How many calories are you burning?

Want to know how many calories you are burning for your sports or activities? You can check out a calorie counter.

It's not completely accurate, because it doesn't account for various things like your body composition (how much of you is made up of muscle and bones and how much of you is made up of stuff that jiggles), base metabolism, athletic conditioning, gender, intensity, and all that, but it's a good start. Figure that the actual number of calories you burn probably depends on the intensity.

For example, the calculator says that a person on average would burn about 420 calories for an hour of competitive badminton (kudos to the calculator for differentiating between silly leisure badminton and competitive badminton). But I've seen data where one can burn 500 to 800 (for singles games) calories an hour.

So how do you figure out intensity without a fancypants heart rate monitor (like Polar)? You can use perceived exertion. Try chatting during exercise. If you can still chat, that's low exertion; chat with gasping, medium; cannot say a word, high; blacking out, that's way too much.

The website has a bunch of other calculators, so don't forget to scroll down and check them out.

Detecting bedbugs

How do you know if you have a bed bug infestation?

• You wake up with itchy welts that appear in a cluster or row of threes. That's their calling card. But don't freak out, yet it could be another insect. Also 1 in 3 folks are lucky enough to not have reactions to bed bug bites
• You see tiny black spots or rust staines on mattress seams, headboards, baseboards, or corners where walls meet. It looks kinda like moldy.
• They smell like rotting coconuts. 

The key to getting rid of bed bugs is detecting an infestation early and treating it before it spreads.

Spectacular autumnal road trip on Utah's Highway 12

Utah's Highway 12 is also known as Journey Through Time Scenic Byway. This 125-mile curvaceous two-lane road is jam-packed with four state parks, two national parks, a national forest, and the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. It is particularly spectacular during the fall.

Start from outside Panguitch (about 250 miles south of Salt Lake City), to red canyons, hoodoos, Bryce Canyon National Park (with Fairyland Point, just outside the gate, as a highlight). Next, move on to Kodachrome Basin State Park with its gravity-defying sandstone chimneys, and then to Escalante Petrified Forest State Park with multi-colored petrified trees.

At milepost 75, you climb up Hogsback with views of the rounded dome of Navajo Mountain. After passing by Boulder Mountain, you end in Torrey, where you can hustle over to the Capitol Reef National Park.

And don't miss out on Hell's Backbone Grill, which is a gourmet destination.

For more information, see http://www.utah.com/byways/highway_12.htm and AAA Via magazine.

Picture from: http://utahpictures.com/Highway_12_Dec.php

Researching your hotel

If you travel a lot, booking hotels is one of the most time consuming part of your research. Besides the price, you have to worry about the cleanliness, location, parking, facilities, bathroom quality, and other such things.

Of course, the pictures look great and the description makes the place sound like a resort spa, but you kinda suspect that the PR people were feeling creative. They never tell you things like how the available parking will cost you $25 a night and that they have only 12 spots. The hotel knows that once you show up, you are not likely to ditch them for another hotel, especially if they already have your credit card information. 

I once booked a hotel that described itself as "hip" and "urban," but it turned out to be an euphemism for "Motel 6-esque with a bit more style." There were no bedbugs, though, so I can't really complain. 

So if you really want a better idea of what you are booking, go to http://www.oyster.com/ first. They send investigators to write honest reports and take lots of pictures. And I mean lots of pictures (see the Photos tab). You'll have a good idea of what you are booking. Finally, a WYSIWYG travel site. 

Garden chores for autumn

Here's the task list for fall.

• Plant spring bulbs, shrubs, and trees.
• Plant salad crops 4-6 weeks before the first frost.
• Rail against the end of summer!

Backcountry comforts

Just because you're in the boonies doesn't mean you have to be uncivilized. Here are a few neat tricks

Laundromat
Put your clothes in a wide-mouth water bottle, fill 3/4 with water and a teaspoon of biodegradable soap. Toss in the backpack. The churning action strips out the stench and you have fresh laundry. (from Dave Trendler)

Food that does double duties
Tortillas are dense in calories and don't need special packing care (they're already flat!), and it works as a yummy potholder/hotpad.

Bagging a bargain according to the calendar

Excerpt, Vanguard  

Some goods are less expensive at certain times of the year. You can find opportunities through an online search engine, using a phrase such as "best time to buy" either by itself, or in combination with the type of product you need.

Appliances
Just like automobiles and many other goods, appliances go through annual makeovers. And the new versions emerge in September and October.

That makes those months a great time to buy appliances because prices on the old models get slashed to get them out of the store, according to Bankrate.com.

Automobiles
Getting a car at a great price often depends a lot on how good a bargainer you are. However, according to Edmunds.com, an authoritative automotive website, you can get closer to your ideal price if you shop for those wheels:

•  At the end of the month, when dealerships are eager to earn manufacturer bonuses for meeting sales quotas.
• At the end of a model year, when last year's car looks so out of date.
• At the end of a car's design cycle, just before the car been redesigned bumper to bumper. 

Carpeting 
Who thinks of buying carpeting in January? Very few of us, says Kiplinger magazine, which is why the people selling wall-to-wall carpets tend to offer very good deals that month to get us to consider new rugs.

But, it is best to find that plush carpet by mid-February, the magazine says. After that, tax refunds start arriving in and prices on carpets tend to start going back up, the magazine adds.

Computers 
It is possible to find good deals on computers during the holiday season and the weeks just before school starts—times when electronics stores like to put computers on sale.

However, February and March also bring good money-saving opportunities on computers and other electronic products. Why? Because early in January and February manufacturers of electronic products gather at the International Consumer Electronics Show and Macworld to announce their coolest, newest products, automatically rendering the ones announced the previous year obsolete.

"Deals often come up when a technology is outdated and retailers want to get rid of older models," the website GetRichSlowly.org says.

Cooking stuff
Absolutely need new pots and pans? Look for bargains in May, April, October and November, according to an article on Bankrate.com.

Stores put cookware on sale in April and May because shoppers look for wedding and graduation gifts. Cookware goes on sale again in October and November to appeal to holiday gift-givers, says the website.

Digital cameras
February and March are also particularly good months to snag a deal on a digital camera because new models are introduced in January at International CES and the Photo Marketing Association show, according to the magazine PCWorld.

"As new cameras arrive, sellers deeply discount the older models … a boon for bargain hunters who don't need the latest and greatest technology," the magazine points out.

Furniture 
New furniture models come to the stores in February, according to Bankrate.com. And that turns February into a good month to save on furniture.

However, if you are looking to replace that age-old bedraggled couch and miss the February window, you may get another chance in July, a month when the new stuff for fall starts arriving, according to Bankrate.com.

Health club memberships
July, August, and September "are traditionally fire-sale season for fitness centers," because many fitness buffs quit their gyms and take to exercising outdoors, according to Forbes magazine.

Outdoor toys
All that fun stuff for summer—everything from bathing suits to swing sets—sees prices drop in August, when stores are looking to increase their stocks of fall merchandise, according to Kiplinger. During those dog days of summer you can look for discounts that range from 30% to 75%, the magazine says.

Plane tickets
Airline ticket prices veer crazily, driven by competition among airlines, the season, and even fuel prices.
Still, experts point to one time when you can look for good deals: Wednesday, which is the midpoint of a complicated weekly cycle that sees prices start to rise late in the week and then start to fall early the following week.

"What’s the best time to buy your ticket on Wednesday? One hour after Tuesday midnight (1 a.m. Wednesday morning)," Peter Greenberg, travel editor for CBS News and travel editor at large for AARP, writes on his website.

"Why? At about midnight, the airlines usually reload their computers with the latest low-cost fares that were announced the previous day but will be canceled if they are not purchased within 24 hours," Greenberg advises.

Vacuum cleaners
Yes, there's even a good time to wind up with a deal on a vacuum cleaner: April and May, just before new models are announced in June, says FreeShipping.org, a website for bargain hunters.
We can’t always plan when we have to make purchases. But if you think there’s a new purchase in your future consider the above guidelines. You may just find yourself spending less than you anticipated.

How to compliment people

From "Why Compliments Terrify Us" by Elizabeth Bernstein for the Wall Street Journal

• Be sincere.
• Be selective. Think Goldilocks. Not too big or too small. 
• Be specific. Don't say" You look pretty today. Say: That sweater really brings out the color of your eyes. 
• Show impact. Tell people how they have positively affected you. Instead of "I like your column today," try "Your story made me run out and complement a stranger. 

When you receive a compliment, just say thank you. Be gracious, not self-deprecating. Don't worry about returning the praise. It's a compliment, not a volley.

Questions to ask references for building contractors

It's best to hire contractors recommended by other people. Ask your friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Some companies have mailing lists or discussion boards about contractors. Try that first.

Before you hire a contractor to do significant changes to your house, you should ask at least three of his or her former clients about his work. He should be able to give you names upon request.

It seems like an overkill, but be diligent about checking references. We avoided hiring terrible contractors and a lot of pain because of diligent checking and friend's comments. Yes, Virginia, people will lie to you to get your money.

So what do you ask the references? The following are questions recommended by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI):

1. Could you communicate well with the remodeler?
2. Were you pleased with the quality of work?
   This is a tough question, however, since everyone defines "quality" differently. It is much better to ask to see the completed project to determine the level of quality for yourself.
3. Were you satisfied with the remodeler's business practices?
4. Did the crew show up on time?
5. Were you comfortable with the trades people the remodeler subcontracted to?
6. Was the job completed on schedule?
7. Did the remodeler fulfill his or her contract?
8. Did the contractor stay in touch throughout the project?
9. Were the final details finished in a timely manner?
10. Would you use the remodeler again without hesitation?
11. Was the job site kept clean during the project?
12. Was the remodeler professional, ethical, honest and fair throughout the process?
13. Did the remodeler manage the overall project and process in such a way to ensure your satisfaction?
14. Did any issues arise during the project? How did the remodeler handle them?

Picking the best leek

Leeks are the thick-necked jock version of scallions. Europeans love them because they're milder and sweeter versions of onions. They're great with sauces, soups, and side dishes. Whatever works for onions works for leeks, too (except maybe in hamburgers and some types of sandwiches).

You can get them from farmers' markets from spring to fall (although the spring ones tend to be more slender). As with all vegetables, the fresher they are, the sweeter and more flavorful they are. Pick ones with vibrant leaves and a lot more white parts (which is what you use for cooking, although you can use the leaves for making stock).

Refrigerate in an open bag.

Picking the best artichoke

Artichokes are neither fruit nor vegetable. They're delicious flowers!

Picture by Matthew Wallenstein 

The tastiest ones have the following qualities:

• Fat stems (the fatter the stem, the bigger the heart 
• Bright, shiny leaves 
• Dense weight (heavy for its size)

Fresh ones give a squeak when you squeeze gently.

If you are not eating the artichoke right away, seal it in a plastic bag with a few drops of water before refrigerating.

Relaunching Mac Finder (10.6)

Finder, like Sarah Palin, is always on. (Is that woman ever not hamming things up? I mean, honestly!) It always runs. You can hide it, but you can't quit it or anything. You can, however, restart it by doing the following: 

1. Press and hold the option key while you click the Finder icon on the desktop dock.
2. Click Relaunch.
3. Press command + tab to toggle to the relaunched Finder.  

Showing hidden files on the Mac (10.6)

Mac hides some files in Finder so you can't muck around with them and mess things up royally. But if you know what you are doing and want to see the hidden files (they usually start with a period, for example: .hidden), you can open Terminal and run this command (in a single line):

defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles YES

To reverse the operation, just change YES to NO, as in the following:

defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles NO

You have to relaunch Finder to see the hidden files. To learn how to do that, see Relaunching Mac Finder.

The dimmed folders were hidden files, now exposed.

Building a bedbug detector for under $20

If you think you might have bedbug infestation (you have insect bites that are arrayed in a row or cluster), you can create a MacGyver trap that is just as good as the ones used by professionals. You cannot exterminate the bugs with this method, but you could detect them and contact exterminators.

The folks are Rutgers University experimented with various homemade contraptions until they built a trap superior to the ones used by exterminators for detecting an infestation. (They presented at the 2009 meeting of the Entomological Society of America)

Here are the stuff you'll need:

• Plastic food and water dish for cats (or a similar plastic bowl with smooth lining)
• Insulated 1/3 galloon jug sold in camping-supply or sports stores (Yay! to another excuse to visit REI!)
• 2.5 lbs of dry ice (~$1/lb). The dry ice is the bait. The CO2, which is mistaken as human breath, lures the bloodsuckers. 
• Gloves (because you should never handle dry ice with your bare hands!)
• Sandpaper
• Talcum powder
• Tape

Build the contraption with the following steps:

1. Put on gloves and place 2.5 lbs of dry ice pellets inside the insulated jug. 
2. Leave the spout open to let the CO2 evaporate. It should seep out completely in 11 hours at room temperature and no faster.
   If the CO2 is seeping out too rapidly, partially cover the spout. 
3. Overturn the food dish, scuff the outer rim with sandpaper to give the bloodsuckers better traction. 
4. Create a paper ramp on the food dish by taping the sandpaper (or other pieces of paper) to the dish. 
5. Make the inside of the food dish even more slippery by dusting it with talcum powder.
   Once the bedbugs get into the moat, they can't scuttle out of the steep, slippery rim. Bwahaha! 
6. Place the bait, which is the thermos/insualted jug with dry ice, in the middle of the overturned food dish. 

Bedbugs: Non-emo vampires that like the dark and won't sparkle in sunlight

Bedbugs give us the heebie-jeebies. These vampires were wiped out from the United States back in the day when people sprayed DDT on anything that scuttled or moved, including pesky coworkers and overly smelly men. But they (the bedbugs, not the smelly men, who—to the disappointment of women in that era—never disappeared) were reintroduced into the country when international travel became common.

Photo: Visuals Unlimited / Corbis | Source: New York Daily News

Like Jason in Friday the 13th, pesticide-resistent bed bugs are notoriously difficult to get rid of. If even a single female with eggs survive the extermination, you have another infestation in your hands. Temporarily moving out of your house won't help since a bedbug can survive for up to 18* months without food [ This is your cue to run to the showers screaming. ].

The best way to deal with bedbugs is not get them in the first place. Here are a few precautions you should follow when you travel:

• Before you book a hotel, check with the Bedbug Registry. 
• When you arrive at the hotel, do not put your luggage and stuff on the bed. Put them on non-upholstered furniture (the luggage stand, for example) instead.
• Do not lay your clothes in the drawer (bedbugs like wood, crevices, and protected areas). Instead, keep your stuff in your luggage or hang your clothes up in the closet. Keeping them in the bathroom works. 
• Learn what bedbugs look like.  
• Take out the bedsheets and check the mattresses (all of them, not just the one you are laying on) for signs of blood or bedbugs. Lift the mattress over your head to check for signs under the mattress. Carefully inspect the folds and creases of the mattress. Check the entire length of the fold around the mattress, both top and bottom. 
• Check the headboards. Lift them off from their hinges and inspect the crevices. Headboards are unwieldy, so it's easier to work with another person, but one strong person can manage it.
• Use a very bright headlamp (like the kind they sell in outdoor stores) while doing the inspection.

Other tips:

• Avoid used stuff. 
• Be aware that they're not just in hotel rooms. They have been discovered  in offices, stores (Abercombie in New York had to close down for fumigation), theaters, trains, hospital waiting rooms, and gyms. No need to be paranoid, but just keep an eye out for itchy welts, so that you can take precautions (described next).   
• If you discover itchy welts that you suspect are bedbug bites, take precautions before you return home. Heat will kill them. Bag all your clothes, wash them (including ones you didn't wear) and dry them in high heat (greater than 125 degrees Fahrenheit). Bag your luggage and leave them in the back of your car under the hot sun for at least a day. Once the infestation starts, the nightmare begins. 
• See our article on spotting an existing infestation. 

For a more thorough article, see the University of Kentucky: College of Agriculture site. 

* This figure is based on older records about earlier infestations. Some reports recorded 12 months, which is still creepily long. The pesticide-resistent strain in our era might live to only 2 months without a bloodmeal. But still. Eww.   

Garden chores for winter

If you have a garden, you should be doing the following now:

• Prune trees while they are dormant.
• Cut back on fertilization.
• Protect subtropical plants (such as citrus) from winter frost by covering them up with canvas on cold nights.