My Blog at One Year

Today marks the first anniversary of my first post on this blog.  In that post, you'll see a photo of my big, ugly sneakers and some information about how and where you can recycle old shoes.

In the one year since that first post, I've written about all things recycling:  recycling electronics, recycling paper and metal, even recycling car safety seats.  If you can't already tell, recycling is a regular part of my life.  I started this blog so that when I spot something useful, I can share it easily.  I also wrote about a variety of other topics this year.

The most intriguing to me was the mysterious booming noise heard over most of south Hampton Roads in May.  With a few e-mails to various agencies and some digging on the Internet, I learned that such occurrences have been reported near bodies of water around the world, dating back centuries.  I also enjoyed writing about my first ride on Norfolk's light rail system, which happened on the day of the earthquake.  And there was Hurricane Irene, just a few days after the earthquake.

My most popular topic, judging by the stats report, involved the nationwide shortage of the ADHD drug Adderall.  A lot of people, my family included, have been having trouble filling our prescriptions for several months.

In all, 196 blog posts in 365 days.  That includes my middle of the night, insomnia-induced stream of consciousness ramble about...George Plimpton.

This being a leap year, I have one extra day to write.  I wonder if can eclipse the past year's mark of 196 posts.  Or, if I can't beat the quantity, perhaps I can improve on the quality.  We shall see...

Back to recycling.  Today I recycled two fluorescent bulbs that had been gathering dust in my house for over a year.  Batteries-Plus locations will accept fluorescent bulbs and most batteries, including those tiny button batteries, for recycling.  And I recycled a mess of CD's at my local Best Buy.

Child Seat Roundup

The AAA of Tidewater Virginia, Drive Safe Hampton Roads, and several other organizations are teaming up for the 23rd Annual Old, Used, Borrowed and Abused Child Safety Seat Round-Up.  During the month of February, take any old, used, or hand-me-down safety seat to any Wal-Mart, DMV center, or AAA office.  The seat will be recycled and disposed of properly.

The reason they do this:  safety.  Experts say car safety seats pose a greater risk of failure in a crash the older they get.  Some of them could have been recalled by the manufacturer.  Hand-me-down seats could have been involved in one crash already and may be damaged.

For more information, call 757-498-2562 or visit the Drive Safe Hampton Roads Facebook page.

Voter Registration Deadlines

Here are the deadlines for unregistered voters to sign up to vote in the 2012 elections.  

• March 6th Virginia Republican Primary:  Monday, February 13.  Absentee ballot applications must be delivered by Saturday, March 3rd.
• November 6th General Election:  Monday, October 15th.

Voter registration is available at public libraries, Virginia DMV offices, local registrars offices and online.

For more information, visit the Virginia State Board of Elections registration information page.

Watching TV? Walk During the Commercials for a Decent Workout

Watching TV doesn't have to be a lazy activity.  In fact, a new study shows TV time can be a perfect time for a small workout.

Researchers at the University of Tennessee studied a group of about two dozen men and women of various ages and activity levels.  They compared the numbers of calories burned while each walked in place or sat during commercial breaks.  Walking in place burned an average of 148 calories, twice the number burned from sitting.  The calories burned while walking only during the commercials were half as many as the amount burned when the participants walked on a treadmill through the entire program.

We certainly have no shortage of commercial time during which to exercise.  Today's average television hour has less than 45 minutes of actual programming, with the rest being filled with paid advertisements or station promotions, according to www.TooManyCommercials.com.  

Link:

http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-walking-television-20120120,0,3688584.story?track=rss

Headphones: Something Else to Worry About

In my 20-plus years in radio, I have always been careful with the volume of my headphones.  I have known more than a few colleagues with hearing loss.  I have always assumed that hearing loss from prolonged or reckless use of headphones was the only concern.  Turns out I was wrong.

New research suggests people wearing headphones while walking are more likely to be hit by a car, truck, or  train.  Using 2010-2011 data from the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission and Google, researchers at the University Maryland found 47 cases in which a pedestrian wearing headphones had been injured or killed from being hit by a vehicle.  That's nearly triple the number from 2004 and 2005, when the iPod revolution was just taking off.  Most of the victims were under 30 years of age.  The analysts said headphones or earbuds can block out the sound of oncoming traffic and even car horns.

Headphone noise can, as I stated earlier, lead to hearing loss.   A 2010 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found 1 in 5 teenagers had some form of hearing loss, a 30 percent jump from the 1980's.

How loud is too loud?  The Deafness Research Foundation recommends 85 decibels as the maximum safe volume to avoid hearing loss. That's a little louder than a telephone dial tone.  Above 90db, hearing damage can occur with prolonged exposure.

The recommendation...turn down the volume.  You might just hear that car coming up behind you.  And you can avoid issues with your hearing down the road.


Links:
http://www.drf.org/news/38/iPod+generation+risk+losing+hearing
http://news.yahoo.com/injuries-pedestrians-wearing-headphones-tripled-since-2004-000807324.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20014372-10391704.html
http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html

The Chimney Sweeping Log -- Does it Work?

By now you've seen the Chimney Sweeping Log, a fabricated log that's supposed to clean your chimney as it burns, advertised on TV.  The commercial, with its urgent voice over and images of a house in flames, has the same "it's a miracle" tone as spots for Mighty Putty, Thigh Master, and other "As Seen on TV" products.  Does the Chimney Sweeping Log work as advertised?  From what I've read, it does what the commercials say it does.

The Chimney Sweeping Log is imbedded with the chemicals that chimney sweeps use to remove 3rd stage glaze, the most serious kind of creosote buildup, from chimney walls.  The manufacturer claims the log can remove up to 60% percent of the cresote from a chimney.  But that still leaves some flammable creosote in the chimney, and fire experts say that's a problem.

The Washington Public Fire Educators have stated they are concerned with what the Creosote Sweeping Log doesn't do.  It doesn't remove all of the creosote.  And it doesn't provide that visual safety inspection of the chimney that can find problems like cracks or chimney blockages. 

In addition, the Chimney Safety Institute of America reports the Chimney Sweeping Log is not an adequate substitute for regular chimney cleaning and inspection. Fire safety experts recommend an annual sweeping by a certified chimney sweep, who can remove all of the creosote and look for any other chimney problems.

Below:  The commercial for the Chimney Sweeping Log.



Links:
http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/hocslog.htm
http://www.wsafc.org/WPFE/Position%20Papers/Chimney%20Cleaning.pdf
http://www.csia.org/

Free Credit Reports

Just finished reviewing my credit report at www.AnnualCreditReport.com.  Not to be confused with FreeCreditReport.com, Experian's not free credit monitoring service known for its commercials featuring a pop band in pirate outfits, AnnualCreditReport.com provides a free look at credit reports from the three major credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. 

AnnualCreditReport.com grew out of the FACT Act (Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act) that President George W. Bush signed into law in 2003.  The FACT Act allows every American to look at their credit reports once every 12 months for free.  Credit experts recommend a credit report check once a year.

The website does not provide your credit score (that's available through the reporting agencies for a fee), but it does allow you to look for any errors in your credit history.  For example, when my wife and I tried buying a car in 1989, we found that her credit report mistakenly included her dad's mortgage.  The website includes links for disputing a credit report error.

The website also offers credit advice.  Equifax recommends keeping a very old credit account, like my 20 year old gasoline card account, open, even if you don't use it very often.  Old accounts increase the average age of your credit accounts, which indicates stability to lenders.

It's recommended you print each report once it's compiled, since you won't be able to view it again for a year.  You can also save the reports in .pdf format.

Link:
www.AnnualCreditReport.com

E-Cycling Event this Saturday at the Virginia Aquarium

The Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach is hosting its semi-annual E-Cycling Event this Saturday, January 21st, from 10am to 2pm at the aquarium's east parking lot, across the street from the main building (MAP).  Items that can be dropped off for recycling and safe disposal include:

• Computers and peripherals, including printers, monitors and scanners
• Telephones and cell phones
• Circuit boards
• Stereos and game systems
• Fax machines
• and TV's smaller than 32 inches

At the aquarium's last e-cycling event in October, volunteers collected 28-tons of old electronics that otherwise would have ended up in local landfills.

Remember, e-cycling is available all year round at your local Best Buy or Goodwill store.

Link:

http://askhrgreen.org/events/209/e-cycling-event-at-virginia-aquarium/

Free Tax Filing

You can sense it...a changing of the seasons.  Christmas cards in the mailbox have been replaced by 1099's.  The Salvation Army bell ringers have been replaced by the Liberty Tax ladies.  Yes, it's Tax Season. Those who find the realization of tax time cringe-inducing can take solace in this:  some of us may be able to file electronically for free.

New this year, the Virginia Department of Taxation is offering tax forms that can be filled out online and filed for free.  It's not the same as the popular and free Virginia iFile system that the legislature and Governor McDonnell abolished in 2010, but still, it's free.  State officials say the Free File Fillable Forms system is open to everyone, regardless of filing status or income level.  Learn more here.

On the federal level, the IRS's e-file is back this year.  Families with incomes below $57,000 a year can use the system for free.  And, the IRS is offering Free File Fillable Forms, just like Virginia's, for federal tax returns.  Federal Free File Fillable Forms (say that three times fast) are free for everyone.  Learn more here.

By the way, this year's Federal Income Tax filing deadline has been extended to Monday, April 17th, since April 15th falls on a Saturday.  The Virginia filing deadline is Tuesday, May 1st.

Super Double Coupon Day at Farm Fresh

I just got back from a round of shopping at Farm Fresh during Super Double Coupon Day (thanks, Laura Oliver!).  I know it's not a very exciting topic, but you should know that I got a pretty decent haul of groceries for under $18.00. 

I kept my goals simple:  buy things that are on sale, that I had coupons for, and that we regularly use.  The list was less that ten items long and included General Mills cereal (2 for $5.00 minus a $1 coupon that was doubled) and Cape Cod potato chips (same deal as the cereal).

The real big saver was Tide detergent.  The 50 ounce bottle was on sale for half price, plus I had a $2.00 coupon that was doubled.  Final price:  two bucks.

In fact, Tide was cheaper at Farm Fresh than at our local warehouse store, BJ's.  Even before the coupon, Tide's sale price was $0.12 per ounce.  The hernia-inducing megabottle of Tide at BJ's was regularly priced at $0.16 an ounce.

However, I have found BJ's beats the grocery stores on most of the items we buy regularly.  In about two dozen price comparisons (yes, I'll admit to tracking these things), today's Tide purchase was the first and only time the store price beat the BJ's price.  The Cape Cod potato chips I bought today were still cheaper by the ounce at BJ's, even with the Farm Fresh sale price and coupons factored in.

Price comparisons; sale prices on Tide...I must sound like a real dullard.  There is, though, some satisfaction in scoring a great deal, even if it is for laundry detergent.

Mr. Excitement...out.

DMV Can Help You Avoid the Number 13

On this Friday the 13th, the Virginia DMV is offering triskaidekaphobics a chance to avoid the number 13 on their cars all of next year.

The DMV is reminding customers that license plates can be renewed for more than one year.  So if someone is truly fearful of the number 13, they can order license renewal stickers that will be good now until 2014.  Multi-year renewals also save a little money in the long run.

DMV spokesperson Sunni Brown tells me they have not received any complaints or concerns from customers about the 2013 license plate sticker, so the idea of avoiding the number 13 is simply a marketing gimmick.  I'll never understand marketing.

Still, a lot of people do carry a superstition about the number 13.  Dr. Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, estimates that more than 17 million people have triskaidekaphobia.

The good news:  I can keep my license plates free of 13.  However, it does nothing for me the next time I'm driving up U.S. Route 13 on the Eastern Shore...on August 13th...at 1:13 in the afternoon.

Trivia:  the fear of the Friday the 13th also has a name...paraskevidekatriaphobia.

Link:
The DMV's press release

Gas Prices on the Rebound

Well, that was short lived.  Two weeks ago I wrote on Facebook about being pleasantly surprised by the price of gasoline when I paid $2.98 a gallon at my local BJ's.  That may be about as low as gas prices get for a while.

The Lundberg Gas Price Survey reports gas prices have jumped 12 cents a gallon in the last three weeks.  A gallon of self-serve regular now costs an average of $3.36.  It is the first rise in the survey since October.

Industry analysts suggest that uncertainly in the Middle East, following Iran's threat to choke off the oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz, is the primary factor in the rising price of oil and gas.  Another factor is the end of a 31 year old government subsidy on ethanol  Gasoline costing $4.00 a gallon by the summer is not out of the question, they say. 

With that in mind, I may have to make more use of my bicycle for running errands, even during January.

For gas prices in Hampton Roads, check out the AAA's Fuel Gauge Report.

Link:
Reuters fact sheet on Middle East tensions and effect on oil prices

Are E-Textbooks the Future?

Electronic versions of the traditional hard copy textbook could be the wave of the future on secondary school and college campuses.  The buzz this week is that Apple, the trend-setter in all things digital, will announce some sort of e-textbook arrangement at the end of the month.  Meanwhile, some education officials in Alabama say they could save money in the long run by equipping all high school students with an electronic book reader.  And the California State Senate is considering a proposal to offer e-textbooks to college students for free.

Will an e-book save money for the student?  One study suggests that as of now, no.  A two year study at Daytona State College has found that students who tried electronic versions of textbooks saved only $1.00 compared to classmates who bought traditional hard copy editions.  The survey suggests that e-textbooks still faced several hurdles as colleges considered how to distribute them.

There's also the issue of rapidly changing technology and the possibility of obsolescence.  Apple, for example, introduces a new version of its iPhone and iPad every year.  The laptops my wife's school bought for all of the employees in 2010 are now two years old.  Will they be able to run this year's gotta-have-it education software?  If every high school student in Alabama does get an e-reader, how long will it be before those e-readers are considered obsolete?

What is true is that today's college students have a lot more options for textbooks than my generation did.  At Longwood College in 1984, the one and only source for a textbook was the Lancer Bookstore, located in the Rotunda basement beneath the main dining hall.  Today's Longwood students can still get their books from the campus bookstore, but they can also shop from online retailers like Amazon.com.  They also have the option of buying a new or used textbook, renting the book, or getting an electronic version.

My older daughter, Megan, is in the process of completing her college applications, which has me bracing myself for the day she heads off to college.  I'm also bracing for the costs involved, for tuition, room and board, and, of course, college textbooks.

Links:
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/new-study-shows-e-textbooks-saved-many-students-only-1/34793
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/74093.html

Adderall Shortage Likely to Continue Through 2012

Here's a disheartening headline from the Reuters news service:  "Shortage of ADHD drug Adderall seen persisting in 2012." 

As I have written before, the Adderall shortage dates back at least to August and perhaps earlier.  I discovered it while trying to fill a prescription.  Several weeks later, I was still wondering what had changed to create this scarcity of a commonly used drug.  What changed, apparently, was the demand for Adderall.

Adderall is one of the top selling medications for dealing with ADHD.  The Reuters report indicates that more than 18 million prescriptions for Adderall were written in 2010, a 13 percent increase from 2009.  And sales of all ADHD medications have ballooned by 83 percent since 2006.

Meanwhile, the federal government keeps tight control over the drug's active ingredient, amphetamine salts, to prevent Adderall abuse.  So while demand for Adderall has increased, the amount available remains the same.

The New York Times reports the Drug Enforcement Agency analyzes drug demand every year and can change the amount of active ingredients they allot to drug makers.  Drug makers, in turn, must decide how to divide up their quota among their ADHD medications, from pricey name brands to generic versions.  So creating, and ending, the Adderall shortfall involves more than one variable.

If you're having a hard time filling a prescription for ADHD medication, contact your doctor to learn about other medication options.

Links:
http://news.yahoo.com/insight-shortage-adhd-drug-adderall-seen-persisting-2012-151543814.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/health/policy/fda-is-finding-attention-drugs-in-short-supply.html