These Items are to go in my bedroom, and master bath, what do think?......
These Items are to go in my bedroom, and master bath, what do think?......
These Items are to go in my bedroom, and master bath, what do think?......
I really don't get to watch Oprah's show often, simply because its normally off by the time I get home.. But, I was off yesterday and caught a good portion of her show with Jessica Seinfield and her amazing ways to incorporate fruit purees into her everyday meals. My baby girl loves veggies, so this would be wasted on her. BUT.. my son always grumbles when its time to eat his veges, and I just make him, so maybe this will work for us.
If you went to take a peek into some of her recipes.. go to this link..
http://www2.oprah.com/foodhome/food/jseinfeld/recipes/jseinfeld_recipes_main.jhtml?promocode=HP13
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Shaq is finally speaking out on his freestyle attack on Kobe Bryant last night.
Shaq Diesel just told ESPN's Stephen Smith: "I was freestyling. That's all. It was all done in fun. Nothing serious whatsoever. That is what MCs do. They freestyle when called upon. I'm totally cool with Kobe. No issue at all. And by the way, don't forget, six albums, two platinum, two gold. Anybody who knows me knows I'm a funny freestyler. Check the NBA DVD when I was rapping about Vlade Divac during my first championship run. Please tell everybody don't make something out of nothing."
While I thought this was stupid... I must say that I got a kick out of the hook of Shaq's horrible free style rap...
To view the actual video: Go to: http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid285859616/bclid294430730/bctid1626146951
Hook - "Kobe, tell me how my a@! taste.".... Made for a good afternoon laugh....
]]>Hybrids 101
Guide to gasoline-electric hybrid cars and powertrains.
The 2-Mode Hybrid is the latest system to come from General Motors.
Most people know by now that hybrids use electricity to achieve good gas mileage, but how their advanced powertrains work and whether they help your pocketbook is a bit more complicated. Here we'll take a look at the basic technology and its variations. In a future article we'll discuss the cost, and potential savings, of owning a hybrid.
THE THEORY BEHIND HYBRID CARS
What sets hybrids apart from regular cars is that they essentially use two powertrains, an electric motor and a gasoline engine. The electric motor draws its power from a large battery pack that is recharged by the gas engine and by energy recouped from the brakes.
The electrically powered car has been a vision for the future for decades, but its development reached a virtual dead-end in the mid-1990s. That's when hybrids emerged, promising a compromise between the benefits and limitations of both electric and gasoline powertrains.
Electric motors are very efficient at accelerating, and unlike their internal-combustion counterparts, produce their maximum power from a dead stop. But batteries with enough energy to drive long distances cost too much, are too heavy, and take up too much space in a car. Theoretically, a hybrid solution is the best of both worlds. By relying on electric power, at least some of the time, there is a clear benefit in reducing emissions.
By using electric motors for acceleration, automakers could use smaller, more-efficient gasoline engines to supplement the motors under heavy load (i.e., acceleration, hills) and to cover long distances. By combining the two systems, the battery packs can be relatively small. The downside of a hybrid is that the dual drivetrains can be significantly more expensive than a traditional gas engine alone, the battery pack takes up space, and the pack adds weight.
FULL AND MILD HYBRID CARS
Hybrids today fall into one of two categories: full and mild. The main difference is whether or not the car can propel itself solely on electric power.
Full hybrids like the Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Escape, Nissan Altima, and the Toyota Prius and Camry can start off silently, creep in stop-and-go traffic and putt around town at low speeds on just electricity. The gasoline engine kicks in as soon as the driver demands quicker acceleration to supplement the electric power. The engine can also turn off when the car is slowing down or coasting. Full hybrids are more expensive to produce, but they typically save more fuel and run cleaner, especially in city driving.
Mild hybrids like the Chevrolet Malibu and the Saturn Vue Green Line can shut the engine off when the car is stopped and restart it as soon as you take your foot off the brake pedal. They use electric power only to assist the gas engine on hills and when accelerating. Mild hybrids produce only a modest gain in fuel economy yet command a purchase-price premium.
Both types save gas by shutting down the gas engine at stops. The Prius uses a smaller gas engine than the similar-sized Toyota Corolla. Other vehicles typically use the smaller of the available gas engines in the equivalent nonhybrid models. All of them also use the electric motor to recoup some of the energy it takes to stop and use it to charge the batteries.
Driving these hybrids is really no different than driving other cars, except that the engine sometimes stops and starts by itself. At first it might seem a little strange but it's easy to get used to, especially if the transition to gasoline-engine operation is smooth. In fact, some hybrids feel smoother than comparable four-cylinder economy models because the electric motor is quiet and the gas engine is less strained under low-speed acceleration.
None of the hybrids on the market today need to be plugged in, and none can be. The batteries are recharged only by the gas engine and by braking. Just fill the tank with gas and go.
The best hybrids offer significant gas savings. The Toyota Prius, for example, returns the highest gas mileage of any five-passenger car we have ever tested - 44 mpg overall. The midsized Toyota Camry hybrid returns 34 mpg, better than many small cars. And the Honda Civic Hybrid returns an excellent 37 mpg. The only nonhybrid car that gets close to such excellent fuel economy is the 2009 Toyota Corolla, at 32 mpg overall.
Other hybrids, however, offer moderate gas savings in larger vehicles while improving acceleration and maintaining utility. The Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Lexus RX400h, for example, get 24 and 23 mpg, respectively. Not stellar, but about 25 percent better than their gas siblings. Both use relatively large 3.3-liter V6 engines.
In terms of emissions, hybrids typically produce 29 percent less smog-forming nitrogen oxide than conventional cars, according to a study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. And every gallon of gas saved reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 19 pounds, which reduces global warming.
For complete Ratings and recommendations of appliances, cars & trucks, electronic gear...subscribe to access all of Consumer Reports.
Copyright® 2003-2008 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
Not to minimize the trying 3's because they really are trying. But, days like this when I am helping Jai with her homework and she is so excited, and just wants to learn, it just melts my heart. Especially, because I remember Anthony at this age, and sometimes wish we could turn back the hands of time. She is just like a little sponge, it really amazes me the things that she knows and picks up on. Days like this make me remember when I wanted to teach Kindergarten. Granted those days were short lived,I have a low tolerance for noise...
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]]>What's the hardest part about the role you play in your family?
I think the hardest part of my role as a mother, is that I don't get to be sick, have headache, or just need an off day. Unless, of course the kids are with my parents. Bottom line is there is always a room to clean, a mouth to feed, homework to check.
Last night we watched the movie - "Brave One" with Jodie Foster. A picked the movie. I am so not a Jodie Foster fan, but Terrence Howard was in their, and God that man is soo fine. Whew!!
Anyway, the movie is about a Radio Personality, who is madly in love and in some freakish park brawl, here love is killed and she is badly hurt. Really it was just some thugs out to terrorize random people and she happened to get caught in the Cross Fire.
After weeks in a coma, she wakes up to find her love has died and she is all alone, and terrified. I mean who wouldn't be traumatized by a situation like this one. In an attempt, to take charge of her world, she goes out and purchases a gun.
Then as if by some cosmic twist of fate, she runs up on several intense and life threatening situations that prompt her to take the law into her own hands and become some type of street vigilante. Its never premeditated but these things keep finding her, or her finding them, whichever.
The movie was hella graphic, and a bit greusome, but you totally didn't sympathize with the poeple she murdered. I am surprised to say that I loved the movie. I certainly am not encouraging any kind of vigilante killing but...
To me it really spoke to the fact that life and circumstances can forever change you. The person you are is affected every single day by the hurt, love, disaster, opportunities, and just general mayhem that comes into your life. Without that guiding compass, or faith, we leave ourselves open and susceptible to all kinds of evil... and rationalizing..
I give this movie 5***** - for originality, suspense, and just a smooth flowing story line.
There comes a time in all our lives when we may need to evaluate our relationships, making sure that they are having a positive effect on us, rather than dragging us down. Without realizing it, we may be spending precious time and energy engaging in friendships that let us down, rather than cultivating ones that support and nourish us along our path. Life, with its many twists, turns, and challenges, is difficult enough without us entertaining people in our inner circle who drain our energy. We can do so much more in this world when we are surrounded by people who understand what we're trying to do and who positively support our efforts to walk our path.
We can begin this evaluation process by simply noticing how we feel in the context of each one of our close relationships. We may begin to see that an old friend is still carrying negative attitudes or ideas that we ourselves need to let go of in order to move forward. Or we may find that we have a long-term relationship with someone who has a habit of letting us down, or not showing up for us when we need support. There are many ways to go about changing the status quo in situations like this, having a heart to heart with our friend showing through example. This process isn't so much about abandoning old friends as it is about shifting our relationships so that they support us on our journey rather than holding us back.