Explainer: Why Leaving Your Thermostat The Same All Day Wastes Money

Home Alone Furnace (Credit: 20th Century Fox)
January 31, 2017

Keeping Your Thermostat The Same All Day Wastes Money No one likes to waste money, right? Unfortunately, there are still some pernicious myths out there slowly draining our bank accounts. One of these myths is that leaving your thermostat at the same temperature all day somehow saves money. This is untrue for the vast majority of homes, yet the myth won’t die. Many sites on the internet will tell you that…

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Injustice 2 Trailer Impressions: The DC Universe Actually Gets Interesting

January 26, 2017

I generally don’t consider myself a fan of the DC Universe at large. That changed a bit when the video game Injustice: Gods Among Us was released in 2013. While it is on the surface playing on the overused trope of “yet another alternate reality story” it does center on a rather interesting premise: what if Superman just totally lost his shit and decided to take over the world? It’s quite…

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Cruising the Carribean

Posing in the foreground with the ship
January 25, 2017

Travelling has always been an escape for me. However, my marriage and kids, despite both being wonderful, do put a damper on my ability to flit off into the sunset and see various parts of the world. I have been lucky to already travel to six continents (although one barely counts) and I would love to hit that seventh at some point… One of my favorite places to visit is the…

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The Women’s March in Washington

January 23, 2017

I got to participate in the Women’s March in Washington D.C., on January 21st, 2017. I figured it was a once in a lifetime event; I hope it was a once in a lifetime event. Being able to be a part of the march was quite moving though. The people spoke and hopefully some people listened. It is yet to be seen how much of an impact there may be. Regardless,…

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Hi, My Name is Gurkie

January 23, 2017

Who am I? Well I am Gurkie, as if that says something. Although I guess if you want to read into things you could. It means I either like to pick a random name or I came from a family with non-traditional names. It’s the latter by the way. But more importantly I am a wife, a mom, a sister, a friend and of course an individual. In terms of what…

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Worried About Trump’s Presidential Power? Blame Obama.

January 20, 2017

The coming peaceful transition of power from the previous administration to the next is rapidly approaching, and it’s still difficult to know what to expect from the incoming administration. Much like the contradictory (and often confused) rhetoric from the president-elect during the campaign, there are some reasons for cautious optimism for libertarians from Trump’s cabinet nominees, and also reason for concern about presidential power. Regardless, one thing that is certain is that…

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P90x3 Challenge Kickoff

January 19, 2017

With the death of the Xbox Fitness Challenge and a New Year upon us, I’ve been searching for a new form of motivation to get in shape and eat healthy. I think I’ve found the next step: It’s time for the P90x3 challenge. My wife had bought me the P90x3 DVDs a few years ago as a birthday gift. I had tried countless times to go through all 90 days, but always…

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Book Review: Transmetropolitan, Vol. 5: Lonely City

January 17, 2017

“Life sucks, then you die.” The fifth Transmetropolitan collection is a bit of a hodgepodge. This volume certainly is not as strong as the first first four volumes (see my previous reviews for Lust for Life, Year of the Bastard, The New Scum). Without the presidential election the series loses a bit of steam. But digging into these six issues reveals some truly startling insights of the role journalism plays in our…

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Ghost in the Shell Movie Trailer Impressions and Expectations

January 12, 2017

I’ve been hearing rumblings of a Ghost in the Shell live action movie for what seems like years.  And all of a sudden a very short teaser emerges, followed by an official Ghost in the Shell movie trailer last week. Ghost in the Shell has long been one of my favorite anime series.  Though I wasn’t that big a fan of the original movie, the Stand Alone Complex (SAC) adaptation remains…

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Quick Take: Justin Fuente’s First Year at Virginia Tech

January 11, 2017

With the conclusion of the 2016-2017 college football season after an amazing BCS National Championship Game (congratulations to the Clemson Tigers), I thought it would be a good time to collect my thoughts on Justin Fuente’s first season as head coach of the Virginia Tech Hokies. When I heard that Frank Beamer was retiring a little over a year ago, I definitely had conflicting emotions. As a member of Virginia…

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