I think it would be really neat to have a checking account with this bank.

If you were like “yes! i want to win a solar powered backpack!” then you’re my kind of people. If, on the other hand you were thinking “what exactly is a solar powered backpack?” then you are my kind of people. How can you both be so cool i consider you my people? Because you’re reading this site – that’s how. Only cool people that i want to consider my kind of people read this blog.

Anyway – Instructables is running a nice little contest. Write up a project that involves the reuse of plastic bottles and you have the chance to win solar powered backpacks, Instructables T-shirts, or reusable water bottles.

I just happen to have recently reused a plastic bottle in a MacGyvery frenzy of desperation after accidentally draining my transmission fluid instead of my oil. I just need to take photos of the contraption.

This is pretty short notice – just a few hours left to enter this contest.  Submit your space to Analog Apartment especially regarding your record collection (that means just Steve and i are eligible i think).  They would like photos of your collection, information on your albums, facts about your setup and you.

I won a caption contest at Instructables and earned a “patch” on my profile page as well as a tape measure from DIY Network.  It looks like it is a Komelon SS Gripper.

It seems to be feast or famine with contest related blog posts for me.  Here’s a great one… win $15,000 to spend on tools!  You can enter daily.  No PO Boxes.  Contest closes on December 29th.

…since I’m sure you’ll share the love and get me a presnet if you win.  Enter the $1,000 shopping spree contest at Think Geek.  Entries due by December 19th.

In the crowded world of tech websites there is another contender — Gadget Advisor.  They have quite a few articles that are above my reading comprehension like information on the MSI x58 Eclipse motherboard.  They also have news about software.  In looking through some of them they cover some of my favorite pieces of software but also hit on some that I’m unfamiliar with like their Blaze Media Pro review.  Of course no technology website would be complete without lists of “bests.”  They cover the Best extensions for Firefox which showed me a few extensions that I have never used like AutoAuth and RoboForm.

Next week we’ll be on a little trip and will be renting cars.  That means filling them up with gas.  According to NPR earlier tonight, gas prices have dropped 87 cents per gallon in the last month – so our timing is pretty good.  Check out cost2drive where all you need to do is enter your origin and destination location and your make and model of your vehicle and it does the rest.

Last week a friend called me and asked if i could help because she needed to do homework that required Adobe Flash to complete.  (Wow, homework sure has changed since i went to college!)  I had her install Firefox and we got things to work that way.  I wanted to watch some Daily Show clips but was being told that i needed to install Adobe Flash Player.  I could download the file and install it but then kept getting the same message.  I finally used the Adobe Flash Player uninstall tool and then reinstalled the player and now things seem to work.

Edit: nevermind. It made YouTube clips work (at some recent point they stopped but i don’t know when) but Comedy Central still wants me to install the player.  Before going to the Adobe Flash version checker brought up nothing but now it shows that i have a player installed.

I’m a patch collector.  It comes from my scouting days.  I saw this “badge” on a blog i stumbled upon and i really like the idea of a graphic that gives embroidery a nod.  Maybe my next site template will make the whole page look like a scout uniform, merit bage sash, or patch blanket.  Hmmm…

Anyway, i also like the purpose of the badge.  I think carbon credits can be a cash cow for some enterprising young people.  If i only knew some.