfect (or near perfect) service to every customer, even on record breaking sales days. We intend to enact this change in all of our locations, but we have to take it one store at a time, and do appreciate the patience and support of all of our customers.

    Thanks,
    Josh Miner
    Papa Murphy's of Denver
    Area Supervisor Denver South

  • Killin 'em Out There: The School Clothes Conundrum   18 years 21 weeks ago

    I don't even want to start confessing how much I spend on good wine. But it's so much fun to break out great quality bottles when friends stop by!

  • Killin 'em Out There: The School Clothes Conundrum   18 years 21 weeks ago

    shrimp wontons are pretty darn good. I spend a lot on food.

  • Killin 'em Out There: The School Clothes Conundrum   18 years 21 weeks ago

    I think you mean "wanton consumerism", not "wonton consumerism"... But like you said, everyone has their fetishes! : D

  • Killin 'em Out There: The School Clothes Conundrum   18 years 21 weeks ago

    I'm a book slut.

  • Killin 'em Out There: The School Clothes Conundrum   18 years 21 weeks ago

    We all have our guilty pleasures. One of mine is fountain pens. Fountain pens as a guilty pleasure isn't so bad, because a nice fountain pen doesn't go out of style.

    The same thing can work with clothing--if you decide that your style is a classic style. It makes shopping in the closet easier. More important, it makes it easier to pass up an otherwise tempting buy: "That'd be killin' 'em tomorrow, but not next week."

  • What Can You Do With Unwanted Gift Cards?   18 years 21 weeks ago

    Thanks for this post, I haven't thought about trading them on one of the sites posted... was wondering if ebay would let you sell them or something and at price you would end up fetching for them. I will try these methods out though.

    Also didn't know you could donate them.

  • Turning a cold war spy secret into a cheap anti-theft device   18 years 21 weeks ago

    These microdots are a cool way of identifying and protecting assets.

    Microdots and other identification technologies are now being used to protect cars, motorcycles, laptops, and other assets. The rate of theft on the parts of these items continues to grow as outlined on www.parts-marking.com

    DotGuard International has also combined microdots with GPS tracking to provide both a part-marking and identification package for all types of asset classes including agricultural materials.

  • Introducing an Amazing Suite of Web Tools for Creative People   18 years 21 weeks ago

    I signed up and got my invitation (2 of them actually) within 2 hours.  Looks like an awesome tool!  Thanks for sharing this Xin Lu!  (You have some of the best tips for us....)

  • Revenge of the battery hack - 32 AAs inside a 6v Lantern Battery. BUT IS IT PHONEY?!   18 years 21 weeks ago

    You're not the only one to fall for this gag in the name of science. I always wondered who bought all the 6 volt batteries. Now I think the battery company started this rumor to sell them to us! So don't feel too bad... You can laugh at me here:

    http://pennypinscher.blogspot.com/2008/02/battery-hack-exposed.html

    Science! :)

  • 5 Perfectly Respectable Uses for Instant Mashed Potatoes   18 years 21 weeks ago

    Now that I think about it my mom made Lefse (Scandinavian flat bread sort of similar to a tortilla) with instant mashed potatoes instead of riced potatoes occasionally.

    http://www.lefsetime.com/all_about_lefse/

  • 5 Perfectly Respectable Uses for Instant Mashed Potatoes   18 years 21 weeks ago

    I was in search of recipes to use for a full box of Potato Buds that was near expiration date and found one for chocolate chip cookies using Potato Buds that are supposidly out of this world. I will be testing those this next week.

  • DIY Mortgage Acceleration   18 years 21 weeks ago

    well I took a chance and went to www.SuperchargeYourMortgage.com and supercharge your mortgage works. I would recommend it to any one. I have seen and used free systems that work before... but this was real easy to use and loaded with useful info,and has easy to use calculator's great value.

  • How to Make Moonshine   18 years 21 weeks ago

    thank you very much for the info.

    what year am i looking for like really old are just not like 2007.

    also how does the water distiller work because doesn't it just take out the chemicals in the water. if i find one, i will let you know and maybe sell one to you. also i have found a water distiller specifically for alcohol distilling. here's the link http://basementshaman.com/eadi.html although it is 300 $ and i don't wanna pay that.

  • When you stretch and stretch and the ends don't meet   18 years 21 weeks ago

    Great post, I almost wish you had putting something about honesty in the title though!

    Part of what has gotten us in our present situation is a history of arguing about money due to differing perspectives, which evolved into a "don't ask, don't tell" way of functioning. We are chipping away at those old, bad habits, because in the end, we recognize we are on the same team, and have essentially the same goals, and I'm optimistic that by working hard and committing to getting out of debt as soon as possible, we will make it. But if we had been honest with each other about what our financial situation was really like, and what our fears were, we might have stopped the slide a little sooner, or at least slowed it down. (We are in a situation where we can't make big changes or much headway until June or so.)

  • Can you guess what’s in the box?   18 years 21 weeks ago

    On the one hand, it is a clever idea. On the other hand, it seems you could pretty much replicate this setup (minus the "packs down into a dense rectangle that's probably too heavy to carry on a roof rack" factor) with about $200 worth of el cheapo particle board crap from k-mart, or $100 worth of used el cheapo particle board crap from the thrift store or Craigslist, or about $0 worth of el cheapo particle board crap from your friendly neighborhood dumpster. And, I didn't think I'd ever hear myself say this about any product, but I think it's uglier than el cheapo particle board crap.

    Just not lovin' the Casulo.

  • Can you guess what’s in the box?   18 years 21 weeks ago

    Wow. That box holds the most useful furniture for a compact space. This would be great for keeping your essentials to a bare minimum and easy to pack up when you need to move.

  • Can you guess what’s in the box?   18 years 21 weeks ago

    I can't even refold a map after I open it. How in the heck would you get it back into it's "packaging?"

    Beignet

  • 5 Perfectly Respectable Uses for Instant Mashed Potatoes   18 years 21 weeks ago

    Super tips!

  • Can you guess what’s in the box?   18 years 21 weeks ago

    The bed and desk chair look like they seriously lack comfort. But if they were for someone where those were less of an issue the concept really does sort of work.

    Really these days a good laptop can suffice for stereo and a basic substitute for a TV.

    I worked in one city and my family lived in another for about the total of a year over a two year time frame. So I spent most of that time borrowing or renting empty rooms from friends. The best piece of temporary furniture was our old SCA re-enactors rope bed. With a good futon mattress on top it rivals our waterbed with memory foam as far as comfort. It looks sort of like this one and fits into a car or mini van easily.
    http://www.greydragon.org/furniture/beds/ropebed.html