Author Archives: alanhs961

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Comet of the Century?

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In late November of this year, Comet ISON (comet C/2012 S1), will be at only 700,000 miles from the sun and may be visible to the naked eye here on Earth. Possibly very visible, according to some experts. In fact, some have said that it would be the “Comet of the Century”

Will it? No one knows for sure. In the early 1970’s, Comet Kahoutek was also billed as such, being expected to outperform the 1910 pass of Halley’s Comet. In 1910, I’m given to understand that Halley’s Comet covered half the sky at one point. Nothing like its poor performance in 1986.

As for Comet Kahoutek, it was an extreme disappointment, to say the least. I never saw it myself, though I did look for it. I did see Halley’s comet, but it was very hard to find and looked more like a faint dusty spot.

But, I have seen two other comets, though neither matched the 1910 Halley’s Comet pass. (Which I would have liked to have seen but that was over a half century before my time!)

One was in early 1974. I don’t remember the name of the comet, but it was clearly visible to the naked eye early in the morning just before sunrise. it had a well-defined head and tail. It wasn’t visible for too long a time.

Hale-Bopp was the other, appearing in 1996-1997 and was visible for over a year, longer than any other comet recorded. It was impressive and could be easily seen from even the polluted skies of Southern California.

Will ISON be spectacular or will it fizzle? No one knows for sure and comets, like Kahoutek, have been proven to be quite unpredictable. So, come November, watch the skies. Maybe we’ll have quite a show and ISON will really be the “Comet of the Century”.

If you like the posts on this blog, please follow this site and let others know, too!

Thanks for reading! 🙂

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Monopoly, Anyone?

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You know, I like board games. One of my favorite is Monopoly. I used to play the board game from time to time, though it was sometimes hard to get others to play, as some of the people I’d asked were older than I was and had played the game so often in their younger days that they were now tired of it.

When I first started playing as a youngster, my strategy was to buy everything in sight, right off the bat. I didn’t think about trading, or how some properties or property groups could be more advantageous than others, depending on the situation. But, as I played more, I learned, among other things, that having Boardwalk doesn’t mean victory. So, here’s what I learned along the way.

Getting the railroads early, especially if you get all 4, can be a really big help early in the game. One railroad gets you only $25 rent, but 2 get you $50, 3 gets $100, and all 4 gets you $200 rent every time someone lands an a railroad. As it’s rare for players to get monopolies and have them built up to hotel strength early in the game, $200 can be a big deal! Plus, there are two “Chance” cards that take players to the nearest railroad, and one more Chance card that  takes a player to Reading railroad. That’s three cards sending players to your railroads! Boardwalk, Illinois Avenue, and St. Charles Place only have one, and the utilities might have two. And the other properties have none at all. (Though there is a “3 Steps Back” card that can back a player onto New York Avenue from the Chance square between Kentucky and Indiana Avenues.) Then, the “Nearest Railroad” cards make a player pay twice the rent, which would be $400 that you would collect if you own all 4 railroads! Then, there is no need to “build” in order to get $200 rent. It comes automatically when you get all 4 railroads. And this means they are also immune to the Chance and “Community Chest” cards that charge you for each house and hotel you have! And finally, the railroads are spaced 10 squares apart, so that other players are always within striking distance of one of your railroads while they, even if they have a monopoly, have to wait for other players to come all the way around again before they come within striking distance!

The Utilities are similar, but there are only two of them, and owning both, while giving you an added benefit, still won’t be as effective as the railroads. But combined with the railroads, they can be quite a help!

Having the orange or red color groups as monopolies can be very advantageous! According to what I’ve read on the internet, as well as what I’ve seen in playing the game, the orange group gets landed on the most, followed by the red group and, according to an article I read online, Illinois Avenue is the most landed on single square in the game. One reason for this is that, when players get out of Jail, they have the best chances of landing on the orange group. Which leads to another fact I’ve discovered.

All of the color groups between Jail and the “Go To Jail” square, are probably more likely to get landed on than those that come between the Go To Jail square and “GO”. That’s one advantage that color group monopolies from Jail to Go To Jail have over the green (Pennsylvania Avenue) and dark blue (Boardwalk-Park Place) color groups! By being sent to Jail when there are lots of monopolies, players can get reprieves from landing on those monopolies, especially those between Go To Jail and GO. Jail in Monopoly isn’t always bad for  a player.

Which brings up Boardwalk, and the greens, too. These two monopolies, when built up to hotel strength, can be very powerful. But getting them built up , and even buying the initial properties themselves, is very expensive! The greens require $3000 to build them all up to hotel strength, more than any other color group. And the three properties cost a combined $920 to buy initially.  Here’s where the superiority of the Boardwalk-Park Place monopoly is apparent. It only costs $750 to buy both properties initially, and $2000 to build them both to hotel strength, at which they are the two most powerful properties by far! And, Boardwalk does have a Chance card that can draw in other players to pay the $2000 rent!

But, as I mentioned before, having the Boardwalk-Park Place monopoly doesn’t guarantee victory. In one game, I traded Boardwalk to the player who had Park Place for several properties, including a railroad that gave me ownership of all 4, two other properties that gave me two monopolies, and some cash. This gave me the ability to build the two monopolies to hotel strength quickly, while the other player couldn’t afford to build up the Boardwalk-Park Place monopoly very fast. They lost and I won!  Of course, if my luck had been bad and theirs good, things could have been different, but with the trade, the odds were shifted strongly in my favor.

Finally, the least expensive color groups, the light blues (Connecticut Avenue) and the dark purples(Baltic Avenue), can also have advantages, especially if both color groups are owned by the same player. They can be built up cheaply as houses only cost $50 each and, if bought and developed early, and especially if combined with the railroads or utilities, can be good money makers and keep the other players at bay!

Monopoly has been a popular game, and still is, if not more so, with all of the variants that have come out. There are also computer versions, which take the hassles of setting up and keeping track of money and properties out of the picture, making things much easier, and, you can also play against the computer. Also, there are most likely online versions as well.

If you’re into Monopoly, hopefully the facts I’ve illustrated above will lead you to victory!

Have fun and don’t stop playing!  Please tell others about this site!

And thanks for reading!  🙂

Unknown's avatar

Generic and Lesser Known vs Big Brand: Bargains to be Had?

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A while back, I posted an article about finding bargains at flea markets and garage sales, showing how you can save a lot of money. However, there are some things you probably don’t want to buy at a garage sale. Like a hand soap refill in an unmarked container, toothbrushes not in a container, or food in unmarked containers.

There are things that are better to buy at a store, or at least, in the case of foods, from a farm or farmer’s market.  For those things you go to a store for, does this mean no bargains? Fortunately, no, though there is the caveat that the lesser known, store, or generic brand may really not be as good as a big name brand in some cases.

Many stores carry their own brand, generic brands, or lesser known brands in addition to the big name brands we all know. Oftentimes the generic, lesser known, and store brand products are cheaper. Many people do stick with the name brands, however, because of the perception that the name brand automatically means superior quality. Is this true? Sometimes no, sometimes yes. Oftentimes it just depends on the individual.

In my case, I’ve a few examples. I use liquid hand soap refills. I used to use the name brand aloe vera soap refill, a 56 ounce bottle. As of this writing, it was selling for $4.88. Then I saw a lesser known brand refill bottle, same size and ingredients, at the same store. Selling for $3.88, a dollar less! I decided to try the lesser known brand and lo and behold, it was just as good! So now I save a full dollar when I buy a new soap refill!

But sometimes, the lesser known, store, or generic brand really isn’t as good. At another store, I saw that the store brand of ice cream was much cheaper than the same size carton of the next cheapest brand, so I decided to try it. Big mistake! The ice cream was terrible, its texture could only be described as “alien”, and very disagreeable! I didn’t eat more than a spoonful and threw the rest out!

So, you can score bargains by going with other than a big name brand, but know that it won’t always work out. Fortunately, there are many brands and many stores, so while you may not get an extreme bargain, you can still find a good lesser known, store, or generic brand of almost anything if you look well enough, do your research, and talk to other consumers, too.

Good shopping and good luck! If you like what you’ve read, tell others about this site!

And thanks for reading! 🙂

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Craigslist – How to Sell on Craigslist

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Want to sell an item your way? Craigslist is as good a place to sell your items as it is to buy them. And, you have a greater measure of control as to how you want to sell and deliver your item, than on most of the other major selling sites.

Selling on Craigslist is more complicated than buying, but, once you get started, it is still easy to do.

First, you need to set up an account, and the Craigslist site will help you do this. I’m not sure if you can post ads without an account, but having an account will allow you to keep track of posts and open the door to more options. And, best of all, the account is free!

To set up an account, go to the account sign-up page. If there isn’t a link to this page immediately visible on the site, then click on “help, faq, abuse, legal” in the left hand column. This will take you to the help and frequently asked questions page.

Next, click on “user accounts” under “classified postings”. (I’ve used all lower case as Craigslist tends to use all lower case letters on its site and pages.)

Now, just click on “account sign-up page” and follow the instructions. Know that you will need to create a password so it’s best to have one ready before creating your account.

Once you’ve created your account, you can now list your item for sale.

Tip: It is always best to take a picture, or several, of the item. Images tell a prospective buyer what they would be getting, and also gives them an idea of the item’s condition. When I shop on Craigslist for an item, I always search only ads that have an image! I’m sure most others do, too!

First, you want to photograph the item you’re selling. Try to position your item so that no other items are visible. What I do is, I close my bedroom door, which creates an alcove like space outside my bedroom, with the door and two blank walls. I then lay white paper towels on the floor and place the item on it. This does two things, making the item the central and only point of focus, and provides a measure of safety, as the picture gives no indication of where I live, or other valuables I may have, or any other information a thief could use. Whatever methods you use, these two points should be paramount when you photograph your items for sale.

If you haven’t familiarized yourself with digital photography or how to manage and store pictures on your computer, do so. It will help you greatly. My biggest advice regarding using and managing your pictures on your computer, is to use the photo management system that came with your computer, such as Photo Gallery on Windows-based computers.

From what I’ve seen, when you select “Browse” to search for a picture on your computer to upload to a website or attach to an e-mail, websites and email systems will always look to your computer’s folders as arranged by your computer’s original photo management system, not the software that you may have installed with your camera.

What I do is, I use Photo Gallery, and have also learned to create and manage my picture and document folders. I have a folder I named, “Ebay and Craigslist Pics”, so that when I need to find a picture for Craigslist, I know exactly where to find it. It was a little difficult to learn at first, but believe me, it was well worth it as it has made things so much easier for me now!

Bear in mind that one picture may not be enough. Craigslist allows up to 8 images to be uploaded for a posting. So, depending on the item you’re selling, it may be prudent to take pictures from different angles or of peripheral items and accessories you are including, such as a remote for a TV you are selling, or a carrying case for the laptop you are selling. Anything you are including with the item should also be photographed, as it will add to the selling price and will further entice people into buying your item!

Once you have your pictures, you can now set up your posting. Please note, that Craigslist, in trying to improve their site, often makes changes to their processes, so what I tell you here as of this writing, may change by the time you start posting your item for sale.

First, you log into your account. Then you’ll be taken to a page where you can see your postings. There are tabs on the top. Click on the one that says, “new posting”.

You’ll then select your region. Usually it will be the one you live in and this will be filled by default. You can post to another region, but you are not allowed to post the same ad in more than one region or category at the same time.

Click on “Go”. You can then select the type of ad you are posting. So, if you are offering a service, job, gig offered, looking for an item (“item wanted”) or just to post an announcement, you can do this here, too, and the process up to this point is completely the same as of this writing. To sell a personal item, select “for sale by owner”.

Next, you’ll find a list of types and categories, one of which should match your item. There is even a “general for sale” category as a catch-all for those items that may not fit any of the other categories. Select the one for your item.

Choose your location. The location is where you are at. This doesn’t mean that prospective buyers from other locations cannot see your ad. As a matter of fact, as a buyer or casual browser, you can select any city or town, even overseas, that Craigslist reaches, and browse the ads for that city, and buy things, if the owner will ship to you or you are willing to travel to pick up the item. So, if you live in Chicago and are posting in the Chicago Craigslist site, people in Chicago looking for your item can see your ad, but so can buyers anywhere outside Chicago who are desperate enough to look in other Craigslist cities for the item you’re selling!

Now, having said this, those who contact you about the item your selling are by far most likely to be from your city or area, but, you’ll have to decide if you’re willing to ship the item should someone with clear intent to buy contacts you from someplace far away.

Now you have your screen where you will create your posting. In the title screen, you can list the items name.

Tip: Best to use all caps in the title to make your posting stand out!

Then fill in your price. This should be the price your shooting for, and, if you item gets no responses in say 3 weeks, be prepared to lower it. One thing to do before posting, is to look for the item you’re selling on Craigslist to see what others are selling it for and their condition compared to that of your item. This will help you to price your item more effectively.

Then, fill in your location. (City, section of county, or county in general.)

Then, in the large box, you type in your text that describes the item and restate the price. Best to tell all about the item, but not so much information that it scares away prospective buyers. Do list all of the features in general.  Also, be honest. If you’re selling a TV with a remote, but the volume control doesn’t work, say so.

As for condition, tell about this, too, and address anything unusual in this area, especially if it is something that the picture shows, such as a crack in a mirror.

As for pricing, restate the price and, if you’re willing to accept a best offer, follow the price with “OBO” (Or Best Offer). If you are absolutely set on your price, then say, “firm” after your price.

And, just as if you were selling at a flea market, know that your item will most likely NOT sell for the price that you paid for it when you bought it new. (Read my post, “Help! How do I Price the Items I Want to Sell at My Garage Sale?“)

Also, if you’re willing to accept trades, say so, and for what items.

After you type in your description, you can select how you want to receive replies and inquiries to your post. Selecting “use craigslist mail relay” which is recommended by Craigslist, allows a prospective buyer to click on the “reply” button. This allows then to send you an email. However, Craigslist automatically encodes your e-mail address so that, someone just looking at the ad or replying to it doesn’t see your true e-mail address when making the initial inquiry.

You can also select “no replies to this email please”. However, if you do this, be sure to include a phone number or other contact information in the body of your post or buyers won’t be able to contact you.

You also have the option of placing your location on a map that would be shown on your post, but I would only use this if I were posting a job wanted ad, or I were a business advertising a sale, where people would need to come to my location as a matter of course. If you’re selling a personal item as an owner, it’s best not to use this option for safety reasons.

When you’re done here, click on the “continue” button. Now you are on the images page. Here, you would click on the “Browse” button and look for your pictures of your item. When you find them, you click on “Open” and they should start uploading. (Usually you will have to go through a few layers of folders to get to your picture(s), but if you followed my advice above regarding photo management, this should be fairly easy.)

Once they are uploaded, which does take a little time, then you can click the “Done with Images” button. Now you will see a preview of your post. You can go back and edit it or, if you are satisfied with the post, click on the “Publish” button, and you’re done!

You will receive an e-mail confirming the posting and it will probably be visible on Craigslist within 15 minutes.

Now, you can normally post the same ad only once every 48 hours, but, if you modify it enough, you can post it more often than that. Usually this involves changing the wording. However, be sure not to overpost, as it could get flagged, resulting in its removal. Also, be sure your posts meet the Craigslist guidelines regarding language and product type. And again, you can only post to one region or in one category at a time. If you want to sell at once nationwide or worldwide, Ebay and Amazon are better choices.

Now, you have a buyer. If you read my previous post, “Craigslist – How to Shop and Buy on Craigslist”, you read my safety tips. The same applies whether you’re buying or selling. Arrange to meet at a neutral location where there are lots of people. If you’re selling an electronic item that the buyer want’s to check out to see that it works, meet at a coffee place or somewhere where they have an internet bar or WiFi where people can plug in their laptops, as these will usually have power outlets and will be filled with people. Also, heed the warnings that you see on Craigslist!

One last thing. When your item sells, please either delete your post, or edit it to say that the item has sold. Your posts do expire over time, but this is a good courtesy move, so buyers who have missed out on your deal can move quickly on instead of trying to inquire about something that’s already been sold.

So, these are the basics of selling on Craigslist. Good luck selling and stay safe! 🙂

If you want to know how to buy items on Craigslist, please see my post, “Craigslist – How to Shop and Buy on Craigslist”.

If you know someone who wants to know more about Craigslist, send them to this site!

Thanks for reading!  🙂

Unknown's avatar

Craigslist – How to Shop and Buy on Craigslist

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Craigslist is one of the best online marketplaces there is and, when it comes to buying and selling, there may not be a site that comes close to being as easy as well as cheap to use for this purpose. Nevertheless, there are some tips to doing both, and the home page may look overwhelming to the first time visitor. Please, don’t let the home page scare you off! Craigslist is very useful once you become more familiar with it. Here, we’ll take a look at some things to know about shopping and buying things on Craigslist.

Shopping and buying items on Craigslist is easy. You just need to browse the relevant category and, when you find something you want to buy, you can just reply to the ad. And best of all, you don’t need to have any kind of account to browse or purchase anything.

Craigslist has a “for sale” section right on the home page, and this is divided into sub categories, so you don’t have to browse through appliances, cars, electronics, and clothes, while looking for a used dresser.

And, when you go into the for sale section or one of its subcategories, you have a keyword search field, a category field with a drop down menu, a selection for searching by title or entire post for keywords, a check box for images, and a price range field.

So, looking for a Kodak Z915 camera? Under the “for sale” section, you can click on the sub category “photo+video“.

Then, in the keyword field, type in Kodak Z915. You can leave the category field alone, as you are already in the category you need to be in. However, if you search here and find no results, you can always click the drop down menu in the category field and select another category the camera might be in, such as “electronics”. Next, you can put a check in the image box so that only ads with an image will come up. And, if you want to pay no more than $100 and no less than $50 to ensure that you’ll eliminate poor quality products, put your figures in the price range field. Then click on the “Search” button, and mostly relevant ads will come up.

In terms of relevance, some ads will still come up that may not be as relevant to your search, or not be relevant at all, depending on how they are titled. In the example above, you may still come up with an ad that says “Kodak Camera, Sony Walkman, and other electronics! ($1)” . When you click on this ad, you may see several items showcased and the prices may be different, with the Kodak Z915 camera priced at $150, which is out of your range. In some cases, the Kodak camera won’t even be the model you’re looking for!

Tip: When shopping for items, real estate, or an apartment, always put a check in the image box! This lets you see what the condition of the item, apartment, or property is, and even if it is the correct item you’re looking for. I’ve seen ads for cars where the wrong make and model is pictured!

Once you find the item you want, you can reply to the ad. Some ads will only have a phone number, or only allow you to click on the “reply” button. Replying to an ad does not mean you have bought the item. You can reply to ask questions if you wish.

Unlike E-bay or Amazon, Craigslist does not act as a middleman, helping to insure that the transaction goes smoothly and safely. Craigslist only allows buyers and sellers a common online place to conduct business. Once you’ve decided to take a personal look at an item, you and the seller have to make your own arrangements. Here’s some tips for a successful, and safer, transaction.

  • If you’re dealing with a business, you’re probably safe just going to the business itself, but, if dealing with a private party, arrange to meet in a public place, such as a coffee shop or inside a mall, where there are people about. Meeting at your place could result in your being robbed, or burglarized later on. Meeting at their place could also lead to your being robbed or worse. Exception: If you know that they are having a garage sale, then you can go there, but make sure when you drive up that they are really having a garage sale. If not, then keep going!
  • If dealing with a private party, don’t pay with a personal check! This gives them your checking account number. If a check is required, use a cashiers check or money order.
  • If buying electronics, try to meet at a place with plug-ins, so you can test the item. Many coffee shops and fast food places now feature WiFi and will often have places to plug-in laptop computers and other electronics.
  • Don’t jump at the first ad showing the item you’re looking for. Shop more because you may find offers that are cheaper or offer more for the same price. Some people over price their items while others under price them and there can be large variations in pricing and quality for many items. Generally, going back several days will show you all that there is. Many ads are repeated day after day until a product sells and sometimes, the price even comes down!
  • Never, never send money to a private party or business that you don’t know for a product that they claim they’ll send to you! Not Ever!! Anyone who requests this should be regarded as a scam artist! This is one reason you will see warnings on Craigslist to “Deal Locally!”.

So, these are the basics of buying things on Craigslist. Good luck shopping and stay safe! 🙂

If you want to know how to sell on Craigslist, see my post, “Craigslist – How to sell on Craigslist”. And if you know anyone who wants to know more about Craigslist, send them to this site!

Thanks for reading!  🙂

Unknown's avatar

How Craigslist can Help You – A General Overview

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Need a job? Looking for a place to rent? Looking to buy a car or other item? Want to advertize your service? Perhaps the best place to start is Craigslist.

For those who don’t know, Craigslist can be found online at http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites

Once you click on the link, you can then select the city or area you live in or the one closest to your home town. This will bring up the Craigslist page for your town or city. Bookmark this site and you’ll have easy access to it!

Craigslist is one of the best and most versatile online marketplaces and information sites on the internet. You can find all kinds of things for sale from cars and real estate to household items or just about anything else that can be sold. There are also job listings and services listings as well, and others, too. The site also features garage sales and community events and discussion forums. If you’ve just moved to a new locale, it can be an excellent resource for finding a place to live, getting it furnished, and getting a new job, too!

In addition, you can also check out whats available in other cities, states, and even other countries!

In addition to this, you can also post listings of your own, such as your resume, items you want to sell, items that you are looking for, jobs you want, jobs you are offering, and even discussion questions and answers in the forums.

Best of all, with the exception of posting job listings in some locations, and possibly a very few other exceptions, posting ads and answering ads are free!

Now, the description I gave is very general and you really have to go see and explore Craigslist on your own to see what I really mean.

Now, I do have a few tidbits of information about Craigslist here:

  • Each general category is broken down into sub-categories so you can narrow your searches. Also, when you are in a general category, there is a field where you can type in keywords to further narrow your search, and also boxes that you can check, one of which is to include only those ads with images. This can be very helpful when looking for a specific type of job or item.

Tip: When looking for an item or real estate to buy, or an apartment to rent, always put a check in the box for images! 

  • There is generally no charge to sell an item on Craigslist, though you do need to set up an account, which is also free. There is also no charge to reply to an ad, buy something, or simply browse on Craigslist.

Note: Unlike Ebay or Amazon, Craigslist does not play middleman for any transactions. It only functions as a way for buyers and sellers, or employers and employees to connect. The only thing it will do is, when posting an ad, it allows you the choice of making your e-mail anonymous for those who reply to your ad.

Safety Precaution: When you make contact with a potential buyer or seller through Craigslist, be sure to meet at a public place for your safety! Craigslist has a section on personal safety tips, and avoiding fraud and scams, and other issues – it’s a good idea to read this section before placing or answering ads!

  • Craigslist is getting easier to use and more versatile all the time! Over time it’s become more user-friendly for differing e-mail systems and also for downloading images to use in your ads.
  • You can see more at a faster pace than if you go driving around. This is especially true if you are looking for garage sales or a job.
  • Ads are listed by date and time and they show the time of their posting. For people looking to buy cars or real estate, or for those looking for apartments, this means looking at ads for items for sale or rent now instead of possibly being two weeks to a month out of date as they often are in used car, real estate, and apartment magazines!

So, this is just a general overview of Craigslist. I will be posting more articles on Craigslist in the future, as I’ve used it to get jobs, buy and sell items, and even to post a question in the forums. It’s been a great help to me.

In the meantime, go ahead and click on the link for Craigslist in this post, and see what it’s all about!

If you want to know how to shop and buy items on Craigslist, or how to sell items on Craigslist, please see my posts, “Craigslist – How to Shop and Buy on Craigslist” and “Craigslist – How to Sell on Craigslist”.

If you know anyone who wants to know more about Craigslist or anything else my other posts cover, send them to this site!

Thanks for reading! 🙂

Unknown's avatar

What Does “LOL” Mean?, or How Do I Decipher Internet Slang?

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If you do any web browsing or texting at all, you’ve seen it. Internet slang, which is often made up of abbreviations and symbols. You often see them in e-mails, texts, and comments on internet articles and stories. While I have come to understand some of the more common internet slang, there is still much of it I don’t understand.

I do now know what “LOL”, perhaps one of the most common slang terms, means. (Laugh Out Loud). But it took me a long time to figure it out. For nearly a decade in which I was using e-mail, I would wonder what “LOL” at the end of an e-mail or comment meant!

Many internet slang terms were not understandable to me for a long time. In addition to “LOL”, there was “LMAO”, “LMFAO”, POTUS, BTW, and others.

Symbols such as the colon and parentheses, with a dash or other symbol, are often used to make emoticons, faces showing the “emotion” behind a comment, and tend to be more understandable.

Here are some internet slang terms whose meanings I now know:

LOL means “Laughing out loud”.

LMAO means “Laughing my ‘A’ off”.

POTUS means “President of the United States”.

And BTW means “By the way”.

I certainly understand where and why internet slang has come about. With all of the typing we now do, due to our ever-growing use of computers and phones with keyboards built-in, it is often easier and faster to use symbols and abbreviations than fully spelled out words, especially for those of us with no formal training in typing.

And some programs and websites even lend themselves to understanding and translating some forms of slang! You may have noticed that I have a smiley face symbol after each of my posts. What happens is, I use the colon and right parenthesis to form a smiling face. WordPress then automatically reads it and converts it to an actual smiley face! Like this! 🙂

Now, internet slang terms can be entered into search engines, which will bring up websites dedicated to deciphering internet and texting slang.

So, if you’re like me and you receive an e-mail with strange abbreviations or symbols at the end of it and want to know what it all means, just google the term, and you’ll see a number of “deciphering” sites.

Eventually, especially if you do much texting or e-mailing, you’ll soon understand more slang terms and symbols, and won’t be left in the dark!

If you like what you’ve read, please comment and let others know of this site!

Happy computing and thanks for reading! 🙂

Unknown's avatar

Laptop vs Desktop Computer: Which is Best?

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You want a new computer but which is best, a laptop or a desktop? Laptops are gaining in popularity, and you’ll notice that any store with a computer or electronics department will probably be showcasing the new laptops more than desktops. But, can a laptop do what a desktop can do? And, will it fit you?

The second question is one only you can answer, but perhaps my answer to the first question may help you decide.

My first two computers were desktops, with the standard CPU (Central Processing Unit) tower, monitor, and keyboard. The first one was purchased in 2004 and served me well for 6 years. The second one only lasted 1 year, but was probably just a lemon. When the 2nd desktop failed, I thought about a laptop.

I’d noticed when they first came out in the 1990’s, that they were limited in capability, very expensive, and some had fatal flaws, like having the batteries catch fire! Also, they often weighed too much for their small size and often got too hot to keep on one’s lap.

Now, I have one rule of thumb that I usually follow regarding technology that I learned some time ago, but cannot remember the source. It was, “Never jump in and buy technologically new items when they first come out!”.

Something new that uses new technology will have the most bugs, fewest features, and the highest cost, when it first comes out. Later versions produced when the manufacturers are far more familiar with the technology, will often be more reliable, easier to use, have more features, and be less expensive. Calculators in 1970 could cost $100 and just do basic math. Now, for $15, you can get a calculator that can almost do back flips for you while calculating complex trigonometry and calculus problems! I found that, with laptop computers, it is the same story.

The computer I have now, is a laptop. Purchased in 2011. Like  a desktop, it has a good capacity hard drive of 640 gigabytes which is far more than I need, 4 gigabytes of RAM (Random Access Memory), or DDR3 as it’s now called. It is every bit as fast as a desktop. It has a built-in CD/DVD read/write drive, and multiple USB ports. Now, this is a larger laptop, but still very easily portable. I have since purchased a smaller laptop that I take on trips.

The advantages of the laptop are many.

1. It is all-in-one and can do what a desktop can do! Monitor, keyboard, and CPU are all in one piece. As well as the webcam and CD/DVD drive. This means that there are much fewer cords and wires needed for plugging in a separate monitor and keyboard. Only a printer needs plugging in. Fewer wires and cords means less of a mess.

Also, laptops today can do all a desktop can do. They have the main drive capacity, the RAM capacity, the USB and ethernet ports for plugging in peripherals such as printers and scanners, WiFi capability, the same perks and operating systems. You no longer need to have a desktop as your main computer.

2. Much lighter and easier access for plugging in peripheral items. If you have, or had, a desktop, you know that any time you needed to plug-in or unplug something, and the CPU tower’s front USB ports were already used up, or the tower had no USB ports in the front, you had to get down on hands and knees and move the heavy tower to reach the ports and other plug-in areas in the back, or, if the tower was on your desk, you had much less room on your desk, and you still had to move the heavy tower.

With my laptop, this is no problem! All the ports and plug-in areas are right on the laptop itself, and the laptop only weighs a few pounds and is very easy to move around!

3. Much, much easier portability! It’s lightness and small size make it very easy to take this computer anywhere, and, if I needed to ship it anywhere for repairs, it is much easier to do, and probably less expensive, than shipping a desktop’s CPU tower, which I’ve done. And if I want to take the laptop to my friend’s place to show him the pictures from my last trip? Easy as pie!

Yeah, you could do this with a desktop. If you don’t mind unplugging the monitor, printer, keyboard, and, if your friend doesn’t have  a monitor or keyboard, you have to lug these along with the heavy CPU to your friend’s place, too! And you’d have to set them up there, also! No one takes a desktop with them to someone else’s house. And, Ok, you can always use a flash drive or portable drive, too, but if you have lots of other things on the computer you want to show your friends and family, a laptop is the easiest and best way to go!

4. Smaller laptops can be easily added to and are great trip companions! I also have a smaller laptop and, the one disadvantage of the smaller laptops and netbooks is that they have no room for a CD/DVD drive. However, an external CD/DVD reader/writer can be easily had for low-cost and, with a laptop carrying case, one can easily take everything to meet their computer needs on the road in one small lightweight and ready to go package! The only thing they might need is a printer, but, in most cases, this can probably wait until they get back home!

5. Makes WiFi capability much more effective and versatile! With the combination of WiFi and the portability of the laptop, desktops simply cannot compete! Ever see someone at a Starbuck’s with a desktop? I myself don’t use WiFi as I haven’t a need for it right now, but I can see where it is a real boon to so many, and the laptop easily fills the bill here!

So, I, who once felt I’d never need a laptop, have fallen in love with my two laptops and have vowed never to go back to a desktop. Who would have known!

If you like what you’ve read, please comment and let others know of this site!

Happy computing and thanks for reading! 🙂

P.S. – If you want to see what it would be like to try to port a desktop PC everywhere, just click on this link:

http://improveverywhere.com/2008/02/25/mobile-desktop/

I think the portability issue above is well illustrated here. 🙂

Unknown's avatar

How to Keep Down Household Costs: Good Cheap Furniture

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You’ve found your first home or apartment, or you need to replace some old furniture. You go to a furniture store and those prices just blow your mind!

Well, there is another solution. Go to Wal-Mart, or Target. Or Big K. Or any other super center type store. In their “furniture” department, you’ll come across some much cheaper alternatives, namely, “do-it-yourself-assembly” furniture. That’s right! Before you reject the idea, take a good look in this part of the store, as they will usually have already assembled models on display.

Most of the items I have in my place are just this type of furniture! This includes a dresser, night stand, combination magazine holder/table with built-in lamp, a TV table with built-in DVD and videotape storage with space for a DVD player, and numerous bookcases.  Here’s some things about this type of furniture that you’ll want to know:

1. The cost is much less than comparable “ready-made” items in a furniture store. My dresser was around $70 and the most expensive do-it-yourself-assembly piece I have.  A ready-made dresser of similar size from a furniture store may have been at least $200.

2. Much of this furniture includes smaller sizes, which can be ideal for small homes and apartments.

3. Though you do have to assemble it yourself, I’ve found that the instructions are easy to follow and the pieces come together quite well, making for a sturdy and functional piece of furniture when completed. Often assembly requires no tools and takes less than an hour to assemble, sometimes much less.

4. The materials are quality made. Most of my pieces are over 8 years old and show no signs of wear or deterioration.

5. Though sturdy, strong, and solid when assembled, this furniture is also quite light, once assembled, and therefore easier to move around when you want to rearrange things or move out to a new place.

Another point to consider, especially if your place is small, is to stay away from big, bulky furniture. I have what is called a “Glider” chair with a matching ottoman in my living room. It takes up much less space than a big bulky recliner and reclines as well, with the same amount of comfort. And cost much less!

So, furnishing your place doesn’t have to bust your bank account or make your abode seem overstuffed.

If you like what you’ve read, please comment and let others know of this site!

Good luck with your new furniture, and thanks for reading! 🙂

Unknown's avatar

Watch Out for those Job Scams!

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Whether or not you believe that the jobless rate is improving, jobs are still hard to come by. Unfortunately, for the job hunter, there is danger, in the form of job scammers, who seem to proliferate when unemployment is up.

I use Craigslist a lot, for all kinds of things and did use Craigslist when I’ve hunted for jobs in the past. In my browsing of Craigslist, I’ve noticed some interesting things that the job hunter should stay away from.

One, is the fake driving job. This scam was prevalent about 4 years ago, and is still around. Often, the job advertises great pay for little work, as most scams do, and only requires you to drive your car, or they offer you the use of their car for the job.

An ad I saw once read like this:

“Personal driver wanted, part-time, great pay – $780 per week.

I am a businessman doing business in India, then I will be coming to the USA. My wife will be here ahead of me and needs a personal driver. I will pay you $780 a week. I will send you a check with additional funds, which you will send back to me after you cash the check.”

The part about the check is a huge and classic red flag showing that this is a scam. Just with a different twist from the old, ‘relative needing money’ scam, or the ‘you’ve won the (Pick a country!) lottery‘ scam.

In addition, the pay is way to high for a job that asks for so little. Remember the adage, ‘If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.’ Then, what person would trust their spouse to a perfect stranger? And if they can afford to pay $780 weekly, that’s more than enough for public transportation and the occasional taxi, or even a cheap rental car if you pay weekly rates! Pure scam! Also, watch out for poor grammar, as this, too,  is sometimes and indicator of a scam.

Mailing for dollars? Don’t do it! Other ads I’ve seen promise to pay you a good deal of money, $450 weekly or thereabouts, for receiving small catalogs or brochures in the mail, then mailing them to a list of customers, or distributing them personally. Seems easy enough. However, with further research, these turn out to be mostly foreign companies that never pay off, and will often try to get you to pay fees up front. In any event, if they are really selling items through these catalogs or brochures, they are still getting free advertising here. And, if not, then they scam more victims, namely those who you give the catalogs to, who send money to buy products that they never receive!

Again, the pay seems too good to be true!

Even legitimate companies can scam you when it comes to employment! As part of my work, I distribute flyers as an independent contractor for various clients.

An ad I saw was from a contractor who was working for a well-known and established company. His job was to build and manage a team of subcontractors all over the country distributing the company’s flyers. The company was to pay the contractor a portion of each sale made, and each subcontractor would also get a portion of each sale made from the flyers they distributed, through a code that each subcontractor was given. When a sale was made and the code given to the company rep, that subcontractor would get paid $75 for that sale and the contractor under which the subcontractors worked, would get $125. We were told by the company that 1 out of every 100 flyers distributed would result in a sale, at least in general. This was verified by the second company in this story. So, if a subcontractor distributed 2000 flyers to homes in a week on average, which is easily doable, that subcontractor would make 20 sales a week on average, or $1,500 weekly. Even if only 1 out of 500 flyers resulted in a sale, the subcontractor would still make $300 weekly.

Well, I did my research, talked with the contractor, and took a position on his team. He asked for no money, as a scammer would have. I was provided with the copy of the flyer. Our team over the course of a month distributed over 20,000 flyers, which should have resulted in around 200 sales. But we heard nothing and, when the contractor inquired with the company, he was told that the company executive he had been working with had taken the money and ran, and that we would not be getting any money!

So, the contractor went to the second company, another well-known and established company and a direct competitor of the first company. The second company’s executive told the contractor that the 1 out of 100 flyers resulting in a sale was true fact, and that what happened to our team with the first company would not happen with his company.  Well, after another 20,000 flyers were distributed by our team, we again heard nothing! Upon the contractor’s inquiry, we were told that the company only received two, yes, 2 phone calls! From 20,000 flyers distributed! The company also said they ‘didn’t know what to tell us.’  Their claim is pure B.S.!  And here’s why.

Now, having distributed flyers for a number of clients, I’ve been told that they’ve always gotten some response from the flyers I’ve distributed. Once, I’d distributed just 200 flyers when the client called me and said she’d already received 40 hits on her website directly from the flyers I’d distributed that day! And this from only 200 flyers! So, 20,000 flyers should have generated far more than just two phone calls!

Luckily, I’d lost no money from this and I was distributing other clients’ flyers concurrently with these, so I was not passing up other money making business in the process.

To the contractor’s credit, he was upfront about all of this and his actions showed me that he was definitely not the scammer in this case, but had been scammed, too, by both of these companies!

So, even if you’re dealing with a legitimate company or person, look at some of the details. Like location and access to those you’ll be working for. If you cannot meet with at least a supervisory person in person, think twice before accepting the offer.

Last but not least, there are other things to watch out for. Be especially careful when answering the phone when you’re tired or stressed. If you’re unemployed, this could increase your vulnerability. A friend of mine had been awakened one morning with a phone call. She was groggy and the caller claimed he needed her social security number for a possible job, so she gave it and the caller hung up! Then, as she became more awake, she realized what she’d done! She pressed star69 to redial the number and found that it was a number in a foreign country! When she told the authorities, she confirmed that she’d been scammed. She took quick action to prevent more trouble, but who knows?

So be sure that you’re fully awake when you answer the phone, especially if you are unemployed, looking for a job, and maybe expecting phone calls from prospective employers!

And remember, these are not the only scams out there, they do often change as people become wise to them, and new ones crop up every day, so be alert and question anything that looks too good to be true!

And good luck in these tough times! Oh, by the way, if you need a resume, or know someone who does, please go to the services page on this site.

Thanks for reading! 🙂