pileofcrapola

It all began innocently enough.

This past summer during some down time, I got hooked on a television show and just had to find out how it ended.  That meant subscribing to a TV streaming service—in this case, Netflix. It wasn’t long before my mom wanted to stream movies, too, so I shared my subscription with her.

Six weeks later, my mother had invested in a DVR and an external hard drive so she could store extra programs. She also bought a Roku streaming player and subscribed to Amazon Prime so she could stream TV shows and movies. And if that wasn’t sufficient, she also downloaded the apps for HBO Go and Showtime Anytime, so she could stream more movies.

Overkill? Perhaps. But our family does enjoy its TV, and streaming has changed the way we watch. If you’re interested in streaming TV shows or watching movies online, these tips can help you choose the best streaming service:

Do your research

Before you subscribe to any TV streaming service, take some time to browse their selection to see whether they offer the shows and movies you want to watch. Certain current shows, such as “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black,” are only available on Netflix, which produces both.

Other programs, like HBO’s “Game of Thrones,”, can be streamed on both HBO GO and Amazon Prime. You must be an existing HBO cable subscriber to use HBO Go, however, while Amazon Prime and Netflix have monthly membership fees.

If you love old TV shows and movies, both Hulu and Netflix have season after season of classics like “Law and Order,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” although you may not be able to find every single season of every single show.

The shows you want may be streaming for free

If you’re mainly interested in streaming current TV shows like ABC’s “Modern Family,”  know that you can watch many of them on network websites. The same goes for the other big broadcast networks. The only downside is you have to sit through commercials, much like you would if it were regularly aired on television.

If you already subscribe to HBO or Showtime with your cable package, you can use their apps (HBO GO and Showtime Anytime) for free. HBO GO has a great library of movies and entire series, such as fan favorites “The Sopranos” and “Sex and the City.”

Do the math

There are pros and cons to each subscription service out there. Hulu Plus and Netflix, for example, both allow you unlimited streaming for a monthly fee of $7.99. Amazon Prime, on the other hand, charges rental fees for some content—such as “Sons of Anarchy,” which costs $1.99 ($2.99 for the HD version)—in addition to its $80 annual membership fee. Apple’s iTunes and Google Play use an a la carte fee structure; you can download an episode of “Sherlock” on Google Play for $1.99, or $2.99 on iTunes.

Seek free trials

Netflix and Hulu Plus offer a free trial of one week to entice new subscriber, while you can try Amazon Prime for 30 days. Just make sure you remember to cancel the subscription when the thirty days are up!

Coasters keep cold drinks from sweating on your nice tables, if your guests remember to use them. Why not give them a little extra incentive by making your own coasters out of cool-looking napkins or photographs?

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So you forgot to buy flowers for your partner and it's too late to run out now. But you have a workbench. You are a life hacker, after all. How about duct tape and LEDS and batteries? Then what are you waiting for?

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If you have an outdoor pet and are curious what they get up to during the day, this TinyDuino-based collar may be just the right project for you. It doesn't let you track location remotely, but it does log GPS coordinates that you can download whenever you want to do a little pet-snooping.

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We all know the stereotypical overbearing moms and dads at games: The kinds who scream at the refs, belittle the coaches, and embarrass their children. There's another, less obvious kind of nightmare sports parent, though: Well-intentioned moms and dads who unwittingly ruin a sport for their kids.

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Fresh flowers cost a pretty penny sometimes, so you probably want your bouquets to last as long as possible, and not like the photo above by day five. Real Simple tested seven common ways people try to prolong their flowers' life—such as adding aspirin, sugar, or a penny to the vase—and shows us how well (and poorly) they work compared to flower food.

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Perhaps you've heard that size matters, women are naturally more bisexual than men, or that tantric sex means everlasting orgasms. The fact is, none of these things are quite true. Sex has been around forever, but we're just starting to understand it. Today we're debunking 10 of the most common sex myths to set the record straight.

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We've talked about the virtues of having an emergency fund. However, as finance blog The Simple Dollar highlights, money in an emergency fund is money that's not in your investment portfolio. So, how much should you keep in it?

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Android: Despite how useful Google Maps is, three's still one common function that it isn't all that great at: finding a meeting spot between two locations. Meet Me Halfway fills this gap.

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If you have a nice block of cheese or load of bread and part of it is growing mold, you might think it's okay to just slice off the moldy bits and enjoy the rest. In some cases, that's perfectly legit—but in others, it's a really bad idea. This video explains when it's okay and when it can be harmful to your health.

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The mere mention of Comcast and Time Warner cuddling up to form one crummy super-conglomerate is enough to send you running for the pitchforks. But this unholy union—if it passes regulatory muster—goes deeper than MONOPOLY BAD.

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Hopefully you'll never experience the pain of getting a tooth knocked out, but if you do, The Wall Street Journal has a few suggestions for keeping that tooth safe while you wait to get the dentist's office.

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- Attorneys for a Texas man who was kept in prison for more than three decades after his murder conviction was overturned have asked a court to free him so he can get on with his life, saying he's suffered enough from the mishandling of his case and that key trial evidence has gone missing.

- A Louisiana father accused of cutting off the head of his disabled 7-year-old son has been ruled not guilty by reason of insanity, his defense attorney said Friday.

- The Appalachian Trail Conservancy says about 6,000 volunteers devoted more than 245,500 hours to maintaining and protecting the trail for hikers last year.

People aren't the only ones who have fun on snow days -- North American river otters Konrad and Niko at the National Zoo had a blast as well.

It’s not only rude to shoot at people who are just trying to do their jobs, but it’s also something that will get you in hot water with cops. Even if you’re using a non-deadly weapon like a NERF gun to go pyew, pyew, pyew. Still not gonna go over well, as two St. Louis bad consumers recently found out.

A woman and her boyfriend are facing assault charges after she allegedly shot a worker with a NERF gun in the drive-thru of a local fast food joint, reports KMOV.com.

Cameras caught the whole thing: A car pulls up to the drive-thru but its occupants don’t buy anything. Then ffffffpt! Out shoots a NERF dart, heading directly for the worker at the window.

“The Nerf dart strikes her. Nobody was injured in this case but if it hits an eye or something an injury could result from this,” said a St. Louis County police officer.

Just because someone isn’t hurt doesn’t mean you’re off the hook — the presence of fear alone can prompt a third-degree assault charge. So keep all guns, toy and otherwise, at home.

You can follow MBQ on Twitter and she promises never to shoot you with a NERF gun: @marybethquirk

Woman, boyfriend charged after local fast-food worker shot with Nerf dart [KMOV.com]

Yes, we might all be buying a lot of chocolate today (and a lot of half-priced heart-shaped chocolates tomorrow.) While Americans still eat about the same amount of chocolate as we always have, there are fewer people employed in the candy-making industry thanks to overseas production and advances in chocolate-making technology. [CNN Money]

There are bad consumers, and then there are bad consumers who might do one bad thing but are still very punctual. Not that being on time for work will earn you any brownie points if you’re accused of trying to rob said workplace.

Police in Florida arrested a man who they say tried to rob the Radio Shack store where he works. Cops say he showed up at 9:30 yesterday morning wearing a ski mask, and ordered an employee to drop to the floor, reports the Tampa Bay Times.

When she moved he pepper-sprayed her, police say, but she still tried to run away. He then allegedly tried to use a Taser on her to keep her from running but instead Tased himself in the hand. Ouch.

Apparently stymied by his own bumbling, law enforcement say the suspect then ran out of the store, tossing his blue ski mask in a Dumpster behind the Radio Shack. Because clearly, no one would ever find that bit of evidence in such a hidden location.

When it came time for his shift to start at 4 p.m., there he was, on time and ready to start working. Except that police arrested him instead, and charged him with attempted robbery with a weapon. He admitted to trying to rob the store, cops said.

You can follow MBQ on Twitter if you don’t mind retweets of adorable cats: @marybethquirk

Clearwater man accused of trying to rob Radio Shack where he worked [Tampa Bay Times]

There is one part of Valentine’s Day that even the loneliest of single hearts can’t be mad about: Candy. Specifically, glorious, melt-in-your-mouth-if-not-your-frozen-heart chocolate. But not all chocolate bars are made the same, so it’s important today (and any darn day you feel like eating chocolate) to suss out the best from the rest.

We’re lucky that our elder, wiser and infinitely lovelier siblings at Consumer Reports are so good at testing products, because this week they took on the sweet task of tasting chocolate.

Today is a big day, after all, as we Americans buy 39 million pounds of chocolate every year just for this Valentine’s occasion. Most of that happens at the last minute, which means you still have time today to get your sugar on.

Chocolate bars
In the dark chocolate arena, three earned the excellent Rating from CR’s testers:Trader Joe’s 72 percent Cacao 3-pack (minibars), Godiva 72 percent Cacao, and Chocolove Organic Fair Trade 73 percent Cocoa.

For those who go for milk chocolate, Godiva Milk Chocolate 31 percent Cacao, Trader Joe’s 3-pack (minibars), and Dove Silky Smooth Milk Chocolate all rated Very Good.

Single-serving chocolate squares
Maybe you don’t want an entire bar, which is where these little guys come in handy. Consumer Reports enlisted public aid to help test these last Christmas at two booths in New York’s city’s holiday markets. Participants were then asked to blindly taste test dark and milk versions of two single-square chocolates — Dove Silky Smooth Promises and Hershey’s Bliss. Sounds like a rough job for the more than 550 shoppers who took on the task.

More people liked the dark chocolate better, but around 15% said they didn’t really care either way (because chocolate is chocolate is chocolate).

At 58%, more than half of the dark chocolate tasters gave the best marks to Dove Silky Smooth Promises compared with 42% for Hershey’s Bliss Rich & Creamy Dark Chocolate.

Dove edged out Hershey’s Bliss in the milk chocolate category at 55% preferring the former, and about 14% liking them both the same.

Check out the expert testers descriptions over at Consumer Reports to get the scientific breakdown of each chocolate’s flavors. And then get to shopping, that chocolate won’t eat itself.

You can follow MBQ on Twitter and hear about it every time she eats chocolate and goes into a swoon: @marybethquirk

Top chocolate bars for Valentine’s Day [Consumer Reports]

Free Pet Adoptions at Prince William County Animal Shelter Patch.com Some people don't realize they need companionship until they're stuck in the house looking out at a foot of snow … on Valentine's Day. If that's you, or if you've been planning to get a pet eventually, there's a can't-miss opportunity at the Prince ... and more »

Last year, my husband and I quit our jobs, sold everything we owned, and moved our family halfway around the world. We wanted to hit "reset." At home, our lives had become eerily predictable. So we decided to gamble with everything that was comfortable and settled about our lives for a chance at adventure.

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In this day and age, when something dies it just comes back as a zombie (we imagine anyway). That’s exactly what once prosperous American brands are doing across the world. Names like Pan Am, Woolworth’s and Mister Donut easily evoke thoughts of nostalgia for Americans, but in other parts of the world the brands are alive and well.

Zombie brands tend to find new homes in emerging markets, and often with new products or services, Bloomberg reports.

Japan offers a climate full of previously prosperous American brands. Mister Donut, the one-time competitor of Dunkin’ Donuts, has grown into a restaurant enterprise with more than 1,100 locations in the country. Additionally, entrepreneurs have acquired the rights to open more stores, bringing today’s total to more than 10,000 stores worldwide. But only one remains in the U.S.

While Pan American World Airways hasn’t flown in more than 20 years, the brand lives on in clothing lines, luggage and a fleeting television series.

In other countries brands can even overcome their less than desirable exit from the American markets. Chi-Chi’s, a Mexican restaurant, couldn’t overcome bankruptcy and a hepatitis A outbreak in the states. But the chain still operates in Belgium, Luxembourg and the United Arab Emirates.

Sometimes a brand can survive completely independent of its original purpose, Bloomberg notes.

For instance, the largest five-and-dime store in the U.S. during the 20th century, Woolworth’s, eventually fizzled with consumers. While F.W. Woolworth Co. now only operates Foot Locker Inc. in the U.S., the name lives on in an unrelated brand in Australia. The name is used as Woolworths Ltd., a brand of supermarkets. The company operates 872 stores throughout the country.

Even if a brand dies in the United States, that doesn’t mean it won’t return one day. Last month, a group of investors filed paperwork to once again begin service with Eastern Air Lines. The airline hasn’t flown since the 1990s, but investors are hopeful they will once again take to the skies. The group agreed to keep the original name after marketing tests showed it had strong name recognition.

Mister Donut, Pan Am and Friendster Found Alive and Well [Bloomberg]

- People around the world were stunned when Copenhagen Zoo killed a healthy 2-year-old giraffe named Marius, butchered its carcass in front of a crowd that included children and then fed it to lions. But Marius' fate isn't unique -- thousands of animals are euthanized in European zoos each year for a variety of reasons. Zoo managers say their job is to preserve species, not individual animals. In the U.S., zoos try to avoid killing animals by using contraceptives to make sure they don't have more offspring than they can house, but that method has also been criticized for disrupting animals' natural behavior.

- Using videos that claim to teach toddlers, or flash cards for tots, may not be the best idea. Simply talking to babies is key to building crucial language and vocabulary skills -- but sooner is better, and long sentences are good.

- They call it the holy grail of ready-to-eat meals for soldiers -- a pizza that can stay on the shelf for up to three years and still remain good to eat.

- A pregnant woman who was loading groceries into the trunk of her car with her husband was struck and killed by a mini-snowplow on Thursday morning, and her baby boy was successfully delivered by emergency cesarean section, authorities said.

- The Coast Guard won't use as many live animals for its combat medical training after an animal rights group showed a goat's legs being removed with tree trimmers.

GALLERY: Your snow photos Inside NoVA The region shut down as about a foot of snow fell overnight Thursday. Here are some reader photos of the first major snowstorm in Northern Virginia since February 2010. Related article: VDOT making progress but urges residents to stay home ...

There are effects of snow days that are obvious, like parents scrambling for childcare and the need to make up days later in the year. One effect that isn’t so obvious is the effect that schools shutting down might have on dairy companies. Yes, those little milk cartons add up.

This came to the attention of reporters as Dean Foods reported its quarterly earnings. Recent wintery weather nationwide has affected the company’s sales, since schools and other institutions are a large part of the company’s sales. Americans are consuming less cow’s milk overall, and not putting little cartons in kids’ hands at lunchtime for a few days in different regions has a real effect on the company’s bottom line.

Dean Foods is crying over all of that spilled business, since they lost a big client last year: Walmart. Their sales should straighten back out if schools have to make up their snow days.

When Snow Closes Schools, Milk Sales Take a Spill [Bloomberg Businessweek]