Were I a talented chemist, the first thing I’d make would probably be LSD. But the second? Definitely glowsticks. I know what you’re thinking, “But I can buy LSD and glowsticks pretty cheap.” Hence, I’m no chemist.

The man who created the world wide web says the two oblique strokes in front of every website address are a bit of a mistake. How else is / used?

If Sir Tim Berners-Lee had his time again he’d probably leave // out.

The two forward slashes at the start of URLs are pretty pointless, says the British scientist who is credited with being the architect of the world wide web.

Typing in // has just resulted in people overusing their index fingers, wasting time and using more paper, he has told a technology meeting in Washington.

But their inclusion has made the forward slash an everyday part of people’s lives globally. Other than in website addresses, here are 10 ways / is used.

1. In tenpin bowling it is used in scoring to show a spare. This is when all of the pins have been knocked down after the second ball of a frame.

2. In Teelineshorthand, it is used instead of a full stop. And in Fraktur script, which dates back to the Middle Ages, a forward slash represents a comma.

3. In old money it is used to divide shillings and pence. So something that cost ten shillings and six pence could be written as 10/6.

4. / is the title of a novel by author Greg Bear. Published in 1997, it is also known as Slant.

5. When writing dates it is used as a delimiter. This is character or sequence of characters marking the beginning or end of a unit of data. So today’s date would be written as 14/10/09.

6. In poems and plays it is used to indicate a line break when quoting multiple lines. For example “I had a dream, which was not all a dream/The bright sun was extinguish’d, and the stars”, from Lord Byron’s poem Darkness.

7. In NetHack, a 1987 video game, a forward slash is the symbol for a wand.

8. US government department names can be abbreviated using it. For example the Department of Defense, International Security Affairs is DOD/ISA.

9. It often replaces a hyphen to make clear a strong joint between words or phrases eg: Beyonce is a singer/actress.

10. But it can also represent “or” in instruction manuals and books.

Weatherstripping

If you live in an older home, you may be able to lower your heating costs by as much as 40% just by spending a few hours of your time, or spending a few hundred dollars to hire a professional weatherstripper. Weatherstripping involves using caulking, foam tape, and specially made products to seal cracks where warm air can escape your home. This are often found around windows, doors, baseboards, and electrical outlets. A guide to weahterstripping can be found here.

Hot Water Tank

Your hot water tank should have an easy to adjust thermostat on it. This controls how hot the water in the tank is heated up to. Setting it to a lower level results in less energy being used to maintain the heat level. To save the most energy set it to 120F, but no lower, or else bacteria can build up in the tank. Of course, lowing the temperature setting will cause you to run out of hot water more easily, so this tip is unsuitable for some households.

Installing low flow showerheads, as well as low flow heads in faucets, can also decrease your water bill a lot. These heads reduce water consumption by about half, compared to a typical standard unit. They can also allow you to run out of hot water less often when you have your tank

• Rub ordinary car wax into your ceramic bathroom tiling to clean and refinish. Let it stand 10 minutes and buff or polish.
• Use a typewriter eraser to clean spaces between bathroom tiles.
• Loosen dirt before cleaning the bathroom by filling the tub with the hottest water possible. The steam will loosen the dirt faster.
• To clean mineral deposits from a clogged shower head, boil it with half a cup of white vinegar and one quart of vinegar for a while
• Soak a plastic shower head in a hot vinegar and water mixture to unclog it.
• Before hanging shower curtains, soak them in a salt water solution to prevent mildew.
• Wash mildewed shower curtains in hot soapy water, rub with lemon juice, and let them dry in the sun.
• Dip a cloth in kerosene or rubbing alcohol to remove scum and spots from your bathroom fixtures.
• Use a piece of very fine plain steel wool to remove film from the shower stall.
• Lighter fluid will remove most dark, stubborn stains from sink and bathtub.
• Restore whiteness to a yellowed bathtub by rubbing with a salt and turpentine solution.
• Dip a stiff brush in a kerosene and warm water solution to clean the bath mat.
• Spread a paste of hydrogen peroxide and cream of tartar over the rusted area, and add a few drops of ammonia. Let it stand or 2 or 3 hours.
• Rust stains on tile can be removed with kerosene.
• Try using one of the rust removers (found on this site) to remove toilet bowl rings.
• Rub glass shower doors with a white vinegar dampened sponge to remove soap residue.
• Insert a sponge into the leg of an old nylon stocking and knot the end. Use it to scrub sinks, bathtub, tile, etc.
• If your medicine cabinet has two sliding mirrors, slide one side open before taking a hot bath or shower. After the bath, you’ll have one clean mirror instead of two that are steamed and foggy.
• If you suffer from back problems, use a child’s toy mop to clean your bathtub–you won’t have to stoop over to clean.
• Stand a rubber bath on end to let it drain–prevents mildew and mold.
• If you run about an inch of cold water before adding hot water in the bath, there will be absolutely no steam in your bathroom.
• It’s a good idea to go through your medicine several times a year and throw away medicines that are old or outdated. They could be dangerous.
• Clean your bathroom after a steamy bath or shower. The walls, fixtures, etc., will be much easier to clean, because the steam will have loosened the dirt.

Do you want to do a makeover on your home but don’t want to break your tight budget? You could turn your interior design dreams into domestic reality – all on a budget – by just doing the work yourself. DIY home improvement can save you thousands of dollars that you would’ve otherwise spent to hire a professional interior designer. Just let your creativity guide you through the process, and you may find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Use your weekends and free days to check out used furniture shops and flea markets in your area because those places are hot spots for great bargains. Used ceramic plates, jars with ethnic paintings and ornate tabletop fountains can all be great design items – and all of them can be found at flea markets and secondhand stores for a song.

With a little paint and a couple of brushes, you could also create high-impact visuals without the high-value price. Repaint the walls to change the color of the room, or use stencils to easily add little touches throughout a space. Splash some paint around to create a huge abstract art mural. It’s a great way to instantly give any space some new life and a whole lot of extra attitude.

Floors can be given a whole new look with some sandpaper and a bit of varnish. Rough up your old wood flooring with the sandpaper and then seal in the rough effect using the varnish. The aged and deconstructed look gives your space a lot more character and depth than just boring old wood flooring.

Rugs are another great solution to rejuvenate the look of your floor. A large, brightly colored rug or an intricately detailed one creates an instant focal point for a room. And because of the rug’s eye-catching design, guests are less likely to pay attention to the floor. And with the near limitless range of rugs available today, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding one that fits in your room and your budget.

Mirrors offer you an effective yet inexpensive way to add impressive effects to a space. Because they throw light back, mirrors tend to play tricks on the eyes and make any room look much airier and more spacious. If you want the effect but don’t want to commit to a huge mirror hanging somewhere, mirror tiles are also now available.

Lighting fixtures are essential yet oft overlooked elements in any room. Most lighting fixtures today tend to be either attractive or functional, but very rarely both. If you want maximum impact, hunt down a few trendy or vintage lamps from flea markets and used furniture shops.

There is no limit on what you can do to glamorize your home with just a wee bit of imagination, creativity and patience, and perhaps a couple of trips to the hardware store. A little elbow grease is all it takes to update your modest home decor and give it a whole new and trendier look – all without breaking the bank.

Our best hint for Interior Design, is to use area rugs – and the kids rugs will suit any modern furnishings.

Courtesy : Sarah Crosset

Subject: Getting a Glass Lid (top) from a Glass Jar. We had trouble getting the glass lid (top) from a glass jar. Temperature differential did not help nor did rubber bands and rubber gloves. With eye protection and gloves, one of us held the jar whilst the other levered the lid using vice-grip pliers. The knob was protected with thick rubber bands and a rubber rest was on the edge of the jar lever point. It took a little time and patience but we were successful with not one but two jars. — Dr John BROWNBILL. 15 Jan 2008

Subject: Markings on Food Bags: For markings on foodstuff and on freezer bags you could use an old lipstick to write the name of the foodstuff in the box or plastic bag.Lipstick is edible stuff so safe. — Pushpa Kishore Mehta Oct 02 2006

Subject: Zip Top Freezer Bags… I Have difficulty getting them open? Take scissors and snip a fair sized “V” in one side of the top strip (don’t cut into the ‘sealer’) and you will find it easy to gain access without the frustration. Also if you find it difficult to fill small freezer bags you might try putting them inside a measuring cup, folding a small flap down over the edges of the cup. Then it’s easy to fill with foodstuffs and prevent the bag collapsing and the resultant spills. Same holds true for larger bags if you find a suitable sized bowl or can to place the bags in. — “Shelly” 10 Oct 2002

Subject: Bleach Smell: To remove bleach smell from hands (and that slimy feeling) pour a little vinegar or lemon juice over your hands then rinse. (bleach is alkaline, vinegar and lemon are acid, so they cancel each other out and balance the pH of your skin.) — Candace Downing Apr 11 2005

Subject: Fragrance: My hint is that to make a room smell nice spray a fragrance you like onto a light bulb and when you turn on the light bulb it will let of the smell with the heat. — h. fitch 22 Mar 2004 – Caution – Only do this when the bulb is cold – Ed

Subject: Butter Dish. To keep butter from sliding around on the butter dish, heat the dish with hot tap water, dry off and then put the butter stick on the dish and then into the refrigerator. It will melt just a little of the butter which will freeze when put in the fridge. Doesn’t slide around when you are getting butter. — Ron S

Subject: keep your socks together in the wash and dry process. Get some safety pins and keep them by the washing machine for your socks .Pin the toes of the socks together so you save time matching them up after the laundry process. — Tammy Dixon Kingston Springs, Tn. 18 Nov 2003

Subject: Recycle Grocery Bags I have recently fixed a pair of 3M Commander hooks – the kind that come off any surface just by pulling the tab – onto the sides of my kitchen garbage bin – the kind that fixes onto the inside of a cupboard door. I put the Commander hooks, one on each side a few inches below the rim and upside down. Instead of buying expensive garbage bags I can now hang a pair of plastic grocery bags from the hooks and tuck the edges neatly round the top of the bin. You know how these bags have an annoying habit of gradually sinking into the bin as they fill up – well, with the hooks they can’t do that and when the bin needs emptying, I can just unhook the bag and tie the handles ready to toss down the garbage chute. It’s also a great way to use up grocery bags instead of throwing them away. Ingenious hint – Ed

Hope you think this is worth passing on via your interesting web site. From: “Meg Gagie” 23 Mar 2003

Subject: Save on cleaning Materials. The best thing for cleaning anything around the house is very hot water with a squirt of good quality washing up liquid, and a window cloth (the best one is a reasonably priced Vileda window cloth found in Wilkinsons for

Cleaning with vinegar is one of the safest and most cost effective ways to clean. Vinegar is not very expensive and most people already have some available in their homes. It’s amazing how many products containing harsh chemicals exist on the market. You will be astonished by vinegar and it’s many uses.

Cleaning the computer and other office equipment. Computer, printer, fax and other office equipment will operate better if you keep them clean and regularly remove dust. Before you start cleaning, see whether the devices are disconnected from the network. In a bucket, combine vinegar and water in equal parts. Dampen a clean cloth in the solution. Make sure you do not to use a sprayer; the liquid should not get into the devices. Squeeze the cloth and start to wipe. Prepare some cotton sticks to remove the dirt in difficult to reach places (like around the keys of your keyboard).

Cleaning blinds. You can greatly facilitate your work, if you put on a white cotton glove. Place your hand into the solution of equal parts of vinegar and hot water and wipe every bar on both sides. This is a surprisingly simple and effective method of cleaning blinds! Prepare a bucket of clean water to wash the mud off the gloves on occasion.

Cleaning and deodorizing the drain. The combination of vinegar and baking soda is one of the most effecient ways of getting rid of obstruction and deodorizing drainpipes. In addition, this tool does not develop negative effect on the pipes (and your wallet).

Cleaning mold. If you want to take away stains left by mold, take a bottle of white vinegar. You can safely use this without worrying about the excess ventilation. To remove substantial concentrations of mold, you need raw vinegar. For minor spots vinegar is dissolved in water. To prevent the formation of mold on rugs and carpets, clean them with white vinegar.

Adorable silver. To repair the original shining quality of silver tableware, and silver bracelets, rings and other jewellery, immerse them for 2-3 hours in a mixture of 100 ml of white vinegar and 2 table spoons of baking soda. Later rinse with cold water and thoroughly dry employing a soft rag.

Polishing brass and copper. To restore the missing sheen of soft brass, bronze and copper items, take the paste made of equal parts of white vinegar and salt or vinegar, and baking soda (wait until it stops hissing). Take a clean, soft rag or paper towel and clean the items until they shine. Rinse with cold water and dry with a soft towel.

Removing traces of ballpoint pens. Take a cloth or sponge and wipe those marks with concentrated white vinegar. Keep on rubbing until the traces of the paste disappear.

The next time you need to remove a stain, clean your windows or even scrub the floor, give vinegar a try; you’ll be amazed at it’s power and at how much money it will save you.

Courtesy : Sabrina

Is your kitchen outdated and dilapidated? Have you thought about having a custom kitchen installed, but don

Many parents fight, and that’s ok! It is perfectly normal because if they don’t fight or argue once and a while, it could end up turning into one big fight! Follow these steps and feel better about your parents fighting.

STEPS

1. Always remember that none of this is your fault in any way.
2. Never try to fix your parents’ problems, it could only make things worse.
3. Talk to your parents about how you are feeling. If you are not comfortable with that, ask to talk to a therapist or a psychologist.
4. Let your parents talk things out.
5. If your parents are fighting, go into your room and listen to music, watch a movie, or play a game. Try not to get involved.

TIPS

Always remember that none of this is your fault. It is perfectly normal to fight.

WARNINGS

If your parents are hurting each other physically, call someone you trust right away. Your parents should never hurt each other!

If you