Cryogenic Freezing

This week they will be thawing out Walt Disney to see if he comes back to life. Not really, but now that I have your attention, the topic of this post is Cryogenic freezing. Apparently this process has a substantial benefit and application to a variety of fields including automobiles, tools and sporting equipment. I remember about a year ago or so reading an article regarding someone improving gas mileage, and ultimately, the life of his vehicle by cryogenically freezing certain parts. I received a reply from a gentleman out of York, PA who has a cryogenic freezing facility (York Cryogenics). He says:

"The issues are threefold:

1. Longevity. Cryo just plain makes things last longer, and sometimes parts wear out before the race ends. One drag racing customer told me that he used to replace his ring and pinion every 35 races, and would find several broken teeth. A ring and pinion set that I froze for him made 87 runs last year and even didn't have a chipped tooth. I tell people that a driveline will last about 3 times as long after cryogenic processing. I also tell people that if I freeze their brake rotors, they'll not replace them as long as they own the vehicle.

2. Power. I read on one website that they put a 4 cylinder engine on a dynomometer, then tore it down, froze it and reassambled it with no additional fitting. The dyno showed that they got a 5% increase in power. Cryo makes spring steel (valve springs and piston rings) more responsive. It reduces friction and therefore leaves more of the power produced free to go to the wheels.

3. Efficiency. Again, reduced friction means less of the power produced is needed to turn the driveline. A friend in the business told me that freezing the spark plugs increased his son's mileage by 2 mpg."

This is compelling information that could transform the whole manufacturing industry if the process becomes more commonplace. I know one of my readers would be interested in this page,Golf Equipment, regarding increasing distance, accuracy and kinetic energy transfer of your golf shots. The prices seem reasonable to, for ten golf clubs you would pay ($200 plus shipping there and back).

I am going to continue to research this industry because if the application is as far and wide as suggested, and the improvements as significant as projected, this should become a HUGE industry.

Teach Online

I found an interesting site perusing one of my local favorites (Lifehacker) today, and the site is called Nuvvo. It allows you to set up online classes and teach for free, either offering the course teachings for free or for a fee that you set. I looked through the list of courses and a few were interesting and I'm certain as the publicity spreads, the community and selection will grow. This would be great practice to share information that you are an expert in, while honing your teaching skills and creating a more widespread social network.

Budgeting to Gain

Keeping a budget can be one of the smartest tools to use in managing your family or personal income. I know that my wife has done an excellent job with our family budget, from the initial set-up to continual revisitation to see where we save and where we overspend. It is an art and science, something you need to study and maintain consistently.

For example, knowing how much you spent on groceries each momth could end up saving you hundreds to thousands of dollars a year. We review our monthly grocery spending and are certain to check our receipts when we do our large grocery trips. You wouldn't believe how many times we were overcharged for items. I can recall once in the past six months that the cashier mis-typed a product price and it came out to be $30 more than it should have been. Fortunately we caught and saved enough to go out to dinner (sort of).

There are some great sites that offer advice on budgeting, frugal living, and overall money management. One I discovered recently that inspired this post was Home Money Help. Within the articles archive, there were a great number of articles with additional links to other web resources. Have a look and consider your budget, you may save enough to buy that fancy new car you're after (and so are we).

Returning from Vacation

I've returned from a five day vacation from work and this blog. I know, I know, you had missed my informative and comedy-filled articles so much that you probably chewed off your fingers in anticipation, but chew no longer, I am back in action and I am throwing out my format for now. I will post whatever I want, whenever I want, about whatever I want, so whenever you want to read it, you can read whatever you want. (takes breath) So I thought today was Monday and I was going to post about how to get back in the flow of work after days off (in line with my Managed Monday theme), but it is Tuesday, and I forgot what Tuesday was again.

So you are wondering what I did to get back in action. First, I cleared out my email. Answered everyone and pressed the delete button. I am down to three emails in my inbox and they were all received today. Next, I completed any important reporting tasks I had (specific to my job were the Daily Operations Report and Applicant Tracking distribution). These are now off of my plate and now I can actually sit back, relax, and plan the rest of my week with a to-do list. I didn't write a to-do list for those previously mentioned tasks because that would have just taken unnecessary time from the activities themselves since I already was working on them.

Now I am catching up here at Synthesize and Remind and plotting my next creative pursuit.

Another Spot on Dadbloggers.com

Hey All (four of you),

I have a new entry on Dadbloggers.com. The piece is title Child-Speak Translation and it is about my joy in knowing my son's secret code language, in other words, the art of understanding his pronunciations. Many cannot comprehend Boris Forrest language, but there are a few that can, and I am one of those proud few. So go ahead and read the short entry as I am sure you will find some humor from it.

Nina Riding Along

Family 12082005 173
Originally uploaded by mfshearer.

This is to test a great functionality through Flickr and Blogger. I can post a new picture of my little girl riding a train (or any picture) and do a little write up about it and post it to my blog from Flikr. Just perfect. I will go back to my blog later and update the links. This has nothing to do with Wisdom Wednesday, but I am busy in a training and just trying a quick trick.

Testing Different Tasking Methods

I try a variety of methods when it comes to keeping track of my day/week/month/life. This week, I have implemented to new techniques to see how things go. One, I put a posted note on all of my books to denote what my assignment is for the week. It helped me look at the book and realize exactly what needed to be done without having to open to the page with the folded corners or dirty napkins.

Next, because I use a laptop at work, but have an external keyboard and mouse that pull out from beneath the desk, I have space on my desk between me and the screen. Here I've placed my calendar open to today. I can look at the events planned for today as well as my to-do list. To me, it is better to have it written down than being on a computer because I don't always have my computer open (and I haven't earned a trusty Blackberry or Palm Pilot, yet). I think I need to have more than 10 meetings a week to qualify. This week I only have 4 as I go on vacation on Thursday!

In synopsis to this entry, have your tasks in plain view, easy to read, edit, and to eventually cross-out. It will gently remind you of what needs to be done and when. I think I may have found a method that will fit for me. What is your method?

New: New Format

I am sticking with my proposal last week for a theme each day, but excluding weekend posts. The weekends are my time to catch up on all things that cannot be done during the week, like homework, headaches, and hankerings. More importantly,it is time to spend with my family and away from the computer. This blog was started to give me some creative writing release while at work and since I am usually not working on the weekends, I won't be blogging either. I hope to provide enough content through the week to keep you a little occupied. I try to direct you to links where you can spend additional time finding useful and interesting information.

Today's post for Managed Monday will be coming shortly. Tell your friends about the site, too, because I have four consistent readers: One from my house, One from Atlanta, One from Chicago, and One from LA.

Thanks!
Cheerful in Charles Town

Frugalware

There is a ton of free software online that has comparable tools that many of your conventional software provides. The biggest example is Open Office versus Microsoft Office. Many people incorporate free spyware, anti-virus tools, FTP programs, blog software (Thanks Blogger!), and others. Check out Download Dot Com for a grand list of software, both free and fee-based, to see what fun you can find without spending a dime.

Why Be Frugal?

I think we can list many reasons why to choose to live more frugally. We have limited income that we need to stretch to pay rent/mortgage, bills, groceries, car repairs, debt, and other big and little financial surprises throughout our lifetime. It is a surprise that so many people get by, and we also know many people don't.

Being frugal is an art and a science, a method of resourcefulness and a vision of smarter spending. Don't get me wrong, I don't plan on being strapped for cash my whole life, I've accepted that I will soon enough be financially free, however, that doesn't mean I am going to change my habits of being a smart consumer, a recyler of plastic containers for lunches, a nag to my wife for paying bills online instead of mailing them, bringing my own mug to the coffee shop, and the many other little things we do to pinch a penny here and there. Some may consider this cheap, but I promise you that it helps and when it comes time to be more generous with our success, you're still going to get a reused greeting card with the names whited out! Just kidding, I'll print one from the internet!!

All joking aside, there are lots of resources out there to learn little techniques to save a little. Whether it is having children and constantly having to do new school projects (where you'll be glad you saved jars, milk containers, newspapers, and other random items), or saving up for a lavish vacation, being aware of your spending will aid you in your goals and ultimately provide a great return in lifestyle.

Folding A Shirt

Here is an excellent (though puzzling at first) technique a folding a perfect shirt, Folding Shirt Video. Wow, did it take watching this a few times to understand what on earth she was doing! Pay notice to a few key things:

1) The t-shirt is front side up.

2) The right knee is to the left of the left sleeve.

3) Cross your left-hand over to the right side.

4) Fold down with your right hand. Leave your left hand under the folded shirt.
5) Twist your arms out of the criss-cross.

6) Flip over the shirt, letting the hanging sleeve lie under it and fold over.

7) Fold and done.

No problem, right?! I have the technique down, but making it look the way hers does is taking some serious practice. Good luck, S&Ners.

Split Boxspring

This was one of the smartest moves I've made in purchasing: buying a split boxspring. I learned my lesson by not being able to get my boxspring down stairs and having to return it. For just a little more (less than $100), I bought a split boxspring that split lengthwise. It is a breeze to get up and down almost any staircase (even those narrow spiraling staircases). I don't know why people would ever buy anything but these once they realized how easy they are to move. They lay perfectly on the bed frame and you cannot tell any difference once the bed is set-up.

So if you are buying a bed, get a split boxspring. You will thank me later.

One of the Four Agreements

Don't take anything personally.Personally (ha!), this is a tough one for me sometimes. I suppose my frame of reference for reality is too based around my individual self and the misperception of being seperate from others (and everything else). It is hard to think that when someone criticizes you that it is because of their own view, but Don Miguel Ruiz says "Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering."

Let's do a test by applying this into the next opportunity where we feel someone is attacking or judging us. Can we just let it pass without feeling defensive or angry? I know that when I take things personally, I try to isolate myself so that I don't have to confront the person that I perceived to be creating this feelings in me. I am going to try a different approach next time, simply acknowledging that it is not me that is the object of judgement, it is something within the other person that was reflected onto me unknowingly.

Your Attitude is Contagious

Good Morning All! As you may or may not remember, today is Wisdom Wednesday here at S&R and what a valuable thing wisdom can be. It can and should be demonstrated in all of our actions. Of course we make mistakes, but great wisdom can come from acknowledging these moments and moving forward from them without guilt.

As our actions effect others, our attitude transfers and further becomes us the more we impress it upon others. So are we optimistic in our outlook today (or everyday) and do you notice when you are optimistic it usually gives others hope. And when we give others hope, we are giving back to ourselves. It is a perfect example of cause and effect, karmic cycles, whatever definition you prefer.

At work I've observed, when I am in my moments of meditation, I often draw people in. They become curious, aware of my attempt at total presence, and this is exactly what I am doing, being curious...curious about life, infinity, God, again, whatever description comfortably fits for you. So the transference of my focus passes on importantly to awaken others.

The opposite can have a great and detrimental effect, however. If we are fearful, others sense it and become fearful themselves. A perfect example that I've recently witnesses and unfortunately joined in the chain of effects is the current state of my workplace. We are undergoing a review for accreditation (I work for a university), and in conversation with others, a concern (somewhat fearful because the outcome is unknown) was expressed to me about our chances of getting initially accepted for accreditation. A colleague inquired to me what I knew and I passed on these alarming thoughts and started her on a path of unnecessary concern.

With these examples, I find two pieces of important wisdom to impart with you: 1) we affect others with our attitudes and how we express them 2) when we have expectations and they are let down (and they so often are!) we develop negative attitudes. This second point comes from my real world example of my company being overconfident in our status for acceptance for accreditation. Once the process started, we were humilitated a bit because we were not nearly as prepared as we needed to be.

Humilitation is definitely not a negative experience. It is humbling and helps us realize the smallness of our ego in respect to the bigger picture.

Blessings to you today. I hope your day is filled with growing wisdom!

Gmail Tip: Apply a Label

Remember, it is Technical Tuesday, so here is a brief step-by-step instruction for using a valuable tool in Gmail:

Add Labels to your Email for easy archive and retrieval

1) Log into Gmail.
2) Look for the drop down list in the upper center of the screen. It defaults to More Actions…3) Select a message or group of messages by clicking the check box next to it.
4) Drop the list down and select New Label…
5) In the text box prompt, type in the label name. (a good description to categorize a group of emails, i.e. a friend’s name or company name for newsletter). Click OK.
6) You will see those emails have a label applied to them. You can now choose to click the Archive button or keep them in your inbox.
7) Look on the left-hand side and you can see your list of labels.
8) Click on a label name and all emails with that label will become visible.

Note: You can apply multiple labels to one message.

I hope this little type helps de-clutter your Inbox and ultimately manage your messages for quick retrieval. Let me know if you have any questions.

Getting Things Done

There is a new science out there for personal organization called GTD, Getting Things Done. The term was coined by David Allen, and you can learn more about his company, by visiting his site, The David Allen Company. Additionally, the site, Listibles, has (surprise, surprise) a list of the best online resources for Getting Things Done. See the list.

GTD means comfortably organizing (to reduce stress) all of your different responsiblities, projects, events, and anything else that requires your attention. Just don't spend too much time thinking about how to organize your life.

So far today, I've compiled and completed five reports, a mass mailing, played 45 minutes of football with the local school kids, answered all of my inbox and prospect inquiries, and drank 8 mugs of water (with subsequent bathroom trips for each). Further, on my slate is 1 and 1/2 hours of yoga, 2 hours of playing with and napping with my children, laundry, and if there is time left in the late evening hours, a little bit of homework. And that's just my first day of the work week. My trick, having way too much to do so it looks like I get a lot done. ;)

To Do: To Do Post on Blog

With how busy we can let our lives get, it is essential to manage our time and those tasks and responsiblities that cause our running-around. Each morning, I try to have an organized fashion to my day: Answers all inbox emails, respond to prospective customers, and then write my To-Do List for the day. I repeat this process for each day of my week, whenever possible. If I don't complete an activity, I move it to the next day's to-do list.

There are many different techniques to documenting your task list: Use Outlook, Write a list, Bubble Mapping, using software, or any combination of tools.

Critical to your success in creating and following through on tasks is to Be Specific! "Answer emails" doesn't cut it. "Respond to all emails waiting in my inbox" is a little better, but stamping a time on it, like "by 10AM", will help you focus and be diligent. Additionally, cross those tasks off your list as soon as you are confident that they are complete; it gives you a sense of accomplishment and prompts you for your next assignment. Also, catergorize your tasks. I use "Work", "School", "Family", "Personal" for my four catergories, and all four are listed on one sheet of paper. Lists are very effective, especially if you can prioritize your tasks with a numbering system.

During my research, I discovered a treasure trove of information at MindTools. It has information about to-do lists and so much more. The site fits well with our Monday theme and I will certainly refer back to it when a topic requires a complimentary source.

New and Improved

We are trying a new style here at Synthesize and Remind to make writing articles a bit more organized and methodical. Each day will have a theme, as follows:

• Managed Monday-Time Management and Organization skills (To Do Lists, Calendars and so forth)



• Technical Tuesday-A step by step instruction for getting something done the right way.



• Wisdom Wednesday-Tidbits from the spiritual domain that will help inspire.



• Tip Thursday-Random tips in random fields.



• Frugal Friday-Money saving techniques.



• Software Saturday-Reviewing a new software each week.



• Solution Sunday-Have a problem, send me an email Email Me. I will post a solution on a Sunday (if I find one.)

I hope this also motivates people to join us each day to see what is new and find some pertinence to their own lives through the information provided.

Thanks!

The Staff of Synthesize and Remind

Lucid Dreams and OOBEs

This has become such an interesting topic for me recently: Lucid Dreaming and Out-Of-Body-Experiences (OOBE). Last night, I had an OOBE in dream (but I cannot say for certain if I was lucid). It was a strange phenomena. I was sitting and suddenly realized I was out of my body, however this was in a dream and I didn't realize I was dreaming until I awoke. The description of the dream is as follows (from a handwritten piece of paper at four A.M. this morning):
"Sitting in a building, I came out of my body. I acknowledged in the dream, not that I was dreaming, but rather having and OOBE. My recognition came when I attempted to fly, and did! I flew up over some high hedges and into the night sky. Then, screaming in delight, I flew downward, quickly, in a diving pattern almost (plunging) into a ragin river. Pulling up only a few feet from the water, I glided forward along with the flowing water.
Realizing my potential opportunities, I tried closing my eyes and transporting myself to a tropical setting, my eyes grew heavy and I returned to the location where I originally left my body. A gentleman I perceived to be a co-worker (Jason L.), was sitting there and I inquired with him as to what he witness in relation to my empty body. He said I walked somewhere but like I was asleep, I think I said something and the dream vanished..."
That is all I wrote and it as an astonished revelation in the early hours of this morning when I realized again what had happened. This past week I have been trying to remember my dreams (and documenting them when I can) so that I can become lucid. I don't know if this classifies as lucid, but it certainly shows to me that I am making forward progress in my attempts.

Internet Tutorials A-Many

If you like learning about Internet technology and possible improving your skills in web development, you need to go to W3 Schools for step-by-step training modules and examples. These tutorials will fill that craving brain of yours. You can learn:

o HTML
o CSS
o XML
o Java
o VBScript
o SQL
o ASP
o PHP
o So much more.


Check out the list of tutorials along the left side navigation bar and begin basic, for example, HTML. If you are not a technical geek, but are interested in how stuff works, try How Stuff Works.