Tip O' The Day

[Holly]

With all the collective knowledge here I thought we could all benefit by sharing "tips" with each other based on our own individual vocations and life experiences.

I will go first:

Never bank where you owe money because the bank can (at any time) reach into your deposit accounts and offset what you owe to them by taking your funds. They don't need your permission; they don't need to give you notice; and they don't need a judgment against you to do so. (In other words, don't have a credit card at the same place you have your checking or savings account. It's called the "right to offset", and in most states this is perfectly legal.)

Even if you file bankruptcy and the "automatic stay" is in effect, such a bank can freeze your account long enough for them to get a court order to go ahead and take the funds to offset your debt to them. There are very narrow defenses to such actions, and in the deposit account/credit card scenario, virtually none.


~Holly~

[Boomer]

Awesome thought here Holly!

Ok - let me take a stab at this. I am a land surveyor, and I do not know how many times I see folks with property line disputes try to solve them themselves. The best defense you have in court is to have your property surveyed. When you do, pay particular attention to easements. Know where your easements are, know how much they are, and what person or entity has the easement rights. An easement is a right granted to another person for a specific or non specific use. State codes vary and easement type could be any number of things, although most of those easements are usually utility easements of some nature, designed to service your property. Imagine scolding the poor cable guy only to find out he was repairing your cable line in an easement designed for such a purpose. When the survey is completed and RECORDED at the county office, you will be a much more formidable force in court. A simple lot survey can range from $600-$1500 depending on the lot size. Larger tracts can run higher, but the money time and pain a simple survey can provide will save thousands of dollars and a lot of grey hair down the road.

I sure hope you don't write any legal descriptions Holly.

[Laffitupfzbl]

Tips - I have a million of them, actually. I'm practically a professional tipster. Should take up the whole blog thing, eh? Meh.

Ok, my best tip (I think) is how to clean out your closet. Steps listed below. If you have too many clothes, you need to try it.

1) Take EVERY piece of clothing you own (except what you are wearing) and pile it somewhere. Table, bed, middle of the floor. Attempt to edit at this point, but it's kinda pointless actually. If you could successfully edit your own wardrobe, you would not be reading this.
2) Put a 2-3 inch of duct tape in the crotch or armpit of EVERY item of clothing. Every one.
3) Put them all away.
4) Pick a date in the future and circle it in RED on your calendar. Set up multiple reminders. The BEST way to do it is make it public. Tell friends and family. Post it on your FB account. The date can be any date you are comfortable with. I usually use 6 months, some folks need a year to get used to the idea that you are going to get rid of LARGE amounts of clothes.
5) When 'the date' rolls around, anything with duct tape still on it means it's not been worn since you marked it all. That means you likely won't be wearing it. That means Goodwill or another local charity SCORES. Or you could set up a nice wine and cheese thing and have some friends and family over to go through your stuff, maybe bring some of their own. Ok, that's pointless, you'll just pick up more stuff. But the wine and cheese and tossing things is definitely recommended!

Anyhoo, happy purging!

[Holly]

(08-27-2010 11:40 AM)Laffitupfzbl Wrote:  Tips - I have a million of them, actually. I'm practically a professional tipster. Should take up the whole blog thing, eh? Meh.

Ok, my best tip (I think) is how to clean out your closet. Steps listed below. If you have too many clothes, you need to try it.

1) Take EVERY piece of clothing you own (except what you are wearing) and pile it somewhere. Table, bed, middle of the floor. Attempt to edit at this point, but it's kinda pointless actually. If you could successfully edit your own wardrobe, you would not be reading this.
2) Put a 2-3 inch of duct tape in the crotch or armpit of EVERY item of clothing. Every one.
3) Put them all away.
4) Pick a date in the future and circle it in RED on your calendar. Set up multiple reminders. The BEST way to do it is make it public. Tell friends and family. Post it on your FB account. The date can be any date you are comfortable with. I usually use 6 months, some folks need a year to get used to the idea that you are going to get rid of LARGE amounts of clothes.
5) When 'the date' rolls around, anything with duct tape still on it means it's not been worn since you marked it all. That means you likely won't be wearing it. That means Goodwill or another local charity SCORES. Or you could set up a nice wine and cheese thing and have some friends and family over to go through your stuff, maybe bring some of their own. Ok, that's pointless, you'll just pick up more stuff. But the wine and cheese and tossing things is definitely recommended!

Anyhoo, happy purging!

This is an excellent tip. I need to purge my closet really badly but had no method! Thanks for this one!

~Holly~

[Laffitupfzbl]

New tip! Did you know that all you need to make microwave popcorn is regular popcorn and a brown paper bag? 1/4 cup popcorn in the paper bag, fold it down twice and put it in the micro. Watch it closely, though. Wait until the popping slows to 1-2 pops per second, then get it out quick!

This way you can control ALL the salt and butter that goes into it. I like some of the spray butter (yee-gads, I know, but it gets it nice n sticky) and a little bit of Old Bay seasoning. Mmmmm. Nothing better for sitting down to watch Barry Gordy's "The Last Dragon" for the 100th time...

[Mufasa]

Old Bay? Ohhhhh.... I like you more and more Fuzzy...

[Laffitupfzbl]

Old Bay is awesome stuff. I put it under the skin of a roast chicken, on roasted veggies, I make these things called Cheddar Bay Biscuits - yep, pretty much homemade biscuits with cheddar cheese and Old Bay in them. They are seriously delicious. I probably go through a tin of Old Bay about every 3 months, which is a lot for me and a seasoning. Love it.

[Holly]

That is a fabulous tip! I make a lot of popcorn and I've gotten really good at popping it on top of the stove with just a little oil but I will have to try the paper bag in the microwave. Wish me luck, lol! :-)

Holly

(10-19-2010 08:28 PM)Laffitupfzbl Wrote:  New tip! Did you know that all you need to make microwave popcorn is regular popcorn and a brown paper bag? 1/4 cup popcorn in the paper bag, fold it down twice and put it in the micro. Watch it closely, though. Wait until the popping slows to 1-2 pops per second, then get it out quick!

This way you can control ALL the salt and butter that goes into it. I like some of the spray butter (yee-gads, I know, but it gets it nice n sticky) and a little bit of Old Bay seasoning. Mmmmm. Nothing better for sitting down to watch Barry Gordy's "The Last Dragon" for the 100th time...

[old honda rider]

Excellent idea. Here's my tip:

When re-painting your motorcycle gas tank, start sanding with 100 grit, then 120, then 220, then 320. And do it by hand, otherwise you'll end up with circular patterns in the metal on the tank. Yes, it's hard and yes, it takes a long, long time. The result will be worth it.

Get as much of the old paint off as possible. If you can get right down to the metal, do it.

Mask off the areas you don't want painted. Take your time here. This is the most critical part of the job, and a good masking job will give you an excellent result.

Start with a good coating of primer. If there's damage to the tank it may require a few coats to smooth things out. Let that cure for at least an hour.

As for the type of paint, a good quality rattle-can of automotive paint will do the trick. Put on at least three coats, separated by about 2 hours to ensure the paint has cured. (Depends on temperature and humidity. The label will have instructions.) Don't breath the sh!t. Wear a mask. It not sexy, but it's better than paint vapour in your lungs. *kaff kaff* Trust me on this, ok?

Once you've finished your last coat, let it sit overnight in a well-ventilated area.

Next step is applying a good layer of clear coat. Best to get the same brand clear coat as the brand of the paint. Check with the supplier to ensure that if some gas gets splashed on the tank it won't eat right through the clear coat.

Again, a minimum of 3 coats should be applied. Use even strokes when applying to avoid sags and drips.

Let is sit one more day.

Lastly, apply a good quality rubbing compound to bring the lustre back.

Voila! A beautifully painted tank can breathe new life into the look of a tired bike.

[Boomer]

(10-25-2010 06:39 PM)old honda rider Wrote:  Excellent idea. Here's my tip:

When re-painting your motorcycle gas tank, start sanding with 100 grit, then 120, then 220, then 320. And do it by hand, otherwise you'll end up with circular patterns in the metal on the tank. Yes, it's hard and yes, it takes a long, long time. The result will be worth it.

Get as much of the old paint off as possible. If you can get right down to the metal, do it.

Mask off the areas you don't want painted. Take your time here. This is the most critical part of the job, and a good masking job will give you an excellent result.

Start with a good coating of primer. If there's damage to the tank it may require a few coats to smooth things out. Let that cure for at least an hour.

As for the type of paint, a good quality rattle-can of automotive paint will do the trick. Put on at least three coats, separated by about 2 hours to ensure the paint has cured. (Depends on temperature and humidity. The label will have instructions.) Don't breath the sh!t. Wear a mask. It not sexy, but it's better than paint vapour in your lungs. *kaff kaff* Trust me on this, ok?

Once you've finished your last coat, let it sit overnight in a well-ventilated area.

Next step is applying a good layer of clear coat. Best to get the same brand clear coat as the brand of the paint. Check with the supplier to ensure that if some gas gets splashed on the tank it won't eat right through the clear coat.

Again, a minimum of 3 coats should be applied. Use even strokes when applying to avoid sags and drips.

Let is sit one more day.

Lastly, apply a good quality rubbing compound to bring the lustre back.

Voila! A beautifully painted tank can breathe new life into the look of a tired bike.

AHA! I am thinking about getting a new set of tins for my Harley and I really want them all flat black. I just havent figured out who to take the tins to for pinstriping. I really like the old school look.

The only difference I see is I wont most likely be using paint in a can. I have a good friend who does HIS own paint not far away and he has the paint gun set up, and mixes his own colors.