Mrs. Mecomber’s Scrapbook

I’ve been readin gon more websites the availability of such things as Payday Loans and also of Bad Credit Loans. I’m surprised to see these things, as I have believed that financial matters online are risky. However, I am more at ease doing my banking and credit card applications online. I think the Internet is becoming “all things to all people” kind of thing. Certainly in these unstable economic times, people are turning to loans, especially if they are quick and easy and easily obtainable. I don’t see any problem with short-term loans for minor things (like an emergency car repair) or long-term loans for investments (like a house), but the problem would come with someone spending beyond their means, or in getting long-term loans for short-term items. A person has to be extremely careful and self-disciplined to be able to acquire a loan online and pay it back, I think. Although, I am glad to see that we have other alternatives besides begging our local bank for money…. how about you? If you were ever in a real pinch, would you take advantage of a pay day loan? Would you do it online?

This blogger’s story about how his Page Rank 9 blog was hacked and removed from Google’s index shows the power of Google to essentially wipe out a guy’s work.

Yesterday was one of the scariest days I’ve had in a long time and it put in total perspective the power that Google wields. It also made me hope that every single company with an idea about how to improve search, including Microsoft, continues to try and beat Google. I was working on a blog post and was searching for something I’d written before so that I could reference it. Instead of using my blog’s search, I of course used Google’s site feature, like I always do. Only this time, I got nothing…

Now I think Google is to be commended as a company, for the great success it has had. I have nothing against success. But people are so polarized today– if Google decided to ignore you, then the world ignores you. It is a BAD thing for this to happen. Competition is supposed to be healthy, right? Well, currently there is no competition. Google reigns. And when Google makes a decision, there is no buffer, nothing to rely on.

The guy I mentioned had his blog hacked and spammed. Google will remove a spammy website. But the gi=uy’s blog was not a splog (a blog made for the purpose of spreading spam). He’d been hacked. And when he tried to fix it, he had to go through tremendous hoops and hurdles just to get Google to listen to him; and then he had to wait for weeks before corrective action was done.

It’s a sad monument to our times. I, like this blogger, hope to see more search engine companies rise to the top. It looks like Yahoo has dropped the ball. This was strange, because Yahoo could have given Google some great competition; but Yahoo backed away.

There’s now Cuil, but that is unsatisfactory and needs improvements.

We’ll see what develops. I am hoping for a new contender soon!

Here’s a handy-dandy little addon I found for the Firefox browser. It’s called Split Browser. It will enable you to divide your browser’s tabs into small chunk, so you can see them. It’s GREAT if you copy & paste a lot between tabs (like I do), or are copying information. It’s so helpful to have all these little moving boxes in one window.

Remember, too many addons (also called extensions) for your Forefox browser will clog the browser, and reduce speed. Also, some addons are incompatible with each other. Try to keep your addons to the bare minimum.

I use MSN Instant Messenger for our network IM chat. My daughter works on her computer upstairs, and rather than yelling for her to come down, I often IM her. It works wonderfully. However, I am tired of MSN’s IM program. I’d really rather not use a third-party IM at all. But I have had a terrible time finding a quality LAN chat. I’ve tried Tonic, and few other free kinds, but there’s always something missing or something wrong with them. I don’t want all the bells and whistles that comes with the third-party software, like Yahoo, AIM, Trillium, and ICQ. I JUST want a simple LAN chat. Why are they so hard to find? If you know of one, please leave a comment. Thanks!

It’s summertime, so everyone is out in the warm sunshine again! Boating is a very popular sport, and the Internet offers ways to make your boating experience an enjoyable and safe one. Here are some excellent promotional videos about boating safety, including the number one safety rule: Don’t Drink Alcohol while boating!!! So many accidents occur because a person’s judgment is impaired while drinking. Here are some great videos showing that boating operating under the influence of alcohol do NOT mix.

Here’s a webpage I found, linking to some very helpful and easy tweaks for your Firefox browser. I haven’t tried them myself yet, but I looked a few over and they don’t look too bad at all! There are things with Firefox I have been wanting to tweak, so I bookmarked this for future reference.

The page is here. Includes some tweaks on how to get that Windows Media Player working in Firefox (something that took me weeks to figure out on my own!), etc.

Some folks offer their plugins as a way to fix a problem or tweak the browser. One word of warning– I recommend that you never download any plugin from any source unless it is directly through the Mozilla site itself. In other words, it’s risky to download plugins that are offered by individuals outside of the Mozilla team. If you see a plugin at someone’s website and want to see if Mozilla has it, go to the Mozilla Add-Ons page and do a search for the name of the plugin.

And don’t have too many plugins for your browser– keep your Firefox clean and sparse. Plugins, while very convenient, tend to slow the browser, cause crashes, and can sometimes be a security risk.

Frugal people are some of the most financially secure people. Unfortunately, I started my frugality a little late. :S I wish I had gotten an earlier start. While I am not absolutely determined to retire at age 65, I do wish my husband and I had started saving money much, much earlier. Even if it was just to get that “dream house” or be able to afford a few weeks off together– it would have been lovely. Of course, it’s not too late! But I regret missing all that opportunity to do so. Oh well, it’s like I tell people who ask about my Social Security funds– my four children are my security in my old age.

How about you? I know I have a lot of frugal-minded and investment-minded readers. If you could do things differently, what would it be? Would you ever seek the advice of a financial consultant? My husband worked for several years as an insurance salesman, and got some training in financial consulting. It was not an easy job! It required lots of constant training, and keeping up-to-date with the latest financial tool, and the ups and downs of the stock market. I couldn’t imagine building a serious portfolio without the aid of a consultant or reputable company, like Northern Trust. The Northern Trust website is loaded with information, tips, market information from Reuters, and an assortment of personal and institutional service to build that financial security we desire. Believe me– trusting in the government for Social Security is NOT going to cut it in today’s world! I believe that Social Security will not even be available for my generation. Things like building one’s own private banking accounts for savings, and investments is the only way retirement will be tangible. Check out Northern Trust for more information about how to secure your financial future.

Did you know that you can send text messages to cell phones from certain Instant Messaging programs? Yes! I use the MSN Instant Messenger, and I have my friends’ mobile phone numbers in the contact lists. When I want to send them a text, I right-click on their icon and choose “Send a message to a mobile device.” There is a special phone number the receiver must allow in his phone contacts before receiving regular messages.

I use it a lot, but I will say that it is not 100% reliable. I don’t know if it’s an MSN thing or not, but sometimes my husband doesn’t get his messages right away. So if you have an emergency message, it’s probably best to use your cell phone. But the IM texts are handy, and they are free to send!

I saw in some news circles that they are calling NASA’s new video, “An Alien’s Eye View,” which is so juvenile. Might as well say it’s a flying pig’s eye view. Sheesh! Well, anyway, the video is neat. It’s a video of the lunar cycle as view by a camera– NASA’s Deep Impact– 31 million miles out in space.

Isn’t it beautiful? And that’s just a little YouTube video– imagine what it would look like sitting in a home theater seating setting!

I found this news story through VistaNews newsletter. It’s a terrific news letter (e-zine) full of great tech articles.

The news story is about RepairPal.com. It sounds terrific!

RepairPal, which went live roughly three weeks ago, culls data to determine how much every car repair will cost based on the region. RepairPal licensed information on how much it takes mechanics to repair something from an undisclosed data provider. The company will also alert users to what other parts may need to be replaced when getting a specific service.

Unfortunately it’s true– when it comes to car repairs, most of us are at the mercy of the auto mechanic. I don’t like that. When I have car problems, I’ve always done a search first, but it’s been like finding a needle in a haystack to find something relevant about my repair. This looks like a great site to bookmark!

Looking for used stuff? Used to be, we had to wait for summertime garage sales to hunt for great deals on used items, Not any more! The Internet never ceases to amaze me! Check out UsedPrices.com for a great selection of used stuff at fair market value. The website is very well-organized. Find guns, electronics, appliances, cameras, musical instruments, vintage music, power tools, and more! I’m very impressed with the site. They also have price guides and equipment calculators. They’ve joined with Orion Bluebook to expand their selection. Frugal Hacks, you have GOT to check out this site! It’s like an online garage sale. You can also sign up to register, and list things yourself. Go to the UsedPrices.com FAQ section for more information.

When my two daughters were taking Algebra, we scrambled to find scientific calculators. This was before WalMart had them, and there was no office-supply store nearby. We used a regular calculator for a while, but it didn’t go far. Finally, we plunked down $25 for a scientific calculator! And we had to get TWO of them! Ugh. God forbid if one of the girls had homework but left the all-important calculator at school. That happened a few times, ugh.

I have found an online scientific calculator! It’s eCalc. What a lifesaver! It’s free to use. Computer calculators are a little hard to use, especially the one that comes with Windows operating system. You have to click the mouse to punch the calculator “buttons,” which I find very tedious. But an online calculator is better than no calculator, and the one at eCalc is pretty nice. It’s a great back up for those forgetful evenings.

a screenshot of the scientific calculator

I updated a few blogs with WordPress 2.6. I admit– I am extremely cautious about these things. I am relatively new to WordPress (although I spend a lot of time studying the software), and am still wary of certain things. One thing I have learned is to ALWAYS back up the blog before making any major changes. Very, very important.

Anyway, WP 2.6 seems very stable. I absolutely LOVE the word count feature! This is what sold the new version to me. In the past, I have always had to copy and paste my content into a Notepad Pro+ document and do a word count through that. Doing such usually added ten extra steps- all for a word count! I just love that WordPress has included it. And come to think of it, what took them so long to include it?? Anyway, these WP guys deserve a vacation at some Barbados villa rentals! They’ve done well! I give a Thumbs Up to WordPress 2.6.

I CAN’T believe that Wordpress already ha a new version. What is it, a new one every two or three months?? I have a lot of blogs, so it is quite a bit of work for me.

However, WordPress 2.6 looks smashing. I found this video explaining some new developments. I am going to enjoy updating this!

I do a lot of printing. I print worksheets for my children’s schoolwork. I also have a small business where I need to print out all my expenses and profits every month. UGH! I used to like paperwork, but now… lol. Anyway, I have this problem where sometimes a small portion of my information prints out on a second sheet of paper. Paper is becoming very expensive (I remember when I could get a ream for $15, and now it’s $40!). I’m always looking for tips and other small business opportunitites to save me money or time.

Here’s a terrific tip I found for saving a little bit of money when printing documents in Microsoft Word. I use an older version of Word, so the details may be different for your version. The option will still be there, you’ll just have to look around a little.

I click File>>> Print Preview

Choose “Shrink to Fit” button.

When you do this, Word will automatically tweak the page (the font size, the margin space, etc). Of course, if you don’t like it, go to Edit>>> Undo, and it will take you back to where you were.

Cool idea, huh!

Hat tip WXPNews.com, a great website!