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10 ITEMS OR LESS: Go green, save green!

Even if you already consider yourself among Mother Earth's "green" helpers because you're committed to the cardinal rules of eco-friendliness -- reduce, reuse and recycle -- there's tons more we can do to help green our environment. To start, check out these 10 easy ways to save our planet's most valuable resources -- and save a bundle of money, too!

1. Filter your tap water
We know you've got talent, but if you aren't planning to craft a chandelier out of those empty plastic water bottles, we suggest buying a filter and purifying your tap water instead. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste. And these days, eco-obsessives aren't the only ones hooked on re-usable water bottles. All the hipsters and celebrities are also following suit, and environmentally conscious brands including Sigg and Klean Kanteen offer bottles in a variety of sizes and colors. If not for the sake of protecting our planet, at least do it to look cool. (We won't tell.)

2. Freecycle!
We're all familiar with recycling, but what do you know about Freecycling? Websites such as Freecycle.org allow users to post free classified ads to get rid of old furniture, appliances and whatever else you might have collecting dust in the garage. Instead of throwing your unused stuff away, list it on Freecycle and connect with someone who will happily pick it up and put it to good use. (Think 'Garage Sale 2.0!') And the next time you're looking for a one-of-a-kind armoire, check your local Web listings before aimlessly scouring neighborhood yard sales. You'll thank us for saving you the gas money, too.

3. Unplug appliances
Unless you run a microwave-foods catering service and need to deliver freshly heated Chef Boyardee meals all day, there's no reason your microwave needs to be plugged in all the time. That goes for your toaster oven, TV, stereo and most everything else you've got plugged in around the house. Unplugging appliances when you're not using them saves a great deal of energy -- and that means savings on your monthly energy bill. If you'd rather not pull plugs in and out, use a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances are off, and prohibits "phantom" or "vampire" energy use. By the way, if you do have a wildly successful microwave-foods catering service, would you mind sharing your business model?

 

4. Pack light
We're all guilty of doing this: packing enough clothes to last a month for a weekend visit to Grandma's house. You may think the worst consequence of overpacking is maybe busting the zipper on your suitcase, but did you know that by overstuffing your luggage, you're indirectly harming the environment? According to studies, every extra 10 pounds an air traveler packs requires an additional 350 million gallons of jet fuel per year; that's enough to keep a 747 flying non-stop for 10 years! The next time you take a Hawaiian vacation, do Mother Earth a favor: Leave your snow jacket at home.

 

5. Cut out the junk mail
Ask yourself this question: Do you really need those random credit-card offers, pizza-delivery coupons and teeth-whitening promo ads (from some dentist you'll never visit) that show up in your mailbox every week? You know what we're talking about: Every year, 100 million trees are chopped down and turned into junk mail, and U.S. households receive more than 400 million tons of it annually. But according to Earthworks Group, cutting out junk mail is one of the most effective things we can do to reduce waste and pollution. To give your mailbox a junk-free makeover, register with the Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service. We're sure you won't miss too many of those "deals" on hard-to-find collector's stamps and limited-edition porcelain dolls.

 

6. Eat green
Before you get down on all fours and start grazing on your front lawn, take a look at these 3 "green eating" solutions instead. (With these, at least the neighbors won't stare.)

-- Patronize restaurants, bars and coffee houses that recycle, practice energy and water conservation, serve organic food, and/or use biodegradable, tree-free products. Find a growing list of Certified Green restaurants here.

-- Buy locally raised, humane and organic meat, eggs and dairy products. That ensures you're getting the freshest, highest-quality food -- and helps keep money in the local economy.

-- Download the Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce. This wallet-size list will help you sort the fruits and veggies that are usually higher in pesticides (like apples and spinach) from those that are lower (like bananas and peas).

 

7. Clean the air -- with houseplants
Going green doesn't have to happen on a global scale, it can begin right in your home. Studies show that the air in our homes can be just as polluted as outdoor air, thanks in part to the cleaning products we use. Fortunately, common houseplants do more than brighten up a room: They actually help remove formaldehyde, benzene, carbon monoxide and other nasty air pollutants. Think you don't have a green thumb? Not a problem! We suggest picking up a couple of easy-to-tend leafy toxin fighters, such as Lady Palm, Golden Pothos, English Ivy and Peace Lilies. (If formaldehyde won't kill them, they should be just fine on your window sill.)

8. Pass on the pore-pluggers
We don't mean to raise a stink, but the next time you buy deodorant, avoid anti-perspirants that rely on aluminum salts to seal up your pores. Instead, try an equally effective natural alternative, like Toms of Maine, available most anywhere that carries eco-friendly products. Why? As well as being a potential toxin, aluminum takes a tremendous amount of energy to mine. In fact, the energy you'll save by using just one stick of aluminum-free deodorant could power your laptop for 30 minutes! And if you're going to sweat through the suspense of that '24' episode on your laptop anyway, why not save the planet while you're at it? (We bet that's how Jack Bauer rolls.)

9. "Green" your laundry
No, we're not referring to the time you accidentally mixed that oddball lime-colored sock in with your whites. Research shows that as much as 85% of the energy used in clothes washers goes to heating the water, which means washing your clothes in cold whenever possible significantly reduces energy costs. In addition, switching to eco-friendlier detergents, fabric softeners and bleaches will also benefit the environment, including local wildlife. And we all know line-drying our clothes can save an enormous amount of energy, but for those rainy days when you have no choice but to tumble, consider adding dryer balls to cut drying time.

10. Download music
The '80s had cassette tapes, the '90s had CDs; now get with the times and start downloading your tunes! Each month, more than 45 tons of CDs become obsolete -- outdated or unwanted -- and end up in landfills. But before you convert all your CDs to digital and throw the hard copies away, look for stores in your area that buy unwanted discs. When you're done with that, click over to ClearMusic and treat yourself to some fresh selections (on MP3, of course). Registered Clearwire/Clear users get a 25% discount on every purchase.

Until next time, happy Earth Day!

-- Joyce Liao and Jennifer Lee, Clear365 Bloggers

For more money-saving tips -- plus the latest news, entertainment and music headlines and videos -- keep your homepage set on Clear365.com

Wednesday 4/22/2009

Android Manifesto: 7 Signs of the Bacopocalypse

By Dave Conde

 

''Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The swine cannot hear the swineherd;

Eggs fall apart, the skillet cannot hold.

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world''

   From the Revelation of St. Porcine

Since the first hog was butchered, prophets have been predicting the Bacopocalypse. One need not be a prophet, however, to see the signs. Just look around you, or better yet just scroll down to witness the dread portents.

Sign #1: Bacon in a can

                               

• What?

It's bacon. In a can. MREdepot.com proudly offers these cans by the case to line the walls of your secret underground bunker.

• Why it's a dread omen of the Bacopocalypse:

While many dismiss them as crackpots, survivalists perform an invaluable service as society's canary in the coalmine. Their tendency to overreact to the smallest possible threat makes them the first to see the signs. When squirrels hoard extra nuts in their burrows, you can expect a long winter. When survivalists are stockpiling bacon in their burrows, it's time to get frying.

Sign #2: Bacon Soap

• What?

This is NOT generic novelty soap squished into a bacon-shape like some McRib. This is real, old school soap made out of real bacon grease. If you saw Fight Club then you know that soap is made from fat; it might as well be bacon.

• Why it's a dread omen of the Bacopocalypse:

You know you always wanted to rub bacon all over your naked body. Some of you have already tried it. Now you can do it without being mobbed by the neighborhood dogs afterward.

Sign #3: Bacon Bra

• What?

Or maybe you need to take it a step further and have to feel pure bacon on your flesh. For you, or for your girlfriend (in which case it's really being done for you, and you owe her big time), we have the bacon brassiere. Note that the straps are removable to minimize tan lines and provide a tasty snack.

• Why it's a dread omen of the Bacopocalypse:

What are the two greatest sources of power in the universe? Boobs and bacon, obviously. (It was a rhetorical question.) Putting them together is like crossing the streams in Ghostbusters. Is it going to make all life as we know it stop instantaneously and every molecule in your body explode at the speed of light? Well, I haven't heard a single one of your so-called ''scientists'' claim that it won't. Not one. That's a unified scientific consensus right there.

Sign #4: Bacon Tuxedo

• What?

It's a Bacon Scented Bacon Print Tuxedo. Imagine what you could do wearing a tux made of to look like bacon. This guy didn't get a girl like that in no seersucker suit. No how. But with this tux and matching bow tie, you can tell that he's getting all the ladies. That look in his eyes… I want to sign up for this man's real estate seminar.

• Why it’s a dread omen of the Bacopocalypse:

OK, so this is a product created for April Fools' Day by the website Archie McFee. But, for just a moment, you believed it could be real. It's like that old courtroom scene where the defense calls their next witness: the alleged murder victim. Everyone gasps and looks to the door, but no one appears. The defense says, ''Gotcha. But you all believed that the victim could walk through that door, thus you have doubt that my client killed him and you must acquit.'' If the world is so porked-up that you believed in a bacon tuxedo, can real bacon tuxedos be far behind?

Sign #5: Bacon Salad Bowl

 

• What?

It's a salad bowl made of bacon. It's a simple idea; you just weave the bacon like a basket over an upside-down muffin tin and bake. How could no one come up with this before? Three words: Secret Ceramic Cabal. They're clearly working behind the scenes to keep the bacon artisan down. Fight the power!

• Why it's a dread omen of the Bacopocalypse:

Like all red-blooded American males, I have viewed salads with suspicion and, let's face it, contempt. In fact, I have never eaten a salad in my life. But these bowls almost make me want to eat a salad. That's gotta be a sign of something.

Sign #6: Bacon Burger

• What?

''Big deal,'' I hear you saying. ''I can get a burger with bacon anywhere.'' Well, listen here, punk. This here ain't no ordinary burger. To paraphrase Charlton Heston, that's not beef. It's a slab of bacon run through a meat grinder, shaped into a patty and fried up in a skillet. Bacon. Burger. You think about that for a minute.

• Why it's a dread omen of the Bacopocalypse:

I want this baconburger. Just looking at the picture, I can feel my arteries clog, yet I still want this baconburger. As I write this, I am eating a perfectly good burger with bacon from down the street, but still I hunger for this baconburger.

Given the chance, this burger will kill you, and everyone you care about. And you will love it.

Sign #7: Bacon Ice Cream

• What?

Yep, that's vanilla ice cream made with bacon chunks. The picture is from an ice cream shop in Delaware, but there’s nothing to stop you from making it at home. In fact, my wife whipped up a batch of bacon and cheddar ice cream for a party we had. (Ha, ha, I married better than you did.)

• Why it's a dread omen of the Bacopocalypse:

Sounds good so far, but this tale reveals a hidden evil. Sure, the vanilla and bacon flavors go well together. And the sharp cheddar nicely contrasts with the sweet cream base. But the cold gives the cheese an awful plastic texture. It caused me to say something I never expected to utter:

''I think this has too much cheese in it.''

Even looking at it now, that sentence doesn't make sense. It looks like the English translation to "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn" and we should await the colossal, porcine elder gods to awaken, fry us up and devour us. Possibly with Eldritch pancakes.

Thus we come to the end, not with a bang, but with a sizzle. Heed my words and gird your pork loins for battle on the field of Hamageddon.

 --Dave Conde has long harbored a secret desire to convert to Judaism, but just can't give up the bacon. Send your recipes and comments to androidmanifesto@clear365.com

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Android Manifesto:Girl Scout cookie facts

By Dave Conde

It's that time of year again. No, not crow hunting season (although that is indeed the case as well). I'm talking about Girl Scout cookie pre-order season. In order to whip the populous into a fever pitch in anticipation of the impending orgy of cookies, I present:

Largely Unknown Facts About Girl Scout Cookies*

*These facts are believed to be 100% true. As such there has been no attempt to research or verify them, in accordance with the Faith-Based Blogging Initiative.

Thin Mints:

• Thin Mints are consistently the most popular of Girl Scout Cookies.

• They are a round, mint-flavored cookie covered in dark chocolate.
• While all Girl Scout Cookies freeze well, Thin Mints are especially suited for freezing as they are delicious straight from the freezer.
• When frozen in liquid nitrogen, Thin Mints become brittle and can be broken with a hammer into dangerously sharp shards. Ninjas have been known to sharpen such frozen cookies with bench grinders to form deadly shuriken (throwing stars). This has led to the sales slogan, "Thin Mints: Ninja fury never tasted so good!"

Tagalongs:

• Tagalongs are round cookies, topped with peanut butter, then covered in chocolate.
• They were originally invented and sold by the Boy Scouts, but the recipe was given to the Girl Scouts in 1956 following the Great Peanut Butter Canoe Incident. Afterward, the Boy Scouts returned to their original idea of selling popcorn to shut-ins
• The peanut butter used is free of salmonella. It is also free of the Bubonic Plague, dropsy and the vapors. Unlike some cookies I might mention. 

Lemon Chalet Cremes:

• Lemon Chalet Cremes are sandwich cookies with a touch of cinnamon-ginger spice and a refreshing zesty lemon creme filling.
• They were originally chicory flavored, as they were named after the world-famous Lemon Chalet in the Alps.
• As the fame of the Lemon Chalet waned, the recipe was changed to appease confused customers who didn't get the reference.

Dulce de Leche:

• Dulce de Leche cookies have milk caramel chips and stripes.
  
• "Dulce de Leche" means sweet milk.
• According to legend, Dulce de Leche was first made by an Argentinian woman who was trying to heat milk and sugar on the stove. Distracted by a knock at the door by a person on business from Porlock, the woman let the mixture burn, forming a sweet-thick caramel. As a result, she forgot all but a handful of lines to the otherwise epic poem Kubla Kahn.

Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips:

• Your basic chocolate chip cookie, but free of sugar.
• Urban legend has it that the cookies are left on plates beside sleeping, toothless children and in the mornings all the sugar has been removed by tooth faeries, like gypsy tinkers in the night.
• In reality, these sugar-free cookies are a by-product of the non-alcoholic vodka industry and, if not so viciously suppressed by OPEC, could be used to power emission-free cars that smell of fresh-baked cookies. 

Samoas:

• Samoas are a hexagonal, vanilla cookie with a hole in the middle, covered in caramel, rolled in toasted coconut, and covered with chocolate stripes. 
• They hold the distinction of being the only cookie depicted on a national flag. 
• They were briefly used as bolts during WWII due to strict steel rations. Some conspiracy theorists claim that they were used in the Philadelphia Project due to their non-ferrous nature, and also to have been the cause of that project's catastrophic failure, resulting in the temporary disappearance of Cleveland. 

Do-Si-Dos:

• The author's favorite variety, the Do-Si-Do is a layer of peanut butter filling between crunchy oatmeal cookies.
• "Do-Si-Do" is an ancient C.H.U.D. word that translates roughly to "Nutter Butter can't sue us if we add oatmeal." It's a very economical language.
• Do-Si-Do once roundhouse kicked someone so hard that his foot broke the speed of light, went back in time and killed Amelia Earhart while she was flying over the Pacific Ocean. 
• Do-Si-Do can lead a horse to water and make him drink. 
• Do-Si-Do can, in fact, touch MC Hammer. 

Trefoils:

• Trefoils are shortbread cookies shaped like the Girl Scout Trefoil design. 
• The official Girl Scout Trefoil design was crafted by a graphic artist who, completely stumped for a shape to use, took her inspiration from an interestingly-shaped cookie. 

 The Frying Dutchman:

• This "off-the-menu" item is available only to regular customers who know to ask for it. 

• Known in some parts of the country as the "Slopwith Camel", the Frying Dutchman consists of two cookies sandwiching a creamy filling of 100 hamburger patties alternating with 100 slices of cheese.
• The Frying Dutchman is also available "Narwahl-style", making it the second most deadly Girl Scout cookie, after the Thin Mint. 

--If you know him, Dave Conde can hook you up with some cookies. Just drop by his office. The password is "swordfish." Otherwise find your local Girl Scout troop and get ordering. Send your extra boxes of Do-Si-Dos and comments to androidmanifesto@clear365.com

Android Manifesto: Wherein we eat chocolate bacon

By Dave Conde

Chocolate, chocolate everywhere...

 

In troubled economic times like these, a young man's fancy turns to chocolate. A chocolate bar is like a little piece of edible happiness. It has sugar, caffeine, mood-improving phenylethylamine, heart-healthy flavonols, bacon... Wait, what? There is a new war in the candy aisle between boutique chocolatiers fighting for your candy dollar. Like the micro-breweries before them, these modern-day Willy Wonkas are pulling out every gimmick to stand out on the over-crowded grocer's shelf. With the help of office-mates, I conducted a taste test of three of the most extreme chocolate bars you can find. We're risking our tongues, so you don't have to.

Milk chocolate

First, we have the classic Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar. For most of us, it is the bar that we think of when we think of chocolate. It represents the best of American industry. Like Henry Ford, the Hershey factories have been able to mass-produce chocolate to put it within the reach of the everyman. Like Coke and the tobacco companies, Hershey cemented its foothold in the American culture by providing free product to soldiers rations in World War II. Like a curbside catering truck, Hershey's lets the food go bad before serving it to you.
Well, that's overstating things a bit. Actually, the secret to the taste of a Hershey bar is that they let the milk go a bit sour before mixing it into the chocolate. It sounds a bit gross at first, but when you remember that cheese is just milk with bacteria growing in it, it's all part of the circle of life. It's also why European milk chocolate tastes so strange to American paletes. We're used to a slight sour bite to the chocolate.
As you would guess, our testers found the Hershey bar just as they expected it: sweet, creamy, with a mild flavor. The Wonder Bread of Chocolate.

Dark Chocolate

Personally, I prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate. It's not as creamy but has a much more powerful flavor and is usually still quite sweet. For those of you who are unfamiliar, the darkness of chocolate is correlated to the amount of cocoa solids in the final product. White Chocolate has 0% cocoa solids. Milk Chocolate 10-30%. Hershey's Special Dark chocolate, which you may remember from the miniatures assortments you would get at Halloween, is 45% cocoa solids. Gourmet dark chocolates go up from there.
I thought I had seen everything in Dark Chocolate, but was taken aback when I saw this at the store. A 99% cacao solid chocolate bar. Not a baking chocolate, but something marketed for people to eat straight. I was amazed that something could exist. I've tried 70%, 75%, even 80% dark chocolate and enjoyed them immensely. This looked like someone must have figured out how to make an edible bar with 99% cacao solids. It must be mine.
On opening, the smell of chocolate exploded into the room, much like opening a can of coffee grounds. My taste buds tingled in anticipation. I took a bite. In contrast to the creamy milk chocolate, the ultra-dark bar disintegrated in the mouth, the tiny chocolate particles immediately dispersing into the corners of my mouth. And the taste -- there was no taste at all, to begin with. Then, slowly, as your brain tries to get a grip on the flavor, it changes. As the chocolate moves back on your palate, it becomes chalky, then medicinal, like chewing a pill that was meant to be swallowed whole. When it reaches the back of the tongue, the bitterness arrives like a small rodent crawling out of the sewer, curling up on your tongue, and dying. One tester spit his piece of chocolate into the trash. Another described the uber-chocolate as "bitter, like a 50-year-old gay man living in LA." One tester, who bit into the chocolate before I could explain what it was, took a small bite and dropped the rest into her coffee, where it imbued the drink with a powerful, but not unpleasant mocha flavor.

In retrospect, I let my hopes get too high. I believed that someone had created a 99% chocolate bar that was edible. This is clearly impossible. Instead of the inspired work of a mad chocolatier, this is the work of a mad marketer who slapped a gourmet wrapper on a bar of baking chocolate. When we tried to go back to the Hershey bar after the uber-chocolate, the milky Hershey's sweetness was like a kick in the pancreas. I stumbled onto a happy medium, however, when I tried the dark and milk chocolate together, bringing balance to the force. I would recommend sticking to a chocolate around 70% for people who really like chocolate.

Bacon Chocolate

Finding things to add to chocolate has represented an explosion of creativity for chocolate makers. A quick look at the shelves shows the usual (raisins and peanuts), the unusual (chiles and pop rocks) and the quizzical (sea salt and mushrooms). The oddest and most inspired that I have found is the unholy union of chocolate and bacon.
Not all of our testers were willing to try the bacon chocolate. Sold as ''Mo's Bacon Bar'', this confection combined 45% cacao chocolate (a bit weak for my taste), applewood smoked bacon and alderwood smoked salt. The embedded flecks of bacon poke out of the broken edge of a piece of the bar like diamonds in the wall of the Seven Dwarves mine.
On first taste, the bacon is immediate and unambiguous. This is bacon. Good bacon. "I feel like I'm eating breakfast," said one tester. As the candy dissolves and moves around the mouth, the sweet chocolate taste fights its way to the fore. The two tastes don't quite combine, but co-exist at the same time in your mouth.
More than one tester summed up their feelings with a hearty, ''It's just wrong,'' and a horrified expression on their face. It just goes to show that nothing, including making your friends squirm is not improved with bacon.

--Dave Conde can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew. Send your sugary pork-products and comments to: androidmanifesto@clear365.com

Does Cher believe in life after gender reassignment?

From one of this summer's most talked-about movies to one of its most high-profile sex changes, we've got news and updates on Hollywood's hottest "transformations." It's all in today's Media Circus ... 

Does Cher believe in life after gender-reassignment surgery? For the first time since her 40-year-old daughter Chastity son Chaz announced his decision last week to undergo a sex change, Cher publicly opened up about the news. Find out how she feels -- and what she most fears -- about Chaz's dramatic decision.

'Revenge of the Fallen' doesn't hit theaters till next Wednesday, but director Michael Bay already says he's "had enough" of the 'Transformers' -- and big-budget action movies in general. Could the guy known for his blow-'em-up blockbusters really be giving up explosives for something more arty? 

Scandalous celeb pics of the day: Rebecca Gayheart (along with an unidentified young female friend), naked, clutching what appears to be a crack pipe. A 'source' says the six-year-old photos were (sort-of) staged, but this isn't the first time the former 'Noxzema Girl,' 'Beverly Hills 90210' love interest and current wife of 'Grey's Anatomy' star Eric Dane has found herself in scandal's spotlight.

Fact or fiction? Jamie Foxx and Halle Berry's lip-locking session at Spike TV's Guy's Choice Awards ... Will and Jada Pinkett Smith doin' the nasty in their friends' bathrooms ...

While the rest of us wonder whether or not J.K. Rowling swiped Harry from an obscure British author, the teen wizard himself is more concerned with "chatting up the ladies." What character flaw does 'Potter' star Daniel Radcliffe blame for his girlfriend struggles? (No, it doesn't involve any magic wands.)

A little friendly competition for Elton John? If he's not too busy bickering with British farmers, it looks like Paul McCartney is ready to 'Get Back' to film scoring. After a four-decade hiatus from scoring feature films, Sir Paul's signed on to create the music for an upcoming animated movie he also wrote. It's about this squirrel ...

Want more? Check out the latest celeb news and gossip at ClearEntertainment

-- Ted Goslin, Clear365 Blogger

10 ITEMS: Easy ways to keep the germs at bay

In light of the ongoing swine flu frenzy, we've gathered these 10 easy tips to help you stay healthy -- no matter what nasty bugs and germs try to keep you down ...

1. Cut down on alcohol consumption
Sorry to break it to you, but your friends who try to convince you to hit up the bars with the justification that alcohol kills germs -- and therefore pounding five shots of tequila will miraculously zap your lingering flu -- are far from being right. To the contrary, drinking alcohol when you're sick not only suppresses the immune system, but it also dehydrates your body and may very well counteract with whatever meds you've taken. If you're under the weather and dying for a drink, we suggest you at least boost your electrolytes with a fruit-flavored sports beverage. Or just stick with good ol' H2O.

2. Wash your hands
We feel like a nagging grandma saying this, but washing your hands is one of the easiest ways to avoid getting sick. In fact, a study by the Naval Health Research Center found that washing your hands multiple times a day cut instances of respiratory illnesses by 45 percent. And at Columbia University, researchers who looked for germs on volunteers' hands found that a single hand-washing had very little effect, even when antibacterial soap was used -- so wash twice if you're serious about fending off colds! If you really, really want to go Chuck Norris on those germs, we suggest carrying a travel-size container of hand sanitizer anytime you're out and about.

3. Freshen up with essential oils
Not only are essential oils good for freshening up your home, essences such as lavender, tea-tree and spearmint are great, natural to ward off germs and bacteria. Diffusing these oils in your kitchen, bathroom and bedroom may help prevent you from catching a cold in the first place. The scents can also help to sooth and relax your stuffy head if you have been bitten by the bug.

4. Eat yogurt
It's true: Not all germs are bad for you! According to studies, eating just a cup of low-fat yogurt daily can reduce your chances of catching a cold by 25 percent. Researchers have found that the beneficial bacteria in yogurt (both live-culture and pasteurized) stimulates the production of disease-fighting substances in our immune systems. So break out that yogurt and build up your immunity before flu season starts! (Sorry, folks: If the yogurt is frozen and says 'Haagen-Dazs' on the package, it doesn't count.)

5. Cover your mouth
Here's a common courtesy we were all taught as kids: Cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. Sure, it makes sense to block your sneezes and coughs to avoid hacking on the person next to you. But unless you wash your hands immediately after doing so, chances are you're spreading germs exponentially when your sneeze-covered hands come into contact with everything you touch. So unless you're King Midas, we suggest you carry tissues -- or cough/sneeze into your shirtsleeve.

6. Fill up on phytochemicals
It's basically just a fancy word for fruits and vegetables, but we figure if it sounds important enough you might go ahead and try it. "Phyto" means plants, and the natural chemicals in plants give the vitamins in food a supercharged boost. Don't get us wrong: Vitamin supplements can be great additions to your diet. But there's nothing like eating vegetables and fruits the way nature intended us to eat them. (The dark green, red and yellow ones are especially good for you.) We won't make you sit in the corner if you don't eat your veggies, but if you get sick you'll need the timeout, anyway.

7. Keep your hands away from your face
We know that irritating itch on the tip of your nose is begging to be scratched, but if you don't want to be coughing up a lung tomorrow, you'll take our advice and keep your hands off your face (OK, maybe it's not that serious, but you get the idea). Why does this matter? The average person rubs his eyes or nose, or scratches his face, 20-50 times a day. But the eyes -- along with the nose and mouth -- provide the ideal entryway for germs. If you must touch your face, try using your knuckles instead. They can be quite useful for eye-rubbing or alleviating an itch, at least until you get around to washing your hands. And your knuckles are also less likely than your fingertips to be contaminated with viruses.

8. Don't pop antibiotics without your doctor's OK
Colds and flu (along with most common infections) are caused by viruses, so antibiotics -- designed to kill bacteria -- won't do a thing to make them go away. Antibiotics can cause damage, however, by killing off the "friendly" bacteria that are part of our immune-system defenses. Additionally, the more we rely on antibiotics, the less effective they become over time. If you've used antibiotics a lot lately, consider a course of probiotics instead. (Think of this as the "replacement troops" for friendly bacteria.)

9. Keep your distance!
Yes, it's hard being away from your Significant Other for more than 24 hours. But if your special someone is coming down with something, give him/her their space. Lots of it. Viruses spread via personal contact and airborne transmission, so your best bet is to keep your distance. Of course the same applies to you: If you're feeling under the weather, stay home. Your boy/girlfriend will miss you, but your co-workers will thank you.

10. Take preventative measures
We'd love to think the above tips will keep the doctor away, but those darn germs can be quite stubborn. If you do end up feeling less than 100 percent, take a few of these steps to karate chop your nasty cold or flu the second it rears its buggy little head.

·    Suck on a zinc lozenge until it melts away, then another about every two hours. Most drugstores and groceries carry Zicam products, which include zinc-based lozenges and chewables.

·    If you don't have a stomach ache, eat some garlic spread on toast. Many scientists believe that garlic -- consumed fresh or as a supplement -- helps support immune functions and prevent infection.

·    Do not drink caffeinated beverages (sodas, coffee, non-herbal teas, etc.) because they increase your chances of dehydration.

·    Take a hot shower. The steam helps relieve congestion so that you can rest better.

·    Gargle salt water. It will temporarily ease your sore throat pain, and help keep it from getting worse.

·    Get plenty of rest. Probably the best thing you can do when battling a bug is to just take it easy, and give your body all the strength it needs to fight back.

·    Cook up a pot of chicken soup and eat a bowl of it in bed. Better yet, have someone who loves you cook it for you.

Until next time, stay healthy!

Jennifer Lee & Joyce Liao, Clear365 Bloggers

MAKE TAX DAY LESS TAXING: 10 freebies & deals

Even if you've already filed your income-tax return -- but especially if you're scrambling to hit tonight's deadline -- April 15 can be one of the most stressful days of the year. We're here to help: Relax and snack (and then go shopping) with these great Tax Day discounts and freebies.

1. Chick-fil-A
If you've been craving a chicken sandwich, waffle fries, carrot-and-raisin salad and Fruit Cup, now's the time to act. Thanks to Chick-fil-A's "Tax Relief Special," the meal you buy today will be the first of two. Just bring your receipt back within the next 30 days (from April 16-30), and you'll get an identical order absolutely free.

2. Cinnabon
According to the chain's website, Cinnabon's buyers travel "the spice-growing regions of the globe to find the very best, most flavorful cinnamon" -- and diet-devastating cream-cheese frosting -- to use in its signature sweets. All this running around, and Cinnabon wants nothing in return but to make weary taxpayers happy: Its Classic Bites bite-size cinnamon rolls are free for all on April 15 from 5-8pm.

3. McCormick & Schmick's
This national chain of seafood, steak and pasta restaurants -- also known for its happy hours -- is giving away certificates good for $10.40 off on future meals. In addition, entrees (regularly priced in the $15-25 range) are $10.40 all day today, and the bar is serving Tax Day-themed drink specials. 

4. McDonald's
In some cities, McDonald's reps will be stationed at local post offices, handing out McCafe customized postage stamps and coupons for free McCafe coffees. But throughout the country, hungry taxpayers can buy one Quarter Pounder or Big Mac sandwich and get a second sandwich for a penny.

5. MaggieMoo's Ice Cream and Treatery
In what this chain is calling its "e-cone-omic ice cream stimulus package," MaggieMoo's is giving away free single-scoop servings of its create-your-own-ice-cream-masterpieces all day today. Patrons can pop in anytime on April 15, select a base ice-cream flavor, then add whatever fruit, nut or candy mix-in they'd like -- no charge.

6. Papa John's Pizza
Famished 1040-ers need only place their orders online and use coupon code "1040" to get a large pizza with up to 3 toppings for -- you guessed it -- $10.40.

7. P.F. Chang's China Bistro
Have a hankering to spend Tax Day pigging out on egg rolls, BBQ spare ribs and beef with broccoli -- while surrounded by larger-than-life horse statues and faux terra-cotta warriors? Of course you do! Best of all, your entire check will be discounted 15%.

8. Taco Del Mar
Specializing in Baja-style fish tacos and Mission-style burritos, this mostly West Coast quick-casual eatery claims, "Delicious is our middle name." Today would be a fine day to see if TDM lives up to that name. In honor of the IRS, you can print out a free-taco coupon by logging on to the chain's website and filling out a brief "Taxes Suck. Tacos Don't" e-form."

9. T.G.I. Friday's
Get your T.G.I. flair on -- and maybe dive into a nice appetizer platter and a couple of Long Island iced teas. Today, Friday's will give a little something back to tax-paying patrons, in the form of a $5 "Bonus Bites" gift card for every $15-25 food and drink purchase. (The restaurant will give $10 "Bonus Bites" cards for tabs that total $25 or more.) 

10. QVC
When you've finished making the restaurant rounds, turn your attention to online shopping. Today only, QVC is making its TV-Web deals especially sweet: You'll get free standard shipping-and-handling for "top brand" beauty, fashion, electronics, home and garden, handbags, shoes and jewelry products -- you get the idea -- on all orders placed by 11:59pm EST.

Finally, a very special bonus deal for Clear and Clearwire registered users ...

11. ClearMusic downloads
Registered users take 25% off all ClearMusic store downloads! At checkout, just enter promo code CLEARWIRE25 (for Clearwire users) or CLEAR25 (Clear users) and your discount will automatically be applied.

 

4/15/2009
Disclaimer: Not all restaurant locations participate in Tax Day promotions. You might want to call before going out all of your way.

10 ITEMS OR LESS: Valentine's Day on a budget

Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
Valentine's Day is here and you have no money,
What do you do?

1. Bake
Sure, you can give your Valentine a box of chocolates (because that's not generic or anything), but we'd like to think you'd go above and beyond to impress that special someone. Anyway, times are rough and a box of Godivas can easily set you back close to $70 with no guarantee you'll sweep your sweetie off his/her feet. Instead, roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty and bake. So what if the last time you tried to bake something, you nearly burned down the kitchen? Here are a few easy-to-use, easy-on-the-wallet baking utensils that'll definitely bring out your inner pastry chef:

LEFT: Hearts cupcake pan, $24; with Sprinkles cupcake mix, $14 (Williams-sonoma.com)

BELOW: "Love" baking pan, $18.99 (Target.com)

2. Just say "no" to roses
Whoever come up with the idea that nothing says "I love you" like a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses clearly did not know women. (Believe it or not, lots of women don't especially care for roses.) That aside, given the classic case of supply and demand, the price of roses peaks on Valentine's Day, and that's just bad news for your bank account. Fortunately, there are other options. Many women are keenly aware of the range of floral varieties available; if you're prepared to take a risk, it might very well work in your favor. Hey, live a little! For a gift that keeps on giving, consider treating your honey to a potted plant. Here's our current cheesy favorite:

Magic Bean, $9.99 (Amazon.com)

3. Give a beer-of-the-month membership
The ladies can get pampered every month with manicures, but what do the fellas get? How does a six-pack assortment of beers delivered to right to the doorstep sound? Yes, you read correctly: For a crisp Jackson, your special someone will receive a month's selection of light, medium and dark beers. Each shipment features three different premium beers from some of the finest microbreweries. How can you go wrong? When you give the gift of beer, your sweetie will surely cheer. (Or at least do something that's way more appealing than that rhyme.) 

4. Compose a love letter
Whatever happened to the chivalry and sensibility that Jane Austen wrote of? Did you think we'd forever given up on Elizabeth-and-Darcy-style love letters (our apologies, we're suckers for Pride and Prejudice) with the invention of e-mail? Think again. It's time to go back to the basics -- maybe not quite quill and parchment, but heartfelt, handwritten, mailed-with-a-stamp (a 42-cent stamp, by the way, in case you forgot how much postage costs these days) -- love letters. If you're wondering if you can just type a little something up on your laptop  -- or heaven forbid, cell phone -- and click "send," the answer is NO. That's cheating. And for those of you who've forgotten how to write a love letter -- or have yet to write your first -- you're in luck: Here's a tutorial to help you get started.

5. Create a flipbook
They say a picture's worth 1,000 words; if that's true, just imagine what a whole bunch of pictures will get you! If you're having trouble expressing your feelings this year, consider having the good people over at motionbox create a flipbook from your home videos. Flipbooks are fun, inexpensive and definitely memorable. Just take a 15-second video of your choice, upload it and voila – Valentine's Day saved.

6. Go on an indoor picnic
OK, so you could go for the typical outdoor picnic. But those always turn out better in the movies. (Chances are, you won't have a set crew shooing away uninvited insect guests every five minutes.) That doesn't mean you can't get creative with an indoor picnic, though. Romantic, twinkling starlight can easily be substituted with a few flickering candles. And for the price of an entrée at a fancy restaurant, you can get faux grass -- sans the green stains!

7. Give the gift of giving
This next item on the list won't cost you a dime, but it might just earn you a few extra Brownie points. We're all for showering your Valentine with lavish gifts, but come on – that's so last year. Times are a bit tougher now, so why not give the gift of giving instead? For a good starting point, check out the websites for Second Harvest Food Bank or Habitat for Humanity, or search online for other charitable organizations in your area. Volunteers are often in short supply, and there are many groups that would be thankful for your help. (Your karma will thank you, too.)

8. Enjoy a night on the town
It's nice to have a Valentine's Day night on the town, but when you're on a budget, going out can prove to be a difficult feat. We dug around the 'Net, though, and struck gold with a few fun and very wallet-friendly date ideas. Here in Los Angeles, we have the luxury of reaping Tinseltown's benefits (free TV-show tapings, movie screenings and whatnot), but freebies exist all over the country. For example: Museums and galleries galore offer free admission on certain days of the week; some of them are always free. Check local listings and see what you come up with!

9. Celebrate on the 15th
Don't get us wrong: Of course there's something magical about celebrating with your significant other on Valentine's Day. But no amount of fairy dust will protect you from paying double for flowers and chocolates on February 14. Worse, you last-minute types will probably have to call at least three or four restaurants before finding one that's not booked. And when you finally do get a reservation, explaining to your S.O. why your table-for-two is right outside the bathroom might not be so romantic. So take a tip from us: Celebrating the day after will save your wallet -- and your sanity.

10. Download free love songs
You know the saying, "The best things in life are free"? It turns out, it's true. As a token of our appreciation, we're sharing the love this Valentine's Day by treating all registered users to three free songs from the ClearMusic catalog -- on us! Just search for songs and/or artists at ClearMusic, choose your three faves and enter promo code: CLHEART when you're ready to download.

Until next time ... Happy Valentine's Day!

-- Joyce Liao & Jennifer Lee, Clear Bloggers