Slacker

Over the past year, music "taste sharing" sites have increased in visibility and popularity. They're not only a good way to get hip to new music, but they're good places to meet new people, too.

Despite its name, Slacker is no slouch. Rivals such as Last.fm and Pandora garner well-deserved praise, but don't compare to Slacker in ease of use. No matter what your music tastes may be, within about 30 seconds of first arriving at this Internet radio site you can be listening to your pick of a huge number of potential stations.

It gets even better. Slacker helpfully displays the full list of artists that play on any given station, but you don't have to stick with the list. If you start with one of the pre-made genre stations, you can toss bands you don't like from the lineup. Pick an artist station, which adds similar bands to an artist you search for, and you can also mix in your choice of crooners. You can choose favorite songs to hear them more often, and skip those you don't like (up to six songs per hour for the free level of use).

Add in more fine-tuning options for each station, such as whether to lean toward lesser-known music or top hits, plus a downloadable software player that can run without a browser, and you'll like this hard-working Slacker.

Why I REALLY Need Glasses!

Airlines slow down flights to save on fuel

Drivers have long known that slowing down on the highway means getting more miles to the gallon. Now airlines are trying it, too - adding a few minutes to flights to save millions on fuel.

Southwest Airlines started flying slower about two months ago, and projects it will save $42 million in fuel this year by extending each flight by one to three minutes.

On one Northwest Airlines flight from Paris to Minneapolis earlier this week alone, flying slower saved 162 gallons of fuel, saving the airline $535. It added eight minutes to the flight, extending it to eight hours, 58 minutes.

For Three!

World Record Three Pointers

Otto, The Bad Dog

And The Dirt Keeps Coming!

The berm building is now in full swing. Truck load, after truck load of dirt are being formed into the 5-6 foot high hills that will eventually surround the pool. The drainage systems for the whole landscaping project are currently going into the ground This is to be followed by small walls around most of the apron to keep the plant material on one side and clean concrete on the other.

Vacation Snorkeling

Always Vent Sealed Storage Tanks Before Emptying Them!

This is what happens when you don't properly vent a sealed storage tank before emptying it. Hot gas or air in a sealed container cools. The air pressure difference inside is so great that the structure is compromised.

typeracer

Free Printable Paper

Day One Hundred Forty

The first test fire of the squirter's and the waterfall.

We get to adjust where they squirt. Any suggestions? All to one spot? Individual?

The waterfall. The flow rate can be controlled up or down, but this level seems to be hitting the bench just right!

The big equipment is back! The berm building started today.

The berms are being built up with all of the rough dirt first. Good top soil will go over the top of that to finish them off.

This shot was taken just moments before Deb drove this thing through the fence!

They don't look so big from a distance!

The Elevator

Oh, To Be A Bowling Stud

Pool Update

The pool decking is finally done.

Rounded corners overhand the tracks of the automatic pool cover.

The fire pit is in the foreground of the main patio area.

This is where the auto cover will be installed. The white metal block is waiting for a diving board to be bolted to it. Once the cover is installed, stamped concrete slabs will go over the hole that match the rest of the decking.

Another shot of the main patio area.

A short wall will go around the edges of the patio to then be back-filled by large berms.

Stairs to the back of the house.

The cement looks really pink right now, but it will mellow considerably as it dries.