#44: How To & Make

Sometimes when you want to learn how to make something obscure it can be hard getting any resources from the library or bookstore.

Or for example you wanted to start a project but did not know where to start. What do you do?
Well you're in luck as there are plenty of "how to" websites on the internet.

There are plenty of website you can visit to go for help. One of my favorite sights is http://www.videojug.com/ . It has an immense library of video help that you can follow step by step. There are plenty of other sites that are great and educational when you need help. How Stuff Works is a great website that basically gives you in laymen terms how stuff works, lol.

eHow and wikkihow are also great website for starting projects or just to have a plain goofy project (marshmallow blow gun) to do.

One of my favorite things to do is Sushi. Sometimes I may forget how to do sushi rice and I have to hop on videojug to remind me the rice vinegar/salt/sugar mix. Or how to roll sushi and it makes it so easy to learn visually by going to videojug and using one of their lessons to succesfully accomplish this.

Sushi rice link:
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-sushi-rice

#43: Buying & Selling Online

The internet has a special place in my heart. From peoples crazy antics, buying and selling online, web content and even down to those annoying banner ads.

If you've never tried to buy anything online you should give it a go. Alot of first time buyers are wary that they can be easily ripped off because of horror stories. The unknown is always feared and when you can't see who you are selling to then it makes it harder for a first time buyer.

This is why there are several reputable online retailers that you can shop at. Ebay is one of the biggest "auction" website you can shop at. Items are sold by online auction sellers and even reputable brick and mortar stores. You "search" from anything to video games systems to "Alaskan real moose poop earrings".

Then you can further refine your results by the time left and amount. Then you can bid on a item and if you have the highest bid for the item when time runs out then you've won. Then it's the matter of having to pay for it. It's pretty easy and selling is also as easy.

Sellers are rated on a system when you can pick a favorable or unfavorable feedback that goes to his lifetime feedback percentage. The higher the percentage the better and less unhappy customers he's had. A seller with a really low percentage is one to be avoided since you may or may not get the item in working condition. Also buying from a seller that hasn't sold or has sold only a few items is also a risk. He may have a real good percentage but he's not established and can still be a risk to you if you do buy from him.

When eBay works it's quite an easy place to buy items.

Now that you've picked an item to buy on ebay how do you pay. Again beign a first time buyer on the internet you may not want to give out your credit card information to faceless people on the internet. Well no fear there is a program called Paypal. It's basically the middle man between you and the seller online.

You register an online account and type in either a credit card of bank account information. They don't give out any of your information and they're also a place where you can complain and have action taken on a sellers account in case the seller doesn't want to help you.

It's pretty safe but like anything online you always have to be carefule. In case you receive any e-mail that your account will be suspended in case you don't visit the link they send you go directly to the website. Meaning type it in because the linked website may be a phished webpage. It's a look alike that gathers your information and may ask you information as a pin number or even social security number. Make sure you report this to the paypal fraud team and they can help bring the webpage down.

Usually by being safe and knowing what you're doing you can find old nostalgic items to a really cheap pair of shoes.

#42: Staying Well

So you've been exercising, been eating right and have had thorough doctor visits. But you're starting to developing symptoms of something you don't recognize. It scares you but at this you can stay calm because there are alot of medical websites out there that help identify the problem.

By hoping on the Mayo Clinic I typed in systems that I had when younger. I was a very active kid from 12-14 as any boy is. Running around causing parents problems, playing football, basketball and baseball. I started to develop pain around my knee areas and after playing my knees would really hurt and sometimes swell a bit. I added all of these inputs and it came out with Osgood Schlatter disease which is spot on.

Basically it happens in 1 to 5 kids. More in boys than girls and usually at a young age. I still have pieces of bone that slightly stick out on my knee area and the doctors at the time. It goes away usually by the time they hit 15 and if they don't stress the knee area.

It's a great website to find an answer to your symptoms.

Using the Medline Plus website:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/golocal/index.html

You can usually find resources for any condition that you have. From arthritis to the common cold. Because I have Hyperthyroidism I looked up the Texas area then choose Harris County from the list. I found that there are several different Endocronologist centers 10 miles from me and also Endocronologists Doctors.

This is another useful website to keep track of your health as you can find hundreds of doctors and facilities at your disposal.

Finally making a genealogy tree was a bit hard. Being as my family is from Honduras and we're the only one's here in Texas it's hard to get any medical information from them. I can only go as far my my father and mother.

Wellness #41: Going green part 2

Living part two! Yes we are back with the living green. Yes as in living like Kermit the Frog he did say "It wasn't easy being green". That statement has never been more true.

Sometimes when thinking green you think solar panels or wind energy. But there are alot of different ways to live green. From driving slower to changing out unefficient light bulbs with energy saver lightbulbs.

Some changes are harder than others but any small change can add up over the years by saving our enviroment.

Checkout this website:
http://www.greenerchoices.org/globalwarmingathome.cfm

I see a couple of easy changes that can be done readily and without problems.

1. Changing out lightbulbs out with fluorescent light bulbs throughout the house. Not only does it save a year in in your electricity bills but you also save the enviroment.
2. Putting a computer to sleep is also easy and won't cost you anything unless you run the pc of course :). Usually PC's have an option to make the monitor fall asleep and after the computer thus saving electricity and your wallet.

Some of the other items I may have a hard time doing. For example here in Houston we feel the heat. If it was a dry Arizona heat it wouldn't be problem but no, we get instead the insane mix of humidity and heat. Not keeping the A/C running makes me and my computer sad. I can't live without it being on and my computer being so hot can't either. But I think having the air condition at 78c can be done and can save alot of electricty. I will have to install a ceiling fan to compensate but it'll be all worth it.

Wellness #41: Going Green part 1

Lets talk about world wellness today. We've already talked about body wellness and how eating healthy and regular exercise was great for your body. Imagine if we put that same perspective in our little green planet called Earth.

We live on this beautiful planet and use it's resources to provide heat, homes, papers to share ideas and computers to connect globally. Just about anything you can imagine has come from some mineral or substance from Earth. But resources are not infinite and not all resources are able to be replenished.

We have to take care of our planet as we take care of our body and the returns will be not only for us but for future generations.

After calculating my personal emissions calculator I find that we are using an average amount of electricity/natural gas/oil. By driving around in a huge van that only averages 20 mpg I think that buying a new car that is smaller and receives at least 30 mpg would save so much on emissions.

Eating green is also a way to save on the global carbon footprint. By eating green and also buying locally you can not only receive fresher produce but also there is not need to drive far to deliver these fruits and vegetables.

Not only does it save gas and reduce the carbon foot print buying locally and organic means less insecticides polluting our planet.

If you've never been to the Farmer's Market here in Houston I suggest you go. They have some of the freshest produce you can buy in Houston. Depending on the season they offer different fruits and vegetables. I especially love going when nectars, tangerines and apples are in season as those are some of the best fruits you can buy fresh. Especially the smells and aroma coming off what has been harvested has never been funner.

#39 Nutrion

Everyone I know eats. And without eating you'd die of starvation. Now we're a pretty complex race with what vitamins, minerals, liquids and solids we need to survive. Of course you can eat bread and cheese for awhile but you would suffer from iron deficiency.

Or for example sailors in our golden age of pirates. They would die from Scurvy which was a disease where your gums would bleed and teeth fall out. This could of been easily solved if they carried dried oranges for the Vitamin C.

Nutrition is a big part of our lives. From obesity to cholesterol your well being very important.

For information on what you eat and it's nutritional value check out this website:

http://www.nutritiondata.com/

For example looking up what you eat at the breakfast table to the midnight snack you'll realize that you may not be eating right. I found that alot of my foods that have a very high sodium/salt amount that can lead to high blood pressure.

While the apple dippers from Mcdonalds are relative healthy for you even with the low fat caramel sauce. Some other foods for example Kellog's Cereal with real bananas is surprisingly moderately high in inflammatory. I always thought that this was one of the healthiest things to eat other than oatmeal.

Also http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp is a great place to go to find information on your favorite recipes. It'll show you how to cut back or replace certain ingredients to lower any unecessary calories and cholesterol.

Here's one of my favorite recipes. Filet Mignon cooked on a iron fillet with Fetuccini Alfredo:

Nutrition Facts User Entered Recipe Filet Mignon w/ Fetuccini Alfredo:
1 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories		1,354.6
Total Fat		84.1 g
	Saturated Fat	32.7 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	8.5 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	32.6 g
Cholesterol		217.1 mg
Sodium		3,490.9 mg
Potassium		617.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate		54.9 g
	Dietary Fiber	4.0 g
	Sugars	7.0 g
Protein		85.5 g

By replace a normal piece of bacon with Canadian Bacon and using a Ragu Classic Alfredo Sauce we see a huge difference in Calories and a big difference in Potassium.

Nutrition Facts User Entered Recipe
1 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories		751.3
Total Fat		29.9 g
	Saturated Fat	12.4 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	1.0 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	1.5 g
Cholesterol		133.8 mg
Sodium		1,118.8 mg
Potassium		429.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate		50.0 g
	Dietary Fiber	4.0 g
	Sugars	8.0 g
Protein		56.6 g

#40 Wellness

Houston is considered the one of the "fat" cities around. Because of our hot and humid weather, bad air quality and lack of outdoor recreation we Houstonians have packed on the pounds.

We as people seemed to have changed from working hard labor (tending fields, farming, living off the wilderness) to white collar jobs. This has affected our health as we are not as active as we used to be. Sitting in front of a computer all day is different than working on farm. And so we are not as active as our body would like.

Fortunately there are different ways to burn those calories whether you're stuck at a desk or riding along in a truck. Here is a website that will teach you how to do "Deskercise" so you can make your body feel great even when working at a desk job.

Clicky for Healthy:
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/exercise-at-your-desk

Figuring out my Body Mass Index was fun. Hop on this website to figure yours out:
http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/BMI.html

Here was my information:
Age:28
Height: 72 Inches (6 feet)
Weight: 175lbs

Here where my results:
BMI: 23.8
Population Average: 25.9
Classification: Healthy

That's a real good sign but I'm also moderately active. I'll go out and play basketball with friends or just throw a frisbee around for good measure.

Also for your estimated Calorie Count checkout this other website:
http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html

After inputting some of my information here are some results:
BMR (Calories): 1886
Activity (Calories): 1179
Total Calories: 3065

Which is surprising because I did not know that I would need 3000+ calories to meet my needs. I usually eat up to 2500 calories give or take.

Also here is a questionnaire in case you'd like to know your life expectancy.

Click:
http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/HealthAge.html

After answering some questions I find that my life expectancy is 85.1 years. Which isn't half bad but I think by eating healthier and doing frequent checkups with my doctor we can extend that age by the least 2-3 years. I'm even thinking that we can get that number up to 90 years but by then I hope they'll have easily replaceable cyborg hips.

It was all very enlightening learning learning all this information and how a bit of exercise and healthy eating can make your so much healthier.

#38 Console Gaming

For those of you who visit the libraries you'll find a different environment than several years ago.

When you walk in you may hear the same boisterous kids that where playing outside now inside the library. This is because the dynamics of libraries have changed and now accommodate teens as future patrons. The library isn't the same boring place you used to go when in middle or high school. Now video games systems are being added, tables with chess, beans bags for kids to connect their Nintendo DS Lites, Go boards to play and other table top board games.

Teen time has expanded exponentially into something as a force to be reckoned in. Back in the late 70's and 80's the only place you could meet up to play games with friends where an arcade. Friends from school would go to meet you up and try to beat that high score someone posted. You would have to bring rolls of quarters and patience to succeed.

Playing on the Arcade Retro website brought back memories. I remember being 6 and going with my older cousin to the local arcade. I'm sure he didn't think it was cool to bring his younger cousin as he was 12 to the local arcade but when we would visit he had no choice.

Fortunately my parents would always give me at least $5.00 in quarters and that was enough for my cousin to bring me along. Cousin tax was $2.50 worth of my quarters but it was worth being in those local arcades.

The smell the, the darkness, the glare off a video game screen it was a magical place to me. My favorite game was Space Invaders. I would watch this guy play for almost an hour to beat the game then I'd hop on and ask him to teach me. He gave me plenty of pointers but of course helped me alot in the latter stages (or gave up the controller). I also though that blasting those aliens was a mandate for any human being. I don't think without that game my hand and eye coordination would be as great as it is today.

Fast forward into the 21st century and times have surely changed. Arcades have all but died out here in the U.S. So where does a kid go for his fix?

Well now you have the internet. That magical wire that lets you join other people half way across the globe to exchange ideas, information and a good butt whooping.

Yes people can buy video game consoles and join other people online for some good competitive play.

We have a Nintendo Wii here at the library that suits what we need here perfectly. Most other console games may have connections for more than two controllers but most games on the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 are either made for 1 to 2 players in mind.

The Nintendo Wii and the consoles before it have always been known as the "party" game system. 4 players all playing Super Smash Brothers: Brawl at once is a sight to see. These kids sitting on the edge of their seat as someone goes flying off the screen to lose. Not only does it elicit laughs and cries of denial but smiles from parents. They see their child socializing and know this is a setting where they can loosen up.

It also has a Wi-Fi card already installed so we can do cross library matches through our wireless system. Imagine tournaments where there is a grand prize where all the kids in the libraries play for.

It's an awesome experience that can be better experienced than being told.

Games and Gaming #37 Get your Game on at the Library

Hey if you guys get bored and want to check out some free online library games you can check out the Carnegie Mellon Online Library games.

They're pretty funny but I found the first one hard when I ran out of time. Since I've always known Dewey decimal going to the Library of Congress type of book identification was a bit harder for me.

After trying it again it took me half the time to find out how to shelve the items correctly.

It's a fun way of figuring out how the Library of Congress works.

Now let's talk about the evolution of gaming in the library. Here's an article you should read for the naysayers and for the people who are on the fence:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/22/books/22games.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

After reading you can see for libraries this is a natural progression. At our branch we do the Nintendo Wii game time and not only are those games fun and interactive (4 players) but also allow for a social enviroment teens can be comfortable in. They may not be social in school and the library can be a place where like minds can come and leave all inhibitions behind.

The Internet is a place where you can find any and most information on any matter but the library can be a place that we can put all this information easily in front of you.

Wether it be games and socializing with people have across the globe to your local libraries where kids can meet up with other like minded people.

There can be Lan parties and more of a lounge feel for the kids. This is only the tip of the iceberg as the more kids we bring in the more parents, siblings and people in the neighborhood to interact with us.

Games and Gaming #36

There are alot of other games we slightly talked about in the last blog post. When talking about online games one of the hugest games is World of Warcraft Online. This game bolsters 10 millions subscribers at $15 a month. Yeah, you do the math.

Now World of Warcraft online is a type of MMO or Massively Multiplayer Online. Games that are called this are usually games that have some type of fantasy setting and the world is persistent. If you log off people are still playing, buying, killing, crafting and grouping.

Before World of Warcraft came along you had Everquest which was coined Evercrack for it's addicting gameplay.

There are also other type of online games. Alot of First Person Shooters like Quake 3, Call of Duty 4, Unreal Tournament 3, Rainbow Six: Las Vegas 2 are free to pay online with no subscription.

If you would like try a free online MMO there is a big community out there for you in Runescape.

I've never tried Runescape until today but I find it is easy to get into and the requirements are what really sets the game apart. You don't need a $1,500 computer to run the game a 3 yeard old computer can run it impressively fast on the low setting. But it's the dialog and missions that matter in this game not graphics. You can make clans and traverse the country side looking for monsters and gold. You can go into caves with molten lava or a frozen tundra.

The tutorial is the easiest part. It may take a bit to remember everything but once you do everything else becomes second nature. I had fun with my character mag3c purge and her becoming a low level mage. I'm sure if I had extra free time I'd see how far I can take her.

Here's her happy jig dancing picture:

Try it out for yourself:

www.runescape.com

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