Google's "Invbox" Glitch

Somebody must have been editing the Gmail master template (*tisk tisk*) because for about thirty seconds I noticed my Gmail "Inbox" was now my Gmail "Invbox." I managed to snag a screenshot just before someone corrected the error, but once something is done electronically, it can never be undone. See the picture below, and don't mind the white spaces where I blocked out my own personal e-mails, etc. Look at the "Invbox" link in the upper-left of the screen.

And what's even more ironic? Look at the news feeder on top of the inbox--the news article is from Discovery Channel and talks about a "glitch" in something else.

To Sample, or Not to Sample... That is the Question

Remember the last time you visited a grocery store that gave out samples of something you particularly liked? How many samples did you have?

If it's something being scooped into a small cup, and given with a small plastic spoon, are you less likely to go back for a second sample? As opposed to a bin with what seems like 4,000 grapes and a heap of toothpicks next to it... How about then- most likely going to have more than one grape?

When I sample food items in a grocery store, particularly fruit items, I am very likely to pick up 2 or 3 chunks of fruit just with one toothpick. Multiply that by several run-throughs, and you'll find that a few people like myself could deplete an entire produce section in a mere hour.

Now, naturally I expect that studies have shown that offering free samples actually does entice more customers to buy a particular product, but to what extent?

Do some companies, like Whole Foods, just experience a large enough profit overall that they can afford to give out free samples, making people more likely to return to the store again and to buy various other items in doing so? Is that the idea? I rarely ever see a Safeway or Giant giving out samples. In all honesty, though, thinking about the free samples when I walk by a Whole Foods is actually what does draw me inside more often than not. If that's the company's goal, then good job! I get sucked in for the cream cheese dips, the guacamole, the grapes, the occasional strawberries, the shakes, crackers, tortilla chips, and not as often the cheese.

*Whew*

And once I'm inside, I try my hardest to resist buying something. However, it seems that right next to each free fruit display, there seems to be a big stack of something that's on sale. Sometimes the deal is too good to pass up. Other times, I feel that any profit the company might potentially make on my frozen fruit purchase has already been undone in the form of free samples that I've consumed earlier in the adventure. For me it's a moot point.

Tell me how you behave when the free samples go out, and what motivates you to go into a store. I go to Safeway for the low prices, and often only buy Sale items. I go into Whole Foods for the free samples, and on the off chance that I do buy something, you can bet it's on Sale.

So, what's a company really get when it puts out free samples in its grocery stores? Return in the form of more frequent customer visits, or return in the form of selling more of the item on display?

Kicking the [Oil] Habit

With the price of oil going through the roof, it seems that riding a bicycle has become an increasingly better alternative to driving. Riding a bike to and from work is hard work. Starting after a mile, one generally begins to sweat, and it can be quite an arduous trek getting from home to the office. You may have to do it in the snow, or on 100 degree days. It's rewarding in its own right, however people typically ask themselves how practical it is to bike to work.

Now, granted, biking to work doesn't work for all people. If you live too far away from your office, then biking is out of the question. Even if you don't live that far away (5+ miles), you may still find yourself worrying about not being able to respond quickly enough should you get a call from the school nurse about your kid being sick. A number of "life" criteria, essentially, must be met in order for biking to become a viable alternative to driving. Hence, with respect to this phenomenon, the following list has been compiled.

1) One must have a bicycle to ride. Generally, a newer than older bike is better, mainly for reliability's sake.

2) One must carry a lock with them wherever they go. As a result of the risk of theft, the bike commuter must always bring with him/her a lock of moderate quality. A cheap cable lock won't do- it's almost asking to have one's bike ripped off. A heavier lock, for example a chain w/ padlock, is the best way to go. Once one obtains a quality lock however, the weight of the lock can become an issue.

3) One mustn't have kids. Quick response is necessary when dealing with kids... and quick response, while the wind may feel quick on one's face whilst riding, cannot generally be achieved with a bicycle.

4) One must have changes of clothes at their workplace, and have a place to change into those clothes. Invariably, there are 5 months of the year where one is guaranteed to sweat on his/her jaunt to work. Unless one showing up to work smelly and sweaty is an appeal or is necessary for one's job, having a change of clothes there will probably be necessary.

5) One must get to know their local bike shop professionals by first name (for the following reason).

6) One needs accessories. Starting with a floor pump, one will also inevitably need a tire gauge, a helmet, a lock, a chain of sorts to accompany the high-quality lock, a bell, front and rear lights/reflectors, and lubricants. After one's got all that, he/she guaranteed at some point to face either a blown tube or a busted tire/wheel. To repair a flat, one will need to visit his/her friend(s) at the bike shop again. Beyond all this, a rear rack with panniers should also be a consideration.

7) One may be safer in one's car than on one's bike...given the tendency for bicycle accidents, particularly in cities.

Add additional points in the comments section.

As you can see, there are a number of criteria to consider when you're looking to become a bike commuter. Namely, the finances and the sweating are to be remembered when deciding. Affording a bike and its accessories, however, is still a pretty minuscule investment compared to an automobile. In fact, everything above would probably cost less in an entire year than car insurance for just six months. Consider it. Even then, you can calculate the gas you'd save by riding rather than driving- the gas savings alone should be enough of a convincer to switch.

Fluorescent Light Bulbs: Save Something... i.e. Yourself, Earth, Money [Part 2]

Imagine this: the United States government mandates that all new refrigerators sold in the US must come with fluorescent light bulbs rather than standard incandescent light bulbs. Even better would be if whole states mandated cities to install fluorescent light bulbs on highway and street lights. Read further for some statistics to get an idea of how much electricity and money mandates like this would save everyone.

I've just recently picked up a package of three "ecobulb" fluorescent light bulbs to replace the incandescent light bulbs in my desk lamps. Do you ever see these energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs and think, "Wow those are tall! They'd stick too far out of my lighting socket!" Well, I've lined up my old vs. new light bulbs, and to be honest the fluorescent light bulb is taller, but by mere millimeters. So, all in all, there's really no physical difference, other than the aesthetics of the bulb. You've got twirly things vs. a bulby thing. That's about it.

What about the energy-savings? An average 60-watt [incandescent] light bulb outputs around 900 lumens. One of my new [fluorescent] light bulbs outputs clean white light, versus dirty-feeling yellow light. It gives me the same 900 lumens, although I dare you to guess how many watts of energy it uses to do the same job.
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That's right: 13 watts!

You're thinking, holy smokes, that's amazing! It's true, it is amazing. What's better? You're familiar, I'm sure, with how hot those old light bulbs get. You can't touch a lightbulb, Oh No, nor can you replace one until 5 or 10 minutes after it's been turned off. These new fluorescent light bulbs give off 60-75% less heat! I can actually adjust my lamp after I turn it on now. Before, I wouldn't dare burn myself on my hot lamp trying to adjust it so I can actually read.

LightsofAmerica sums it up: "90% of the energy consumed by an incandescent bulb is wasted heat. This makes the bulb extremely hot to touch and very unsafe." They also say that fluorescent light bulbs only reach a maximum of 90 degrees F. A jacuzzi is usually 100-104 degrees, so you must realize that this bulb is actually very cool in comparison to the incandescent light bulb that we're all so accustomed to, which can get as hot as 350 degrees F!

But why is it that, according to Deborah Mitchell, only 5% of the light bulbs purchased in the US last year were these superior fluorescents? Cost. It's true that I'll likely pay $3 for a single fluorescent bulb versus $1+ for a typical incandescent bulb. However, FLUORESCENT LIGHTBULBS CAN LAST UP TO 10 TIMES LONGER THAN INCANDESCENT BULBS! What does this mean? Well, you buy less bulbs and pollute the environment less- landfills fill up less quickly and stay cleaner... Oh, the cost benefits? You'll probably save between $50 and $100 over the lifetime of the bulb in electricity costs, assuming that the price of electricity doesn't rise in the next 9 years (the average life span of a fluorescent bulb based on an average of 3 hours of use per day), which is unlikely. So, the savings are actually even greater! In fact, it's even worth it to stock up on fluorescent bulbs now and save them for years to come.

I find it hard to believe that I was so ignorant to the benefits of these bulbs for so long. I've always known that they are more energy efficient, but I have been skeptical about whether or not their higher cost was really offset by savings on the electricity bill. Well... it's quite obvious now. And, it is safe to say that I will never again buy an incandescent light bulb. I've only briefly touched upon the benefits (can you believe it!?) of fluorescent light bulbs in this column. The links in this article actually lead to great sites with a ton of statistics and interesting information. So, please do yourself ($$) and the environment a favor and stay away from those nasty old incandescent light bulbs.

Fast Company says that if every American household swapped an incandescent for a fluorescent, the oil and greenhouse gas savings would equate to pulling 1.3 million cars off the road.

Thanks, CharityGuide, for giving us some final insight on this matter:

"If every household in the United States installed just one 15-watt compact fluorescent light bulb to replace one 60-watt incandescent light bulb, we could save enough energy to provide power to 1.5 million people."