Martin Rogen – FriendFeed
August 31, 2009
Music has always been a big part of my family’s and my life and always will be
August 28, 2009
I listen to music a lot, and my kids do as well, especially when they are doing homework. Part of their homework, of course, is to practice the instruments they play.
I teach piano lessons to my kids, and am now trying to find a good violin teacher for my very talented daughter. Who knows, maybe someday she will be world famous! Maybe one day all my kids will be famous.
If they practice enough and stick with their dreams, then they can accomplish anything they want.
Death Risk Rankings | Are You Dead Yet?
August 27, 2009
Know how you’re most likely to die and be happy
Death by ferrets may be in your future, or cardiac arrest. Admittedly, it could be a freak game show accident. Whatever the case, you’re going to want to know what your risk of dying is, because it always pays to be prepared. That’s where Death Risk Rankings comes in. The results may be more conventional than ferrets and game show accidents; in fact, it’s mostly statistical. Know your odds, know your most likely means of death. If you like, get some fast cash and wager on those odds… just be sure not to bet against yourself. Not only would that be unintelligent, but in this case it would be unconscionable.
It needn’t be a self-fulfilling prophecy, however
FOX News reports that with Death Risk Rankings, you can get the odds on whether you’ll die next year or on any date you specify. Answer a few questions and the odds of your death will unfold before your very eyes! This is something you must know. If you need fast cash to keep your ISP from shutting you down, apply here… you must live long enough online to know how and when you’ll die!
Created by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, Death Risk Rankings takes the answers to your questions and compares it with publicly available information from U.S. and European databases. Such things as mortality risks by gender, odds of death by age, death causes and odds of death by geographic region are all cross-analyzed against the data you provide Death Risk Rankings. Afterward, you’ll know the most probably cause of your death, as well as the probable time. … click here to read the rest of the article titled “Death Risk Rankings | Are You Dead Yet?“
Insurances and Warranties – The Simple Way to Say Yea or Nay
August 27, 2009
Unfortunately, a disaster can be so great that it could substantially alter your life.
Warranties and insurances are no strangers to us. Every time we make a purchase, salespeople try to shove us extended warranties. Every time we change jobs, we look for the best medical insurance for our family and every time we get a car insurance bill, we have to question the premium hike yet again.
I wish more people would cover this topic. These possible expenses touches us on so many levels and making the wrong decision could literally transform our lives. I shouldn’t complain though. The only reason I even wrote this post was because recent events reminded me of its importance. Let me tell you share them with you (and how it taught me that even living in sunny Southern California can mean rainy days).
When It Rains, It Pours
It’s illogical how often bad events seem to happen in batches but it seems to occur quite a bit. During the past week:
- Emma’s Laptop Broke – Technically, only the power connector is acting up but without power, the whole laptop is useless. Just getting it looked at cost $70 so we might as well look for a new one.
- Website Crashed – If you had trouble leaving a comment or difficulty accessing the site the last few days, just imagine a self proclaimed technical genius scratching his head at a overload problem that does not go away simply by kicking the equipment. (Hopefully, it’s fixed now but the issue seems to be intermittent.)
- My Phone Broke – It seems like a software bug or something, but I cannot use the ear piece while speakerphone and headphones work. Update – after 2 days, it started working again, but I won’t be surprised if it malfunctions again.
Okay. Maybe not life threatening but you can appreciate how annoying and frustrating a rush of events can become. There’s a part of me that wished I paid for extended warranties or a premium for a managed hosting solution, but if given the chance, I would still decline.
Why (you may ask)? Because I can handle the worst case scenario.
The Only Factor I Look At
When I decide whether extended warranty or insurance is necessary, I only ask myself one question: What will happen if disaster strikes?
Logically, we know that companies offer insurance and extended warranty policies because they can make more money. Even though disasters can occur on any individual scenario, the premiums as a whole more than covers for the charges plus administration cost. Do I want to help pay for the salesperson’s commission? Not really.
As an individual, isolated incidents may create the illusion that the extra warranty policies make sense. In the long run though, the numbers are heavily stacked against it.
Now, there’s a big exception to this rule, and a very important one at that so read carefully. The only time when I welcome coverage is if I cannot handle the financial consequences of not being covered. Home insurance, for instance, is a must because losing your home due to a fire or flood can ruin your financial life. Car collision coverage for others is important too because the unfortunate event can significantly add financial burden to the possible emotional impact of injuring someone else. The premium paid for these two examples may end up being more wasteful than the extended warranty on a digital camera, but I’m going to get myself covered whenever I’m happy I never submitted a claim.
For me, it’s as simple as that. If your decision is more complex then that, then I suggest giving this idea some thought. Think of the worst case scenario and if you can handle the financial impact, say no to coverage. Otherwise, pony up some cash and let someone else worry about what might or might not happen.
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Read more of Insurances and Warranties – The Simple Way to Say Yea or Nay…
4 Ways Students Can Save Thousands a Year
August 27, 2009
Photo:uniinnsbruck
Whether you are heading to school for the first time or going back for another year, you’ll quickly have to face a sad paradox. College is expensive and students are perpetually broke. Forget tuition and room and board, the cost of textbooks, software, transportation, and just about everything else is enough to put any aspiring student into debt. It’s almost like there is a target on your back (or your wallet). Rather than sit back and let the debt pile up, try these four simple cost savings strategies to save thousands annually.
Photo:psychobabble
1. Stop Buying, and Start Renting your Textbooks.
Remember those $150 textbooks that you skim through once out of guilt or fear? Every time I went through the checkout line I held deep-seeded resentment about paying outrageous sums for textbooks that I would barely use and then end up selling back to the bookstore at the end of the semester at a fraction of the price I paid for them. You would think that having three different bookstores on campus would result in competitive pricing, only to find that they were all charging the same obscene price right down to the penny.
Studies show that the average student spends over $900 per year on textbooks. But you may not have to anymore. There are now a number of textbook rental sites that claim to offer up to 70% or more off of retail price to rent textbooks for a semester. For starters, you may want to check out Bookrenter, Chegg, and Campus Book Rentals. Additionally, you may be able to find used versions of your books on Amazon, Abebooks, or Ebay. A little competition in the marketplace is a beautiful thing.
Average Savings: At 50% off – $450 per year
2. Ditch the Office!
At some point, we’ve all had to write a paper, present to a class, or use a spreadsheet for a math project. Yes, we’ve all needed to use an office software suite and if you go the Microsoft route when purchasing software, you’ll end up paying approximately $120 for Office 2007.
That’s one option. Fortunately, there are a few other options these days:
Open Office: Powered by Sun Microsystems, Open Office is an open source office software suite that is nearly identical to Microsoft Office. The best part is that the full suite is available for a free download at Openoffice.org. You are even able to share your files in Microsoft office program formats if you need to share them with others.
GoogleDocs: GoogleDocs is a suite of “cloud-based” word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation applications. Although the features aren’t quite up to par with MS Office or Open Office, the programs let you collaborate with others and can import and export into other formats. This makes it a great option when working on projects with other students in real (or delayed) time.
Best of all, they’re free.
Together, these two free options should be more than sufficient in meeting all of your document needs.
Average Savings: $120 per Office version
Photo:Ihoon
3. Rolling Down the Street – In a Bus.
Before the macho types lynch me for suggesting that they give up an opportunity to impress their sorority dream woman, here is a difficult to hear truism: the right date will not only care less that you take the bus versus riding around campus in an SUV, but they may actually respect and like you more for it.
Even if you’re able to find a modest used vehicle at $200/month, you will probably need to add at least another $100 or more per month for insurance and fuel. Additionally, you will be able to avoid all of those extremely frustrating parking tickets (how do they always find you??). In contrast, a search for my alma mater’s bus system yielded a semester-long bus pass for a mere $50.
Average Savings: $2,600 (for a $200/month vehicle with $100/month in insurance and fuel expenses)
Photo:Editor B
4. Open a Local Bank or Credit Union Checking Account.
Even as we trend more towards a plastic society, ATM fees for college students can add up quickly. If you’re attending a school out-of-state or even just out-of-region, your bank or credit union may not have authorized ATM’s. Starting up a free checking account for these petty cash transactions can be a huge money saver.
In 2008, the average cost of using another bank’s ATM was $3.43 per transaction, up 13% from 2007. Back in the day, it wasn’t uncommon for students to make at least one or two ATM withdrawals per week. Avoid this unnecessary expense!
Average Savings: $110 annually (1 withdrawal per week)
What tips do you have for savings money while attending school?
For more of GE Miller’s writing, visit personal finance blog 20somethingfinance.com.
I learn best my experience and learning from my mistakes
August 26, 2009
If I do something and I find out that I was wrong, I try to avoid doing that again. But I’ve got to have feedback for that to happen. Most of the time if I don’t know right away that I’ve done something incorrectly, someone has to take the time to show or tell me the right answer or point out what I’ve done wrong. Then I can go about logging that away in my memory along with the consequence and feelings it produced. But sometimes after you do something, you immediately know it was wrong without anyone telling you. Then you don’t have to wait before you can learn from it.
BongoTones.com Shares Free Ringtones on User-Friendly Site
August 25, 2009
BongoTones is a great new source for free ringtones. Any selection from its extensive catalog of ringtones can be quickly sent to any phone with an Internet connection. You can also upload your own music to BongoTones.com, convert it to a ringtone, and have it sent to your phone.
This is the feature that can double as both a convenient way to get custom ringtones onto your phone and a marketing tool for up-and-coming bands.
BongoTones can help you market your band
Because BongoTones lets you send any mp3 file to your phone, it provides a quick, easy way of turning your musical creation into a ringtone. Convince a few of your friends to download your song, and soon your music will start getting spread around.
You never know who could be listening when your friend’s phone goes off at that hot club or local concert. Ringtones are the newest way for musicians to get their music out there and reaching people’s ears.
BongoTones gets great reviews
BongoTones has gotten great reviews regarding its customer service. When you read the company’s description it’s easy to see why:
“We provide options to you from our easy-to-use display and quickly connect you to your desired content. Our search engine can find all kinds of content – from ringtones and wallpapers to games and videos. However, what really sets us apart from others is that we listen to you, our users. BongoTones.com employees personally answer each and every email quickly and truthfully.”
Is Jon Gosselin getting fired?
August 25, 2009
TMZ says Jon Gosselin is trying to start up a different reality show. Is Jon Gosselin trying to get fired? It sounds a little odd, but it just might be the truth.
He’s doing things that make TLC very angry, such as wearing clothing with designer labels all over so the network has to blur out all of his clothes. I guess once you don’t even need auto loans anymore you can spend your endless disposable income on clothes. Here’s the scoop from TV OverMind:
Jon seems to be working overtime lately when it comes to pissing off TLC by dressing up tip to toe in designer duds, prompting the network to blur 90% of his body. Now word comes from TMZ that Jon has been negotiating to appear on another reality show – the negotiations themselves are probably a violation of his TLC contract – called “Divorced Dad’s Club.”
New reality show?
Jon Gosselin’s ploy to get fired might be fueled by wanting to make more money on a new project. TMZ reports that Jon Gosselin is “wheeling and dealing” for a new reality show.
Jon Gosselin wants to be fired because he is talking to producers about a new show featuring celebrity divored dads. Rumor has it he’s been talking to Michael Lohan as well as Lindsay Lohan’s manager Mike Heller and the guy who is producing the show, which has the working title “The Divorced Dads Club.” Even if Jon Gosselin doesn’t get fired from TLC, production company Endemol says “Divorced Dads Club” will be a reality anyway.
How to Add an Image to Your Signature in Gmail
August 24, 2009
Gmail’s happy customers
Most of the people who I know who use Gmail absolutely love it. The endless storage capacity, search feature, automatically save chats and several other features have made most Gmail users happy customers.
However, as the use of Gmail spreads to the point of near e-mail monopoly, people are beginning to use Gmail for their professional e-mails as well as personal e-mails. In general this works just fine, but many users have found themselves frustrated when they want to embed an image in their e-mail signature.
Step by step
Embedding your company’s logo into your e-mail signature gives it a polished, professional feel, similar to using professional looking company letterhead. Luckily there is a way to do it. In fact, there are several ways to do it.
However, we’ve found what we believe to be the best, easiest way, and David from Adworkz was kind enough to make step-by-step video showing exactly how to do it. Are you at work or in a position that doesn’t allow you to watch video right now? No worries, there’s a also a typed list of instructions showing how to embed a logo — or any image you choose — into your e-mail signature.
Martin Rogen 