pileofcrapola

Read 7 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Say hello to Dr. Michael Perry, medical director at Laser Spine Institute headquartered in Tampa, FL. Dr. Perry is board certified in internal medicine by The American Board of Internal Medicine and is a Diplomat for the American Board of Internal Medicine. He's here for the next hour lending his expertise on spinal health, back pain, injury prevention, and exercise. Have questions? Ask away!

Read more...

Some hardcover books need a little breaking in—especially if you experience "creep" (text getting lost in the gutter of the pages). Here's how to solve this problem without ruining the book's spine.

Read more...

Dear Lifehacker,
I've always wondered why Blu-rays have regions, or why a music service is available in one country but not another. The Internet is global, right? And why are videos that stream in one country blocked in another? Is there any rhyme or reason, or is it all just to be annoying?

Read more...

Important or mundane, big or small, we're faced with a lot of decisions throughout the day. It's no surprise that our brains tend to get fatigued by the time the day's over. Unfortunately, that's also the time a lot of us make our financial decisions.

Read more...

We all enjoy a little down time and for many of us, that means catching up with our favorite TV shows. But just because you're watching TV doesn't mean you can't get some other things done, too. What about you?

Read more...

If there's anything a lot of us have an abundance of right now, it's snow, and while it can be great for cleaning lots of things, you can also use it to clean down your garage floor, or any other sealed, firm floor that could use a little freshening up. This short video shows you how.

Read more...

One might be forgiven for thinking that pantries are for food. However, a well-stocked pantry can include a number of items that have a wide variety of uses outside the kitchen.

Read more...

Before making your favorite chilli or hummus, you need to soak the beans overnight. But if you forgot, there's no reason to reach for a can. You can get a similar effect in an hour with some boiling water, according to The Kitchn.

Read more...

Before you store ground meat in the freezer, pop them in a plastic bag and flatten them out as much as possible, suggests the One Pot Chef. You'll save on freezing time, thawing time and some space too.

Read more...

Smartphones can do just about everything these days: handle your bank accounts, monitor your home for burglaries, and now unlock your hotel room. A chain of boutique hotels is hoping the use of virtual keys will be the next big thing in hotels.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. announced it will begin implementing technology to allow guests to skip check-in and open their hotel rooms with a virtual key on their smartphone at two hotels in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan and Cupertino, Calif.

Guests staying at Aloft Hotel will receive a message via a Starwood app to unlock their door with a tap or twist of their phone using Bluetooth technology, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Officials with Starwood say the new technology may be a novelty at first, but they think it will raise the bar in hotel convenience for consumers.

It’s not the first attempt to streamline check-in with technology, but it’s uncertain how successful it could be: Check-in kiosks at two Holiday Inns were pulled after guests showed a preference with talking to an actual person, which could mean we’re not quite ready to digitize everything.

Marriott International Inc. introduced mobile check-in, which allows loyalty program members to check-in using their phone, at 350 of its hotels, with another 150 hotels to be added this summer.

Officials with Starwood say they have no plans to remove traditional check-in counters from their hotels.

Smartphones to Open Doors at Some Hotels [The Wall Street Journal]

Woman Steals Vehicle, Goes on Joyride from One 7-Eleven to Another, Police Say Patch.com The driver of the car was in the store making a purchase when the suspect took it, Manassas Police said. Posted by Jamie M. Rogers (Editor) , January 27, 2014 at 12:21 AM. Comment1 0. More. Repost; Print · Email; Flag as inappropriate ...

- A gunman used his baby son as a shield while he fired at deputies, who did not return fire until after the man's ex-girlfriend took the child away from him, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Monday.

A national wildlife organization wants to figure out who shot and killed two bald eagles in Montgomery County in December -- and it is willing to pay thousands of dollars for information leading to an arrest.

Meet Poinsettia, a darling, petite, 3-year-old pit bull terrier mix. She's looking for a great home.

Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds is speaking out about the attack on him by his mentally-ill son, Gus Deeds. He talks to 60 Minutes and says Virginia's mental health system is to blame for the November attempted murder-suicide.

What’s the next big problem with cigarettes? According to a proposed state bill in California, this time it’s not the tobacco, smoke, or carcinogens; it’s the litter. One state legislator is taking on the trash, specifically the butts, filters included, that smokers leave lying around. He’s proposing fines–but not for the smokers.

The LA Times reports that California assemblyman Mark Stone has proposed implementing a fine on the sale not of all cigarettes, but on the sale of of filtered cigarettes specifically. The bill (AB 1504) would institute a $500 fine on anyone who sells, gives, or otherwise furnishes filtered cigarettes.

The legislator’s probably-quixotic mission does stem from a pair of legitimate concerns. Firstly, filters are designed to reduce the amount of smoke and tar a smoker inhales from their cigarette. (The filters do not actually make cigarettes less horribly unhealthy every way than their unfiltered kin.) Since they exist to collect bad stuff, they are then chock-full of toxins that they themselves release if burned.

Secondly, the filters in discarded cigarette butts are made of plastics that do not biodegrade. So they have to go somewhere and be dealt with somehow. Left lying around, not only do they look terrible but also animals and children can and do eat them. Apparently between 2006 and 2008 alone, 12,600 children ate cigarettes or cigarette butts.

That collection and disposal of butts from the beach carries no small cost: Stone estimates that California spends $41 million annually on ditching cigarette-based litter.

However, a crusade against filters is an uphill battle tantamount to a crusade against cigarettes. The vast majority of widely distributed modern cigarette brands have filters; unfiltered cigarettes like Lucky Strike have a decidedly old-fashioned image. And even in the 21st century, in California, the tobacco industry still has a lot of money to use on fighting legislation it doesn’t like.

Assemblyman wants to see cigarette butt litter go up in smoke [LA Times]

Although it’s not entirely clear what exactly — if any — the added health benefits of antioxidants are, one thing that’s pretty clear is that consumers are going nuts for anything with labels touting ingredients with those antioxidizing powers. A new tomato genetically modified using an antioxidant pigment to make it purple is banking on those health-conscious consumers.

Looking at the lowly red tomato and you might just think, “This fresh produce is pretty good for me but couldn’t it be better? I mean, it’s red, unlike blueberries.”

Or at least that’s what scientists who’ve cultivated this new GM tomato were basing their tomato coloring on when they injected a dark pigment known as anthocyanin, which is the antioxidant in blueberries and other plants that gives berries that purple-y blue color.

Researchers developed the purple tomato in Britain and large-scale production has started in Canada, reports the BBC. Scientists pushing the strange fruit say it could improve the nutritional value of things like ketchup to tomato sauce. Because when’s the last time you ate an entire pizza with blueberry sauce?

“With these purple tomatoes you can get the same compounds that are present in blueberries and cranberries that give them their health benefits — but you can apply them to foods that people actually eat in significant amounts and are reasonably affordable,” one researcher explained.

Some might be familiar with darker tinged tomatoes already — I had a bunch of heirloom tomatoes that ranged from dark red to almost aubergine. But for the general public: can we learn to live with purple tomatoes and purple ketchup?

Take Our Poll

Genetically-modified purple tomatoes heading for shops

A family in New Jersey says they have no choice but to sell their home after years of paying sky-high property taxes that resulted from the fertile imagination of a town appraiser who inexplicably added on hundreds of square feet and a luxury bathroom (complete with two sinks, just like on HGTV!), and that there’s little chance they’ll ever get any of that money back.

The couple tells the Newark Star-Ledger’s Bamboozled column (written by Consumerist’s own Karin Price Mueller) that when they bought the home in 1988 for $295,000 the property taxes were already a healthy $11,000/year.

This being the NYC suburbs, the value of their home inched up over the years, as did their taxes. In 2010, the home was valued at $394,000 and the family paid $18,365 in property tax.

Then the town sent out an appraiser to do a reassessment.

The couple claim the appraiser attempted to schedule two different times to look at the house but neither option worked because they were during the homeowners’ working hours. They say the town told them it wasn’t a big deal, that the appraiser didn’t need to get into the house.

Big mistake.

“Our house goes from a value of $394,00 to $784,000,” says the husband. “Our taxes went crazy.”

By 2013, the property tax had jumped up to $27,246. The homeowners chalked it up to being in a desirable location. Many people in that part of New Jersey have seen their property taxes creep up around them.

“The town outgrew us financially, we thought, but we didn’t want to uproot our kids,” says the husband.

The costs of keeping up with the property tax bill eventually outweighed the value of living in their home of more than two decades, and so the family decided to sell. That’s when they realized the tax on their property was higher than some homes in the area with higher asking prices.

Their realtor suggested they should appeal their tax rate, which required them going out of pocket $700 for an independent appraisal.

“When the appraiser came back with the new appraisal, he was floored that there would be such a major mistake,” says the husband.

The independent appraisal came in $189,000 below the value assessed by the town’s appraiser in 2010.

Earlier this month, the town’s tax assessor came out to the house and that’s when everyone realized what had happened.

“[T]hey called me back admitting a huge mistake had been made,” recalls the husband, “and started to shift the blame on to us.”

The town’s argument was that the homeowners should have known there was a problem back in 2010 and should have applied for a rebate back then.

Okay, so even if the appraiser couldn’t get into the house, how did they add on 660 square feet and a deluxe bathroom that wasn’t there?

The town said that when appraisers can’t get into a home, they generally use information written on the card from the previous appraisal, which had been in 2002. But when the family pushed for more info, they found that the 2002 card had gone missing.

“What happened, it was technically not an error. It was an estimate,” a rep for the town’s tax assessor tells Bamboozled. “The inspector had to make an approximate guess on the square footage and the dimensions, and they were wrong.”

That mysterious, mythical bathroom that added to the assessed value? That was also an estimate, though the town provides no explanation for how someone “estimates” the existence of a bathroom that isn’t there, let alone determines that it has two sinks and is super-nice.

The town has offered to drop the assessed value of the property to $615,000, that’s $169,000 less than what it had determined in 2010 and it would bring the annual property taxes down by about $6,000.

But as for the many thousands the family has overpaid because of the mistake? That may be gone with the wind.

The county tells Bamboozled that it accepts filings for tax appeals, but only for the current tax year, and there is no state-level appeals process.

One lawyers says there is a law on the books in New Jersey that may help the family get some money back.

“The Correction of Errors statute allows you to go back for three years,” he explains. “If they can get an assessment of $615,000, and if they can file under Correction of Errors statute for all three years, they’d get back about $16,500.”

The homeowner says he’s thinking about going to court to get that money back, but knows there is no guarantee of success and may end up costing the family money it doesn’t have.

“I hope they do look back and do the right thing and pay us back the taxes,” he says. “It’s a kick in the butt.”

This is another example of why homeowners need to question sudden hikes in their tax assessments. Many towns and counties have laws protecting them from having to pay for appraisal errors that go unnoticed. Had this family done something immediately upon seeing the reassessment in 2010, they might not have to sell their home now or face fighting the town in court.

The wife of an actor who appeared in “Marlboro man” cigarette ads and billboards has confirmed that her husband recently died at the age of 72 from respiratory failure due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), meaning he is at least the third Marlboro man to pass away from a smoking-related cause.

The actor, Eric Lawson, was featured in print ads as a Marlboro man between 1978 and 1981. His wife tells the AP that her late husband had smoked since he was 14. He later turned on his Marlboro man image with anti-smoking ads, but continued to smoke up until his COPD diagnosis.

“He knew the cigarettes had a hold on him,” she recalls. “He knew, yet he still couldn’t stop.”

The AP reports that at least two other former Marlboro men have died of smoking-related causes — David Millar died of emphysema in 1987, and David McLean succumbed to lung cancer in 1995.

The concept of the Marlboro man dates back to 1955, with the company using images of rough-and-tumble working men to sell its cigarettes in print ads, billboards, and TV (at least until TV ads were banned in 1971. In fact, in its round-up of advertising icons, AdAge credits the Marlboro man campaign with helping the company continue to grow even after the death of TV ads for cigarettes.

It may not be the household name that Walmart is, but an awful lot of people around the U.S. get their crafting supplies from the 1000+ Michaels stores around the country. Over the weekend, the retailer warned customers that it “may have experienced a data security attack.”

“We are working closely with federal law enforcement and are conducting an investigation with the help of third-party data security experts to establish the facts,” reads a letter [PDF] from CEO Chuck Rubin. “Although the investigation is ongoing, based on the information we have received and in light of the widely-reported criminal efforts to penetrate the data systems of U.S. retailers, we believe it is appropriate to notify our customers that a potential issue may have occurred.”

The store is asking customers to review their credit and debit account statements for any unauthorized charges or unexplained actions.

“If you believe your payment card may have been affected, you should immediately contact your bank or card issuer,” writes Rubin. “If we find as part of our investigation that any of our customers were affected, we will offer identity protection and credit monitoring services to them at no cost.”

Michaels customers with questions can contact the retailer at 1-877-412-7145, Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. CST to 11:00 p.m. CST and Sunday
from 8:00 a.m. CST to 8:00 p.m. CST.

There are a lot of proposed laws out there, making their way through–or stalling out in–the House and Senate. And a common refrain from concerned parties is for everyone to “Call your representatives about this issue!” But to some people, that’s a daunting task.

Say you’re good and riled up about something. Great! There’s a bill on the Hill near and dear to your heart and you really want it either to get votes, or to go away. You’re burning with a passion to let your elected representatives know how you feel about it, and to ask them to vote a certain way on the issue. Fantastic! But who should you contact, and how?

Who you gonna call?
No matter which of the 50 states you live in (sorry, DC), you’ve got a member of the House of Representatives and two Senators in the Capitol to represent you.

While the tide of public opinion in general does in some way influence members of Congress, the only opinions they actually tally up are those of their constituents: the people who can either re-elect them or get them ousted. So it’s important to find the rep related to where you actually live.

Luckily, the House does make this one easy: in addition to a full directory, they have a Find Your Representative page. There’s also a permanent box on the top bar of the whole site where you can find your representative as well.

Most ZIP codes only have one possible representative, and so you’ll see your representative’s name, profile photo, and link to their website appear on the left. That website link is the crucial element you’re looking for.

Some ZIP codes overlap multiple Congressional districts. If yours does, the site will prompt you to clarify, either by providing your ZIP +4 or by providing your street address. Once you’ve narrowed down your address, the site will tell you who your Congressional representative is. And again, that website link is the item you’re looking for.

Finding your Senators is easier, because they work at a state level rather than at a district one. The Senate’s website has a full list of all 50 Senators that can be sorted by state, by name, or by political party.

To make your search shorter, you can also select your state directly.

The search returns your Senators’ names, DC office addresses, DC office phone numbers, and website links. Once again, that website link is probably the part you are most going to want to remember.

Every elected official’s website is a little bit different, but they all have a “Contact” option on them somewhere. Those Contact pages all have on them a link to a web form/e-mail contact option, at least one mailing address, and at least one phone number.

Sometimes the form is on top, and the address at the bottom; sometimes there’s a page of options. No matter the layout, the contact info is on there somewhere.

So now you know exactly who the three people elected to represent your interests in government are, and how to reach them. Now what?

What to say?
You don’t have to like or agree with the politicians who represent you. It’s okay to have a whole set of insults for them running through your brain. But if you are going to reach out to their offices, you do need to be civil. An unhinged screed will fall on deaf ears where thoughtful correspondence may be counted.

So when you sit down to plan out your message, think through what you hope to accomplish. Then make sure you address the key points:

• What is the issue or bill?
• Why is it important to you–why would a certain outcome help or hurt?
• What would you like the person you’re contacting to do about it?

Short and simple is best. You don’t need to get wordy or flowery; your whole letter will likely be just a handful of sentences (or about thirty seconds, if you call). If you’re not sure how to phrase your concerns, any major issue with media and activist attention on it will have lots of easy-to-Google sample templates online you can customize. And don’t stress about forms of address: “Dear Representative _____” and “Dear Senator _____” are both fine.

So keep it straightforward. The gist of your communication might look something like this:

Dear Senator [NAME],

I am writing to urge you to vote [yes or no] on S. 9999, the Fictitious Act of 2014.

The fictitious issue is important to [group of people like you] because [reasons]. If it [does or doesn't] become law, [positive or negative consequences].

Thank you,

[Your Name]
[Your Address]

How to say it?
There are three ways you can tell your politicians your concerns: actual paper letters, phone calls, or digital letters–either through e-mail or, more typically, through a web form.

Someone in the office of each Representative and Senator keeps track of the correspondence their boss receives, so any of the three methods of communication will create a tick in the appropriate column. That said, conventional wisdom still holds that snail mail is the most likely to be taken seriously, so if you have the time that can be the best way to go. On the other hand, if you want to reach someone about an urgent issue–say, a bill that’s coming up for vote in the next 48 hours–calling is obviously going to be the fastest way to be heard.

If you use a web form, be prepared to fill in your name, address, and e-mail address, and to select the rough category of the issue you’re writing about from a list of broad options.

If you’re sending a paper letter, make sure to include not only your full name but also your street address. If you’re unsure where to send your mail (state capital or home district location vs. Capitol Hill), just use their Washington, DC office address. The Senate website also has a brief guide for sending postal mail to senators.

And that’s it! Short, simple, easy. If you’re calling, make sure you think through what you’re going to say first, so you don’t have a brain fart when someone picks up the phone. If you’re writing, don’t forget to proofread before you send.

You might actually hear back from your senator’s or representative’s office in the weeks after you’ve reached out. (You may also end up on their e-mail news list, from which you should feel free to unsubscribe.)

In the immediate term, there’s not much more you can do after that. The folks in the House and Senate will cast their votes, and it may or may not go the way you hoped. Someone in the office you contacted will probably send you a form letter (or e-mail), and it may or may not accurately connect to the message you sent them.

In the longer term, though, always remember: if it’s an even-numbered year, there’s an election. If you like the way your representative or senator handled something, you can vote to keep them in office. And if you don’t, you can support someone else. So don’t just write to your politicians; make sure you vote, too.

Prince William County news in brief Washington Post NVCC's SySTEMic Solutions receives Governor's Award. Northern Virginia Community College's SySTEMic Solutions program received the Governor's Award for Science Innovation during a reception Jan. 16 at the Science Museum of Virginia.

Manassas Park offers free community health clinic Inside NoVA Manassas Park, George Mason University, the Prince William Health District and Manassas Park schools have partnered to offer free community health clinics from 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays at the Manassas Park Community Center, 99 Adams St., ...

Manassas officials warn of utility scam Inside NoVA Manassas officials are warning area residents and businesses to be aware of a new payment scam. In the scam, the caller tells a resident or business owner that he or she is with “the city of Manassas Power Company disconnect team” and that the company ...

Prince William County community calendar, Jan. 26 to Feb. 1, 2014 Washington Post Sunday, Jan. 26. “Operation Urgent Fury: Invasion of Grenada,” photographs and artifacts chronicling the invasion of Grenada. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, National Museum of the Marine Corps, 18900 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Triangle. Free. 877-635-1775. Dale City ... and more »

- The federal government would pay for GPS tracking devices for autistic children under legislation proposed Sunday by Sen. Chuck Schumer and named for a New York City boy who wandered away from his school three months ago and was found dead in a city river.

- A hospital in Henrico County temporary closed its emergency room after staff discovered a patient had bedbugs.