According to Lifehacker, there’s a very easy method to remember which months have 30 days, and which have 31.

It’s a much more effective method than that damn song that Mr. Hook taught us in highschool.

In all my days of driving home with a 4-wheel drive beast, I’ve never seen such horrific driving conditions than I did last night, driving a 2004 mustang with rear-wheel drive.

I-70 was a monster all the way to New Market. A 3-lane highway that is normally a speed limit of 65, to which I normally drive 80mph, was reduced two a skating rink of 20mph 2-lane highway of chaos. You could not see the lanes, you could not see the edge of the highway. Fortunately they have those ridges on the side that make that god awful “Oh shit I’m going to die” noise once you’ve reached them, so I was able to stay on the highway for the most part. I was amused to see confident soccor-mom SUV’s slipping and sliding all over the place (Is the extra gas and foreign oil support worth it now?!)

So my 30 minute ride home was drawn out to about an hour and fifteen minutes. Tomorrow is ’supposed’ to be worse, so I expect I’ll be driving a four-wheel drive vehicle instead.

I ran across Price Protectr this morning, which is apparently a site that enforces your 30 day price protection guarantees.

For example, you purchase an iPod for $70, and next week they have a sale for $60. If you’re like me, you’re entirely too busy to keep track of this kind of stuff, so they do it for you. If something like this happens, they email you.

It only does a select amount of stores, but so far it’s a pretty good selection.

[Download] (about 42megs, full album)
Artist: Garmarna
Album: God’s Musicians
About: A set of swedish musicians, inspired by Shakespeare, create what feels to -me- like medieval scandanavian music. And we all know how much I love medieval music, even the kind that’s in a foreign language that I can’t understand.

DOWNLOAD HAS ENDED FOR THIS ITEM.

I’ve been obsessed with taking control of my finances this month. It wasn’t a “resolution” or anything like that. It feels as if I just “woke up” and decided that there needed to be some changes. I’ve been suscribing via RSS to various investment and financial advise blogs, CNN Money, you name it.

I already religiously keep track of my accounts and credit cards with Microsoft Money. It’s an absolutely fantastic program that is easy to ue, lets you know when you’ve spent an obscene amount of money in any one category, and even prepares reports and pie charts for you automatically. Charts on income vs spending, where most of your money was spent this month, etc. (If any of my friends would like a copy of this program, I’d happily oblige making you one, it’s an older 2001 copy, but it works).

In addition to Microsoft Money, there are a few websites that allow you to start keeping track of your finances as well. (clearcheckbook.com and wesabe.com for example. And wesabe even has a video tour.) I’m usually wary of online systems that store pertinent information like this, myself, but it seems well enough for some folks.

So my first step has already been taken since January of 2005, keeping a literal idea of my finances.

Last night I decided to take my Senior Druid’s advice and call up my credit cards to ask for a lower APR. I’ve had them both for about two years now, and I keep small balances on the both of them just for credit sake. Calling USAA I was able to reduce my 18.15% APR to 14.5%, just from a phonecall. Capital One reduced my 28.8% APR down a whopping 16.9% APR. That’s a big difference.

And I’ll probably call them both up again in 6-9 months to request another reduction. So long as my payments are on time and I have no major debts, I see no reason why they wouldn’t oblige again.

So that was an easy step two. Several of the finance blogs I’ve been reading give excellent instructions and tips on saving money and being smart with your finances. I’ll most likely keep track of the steps here.

Lead is one of the most harmful toxins on Earth and is especially hazardous for children. Incredibly, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering removing lead entirely from the list of pollutants it controls under the Clean Air Act. Tell the EPA that it must continue to use the best available science to protect the air we breathe from dangerous lead pollution.

As posted here:

Bananas. They’re practically a sleeping pill in a peel. In addition to a bit of soothing melatonin and serotonin, bananas contain magnesium, a muscle relaxant.

Chamomile tea. The reason chamomile is such a staple of bedtime tea blends is its mild sedating effect - it’s the perfect natural antidote for restless minds/bodies.

Warm milk. It’s not a myth. Milk has some tryptophan - an amino acid that has a sedative - like effect - and calcium, which helps the brain use tryptophan. Plus there’s the psychological throw-back to infancy, when a warm bottle meant “relax, everything’s fine.”

Honey. Drizzle a little in your warm milk or herb tea. Lots of sugar is stimulating, but a little glucose tells your brain to turn off orexin, a recently discovered neurotransmitter that’s linked to alertness.

Potatoes. A small baked spud won’t overwhelm your GI tract, and it clears away acids that can interfere with yawn-inducing tryptophan. To up the soothing effects, mash it with warm milk.

Oatmeal. Oats are a rich source of sleep - inviting melatonin, and a small bowl of warm cereal with a splash of maple syrup is cozy - plus if you’ve got the munchies, it’s filling too.

Almonds. A handful of these heart-healthy nuts can be snooze-inducing, as they contain both tryptophan and a nice dose of muscle-relaxing magnesium.

Flaxseeds. When life goes awry and feeling down is keeping you up, try sprinkling 2 tablespoons of these healthy little seeds on your bedtime oatmeal. They’re rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a natural mood lifter.

Whole-wheat bread. A slice of toast with your tea and honey will release insulin, which helps tryptophan get to your brain, where it’s converted to serotonin and quietly murmurs “time to sleep.”

Turkey. It’s the most famous source of tryptophan, credited with all those Thanksgiving naps. But that’s actually modern folklore. Tryptophan works when your stomach’s basically empty, not overstuffed, and when there are some carbs around, not tons of protein. But put a lean slice or two on some whole-wheat bread mid-evening, and you’ve got one of the best sleep inducers in your kitchen.

As reported by Treehugger.com:

“The NFL announced that it would offset the greenhouse gas emissions created by the game through the planting of hundreds of native tree seedlings and the purchasing of renewable energy certificates. In fact, the league reports that these initiatives will allow the Super Bowl to be carbon negative. These efforts in conjunction with souvenir recycling and the donating of uneaten food make the Super Bowl a welcome addition to the list of major sporting events that are working to minimize their environmental impacts.”

I’ll definitely feel better about watching the Superbowl this year.