Archive for December, 2009
5 Ways to Get Junk Gone
Dec 31st
The beginning of the new year always seems like a good time to get rid of things that you've been meaning to. But sometimes, the reason you haven't gotten rid of a particular piece of junk that is cluttering up your home isn't because you want to hold on to it — or even that it's useful in any way. Sometimes it can just seem entirely impossible to get rid of a particular item.
I’ve used Freecycle, Craigslist and even just talking to friends to get rid of plenty of things that I didn’t necessarily want but still could be used by someone else in the past. But as great as those methods are, there are still some things that they just can’t move. I’ve had stacks of old magazines that no one wants, pieces of scrap metal that simply can’t find a good home and rags that just aren’t needed. But I don’t want to just toss these items in the trashcan: they may be junk, but they may still be useful.
1. Schools
While no one wants to drop off junk at the local school, they may not see some of the stuff you want to get rid of as junk. A big pile of magazines, for instance, can be extremely useful for a teacher wanting to do collage projects. I’ve found it easiest to just check individually with teachers on whether or not they have a use for anything in particular.
2. Animal Shelters
All those towels and sheets that are too torn up for anyone to want? Well, your local animal shelter may have a use for them. Animal shelters routinely have a need for rags, as well as other items that you might otherwise throw away.
3. Salvage Yards
Just about anything that can be stripped off a car or a building may be able to find a home with a local salvage yard. In many cases, it just has to be in repairable condition — working order is not necessary. In some cases, you may even get money for the items you drop off.
4. Artists
Many artists, especially those working on sculpture, use a variety of items that other people would consider junk. It’s very important to talk to the artist you have in mind before just dropping off a piece of junk, though. The number of crafters and hackers willing to repurpose items is also on the rise.
5. Recycling Centers
Just because something is junk in its current form doesn't mean that it can't be recycled. Many recycling centers will take items that you can't put in your recycling bin, as long as you bring them in. Most have websites now listing what they'll take — mine accepts a variety of items including vinyl siding, batteries and computer parts. In most cases, if it's metal, they'll also take it.
If, in the end, you still find that you have a piece of junk that absolutely no one wants, there are some options to disposing of it. Depending on your local waste disposal company's policies, you may or may not be able to add things to your regular pick up. For bigger items, taking them to the local dump yourself may be more cost effective — landfills and dumps typically charge by the truck load to drop off junk. There are also a variety of services that will come and remove junk, offering an easy solution for anyone without access to a truck.
Permalink | 3 comments | Thursday Bram's blog | Channel: Lifestyle
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This article is from Wise Bread.
Best Goal-Tracking Tool? [Hive Five Call For Contenders]
Dec 31st
It’s that resolution-time-of-year again. We want to hear about your favorite tool for tracking and measuring your goals.
Tracking progress towards a goal is a powerful motivator. This week we want…
Wallpaper Roundup: Ringing in the New Year [Wallpaper Roundup]
Dec 31st
New Year’s Eve is upon us, ring it in with some New Year’s-themed wallpaper. Judging by the wallpapers we found, 2010 is going to be all the neon and sparkles the futurists of yesteryear promised us….
DIY Magnetized Coffee Sleeve Doubles as Third Hand [DIY]
Dec 31st
The next time you need a third hand to hold your coffee cup while you dig around in your bag for something, just stick it to a streetlight with this ingenious hack.
A fabulously creative New York…
By king or cobbler
Dec 31st
A thoughtful reflection on the psychology of the New Year, published in 1895 by the acclaimed essayist Charles Lamb in his collection The Essays of Elia.
Every man has two birth-days: two days at least, in every year, which set him upon revolving the lapse of time, as it affects his mortal duration. The one is that which in an especial manner he termeth his. In the gradual desuetude of old observances, this custom of solemnising our proper birth-day hath nearly passed away, or is left to children, who reflect nothing at all about the matter, nor understand anything in it beyond cake and orange. But the birth of a New Year is of an interest too wide to be pretermitted by king or cobbler. No one ever regarded the First of January with indifference. It is that from which all date their time, and count upon what is left. It is the nativity of our common Adam.
Charles Lamb was one of the most celebrated writers of his generation although struggled with mental illness for much of his life and directed a great deal of his energies to caring for his sister, Mary, who was similarly affected by mental disorder and an exceptional talent for literature.
Link to Wikipedia page on Charles Lamb.
Gadget and Gear Deals of the Day [Dealhacker]
Dec 31st
Today’s your last day to cash in on 2009 deals (and potential tax write-offs!) so come on in for some New Year’s Eve deals on laptops, monitors, HDTVs and more.
Computer Gear! 15.6″ Dell Studio 15…
Uglify Your Stuff To Keep It Safe
Dec 31st
By Paul Michael
I don't know about you, but I buy things based on how they look as well as what they do. I was once told that you don't buy a power drill because it looks cool, you buy it because you need holes. Well, yes and no. As a designer and creative, the aesthetic also plays an important role. But what attracts you to objects also attracts thieves. And so, has the time come to "uglify your stuff?"
I first read about this last year, when I saw that a number of people who owned very expensive bikes were doing their level best to make them look like $20 Craigslist rejects. It’s a simple enough idea. You take your wonderful $1000 bike, and proceed to repaint it, badly, apply stickers and scratches and scuff marks, bits of old tape, dirt, grime, in fact anything you can think of, and hey presto – one expensive bike that performs like a dream but looks like a nightmare.
Your average thief wouldn't look twice at this "old" thing, even though it's probably the most expensive bike in the rack. Of course, you have the downside of riding a bike that looks less than cool, but if you're a real biking fanatic that won't bother you. Just like the drill is a means to an end, so is a great bike.
It seems as though this has spread to all sorts of other personal possessions now, and it runs the gamut.
In May this year, blogger Jimmie Rodgers wrote about his ugly camera, and described the lengths he had gone to to make this expensive digital camera look like a cruddy old film camera.
Here’s what Jimmie had to say after the uglification process:
"I was able to take over 5,000 pictures with it in Brazil. I was able to follow around a number of well known graffiti artists, and you can check out some of the pics here. I was also able to go into some fairly dangerous areas, and walk out with my camera. I was even mugged a second time, and they left my camera alone, and took my $20 cell phone instead."
It’s a trend that’s picking up steam. You can buy faceplates for expensive car CD players that turn them into old cassette players. Who’d want to steal that? And it can even go as far as uglifying your sandwich! Yes, people in offices everywhere who are tired of seeing their lunch go walkies are buying zip-loc bags that have mold stains inside the plastic, making a fresh snack look like a breeding ground for bacteria.
Nick Cannon has a list of 16 anti-theft ideas that puts the green sandwich bags on top of the pile. And by the way, those things are real. You can buy them at Perpetual Kid in packs of 25 for $9.99. Yes, they’re more pricey than your average zip-loc baggie, but how much does it cost to replace your lunch?
So, would you uglify your stuff to make it more theft-proof? Is it worth it? Aside from affecting the resale value of some things, do you value the aesthetic quality as much as the functional aspect? I, for one, wouldn’t make my iPod video look like crap. And as for my MacBook Pro…stay away from that or suffer a fate worse than death!
But if that doesn’t bother you, then what would you uglify, and why? Over to you.
Permalink | 19 comments | Paul Michael's blog | Channel: Consumer Affairs, DIY, General Tips
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This article is from Wise Bread.
Banish Up to 350 Extra Calories a Day with a Tap of Your Foot [Fitness]
Dec 31st
This time of year people resolve to give up all the foods they love in a Herculean effort to shed some pounds. Take the easy way out and just fidget a lot.
Photo by knitsteel.
MSN’s Shaun Chavis…