Cambridge Bird Art ‘Distracting’ To Some Drivers; (Story from WBZ News 4)

Saw this strange news story on WBZ-4. Artist suspends a metallic flock of birds on cable wires above Cambridge roads. Some express concern that the glare from the artwork will distract drivers. Some on the comment stream of the article are suggesting that cell phones are the most distracting thing — suggestion there would be that what harm could some metallic birds do?

The artist and architecture professor, Carolina Aragon, stresses that she did not want her work to be a distraction. And of course, she does have express permission from the city.

Do you think the installation will cause problems?

Also- if you’re an art nut, you might enjoy perusing her website. Her work is quite good.

[ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Cambridge Bird Art ‘Distracting’ To Some Drivers « Cambridge Bird Art ‘Distracting’ To Some Drivers « CBS Boston.]

Vegatarians and Vegans UNITE! Carnivores may pout. What is the Adopt-A-Turkey cause all about?

Do you enjoy your Tofurkey?

Then you’ll probably enjoy the Adopt-A-Turkey Project.

(Isn’t that photo hilarious?)

Most people I talk to are on extreme poles of the issue. Do you rescue and adopt a turkey for Christmas with a small $30 donation to the site? Or, do you eat your turkey with pride?

Here’s a blurb from their mission:

End the misery of commercially-raised turkeys by offering a compassionate alternative for Thanksgiving. Since 1986, Farm Sanctuary has rescued more than 1,000 turkeys, placed hundreds into loving homes through our annual Turkey Express adoption event, educated millions of people about their plight, and provided resources for a cruelty-free holiday. For a one-time $30 donation, anyone can sponsor turkeys residing at Farm Sanctuary. Sponsor a turkey and receive a special adoption certificate in your name – or give sponsorships as gifts for family and friends. Donations are also needed to support our lifesaving efforts to promote a compassionate Thanksgiving and protect all farm animals.

Source: http://www.AdoptaTurkey.org/

Chocolate to go… *drumroll* EXTINCT! Say what!

I wish that were an exaggeration.

[Above: A Castle Made out of Chocolate from Japan Probe].

I’ve never been *much* of a chocaholic, but if the opportunity presented itself, I’d be hardpressed to turn down a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup or a Godiva Truffle.

But I can’t go thinking the offers will keep coming. Not when The Independent published an article called, “Chocolate: Worth its Weight in Gold?”

In as little as 20 years, chocolate will no longer be so affordable.

The following is taken directly from The Independent article:

“In 20 years chocolate will be like caviar. It will become so rare and so expensive that the average Joe just won’t be able to afford it.”

The article credits the increasingly overwhelming consumer demand for chocolate, diseased crops from the Ivory Coast (the main source for cocoa), and difficult-to-grow-crops in the other areas. Space is limited as well since chocolate is only grown within 10 degrees north-and-south of the equator.

Here’s some silver linings: Maybe this will solve obesity? Maybe we’ll appreciate it more?… who knows!

Call us (1-781-871-5414) or email for a free quote: Liz@NBAInsurance.com! And don’t forget to tell your friends, Like Us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter. 😉

[Source: The Independent].

GetRaised.com – A Charming Solution to Asking for a Raise (Pretty cool stuff!)

OK- So have you ever had that awkward feeling at work? You think to yourself, “It’s been x amount of years that I’ve worked like a crazy person. And I still only make $X amount of dollars per year??”

It is an awkward feeling. You love your job. You love your coworkers. You may even be lucky enough to love the work you do! But then you think, shouldn’t I be making more money?

Well, the Internet always has an answer. This answer comes from GetRaised.com. This website is truly brilliant.

On your first trip to http://www.GetRaised.com, you go through some prompts to Get Started. At this juncture, the Deus ex Machina built-in to their site tells you whether you are overpaid or underpaid, or paid what you deserve. They base this on your occupation, current salary, and interestingly enough, your zip code.

That is the free service they offer. If it turns out you are underpaid, GetRaised.com offers you a written letter (costs $20) you can email or hand to your employer requesting a raise. They do not send it on your behalf, but rather provide you with the copy needed to give to your boss.

After providing you with this letter, they also give you a 100% money-back guaranty that you will get a raise within the next six months. If you don’t, you get your money-back. Seriously.

If you’re curious, like I was, check out www.GetRaised.com to see what they’re all about. The entire website itself is actually quite charming. And they have a very helpful FAQ Section.

Wicked Cool Car I HAD to Share With You Guys. Antique goes ELECTRIC. Someone try this. #insurance

Check out the above Replica MG TD. Not totally sure what the year is- you’re seeing a custom top on top of an old Beetle. I found this on Wired.com.

Wired refers to this ingenuity as a “homebrewed” electric car. Of course, back when MG TDs were the bee’s knees, they spewed CFCs (as older cars do!)

Doug Small decided that he would change their rep. He actually electrified this automobile. He began planning the project four years ago and began all the mechanical work two years ago (Sept. ’08).

“Everything was readily available online,” Small said. “The most difficult challenge was figuring out the battery layout. There was a bit of trial and error, but I finally found optimal battery positioning.”

Well, that kind of proves that the internet makes nearly everything possible.

Here are the specs:

Battery: 6.5 hrs to recharge

Mileage: 20-25 miles

Top Speed: 55 mph

Here’s what it looks like on the inside!!!

Oh wouldn’t it be nice to never visit a gas station or have an oil change? *sigh*

Source for all of this: Wired.com

Divorce Insurance. Yes, It’s Real. Read on.

Safeguard Guaranty Corp. of North Carolina just released a new product they call, WedLock. (Don’t you love where this is going??) It’s really a clever way of saying, Divorce Insurance.

Here’s how it works.

The insurance provides the insured (you) with financial assistance if you get a divorce: legal fees, setting up a new home, etc.

Unlike a predetermined limit (as you see on your homeowner’s policy or liability policy), you’d have a quantity of “protection units” which go for $15.99 per month per unit. Each unit gives you $1250 in coverage. So, if you bought ten units, you’d pay $159.90 per month and have $12,500 in coverage. Every year you are married, the company gives you an additional $250 in coverage per unit you purchased.

So, in the case you actually do get divorced, you send WedLock proof of your divorce and they send you your coverage amount in a fat check.

Great! Now I’ll Get Married to Get Divorced and Get Paid!

No, sorry, that probably won’t work.

Not only is that kind of horrible and fraudulent, but the company has set up safeguards to prevent such behavior. Policies don’t mature until 48 months after their retroactive date. It seems like they’ve also found a way around individuals who have purchased this type of insurance and been divorced several times.

Their Website. Which Proves This is Totally Real.

Out of curiosity, I decided to check out their website. Just to make sure this actually existed.

The website provides you with a number of tools. The Divorce Cost Calculator tells you, using numbers, that divorces can be extraordinarily expensive.

Then, there’s a cynic’s delight: The Divorce Probability Calculator. That’s definitely worth humoring even if you don’t buy the insurance.

Actually, having toured most of their homepage and additional links, the whole thing is terribly depressing. I’m filled with a mix of emotions that can be summed up as, Oh-My-God and Wow and How Depressing and I Can’t Believe I’m Reading This. The happy, bright colors I’m seeing on their website seem to ignore the fact that they’re selling divorce insurance. Even the tag line: There’s no time like the present to think about your future– that’s crazy.

If you click below the tagline to “Learn Why,” the photos they use to describe the process of how a marriage can be torn apart are pretty ridiculous.

I guess my overall assessment is still, “I Can’t Believe It Exists.”

Sources:

NY Times Article

WedLock Official Site