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BioFreeze Pain Relief Gel – Reviewed

There are many over the counter relief medications and my wife has tried them all. My bride of over 20 years suffers from Lupus and suffers miserably from joint pain associated with the disease. Many of the over the counter medications have such a strong smell, that I jokingly mention that when she applies them, they clear out my sinuses. During the past 10 years that she has had the disease, even the over the counter medications and prescriptions medication stop working after about 2 to 3 months of use. So when we discovered BioFreeze about six months ago, we were skeptical at how well it would work and if it did work, how long that would be for.

I first ordered BioFreeze about 6 months ago from Amazon after I read some of the glowing reviews. After my wife used BioFreeze the first night, she was a believer. She stated that the product immediately relieved her joint pain, especially in her back. Since that time, we have both used the product and can not give BioFreeze enough compliments.

Yesterday I spread some 40 lbs. of grass seed in my front and rear yard to over seed our lawn. We had snow forecasted so seeding before is supposed to work according to some Internet sources and my brother-in-law. After doing the seeding, my back was killing me. Last night I applied BioFreeze to my lower back and was able to get a good nights sleep without being in pain.

My wife best describes the product as penetrating deeply into your muscles and relieving pain. It relieves muscle aches and allow you to get a restful nights sleep. In addition it is a non-greasy formula and does not stain your clothing.

Cost of BioFreeze pump gel, 16 ounce size is $21.87 plus s&h.

You can also try a smaller 4 ounce size for $7.72 plus s&h

Comments welcome.

PS If you have used BioFreeze, let us know what you think.

BIOFREEZE Gel 16-Ounce, Pump Bottle

Biofreeze Pain Relieving Gel with Ilex – Tube 110 g / 4 oz

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Since 1938 – San Francisco Landmark Hotel Washes Coins

There was a time when going downtown was a big deal. People would get dressed up and women would put on their clean white gloves. This is when the Westin – St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco first started washing dirty and grimy coins. It was noticed that the tarnished coins would soil the gloves worn at the time. So since 1938, the Westin – St Francis Hotel has washed all the coins that are taken in by the hotel from their bar, restaurants, and cafes.

In a hidden room away from prying eyes, a lone employee scrubs the coins until they are clean and bright. The coins are then returned into circulation by the hotel once the scrubbing process is complete. It is believed that this is the only hotel that continues the coin cleaning process.

In a recent article it also states that:

“It’s a connection to a different time,” Holsen said as he rolled up his sleeves and tucked his tie into his dress shirt. “A connection to a more gentle time, when to go downtown was a big deal. Dress up, put on a hat and gloves, and go to Macy’s.”

Money washing at the St. Francis began in 1938 when hotelier Dan London noticed that coins dirtied a woman’s white gloves.

“Coins were used to pay for lunch tabs,” Holsen said, “tips, taxi rides, everything. It was rare to use a bill.”

Less coins are taken in by the hotel since Coke machines and pay phones are now a thing of the past. Coins that are bent, painted, or Canadian are removed prior to being placed back into circulation at the hotel. Only the cleanest and shiniest are allowed to circulate among the guests and patrons of the hotel.

Comments welcome

Source – SF Gate

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Thomas Edison And His ‘Monster’ Doll Of 1890

110 years ago Thomas Edison came out with a talking doll for the Christmas season. The doll was labeled by the great inventor as the ‘monster’ doll and when you hear the voice recoding you will see why. But what is amazing about the dolls is that they were hand man, not by elfs, but by real humans one at a time. Since there was no duplication machines of the era, each audio recording were done one at a time.

The dolls sold for $10 for the basic model and $25 for the deluxe model. Most workers of the time were lucky to have made $25 a month, so the doll was for the rich folks. Also the doll was made of metal and weighed in at a hefty 4 lbs. each. Here is what the dolls looked like:

So why did Edison call his product ‘his monster’ dolls?

The user had to turn a hand crank to play the audio which was recorded on a wax cylinder. If you listen to the recording it sounds more like Chucky than a nice little girl. Plus the doll was constructed of metal which didn’t make it very cuddly.

Go to the link below to hear the audio.

Source – GE reports

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Bride Sues Groom For $100K For Being Left At The Altar

Love is a many-splendored thing. Especially when it comes to costing an arm and a leg, says one Chicago bride. She spent almost $100,000 for her big day, only to be left at the altar with a handful of bills. So what does she do? She sues the groom. Here are some of the costs that the bride claims she spent:

Expenses included $30,000 to reserve a suburban banquet hall, more than $11,000 on flowers and lighting, $10,000 for an orchestra to perform at the festivities, a $5,000 wedding gown and $600 for wedding shoes, the suit states. She also spent $70.40 to send cancellation notices.

So here are the details of what happened. The groom went to his bachelor party a month before the wedding and apparently had too good of a time with the pole dancing females. In the court documents his actions are described as “flirtatious and amorous acts in public,” along with a few other descriptions of lap dancing and assorted lewd acts.

But the reason the bridegroom decided to cancel the event was because of a business trip he had made one year before.

The bride is suing for emotional distress and because his behavior “went beyond the bounds of decency,” the suit claims.

What is hard to believe is that these two love birds dated for three years before deciding to tie the knot.

I am sure there is more to this than what we are being told. It should make for an interesting court case if and when it comes to trial.

Comments welcome.

Source – Chicago Sun-Times

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Baby Monitors Allow Strangers Inside Your Home

This morning on the Today Show, they had a segment about baby monitors and how insecure the devices are. The segment covered the range that some baby monitors broadcast, including a demonstration of one monitor broadcasting into the studio from outside on the street. Many of the baby monitors broadcast a signal on 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz, and can not be secured. So a stranger sitting outside the home can view your child sleeping inside.

But what is further disturbing is that the conversations by adults can also be heard from the home. In one case, a reporter was able to listen to a woman who was having a private conversation with her attorney, while monitoring the transmission from outside the home on the street. In another report it also stated that:

Electronics technicians have long known that wireless phone and baby monitor frequencies can be intercepted to allow a stranger to intentionally or accidentally listen in to personal conversations.Jonathan Gulsby, of the U-Spy Store in Orlando, said the new video baby monitors are good but are still vulnerable to the same potential breach in security and privacy.”Baby monitors are wireless cameras, so any wireless frequency can be intercepted,” Gulsby said.Local 6 News investigative reporter Mike Holfeld drove down the streets of one upscale neighborhood to test the theory.

He was able to intercept video signals from nearly a dozen homes in less than five minutes.

On the Today Show they had similar results driving through a neighborhood in Lond Island. In both experiments the residence where the baby monitors were being use, did not know the signal from the baby cam could be seen outside of their home.

In addition, a burglary can use the baby monitor system to see if anyone is home prior to a break in. Also perverts can see which homes have small babies or children inside.

Two suggestions to secure the baby monitors were to connect the system to a secure router. Another was to hard wire the camera to the monitor.

Comments welcome.

Source – Today Show

Source – Click Orlando

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The Sufficiency Of Grace By Sarah Fotopulos

I can only hope that The Sufficiency of Grace is just a preview of what this gifted, debut  writer will hopefully have for us in the future.

Published by Tate publishing,  a Christian enterprise out of Oklahoma, one can  be assured that what you will read is wholesome as well as intriguing.

In the novel our protagonists are Grace Green, her son Sam, and a handyman named Jack Hammer. Together they pit themselves against the onslaughts of a community that would rather see the worst in people than see them as God sees them.

Within the scope of the novel you will experience deep sadness as you see the things that Grace is forced to endure but also deep compassion through the eyes of Jack who stands beside Grace and her son through it all.

Very seldom has this reviewer had a book of such deep spiritual insight into the lives of real people. I found that after the first couple of chapters I had a real struggle with myself putting it down and now can’t wait for Sarah’s next book.

I would unashamedly give this book a 5 star rating and suggest that anyone who is struggling with issues where they feel judged by others, especially in the church, take the time to read this book. It will definitely be worth  your time.

Review by: Jacquelyn S. Schenone

Save 25% off the cover price by ordering directly from Sarah:

sarahfotopulos.com

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Some Of The Worst Trick Or Treat Candy Given Out On Halloween

I guess I never gave it much thought, but over the years there have been some real losers when it comes to Halloween items that are given out. In fact one of the items, Necco Wafers, are just plain disgusting to eat, even when it wasn’t Halloween. l never could understand why anyone thought these wafers were tasty. It was like eating chalk. No flavor at all.

How about Circus Peanuts?

I am not even sure if this can be considered candy. Circus Peanuts are a marshmallow concoction in the shape of a peanut. The taste is Yuck!

Then there were Milk Duds. They made excellent ammunition if you owned a slug-shot.

Black licorice was never one of my favorites. Yet I liked red.

Abba-Zabba was like eating a brick. Talk about a jaw-breaking experience.

Does anyone remember Wax Lips? I never did understand the fascination with this oddity that I never considered a candy.

What candies did you or do you dislike to receive on Halloween?

Comments welcome.

HAVE A GREAT HALLOWEEN

Source – The Penny Friglista

Photo source – Day life

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Would You Spend $5 For Speech To Text Software Which Includes A Headphone?

Hurry – This Sale Ends On October 16th, 2010

Have you ever considered trying speech to text software? Now is your chance to try out Nuance Dragon Speaking software version 10 for only $5 after rebate. Also included is a speech to text headphone with microphone which along is worth the price of only $5. However, there are some limitations that you should be aware of before you order.

The first question you may have does the software work? I am dictating this post using the software. With the software you must train the software to recognize your speech patterns. You must also speak slowly and clearly in order for it to work. The tutorial and built-in help menus that come with the software are helpful in training you the user. I am currently using the software running Windows 7 ultimate along with service pack number one beta.

I purchased this software at the beginning of 2010 which at the time also included a $30 rebate bringing the price down to $20. I had no issues getting the $30 rebate from the software company. Included with the software is a headphone and microphone which are comfortable to wear. Once I trained the software I experienced minimal speech to text problems. is the software 100% perfect? No. I would estimate that using the software is about 95% accurate or higher. Does it save me time? Yes. Was it worth the price? Yes. I personally believe that after the rebate the headphone and microphone combination alone is worth the five dollars price tag.

But there is one thing you should be aware of. After I purchased the software and register the software online, I provided both e-mail and home telephone number during registration. After I did this I was bombarded with e-mails and phone calls wanting me to upgrade to a newer version of the software. I was able to express my displeasure and annoyance to the company and the e-mails and phone calls ceased.

With this in mind I still would recommend this software to anyone who spends any amount of time typing online or using a word processing program. Your mileage may vary.

Free shipping is included.

Comments welcome

Sale at Tiger Direct for Nuance Dragon Speaking software version 10.

PS I just order the software for my grandson who types very, very slow when doing his school homework.

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Skechers Shape Ups – What Is Your Opinion Of These Shoes?

For the past two months or so, I have been hearing about Skechers and the shoes ability to provide relief from sore feet. I have also heard that they help your posture, take pressures off of your knee joints and also help those who suffering from sore backs. In addition there are those Joe Montana commercials on TV, in which Joe gives his assurance that these are the best shoes he has ever owned.

So I took a look on the Skechers website and a pair of their Shape Ups shoes were listed at $110 a pair. I have never spent that much money on a pair of ‘sneakers’ no matter how good they were. So I put the thought of owning a pair on the back burner and wore my cheap Wal-Mart sneakers down to visit the kids in Texas. On Thursday evening my son-in-law was going shopping and asked if I wanted to ride along. He said he need some new shoes and my wife mentioned to get me a new pair as well.

We went to a shopping mall and he headed to JC Penny’s, which I thought was odd. I never really associated JC Penny as a shoes store. We went into the shoe department and I immediately spotted a Skechers sign advertising a super sale. The Skechers Shape Ups in a blue-silver color and another in kakhi color [they call it pebble], were on sale for $39.99. I asked the salesperson to confirm the price and she did. I tried on a pair and they were comfortable so I decided to buy a pair in each color.  It gets better. In addition to the sale price of $39.99, the store was also offering $10 off of any purchase over $25, so the final cost for each pair of shoes was $29.99.

If you own a pair of Skechers let us know what your opinion is of the shoes.

Comments welcome.


Skechers website – Shape Ups

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Rent A Casket Instead Of Buying – Your Loved One Will Never Know!

During my morning surfing, I found a Web site that had recommendations on how to save a few bucks by renting instead of buying. Most of us have done this before — like renting a DVD movie instead of buying one. In fact, I haven’t bought a DVD or VHS movie in over 10+ years. It is cheaper to rent the movie if you want to view it or now you can just can stream it from Netflix.

But one of the recommendations was to rent a fancy casket instead of buying one. On the site it stated:

Rent a Casket

OK, this one may seem excessively creepy at first, but consider funeral costs today.

The average price of a casket alone is $2,000 and can run upwards of $10,000 for a really nice one. Rather than spending that kind of money, rent a casket for the service at a few hundred bucks and later transfer the departed into something more economical for burial. They’re not going to know the difference, anyway.

I have always believed that dying is just another part of life and should not be feared. My wife and I have already paid for a service in which we will be cremated and our ashed put into a urn. I have already confirmed a spot for both of us at out local veterans cemetery. Morbid? I think not. I believe it is just being responsible.

Several years ago I went to a funeral of one of my relatives. The casket was beautifully crafted and reminded me of a fine piece of art. In addition the family had selected the casket be placed into a mausoleum. The total cost of the entire shindig was about $25k.

A few of the other recommendations were to rent power tools and text books instead of buying.

Comments, opinions, and recommendations are welcome.

Source – BudgetsAreSexy

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Need To Build A Web Site? This Free eBook Can Help

The art of building a web site is not an easy task, but this free ebook can help you to create one. With step by step instructions and simple to understand directions, you will be able to build a site you can be proud of.  The book takes the reader on a journey through the  maze of terminologies that the reader will need to understand.

The ebook is described as:

“The Web Book is written for people with an interest in creating web sites. Whether you want a couple of pages for your personal site, or perhaps a site for your school, college or club, this book will tell you what you need to know. If you want a full-blown site for your small company, perhaps with added features such as a customer mailing list or a picture gallery, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve tried my hardest to keep everything non-technical. If you’re “into” computers, you should be able to follow.

Unlike many books on the subject that were written some years ago, The Web Book teaches you up-to-date methods. Follow the instructions here and you can be confident that you’re doing things in the right way, rather than using old-fashioned techniques that are now frowned upon…”

The author also states that this book will help those that are computer newbies, more than it will assist those who are advanced users. I took a quick glance through the book and I concur. But for those who have never build a web site before, this book is perfect for you. The fundamentals are provided and you can use this ebook to build your first site with ease.

Take a look at the link below and download the ebook for free in .pdf format.

Comments welcome.

Source – Free ebook is here.

Credit – Gizmo freeware

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Infrared BBQ – Have You Tried It?

Last year my wife treated me to a new BBQ for fathers day. As I approach the first anniversary, I wanted to share with you what is called Infrared technology. I believe that this technology is going to change the way you will  BBQ in the future. So what is Infrared? Over at about.com they describe Infrared cooking this way:

What if I told you there’s a grill that will cook foods in half the time of any other grill? A grill that can produce the kind of heat necessary to char a 1″ steak on the outside but leave it rare in the middle. A grill that can reach cooking temperatures above 700oF. How, you ask? The Infrared Burner.

The infrared burner works by focusing the flame of a standard gas burner onto a ceramic tile that has thousands of microscopic holes in it. This converts the heat of the flame into infrared energy, the same energy you feel from the sun on a cold day. This heat is much higher and more persistent than a standard grill can produce.

Infrared is not new. Restaurants have been using it for years. But what is new is that Infrared is now being used in home BBQ systems. Below is a picture of the BBQ my wife bought for me last Father’s Day. It is a split grill. Standard gas burners on the left  side and Infrared burner on the right side of the grill.

The unit was purchased at Walmart  and sells for $295. My wife bought the unit on sale for $50 less and I believe it was a good deal. You can take a look at the specifications for the grill at the link below.

My experience using the Infrared grill has been stellar. I use it for steaks and it sears the meat keeping in the juices. I finish up grilling on the standard gas portion of the grill until done. You do need to adjust your cooking time since the searing of the meat is intense and quick. So you need to make sure you don’t over cook your meat.

So my question today is this? Have you tried a Infrared grill and what is your opinion?

Comments welcome.

Walmart – BBQTEK grill description

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Silly Bandz – Should They Be Banned From School?

The latest school age craze is called Silly Bandz which is taking the country by storm. Grade school kids are trading the Silly Bandz similar to the way baseball cards were once traded. But now some school administrators are saying that the Silly Bandz are causing a distraction in schools and some are banning them from the class room. Some schools in N.Y., PA. and Texas have already banned the toys as distractions in the classroom and more schools may follow with their own bans.

So what are Silly Band? They come in 24 packs of various shapes that kids slip over their arms, legs, where ever on their bodies and because of their slim size [they are the size of a rubber band] can wear hundreds at a time.

These Silly Bandz are called Fun Shapes

There are a wide variety of different shapes available and sell for about $5 for a pack of 24. Some of the silly brands cost more such as the dinosaur collection that commands a price of $10 for a pack of 24. [Prices are approximate].

So what do you think? Should these be banned from schools? They look fairly harmless to me.

Comments welcome.

Source

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Storing Your Precious Photos & Videos On CD Or DVD May Not Be Wise

In what is going to be disturbing news to those who are storing their precious photos, videos or data on CD or DVD, it seems that the disks could become useless in 5 years or less. It was always assumed that CD and DVD disks would last for decades, if not longer, but manufacturers are not so sure just how long the disks will last. But don’t fret. There are precautions you can take to preserve your treasures for years to come.

In a recent article it stated that:

French scientists calculated the likely life-span of a disc by artificially aging it with heat, water vapor and light.

They found CD quality varied even across the same brand so people willing to pay more for a known name won’t necessarily get a better product.

“The brand alone doesn’t tell you if you have something that is high or low quality,” said Jean-Michel Lambert, from the French National Metrology Laboratory.

“Disc production varies. In the same brand we find discs produced by different manufacturers which means their quality and how long they last for is not necessarily the same,” he added.

Also, manufacturers branding discs with their logos could be making the data on them more vulnerable to corruption.

So what should you do? Every few years transfer and store your data on new disks. Like with all technologies, once the CD and DVD go the way of the dodo, you can transfer your data and the newest and greatest technology, when it becomes available.

Another option is to have your data on two separate media such as a hard disk and CD or DVD.

Source

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Brand Name OTC Drugs vs Generic: Which Do You Use?

Most of us are fully aware that, despite the claims from drug manufacturers, generic brands are exactly the same as name brands. The big difference is that the major brands made by the drug companies are heavily advertised on television and magazine ads, thus require a higher price. Over at mint.com there’s a price comparison chart shown below that explains the difference between brand name drugs and their cheaper generic equivalents.

So the question is this: Do you buy brand name products or generic brands and why?

Comments welcome.

Source – mint.com

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