Writing the blog four days a week gives me the opportunity to discuss both esoteric and pragmatic thoughts. I try to impart knowledge without seeming too didactic, however, the final disposition of each entry is decided by you, the reader.
Cute.....?
I've been referencing the on line Merriam-Webster dictionary for years. Yesterday I noticed a link to the most frequently looked up words. The lists contain the past 24 hours, 7 days and 4 months. The bold words above are the top five researched the past 4 months.
Even in college English, we were assigned a vocabulary list to study every week. I suppose that's still done?
As with most pages on the Internet, Merriam-Webster has a link to Facebook.
"What made you look up (your word here)? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible)." One hundred and eleven people commented on their reasons for checking didactic.
The last entry: "Ipad auto correct. I typed didja and it came out didactic, I wanted to see if it was naughty."
Eventually didactic will become one of the more esoteric words in the English language. Didja will be included in the dictionary.
DIDJA: meaning DID-YOU as in DID-YOU EAT also JEET Or JEW-EAT (you need to be careful with that one).
This will date me.
"Mom, how do you spell (your word here)?"
"Look it up in the dictionary."
"How can I look it up if I don't know how to spell it?"
I never comment when I check a word. My reason is always the same. I didn't know its meaning, or how to spell it. I'm not a fan of auto correct, it makes me lazy. But if someone writing DIDJA learns a new word, I'm all for it. I know it can be switched off, so everyone has a choice.
Recently I've noticed specific ads popping up on web sites. I checked out a Food Saver for the blog and later saw an Amazon ad for one. I've never been concerned about "Big Brother" and my on line use. I don't have anything to hide. I don't have anything anyone would want, or need. If they want to show me ads, fine. I am never, ever, ever going to buy a Food Saver, or 98% of the items I check on line. So, go ahead, waste you time or bandwidth or programming or whatever it is you do.
Does wearing a sweater make you sweat?
More money saving tips for the garden from your friendly AARP.
Cover Up Weeds: Save money on weed killer by spreading several layers of newspaper on the soil before mulching over them in the garden. This blocks weeds from growing and it helps retain moisture, so you save even more by needing to water plants less.
This is a fine example of less is more. You use more newspaper, less water and save more money. Who still reads the newspaper? You could use throw away Auto Traders and Penny Saver papers. Add weekly ads the broke post office delivers and you may have enough in a few years. If you read your news on-line, when the computer dies, bury it with your favorite perennial.
Fall Planting: Most people get the urge to plant in the spring. The best time in most climates is late summer or fall when their chances of survival are actually better. And the best part is they're often marked down at the nursery.
Wait until fall when the selection is decimated. Buy the leftovers no one wanted, but, save a couple of bucks. Oh, and forget those beautiful spring annuals. They're a pain in the ass and you didn't want them anyway.
For cleaning.
Make Your Own: Check the Internet for how to make laundry detergent. The most common ingredients are Borax and Fels-Naptha soap. A batch costs you pennies on the dollar per load.
You can also use Borax as a fungicide, herbicide and insect killer. Unless you buy your clothing at the dollar store, spring for regular detergent. The front loader low water machines use a couple of tablespoons for god sake. Don't be such a cheap skate.
Not Just For Dishes: Use about a tablespoon of liquid dish soap in your top-loading washing machine to clean your clothes. It's cheaper with fewer chemicals.
W.T.F? Make up your mind. First Borax and now dish soap? What a terrific idea, dish soap. I love the idea of Lemon Zest, Apple Berry Twist or Honey Berry Hula smelling clothes. OK, maybe the hula smell when we go to Hawaii.
Scrub This: Instead of buying pot scrubbers or steel wool pads, plastic mesh bags that fruit and veggies come in will do the trick. Remove any labels or staples and tie in a knot.
Or, remove labels but leave the staples in. Tie in a knot and use as a loofah. Great for those with sadomasochistic proclivities. For heightened enjoyment use Borax as a soap replacement and really scrub that skin. (it works really well on the 'tender' parts).
If I may be serious for a minute...OK, enough of that. Saving money is always a good idea but face it, some of these suggestions are not worth doing. This is just my opinion but I put many of them in the 'wash out your paper towels' for multi use category.
In closing, this falls into the category of saving and knowing where your money is going. Wanda and I were discussing charitable donations one morning. About an hour later:
She said, "I use CharityNavigator.com to see where the best charities are."
He heard, I use CherryNavigator.com to see where the best cherries are.
I love the Internet. What would we do without it?
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