YouTube - Ted and Anna get engaged on the set of Scrubs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFwL6iFDk9Q
From the set of Scrubs. Very cute.

Unplugging Appliances to Save Energy

I used to have a roommate many years ago who would unplug all of our appliances when they weren't in use.  It actually bothered me because I would go to toast something and the toaster wouldn't work, until I finally started remembering to plug things in to use them.  At the time, I believe she did this for safety, to prevent fires or electrical overloads, etc.  Now that I have been living on my own, I have started to unplug appliances when not in use, but for a very different reason.

There are many resources out there on the net that explain this 'phantom load' issue, but here is some summarized info I have gathered.

The Bite

A "phantom load" is the energy that's sapped by appliances when they're plugged in, but not on. Use power strips or manually unplug DVD players, computers and cell phone chargers to save electricity from disappearing without a trace.

The Benefits

• Save big on your energy bills. In the average home, 40% of all electricity is used to power home appliances while they're turned off.
• Lower emissions. If all phantom loads in US homes were stopped, we could shut down 17 power plants.
• Power strips with surge protectors make it easy to "unplug" many appliances at once.  Or buy a Smart Power Strip.

Overview
Believe it or not, many of the electronic devices in your home are quietly drawing electricity all the time, whether you are using them or not. It happens with stereos, televisions, microwaves, and many other appliances. As you can imagine, even small amounts of electricity multiplied by many millions of homes and appliances lead to staggering amounts of wasted energy when they are applied 24 hours a day. This energy use is known as standby power or vampire power (because it sucks your power in the middle of the night). Unlike mythological vampires, you don’t need garlic or wooden stakes to fend off this beast. You can simply unplug appliances that are not in use or buy a smart power strip that will do the work for you.

Tips & Tricks
Use a smart power strip. Because it’s not practical to unplug every appliance whenever you’re not using it, several companies have developed so-called smart power strips that do the job for you. They essentially monitor electricity use in each plug and shut off the ones that have been idle for a period of time. See below for details on where to get a smart power strip.

If you don’t have a smart power strip, unplug unused appliances. Even if you only unplug the ones with the highest standby power, this will still make a big difference. Use the references below to determine which of your electronic devices have the highest standby power (hint: TVs, VCRs, and stereos are among the worst culprits).

Smart power strips:
www.treehugger.com/files/2005/12/smart_power_str.php
www.treehugger.com/files/2006/12/cut_back_on_pha.php

So my toaster and coffee pot and even cell phone charger when not charging are all unplugged.  I can't say I see a difference in my power bills, because month to month I run the air or heat differently so who knows... But I feel like I am saving energy/money so I keep unplugging...

FreeRice

http://freerice.com/index.php
For every vocabulary word you get right, they donate rice to help world hunger.

Strike Chart: How Long Before Your Shows Go Dark?

http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Strike-Chart-Long/800026937?loc=interstitialskip
Good list on tvguide.com if you are curious how soon before you feel the effects of the writer's strike.

The Great Santa Run

Start:	Dec 1, '07 08:00a
Location:	Downtown Las Vegas

http://www.opportunityvillage.org/content/?c=29

Vodka Latka V

Start:	Dec 6, '07 8:00p
Location:	Tryst, Wynn Hotel

http://www.jewishlasvegas.com/page.html?ArticleID=160143

The Comedy Festival - Ellen's Really Big Show

Start:	Nov 15, '07 8:00p
Location:	Caesar's Palace

DeGeneres will present "Ellen's Really Big Show," a variety special that will feature performances by top music and comedic talents, at the Comedy Festival inside The Colosseum. Scheduled to appear are Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, Barry Manilow, Lyle Lovett & His Large Band, Wayne Newton and many others. The show will air on TBS on Nov. 18.

Stretching out over four days, the Comedy Festival once again brings comedy's biggest stars and cutting-edge talent to Caesars Palace. HBO, AEG Live and title sponsor TBS will present multi-artist performances, tributes, stand-up, sketch comedy and live televised special events in a variety of venues within Caesars, including The Colosseum and the Roman Plaza amphitheater.

Rock n Roll Wine

Start:	Nov 16, '07 7:00p
Location:	Risque, Paris Hotel

www.rocknrollwine.com

Zion National Park, 11/07-11/08

Most pictures are from the park. The buffalo pictures are from Mt. Carmel. The elk pictures are from Springdale.

Rock the Block on Fremont East

Start:	Nov 17, '07 12:00p
End:	Nov 17, '07 5:00p
Location:	East Fremont, Downtown Las Vegas

The revitalization of downtown Las Vegas continues to expand as both national and local bands come together for the inaugural Rock the Block Music Festival in downtown’s newest entertainment mecca the Fremont East Entertainment District on Saturday, November 17 from noon – 10 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday, October 26 through all Ticketmaster outlets. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

Famed rockers Flyleaf will headline the daylong music festival.
Rock the Block will feature additional performances by Smile Empty Soul, Franky Perez, Searchlight, Left Standing and Conflict of Interest. These bands will perform on the Jagermeister stage.

Food and drink will be available for purchase on site, as well as additional activities taking place within Beauty Bar and The Griffin throughout the day. Guests at Beauty Bar and The Griffin must be 21 years of age or older.

Fremont East is located at Fremont Street and Las Vegas Boulevard in the world famous downtown area. Parking is available at any of the following parking garages: Neonopolis, Fremont Street Experience, Four Queens, Lady Luck or surrounding properties.

Fremont East from Las Vegas Boulevard to 8th Street will be closed to all vehicle traffic from 8 p.m. on November 16 through 5 a.m. Sunday, November 18 in order to accommodate this street celebration.

Neon Boneyard Museum

Took some vacation last week and finally made an appointment to tour the Neon Boneyard. This museum is run by a non-profit organization that collects (donations) of old Vegas Neon signs and restores them. See their website here: http://www.neonmuseum.org/boneyard.html.

It was very cool.

Golf Photography

playing with my new camera some more.