Thank You to my Advertisers: 1/26-2/1

As of November 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard, so in order to free-up valuable file space, I have removed the images and contents from this page. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, I invite you to stop by my main page and see if there is anything of interest to you...

Everyday Living

My Top Droppers for January

As of November 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard, so in order to free-up valuable file space, I have removed the images and contents from this page. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, I invite you to stop by my main page and see if there is anything of interest to you...

Everyday Living

Friday Fotos: 1/30

Here's wishing you all a great weekend...


A Point to Ponder...

courtesy of... rumplo.com (removed dead link)




This is a Great Idea...

courtesy of... marcywrites.com



Entrecard Users, Look Familiar...

courtesy of... icanhascheezburger.com





courtesy of... funnypicturesofcats.info

Researching Web Hosting Sites

When I began blogging last March, I discovered that I could do it free through Blogger. Since I am a big fan of free, I decided to give it a try. Because I did not know the first thing about blogging, web sites, servers, or domain names, I figured that this would be the best way for me to go. This way, I can learn what I need to know and not have to pay for it. However, now that I know a little more about what I am doing and what I hope to accomplish, I will soon be in the market for my own domain name and hosting.

Because there are many companies out there that are trying to get your business, trying to find quality hosting can be a very intimidating process. Since you have such a wide range of companies to choose from, you will need to do your research. I would suggest dropping by forums and finding out where other members have their hosting. I would also suggest reading a variety of web hosting articles, because by getting several different opinions you will begin to notice the companies that seem to stand out. Yes, you want to find the best hosting for the least price, but you do not want to trade price for service. When you drill-down the various services to your top three or four, you should take out your trusty Notepad, and compare and contrast your top choices.

You may think that I may be going overboard with the research stuff, but as I have found out, sometimes the most popular choice may not be the best. When I end up spending money for something, I want to be sure that I’m getting what I pay for, that's why it is important for me to try and find affordable web hosting and the service that goes along with it. So, I read the articles and I go to the forums to discover what other people have experienced. You will find that most people are very happy to help you and will gladly give you the information you need to make an informed decision.

I realize, that depending on your needs, you will have to greatly expand this list. This is a list of the bare minimum to compare. Some of the things you will want to compare are the up-times, amount of disk space you get, shared vs. dedicated hosting, bandwidth (very important if you get a great deal of traffic), number of domains allowed, the number of email addresses included, and template builders. You will also need to think about finding a domain name so, I would check and see whether the company you are interested in offers free or discounted domain names. As I always say, “free is good.” These are just a few of the things you will want to look at. I realize that as your site grows or if you decide to monetize your site, there will be additional items you will want to take into account.

In short, I am suggesting that you not to pick the first hosting company that you come across. Take your time and find the company that best fits your needs. Do your homework, listen to the experiences of others, and make an informed decision.

New Year, New Awards

January has been a very festive time, because I have received 4 wonderful awards thus far. I would like to thank you for thinking of me when you are passing these out. I realize that it takes me a while to respond, but I do greatly appreciate them. As I pass these along, please do not feel obligated to respond in kind. I am doing this to show my appreciation for all your hard work.

I would first like to thank Unbalanced Libra for passing along to me the...




I want to also thank oceans of perspective for bestowing upon me the...





I have received two other very distinguished awards, but I will wait to pass them on next week.

RV Camping in Gettysburg

When I was growing up, one of our neighbors has a mobile home. Even though it was a small one, I still had fantasies about one day getting into one and driving around the country. Of course, the one that I dreamed about driving was a huge diesel that would have every sort of convenience you could imagine, including the kitchen sink. Now that I'm older, I would still like to jump into an RV and travel to a campground and spend some time there. just so that I could say that I had done it. Naturally, I can't afford to buy one of those behemoths, but I understand that I can rent one. Okay, let's say that I can actual afford to rent one of these things, where would I go? There are many campgrounds throughout the United States, so how would I go about picking one? I think the place to start would be to ask myself what I am interested in and go from there.

Back in college, I studied history, not just because I was bad in math, but also because I actually enjoyed it. Believe it or not, I still watch the History Channel, by choice. There are a number of historical spots around this country, but I have discovered one that really piqued my interest. This particular Gettysburg, pa rv camping site happens to be on the edge of the actual battlefield. In addition to watching one of the re-enactments, I can imagine myself going onto that field and sitting down on the grass; taking an account of the battle and reading it, thus transporting myself into history. You see, I used to work in archives where I would be able to actually handle the artifacts that I read about in my history books. There is something about actually touching something hundreds of years old or being at a place where something historic occurred, that makes me stop and think. To me, it brings history alive.

I understand that there may be one or two of you who may not be interested in history, but not to worry because there are many other things you can do. If you enjoy fishing, they have a well-stocked lake where you can enjoy matching wits with our finned friends, but be sure to bring barb-less hooks, because this lake is catch and release. Not a fan of fishing, why not take a nice, relaxing canoe ride, or a relaxing walk on one of the nature trails. To go rv camping gettysburg-style, you have the best of many worlds, for you are only a short distance away from Hershey, Pennsylvania. Yup, you can feed your sweet tooth on the real thing, or spend the day at their amusement park. Speaking of chocolate, one of the many events held at the battlefield resort is a death by Chocolate weekend. This is something that I would love to see, smell, and taste.

Although we may all tend to think that camping only takes place during the summer and fall months, I was surprised to find out that this resort is open all year round. They even have events that take place in October and a Holiday Feast in November. If you are looking to get away and have a great time doing it, go and grab your gettysburg camping site and prepare for an adventure that you will be talking about for years to come.

Which Tax Preparation Software to Choose

What with tax time just around the corner, I went on my annual December pilgrimage to purchase TurboTax on Amazon. Imagine my surprise when I got there and saw the reviews. I couldn't believe that they were charging $9.95 for printing an additional return. You see, I don't like to pay the extra and e-file (although this year, it is included in the price), so I print out my returns and send them the old fashioned way...pony express. Since I also like to print a copy for my records, there was no way I was going to pay extra for that privilege. So, I started shopping around for an alternative and I discovered H & R Block's TaxCut. People seemed to like it, so I kept it in the back of my mind.

When I went back about a week ago, I discovered that because of the outrage of the customers, TurboTax (TT) rescinded its pay-extra-for-printing charge, but it was still almost ten dollars more than TaxCut(TC) and I would have to pay for shipping. I was in a dilemma, because for the past seven years I have been using TT and I have been quite satisfied with the product. (I used to do our taxes by hand, but I guess I'm just too lazy these days and like to rely on a program to do it for me). Anyway, because of their greedy little ways and the fact they are more expensive, I have elected to go with TC this year. As a matter of fact, I just got the email this morning saying that it has shipped.

So, the reason for this rambling? Well, on top of it being a way to update my site, I am going to let you know if it is worth trying or not. They say that you can export all your TT data to TC, so I'll let you know if that is the case. I won't go into the nuts and bolts of using the program, but I will give you a quick review to let you know whether it is an option for TT.

My Review of H & R Block's Taxcut

Choosing a Light Fixture

I don't recall if I have ever mentioned this before, but our kids have two pet birds: a budgie and a cockatiel. Because they remain in the kids' bedroom, I need to make sure that there is enough light for them, which means that on most days, the light is turned-on for several hours a day. This has never been much of a problem, but several months ago, we switched to using those new energy-efficient light bulbs. The problem we are facing is that these bulbs only last a few months and then burn out.

I did some research on the Internet and I discovered that the energy-efficient bulbs have a tendency to generate a great deal of heat and, when they are in enclosed light fixtures, there is nowhere for the heat to dissipate, so they burn out. This means that we either revert to the old incandescent bulbs, or I go shopping for a new light; I have elected to get a new fixture. So, as my wonderful journey begins, my first question is what type of fixture to get. Since this is in a bedroom and there happens to be a bunk bed in the room, I need to have a light that is fairly close to the ceiling (after all, I really don't want my daughter banging her on the light each time she gets out of bed).

There are two types of ceiling light fixtures that I am looking at: one is flush and the other is semi-flush. Now the flush fixture is basically what it sounds like. You have a fixture, which is mounted onto the ceiling outlet box and enclosed in its cover; with no gap between the light and the ceiling. Since this is what we currently have, I went over and looked at the types of lights that are in the semi-flush category. In these lights, you will mount the fixture to the ceiling outlet box as usual, but there will be a gap between the ceiling and the cover. This means that the heat, which is produced by the light bulbs, will be able to escape into the room and thus the bulbs will not overheat as before.

So, I have decided upon the type, now I need to choose a style. When choosing a light fixture, please be sure to take the décor of your house and the particular room in mind. So, whether you are looking for chandeliers or ceiling fans you will want to match the fixture to the look you wish to achieve for your house. In my case, there are hundreds of different styles to choose from, but since this is a children's room, I will be going with a three-light semi-flush light fixture with the diffuser (light cover) being made of etched glass. It is not the fanciest light, but it matches the look of the room and most importantly of all, is inexpensive.

Thank You to my Advertisers: 1/19-1/25

As of November 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard, so in order to free-up valuable file space, I have removed the images and contents from this page. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, I invite you to stop by my main page and see if there is anything of interest to you...

Everyday Living

Managing your Newsletter Subscribers

For those of you who are in the marketing and real estate profession, you need a good way to keep in contact with your customers and clients. In this day of computers and emails, you will want a system that is powerful enough to accomplish the goals you want, yet easy enough to use. I know that when I was selling real estate, one of the hardest tasks I had was keeping up-to-date with my clients. Since this was in the day before the Internet became popular, I had to do it the old-fashioned way: phone calls and letters. Now, you can keep in contact with your customers by using an email newsletter. This will not only keep your company in the forefront of their mind, but it will also let them know that you are thinking of them. However, this is only effective if you give your client useful information.

By using a Trade-Marked spamcheck, iContact checks every newsletter to make sure it complies with the CAN-SPAM Act and, because they have a whiteletter agreement with the major ISP’s, this ensures that your newsletters will get into the inbox (and not the junk box) of your client. iContact Email Marketing takes pride in being known as a reputable company, if this were not the case, then why would companies such as Ford, Bank of America, Re/Max, and even the Presidential Campaign of Barack Obama, use them. What exactly does this service do for you? Well, in addition to sending your newsletters to your subscribers, they also provide real-time tracking, so you will know who is opening or clicking-through. You can choose which customers receive which newsletter; you define the parameters of your subscriber list and how it should be used. If you are going away on a business trip, you can schedule the delivery of your newsletters in advance. If you do not have a template for your newsletter, they have over 300 from which to choose. I have just touched upon a few of the services provided; however, a few categories include: managing, follow-up, and tracking.

Now, don’t worry if you are a small company just starting out, as they make it extremely affordable for you. For just $9.95 per month, you can manage up to 250 subscribers. The price per month is connected to the number of subscribers you have, so you don’t pay for services you can’t use. Although other companies charge extra, iContact includes an autoresponder and survey tool with your service. They even allow you to take it for a free 15-day test drive. So, if you are starting a new email campaign, then why not try their service and discover for yourself what over 41,000 customers already know.

Dial M for Muscle

As you gaze down upon the Scale of Doom, you notice that it has not moved a bit in fact, you may have gained a few extra pounds. You have been very faithful in fitness routine, so what’s the problem? Is this another weight loss plateau? If you are less than six weeks into your routine, chances are it’s something else. Yet, for those who do not know, it can be every bit as sinister as a plateau. It goes by many names, but I like to call it…Muscle Mass or MM, for short. That’s right, with all that exercising, you are actually toning and building muscle while you are losing fat. Since you are gaining muscle weight, that addition will show up on the scale. This is something that I discovered by accident.

I had been working-out on a regular basis and being faithful to my diet, but the weight was just not coming off. When I went to take my weekly measurements, I noticed that my waist size had actually decreased. How can I lose inches, but not lose weight? This is where MM comes in. I was so obsessed with the Scale of Doom, that I never even noticed that I was building muscle. It was a pleasant shock when I actually looked at myself in the mirror and noticed muscle where none had before existed.

So, next time you step upon the scale and notice no change, just remember that you're not only losing the fat, but you're gaining muscle.

Our Seven Years with DirecTV

When we finally moved into our first house, we decided that because of our horrible experience with the cable company, we would either find an alternative or just go without. Unfortunately, we were unable to find another service so, for two years, we used our trusty rabbit ears. Eventually, when we were able to move into our first new home, we began to hear of a new service that was being offered, so my wife started asking around at work and her friends all kept mentioning something called DirecTV. They had nothing but good things to say about them, so we decided to give them a try.

I called and set-up an appointment and we eagerly waited for the appointed time. When the technician arrived, he went right to work by first installing the satellite dish and then he went under our house and pulled the cable. Overall, it took just about two hours for the installation to be completed. When he was finished, he sat down with us and explained how to work the remote and the satellite receiver. Once we were comfortable with being able to navigate the system, he left.

That was just over seven years ago and we are still very pleased with the service we have received. The one worry that I did have about not getting reception during rainstorms, proved mostly unfounded. Although we do occasionally get an interruption of service, this usually occurs only during very bad thunderstorms and lasts for a short time. DirecTV offers an astounding 99.96% up-time with their signal so outages are rare, something our cable company could only dream to achieve. We are also very happy with the quality of the signal. We get 100% digital quality on all the channels, even the local ones, so our picture is always crisp and clear. With cable, we had a constant problem with ghost images showing up and no matter how many times they came out to try to fix the problem, it never went away.

Overall, I would say that we are very happy with our experience with DirecTV. My wife and I have even been trying to get our brother-in-law to switch over from cable, but he has been very resistant to do so. Their reception is about as good as you would get from an antenna, but he is just not willing to switch. We even told him about the DirecTV specials they are currently offering and have mentioned that it is cheaper than what he is paying now, the installation is free, and the picture quality is top-notch, but he still won’t budge. In a way, I can see where he is coming from; you are comfortable with something that you have had for many years and you are just afraid of doing something different. Change can be a scary thing sometimes, but it can also be good for you. I am hoping that he will finally get so fed-up with the service he currently has and make the switch; he’ll be glad he did.

Fotos for Friday: 1/23

Once again, Friday is upon us. Enjoy your weekend, you deserve it...



One Word: Amazing...

courtesy of... funnyhub.com



Someone is Going to be Kicked-Out of the Dog Club...

courtesy of... lolpix.com




If Only Bears Could Read...

courtesy of... searchenginelibrary.org.uk

Finding Your Local Connection

Have you ever been in a situation where you need to find an address or a phone number of a business, but couldn't find one of the four phone books floating around your house? Alternatively, let's say that you are on a business trip and you are unfamiliar with the surroundings, but you want to find out where some restaurants are located. Well, you can now find the information you are seeking as easily as using the Internet.

Instead of typing in the name of the business on your typical search engine and then having to weed through hundreds of irrelevant results, you can now do a local search for the business you are looking for. Your results will show up and give you all the information you require, including the address, phone number, driving directions, customer reviews, and more. You even have the option of drilling-down your results to show the locations from as near as one-mile, to as far as fifty-miles away.

The landing page is very fresh and user-friendly. At a glance, I can see the local restaurants and the featured businesses. In addition, for those who are securely tucked away in a cubical maze, you can even see what the current temperature and forecast is. What has me impressed is the fact that I can read reviews that were written by previous customers. I like the fact that I can pre-screen a restaurant or business and discover if it actually lives up to its reputation.

As I am writing this, I am getting a little hungry (what else is new), so I'm just going to click over to my local yellowpages and search for my favorite pizza place. As you may remember, I love Chicago Connection, but I can’t remember their phone number. So, I type in their name and up comes the information I need, so I can place my emergency pizza order.

How I Lost my Weight

In my previous article on Overcoming a Weight Loss Plateau, you would have noticed that I lost a great deal of weight in only the first three months. That was not a typo, I actually lost just over 40 pounds in that amount of time. The big question is, how did I do it? Well, I will share with you what I did.

For a few months prior to going on my diet, I was in the habit of consuming just over 4,000 calories a day. Yup, that's right: 4,000; with just about 1,500 coming in the form of a Big bowl of ice cream, late at night. So, if it takes 3,500 calories to make a pound of fat, you can see that I was gaining just over a pound a day. I know, not too bright, but I didn't know any better back then. So, when I started my diet I needed to amend my eating ways, which I did in a drastic fashion. If my doctor knew what I was doing, he probably would have had a fit.

I began by exercising about 15 minutes a day and gradually increased that time to just over an hour. I drank tons of water and I also cut my caloric intake from the previous 4,000 calories a day to just under 1,000. Regarding the cut in caloric intake, I need to emphasize this: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DO THIS. This is extremely dangerous! I did this because I was desperate and did not know any better. I was lucky that I didn't end up in the hospital, or worse. When you go on a diet, you need to make sure you reduce your caloric intake, but in a safe and reasonable manner. You need to make sure that you eat less, but also eat healthy foods.

Since then, I have started eating more (about 2,000 calories a day) and I also decreased my exercise time to a more manageable 30-40 minutes a day. Since February 2008, I have only lost 25 pounds of fat, but I am doing so in a safer manner. Although that does not seem like a great deal, I have been consistently losing inches and gaining muscle mass. If it wasn't for me keeping track of my measurements, I would truly have been depressed. Thus, another good example to follow: before you begin your diet, please take baseline measurements of your legs, arms, waist, and hips. That way, even if you are not losing pounds, you can check to make sure you are losing those nasty inches.

What are Phytonutrients and Where to Find Them

We are all told from an early age, that if we want to stay healthy, we need to eat our fruits and vegetables. I have even caught myself saying this same thing to my children, and you know what, it’s true. Although they have always been present, it wasn’t until recently that scientists have discovered something that lends even more credence to that familiar saying of, "eat your vegetables." Phytonutrients (pronounced Fight-O-Nutrients) is the name given to the nutrients in fruits, vegetables, and some nuts, that help in reducing our risk to many diseases such as cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes. These phytonutrients really live up to their name and studies show that they can act as antioxidants as well. Antioxidants (Removed dead link) are the substances that help fight against free radicals. Free radicals are naturally-forming molecules that our bodies produce when digesting food, but they can also be caused by environmental factors as well. These free radicals can damage cells which may eventually lead to heart disease, cancer, or other chronic health conditions. The antioxidants fight these free radicals and even help repair the damage they may cause.

To help us in our fight against these free radicals and to develop a healthy lifestyle (Removed dead link), The National Cancer Institute recommends that we eat 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. This may seem like a daunting task, but it does not have to be. To accomplish this, it is recommended that we eat at least five, different-colored foods each day. Isn’t that great, they even color-coded the food for us; well, actually, nature did, but you get the point. Gone are the days when the green beans or the spinach sat all by themselves at the edge of the plate, untouched, and unloved.

There are a number of different recipes, which you can use to turn those dull veggies into a wonderful meal. For example, how about Florentine Spinach Wedges, which contain spinach, garlic, two types of cheese, onions, and more, to create a mouth-watering dish. Guess what, you can have your vegetables and enjoy them at the same time. Another favorite is tomato soup. Now, I like to have mine with a nice, grilled cheese sandwich, which I dip into the soup and then eat; it tastes just fantastic. If grilled cheese is not your choice, than you can always add cream or, if you have trouble digesting non-cultured dairy products, you can add sour cream or yogurt; thus making your tomato soup into a cream of tomato soup.

Now, I realize that all this may seem a bit overwhelming, but never fear, for we do not have to embark on this journey alone.
Phytolife (Removed dead link) is a place that will help you in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They offer you advice on a wide range of topics which include, how to stay energized, aromatherapy, recipes, and even how to choose the right wine to go with your vegetables. Who says that being healthy has to be boring?

Overcoming A Weight Loss Plateau

This originally ran in April of 2008...

In August, 2007, I began my weight loss program. I weighed 296 pounds of pure, unadulterated fat (can we say Jabba the Hutt??). In November, I weighed 254 pounds, with 15 of that in muscle. In December...254lbs. In January....254lbs. In February....254lbs. What is going on here!!!! I am killing myself with these exercises and this diet, but I'm still at the same weight!!! I'm losing inches, but I'm not losing pounds. I am no longer a fitness nut. I QUIT!!!!!

Has this ever happened to you? Well, this is what happened to me and no, I did not quit. Instead, I did some research, because I knew something was going on; I just didn't know what it was. Somewhere out there someone HAD to have gone through this same thing. The first question was to know what it was called. So, I went "college" on myself and picked the word Plateau. I was right. The attached article goes into more detail, but I'll give you the nuts and bolts of it right now.

Here's what happened: When I started to exercise, I naturally weighed a lot more, so there was more mass to move, thus more calories to burn. As I continued to lose the weight, my body had less mass to move, thus less calories were burned. My body eventually became used to my exercise routine and knew how many calories to burn for the workout. You see, I did not alter my workout; I did the same thing every day. Thus, my body did not have to extend itself. Here's an example of what I am talking about: Let's say you start jogging. The first day you huff and puff and eventually you reach the 1 mile goal. Fast-forward 2 weeks. Do you still huff and puff after 1 mile?? Probably not. Your body has gotten used to the run and has adapted to it. Now, do you just stop after running that 1 mile, or do you stretch it to 2 miles? My guess is that you will stretch it. The same scenario is applicable to strength training. You need to continue to challenge your body in order to continue to lose the weight.

What I needed to do is to trick my body. Give it the unexpected. So, I took a week off and researched different ways of doing my exercises. I needed to maintain the exercise routine, but not the routine exercises.

After the week off, I began again. However, this time I did different exercises and in a different order. I don't do them in the same way every day, like I used to. I mix it up. This way my body does not know what to expect. It can't get lulled into a routine. It doesn't know how much energy it will need to complete the exercise routine.

Guess what?? IT WORKS!!! The pounds are once again starting to come off. I am also a lot happier, because each day my workout is different. I like that.

In a nutshell, here is what I did:

• Take a week off
• Come up with new exercises or a different way of doing the old ones
• Change-up the routine. Don't do it the same way each day.
• Do both strength training and cardio

webmd.com

The Light Bulb in my Mind Went Out

Well, on Saturday I broke down and did what I had been putting-off for some time now: I took down our Christmas lights. Yup, it was a sad day to see those lights come down and realize that it will be another ten months before I have to brave the ladder and put them back up.

But, do you really care if I took the lights down or not? I mean, I don't think anyone is staying awake nights wondering if I took down my Christmas lights or not. There are more important issues that need to be addressed. For example, did I remember to clean the litter box today. Oh, I just remembered something that I forgot to do today: clean Koko's water dispenser. I went to give him his food this morning and noticed that his water dish was pretty dirty. I told myself that I needed to clean it, but I promptly forgot...until now. Well, it's too late to do it tonight, so tomorrow for sure.

Can you tell by now that I have absolutely nothing to write about today? Yes, the light bulb in my mind went out. I could tell you that I exercised for the first time in three weeks today, but I really can't stretch that out to 200 words. Well, I might be able to, but I don't want to bore you all too much. I was trying to think of something to write, but I got caught-up watching 24. Have you ever watched that show...totally addictive.

If you have made it this far I think I should present you with a major award..and it will be: me not writing anything else tonight.

Thank You to My Advertisers: 1/12-1/18

As of November 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard, so in order to free-up valuable file space, I have removed the images and contents from this page. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, I invite you to stop by my main page and see if there is anything of interest to you...

Everyday Living

Computers and Drivers

If you are anything like me, you give no thought to your computer, until something goes wrong. As long as everything is working, I really don't think about software or hardware; I just think about getting my work done. However, there comes a time when you may go to use your printer, or go to scan a document, and nothing happens. The software has been updated and everything is connected properly, so what else can you check? You may want to look into making sure that the drivers are up-to-date.

You may be asking what exactly are drivers and you would not be alone. Drivers are software programs which allow the computer to communicate with the hardware. Without the drivers, your computer would not be able to tell the printer from the mouse, thus nothing would be able to function. Although we are all pretty good at keeping our software updated, we may tend to forget about the hardworking yet, often overlooked, workhorse of the computer...the driver.

To give you an example, several months ago my computer stopped talking to my printer. After making sure all the cables were connected, I did some research on the Internet and I discovered that checking for hp drivers and getting an update, may solve the problem. I'm happy to say that it did solve the problem and I was able to breathe a sigh of relief and move forward with my work.

Now, there is a place to go that has the drivers you need. You no longer have to scramble all over the Internet trying to find a particular driver for a particular device; they have all been brought together in one place. Let’s say that you have a device that requires lexmark drivers, you can go to this site and find the driver that you need. However, make sure that you get the correct driver for your device. To find out what you need (using Windows XP, in this example), go to My Computer and click the view system information link. Next, click hardware and look for the device in question. In this case, let’s say you were having mouse problems. Click on the mice and other pointing devices link and it will tell you what type of mouse you are using. You then match the correct driver to the mouse. I hope that this information helps point you in the right direction to solve the problem.

Counter Curse

Once upon a time, I cleaned the kitchen counter. I looked upon my accomplishment and was amazed at the size and usability of this essential household item. I had no idea that I could actually prepare meals on top of it. Imagine being able to chop vegetables and place pots and pans on top of it. I can use it when cooking dinner. WOW! Whoever thought of counters should get an award. It goes so great in the kitchen. It makes meal preparation so much easier. The only thing I would change, would be the magnetic feature of the counter top.
Confused? You know what I mean. Whenever you clean it off, within 2 days you can't put anything else on it. It magnetically draws all non-food items to it: mail, papers, magazines, wallets, cats.Wait a minute, did I just say "cats"? "Koko, get off that counter! You know you don't belong up there!" Perfect, he jumped off the counter and on to the top of the refrigerator. Oh well, at least he's not on the counter anymore. Now, where was I? Oh yes, whatever does not pertain to food preparation, magically appears on the counter top. You know, I would bet that all the socks that disappear in the washing machine, probably put in an appearance on the counter top.

I think that the counter acts as a clearing house for everything that enters the house. You know how in a store everything enters through the loading dock? Well, I think the counter acts as the loading dock for the house. The only problem is, nothing ever seems to leave it. We come home, put something on the counter and promptly forget about it.

Ever wonder where your screwdriver is, or that important document you need RIGHT NOW? You guessed it, it probably on the counter. Hiding from you. Mocking you. Laughing at you.

Thinking of an excellent home improvement project? Want to make your family proud? How about strapping-on your armor and attacking the counter. Show it who's boss. You will be glad you did.

Well, I've taken a picture of my nice, clean counter. Why? So I know what it looks like 2 days from now.

My Search for a New Scale

The time has come to say goodbye to my old bathroom scale. You may remember that I have discussed the reliability of my current scale and how I would love to see it fly someday. Well, that day is fast approaching. When I went to my doctor’s appointment, I discovered that my wonderful scale was only about 16 POUNDS off. So, for the entire time I was on my diet, I was recording my weight as 16 pounds higher than it actually was.

So, I need to strap-on my trusty computer and do a Wiki Search for new scales. This is the first time that I have actually used Wiki, but I must say that I was impressed. If you are in the market for health and beauty aids, then this is the page to go. You have a wide variety of categories from which to choose: cosmetics, skin care, health care, even male grooming products. But, since I’m a guy, I went directly to the Personal Care Guide and started my search.

When I searched for bathroom scales, I came upon the page and just sat there. I was expecting to see a bunch of scales with prices on them, not a detailed buying guide of the various scales on the market. This page goes into detail on how to buy a reliable scale and which features you should look for in a scale. One of the features that was discussed, was on a scale that can tell your body fat percentage. I tend to shy away from this feature, because I feel it is unreliable and inaccurate. However, if you want that, you can find one with that particular feature.

The big debate for me comes when I need to choose between analog and digital readouts. Since my current scale is digital, I think I may choose one of the analog scales. I want to get one that has a nice large dial and is comfortable to stand on. I find that there is nothing more uncomfortable than trying to balance on a scale; not only is it awkward, but it corrupts the results. Well, I’ve found what I was looking for, now it is time to see if my old scale can actually fly.

Shopping for Insurance

If you are anything like me, you tend to get an insurance agent and then stick with them for years and years. I have been with our current agent for almost ten years now and I have been quite happy with the service I have been receiving. However, with everyone trying to save money, I think it may be time to dust-off my current policy and get some Free Insurance Quotes on the Internet. This way I can compare my current policy with others that are out there.

First and foremost, I will grab my car insurance and get some Auto Insurance Quotes. Since this is the policy that tends to change most often, I will begin my journey here. Depending on the company and if you have a clean driving record, you may be able to receive a discount on your premium. Also, as your car ages, its value decreases and it may no longer be worth the extra money you are paying to have full coverage on your car. If you find a company that saves you money, please make sure that you are getting the SAME coverage as your old policy. Policies will change from company to company, so please take the extra time and compare the new policy to your old one.

Next, I turn my attention to the house insurance. Again, we have been with the same insurance agent for just about ten years and, since I have access to my handy computer, I will go and get a few Free Online Home Insurance Quotes. Again, be sure that you are comparing apples to apples when shopping for policies. You may also want to keep in mind that some companies will give you a discount if you bundle your auto, home, and life insurance policies with them.

Whichever insurance company you go with, please be sure to keep your policies updated. For example, if you make any major improvements to your home, contact your agent and ask them if you should include the improvements in your policy. For example, when we pulled-up our carpeting and replaced it with wooden floors, I contacted our agent and he made the necessary adjustments to our policy. It may not seem like much now, but keeping your policy up-to-date, can save you headaches in the future.

Friday Photos: 1/16

It's Friday once again, enjoy the photos and have a great weekend...



Okay, I Had to Include this...

courtesy of... allfunny.net



The Sign Says it All...

courtesy of... greatfunnypictures.com

Online Stock Trading

I realize that with the economy in the state that it is in, the last thing you may be thinking about is
stock trading. But, if you are a student of business or history, you will know that these things come in cycles and even though we are near the bottom of this cycle, we can look toward the future to when the upturn begins. The trick will be in timing it correctly, so you can ride that upward wave. With this being said, you may want to look into getting an online broker who will be able to assist you in choosing the right stocks to fit your time-line and your budget.

I know that this goes against all reason, but now is not the time to be pulling money out of the banks and stuffing under the mattress. Now more than ever, we need to keep our money active in the economy; we need to invest in the future of our country. You see, the more money that is taken out of the economy, the less there is available for loans. This causes the banks to be even stricter with their lending practices and thus hurts those who need to borrow money.

If you are not comfortable with a broker and are knowledgeable enough to go it alone, you may want to consider online trading as an alternative to the traditional brokerage firms. Please be advised that you will need to have the time and the resources to do your own research. If you plan to go it alone, look for an online firm that offers you access to their research tools. The stock market is not for the timid, so please become familiar with your online firm and services they provide. I wish you good luck and much success.

Tips to Help Copy-Protect Your Content

Due to the increase in content piracy, I have decided to do some research and put together some resources which you can use to help prevent this from occurring. The information presented here is for your benefit to use or not, as you desire. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have or if you know of any other ideas I may have left out. The resources mentioned will not stop the die-hard pirates, but it should curb the novices and give them pause to think.

As I was prowling around the web, I discovered that the most popular first line of defense is to get your content copy protected. Now, there are two services which stood out to me and they are: Copyscape and My Free Copyright.


• With Copyscape, you place a badge on your site notifying everyone that your content is protected. You can also input your URL and they will look up the first 10 instances of duplicate content from your site. For a more detailed report, you will need to pay $0.05 per search. There is also the option of signing up for their copysentry program for $4.95 per month. This service will inform you if any duplicate content shows up on the web. copysentry


• You may also want to put a badge on each of your individual posts.


• The other service is called MyFreeCopyright.com This service provides an actual copyright of your original content. They provide you with a logo to place on your site. This logo directs your visitor to your copyright registration page, which provides proof of your copyright. You can swing by their site and view the FAQ's, as they can answer any questions you may have. This is also a free service.


• You can license your work through Creative Commons. You can choose how you wish to share your content and then place a badge on your site which will denote the restrictions, if any, you place on sharing your work.


• You may wish to choose to place a watermark on your photos and images. Many photo software programs offer this feature, including the one I have started to use: Picasa. Yes, it is free (do you sense a theme here?) and very easy to use.


• I have tried to find a way to add a watermark to my posts, but it will only work on the original; once copied, the watermark disappears, which kind of defeats the purpose.


• You can also put a copyright on your feed. If you use Feedburner, you can follow the link for the instructions.



• If you use Wordpress., they have a plugin available for you.



Stepping it up a notch...


• There is a feature that you MAY want to try and that is disabling the right-click function on your page. This would prevent the casual pirate from copying and pasting your text or images. You can get the code at dynamicdrive.com. You then paste the code in the "body" section of your HTML code. For those that use Blogspot, you will need to go to your Layout page, click "add gadget", click "add HTML/Java", paste the code and hit "save."


• If you have a Wordpress blog, they already have a plugin for this feature. Click here, for the information and download.


• If you wish to have everything protected, including your coding, you can investigate HTML Protector.


The Pirates Have Attacked...

Okay, it has happened and something needs to be done to protect your property, so what do you do?


• The first thing you should do is contact the pirate and let them know that you want them to stop. I have included a cease and desist letter that I found at PlagiarismToday.com (or use one of your own), that you can send to them. Just fill in the relevant information on the letter and you are ready to go. Obviously, feel free to copy it off my site. Also, be sure that you have already copyrighted your work or you have proof that it is yours, as some of these thugs could actually turn around and sue you, claiming that the work they stole from you, is actually theirs (I found this out today).


• If they still refuse to comply, then you can contact their web host, if it is a Blogspot blog, just go to the navigation bar at the top of the page and click the "flag" button and follow the instructions.


• Contact the search engines and inform them.


• Here is the Google form for you. They suggest you fax it for faster service.


• If you really want to sock-it-to-them, contact their advertisers (let's face it, these "people" are in it for the money, so you might as well hit them where they live) and let them know that one of their affiliates has committed plagiarism. Since this is against most company's TOS, they will more than likely pull the plug on them.

I hope that this has been of assistance to you.



This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.

Shopping for a New Bed

When you spend the night tossing and turning and then wake up to a sore back, you know that it is just about time to purchase a new bed. It has been over 15 years since we bought our current bed and I must say that we are long over-do for a new one. For us, finding the right bed is not just about the mattress, it is about the style as well. Although I may be partial to a sleigh-bed (I am a big Christmas fan), I know that it would not fit with the décor of our house. Since we currently have a solid oak bed, we will probably choose a bed from that style.

If you live in England, there is a place has a huge selection of beds that will fit your style and needs. They have wooden, leather, antique, metal, and divan beds (to name just a few). If you are looking for a complete overhaul of your bedroom, there is no need to worry, as they have a great selection of bedroom furniture as well. As I was wandering through their site, I started looking at their children’s beds. Now, even though our kids are too old for them, I do have to admit that I had a lot of fun looking through their selection. There was one bed I would have loved to been able to have when I was growing up; it is called a high sleeper bed. This bed is just like a bunk bed except, instead of a lower bunk, you have a desk and storage area.

Well, we are off on our bed-finding adventure. Although I don’t think I can talk my wife into one of those cool, high sleeper beds, I’m sure that we will find one that we both like. So, let us all strap-on our walking shoes and march into a good night’s sleep.

Climbing Back on the Exercise Horse

For those of us who have been out of the habit of exercising on a daily basis, getting back onto that horse may seem like daunting task. What used to be an everyday ritual, now becomes a monster looming in the shadows. What used to be embraced (well, sort of), now becomes something to be shunned. Why, because we have gotten used to the freedom that comes with not being tied-down to an exercise schedule. Just as we hate to go back to work after a vacation, so too we hate to go back to exercising.

It has been just over two weeks, and since I began my diet last August, this is the longest I have gone without working out. The first week was the hardest, because I could actually feel my muscles wanting to be exercised. Now, into my second week as my ankle heals and I am getting ready to resume my routine, I find that it is going to be like starting all over again. You see, I have gotten used to not working out and I no longer feel guilty if I don't exercise. So, I need to re-establish a routine and force myself to stick to it. I will once again need to set aside a certain portion of the day and devote it to my exercise routine.

Now that I have it set in my mind to begin anew, how will I go about achieving this? I plan to go slowly. I must bear in mind that my muscles have had over two weeks of rest and I will NOT be able to perform the same exercises at the same level as I used to. I need to realize that until my muscles become accustomed to the routine once again, I will need to reduce the level of resistance. I will need to slowly (this being the operative word) work myself back to the level I was at before my injury. Lastly, I need to listen to what my body is telling me, so I don't end up back on the crutches.

If you are in the process of resuming your exercise routine after a long break, go about it slowly and carefully. Don't get discouraged that you can no longer do what you were once able to do. Your body will soon adjust and you will be back in the saddle again.


* Yes, that's Koko in our ornament box.

What a Pain in the Ankle

For the past two weeks, I have not been exercising as I should. This may not come as a shock, because most of us took a break for the holidays. However, my absence from the exercise world was not one of choice; it was one of necessity. Stupid here, got himself injured while working out.

I woke up on a Tuesday with a sore ankle and instead of just foregoing my inverted leg pulls, I went ahead and did them anyway (this particular exercise puts a great deal of strain on the foot and ankle). All went well until later in the day when my ankle got worse and worse. By dinner time, I was back on my crutches and by the next day, I could barely put any weight on my foot. I spent my New Year's Day in bed with my foot propped-up on a pillow. As of this writing, I am able to walk around again, albeit with the use of a cane, but still able to get around.

I wasn't going to mention this at all, but I feel that there may be someone out there who can learn from my stupid mistake. You see, I got over-zealous and did not listen to what my body was telling me. Yes, I usually have pain when I am working out, but it is a muscle pain, which is normal. This pain was not an exercise-related pain. This was a "something-is-not-right-don't-push-your-luck kind of pain." (have I used the word "pain" enough?) Well, I pushed my luck and I paid the price. Moral of the story: Listen to your body and pay attention to what it is telling you. I am hoping by the end of this week to be able start working myself back into an exercise routine, which will be my topic for next time.

Thank You to My Advertisers: 1/5-1/11

As of November 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard, so in order to free-up valuable file space, I have removed the images and contents from this page. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, I invite you to stop by my main page and see if there is anything of interest to you...

Everyday Living

Cease and Desist Letter

File Downloaded From Plagiarism Today (http://www.plagiarismtoday.com)

Dear Sir or Madam,

You are using a work that I own the copyright of. The name of the work involved is "<>". It appears on a site operated by you at <>. I have reserved all rights to this work, which was first published on <> in <>.

Your copying and or use of my work, which appear at the link above, is unauthorized. You neither asked for nor received permission to use the piece nor to make or distribute copies of them in the manner you have. Furthermore, you have taken credit for my work and caused confusion as to whom the original author of the work is. Therefore, I believe you have willfully infringed my rights under 17 USC §101, et seq. and could be liable for statutory damages as high as $100,000. Further, such copyright infringement is a direct violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and International Copyright Law.

I demand that you immediately cease the use and distribution of the work and all copies of it, that you remove any further works you may have stolen and that you desist from this or any other infringement of my rights in the future. Furthermore, I demand that you post an apology on the site clarifying who the real author is and that you inform others that might have been misled by your misuse of the works'
origins.

If I have not received proof of compliance from you within 72 hours, I shall consider taking the full legal remedies available to rectify this situation including contacting my lawyer and/or your site's administrators.

Sincerely,

<>

Friday Fotos: 1/9

Happy Friday, Everyone...




This is How I Feel Just About Now...

courtesy of... funnypictures.org



This is Classic...

courtesy of... guy-sports.com



At Least They're not Talking on a Cell Phone...

found at... link removed: site no longer active




courtesy of... funnypictures.net

A Prisoner of Algebra

My mind is absolute mush. It is not from lack of food or from the pain in my foot, but from something more sinister than can be imagined with the human mind...Algebra. Yes, I am once again having difficulties understanding this menace. I found out today that the end of the semester is going to be this Friday, so I need to devote what little free time I may have, to trying to figure out Algebraic Fractions.

Listen, I just got used to be able to understand regular fractions, now you have to throw in variables and exponents? Please, throw me a bone here! The main reason I majored in History in College, was to get away from math. I first wanted to be a computer programmer and to that end, I took several programming languages, such as COBAL, Assembly Language, and RPG. I did really well at it and soon became a computer lab assistant. All was going well, until MATH raised it's ugly head. Yup, I found out that I needed to take advanced mathematics.

Anyway, the main reason I am writing this, is to let you know that I will not be posting anything for the next few days, or until the math book mysteriously flies out the front door, lands on the road, and gets run-down by a cement truck. To that end, I will need to devote my last remaining brain cells to understanding this stuff and then teaching it. I will try to be back by Friday for Friday Photos.

Tom's Revenge, Losing that Holiday Weight

As you know the holidays are over and the turkey and all his friends have come home to roost...in our hips. Yes, it's Tom's (the turkey) final revenge and now something needs to be done about it. As our minds all turn towards losing the weight we have gained over the past few months, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, we must understand that we didn't put this weight on overnight, so we can't lose it overnight. What am I saying is: stay away from those lose-10-pounds-in-two-weeks pills. If you see one of those advertisements, just put the mouse down and move slowly away from the computer. The only thing you will lose from using those pills will be water and your hard-earned cash. Yup, you may lose weight, but it will only be water-weight, and you can lose that on your own.

You may also want to be think carefully about those terrific one-year membership offers by gyms. Yes, they are great values, but unless you are totally committed to working-out on a long-term basis for an entire year, you may end up losing money in the long run. If you want and can afford to go to a gym, PLEASE GO; However, if you are unsure whether or not you you will stick with it, then I would try and get a monthly rate to start, just in case you do happen to lose interest.

If I could afford it, I would be in a gym everyday. They have the equipment and the staff to help you lose the weight and tone and build your muscles in a safe and balanced way. As it is, I am on my own and must learn the hard way (violins playing in the background). All I am saying is, please be careful, the weight-loss vultures are out in force this time of year and are waiting to descend upon you. Don't give them that chance.

Thank You to My Advertisers: 12/29-1/4

As of November 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard, so in order to free-up valuable file space, I have removed the images and contents from this page. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, I invite you to stop by my main page and see if there is anything of interest to you...

Everyday Living

homemade fries

Tired of frozen french fries or greasy fast-food fries? Well, here is a fast and easy alternative which will leave your family raving.
What you will need...

5-7 Potatoes
1/4 cup Vinegar
Knorrs Garlic and Herb Mix

Putting it together...

1. Take 5-7 potatoes and clean them thoroughly.


2. Take a knife and slice them in half, lengthwise.


3. Take each half and cut, lengthwise, 4-5 slices ( if you decide you want cubes, cut down the center of the potato, lengthwise, then make 3-4 cuts cross-wise).


4. After you have done all the potatoes, place them in a bowl and fill with cold water and add a few glugs of vinegar ( no more than 1/4 cup).


5. Place in the refrigerator and let soak for several hours, or overnight would be better.


6. When you are ready to bake get a baking sheet and line with foil, spray with Pam, and set the oven to 400. Drain the water from the bowel and towel-dry the slices.


7. Pour olive oil over the slices and toss to coat (or use your hands).


8. Add seasoning; I use a Garlic and Herb mix by Knorr's. Toss to coat and then dump unto the baking sheet.


9. Spread evenly and sprinkle with Kosher salt.


10. Place in oven for 20 minutes, remove and turn-over the fries (this will ensure a nice crusty coat). Place back into oven and bake an additional 20 minutes or until done.


11. Serve and enjoy.

Our Friday Night Movie Night

When Friday night rolls around our kids get excited. Not only is it the end of the week and NO School, but it is also Family Movie Night. I take out my pistachios, bake the pepperoni pizza (extra cheese, please), and we all sit down and enjoy the movie. In this age of video games and the internet, I feel that it is important to come together as a family. That is why our Movie Night is so important to us. Not only does it give our daughters something to look forward to, it also gives us a chance to create a stronger bond with them that will hopefully, last a lifetime.

Since all of our moods and tastes differ, from comedies to science fiction, mysteries to Disney, we usually end up watching a wide range of movies. Although, I should mention that a new style of movie has caught the attention of my daughters: the true story. Just before Christmas, my wife and I were watching a movie, which was based on actual events that occurred during World War II. It dealt with a Christmas truce between the German and American soldiers. Our daughters, in the other room playing their Wii, heard what we were watching and came out to investigate. A few minutes later, the Wii was turned-off and they were watching the movie with us. This was terrific, because it gave my wife and me a chance to answer questions our daughters had about the movie. I decided to try an experiment, so I rented another movie, based on a true story, which was about A.C. Gilbert, the toymaker and inventor of the Erector Set, and his effort to save Christmas during World War I. Again, they loved the movie and the fact that it was a true story, made it even more interesting.

On Jan 13, another movie is being released, again based on a true story. It is titled, All Roads Lead Home The Movie. I had my daughters watch the preview and they are excited to see the entire movie. I would like to take this time to invite you to watch this short preview and make this movie part of your Family Movie Night. If you do not currently have a movie night, this would be a great movie to begin a new family tradition. As for my family and me, we will be grabbing the pistachios and getting the pizza ready as we sit down and watch All Roads Lead Home.

Silly Saturday

Happy Saturday, everyone...


Near Loch Ness, Maybe...

courtesy of... darkroastedblend.com



I couldn't resist...

courtesy of... apod.nasa.gov



This is so me...

courtesy of...gamekult.com

Real Estate in Austin, Texas

Back in 1997, after the birth of our first child, I decided to try and find a career that would allow me to be able to take care of our child and earn money at the same time. So, I decided to become a Real Estate Agent. I completed the state-mandated course, took the test, and was promptly hired as an agent. I knew that it would not be a regular nine to five job, but I did not expect the long 14-hour days that ensued. Needless to say, this choice of career is not conducive with trying to raise a child so, after about two years, I had to say good-bye to my career and spend 100% of my time with raising my daughter.

During my time as and agent and later as an actual buyer, I found that it was mostly the little things that attracted a client to a home. From the way the rooms were laid out to whether or not the patio was covered. Some small detail would either attract the buyer to the house or convince them not to purchase it. After our initial interview, my procedure would be to send my client a list of houses with photos and then they would choose the ones that interested them and then, we would take a day and tour them. I remember spending an entire day with a client going from house to house, only to have them turn each of them down; all because of some small detail. This can be very stressful on both the buyers and the agent. I knew some buyers to get so discouraged that they would think of not continuing, because they felt that there was no house out there that they liked.

This is no longer a problem, because with Austin Real Estate there is a better way to shop for your new home. Back in 2001, their website became the first in the nation to feature virtual tours of homes. No longer do you have to spend long hours in a car going from one house to the next. You can sit in comfort and, using their Quick Search feature, you can discover the homes that meet your requirements. Once you have found the homes that you find interesting, you can then tour them virtually. This gives you a way to get the “feel” of a home, which a photograph just can’t do. If a home has some feature you do not like, just remove that home from your "tour list", thus saving you valuable time and frustration.

So, if you live in the Austin region or are thinking of moving there, you might want to think about visiting Leander texas real estate. Whether you are thinking of buying or selling, they are there to help make your purchase or sale as convenient and trouble-free as possible. Let them help make your next house, a home.

My Top Droppers for December, 2008

As of November 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard, so in order to free-up valuable file space, I have removed the images and contents from this page. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, I invite you to stop by my main page and see if there is anything of interest to you...

Everyday Living