I must know!

Hey Beth, why is a raven like a writing desk?

Simple:  Poe wrote on both.

(Photo from alice-in-wonderland.net)

Chase the blues away

Hey Beth, I'm having a terrible day.

Here's a .gif set to fix that:

Why can't all this tech stuff work together?

Hey Beth, why can't everything just get along?  I've got a tumblr, a Jawbone Up, Instagram, Gmail, and a bunch of other applications.  I really want to make them all interact with each other but of course, they don't.  Have any magical ways to fix that?

Actually, there is a way to actually make this work.  It's called IFTTT (pronounced like 'gift' without the 'g').  Which means 'if this, then that.'

They are a free service that allows you to make conditional statements about your different applications.  For example, I set it up so that when I post to this blog, it also posts to my tumblr.

They have an iPhone app in addition to their web app so you can set up different relationships (or 'recipes') from anywhere.

IFTTT

Bonus!  IFTTT office dog blog!

The Rental Searching Blues

Hey Beth, I'm apartment hunting and I can't seem to find one that I like.  Help!

There are plenty of rental-searching websites out there.  Some of my favorites are Zillow, Trulia and HotPads.  They all basically work the same and have pretty similar results.

One thing that's great to think about when you're combing through listings is using multiple sites to get the information you need.  

Say you found the perfect place that's right in your price range but on Zillow you've only got a satellite view?  Take your search one step further and google the address of the place.  Chances are that the owner may have put up pictures of the inside on a different website or maybe the house was for sale online at one point and you can get an idea from those photos.

Taking this extra small step can really help you get a better idea of a place without having to go look at dozens in person.

(Photo from Fenway Triangle Trilogy in Boston)

Spaghetti? Western?

Hey Beth, where does the term "Spaghetti Western" even come from?

 +  =  ???

Back in the day, 'Spaghetti Western', was originally a derogatory term and referred to western movies produced and directed by Italians.

Wiki

Rain, rain go away

Hey Beth, I hate the rain.  Do you have a website to fix that?

No one's made a website that controls the weather just yet, but if you dread rainy days, it really helps to have the happiest umbrella on earth.  Get yourself an umbrella that you are so excited to use that you can't wait until it rains.  Here are some of my favorites:

Samurai Umbrella from Neatorama's Neatoshop

Lightsaber Umbrella from ThinkGeek

The Colour Change Umbrella from suckUK
My personal favorite and it hasn't rained since I got it.  :(

Scotch Tape

Hey Beth, why is it called Scotch tape?

First of all, Scotch is a brand, not a kind of tape (like Kleenex and Chapstick are brands, not items), made by the company 3M.  The legend behind the choosing of the name is that one of the first iterations of masking tape was not quite adhesive enough.  The bodyshop painter attempting to use the tape exclaimed, "Take this tape back to your Scotch bosses of yours and tell them to put more adhesive on it!"

MIT article

Ooh! What flavor is this one? Eeeew...lemon

Hey Beth, wouldn't it be awesome if they made a mixed chocolates box that you could pick the flavors?

See's Candies will do it for you.  Just go to their site, select what pieces you want and then get those sweet lemon-curd-free chocolates delivered to your door.

See's Candies

Hotel Boredom

Hey Beth, I'm planning a vacation and I am really tired of staying at boring hotels.  

How about staying in a house instead?

Homeaway is where you can find people renting out their homes for short term lodging or vacations.  They run the gamut as far as pricing is concerned and you get a completely different experience than the traditional hotel.

Homeaway

(In case you are curious, click here for the link to the rental pictured above in Italy)

Eggplant?

Hey Beth, how did a big, purple vegetable end up being called an eggplant?

Actually a fruit, the eggplant (or aubergine) that was grown in Europe was white or yellow in color and resembled goose eggs.

Mother's Day

Hey Beth, I don't know what to get my hippie mother for Mother's Day!  HALP!

You know the hippies love a good sandal and they love helping create jobs and using fair labor practices even more.

How about a classic pack from Sseko Designs?  Fun, versatile sandals made in Uganda so that talented young women can afford university tuition in a male-dominated, impoverished society.

You can change the straps on them and make them wrap however you please.

$69.00 from Sseko Designs (http://ssekodesigns.com/)