The newer large smart (60" or larger) flat panel televisions provide a dramatically improved viewing experience especially for movies and sports. And the good news is that you do not need a big room to have them in because they are best viewed from relatively close range as you can see in the chart below. Now the challenge: How to hang it on the wall.
If the wall backs up to a closet or some empty space, then you can easily hang it and hide all the wires and a/v equipment. If you don't hide the wires, don't bother hanging it on a wall--just leave it on its stand. But let's say you have no space behind the wall and it's a solid wall. We put this problem scenario to our Interior Design Department (IDD), and they actually discovered the answer. Just build a fake wall about 2' in front of the actual wall, and then the television gets hung on it and all the wires and a/v equipment are behind the fake wall. Like all brilliant ideas it's simple and head-slappingly obvious once you see it. And the aesthetic choices you have for the fake wall are limitless, letting you make the room even better than it was before the wall was built. In fact, on the fake wall discovered by our IDD, they allowed 2,000+ people to walk through the room with the fake wall and only two people realized it was a fake wall, and they loved it!
This past Sunday, our research department did a big data study (involving over 2,000 people) on men doing laundry at home. The results were fascinating:
1. In stark contrast to most of them doing their share of all other household tasks, almost no married men do laundry at home. Some hate doing it. Some simply refuse. Some women believe that men do not know how to do laundry correctly. Some women think men do not know how to operate the washer and dryer. Some men have said they do not know and cannot learn how to operate the washer and dryer. [Compare The Jewish Prince Routine from Nora Ephron's Heartburn]
2. If you put a 60" 4K television with a comfortable sofa and coffee table into the same room where you have the washer and dryer, both men and women will dub the room a "man cave" and refuse to call it "the laundry room" and will laugh if you call it "the laundry room."
3. Many women believe that they might be able to have men do the laundry if their laundry room were re-vamped as such. Many more women believe they would enjoy doing the laundry much more if their laundry room had a television in it. Our research department was unable to figure out why such beliefs were held given that no one sits and watches the washer and dryer in action anyhow.
Note: The director of our research department, who was hands-on in conducting this research, does at least half, if not more, of the laundry in his house, and thoroughly enjoys doing so. Indeed, he would do more if his wife did not insist she had "my special way" for doing certain laundry items.
When you buy certain items at certain times on Amazon Prime, you might be offered a $5.99 credit in Amazon Prime Pantry if you delay shipment. As it turns out, that credit is not a credit against the cost of goods. Rather, it is a credit against the $5.99 shipping charge, so in effect, you are getting free shipping. Prices on some of the goods in Amazon Prime Pantry (e.g., Tide HE) are lower than in your supermarket, so the $5.99 is not the credit you had thought it would be, but it's not bad either.
From the WSJ (March 31). What's interesting about the "new protocol" now being adopted in the United States, often called "the best medical system in the world" in supposed sharp contrast to Europe where they have "socialized medicine," is that it has been used for 15 years in Europe. One point to remember when scheduling your surgery, because you likely will be told to eat nothing past midnight, be sure your surgery is scheduled for early the next morning and not for the afternoon.
Patients Bounce Back Faster From Surgery With Hospitals’ New Protocol
Clear liquids and pain meds before surgery, less IV fluid during and fewer narcotics afterward
Hospitals are replacing traditional surgery preparation and recovery practices with “enhanced recovery" protocols amid evidence of improved patient health. WSJ’s Laura Landro reports. Photo: Shawn Rocco
Hospitals are starting to abandon the time-honored drill for surgery patients— including fasting, heavy IV fluids, powerful post-op narcotics and bed rest—amid growing evidence that the lack of nutrients, fluid overload and drug side effects can do more harm than good.
Instead, they are turning to “enhanced recovery” protocols that are easier on patients, help them get better faster with fewer infections and other complications and reduce health-care costs.
The changes, pioneered in Europe over the past 15 years, now are being adopted more widely in the U.S. Though the evidence is strongest in colorectal surgery, the approach is being used with an increasing range of procedures including hip fracture and joint replacements and surgeries for bladder, pancreas, liver and breast cancer.
Hunger and thirst from presurgical fasting can add to patients’ stress and anxiety, and cause weakness as well as postoperative nausea. Side effects of fluid retention, narcotics and immobility can interfere with getting bodily functions back to normal, resulting in longer, harder recoveries overall. With traditional regimens, patients can remain in the hospital for 10 days or more with complication rates of up to 48% and an average $10,000 in additional costs, according to researchers at Duke University School of Medicine.
With enhanced recovery protocols, patients still can’t eat after midnight before an early morning surgery, but two or three hours before surgery they do get a carbohydrate-loaded drink fortified with electrolytes, minerals and vitamins. They are pretreated for pain with nonnarcotic painkillers and epidurals that are kept in place postoperatively. With careful monitoring, patients receive only necessary levels of IV fluid during surgery. Soon afterward they get out of bed to walk and may ingest solid food, and they are discharged earlier with careful instructions for home care.
ENLARGE
Charles Suñé, in the Carolina North Forest in Chapel Hill, N.C., earlier this month. He was apprehensive about having a third surgery for Crohn’s disease but said the procedure, at Duke University, was easier using the ‘enhanced recovery’ protocol.PHOTO: KIRSTEN WIDENER
“This is contradictory to the way we’ve practiced for 50 years, but it is becoming more and more evident that this really is more effective and better for patients,” says Traci Hedrick, assistant professor of surgery at the University of Virginia. “Surgery is already a significant trauma on the body and we want to help keep patients as normal as possible for as long as possible.”
Dr. Hedrick is co-author of a study published online in February in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons that found that the new protocol, used in colorectal-surgery patients at the UVA health system, helped reduce the length of hospital stay by 2.2 days compared with a control group who had conventional treatment. It also reduced complications by 17% and increased patient satisfaction with pain control by 55%. There was a cost savings of $7,129 per patient.
Dr. Hedrick acknowledges it has been a “struggle” to get some surgeons and anesthesiologists to change ingrained habits but they are often convinced by the results: “You just have to see one patient for the first time and how dramatically different they look and feel than in the past,” she says.
A 2011 study in JAMA Surgery found that despite the clear benefits of enhanced recovery protocols, old traditions prevail. To increase adoption, the American College of Surgeons is sponsoring a national initiative led by experts including Julie Thacker, assistant professor of surgery at Duke University School of Medicine and medical director of the enhanced recovery program at Duke University Hospital, which has been able to reduce hospital stays and readmissions with the approach. Dr. Thacker co-founded the nonprofit American Society for Enhanced Recovery last year to educate operating-room teams and says many traditional practices have been disproved.
Surgeons adopted the practice of infusing fluid, for example, after wartime studies showed it improved survival in trauma patients, but it isn’t necessary in the average patient, Dr. Thacker says. “Giving extra IV fluids to overcome the starvation we’ve imposed on patients leads to worse outcomes,” such as preventing bowel function from returning to normal, she says.
ENLARGE
Dr. Julie Thacker, who co-founded the nonprofit American Society for Enhanced Recovery last year to educate operating-room teams, says many traditional practices have been disproved.PHOTO: SHAWN ROCCO
Rules on fasting before surgery are based on assumptions that anesthesia reactions might cause patients to throw up during a procedure and hamper breathing, but research has shown clear liquids within two hours actually decreases that risk, according to John Abenstein, president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and a Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist. OR teams are sometimes reluctant to adopt the less-restrictive policies out of concern patients won’t follow directions and come in for surgery having had a glass of milk or cola, and then surgery has to be delayed, Dr. Abenstein says. But when patients consume clear liquids correctly, they feel much better after surgery, he says.
Charles Suñé, a 57-year old technology product manager in Charlotte, N.C., had surgery at age 17 and again in his mid-30s for Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory condition of the digestive tract. He remembers in both cases “waking up feeling like I was hit by a bus, and the morphine couldn’t kick in fast enough.” Both times, he suffered from retained fluid in his legs and had to spend a week in the hospital consuming only a liquid diet.
When his condition flared up again, Mr. Suñé dreaded a third surgery. But last year, after two emergency-room visits, he realized he couldn’t put it off any longer. Dr. Thacker reassured him the new protocols would make it easier. Two hours before surgery, he drank a carbohydrate-rich beverage. To prevent pain, he took nonnarcotic medications including Tylenol, and doctors inserted an epidural, which stayed in place for two days after surgery. His IV fluids were monitored carefully during surgery so he received the ideal amount.
Mr. Suñé says he was so surprised not to feel pain after the procedure that he was texting his friends from the hospital and needed only a minimal amount of oral narcotics compared with past procedures. He was up and walking the first day after surgery, and able to resume eating solid food. “This was a completely different experience for me compared to my two previous surgeries, and my recovery was really fast,” he said.
Kaiser Permanente Northern California is currently rolling out the enhanced recovery protocol in its 21 medical centers, focusing first on colorectal surgery and hip fracture patients. It plans to expand the program soon to total joint replacement, according toEfren Rosas, assistant physician-in-chief, hospital operations, at Kaiser’s San Jose Medical Center. Kaiser provides patients with educational videos and brochures, and a calendar with a detailed checklist of what to expect with the new protocols.
Immediately after surgery, when pain is often worst, patients are still offered narcotic medications, Dr. Rosas says. But presurgical medication and injections to block pain can minimize the use of narcotics, eliminating side effects such as constipation, nausea and dizziness.
Christina Solis, a nurse and performance improvement adviser at Kaiser Permanente, says OR teams have to work together to make sure the enhanced recovery protocol is followed “from the time the patient walks in for the first appointment until after discharge.” “This care is truly providing different and better outcomes for patients,” she says.
The Arizona Republic today published online an excellent letter on the issue of water conservation (link to the letter). It also appeared in the paper's March 31 print edition. Below is how the letter appears online. The sponsors of the so-called competition would do well to forget the "teams" and award the prize to the author of this letter (who has asked in the interest of humility to have his name not appear here):
As Phil Boas' column on Saturday correctly points out, Arizona is facing an ever looming water-shortage crisis. But holding a competition with a $100,000 prize "to one of five teams vying to produce the best strategy for raising Arizonan's consciousness about water" is a colossal waste of money and time, and also misses the mark.
Rather, there is a proven, infallible, tried-and-true way to conserve water: Price water in a rational way to encourage conservation. For example, if water usage were metered such that a single family home's use had one charge per gallon for necessary basic use (drinking, bathing, etc.), but a much higher per gallon charge for non-necessary use (such as lawns), we would see fewer sidewalks and driveways being watered, many fewer winter lawns, and many more conversions to low-water or non-water (desert) landscaping.
Metered-pricing not only would have an immediate dramatic effect on water usage, it likely is the only meaningful way to actually "raise Arizonan's consciousness about water," which it surely would do.
Sometimes, when you buy a product through Amazon Prime, you will be give an option to choose a slower delivery in exchange for which you will get a $5.99 credit towards any purchase in the Amazon Prime Pantry section. While this credit will be applied automatically, it does carry an expiration date which will appear in an email you will get from Amazon. Be sure to keep that email or better yet calendar that date, however, because you will not be able to find it on Amazon's website--at least until Amazon takes our suggestion, which it was very pleased to receive, to make the date known on the website.
If you have to sit for hours and hours on a record-breaking high temperature day in a room cooled by a mini split, if you have the right mini split, you will gain a real appreciation for it. Mitsubishi makes an excellent one, but it's expensive. There are no-name models that are okay and far less expensive but lack the stylishness and some of the features of the Mitsubishi's. Fortunately, there is Greece, from which comes not only great philosophies and tragedies and comedies, but fabulous mini splits under the brand name Gree, with all the stylishness and features of the Mitsubishi. Even with two doors open and and a 60" 4K television playing and all the lights on and hundreds and hundreds of people marching through on the hottest of days, the room will stay icy cold to the relief of all, and you will hardly hear it. Fortunately, you don't have to go to Greece or sail the Greek isles to get one of these beauties--Home Depot has a full line of them.
We received a reader's question asking, "Why do only the bottom sheets come fitted? Why don't they make top-fitted sheets as well?" We were stunned! When one takes the bridge across to the 21st century, one will find that, not only is the world filled with great gadgets, it's got top-fitted sheets. Just put "top fitted sheets" into The Google and you will see everyone sells them. Alternatively, if you would like to make your own, just click on the link below.
It is now very easy to smarten your home. Everything that can be turned on, or moves, or can be seen, can be "smartened"--from light bulbs to locks to thermostats to alarms to leaks and on and on. But perhaps the two most useful smart devices are thermostats and smart plugs. With a smart thermostat, you can control the thermostat from anywhere in the world, so you can adjust the temperature to be economical while you were out and re-turn it to a more comfortable temperature shortly before coming home. With a smart plug, you can turn your television on or off from anywhere in the world or pursuant to a schedule. At this point, you likely are saying, this blog just went off the trolley tracks. Not so. It is an established scientific and forensic fact that the single best deterrent against home break-ins is having a television visibly on. Unfortunately, normal timers will not turn on and off televisions. But smart plugs can. The link below takes you to Lowe's smart home system, which we have tested fully and have found it and the support for it excellent. We have not run comparison studies with other systems.
The hard drive on a PC is a crucial component and it pays to keep an eye on its health. There are a variety of programs designed to check or monitor the status of hard drives. One kind of test involves scanning disks for bad sectors and errors. A free program of this type is Macrorit Disk Scanner. It was recently updated to version 2.9.0 and is very easy to use and is said to do quicker scans than Check Disk.
There are three download links on the page. Two larger ones are from the well-known download sources CNET and MajorGeeks.Beware of the CNET link, which is a bundleware link. You can use the MajorGeeks link but I prefer the small third link just below the MajorGeeks link. This third link downloads a portable version from the developer. This is a 2.68 MB EXE file that can be run from any convenient location. All current versions of Windows, 32- and 64-bit, are said to be supported. There is no disk repair function in the program.
An excellent feature of the program is that it can scan a wide variety of storage devices. According to the developer, the following devices are supported - DE HDD, SATA HDD, SCSI HDD, FireWire HDD, SSD, USB HDD, External HDD, Hardware RAID, Floppy drive, USB flash drive, Compact flash card, Secure Digital card, Memory card/Memory stick, Micro card, Zip drive, IPod.
Ford is introducing cars that can see what the speed limit is and prevent motorists from driving any faster. Not kidding. If you don't believe me, read the linked article (and it's for real, it's not The Onion). Link to Confirming Article
The iPhone 6 is made of metal and glass -- mostly glass. So, unless you have an ugly klunky ballistic case, there is a non-trivial probablity you will experience a shattered screen. The linked article from cnet sets out the options you have. As you'll see, there's no reason to panic or get unduly upset. Link to cnet Article re Broken Glass
Apple says that iOS devices are inherently secure -- that's the stance the company took in its 53-page iOS Security Guide last fall. However, around the same time, opposing points of view were expressed in stories about Xsser Trojans, which can steal data from iOS devices; WireLurker, malware that penetrates iOS security via USB; and forensics experts pulling data off locked iPhones. So Apple's recent decision to pull many antivirus and anti-malware apps from the App Store left some people wondering whether the company was protecting users from misleading apps and junk or leaving devices open to malicious software. In Apple's favor, its unique hardware, firmware, and software architecture; data encryption; and Touch ID and Find My iPhone features safeguard against most attacks. If you want even more protection and privacy, consider an app monitor, a password manager, a secure folder, and VPN. These are set out in the article linked below.
We've strongly recommended that you use VideoLAN for your computer instead of the pre-installed media player. Now, from the same company, there's the VLC media player for Androids. VLC media player is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player that plays most multimedia files as well as discs, devices, and network streaming protocols. This is the port of VLC media player to the Android™ platform. VLC for Android can play most video and audio files, as well as network streams and DVD ISOs, like the desktop version of VLC. VLC for Android is also a full audio player, with a complete database, an equalizer and filters, playing all weird audio formats. VLC is intended for everyone, is totally free, has no ads, no in-app-purchases, no spying and is developed by passionate volunteers. All the source code is available for free. Play Store Link to VLC
Since the company was formed more than 25 years ago, Pixar has used an in-house product called Renderman to help add digital effects to its films. Those blockbuster include Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and many more. Pixar also sold (and continues to sell) Renderman to anyone who wants to use it, and recently cut the price from $1300 to $495. A good reduction, but still not quite right for my loyal audience. However, as of now, the news gets even better. For non-commercial use, Renderman is totally free. Just download and install it from the link below.
Before you rush to download it, however, it's worth noting the following. You'll need a 64-bit version of Windows, and as powerful a PC as you can find, it order to get the best from it. You'll also need to dedicate some serious time to learning it, as this is not a package you can master in a weekend. Also, be aware that the free version is strictly for non-commercial use only, so you can't use it within your company. Finally, you'll need to register on Pixar's forum before you can download the installer, and their forum software is pretty much the worst I've ever encountered. But it's definitely worth persevering.
The download is only 10 MB, and is malware-free according to VirusTotal and Web of Trust. However, the installer will subsequently download between 500 and 1000 MB of additional files when you run it, so take care if your broadband connection has a monthly allowance of less than that.
When creating and saving a new contact for the first time, the phone will default to saving the contact to your device and not to your Gmail account. To save it to your Gmail account, be sure to select, as the first step, Gmail. How to do so is different on different phones, but it's usually the top box of the new contact box. After you do this a few times, your phone likely will start defaulting to the Gmail setting. Contacts saved your Gmail will sync to all your Gmail devices. Contacts saved to your phone will not sync with anything. Whether the iPhone works in the same way, I have no clue.
Google Maps for iOS now has four new features. As explained by cnet:
1. Faster, easier directions
For an app that's all about navigation, Google Maps has always been a little awkward when it comes to actually getting directions.
Tap the microphone icon and tell Google Maps where you want to go.Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET
Now, you can simply tap the microphone icon, then say "directions to [wherever you're going]" and the app will quickly serve up a route. So, for instance, if you just want to get home fast, say "directions to home."
To save yet another step, you can also specify where you're coming from. For example: "Directions to Navy Pier from the Fine Arts Building in Chicago."
2. Full-screen view
Maps now lets you hide its toolbars for a full-screen map view. This may not sound like a big deal, but it's always nice to get a little extra viewing area -- especially if you're still using an older iPhone with a smaller screen.
To enable full-screen view, tap any "empty" spot on the map. To restore the tools, just tap again.
3. Public-transit line colors
If you use trains, buses and other forms of mass transit to get around town, you'll appreciate this: Google Maps now shows transit-line colors, thus making it just a little easier to identify which train or bus you're supposed to get on.
Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET
There's nothing special you need to do; the line colors will simply appear now when you get transit directions.
4. Zagat-enhanced restaurant searches
Looking for a place to eat? If you're searching in a major metropolitan area, Google Maps can now filter the results to show Zagat-rated restaurants.
Instead of having to grapple with a long, slow scrollable list of titles, you can now see all the titles in a certain category in one shot with "Netflix God Mode."The process for enabling Netflix God Mode works as follows:
Make sure your bookmarks or Favorites toolbar is visible in your browser. The actual command to do this varies slightly depending on your browser. But typically, you can enable the toolbar by right-clicking the empty area at the top of your browser and selecting the option or checkmark to Show bookmarks. In Internet Explorer, though, the option says Favorites Bar.
Go to the link below. You'll see a green button that says: Netflix | God Mode.
Drag that button to your bookmarks or Favorites Bar.
Now surf to Netflix and sign into your account. You'll see the usual horizonal rows of titles that you would typically scroll.
Click the Netflix | God Mode button.
The Netflix home page is instantly refreshed so that you can now see all of the titles in a given category or genre. Now just scroll down to view them all.
If you haven't shopped for a 4K television in a couple of months, you are in for a nice surprise. Their prices keep falling. Indeed, if you're willing to settle for a smaller screen, Costco now is selling 55" Samsung 4K televisions for under $950 with free shipping.
The Nexus 7 is believed by many to be the best small (7") tablet/e-reader at any price and it certainly is the best for the price ($175 (16GB)-$235 (32GB)). The bad news is that Google has discontinued making it and no longer sells it in its store. The good news is you can still find it at various online sites, Just type Nexus into The Google and it will come up.
You might access a given website every day for years. All of sudden, it does not come up. Before berating the company responsible for the website, try this easy fix. Open your browser and clear all history, downloads, cache, and cookies (this is a two-click process in Chrome: Settings/Advanced Settings/Check those Four Boxes/Clear Brower); and then, delete your bookmark for that website and close your browser; re-open your browser, type in the URL, and you'll likely be back on, and you can bookmark it again.
It's not a bad movie. But, if you read the book, it will hold no suspense for you during its 2.5 hour run. As usual, the book is better than the movie.
States have different regulations about auto insurance companies' offerings. In Arizona, for example, replacement glass coverage is included under the comprehensive portion of the policy. Given that a replacement typically costs under $300, unless your comprehensive deductible is well under $300, in effect you have no coverage. You can, however, buy zero-deductible replacement glass coverage for about $50 per car. So, unless you think you will have a cracked windshield needing replacement every 5 years or fewer, a zero-deductible glass replacement policy hardly makes sense. If the glass damage is reparable, which typically means a crack of less than 12" and not in your sight-line, then the comprehensive will cover that charge with a zero-deductible.
Sites such as VRBO and airbnb make for great price competition which allow travelers to get terrific places at terrific prices. The risk is that, if the place turns out to be disappointing or, worse, defective or even uninhabitable, your stuck--and often there is no one to turn to (the owner is not there). You might be able to get some compensation, but your trip is ruined. With hotels and such, if you have a problem, there are people to turn to on site and usually any problem can be remedied. The premium in terms of cost and the other disadvantages of a hotel (smaller space than a home or condo) can be daunting. It turns out, various hotel management companies have gotten into the home and resort rental business, through which you might get the benefit of both travel worlds or at least something in between. While it certainly does not serve as many locations as either, Wyndham Vacation Rentals provides such a service. Undoubtedly, there are many others. We have asked our Travel Department to fan out across the globe so we can identify and rate the various offerings, but in the meantime, check with Trip Advisor, which has its own vacation rental service with offerings almost everywhere including Sant Pol de Mar, Spain.
The recent dramatic rise in the dollar versus the euro has made Europe much less expensive, as explained in this article from the WSJ (March 19, D1). If you have plans to go, you might consider pre-paying your lodging and buying your euros now to lock in your “gain”; or, if you believe the dollar will continue strengthening, you should wait. If you have no plans to go, now might be the time to re-think about going. One downside of delaying is that airline tickets and desired routings could become increasingly scarce as more people book to go to Europe and, as the law of supply and demand teaches, more expensive.
If your phone or tablet seems sluggish, or even if it doesn't, "cleaning" it of junk and spam is definitely worth doing. The below link is a straight-forward simple article of 11 ways to "clean" and protect your device.
Google Calendar has finally come to iOS. You can sync it with other calendars, including iCloud and Exchange, as well as Outlook, and instantly create events from dates in Gmail. It's available in the iTunes store.
Grease stains pose a special laundry challenge. Washing grease-stained clothes in a washer will not remove them. One solution is to throw away the grease-stained garment. But an even better: Use white chalk. It's like a miracle. And a box of 12 sticks will cost you less than $4.50 and even less if you choose to take the $1-digital-credit offer in exchange for a slower delivery.
Whether they admit it or not, everyone is a status seeker. Now, thanks to the internets, status seeking is way easier than it ever was. For example, if you want to know the status of your federal tax refund, just go to the first link below; if you want to know the status of your Arizona tax refund, just go the second link below; and if you want to know the status of your passport renewal, just go to the third link below. And of course, every airline's website as well as various other websites and apps will tell you the status and even the whereabouts of any flight. In sum, if you want to know the status of just about anything, just type "X status" into The Google substituting for X whatever it is you want to know the status of.
Most people are careful shoppers, doing comparison shopping and trying not to pay too much. Except when it comes to medical and dental stuff. As it turns out, the identical service or product from a medical or dental provider can vary dramatically in cost. It really pays to check. Here are two different sites that will do it for you:
Lightly toast two pieces of good bread. Lay flat on plate (but not the plate you'll serve it on). Spread both pieces with cream cheese and fresh avocado and a light film of Caesar dressing. From this point on, add the following ingredients in the following order onto just one slice: capers; very thin slices of onion; fresh marjoram; fresh basil leaves; thinly sliced cucumber; thinly sliced tomato; and arugula. Put the other slice on top and press down. Slice into quarter rectangles or quarter triangles. Slide the quarters onto the plate your serving it on. Arrange artistically with whatever else your serving on the side.
Explanatory Notes:
1. The noted order of adding the ingredients reduces any falling out during the assembly of the sandwich.
2. Adding the post-smear ingredients on just one slice makes it easy to "close" the sandwich without anything falling out.
3. Assembling and cutting the sandwich on one plate and then moving it to another insures that the serving plate does not have a bunch of crumbs on it.
4. Slicing into quarters gives many more opportunities for aesthetically pleasing presentations (e.g., the sandwiches can circle the side dish or be below it or above it or, well, there are infinite possibilities).
When the new USB 3.1 devices arrive, there will be no "right side up" to plug in the USB cable--either way will work. That's good news. But even better news is that you don't have to wait for or buy a new device to have reversible USB cables--they are already here from a company called Tripp-Lite and they are not appreciably more expensive than non-reversible USB cables.
The short article linked below has seven great cleaning tips, involving: cleaning light bulbs; making glass shine; proper vacuuming; and lint filter checking. Perhaps the most useful one is for oven cleaning: "Forget the fumes of a traditional oven cleaner. To get your oven
sparkling, sprinkle the base with baking soda, then spray with vinegar. The mixture will bubble up and start removing burnt-on
food. For tougher spots, scrub clean with a wet pumice stone." Link to Cleaning Article
The King's Speech (2010): Even though it's British, you don't need sub-titles to understand what they are saying. Although you can guess the end, and you can guess many of the sub-events before they happen, it's totally enjoyable, and much much better than The English Patient. The dialogue is tight and the acting is first-rate except perhaps for David and Wallis Simpson and the Archbishop is okay but just okay and Winston Churchill is difficult to look at. All-in-all, it will pleasantly remind you that the Queen Elizabeth who now sits on the throne was once a charming little girl, and that the Royals do live differently than some of the rest of us.
The Artist (2011): If you watched this without sub-titles, watch it again with sub-titles. There really are subtitles. Not kidding. And for a totally different experience on second viewing, you might watch the colorized version. Just kidding. In the meantime, if you haven't seen it, you're in for a treat. Although it drags a bit in the second half, it's worth watching through the end. The directing and the filming produce gem scene after gem scene, with a clear detailed and studied knowledge of film history and film making. For example, you'll actually see the Marx brothers influence play out on the screen, not to mention Lassie, and of course Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers. The acting is simply amazing--you'll scratch your head asking yourself, "Where did those two leads come from--they're fabulous?" And the supporting cast is excellent, as it always is whenever John Goodman shows up (ever since, as Evelle, he released himself from prison on his own recognizance in Saving Arizona).* ___________ * Ed McDonnough: You mean you busted out of jail.
Evelle: No, ma'am. We released ourselves on our own recognizance.
Gale: What Evelle here is trying to say is that we felt that the institution no longer had anything to offer us.
The front page of Friday's (3/13) Wall Street Journal discusses a movement afoot by judges to reduce maximum brief length from 14,000 words to 12,500. Putting aside the pros and cons of such a rule change, the article notes a most interesting point: Lawyers "could trim their word counts 3% to 4% simply by using Microsoft Word, whose word-count tool is more likely to treat numerical legal and statutory citations as single words."
Networx is a useful utility for Windows which tracks your network usage. You can monitor any network connection available on your PC, including wired, wifi and cellular. And you can track by user too. Plus, you can view all the data in a series of pretty graphs and tables, or export it to Excel for later analysis.
Networx is free (strictly donationware), and available in both 32- and 64-bit versions. It's also available as a portable program, for easy installation (there isn't any) and removal.
Windows Tweaker is a free utility. Although this is a desktop utility, it has the clean modern look often found on mobile apps. There is a portable version as well as an installer version. The portable version is 0.85 MB and the installer version is 2.45 MB. I tried both and I see no particular advantage to the installer version except that its performance was a little smoother.
The program requires the .NET 4.5 Framework. Because it can be used to make changes to the system, it requires administrative privileges to run. One annoyance is that it opens in maximized view, taking up the whole screen like a Windows 8 store app. The view can be changed to a smaller one by toggling the maximize button in the upper right corner of its window. You can then see part of the desktop but further re-sizing can be done only from the right side of the window.
There are said to be 100+ settings available and the screenshot below shows some. As the graphic shows, a pane on the left side lists 11 categories of settings. When one of these is selected, tabs across the top of the window with sub-categories are displayed. Selecting one of these then shows a list where you can select various possible tweaks. In the graphic below, the category “Explorer” has been chosen and the tab “Start Screen” selected. There is also a search function to make finding a particular tweak easier. If you would like to see more examples of which tweaks are available, the website link below will take you to a collection of screenshots.
Before making any changes to a system, it is always a good idea to make a backup and the utility has an options button (lower left corner in graphic above) that opens a menu containing an entry that will let you create a system restore point.
