Of Cheese and Sleep

I like Nice Blog, it's a brand new, spruce blog that's wiggling into it's own little niche in the macrocosm. Well tonight the author posted a bit about struggles with sleep and cheese. It brought back memories of a quick NPR segment on some of the scientific research the British have been working on. So in honor of Nice Blog, Wallace & Grommit, and all things British; I bring you Nigel White secretary of the British Cheese Board.

Link to audio for 'All Things Considered' by NPR. (if that doesn't work click here)

Bon Appetite and Good Night!
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Use Bringo and cut out the B.S.

Journal Entry #435 - July 25, 2007
So, today I needed to find a couple of last minute cross country airline tickets. Even after using kayak.com (the ultimate airline search site), prices were outrageous. I decided to pull out all stops and personally call the airlines to compare online prices with their supposed discounted ticket prices (govt, student, AAA, etc.)

My first call to the Airline was answered right away with a bright female computerized voice. After a bit of frustration and 10 minutes later, the computer finally said in a cheery voice, "all of our representatives are currently busy at the moment, please hold for the next available rep". Well, the computer already has all my info, and this should go pretty quick, so I'll just wait, I thought. 20 minutes later I'm still holding the phone to my ear jamming away to beautifully written elevator music. Just as the same song restarts for the 16th time I hang up. Remembering how I had bookmarked a web page I've always wanted to try but never had an opportunity, I go back to the computer.

Hello Bringo! This awesome site should charge money! You give them your phone number and the company you want to talk to, and they do the rest. When the company has a rep ready to speak with you Bringo calls your phone and patches you over. It works like a charm. In less than 10 minutes I was connected to an actual airline rep. (I guess he wasn't too busy this time).

Amazingly, Bringo was 5 for 5 connecting me to the reps I needed to talk to! I was so pleased with the service I found myself graciously thanking the airline reps as they each told me how the internet price was significantly better than any other discounts they offered. Thanks to Bringo, I saved cell phone minutes and a whole lot of time. - Rich

Links after the break
Bringo: Stop Talking to Machines and Talk to a Real Human - Or as I would put it.. Bringo: We cut out the B***S****.

Kayak - Life's a trip. Really, the only way to search for flights.

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Chore Wars

Got kids? Got chores? You've got to get them hooked on Chore Wars. Chore Wars is an online adventure game that extends to your home. "Finally, you can claim experience points for housework."

The site puts a sweet spin on chores letting you and your kids live your own adventure. It helps you keep keep track of the chores you've done, and advances your character accordingly. This would be a really cool way to keep track of allowances for parents who pay per chore. You can even set things up so that the amount of "gold" payed out is random for each chore (ex. each time the child vacuums a room he can earn 1-4 pieces of gold which you then decide equals .25 cents - 1 dollar).

Want to play click here. Or email me for a link to join my party (Suds).
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Wanna be a doctor?

Here's the average pay per hour for Docs based on 2003 data. So next time you go to get your mole removed just remember that your Doc is getting about $1.60 a minute.

Orthopedic Surgeon - $107 per hr
Dermatologist - $95
Eye Doctor - $92
Radiologist - $87
Ear, Nose, Throat Doc - $86.9
Pathologist - $85
ER Doc - $76.5
General Surgeon - $76
Anesthesiologist - $71
OB/GYN Doc - $70.5
Psychiatrist - $54
Internal Med Doc - $53
Pediatrician - $49
Family Doc - $48

Read more for a table with average pay and average hours worked based on medical specialty.
From Dorsey. JAMA, Vol 290(9).Sept 3, 2003.1174.
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Just can't pass up free TCBY

Find the store nearest you.
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Harry Potter Leaked

Well it's out.. at least 4 days early. Each page of the new "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" book has been photographed and put together in a file to be downloaded illegally. Supposedly the publisher spent $20 million to keep the book a secret.. oops. Just makes me wonder how much the government spends on their secrets? Sure hope it's a whole lot more than $20 mil.

Feel like putting your neck on the line by downloading a copy? Don't look here you're going to have to head on over to the pirate bay.

Read more for links

The full, final "Harry Potter" -- leaked online!

Canadian National Post
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NetLibrary

So, I spend at least an hour a day in the car. I think if I averaged out my life it would probably be closer to two, and that's a modest estimate. Actually, I once heard that the average time spent in a vehicle worldwide was 1 hour 6 min per day, per person.

Now that's a lot of time sitting around, and if you are like me most of it is spent listening to music or some kind of senseless talk show. That is until I figured that Harry Potter was even better as an audio book. From then on I've read er.. listened to about 30 different books while traveling.

Most libraries have at least a few audio books, but who wants to be seen in those kind of places. Instead surf the library at home using NetLibrary! I stumbled upon NetLibrary a few months ago when searching for fast access to a book I desperately needed. I was able to sign up with NetLibrary through my local library's webpage and I had the info I needed on the spot. Then a few weeks ago I decided to look for another book on NetLibrary and found that it was offered in audio also. In short, my laziness was rewarded once again over the internet. Now, I'm up to my ears in audio books and don't have enough excuses to hit the road.

Feeling lazy? Contact your local library to see if they offer access to NetLibrary. You could also try doing a quick search here to see if your library is a partner? In any case, it's worth the few minutes of hassle for hours of unadulterated auditory stimulation.
Of course, if you want the latest on the Deathly Hallows your going to have to go somewhere else.. I'd try amazon.com
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The Give Away of the Century!

Are you ready for the give away of the Century? No, I don't think you are... but Chick-fil-A does.

Here's the deal: All day Friday Chick-fil-A is giving away free combo meals! That's right folks, free combo meals during breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

All you've got to do is show up "properly dressed". What do we mean "properly dressed". Let's just say no shirt, no shoes, NO UTTER, no service. Yep, to get your free combo meal you're going to have to help celebrate National Cow Appreciation Day by donning a full cow costume.

No costume, no problem Chick-fil-A has instructions on how to make one [Link]. They've also decided to give away free sandwiches to anyone wearing anything with a cow print (hats, shirts, etc).

Be careful though, dressing up like a cow on Friday the thirteenth sounds a little ominous. Just imagine the news flash: Well known lumberjack freaks out and attacks man dressed in cow costume with his ax this Friday the thirteenth. Rumor has it, the poor, superstitious Lumberjack freaked out after seeing a cow man rocking back and forth muttering something about a combo meal. Lumberjack swears he will never eat meat again. The cow man's family say they are shocked and deeply saddened by these odd turn of events.

After all is said and done.. Please send us pictures!!

Find the Chick-fil-A nearest you.
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Rock Quarry to Resort

So what do you do with a half a mile hole in the ground that used to be a rock quarry? How about an all in one recreational resort?

That's exactly what you'll get if you decide to vacation in Shanghai, China sometime around May 2009. The resort will not only include a 400 bed five star hotel built into the rock face, but will also include restaurants, cafes, sport facilities, conference facilities, and even underwater public areas, guestrooms, and aquariums. Activities include all kinds of boating, swimming, snorkeling, fishing, bungee jumping, and rock climbing.

Oh yeah, did I mention it's going to be green.. using geothermal energy and a green roof.

Props to Atkins for such a beautiful and inspiring design. Read more for links

Inhabitat
World Architecture News
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Happy Birthday to Moo

It's about time for another Recueilli exclusive... The official, hot Happy Birthday to MOO cake.

A few days ago we hired a team of bakers, rocket scientists, and cake designers to come up with an original design that would be simple, yet fun and delicious. After hours of slaving away in the kitchen, they finally figured out how to turn on the oven. The rest was well.. a piece of cake.

Read more for instructions.

1. Follow directions on boxed cake mix to make two 9 inch round cakes.

2. Cut like this:

3. Do this to the head:

so it looks like this..

4. Make it look like this:

and this..

5. Enjoy.. (A BIG CONGRATS to my wife who actually designed and made this awesome cake)

Still don't get it? Leave your questions in the comment box.
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Exercise Yo' Fingrs

Get it on tonight with some DDR for yo' twiddly widdlies. Link!
Thanks for the link Nick!
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