ECO Geek Tips for Blog Action Day

Every October 15th is Blog Action Day for Climate Change.

Concerned bloggers are asked to post about climate change (and what we can be doing) and give a shout out to October 24th and 350.

This year I'm going to focus on going eco for geeks with 5 quick tips:

1. Turn off your computer- this could have a huge impact.

(turn the computer off when you go to bed at night)

2. Use eco-friendly light bulbs

(they make them for everything now)

3. Use Blackle

(Based on the theory that a black Google could save 750 Megawatt-hours a year, Blackle is just that)

4. Pay your bills online

5. Ditch your screensaver

(Screensavers were initially created to add life to the monitor by keeping phosphors from burning images into your idle monitor. Modern computers don't have these problems and screensavers still use power and can even keep your computer from going into a fully saving power mode)

and if you share a cubicle with someone who has those tacky tropical fish swimming across their screen or endless family pictures of their little angel's last birthday party - this may be a good tip to bring up at your next office meeting

(you will then owe me one .... and I prefer chocolate .... or cash)


Who Ya' Gonna Call?

OK- so maybe some of us

(not me)

have been watching a few too many episodes of GHOST HUNTERS

(the scifi show with the RotoRooter nerds who hunt ghosts),

so when we decided to hit Phillie for Columbus Day

(sans hubby who was working, of course - personally I am on the same schedule as the U.S. Postal Service and take my postal holidays very seriously)

we (ie they) wanted to check out the Eastern State Penitentiary-

(the photo above is NOT the Eastern State Penitentiary but is from that day and the best choice for my photoshopped TAPS insignias which believe me certain members of my little ghost hunting posse really, really wish were real ... sigh)

The penitentiary was the location of the TAPS Halloween special last year where they set up live and found.... well, they found nothing actually (but, they had recorded alot of activity there in a previous episode and by alot of activity I mean alot of unexplained creaking noises and heat sources)

(I must admit I was a bit oblivious to our investigation while the actual investigating was happening- ie photographing empty, closed off corridors for suspicious ghostly activity- my ears covered with the plastic headset for the audio tour, my fingers going numb from the cold and my mind on lunch)

This penitentiary was founded by Benjamin Franklin and the Quakers who believed that people were basically good and given enough time alone (and I mean totally alone- they spent 23 hours a day in their cell and were hooded anytime they left their cells to maintain their privacy) would find God and see the error of their ways.

Later it became a regular prison and even housed Al Capone.

(maybe I was paying more attention than I thought to that audio tour)

So, anyhoo- here is the best photographic evidence from our little adventure and you guys can let me know what you all think (this is a closed off corridor- far from the camera person).



I am convinced we have definitive proof of a haunting.

(or a lens smudge)



1. Home Haunted Home print by RusticGoth
2. Tragic Locket by HeartworksbyLori
3. Spooky Chic Ghost Hairclip by PunchDrunkPrincess (my new favorite shop name!)
4. Treats for the Neighborhood Monsters by GooseGrease
5. Something Terrible Pin by BeanForest
6. Blue Ghost by FetishGhost