Devices that suck

By Claudine Zap
"Electric City"

We live for gadgets. But even the smallest ones can consume an enormous amount of power. See some of the worst offenders:
Game Consoles
It's all fun and games -- until you get your energy bill. If you leave your Xbox or PlayStation on when you're not playing, you are wasting as much energy as leaving a desktop computer running.
Plasma TV
Plasma TVs consume about two times more power than LCD versions. To save even more energy, go for a smaller screen. A 32-inch set uses about half as much power as a 52-inch LCD.
Digital picture frames
These little items pack a power punch. Consider this: If every home in the U.S. had one of these displaying around the clock, it would take five power plants to keep them on, according to the Electric Power Research Institute.
Laptops
If your laptop has a screensaver with images, it consumes more power than an idle laptop.
Battery chargers
Your mobile devices doesn't take up that much power on their own, but if they are left plugged into electric outlets, even when the charger isn't connected, they continue to draw power. Add up that most households use more than one charger, and across the country, they could consume the energy of several power plants.
Power-saving solutions
One way to stop power use when you're not using your devices: Turn them all the way off. Another way to save -- try an energy-saving power strip. The power-savers are designed to cut power to devices that don't need it.

You can also change your new device's default settings: You can Manually change the brightness settings on your TVs and computer screens to suck up less energy.

The green website Treehugger has helpful tips for getting more eco-friendly gadgets, including: checking with Energy Star and Consumer Reports before you buy; and, take advantage of local recycling programs when you do switch out gadgets, or even consider selling your old one instead of throwing it away.

America has plenty of oil, but President Obama managed to turn an energy boom into an energy crisis

by Newt Gingrich

In the mountainous Green River Basin of the American West, running through Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming, the American people own lands containing an estimated one trillion barrels of oil, more than triple the amount of Saudi Arabia's proven oil reserves and far exceeding anything we could have dreamed a few decades ago.

This incredible supply—made up of most of the world's oil shale—should be a cause for national celebration, since it has the potential both to lower gasoline prices and to increase government revenues without raising taxes.

In 2008, this exciting energy story was just beginning to bear fruit, as the Bush administration issued 77 leases (after a seven-year environmental review process) for energy companies looking to develop the oil shale.

Then came President Barack Obama. Within weeks of his inauguration, the Obama Interior Department withdrew the leases. 

And although Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said the administration would "reconsider" the leases, his department ensured that any progress would be minimal. According to a statement from the House Committee on Natural Resources, "In October 2009, the Interior Department announced a new round of RD&D leases that included significant changes to the program. The new program decreased lease acreage by 87 percent, demanded unrealistic timelines for investment into cutting-edge research, included unattainable production requirements, and implanted variable royalty rates. As a result, only three companies applied for this latest round of RD&D leases."

Gone Bananas

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!! 
This is interesting. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars -- sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. (Watch what the tennis players eat when they are on a break)

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. 

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives..
Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey... The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
 Morning sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
    Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips.. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
 Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood Enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking and tobacco use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be re-balanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!
Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe it's time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!'

PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! Here's one more: Want a quick shine on your shoes? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin and rub directly on the shoe. Polish with a dry cloth. Amazing fruit!!!

Gore Predicts Decrease in Wind

Commenting on a recently released report by his research company, ex-Vice President and authority on Global Warming, Al Gore announced at a press conference in Chicago, "This won't be the 'Windy City' very long. We are using wind at an alarming rate, and in the not to distant future this valuable resource is going to be depleted."


He was referring to the erection of the large "windmills" or wind power sources, all over the world. Gore stated," they are using the conversion of wind energy using wind turbines to make electricity, wind mills for mechanical power, wind pumps for pumping water or drainage, or sails to propel ships and the wind source is being depleted."

Wind has gotten scarce in Holland, so much so that there is actually a "black market" for wind which is needed to propel all the windmills located there. Dann Svenson of Abbekerk in the Muncipality of Noorder-Koggenland declared, "Ve uused to hab more vind dan ve new whut to do witth dem purty leetle mills run the whole day."

There was actually less wind than originally thought. Early estimates showed enough of this resource to last for well over 300 years, but as consumption has increased this estimate has decreased to perhaps under 100 years.

Gore and his engineers are working on large fans to propel the giant windmills. Their first design utilized wind power to propel the giant fans and this was eventually deemed impractical.

Their latest design requires an enormous amount of electricity to propel the fans, and at present with the wind from the electric fan propelling the windmills, it operates at a loss of $45,000.00 per hour.

New systems are under study.

More on Cucumbers.....

TESTIMONIAL ..... After I did that post on the benefits of cucumbers, I have started eating, in the afternoon, a BIG slice of cucumber, about one inch plus. Since then, I have felt better, had more energy, and a lot of soreness, aches and pains, have gone away. (Knock on wood) My arthritis has gotten better. Maybe a coincidence. Now I am working on losing about ten pounds. I have noticed a change in a few weeks ...... Here is more on the cucumber ......Cucumis sativus

The cucumber is a member of the Cucurbitaceous family, like melons, squash and pumpkins.
This vegetable is very high in water and very low in calories.
It is an excellent source of potassium, vitamin C and folic acid (only if it is unpeeled)
Cucumber is a women's friend when they are on a diet but also for its cosmetic properties.


Health benefits

Its high content in water makes it diuretic.
Cucumber has a cleansing action within the body by removing accumulated pockets of old waste material and chemical toxins.It might help in the treatment of arthritis since it helps eliminate uric acid.
Its poor content in calories make it the perfect food for diet.
We say that its juice is nourishing for our skin and hair. Its liquid has the reputation of being rejuvenator and makes us feel and look young. If you want to try, puree or slice a cucumber and apply it on your face.
Cucumber may also have the power to relax and alleviate the sunburn's pain.

Some people do not digest cucumber very well. If you do, prepare the cucumber a few hours before serving. Cut them into small pieces and sprinkle them with sea salt. Let stand for at least an hour in the refrigerator. You can also peel them.

How to eat it?
If your cucumbers are organic and unwaxed, you can eat them unpeeled. Just wash them thoroughly under running water.
Serve them sliced or diced in a salad or by themselves with a vinaigrette, garlic, mint or sesame seeds.
You can add a few slices in a sandwich or you can even juice it along with other vegetables.
You can cook the cucumber like you would do for a squash: steaming, boiling, braising... but you would lose its vitamins and minerals.

Peak season
Like all the other vegetables, cucumber can be imported and found in supermarket throughout the year.
If you have a garden or if you buy your food at the farmer's market, you will find cucumber from May to July.
When you buy a cucumber, it must be firm, especially at the extremities, and dark green. If it has already turned yellow and is wrinkled, it means that the cucumber is not fresh anymore.

Storage
Fresh unpeeled cucumber can be store in the refrigerator for about a week. The longer you store it the less crisp it is going to be.
If your cucumber is already prepared, peeled and cut, you can store it in the refrigerator but just for a day.