Now some people can use their Tide and get connected to the Web.
More than 9,000 washing machines and dryers have been retrofitted to be Internet-accessible and are being rolled out to various colleges and universities in some Midwestern states including Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.
Remember carrying down eight loads of laundry only to find out that all of the machines were taken? Well, with the eSuds system, students can log in to a Web site to find out when a machine will be available before they even begin searching under the beds for their Joe Boxers.
Also, people can forget about running back to their apartments for those extra quarters. The eSuds washers and dryers allow students to pay by swiping their student ID cards through a slot on the machine, which automatically deducts the cost from their student accounts. Moreover, for those who have thrown in loads and have forgotten about them (many of whom you've wanted to choke), eSuds actually sends an e-mail to the person when the load is done. If the student isn't around, (s)he can take the message as a page or even as a text message on the cell phone. Typical laundromat washers and dryers cost $700 to $2,500 while the eSuds machines cost slightly more than that.
No doubt all of these advantages may soon be for you when these machines will be hitting the local laundromat … and your condo or apartment building. Rest assured, if eSuds proves itself with these initial tests, you'll be seeing these high-tech washers and dryers before you know it.
***
Sites of the Month:
1. The Quddus Site (www.angelfire.com/hiphop2/quddus/index2.html): You may not know his name but, if you've ever watched MTV2, you know his face. Check out the model/VJ's biography and gallery.
2. Hip Hop Honeys (http://www.hiphophoneys.com): After viewing this site, I don't know where the 'hip-hop' part comes in, but you definitely know where the 'honey' is. You can watch all sorts of comely models (female only) in and out of clothes.
3. Racism on Both Sides of the Lavender Divide (www.washblade.com/forum/columns/viewpt/010907b.htm): For anyone who's experienced or wondered about racism in the gay community, this article provides a powerful viewpoint. Check out the writer's personal travails, including how the phrase 'Once you've had black, they don't want you back' came to be a part of his life.
***
Correction: A couple of months ago, I listed the wrong URL for Walter White's personal site. The correct address is www.afmbey.com/walterwhiteiv.
I'm at turn_it_up@hotmail.com .