<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0"><channel><title>ruleofblue's estrip.org Blog</title><link>https://estrip.org</link><description><![CDATA[ruleofblue's estrip.org journal]]></description><language>en-us</language><skipHours/><skipDays/><docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs><generator>Paul Visco's surebert framework RSS creator</generator><item><title>Want to have a good night's sleep?</title><link>https://estrip.org/articles/read/ruleofblue/44750/Want_to_have_a_good_night_s_sleep_.html</link><description><![CDATA[I thought I would share this with everyone.  My husband and I are shopping for a new bed.  A friend of ours recommended this site when he was shopping for a new bed recently.<br />
 <br />
<a class="blank" href="http://www.whatsthebest-mattress.com/">http://www.whatsthebest-mattress.com/</a><br />
<br />
I would read through carefully and follow the instructions/tips.  We saw every trick in the book.<br />
<br />
Here are my recommendations in addition to â€œwhatsthebest-mattress.comâ€:<br />
<br />
1.  Without a doubt, you MUST know what you are looking for in terms of the type of bed you are looking for.  In the store is not the time to try to figure out if you want a pillow top, foam, plush, etc.  If you wait to do this in the store, you will be pushed into buying something that is not right for you.  My husband and I knew this before we walked inâ€¦we wanted queen, no pillow top, and as firm as possible (concrete would be good), and that we were not spending 2k on a bed and frame.<br />
<br />
2.  Do not waist your time in stores that DO NOT specialize in beds or mattresses.  The likely hood of you speaking to someone who actually knows what he or she is talking about is slim to nil.  These are also the type of stores (Sears, Raymore and Flannigan, Carolina Furniture) are where you are likely to find the most expensive beds or mattresses.  <br />
<br />
<br />
3.  In the case for my husband and myself, we found that these stores (the not specialized stores) did not carry the type of mattresses we were looking for.  We were looking for a coil count of 980-ish.  Repeatedly we were shown counts of 500 or 600.  In the land of Mattresses, the higher the count, the more firm the bed.  We had one sales lady (I wonâ€™t tell you the name of store, but â€œtwo names say it allâ€) tell use that coil count should not dictate our comfort and that we should consider rethinking how we are approaching this. Basically telling us we were wrong.<br />
<br />
<br />
4.  Watch out for those extras (delivery fees, assembly, slip covers, warranty charges, etc).  The industry standard is 10 years for a warrenty.  If a store tells you anything else, leave.  If they try to have you pay for a warranty, leave.  Delivery is free at all stores, but if you do not ask that will give them license to charge you huge fee.  The first thing out of your mouth when you are greeted is â€œwhat is your stores policy on delivery?â€  The other extras you do not need and can easily pick up at Bed Bath and Beyond or Target for a fraction of the price. <br />
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:59:48 -0400</pubDate><guid>https://estrip.org/articles/read/ruleofblue/44750/Want_to_have_a_good_night_s_sleep_.html</guid></item><item><title>Going Green For Show</title><link>https://estrip.org/articles/read/ruleofblue/44749/Going_Green_For_Show.html</link><description><![CDATA[In exploration for ways to diminish out impact on the planet, we find out that many suggestions turn out to be sales pitches for items that are well beyond our budget.  Plus, some ideas about how to green up our life are almost impractical to understand, let alone implement.   <br />
<br />
One concept that is neve touched on....the use of Chem Lawn.  <br />
<br />
If you really want to be Green, stop using something on your lawn that contributes to cancer, birth defects, leaches into the drinking water, and soil.  So what if you have clover and dandy lions in your lawn.  Is having a perfect lawn worth the possible damage done to the environment?   <br />
<br />
Yet, these are the same people we see shopping in Wegmanâ€™sâ€™ or Tops buying organic products and resin free plastic bottles.  These are the same people we see driving Hybrid cars and shopping with reusable bags.   is it the idea of being Green what they like? Are they just following the latest fad?  Or are they doing it for show for all of public to see?  â€œlook at me, Iâ€™m greenâ€.   I&#039;m truely stunned at the number residents in my neighborhood that do this.  <br />
<br />
Think about this, pesticide application rates for farmers are 2.7 pounds per acre, while homeowners (and lawn care companies) slather on 3.2 to 9.8 pounds per acre.  According to a recent Virginia Tech study, homeowners use up to 10 times as much chemicals as farmers.  These chemicals get tracked into our houses on our shoes and pets. An Environmental Protection Agency study found outdoor pesticide loads build up in carpets and can remain there for years, where they do not degrade from exposure to sunlight or rain.  (<em class="tb_i">I found the information for this at the following Link.)</em><br />
<br />
<a class="blank" href="http://www.refusetousechemlawn.org/home">www.refusetousechemlawn.org/home</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:22:03 -0400</pubDate><guid>https://estrip.org/articles/read/ruleofblue/44749/Going_Green_For_Show.html</guid></item><item><title>Green</title><link>https://estrip.org/articles/read/ruleofblue/42869/Green.html</link><description><![CDATA[So, I&#039;ve been a bit negligent over the past few years about being Green.  Something happened to me in the past few weeks and it is like I woke up.  I&#039;m actively thinking about what I&#039;m doing in my home.<br />
<br />
Now that I&#039;m &quot;awake&quot;, I thought I would share with everyone else.<br />
<br />
<br />
Shopping and Cleaning<br />
<br />
Ecobags<br />
Bringing your own bag when shopping saves plastic bags. Visit www.ecobags.com <a href="http://www.ecobags.com" title="http://www.ecobags.com"><img class="direct_link" src="https://estrip.org/media/images/link.gif" style="vertical-align:bottom;" /></a><br />
<br />
Method Home<br />
Method offers some cleaners that are dye- and perfume-free, nontoxic, biodegradable, naturally derived and never tested on animals. For more information, visit www.methodhome.com  <a href="http://www.methodhome.com" title="http://www.methodhome.com"><img class="direct_link" src="https://estrip.org/media/images/link.gif" style="vertical-align:bottom;" /></a><br />
<br />
Mrs. Meyers cleaning supplies<br />
All of their cleaning supplies are made with natural essential oils, are biodegradable and phosphate-free. For more, visit www.mrsmeyers.com. <a href="http://www.mrsmeyers.com" title="http://www.mrsmeyers.com"><img class="direct_link" src="https://estrip.org/media/images/link.gif" style="vertical-align:bottom;" /></a><br />
<br />
Seventh Generation products<br />
Seventh Generation is one of the leading brands of nontoxic household products. For more information, visit www.seventhgeneration.com. <a href="http://www.seventhgeneration.com" title="http://www.seventhgeneration.com"><img class="direct_link" src="https://estrip.org/media/images/link.gif" style="vertical-align:bottom;" /></a><br />
<br />
Shaklee<br />
This company has been producing natural cleaning products-everything from dryer sheets to stain removers-for 50 years. Call 800-670-6251 or visit www.shaklee.com to save 33 percent on the Shaklee Healthy Home pack and 15 percent off all other items at Shaklee.<br />
<br />
Green Home<br />
This is just the epicenter of green products.<br />
www.greenhome.com/ <a href="http://www.greenhome.com" title="http://www.greenhome.com"><img class="direct_link" src="https://estrip.org/media/images/link.gif" style="vertical-align:bottom;" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Water bottles<br />
<br />
Nalgene water bottles<br />
These water bottles are durable, inexpensive, can be used repeatedly and are widely recyclable. For more information visit www.nalgene-outdoor.com. <a href="http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com" title="http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com"><img class="direct_link" src="https://estrip.org/media/images/link.gif" style="vertical-align:bottom;" /></a><br />
<br />
New Wave Enviro Products<br />
Corn-resin bottle with filter ($8.99) provides pure, clean drinking water and can be reused up to 90 times, and the bottle biodegrades in just 80 days. For more information visit www.newwaveenviro.com <a href="http://www.newwaveenviro.com" title="http://www.newwaveenviro.com"><img class="direct_link" src="https://estrip.org/media/images/link.gif" style="vertical-align:bottom;" /></a> or call 800-592-8371.<br />
<br />
SIGG water bottles<br />
Using a premium reusable bottle like SIGG greatly helps reduce unnecessary environmental waste caused by plastic PET water bottles. Get more information at mysigg.com. <a href="http://www.mysigg.com" title="http://www.mysigg.com"><img class="direct_link" src="https://estrip.org/media/images/link.gif" style="vertical-align:bottom;" /></a><br />
<br />
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 13 Jan 2008 15:25:47 -0500</pubDate><guid>https://estrip.org/articles/read/ruleofblue/42869/Green.html</guid></item><item><title>Hockey</title><link>https://estrip.org/articles/read/ruleofblue/41508/Hockey.html</link><description><![CDATA[I&#039;m so glad hockey is starting back up.  Wahoo!<br />
]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:47:05 -0400</pubDate><guid>https://estrip.org/articles/read/ruleofblue/41508/Hockey.html</guid></item><item><title>Dog Park Do's and Don'ts</title><link>https://estrip.org/articles/read/ruleofblue/41434/Dog_Park_Do_s_and_Don_ts.html</link><description><![CDATA[I love my husband.  He&#039;s totally into OLA (off leash area) park and wrote this out of control rant about the &quot;unwritten&quot; do&#039;s and don&#039;t at OLA.<br />
<br />
<br />
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 01 Oct 2007 13:23:36 -0400</pubDate><guid>https://estrip.org/articles/read/ruleofblue/41434/Dog_Park_Do_s_and_Don_ts.html</guid></item></channel></rss>
