Eddie On Everything

How To Make a Homemade Heating Pad

I don’t know how, but I’ve managed to pull something in my neck.

I’m finding that it’s a big pain to keep a standard heating pad on it, owe to both the unruly size and unrly (and confining) cord.

So I created a home-made heating pad using rice and a sock. Heres how it’s done.

Recipe: portable heating pad

1. Get a sock. Preferrably a clean one.

2. Pour some dry uncooked rice into it. I used roughly one pound. Don’t use instant rice.
3. If you have any available, drizzle some peppermint oil onto the rice. Not only does this have an aromatheraputic effect, but it makes the sock smell less like rice and more like candy canes.
4. Tie the sock shut.
5. Heat in the microwave for about 2 minutes. You may want to stop after one minute and shake the rice around.
6. Voila, you now have a cordless heatpad. Apply directly where it hurts.

How to Speed Up Your Computer Running Windows XP - Part 1

It might be Microsoft’s fault, since there are a bunch of things that XP should do differently. It might be a third party application provider’s fault for installing a bunch of junk into the startup folder that you didn’t ask for. It might be your fault for carelessly installing software that contains spyware or adware.

But we’re not here to point fingers. The purpose of this article is to help you get your computer back up to speed.

Before I begin, let me tell you how I personally keep my Windows machines running at top speed — I completely reformat the C: drive and reinstall everything, starting with Windows XP, every few months. Yes, this can be pretty time consuming, though I’ve worked out a few tricks that really speed things up. If you really want to get back to top performance, this is the best course of action. However, this solution isn’t for everyone - you should have some clue as to what you’re doing before taking this route.

If you want to speed up your current system without reformatting, give these steps a try:

1. Clean up your Desktop

For some reason, having large files on your Desktop slows Windows down. (Don’t ask me, I didn’t design it.) You should try your best to store your documents somewhere else, for instance, in your “My Documents” folder.

Having a lot of icons on the Desktop can slow windows down as well, which is why Windows ships with a “Desktop Cleanup Wizard.” You may have noticed that an annoying little bubble pops up from time-to-time saying “You have unused icons on your Desktop” This isn’t Microsoft trying to be helpful by unlcuttering your screen for you, this is them working around the “too many icons slows me down” design flaw.

If you’d like to use the Desktop Cleanup Wizard, access it by right-clicking anywhere on your Desktop then choosing “Properties.” The “Display Properties” window will appear. Choose the “Desktop” tab, then click the “Customize Desktop” button at the bottom of that screen. From that screen, choose the “Clean Desktop Now” button.

Of course, there is really no need to run the wizard - you can accomplish the same by simply deleting the icons that you don’t use manually.

2. Free Up Disk Space by Removing Temporary Files

Start Microsoft’s “Disk Cleanup” by going to
Start –>All Programs–> Accessories–> System Tools–> Disk Cleanup
-or–
Go to Start->Run and type “cleanmgr”

If prompted to choose a drive, select “C.”

Disk Cleanup now examines your drive for a bit, then shows you how much disk space you can reclaim by deleting unused files. When the box pops up, you will probably want to choose to get rid of

• Downloaded Program Files
• Temporary Internet Files
• Microsoft Error Reporting Temporary Files
• Recycle Bin
• Any “Log” Files

Do NOT choose “Compress Old Files” — while this will free up some disk space, it will also make your computer much, much slower.

Anything else, it’s really your call. In my list, I see that “Office Setup Files” are taking up about 200M of disk space. While I could reclaim that space by deleting them, I choose to keep them in place since it makes some tasks in Microsoft Office a little bit easier. And since I’m not really hurting for disk space, they really don’t bother me.

Hit “OK” to let XP reclaim some disk space then move on to the next step.

3. Defragment your Hard Drive

Start-> All Programs-> Accessories-> System Tools-> Disk Defragmenter
–or–
Click Start->Run and type “dfrg.msc”

Choose the C: drive from the list and then click “Analyze.”

The tool will now analyze your hard drive and tell you whether the drive needs to be defragmented. If so, follow the instructions on-screen. (You may want to bookmark this page now — your computer may need to be rebooted by the defrag program. Hit “CTRL-D” to bookmark.)

Note: Depending on the size of your Hard Drive and level of fragmentation, this step might take a few hours to complete. You will still be able to perform other tasks while the program runs, though.

4. Check Your System for Malicious Adware

If you don’t already have Lavasoft’s Ad-aware installed on your computer, you need to download it and install it. What this program will do is search your system for malicious programs that may be running in the background and disable them.

The software is free and can be obtained from download.com or in the free Google Pack. To get Google Pack, which contains a bunch of other software as well, click the button below.




(Note: Google Pack is completely customizable. Just de-select any software that you don’t want.)


After installing Google Pack, run it by finding the appropriate file in the Start Menu. Be sure to choose to “Check for updated definitions” if prompted.

Once the definitions have been updated, choose “Start” to start the scan. Once the scan is complete, choose to have any detected adware files quarantined or removed.

5. Get rid of Spyware

Like adware, you may not even be aware that spyware is running in the background on your computer. The best spyware detection tool out there is called Spybot Search & Destroy and can be downloaded by clicking here.

Download and install the software, the run it by locating the appropriate menu under Start->All Programs. (Likely called “Spybot Search and Destroy”)

When you run the program, you will need to first choose “Search for Updates,” after which you may need to re-start the program. Then choose “Check for Problems” and let Spybot S+D quarantine any problems found.

6. Run a Virus Scan

This is going to vary depending on the virus software that you use, but you should start your virus scanner, update the definitions, and run a full system scan.

If you don’t have virus software, or if you are looking to make a change, note that Norton Antivirus is included in the free Google Pack. You can download the Google Pack by clicking the button above.

7. Do you have enough RAM?

RAM, or Random Access Memory, is what your computer uses when it “thinks.” The more complex tasks you perform, the more RAM you need. And if your computer doesn’t have enough, Windows can run like a dog as it tries to make up for the RAM deficiency by caching to disk. Most bargain-basement computer manufacturers keep their costs down by selling PCs with too little RAM - those of us “in the know” know that simply popping an extra RAM module in can speed up performance drastically.

To check the amount of RAM that your computer has, hit the Windows Key and the Pause/Break key at the same time. (Or right-click on “My Computer” then choose “Properties.”) The amount of RAM That you have will be listed on the bottom right side of the box that pops up. If you have under 512M, and if speed is an issue for you, you’re going to want to seriously consider upgrading to at least 512M of RAM or more. It shouldn’t cost you more than $50, and the performance increase will be considerable.

8. Coming in Part 2

This ends Part 1 of the “How to Speed up your PC” article. In Part 2 I will discuss more advanced techniques, such as disabling certain programs that run at Startup and deleting Tasks in the Task Scheduler. Until then, Good Luck and happy tweaking!

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How to Bring Down a Plane with Liquid Explosives

News that UK and US authorities foiled a plot to use liquid explosives to bring down airliners hit the wires hard last week, and it hit travellers even harder as air traffic was disrupted worldwide. People were banned from bringing carry-on bags aboard, and liquids of any kind were prohibited as the authorities tried to ferret out just what the heck was going on.

The story piqued my interest as well, and not just because it was played and replayed on every news station for the next week. No, it grabbed my attention for another reason — many people don’t know this, but I used to be a chemist.

“Liquid explosives?” I said. “That they mix up right there on the plane?” Hmmmm. Sounds kinda fishy to me.

There is nothing inherently fishy-sounding about liquid explosives themselves - in fact, one of the best known explosives of all time, nitroglycerin, is a liquid. But the thing is, first, you need to slowly and carefully mix nitroglycerin, something that you bloody well can’t do on a plane. Secondly, and even more importantly, nitroglycerin and other liquid explosives are fairly unstable and can be detonated by good hard rap, so they’re not exactly something that you’d likely be walking around with.

I just can’t imagine what the terrorists were planning on brewing up 1) on a plane, 2) without a heat source / without access to ample ice 3) that would release enough energy to do anything more than start a fire.

I found an article at the Register that outlines just how unlikely a scenario this is:

• First, you’ve got to get adequately concentrated hydrogen peroxide. This is hard to come by, so a large quantity of the three per cent solution sold in pharmacies might have to be concentrated by boiling off the water. Only this is risky, and can lead to mission failure by means of burning down your makeshift lab before a single infidel has been harmed.
• The remaining ingredients, acetone and sulfuric acid, are far easier to obtain, and we can assume that you’ve got them on hand.
• Take your hydrogen peroxide, acetone, and sulfuric acid, measure them very carefully, and put them into drinks bottles for convenient smuggling onto a plane.
• Don’t forget to bring several frozen gel-packs (preferably in a Styrofoam chiller deceptively marked “perishable foods”), a thermometer, a large beaker, a stirring rod, and a medicine dropper. You’re going to need them.
• Once the plane is over the ocean, very discreetly bring all of your gear into the toilet. You might need to make several trips to avoid drawing attention.
• Once your kit is in place, put a beaker containing the peroxide / acetone mixture into the ice water bath (Champagne bucket), and start adding the acid, drop by drop, while stirring constantly. Watch the reaction temperature carefully. The mixture will heat, and if it gets too hot, you’ll end up with a weak explosive. In fact, if it gets really hot, you’ll get a premature explosion possibly sufficient to kill you, but probably no one else.
• After a few hours - assuming, by some miracle, that the fumes haven’t overcome you or alerted passengers or the flight crew to your activities - you’ll have a quantity of TATP with which to carry out your mission. Now all you need to do is dry it for an hour or two.
• Once dry, TATP is relatively easy to detonate. But you must make enough of it to crash the plane, and you must make it with care to assure potency. While it’s true that a slapdash concoction will explode, it’s unlikely to do more than blow out a few windows. At best, an infidel or two might be killed by the blast, and one or two others by flying debris as the cabin suddenly depressurizes, but that’s about all you’re likely to manage under the most favorable conditions possible.

Heh.

Folks, I admit, I’m no explosives expert. But from what I know about chemistry, and as this article demonstrates, this seems like a rather unlikely plot.

Link: How to make Nitroglycerin

The Buzz on Valerian Tea

The immensely disappointing mid-season finale of the Sopranos let the world in on a little secret - it’s possible to catch a buzz from Valerian Tea. Or-so-they-say.

In the episode Christopher’s girlfriend Julianna suggests that they brew up some tea using 10 bags of valerian, a root that she says is related to and has the same effects as Valium.

Hmmm, interesting. But can it be true?

A little research revealed that Valerian tea is made from the root of the Valerian plant. This plant has been known to science since at least the time of the Ancient Greeks and Romans, who used it as a medicinal herb, mostly because of it’s calming properties.

Celestial Seasonings’ Sleepytime Extra™ Wellness Tea contains at least some Valerian root:

This powerfully effective Wellness Herb Tea contains a potent herb not found in Sleepytime - valerian - that promotes extra fast, restful, natural sleep.* Valerian is a folklore favorite used for centuries to soothe the mind and body at bedtime.*

Fortunately, I learned long ago not to believe everything you read on product packaging, so I sought out the opinion of a medical professional, one whose livelyhood didn’t depend on selling me tea. Doctor Siegel, in his column that “explain[s] the medical facts behind medical fictions often depicted in the media,” shares the following:

VALERIAN is an herb with sedative properties used to ease insomnia and anxiety. It isn’t chemically related to Valium, and it won’t relieve a cough. Long-term use of the herb has been shown to have addictive properties, but there is no evidence that its use — whether in tea or capsule form — would cause someone to return to drug addiction.

OK, so according to Doc, not related to Valium, but used to cure insominia.

Being something of an insomniac myself, I headed down to my local organic market and purchased a box of Valerian Root tea distributed by Alvita, an herbal tea company owned by nutritional supplement giant Twinlab. I can tell you, first hand, that at least one thing they say about Valerian tea is true - it smells HORRIBLE. As to whether it has any sedative properties or not, I can’t say. It didn’t seem to, at least not in the preparation that I used.

Fisher v. Lowe - A Decision in Prose

This rather poetic case comes to us from the Michigan Court of Appeals. Who said that judges don’t have a sense of humor?

______________________________________
Fisher v. Lowe
333 N.W. 2d 67 (Mich. App. 1983)
______________________________________
A wayward Chevy struck a tree
Whose owner sued defendants three.
He sued car’s owner, driver, too,
And insurer for what was due
For his oak tree that now may bear
A lasting need for tender care.
The Oakland County Circuit Court,
John N. O’Brian, J., set forth
The judgment that defendants sought,
And quickly an appeal was brought.
Court of Appeals, J.  H. Gillis, J.,
Gave thought and then had this to say:
1) There is no liability,
Since No-Fault grants immunity,
2) No jurisdiction can be found
Where process service is unsound;
And thus the judgment, as it’s termed
Is due to be, and is
Affirmed.

[1] AUTOMOBILES k251.13
Defendant’s Chevy struck a tree,
There was no liability.
The No-Fault Act comes into play,
As owner and the driver say.
Barred by the act’s immunity,
No suit in tort will aid the tree.
Although the oak’s in disarray,
No court can make defendants pay.

[2] PROCESS k4
No jurisdiction could be found,
Where process service is unsound.
In personam jurisdiction
Was not even legal fiction
Where plaintiff failed to well comply
With rules of court that did apply.

  * * *

J. H. GILLIS, Judge.
We thought that we would never see
A suit to compensate a tree.
A suit whose claim in tort is prest,
Upon a mangled tree’s behest;
A tree whose battered trunk was prest
Against a Chevy’s crumpled crest;
A tree that faces each new day
With bark and limb in disarray;
A tree that may forever bear
A lasting need for tender care.
Flora lovers though we three,
We must affirm the court’s decree.

Affirmed.