You heard it here... June, 2010

Grilling for Father's Day? Cleaning the Grill Grate Cook’s Illustrated Video of the Week: Contrary to some cooks' beliefs, a dirty grill grate does not "season" food as it cooks. In fact, it has the opposite effect, imparting ashy off-flavors and making it more likely that items will stick to the bars. To ensure that your food ends up on your plate and not stuck on the grill grate, all you need is vegetable oil, a good grill brush, and these cleaning techniques.

On Guard ~ Thanks to Ms. Linda Jo Bruton This is a "Must See" video.        How many times have we helped strangers take pictures of themselves when asked?      Well, watch this video and then think twice the next time it happens. http://www.wimp.com/goodsamaritan/

The Amazing Cucumber ~ Thank to Dr. Mahmood Husaini This information was in  The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their "Spotlight  on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways  to solve  common problems.   1.   Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day.  Just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2,  Vitamin  B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid,  Vitamin C, Calcium,  Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.    2. Feeling tired in  the  afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber.  Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.    3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower?  Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.  4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds?  Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long.  The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden  pests crazy and make them flee the area.   5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool?  Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes.  The phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!    6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache?  Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free.  Cucumbers contain enough  sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!     7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick  meals to thwart off starvation.    8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes?  Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.    9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge?  Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is  gone!   10.  Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa?  Cut up an  entire cucumber and  place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling  water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.   11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints?  Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to  eliminate bad breath.  The phytochemicals will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.   12.  Looking for a 'green' way to  clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel?  Take a  slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.    13. Using a pen and made a  mistake?  Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Think About This...

Making the best of a situation ~ Thanks to Ms. Juanita Whiteside A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.   A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.   Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"   The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way."  I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it."   Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so blessed that they were not blind.  Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective? Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have.  Be creative.  Be innovative.  Think differently and positively.

Computer tips...

Internet Security ~ Thanks to Mr. Linda Jo Bruton The main difference between  http:// and https:// It's all about keeping you secure - HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transport Protocol.  The S (big surprise) stands for "Secure".  If you visit a web site or web page, and look at the address in the web browser, it will likely begin with the following: http://.  This means that the web site is talking to your browser using the regular "unsecure" language. In other words, it is possible for someone to "eavesdrop" on your computer's conversation with the website. If you fill out a form on the web site, someone might see the information you send to that site. This is why you never ever enter your credit card number in an http website!  But if the web address begins with https:// that basically means your computer is talking to the website in a secure code that no one can eavesdrop on.  You understand why this is so important, right? If a web site ever asks you to enter your credit card information, you should automatically look to see if the web address begins with https://.   If it doesn't, there's no way you should enter sensitive information like a credit card number.

Emailing Etiquette ~ Thanks to Mr. Jim Ward   This advice on emailing from Snopes.com is very important.   1.     Any time you see an email that says,             “Forward this on to '10' (or however many) of your friends”;             “Sign this petition, or you'll get bad luck/good luck”;             “You'll see something funny on your screen after you send it”; or whatever, it almost always has an email tracker program attached that tracks the cookies and emails of those folks you forward to.    The host sender is getting a copy each time it gets forwarded and then is able to get lists of 'active' email addresses to use in SPAM emails,or sell to other spammers.  Even when you get emails that demand you send the email on if you're not ashamed of God/Jesus ...that's email tracking and they're playing on your conscience.  These people don't care how they get your email addresses - just as long as they get them. 2.    Also, emails that talk about a missing child or a child with an incurable disease – "how would you feel if that was your child?"   ....Email Tracking!!!  Ignore them and don't participate! Almost all emails that ask you to add your name and forward on to others are similar to that mass letter years ago that asked people tosend business cards to the little kid in Florida who wanted to break the Guinness Book of Records for the most cards.  All it was, and all any of this type of email is, is a way to get names  and 'cookie' tracking information for telemarketers and spammers - to validate active email accounts for  their own profitable purposes. You can do your friends and family members a GREAT favor by sending this information to them;  you will be providing a service to your friends, and will be rewarded by not getting thousands of spam emails in the future!     If you have been sending out (FORWARDING) the above kinds of email, now you know why you get so much SPAM!  Do yourself a favor and STOP adding your name(s) to those types of listings regardless how inviting they might sound, or make you feel guilty if you don't!  It's all about getting email addresses - nothing more!    You may think you are supporting a GREAT cause, but you are NOT!  Instead, you will be getting tons of junk mail later and very possibly a virus attached!  Plus, you are helping the spammers get rich!  Let's stop making it easy for them!    Also: email petitions are NOT acceptable to Government, or any other organization – i.e. social security, etc.  To be acceptable,petitions must have a signed signature and full address of the person signing the petition, so this is a waste of time and you're just helping the email trackers.    Please read the full story here:   http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/internet.asp And here’s another take on the subject: IMPORTANT!! HOW TO FORWARD EMAIL APPROPRIATELY A friend who is a computer expert received the following directly from a system administrator for a corporate system.  It is an excellent message that ABSOLUTELY applies to ALL of us who send emails.  Please read the short letter below, even if you're sure you already follow proper procedures.  “Do you really know how to forward emails?  50% do;  50% DO NOT. Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail?  Do you hate it? Every time you forward an email there is information left over from the people who got the message before you, namely their email addresses & names.  As the  messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and builds, and builds, and all it takes is for some poor sap to get a virus, and his or her computer can send that virus to every email address that has come across his computer. Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them or send junk  mail to them in the hopes that you will go to the site and he will make five cents for each hit.  That's right, all of that inconvenience over five cents. How do you stop it?  Well, there are several easy steps:   (1)  When you forward an email, DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message (at the top).  That's right, DELETE them.  Highlight them and delete them,  them, cut them, whatever it is you know how to do.  It only takes a second.  You MUST click the 'Forward'  button first and then you will have full editing capabilities against the body and headers of the message.  If you don't click on 'Forward 'first, you won't be able to edit the message at all. (2)  Whenever you send an email to more than one person,  do NOT use the To: or Cc: fields for adding email addresses.  Always use the BCC: (blind carbon copy)field for listing the email addresses.  This is the way the people you send to will only see their own email address. If you don't see your BCC: option click on where it says To: and your address list will appear.  Highlight the address and choose BCC: and that's it, it's that  easy. When you send to BCC: your message will automatically say 'Undisclosed Recipients' in the 'TO:' field of the people who receive it. (3)  Remove any 'FW :' in the subject line.  You can re-name the subject if you wish or even fix spelling. (4)  ALWAYS hit your Forward button from the actual email you are reading.  Ever get those emails that you have to open 10 pages to read the one page with the information on it?  By Forwarding from the actual page you wish someone  to view, you stop them from having to open many emails just to see what you sent. (5)    Have you ever got an email that is a petition?  It states a position and asks you to add your name and address and to forward it to 10 or 15 people or your entire address book.  The email can be forwarded on and on and can collect thousands of names and email addresses.   A  FACT: The completed petition is actually worth a couple of bucks to a professional spammer because of the wealth of valid names and email addresses contained therein. If you want to support the petition, send it as your own personal letter to the intended recipient. Your position may carry more weight as a personal letter than a laundry list of names and email address on a petition.   (Actually, if you think about it, who's supposed to send the petition in to whatever cause it supports?  And don't believe the ones that say that the email is being traced, it just ain't so!) (6)    One of the main ones I hate is the ones that say that something like, 'Send this email to 10 people and you'll see something great run across your  screen.' Or, sometimes they'll just tease you by saying something really cute will happen.  IT AINT GONNA HAPPEN!  (Trust me, I'm still seeing some of the same ones that I waited on 10 years ago!)  I don't let the bad luck ones scare me either, they get trashed.  (7) Before you forward an Amber Alert, or a Virus Alert, or some of the other ones floating around nowadays, check them out before you forward them.  Most of them are junk mail that's been circling the net for YEARS!  Just about everything you receive in an email that is in question can be checked out at Snopes.  Just go to http://www.snopes.com   Its really easy to find out if it's real or not.  If it's not, please don't pass it on. So please, in the future, let's stop the junk mail and the viruses. Finally, here's an idea!!!  Let's send this to everyone we know (but strip my address off  first, please.  And send them using the BBC (Blind Carbon Copy).

Green Tips...

Pool loss Install a pool or spa cover and save 30 gallons of water daily instead of losing the water to evaporation and filter backwash.

Blu-ray discs shred Blu-ray discs hold five times more content than traditional compact discs and are composed of 50 percent paper, allowing them to be shredded and making them easier to dispose of than traditional discs.

A chuckle or two or even a gasp...

#1 Best Come-Back Line of the Year ~ Thanks to Mr. Jim Knudsen If you ever testify in court, you might wish you could have been as sharp as this policeman. He was being cross-examined by a defense attorney during a felony trial. The lawyer was trying to undermine the police officer's credibility ..... Q: 'Officer --- did you see my client fleeing the scene?' A: 'No sir. But I subsequently observed a person matching the description of the offender, running several blocks away.' Q: 'Officer -- who provided this description?' A: 'The officer who responded to the scene.' Q: 'A fellow officer provided the description of this so-called offender. Do you trust your fellow officers?' A: 'Yes, sir. With my life.' Q: 'With your life? Let me ask you this then officer. Do you have a room where you change your clothes in preparation for your daily duties?' A: 'Yes sir, we do!' Q: 'And do you have a locker in the room?' A: 'Yes sir, I do.' Q: 'And do you have a lock on your locker?' A: 'Yes sir.' Q: 'Now why is it, officer, if you trust your fellow officers with your life, you find it necessary to lock your locker in a room you share with these same officers?' A: 'You see, sir -- we share the building with the court complex, and sometimes lawyers have been known to walk through that room.' The courtroom EXPLODED with laughter, and a prompt recess was called.

#2 Best Come-Back Line of the Year ~ Thanks to Mr. Jim Knudsen Now We Know Why He Was a General ----- In an recent interview, General Norman Schwarzkopf was asked if he thought there was room for forgiveness toward the people who have harbored and abetted the terrorists who perpetrated the 9/11 attacks on America. His answer was classic Schwarzkopf. The General said, "I believe that forgiving them is God's function.... OUR job is to arrange the meeting.

Discussing Your Living Will ~ Thanks to Mr. Jim Knudsen   Last night, my kids and I were sitting in the living room and I said to them, "I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug." They got up, unplugged the computer and threw out my wine.    They are SO on my s_ _t list...

A Little Jocularity to Ease You Into Your Day ~ Thanks to Mr. John Lopez and Ms. Juanita Whiteside DISNEYLAND - Two blondes were going to Disneyland .  They were driving on the Interstate when they saw the sign that said Disneyland LEFT.  They started crying and turned around and went home. SPEEDING TICKET - A police officer stops a blonde for speeding and asks her very nicely if he could see her license.  She replied in a huff, "I wish you guys would get your act together. Just yesterday you take away my license and then today you expect me to show it to you!" KNITTING -  A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway. Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see that the blonde behind the wheel was knitting!  Realizing that she was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled, "PULL OVER!" "NO!" the blonde yelled back. "IT'S A SCARF!" FINALLY, THE BLONDE JOKE TO END ALL BLONDE JOKES! A girl was visiting her blonde friend, who had acquired two new dogs, and asked her what their names were. The blonde responded by saying that one was named Rolex and one was named Timex. Her friend said, "Whoever heard of someone naming dogs like that?" "HELLLOOOOOOO," answered the blonde. "They're watch dogs."

One last blonde joke ~ Thanks to Ms. Florence Pierson I urgently needed a few days off work, but, I knew the Boss would not allow me to take leave.  I thought that maybe if I acted 'Crazy' then he would tell me to take a few days off. So I hung upside-down on the ceiling and made funny noises. My co-worker (who's blonde) asked me what I was doing. I told her that I was pretending to be a light bulb so that the Boss might think I was "Crazy" and give me a few days off. A few minutes later the Boss came into the office and asked, "What in the name of good GOD are you doing?" I told him I was a light bulb. He said, "You are clearly stressed out.' Go home and recuperate for a couple of days." I jumped down and walked out of the office... When my co-worker (the blonde) followed me, the Boss asked her, "And where do you think you're going?" She said, "I'm going home, too. I can't work in the dark."

Why Athletes Can't Have Regular Jobs ~ Thanks to Ms. Linda Jo Bruton   1. Chicago Cubs outfielder Andre Dawson on being a role model: "I wan' all dem kids to do what I do, to look up to me. I wan' all the kids to copulate me." 2. New Orleans Saint RB George Rogers when asked about the upcoming season: "I want to rush for 1,000 or 1,500 yards, whichever comes first." 3. And, upon hearing Joe Jacobi of the 'Skins say: "I'd run over my own mother to win the Super Bowl," Matt Millen of the Raiders said: "To win, I'd run over Joe's Mom, too." 4. Torrin Polk, University of Houston receiver, on his coach, John Jenkins: "He treats us like men. He lets us wear earrings." 5. Football commentator and former player Joe Theismann, 1996: "Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." 6. Senior basketball player at the University of Pittsburgh : "I'm going to graduate on time, no matter how long it takes." (Now that is beautiful) 7. Bill Peterson, a Florida State football coach: "You guys line up alphabetically by height." And, "You guys pair up in groups of three, and then line up in a circle." 8. Boxing promoter Dan Duva on Mike Tyson going to prison: "Why would anyone expect him to come out smarter? He went to prison for three years, not Princeton .." 9. Stu Grimson, Chicago Blackhawks left wing, explaining why he keeps a color photo of himself above his locker: "That's so when I forget how to spell my name, I can still find my clothes." 10. Lou Duva, veteran boxing trainer, on the Spartan training regime of heavyweight Andrew Golota: "He's a guy who gets up at six o'clock in the morning, regardless of what time it is." 11. Chuck Nevitt , North Carolina State basketball player, explaining to Coach Jim Valvano why he appeared nervous at practice: "My sister's expecting a baby, and I don't know if I'm going to be an uncle or an aunt." (I wonder if his IQ ever hit room temperature in January) 12. Frank Layden , Utah Jazz president, on a former player: "I told him, 'Son, what is it with you? Is it ignorance or apathy?' He said, 'Coach, I don't know and I don't care.' 13. Shelby Metcalf, basketball coach at Texas A&M, recounting what he told a player who received four F's and one D: "Son, looks to me like you're spending too much time on one subject." 14. Amarillo High School and Oiler coach Bum Phillips when asked by Bob Costas why he takes his wife on all the road trips, Phillips responded: "Because she is too damn ugly to kiss good-bye." 15. These are right in the ballpark with Mike Tyson's answer to what he will do when he retires..."I guess I'll just fade into Bolivia ."

Worth a thousand words...

Amazing Technology From Japan ~ Thanks to Ms. Barbara Jones Look closely and guess what they could be... Looks like pens with hidden cams , right? You've just seen something that will replace your PC in the future. You've just seen the future of the Laptop.  In the revolution of miniature computers, the scientists are ahead with bluetooth technology. This is the forthcoming computers you can carry within your pockets. This 'pen sort of instrument' produces both the monitor as well as the keyboard on any flat surfaces from where you can carry out functions you would normally do on your desktop computer.

Before you go...

A business associate, Jim Ward, shared this story about the butterfly with me and I thought you might enjoy reading it, too.  It sure fits the difficult times we're all facing. THE BUTTERFLY One day, man found a cocoon of a butterfly. Soon, a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole.  Then it stopped, as if it couldn't go further. So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings. The man continued to watch it, expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body, Neither happened! In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around. It was never able to fly. What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us. We will not be as strong as we could have been and we would never fly. Your comments, suggestions, and contributions are always welcome.  Be sure to tell your friends about Coffee Break.  And if you have time, explore the other sections of our web site.  I leave you to ponder these words and help you through the rest of the day...   "The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything that comes along their way." Take care and stay in touch, Joanne Your San Francisco Bay Area Real Estate Broker... and coffee lover. Joanne L. Gardiner, Broker, e-PRO Realtor California Department of Real Estate Brokers License Number: 00822285 Advantage Realty A.R.M. Homes Office: (510) 429-4800 Joanne's Cell Phone: 510-589-4794 For information on buying or selling in the bay area, please call me or send me a note on the Contact Joanne form. San Francisco Bay Area Real Estate and Homes for sale, San Francisco East Bay Real Estate and Homes, Mobile Homes and Manufactured Homes for sale Our primary realty service areas in the San Francisco Bay Area: Hayward, Castro Valley, Pleasanton, Dublin, San Ramon, Danville, Fremont, Newark, Niles, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, San Ramon, Sunol, Oakland, Foster City, Burlingame, and San Mateo.  Count on us for: Alameda County homes for sale, Contra Costa County homes for sale, San Mateo Country homes for sale. And now with our expanded Multiple Listing Services (MLS), we easily serve all bay area communities. The types of real estate in which we specialize are:  single family homes,  duets, condominiums, townhomes, garden homes, PUDs, manufactured homes, mobile homes, income property, investment property, tri-plexes, four-plexes, apartment property, and special use properties such as churches and mobile home parks.