Paul Green School of Rock

The Real Life Inspiration for the Jack Black Film School of Rock! The Paul Green School of Rock Music is the original performance based, interactive music school, founded in Philadelphia Penssylvania. We proceed from the belief that the best way to learn to do almost anything is by doing it, and we feel that this is particularly true about music!

http://www.schoolofrock.com/

Spring Fever (Rum Lime Tonics)

• 2 oz. white rum
• 1 1/2 oz. Rose's lime juice
• Chilled tonic water
• Lime slices for garnish

In a highball glass filled with ice cubes, stir together the rum and the Rose's lime juice, fill the glass with the tonic water, and garnish the cocktail with the lime. Makes one cocktail.

LIFE EXTENSION

When you bring home flowers, follow these steps to keep them fresher longer:

1) Use a clean vase that has been washed with hot soapy water to get rid of bacteria.

2) Pluck off leaves that would be below the water level.

3) Recut the stems under water. Make cuts on an angle.

4) Fill the vase with lukewarm water. (Some varieties prefer cold, but not most).

5) Feed the flowers with sugar, acid and an anti-bacterial agent. A common recommendation is one part lemon-lime soda to three parts water, plus a quarter teaspoon of bleach per quart.

6) Change the water every other day and keep in a cool place.

Organic Flower Store

http://www.organicbouquet.com/

Directory of Organic Flower Farms

http://www.localharvest.org/organic-flowers.jsp

Dancing Matzah Man

Entertain your Passover guests or take one to your seder host! The dancing, singing, hip Matzahman Sonic activated. AA batteries included.

(Lyrics by Jewish music artist Craig Taubman!) "He's my Matzahman, Oh yeah my Matzahman, He can cook it in the oven, He can fry it in the pan , Stir it up , Shout it loud, Stir it up , Sing it proud, For the matzah, Yeah my matzah , My my Matzahman , Oh, I love you Matzahman!"

Matzahman

10-Minute Tasks To Help You Save Money

Many people use the excuse that they are too busy to make any extra effort to live frugally. But even those of us who are the busiest can find an extra ten minutes here and there if we look hard enough for it. Here are five quickie tasks you can do anytime that will help you save money.

The 10-Minute Pantry Inventory: You know all those food items that get pushed to the back of your pantry and never used? Spend some time taking inventory of all the food items you have in your pantry. Then think of creative ways to use those items this week. You probably have several meals in your pantry just waiting to be cooked. By cooking these meals instead of buying more groceries, you will save money on this week's food bill.

The 10-Minute Coupon Organization: Even if you don't clip coupons for grocery shopping, you probably use them for health and beauty products, going out to eat, haircuts, oil changes, etc. Spend ten minutes organizing and going through your coupons, throwing away those that have expired and pulling out ones that will expire soon. The reason for this task is obvious. You can't save money with coupons if you can't find them when you need them or if you miss the expiration date.

The 10-Minute Medicine Cabinet Cleanup: How many times have you bought cold medicine or cough drops only to find when you got home that you already had plenty? Protect your family by taking time to clean out any old and expired medicines. Then take inventory of what is left so you won't buy more of something you already have.

The 10-Minute Closet Clearance: This one will save you both time and money. Spend some time sorting through your closet and pulling out the clothes and shoes you don't wear anymore. While you're at it, look for new combinations of outfits using pieces you already have. By combining your separates into different combinations, you'll feel like you have new outfits without actually buying anything new.

The 10-Minute Toy Sort: Take ten minutes to go through your children's playthings. Pull out those extra toys they won't even miss. Donate them to charity or save them for your next yard sale. Pick out the toys they do enjoy but haven't used in a while. Put them up in the attic or on a high shelf. Next time your kids are begging you to buy new toys, pull down some of the forgotten toys. See if they don't get just as excited as if you had bought something new.

Darling, You Look Spa-velous!

It used to be that a trip to the spa was reserved for the rich and famous. Now just about everybody’s doing it. In the United States alone, spas at resort hotels grew by a whopping 290% from 1999-2004. And medical spas grew by 109% in the past year.

With an estimated 12,100 spas in the 50 states, maybe it’s time you packed your bag and paid a visit. According to Lynne Walker, president of the International Spa Association (ISPA), thanks to consumer demand, many spas are offering excellent services and programs at not-so-rich-and-famous rates.

To find the lowest rates on spa trips, visit SpaFinder.com.
To locate the world’s most luxurious spas, visit SpaMagazine.com.

MMW

Do you like jazz? You should! These guys were very cool in M'boro last night [thanks Will], I need to have a cd of theirs to play at parties in my new house!
I think it should be a NYC or European concert that we attend next!

Medeski Martin and Wood
www.mmw.net

Get Motivated to Tackle Your To-Do List!

Spring is here and you've got about a million and one things you want to get done around the house. So before you get overwhelmed by the mounting tasks, give yourself some inspiration to accomplish your goals. Take some time out to strategize about how best to accomplish your to-do list, and try these helpful, motivating tips:
Ask yourself why. Try switching your focus from what you have to do ("I've got to clean the garage, move the bikes, get rid of boxes, ugh!") to the reason why you're beginning the project. Concentrating on the why ("I'm cleaning out the garage so I can actually fit my car in here!") can get you excited about the end result.

Do 10 jumping jacks. You remember these from grade school—jumping jacks are the perfect way to get your blood pumping. Using almost every major muscle group in your body, a quick set of 10 can energize you and help you focus. As always, you should consult your physician before beginning any new exercise regimen.

Prioritize fun. Spend five minutes in the morning prioritizing your day. It will help you set realistic timelines and make your tasks easier to accomplish. Plus, it gives you the chance to put the most interesting or easiest project first—starting off your day on the right note.

Call in the reinforcements. Calling on a good friend to help with one of your least favorite tasks can make the drudgery fun before you know it. Even if it's running errands, you're more than likely to have a friend or two who needs to go to the post office, drugstore, or the cleaners. While you're out you can pick up a thank-you card...

Promise yourself a treat. While the thought of a slice of pie may not be enough to get you to jump at the prospect of washing windows, you may want to ask yourself—and your pocket book—how much you saved by doing the project yourself. From edging the yard to cleaning out the gutters, you may be surprised to find that your to-do list tasks saved you a nice chunk of money. Whether it's a manicure or a nice dinner out, you deserve a special treat!

'Harry Potter' Publisher Pledges U.K. Print Run on Recycled Paper

LONDON, March 5, 2005 - J.K. Rowling's publisher Bloomsbury that the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince will be printed on 30% Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper. This will make it the first best-selling book in the U.K. to be printed on such paper stock.

According to environmental nonprofit Greenpeace, Bloomsbury has positioned itself as the most environmentally progressive of the major U.K. publishers to date. Other publishers, including Random House and Harper Collins, have so far failed to respond. Greenpeace is campaigning to get the book industry to stop sourcing paper from ancient forest regions and move towards using 100% ancient forest friendly paper.

Belinda Fletcher, Greenpeace forest campaigner said, "By publishing the forthcoming Harry Potter on a 30% FSC certified paper, Bloomsbury has thrown down the gauntlet to less progressive publishers, like Random House and Harper Collins, who have, so far failed to act. It is now up to other major U.K. publishers to start responding to Bloomsbury's lead."

She continued, "We welcome the efforts that Bloomsbury have made and look forward to them moving towards 100% ancient forest friendly papers for all future Harry Potter print runs and their other titles."

Last summer Bloomsbury made an initial step towards going ancient forest friendly by printing the children's and adult's versions of the paperback of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on 10% and 20% recycled paper respectively.

Bhutan Bans Butts

by Nancy H. Tilghman

Along with outlawing plastic bags and secondhand cars, Bhutan, the Himalayan kingdom nestled in the clouds between China and India, has become the first country in the world to completely ban tobacco sales. Bhutan’s National Assembly imposed the crackdown last July, and the law went into effect last December.

The mountainous kingdom of Bhutan is the world’s first sovereign nation to ban public smoking.This isolated monarchy, which allows only 7,000 tourists a year, and requires most of its citizens to wear the national dress, prides itself on its environmental policy aimed at preserving the pristine Himalayan region. But developing the no-smoking policy has been a challenge. The small country of only 700,000 people has started to develop roads and infrastructure, while dutifully preserving the countryside—almost 70 percent of which is covered in forest.

The much-admired King Jigme Singye Wangchuk implemented air-quality laws through the National Environment Commission that are aimed at decreasing year-round exposure to second-hand smoke emitted from still-rudimentary fireplaces that are used for cooking and heating in rural homes. Reconditioned and secondhand cars, which emit more pollution than new cars, have been banned in the hopes of improving air quality.

A no-smoking policy is seen as another step in the King’s plan for “gross national happiness,” a goal he sees as far more important than the gross national product. Tobacco use has been declining in recent years in North America and Western Europe but increasing in Asia. More than 25 percent of the world’s smokers live across Bhutan’s border in China, according to the American Lung Association’s website.

Respiratory illnesses are the primary cause of mortality in Bhutan. “It is not the health alone; we have religious reasons,” says Gado Tschering, the non-smoking secretary of the Ministry of Health. “The monks play a very important role. According to Buddhist religion it is a sin to smoke.”

The problem Bhutan faces is how to enforce the no-smoking policy. There will be a hefty $225 fine for smoking in public or buying or selling tobacco. Bhutanese can bring their own tobacco into the country for use at home, but must pay a 100 percent tax on it.

According to Heather Selin, a tobacco control advisor for the World Health Organization, “Prohibition of tobacco sales and tobacco use is not a measure someone would propose. It is not practical for the vast majority of countries. Bhutan is a closed society so it is in a unique position. I would guess that they are doing this because tobacco use is low enough [an estimated one percent of the population] that smuggling is not as big an issue as in other countries.”

“I personally agree with the law although I have been a smoker,” says Tenzin Thinley, a resident of Thimphu, Bhutan’s most-populous city. “The moment I heard about it I decided to stop smoking and it has been possible.”

La Computadora

A Spanish teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine. "House" for instance, is feminine: "la casa." "Pencil," however, is masculine: "el lapiz." A student asked, "What gender is 'computer'?" Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether "computer" should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.

The male group decided that "computer" should definitely be of the feminine gender ("la computer"), because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.

The female group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine ("el computer"), because:
1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.

El Blog Primero

Hello and welcome to my blog!
Blogs seem to be things that people find interesting, so I suppose you'll be viewing a lot of crap on here.
This week's winner for interesting link, though, has to be something a very good friend pointed out to me: www.flylady.com

Are YOU living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) like Franny in the pink sweats? Do you feel overwhelmed, overextended, and overdrawn? Hopeless and you don't know where to start? Don't worry friend, we've been there, too.
Step through the door and follow FlyLady as she weaves her way through housecleaning and organizing tips with homespun humor, daily musings about life and love, the Sidetracked Home Executives (SHE™) system, and anything else that is on her mind.

There are SO many tips, and let's just say, it's not just for women...