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By Cari Haus On February 26, 2009
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RSS (Rich Site Summary) is a format for delivering regularly changing web content. Many news-related sites, weblogs and other online publishers syndicate their content as an RSS Feed to whoever wants it.
Why should I use RSS?
If you regularly surf the web and want to stay informed by retrieving content from sites you are interested in, RSS feeds are the tool for you. RSS feeds allow you to save time by not having to visit each site individually. RSS feeds also help to maintain privacy and prevent e-mail clutter, by allowing you to receive updates without joining each site’s e-mail newsletter. The number of sites offering RSS feeds is growing rapidly and includes big names.
What do I need to do to read an RSS Feed?
You need an RSS feed reader or news aggregator to read an RSS feed. Thes tools allow you to grab RSS feeds from various sites and easily display them.
A variety of RSS Readers are available for different platforms. Some popular feed readers include Amphetadesk (Windows, Linux, Mac), FeedReader (Windows), and NewsGator (Windows - integrates with Outlook). There are also a number of web-based feed readers available. My Yahoo, Bloglines, and Google Reader are popular web-based feed readers.
Once you have your Feed Reader, it is a matter of finding sites you like that provide syndicated content. (Many sites display a small icon with the acronyms RSS, XML, or RDF to let you know a feed is available). Add the RSS feeds for those sites to the list of feeds your Feed Reader checks.
By Cari Haus On February 26, 2009
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Well, here’s a sad post for you. It’s amazing how many people—teenagers in particular—have lost their lives over the past year simply by talking or texting while walking. Seems the pre-occupation that accompanies multi-tasking doesn’t go down well in a traffic-heavy environment.
When my son took off in our car, driving the 6 hours to his boarding academy by himself for the very first time—I gave him a good talk about texting while driving and made him promise not to text behind the wheel. He kept that promise, but managed to pull out in front of an SUV anyway. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt (unless you consider a concussion, cracked rib, and not remembering where you were for the last week to be a major injury). But other the decimated car, there were no lasting injuries.
The same can’t be true for a number of people who got too involved with their texting or talking while doing something as simple as walking down the street. You can find a sad list of such accidents just published at injuryboard.com. Teenagers seem most at risk, since they are very much into texting and are also prone to have the MP3 players cranked up. So next time you’re talking to your teen—or other family members—about safety issues, you might want to bring up this little tidbit. A little knowledge can go a long ways, and hopefully will prevent some of these tragic accidents that happen when people forget where they are and what they are doing.
By Cari Haus On February 24, 2009
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Having been the victim of two errant treadmill purchases, I can now pose as an expert and share my wisdom with you (maybe I’ll even write a money-making e-book about it someday).
In any case, here’s what not to do:
Do not buy from people who wear overalls, purport to run nine businesses, advertise on Craigslist and offer to “bring it right over” free of charge. Taking your money is one of their nine businesses, and there’s a reason they want to get rid of the thing.
Do not simply turn on a used treadmill at the store, remark about how quietly it runs, and promptly take it home. Instead, get on the treadmill yourself and see if it starts complaining. You know, whining and making other strange noises.
If you want to try working while walking, turn it down to your preferred speed and give it an honest workout, right in the store. If you’re too embarrassed, get a big boy salesman to do it.
Loud creaky whines, smoke, and burnt rubber smells are a bad sign. If you qualify as portly (e.g. obese), make sure the motor has muscle to move your weight. Until now, I could never figure out why some treadmills were $3500 and some were $350. Now I know. Some were built to be run in gyms, by hefties and skinnies alike, for extended periods of time. Others were meant for people who mean well but will really turn them into a plant stand.
If you’re planning to walk while working, you need a quality treadmill. Take it from the voice of experience. My treadmill was only quiet in the store, just long enough to get the sale. Then, like my kids used to do, it started whining the minute it got through my door. I got to walk on my “gently used” toy for a whole .4 miles before it emanated a strong smell of burning rubber and ground to a creaky halt. And no, I don’t weigh 300 pounds (I’m not even close to that).
Moral of the story: if you don’t like rubbery smoke smells, buy a treadmill with a strong motor and check it out well first.
P.S. I’m taking my second treadmill back today—the second hand store I bought it from is a good place and I know they will work with me.
By Cari Haus On February 24, 2009
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I’m not a natural multi-tasker (walking while chewing gum is a challenge for me), but this movement towards walking while working really caught my attention. Unfortunately, my first two attempts at setting up a treadmill desk have met with various shades of disaster.
Attempt number one involved looking for a cheap treadmill on Craigslist, just to see if I really could type while standing. After locating an apparently fine piece of equipment with a glowing description, I e-mailed the owner to see what I could find out. The fellow was gracious enough (for reasons I would understand later), even offering to “throw” the treadmill onto the back of his truck and bring it right to my door.
A rather chatty redneck-type, he soon arrived in my driveway, pick-up, treadmill and all. Unfortunately for my short and tumultuous relationship with this treadmill, it was disgust at first sight. I had serious questions about the viability—not to mention reliability—of this machine from the moment it graced my drive. The overalled fellow drowned my thoughts with his chatter, telling me that he ran nine businesses (another warning sign) and other miscellaneous facts I had no need to know.
I felt kind of bad, you know, sending him away after he’d driven all the way over (which fit right into his strategy, I am sure). And it was only a hundred dollars. He looked like he needed it more than me, so I doled it out more to get rid of him than anything else. I figured I’d get some use out of the rather antiquated looking beast, then send it on its way.
Things deteriorated quickly when we got the treadmill into the house and took a better look. My first sign something was drastically wrong was the light switch gracing the dashboard. The second alarm went off when we turned on the treadmill. It was kind of like walking on a freight train, if you know what I mean. I forced myself to use that treadmill for all of two minutes, before hitting the light switch power gizmo and shutting it off for the night. I never got up the gumption to use it again. It was simply too loud. Plus that, it made me feel gullible and mad all at the same time. The next time someone offers to deliver a piece of equipment to my house sight unseen I’ll have a ready answer.
They have a handy little service in our town where they pick up junk once a month. I thought about giving the treadmill to the Salvation Army, but couldn’t see why they would want it. So I dragged it out to the curb and felt a certain sense of relief when they hauled it away.
It took me a year to get up my gumption and purchase another treadmill. This one came from a second hand sports store, one I had done business with before. The guy is real nice, and after some consideration and conversation I decided on an inexpensive treadmill. This one cost $400, but the sales guy assured me that it was good quality (though used) and would last me for quite awhile.
I set-up the treadmill, hooked up my makeshift laptop table, and settled in for some writing. Things were going fine for about .4 miles. I did learn a couple of things. The treadmill, which was incredibly quiet when I turned it on at the shop, got noisy the minute I stepped on it (and no, I don’t weigh a ton). I learned that I can type and walk at the same time, although 1 mile per hour (as some people do) was quite boring. Two miles per hour was actually quite a good speed for me.
I was actually just revving up, thinking of how the pounds would melt away and how wonderful this new “walking while working” way of life might be—when a strange burning odor wafted up to my nostrils. My nose doesn’t work very well, so by the time I smell something things are usually bad. I was just looking around the garage, wondering what might be on fire, when I got my second signal that something was drastically wrong. The treadmill stopped. Overheated. Whirred, whined, and quit. And just like that, my second attempt at walking while working when up in a smelly, rubbery smoke.
Guess I’ll go see that nice feller at the treadmill store tomorrow. He’s a good guy, I know he’ll get me another. But I am starting to wonder, how many treadmill desks will I have to set up before I get one that works? Thus far on my treadmill journey, I’ve met one Craigslist scammer with a light switch gizmo, and one worn out second that burns rubber than grinds to a halt.
Hopefully for me, the third time’s the charm. Otherwise I’ll have to hang-up the idea of a treadmill desk, sink into my easy chair, and hang on to my extra pounds.
By Cari Haus On February 24, 2009
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Walking is pretty hard work, especially for those of us who might be hauling the equivalent of an extra hundred pound bag of taters around. Which is why any sedentary gal (like me) has to naturally wonder—if it’s so much work just to put one foot in front of the other, why would I bother to bump it up by walking with a set of sticks?
Why indeed! Since my strategy of choice happens to be getting rid of the baggage that burdens my stomach (and hips and thighs and a few other unmentionable places), any activity that melts more calories while I’m taking my daily stroll is certainly of interest to me. And burn more calories Nordic walking does (although just how many I’ll leave for another post).
As an added side benefit, Nordic walking might also mend your shoulder and back pain, all without making you break so much as a sweat. And if you’re tempted to take a tumble, your poles may even break the fall (if you don’t get poked in the process). Hey–they might even come in handy for scaring that yapping rascal who keeps trying to sink his teeth into my cosmetically altered leg (not that I’d actually hit the little feller—but his face is invading my space).
True, I feel a bit self-conscious when taking a Nordic walk. I wouldn’t go swinging those sticks at Macey’s, or even the streets of New York (though I hear there are plenty of stranger things going on in that city). But anything that works my arm, shoulder, and upper chest muscles without making me sore surely seems worth a try.
Yep—I’m all revved up and ready to go just now. Too bad it’s already dark—guess I’ll have to wait ‘til tomorrow. Will keep you posted, however, as things progress (or regress, depending on your perspective).
By Cari Haus On February 23, 2009
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If you want a good workout without exerting extra energy, or want an exercise that reduces neck and shoulder pain while providing a good workout, Nordic walking may be just the ticket for you.
You can try out the idea with a couple of ski poles, although to really do it right you’ll need a set of specially designed poles. Although you won’t feel like you’re working any harder, using those poles will increase your heart rate. For those who want to increase their exertion without feeling the effort, this is a nice alternative to weight vests or simply walking faster.
Nordic walking is a great way to put your arm, shoulders and upper chest through a full range of motion. Back muscles will also benefit, as you stretch and lengthen the muscles in your upper torso. Office workers who sit hunched over the computer all day will find Nordic walking to be a great way to loosen those tight neck and shoulder muscles, not to mention relieving those nagging knots that seem to reside in their backs.
Nordic walking poles take the pressure off sore knees, and can also help balance-challenged individuals maintain stability (even in rugged terrain). Nordic walking is also a great help for encouraging better posture.
If you:
· Have given up recreational walking because of balance problems or worn-out knees
· Want to improve your posture
· Desire a more intensive workout without increasing your speed, or
· Want to work out your arm, shoulder, back, and chest muscles while taking your daily walk,
Why not give Nordic walking a try? The poles are quite inexpensive, and the benefits make this form of walking very worthwhile.
By Cari Haus On February 18, 2009
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In 20 minutes your blood pressure will return to normal.
In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (a toxis gas) levels in your blood stream will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.
In 48 hours your chance of having a heart attack will begin its long decline. All nicotene will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.
In 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax, and your overall energy level will rise.
In 2 weeks your circulation level will increase, and it will continue to improve for the next 10 weeks.
In 3-9 months coughs, wheezing, and breathing problems will dissipate as your lung capacity improves by 10%.
In one year your risk of having a heart attack will have now dropped by one half.
In 5 years your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.
In 10 years your risk of lung cancer will have returned to that of a non-smoker.
In 15 years your risk of having a heart attack will have returned to that of a non-smoker.
By Cari Haus On February 17, 2009
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A husband was trying to prove to his wife that women talk more than men. He showed her a study which indicated that men use about 10,000 words per day, where as women use 20,000 words per day.
His wife thought about this for a while. She then told her husband that women use twice as many words as men because they have to repeat everything they say.
Her husband looked stunned. He said “What?”
By Cari Haus On January 30, 2009
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THE STORY BEGINS: Our gondola ride over from the West Peak had not been a problem. In fact, the ride was a lot of fun. But after the gondola ride, my wife Laura and I found ourselves climbing hundreds of icy, steep steps using the flimsiest of guardrails. Despite the fact that we had both slipped a couple times, we stubbornly continued. Now our walk had brought us to this spot.
As I stared up at the near-vertical staircase before us, I wondered how on earth did I ever get in this mess. Not only did I feel in danger, I felt responsible for my wife as well. Steep steps were carved into the rock with chains for support. Cleverly, there were two ladders - one for ‘up’ and one for ‘down’. Despite this, our hearts were racing as we saw where the ladder’s steps went vertical at the top of a 20 meter climb.
The stairs were so imposing we had little choice but to stop and think about it. We could see the climb ahead was the steepest, least-protected section yet. Making things worse, I thought I could see ice on the steps. This wasn’t going to be easy. I was losing my patience.
“This is ridiculous! I can’t believe they expect people to climb this thing! We should have stopped a long time ago!” Laura stared at me with an odd look. I couldn’t figure out if she agreed with me or not. We almost had quit once before. I don’t know why we didn’t.
I suppose what kept us going was the noisy throng of people who passed us while making their descent. This indicated to me that the peak must be close by. If all these people made it, I figured so should we.
I had a war going on inside my brain. It was driving me crazy. The “Courage” side of my brain was engaged in a knockout fight with my “Reason”. So far Courage had the upper hand, but Reason aided by Fear was making a move.
Meanwhile my pessimism had rubbed off on my wife. Laura was having second thoughts. As we stared up at the vertical staircase, Laura’s quizzical look had changed to a frown.
“I don’t know if this is such a good idea, Frank. Maybe we should throw in the towel. Do you want to stop?”
I stared at her quietly. Laura was right. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, especially not with these winter conditions.
The spot where we stood was actually quite beautiful. We could see the vast wilderness of the valley below and three of the other four peaks of Mt Huashan. I was overwhelmed by the splendor. No wonder this place was revered as a religious area.
Unfortunately this place was dangerous in the same way a beautiful woman is dangerous - too risky, but too hard to resist! My inner conflict continued. Part of me could not bear to give up this adventure of a lifetime. The beauty of the mountain was overwhelming!
On the other hand, I wished we had stopped a long time ago. The Staircase we had just completed had been no picnic. For the entire climb the two of us had been clinging to the railing for dear life! However, despite the freezing cold, the blustery wind, and steps that were iced over, like fools we stubbornly kept walking.
I admit it. This was mostly on me. I had not wanted to stop. We had not paid 300 yuan apiece ($80 total), spent 3 hours on a minibus, sat through a half-hour lecture about the mountain, taken a 20-minute cable car ride, and climbed snowy, icy steps for 45 minutes just to get so close to the top! The chances we would ever return to this place were slim to none. This was my chance. It was impossible to quit now that the top was in sight.
Yes, it was cold, icy, and threatening to snow, but this would probably be the only chance we would ever have to climb to the summit of Huashan. This was one of the most famous mountains in China! I uttered a lukewarm response to Laura’s idea of quitting. We talked a little more, but soon the subject was dropped. Laura said she had not really wanted to give up either. ‘Yeah, sure,’ I thought to myself. I was very worried I had made the wrong choice here, especially since I had no idea what was up ahead.
We continued to inch our way up the steps until they suddenly became steeper still, and even closer to the 400-foot drop on either edge. I forced myself not to look down. Finally we made it. Now we could see what was up next.
Instantly we both stopped breathing. We stared up at a steep vertical cliff.
It was the final major obstacle before a hike to the temple. Fear gripped me as never before. The cliff ahead frightened me out of my wits. At this point, my fear escalated to a level I had never previously felt before. My inner debate raged on. This was the third time “Courage” was in great danger of losing.
I was the cat who had climbed the tree and could not get down, only here nobody would or could come to my rescue. It felt like a bad dream; I wished I could just escape, and wake up in my warm bed, but there were no warm beds here, only biting cold winds, ever-accumulating snow, and icy steps. I knew we would have to get out of this on our own. I was overwhelmed by fear-induced nausea. I don’t have a head for heights. I felt rather sick looking at the rickety wooden walkways and the rusty chains hanging over the precipitous drops ahead of us.
I gazed up at the cliff above. I was astonished to see an absurd number of giddy Chinese scaling the treacherous steps with almost reckless abandon, some wearing what can only be described in English as “dress shoes,” specifically the kind with smooth outer soles.
“What is wrong with these people?!” I thought. “Are they insane?! Stupid?! Both?! Why aren’t they afraid?!” Why indeed did the Chinese people seem so unfazed by this treacherous path?
My mind drifted back to rumors that people regularly fell to their death attempting to climb the mountain. After what I have seen so far today, I had no doubt these legends are correct. And I had a sixth sense that told me the worst was yet to come!
Why on earth would I try? Picking your way along a sheer cliff surely isn’t an enjoyable way to spend a holiday, no matter how good the views are at the end. Had I discovered a previously undetected ‘Death Wish’?
There is, off course, a certain type of traveler who enjoys the bravado and back-slapping of dangerous travel. I’m certainly not one of them, although I suppose I am more adventurous than most. But today, I was not here out of bravado. I was here because I really didn’t know any better! I was the accidental mountain climber who got in way over his head.
Danger is a hazy concept. For starters, we never know the exact probability of an unfortunate accident. Our minds try to estimate it based upon past experiences, hearsay, and whatever knowledge we have accumulated. Even once we think we know the chances of tragedy in a certain situation, there is still the question of whether or not to be afraid.
I wished I had a feeling for the frequency of accidents at this part of the climb. But no one around us spoke a word of English. What was the probability of an unfortunate accident? Right now I was more scared than at any other time in my adult life. How much risk is too much?
Was I supposed to be afraid of this? Maybe it isn’t as difficult as it looks. Everyone else I can see is motoring up the cliff. It can be quite difficult to know when to say “no”.
Laura and I talked some more. As we talked, one Chinese person after another walked past us and started to climb the ladder without even a moment’s hesitation. That’s when I decided to continue. I wish I hadn’t. As long as I live, I will never forget the next part of our climb.
I asked Laura if she wanted to go first or have me go first. Laura nodded for me to lead. The first thing we did was climb a metal ladder that had been bolted into a natural chute. In other words, there was a chimney-like crevice in the side of the cliff.
The consequence of a mistake was certain death. On the other hand, how often do you fall off a ladder when you are paying attention? Just make sure the grips are secure and you have a firm footing before taking each new step. This climb was scary, but we made it.
The next part was actually pretty cool. At the top of the chimney , a skimpy trail had been carved into the side of the mountain. This trail wound through improbable niches in the rock face. (see picture at right- people are still in the chimney)
Laura and I moved sideways across the face of the cliff. Things got much easier. We soon discovered there was a natural ledge that had been used to create a trail. Where the ledge was not sufficient, a man-made trail had been carved out of the rock. We were very relieved to discover there was also a metal fence to help as we crossed the cliff to the other side (see lower picture at right - there is a path and chain rail for safety).
The uphill climb in the chimney had been tough, but I started to relax when I found how easy it was to walk on this path. The chain fence added much-appreciated security. Yes, it was still possible to slip, but if you held onto the chain, it was unlikely you would plunge over the edge. Believe me, I held on tight.
In addition I dared not look down. My balance depended on my confidence. The more scared I got, the worse my balance became. I kept my eyes glued to the granite surface of my path. I missed the beauty of valley because I kept my blinders on.
Stupid me, I made a mistake - I looked ahead. That’s when I discovered my safe rock trail was about to end only to be replaced by an absurd wood ramp of some sort. I panicked and stopped in my tracks. Seeing this ramp coming up, for the fourth time that day I had myself convinced to go back down when out of nowhere 6 Chinese college kids caught up to us.
Although they were unfailingly polite, I could see they wanted Laura and I to get it going. Since this place was too narrow for them to pass us, we were holding up the line! Embarrassed, Laura and I started our slow trudge forward.
As we neared the place where the trail changed from rock to wood ramp, I was grateful to find a small recess in the mountain. Laura and I stepped in to allow the Chinese students to pass us by. I could not help but notice their smiles and laughter.
Their fearlessness had begun to aggravate me. Why weren’t they afraid?! They were laughing and joking. No fear. Heck, I was glad to let them go by. Now we could move at our own pace.
The next part of our journey was almost more than I could bear. As we turned the corner, I was sickened to discover a perilous walk across the cliff. There in front of me were nearly two hundred feet of wooden planks jutting out from the side of the cliff. We had arrived at ‘Changkong Zhandao’, a plank path built along the surface of a vertical cliff. (Note: This ramp had an English name: Floating-in-Air Road. But I called it Boardwalk)
Yes, there were chains to hang onto, but there was ice and there was wind and the margin for error was very small. Those planks could not have been more than two feet wide. Exposed to the elements, I wondered just how safe they were.
The only reason we continued was those crazy Chinese college kids. Laura and I watched them cross. It looked like they were dancing… step apart, step together, step apart, step together… they walked sideways across the cliff! And they were laughing!
I swear to God if it wasn’t for those kids, Laura and I would have turned around a long time ago. Left to ourselves, we would have given into our panic, but to see those crazy kids fearlessly move across the cliff made us think we could do it too.
Laura and I gave each other the “what are we getting ourselves into this time?” look. Laura decided to simply watch, but I felt shamed into trying. I grabbed the chain, made sure not to look down, and did my step-together-step across the face of the rock.
I kept telling myself if they can do it, I can do it. Nevertheless, I nearly slipped one time. Normally I never actually picked up my feet, but there were places where the new set of boards didn’t match the set I was standing on. Since I didn’t dare look, when I switched to a new board, each step was an adventure.
As I took a step to the new board, my foot didn’t hit the board right and my heel slipped on the edge of the board. I had only my left leg for support. I gripped tightly to the chain and regained my balance. Laura, bless her heart, didn’t see it. Back at the starting point, she was looking off into the valley.
Despite how careful I had been, I had still stumbled. A panic attack immediately kicked in. I could feel my knees shaking. I was scared to death to take another step. I just stood there and breathed a while. Laura asked me if I was okay. That broke the ice. I decided I hadn’t come nearly as close to dying as I first thought. So I nodded I was OK and started moving again.
Soon I actually managed a laugh of my own. I found a spot on the rock smeared with lipstick. I suppose one of the Chinese girls had pressed her face so close to the wall, she kissed the rock.
It wasn’t easy walking sideways on this vertical cliff. One mistake and I would fall straight to that valley about a mile below. If it was on flat ground, it wouldn’t be that tough. But here the stakes were certain death. That knowledge affected my poise considerably. I thought about the Chinese kids some more. I wondered what would their parents would think if they knew one of those climbers was their kid?
This climb had become incredibly dangerous. What was it about about the Chinese culture that permitted their citizens access to such a dangerous route? I honestly believed that some people died doing this! The only reason we were here was because we didn’t know any better. I was incredulous that something this deadly was open to the public. Sure there were warning signs down below, but nothing had been said that could possibly let us know how much trouble we were getting into.
I thought back to a presentation that had been given on the bus trip. An expert on this area had given a lengthy outline about Mt. Huashan in Chinese. Our bus guide whispered a shorter version in broken English to us. Our fate might have been different if we understood Chinese. It might have kept us from being here!
My hands were starting to hurt from gripping this freezing cold chain. I wished I had the foresight to bring some bicycle gloves for protection. Moving at a snail’s pace, I neared the end of the plank. It had taken me 10 minutes to move a couple hundred feet. It had been the longest ten minutes of my life. As I reached the end, it should have been a triumphant moment for me to make it this far, but I was too nervous to appreciate it. Now I slowly retraced my steps back to the trail. I was totally drained.
By Cari Haus On January 30, 2009
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