Hacking construction signs.

Difficulty: 3/5

There are three scenarios, as follows:

1. The machine only asks for a password. In this case, the password is usually DOTS which is the default. If it is not, it can be reset to DOTS by holding CNTRL and typing DIVR.
2. The machine is a Sunbelt, which asks for a username and a password. In this case, the user is always Sunbelt and the password is always the number of that particular machine (found on the side of it in black paint).
3. If not one of those options, the computer is housed in a box, and looks more like a real computer. They have complicated usernames/passwords, and are complicated to operate, which is why you'll find the user's manual in the box with the computer. In the user manual you will find 1) the username/pw written on the side cover or 2) instructions on how to reset the pw.

Why you should stop drinking bottled water.

Difficulty: 2/5

Bottled water is healthy water -- or so marketers would have us believe. Just look at the bottled water labels or ads: deep, pristine polls of spring water, majestic alpine peaks... In reality, bottled water is just water; however, that fact isn't stopping people from buying a lot of it. Here are some solid reasons to kick the bottled water habit.

In the U.S., bottled water costs between $0.25 and $2 per bottle while tap water costs less than $0.01.

Many people drink bottled water because they don't like the taste of their local tap water or because they question its safety. Only the affluent can afford to completely switch their water consumption to bottled sources. Once distanced from public systems, these consumers have little incentive to support bond issues and other methods of upgrading municipal water treatment.

Water is being called the "Blue Gold" of the 21st century. Thanks to increasing urbanization and population, shifting climates and industrial pollution, fresh water is coming humanity's most precious resource. Multinational corporations are stepping in to purchase groundwater and distribution rights wherever they can, and the bottled water industry is an important component in their drive to make a commodity what many feel is a basic human right: the access to safe and affordable water.

Some brands of water are sold in 20-ounce bottles and can be purchased from vending machines alongside soft drinks -- and at the same price. Most brands are essentially filtered tap water, bottled close to their distribution point. If you compare with other liquids, bottled water can cost more than gasoline, which has to be pumped out of the soil in the form of crude oil, often sent to refineries across the world and sent back. Therefore, water can be more profitable than gasoline.

There's very little empirical evidence that suggests bottled water is any cleaner or better for you than tap water. In theory, bottled water in the U.S. falls under the regulatory authority of the FDA. In practice, about 70% of bottled water never crosses start lines for sale, making it exempt from FDA oversight. On the other hand, water systems in the developed world are well-regulated. In the U.S., for instance, is regularly inspected for bacteria and toxic chemicals.

An alternative to bottled water is simply buying a stainless steel thermos and use it. You can buy inexpensive carbon filters that will turn most tap water sparkling fresh and at a fraction of the bottled water's cost.

What happens to your body if you stop smoking right now?

Difficulty: 5/5


in 20 minutes: Your blood pressure will return to normal.

in 8 hours: The carbon monoxide levels in your blood system will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.

in 48 hours: Your chance of having a heart attack will begin its long decline. All nicotine will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.

in 72 hours: Your bronchial tubes will relax, and your over-all energy level will rise.

in 2 weeks: Your circulation will increase, and it will continue to improve for the next 10 weeks.

in 3-9 months: Coughs, wheezing, and breathing problems will dissipate as your lung capacity improves by 10%.

in 1 year: Your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.

in 10 years: Your risk of lung cancer will have returned to that of a non-smoker.

in 15 years: Your risk of heart attack will have returned to that of a non-smoker.

Software guide.

Difficulty: 2/5

Here is a list of some of the better programs out there.

Internet
Web browser: Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Iron
Mail client: Thunderbird, web-based (such as hotmail or gmail)
Chat client: Pidgin, Skype, Trillian
IRC client: XChat, Chatzilla, mIRC
Torrent client: uTorrent, Deluge, bitlord
FTP client: Filezilla
Router firmware: DD-WRT, Tomato

System Maintenance
Anti-Virus: commonsense, Avira, Avast, Nod32
Firewall: Comodo, your router
De-fragmenting: Defraggler, jkDefrag
Misc: CCleaner, Recuva

Multimedia
Video player: MPC-HC, VLC
Audio player: foobar2000, winamp
Codec pack: CCCP, K-lite
Graphics editor: Photoshop, GIMP, Paint.net

Documents and Text
Word processing: MS Office, OpenOffice.org
PDF viewer: Foxit, Sumatra
Test editor: Notepad++, Vim

Disc Management
ISO mounting: daemon tools, powerISO
Disc authoring: Imgburn, alcohol 120%

Misc

File archiver: 7-zip, winrar
Virtual machine: VMWare, Virtualbox
Desktop rice: Rainmeter, Rocketdock, Litestep

*note* All highlighted programs are ones I use.

Facts about the human body.

Difficulty: 1/5

1. Humans are the only animals capable of drawing a straight line.
2. Women blink twice as often as men.
3. There are over 100 viruses that can cause a runny nose.
4. Human DNA contains 80,000 genes.
5. Human brain produces 100,000 chemical reactions per second.
6. Fingernails grow 4 times faster than toenails.
7. Total weight of bacteria living in the human body is 4.4lbs.
8. The human eye is capable of differentiating 10,000,000 hues.
9. The smallest cells in the male body are sperm cells.
10. Babies are born without kneecaps, which form only at the age of 2 to 6.
11. Every human being bends their finger 25 million times in a lifetime.
12. Human brain generates more electric impulses in a day than all telephones of the world combined.
13. There are nearly 46 miles of nerves in an adult's body.
14. In a lifetime, the female body produces 7 million egg cells.
15. The area of human lungs' surface is equal to that of a tennis court.
16. On average, an individual grows over 450 miles of hair in a lifetime.
17. The strongest muscle in the human body is the tongue.
18. There are approx. 40,000 bacteria in the human mouth.
19. Human body contains enough fat to produce seven pieces of soap.
20. Nearly half of all human bones are located in the wrists and feet.
21. There are approx. 2,000 tastes buds in the human body.
22. An adult person makes approx. 23,000 breaths a day.

About bread.

Difficulty: 1/5

Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores 5 days a week?
That's Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
Each day has a different colour twist tie.
They are:

Monday - Blue
Tuesday - Green
Thursday - Red
Friday - White
Saturday - Yellow

So if today was Thursday, you would want a red twist tie -- not a white which is Friday (almost a week old).

Guide to making an awesome desktop.

Difficulty: 4/5

1. Download the following programs:
   a) Objectdock
   b) rainmeter
   c) fences
   d) rainlendar
2. Visit this website, where you will find a goldmine of skins for the programs you just downloaded.
   http://customize.org/browse
   Just find the skins you like and download them, put them in the "skins" folder of the corresponding program.
3. For Wallpapers, visit.
   http://suigintou.desudesudesu.org/4scrape/
   and press the random button. Millions of wallpapers will come to your view, but only about 24 at a time.
4. Right click your taskbar, click properties, and click "hide taskbar"
5. Delete any and all icons on your desktop.
6. Add configs from rainmeter, configure and move them around to your liking.
   

Here's mine using Windows Vista.