Posts Tagged websites

There’s No Place Like 127.0.0.1

Did you realize that you can control what Internet sites (including advertisements) are displayed on your computer? Within Windows, there’s a file called “Hosts” that essentially controls what websites your computer can connect to. You can modify the Hosts file to block websites on your computer. It’s a great way to block ads, malicious sites, and as a filter for unwanted websites.

There is a terrific website, MVPS.com, that has loads more about the Hosts file. They also offer a pre-made Hosts file that you can use to block websites (mostly ad sites).

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Get Educated About Land Contracts

Looking for a home or some land but don’t want to jump right in to a bank loan yet? How about a land contract for real estate? A land contract is a contract between a seller of a property (oftentimes an investor) and a buyer, where the seller provides the financing for the buyer. I know several people (me included) who have purchased property through a land contract, through an investors and some through private property owners. It’s a great way to get a home– it’s a type of “rent to own” deal but the buyer does have rights– and it’s perfect for people with no credit or low income or people who want to avoid bank loans (which is a smart thing to do right now).

The LandContract.com website has a large listing of homes all around the United States available for land contract purchases. With the instability of the housing market, many homes are now on the market, which makes for some good deals on land and homes for home buyers. You can even check out Land contract Oakland for a listing of some of the most beautiful homes in the country. See the website for more details, or to browse the listings.

Remember, I’m a pro-blogger and I am sometimes compensated with stuff or money to review or mention products or services! This was one of them. :D You can read more about my blog policy on my My Pledge page.

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Web Design and Content Management Services

I try to be the “Do It Yourself” kind of gal, in everything from electrical wiring to landscaping to blog design. But some things are way over my head. And if you run any kind of small (or large) business, not only is content management and Web Design over our heads, oftentimes we do not have the time or resources to put everything together. And take it from me– a classless, sloppily-built design or e-commerce site makes a very, very bad impression indeed.

Thus, with this in mind, I’ll put a bug in your ear if you have need of some help: Great Minds Design. They are a top-notch company based in Los Angeles and London, comprising of a brilliantly talented, motivated group of designers and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) geeks. They will create your website’s unique, creative, and functional web design; will code your design with the latest web technology; and build the site so that it is search-engine friendly and easily read by all the major search engine bots (Google, Yahoo, Ask.com, Bing).

If the Great Minds Design website is any precursor to what is to be found in the talent of the company, then Great Minds is superior! The web site is very, very classy! Check out the portfolio to get an idea of their style and service offered. Looks great! You can visit their website, or call their offices: in Los Angeles: +1 310 425 9639; London: +44 (0) 7796 955 335.

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Study: Need a Job? Don’t Be a Slob

A new study conducted by Harris Interactive and conducted and released by Gillette says that your grooming skills are extremely important in landing a job:

In an era when unemployment rates are soaring to near-record highs, male job seekers may be more successful if they update their appearance along with their resume. Results from a recent survey of more than 500 HR professionals… indicate that 84% of HR professionals agree that well-groomed employees climb the corporate ladder faster than those who are not well-groomed. When it comes to first impressions, ninety percent of HR professionals place more importance on being well-groomed than even a firm handshake.

…Almost two-thirds of HR professionals surveyed believe that a candidate’s physical appearance is important in distinguishing them from other job candidates, and more than 90% agree that a candidate who takes the time to be well-groomed projects confidence.

Now, there’s no need to look like George Clooney to land the next career. But you don’t want to go to an interview looking and dressing like Homer Simpson, either. As a matter of fact, the study’s sponsor, Gillette, has a few online resource and reference guides with tips and advice on grooming, grooming products, articles and resources for getting hired, and other various information: there’s the Gillette Resource Center online, with a comprehensive listing of products and tutorials on how to use them, including grooming videos. And Gillette also has a very informative website called the Gillette Career Advantage, starring Mark Jeffries, a career expert who offers insight and advice, and GQ style correspondent, Brett Fahlgren. At their site, you can get expert career advice, check your own style and job-market panache with a quiz, and read articles on improving the grooming for landing that stellar job. All online, all free to peruse.

It is definitely advisable to update your appearance and manners before attempting your job interview. Gillette can help! Check out the websites for more information.

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Too Lijit to Quit!

I’ve been using the Lijit Search Engine widget for a few of my blogs for a few months now, and I have to say: I LOVE IT!

Lijit is a plugin for Wordpress, Typepad, and Blogger blogs. Any blogger who writes informatively really should have this widget– Lijit is so impressive and so powerful that a blog would seem empty without it. I have Lijit installed on several of my blogs (including this one), and it is perhaps the most effective on my travel blog, New York Traveler.net. That blog is filled with information, photos, videos, tips, and links to thousands and thousands of bits of information that I could not otherwise organize. Lijit gives visitors the ability to thoroughly search that blog for even the smallest bit of information (everything from pet supplements to hurricanes!).

Lijit on New York Traveler

The Lijit widget is 100% customizable. And you can see from the screenshot above that I have included the ability for readers to search not only my travel blog, but all my Flickr photos, my YouTube videos, and mo other blogs as well. And when the Lijit window pops up with search results, there is the ability for readers to search my blog for relevant information, for content (photos, videos, etc), my network (other blogs in my blogroll) and etc. And lijit includes small screenshots with the search results, too. It’s a really professional look. Here are some screenshots showing a quick search I did on “erie canal.” Read the rest of this entry »

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