Tag Archives: How To

25 Tornado Survival Tips


By web gangsta | Published:

From the NOAA:

  • At night, keep looking at ground level for tell-tale signs that a tornado is snapping powerlines, such as quick, bright flashes of either blue-green to white.
  • Not all tornadoes are funnel clouds. Some have no clouds at all, making them nearly invisible from a distance, save the flying debris and dust that may be seen underneath a set of low clouds

From the OLD FARMERS ALMANAC:

  • While they could occur at any time of day or night, tornados most typically form in the afternoon
  • Check out the color of the sky.  If the sky is a pale green color, that’s a common tornado possibility indicator
  • Other common indicators include large hail and dark low-lying clouds.  Approaching tornadoes sound like oncoming freight trains.

From NATIONWIDE INSURANCE:

  • No matter where you are, get as low as you can and get down. Get covered with a blanket, sleeping bag, or other heavy material that can protect you from flying debris.
  • Have a battery-powered (better yet, a hand-crank powered) weather radio that can also pick up your local news radio or TV station audio.
  • Don’t open all your windows “to alleviate pressure inside the house”. You may be hit by flying glass if you choose to do this at the wrong time
  • The southwest corner of your basement may not be the best choice to take cover in, as most tornados come from that direction
  • Caught while out driving? Don’t park under an overpass or bridge, as that can be more dangerous than taking cover in a nearby ditch.

From ABC NEWS

  • Stay away from windows, doors, and outside walls
  • If you see a tornado while you’re driving, don’t try to out-run it.  Leave your car and find shelter immediately instead

From NATURE’S FURY:

  • If you’re taking cover in the basement, be sure that you’re not underneath anything heavy from the first floor, such as a piano or refrigerator, in case the floor above you weakens
  • After the tornado has passed, avoid going near down power lines.
  • Avoid lighting candles or using anything that could generate a spark, until you’ve confirmed that there aren’t any nearby gas leaks

From FEMA:

  • Make an emergency kit, consisting of extra batteries, food, water.  Try to have enough to last you at least 72 hours.  Think about the essentials you may be without during that time (power, heat, clean water, etc)
  • If you think a tornado is approaching, grab and wear appropriate clothing for after the tornado has passed – sturdy shoes, jeans, work gloves, jacket/sweatshirt (depending on climate).  These may be clothes you’ll need to wear for a few days in uncomfortable conditions
  • Have a contact plan with friends, family members, co-workers. Cell networks may be out of service temporarily, so don’t assume you can rely on your cellphone

From SECRETS OF SURVIVAL:

  • Half of all tornadoes each year happen during April, May, and June
  • On a regular basis, take an inventory of your possesions for insurance purposes, have that list documented and secured in an off-site location, such as a bank’s safety deposit box
  • When taking cover, stay away from corners as they tend to attract flying debris. You’ll be better off in the center of the room, underneath a sturdy piece of furniture.
  • Most injuries occur from flying debris, building collapses, or when trying to outrun a tornado in a car

From FIRST AID on ABOUT.COM:

  • Tornadoes usually travel about 30 MPH, but can reach speeds as high as 70 MPH. Note that travel speed is different from the rotation speed of the cyclone itself.
  • Try to get to the center room of whatever structure you’re in, preferably in the basement

From POPULAR MECHANICS:

  • While you can consider building a SAFE ROOM in your home, one tornado researcher says that if he’s caught in a tornado situation that he’s going to head for the nearest covered culvert outside. Stay away from grocery stores, gymnasiums, warehouses, or anything else with a large roof span.

Video Fun: How to eat a Live Octopus


By web gangsta | Published:

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?

Some people don’t venture far from their own personal comfort zone when it comes to trying new foods. It’s why any FOOD CHALLENGE episode of any SURVIVOR season is always so much fun, as we watch people who are much hungrier than they normally would be throw their inhibitions away to get something – anything – into their stomachs.

Continue reading VIDEO FUN: HOW TO EAT A LIVE OCTOPUS

How much money do sign twirlers make?


By web gangsta | Published:

You see them everywhere you go as you drive through your local suburbs, cruising by the strip mall shopping center:

The sign twirler, sign spinner, human directional sign, sign waver, sign flipper, living sign, or a casual sign holder on a stick .  And you always do the same thing as you drive by:  “hey, look at that idiot with the sign!”

Continue reading HOW MUCH MONEY DO SIGN TWIRLERS MAKE?

13 money-saving ideas to cut wedding costs


By web gangsta | Published:

If you were to get married again, what are some things that you would do differently to save a little money?

Would you elope instead of throwing a large reception?  Would you do a destination wedding in order to cut down on the guest list?  Would you use eVite or social media in order to make your invitations affordable?

Continue reading 13 MONEY-SAVING IDEAS TO CUT WEDDING COSTS

How big is the average parking space in a parking lot?


By web gangsta | Published:

One of the perils of living in suburbia is having to drive everywhere you go to reach your desired destination.  Public transit is not an option for you.

So when it comes time to travel to The City for dinner and a movie, families in the Giant Mom-mobile are often stuck trying to find an adequate parking space for their larger-than-it-needs-to-be vehicle.

Continue reading HOW BIG IS THE AVERAGE PARKING SPACE IN A PARKING LOT?

The one piece of information you should never share on social media


By web gangsta | Published:

It’s time for Web Watch to get a little serious for a moment.  We just want to help you be a better social media user.

You can share photos of food, rant away about customers sitting next to you at a restaurant, or poke fun at the latest celebrity’s post-rehab hijinks.

But there is one item that you should avoid posting in social media at all costs.

Continue reading THE ONE PIECE OF INFORMATION YOU SHOULD NEVER SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

How much does it cost to book a band?


By web gangsta | Published:

A while back, Web Watch told you HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO BOOK THE DAN BAND, as seen in The Hangover.  Or, if you really want to relive the entire HANGOVER movie trilogy, Web Watch mentioned how much it would cost you to BOOK ZACK GALIFIANAKIS or KEN JEONG.

But maybe, just maybe – you’re a bit more sophisticated than that.

Maybe you have $20,000 burning a hole in your pocket and you don’t know what to do with it.

Continue reading HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO BOOK A BAND?

How to gain more Twitter followers


By web gangsta | Published:

Are you satisfied with the number of Twitter followers you have?

Have you thought that you should be more along the lines of Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber with the number of people that follow them in that social media circle?

Maybe it’s not what you’re saying on Twitter, but how you’re saying it.

Continue reading HOW TO GAIN MORE TWITTER FOLLOWERS

Today’s Challenge: Survive on Minimum Wage for One Month


By web gangsta | Published:

How long has it been since you were in college?

Remember how awesome it was to just head out to the university cafeteria and eat everything you wanted, just because you could?  Hey – it was like an unlimited Las Vegas buffet, but without the cover charge.  Unlimited pizza. Unlimited ice cream. Unlimited single-patty burgers (double-patty burgers only allowed on your first trip through the grill line).

Yeah, there’s a reason it’s called the Freshman 15, and it has nothing to do with the free beer you’re sucking down on weekends, either.

Continue reading TODAY’S CHALLENGE: SURVIVE ON MINIMUM WAGE FOR ONE MONTH

This website will guess your age


By web gangsta | Published:

Have you been to a county fair recently?

If not – then rest assured that they still have the old-fashioned carnival barker there, offering to guess anything from your weight, to your zodiac sign, to your age — all for just a few dollars.  Don’t worry – if they get it wrong, they hand you a stuffed animal worth $0.25 to them.  It’s sheer profit, even if they lose every single transaction that they attempt.

Continue reading THIS WEBSITE WILL GUESS YOUR AGE

How to have a one-night stand


By web gangsta | Published:

Survey time:  raise your hand if you’ve NEVER HAD A ONE-NIGHT STAND.

Thought so – there aren’t a lot of you out there who’ve never gone that route at some point in your previous life.  Yes, even those single-night hookups with your best friend’s roommate’s cousin who you see every year as they drive across the country on vacation and needed a place to crash, counts.

Continue reading HOW TO HAVE A ONE-NIGHT STAND

10% of all movie theaters have reported this problem that could scare customers away


By web gangsta | Published:

Remember when Web Watch told you about the rise in bed bug infestations?

It ends up that things haven’t waned since we originally reported on that, and new reports show that BED BUGS ARE BECOMING MORE RAMPANT THAN EVER BEFORE.

Continue reading 10% OF ALL MOVIE THEATERS HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM THAT COULD SCARE CUSTOMERS AWAY

Just what every 78-year-old man needs: an 18-year-old wife


By web gangsta | Published:

Remember when WEB WATCH told you about the PERFECT AGE DIFFERENCE FOR DATING?

Apparently, that’s a bunch of hooey, depending on who you talk with.

Continue reading JUST WHAT EVERY 78-YEAR-OLD MAN NEEDS: AN 18-YEAR-OLD WIFE

Celebrate Diaper Free Week by Going Diaper Free!


By web gangsta | Published:

Web Watch has talked about ELIMINATION COMMUNICATION earlier, a method used by parents to encourage their infants to equate specific sounds with going to the potty.

Pavlovian, you say?  Perhaps.  But parents who practice EC swear by it, and it saves them hundreds of dollars a year in disposable diaper costs.

Continue reading CELEBRATE DIAPER FREE WEEK BY GOING DIAPER FREE!

What is the highest scoring Scrabble word?


By web gangsta | Published:

Web Watch, as we’ve declared previously, loves playing board games with friends.

There’s something about sitting around a table and taking part in a group activity – laughing, drinking – that you just can’t get from the anonymous (and cheat-filled) ways of playing knock-off word games with friends via cellphone.

Is SCRABBLE the best game choice for game night?  Sometimes yes, sometimes not.  It partly depends on how many people are playing, and whether they enjoy playing word games with you.  If you’re the kind of person who TiVos the NATIONAL SPELLING BEE, then chances are you’re not the type of person that others will want to engage in a casual Scrabble game with.

Continue reading WHAT IS THE HIGHEST SCORING SCRABBLE WORD?