Epinions - Lots of Reviews By Users

Hi All,

There are many websites on the internet that evaluate products and include product reviews. One of the better ones that I've found is Epinions.com. You can visit this product review site by clicking on this link.

So, what makes this site so helpful, you ask? Good question! when you visit the site, you'll be able to click on tabs on topics as varied as cars, books, movies, music, computers & software, electronics, gifts, home & garden, kids & family, office supply, sports, travel and more.

There is also a search box where you can type the name or model number of a product and get reviews of the item.

In addition, when you find an item and see the review you have some options. You can view the details for the item (size, weight, color, overall ratings and more. In addition, you can compare prices of the item from different 'brick and mortar' stores and 'online retailers'. Finally, users have the option to visit either the brick and mortar store or the online store and actually purchase the item online.

Users can also enter their zip code to see if there is tax and shipping if and when you purchase the item.

What makes the site so unique are the user reviews. You should realize that user reviews come from eBay, Buy.com/Marketplaces, Amazon.com Marketplace and many other consumer websites.

Users can also subscribe to a particular item to have future reviews of the product sent to them via email - which is a very helpful feature.

Some examples of searches that I did for this blog entry included blenders, laptops, saxophones,

diaper change organizers and a copy of 'Casino Royale' by Ian Fleming. Great stuff!

Here are some links from Epinions.com that might help you get a bit more familiar with the site.

Join Epinions.com by using this website: http://www.epinions.com/register/

Got questions about the various parts of Epinions, use this URL: http://www.epinions.com/msg

Enjoy the site, hope you find the products and reviews that you need!

Regards,

Stu

E is For...

Hi All,

In a never ending (okay, this series of posts will end after I finish the letter 'z'...) series of posts beginning with the first letter of the alphabet 'a'....here comes the letter 'E'. There are lots of good websites that begin with the letter 'E' - including...

Ebay - the world's largest online auction place! You can find almost anything here - and bid on it.

ESPN - like sports? visit this site for statistics, articles, news about sports, and much more!

Etsy - a place to buy and sell handmade or vintage items - very neat site.

Edible Arrangements - beautiful gourmet gift baskets of fruit, chocolate, and other tasty gifts - great presentation and the recipient will love the basket!

Eisenhower Park - 930 acres of open space and recreation in heart of Nassau County. Includes ballfields, miniature golf, grass to relax in, batting range, rollerblade rink, tennis courts, playground for children, swimming pool and much, much more.

Enjoy the links!
stu

Summer - Gardening?

Hi All,

While summer is NOT typically the time to start gardening, somewhat cooler weather (think temperatures' in the high 70's and early 80's) might not be such a bad time to do some gardening work.

Some caveats though:
1. drink lots of water and stay hydrated

2. try to do the gardening in the early morning (before 10am perhaps) or the late afternoon (after 4pm perhaps) so the heat isn't too intense for you or for the gardening

3. wear a hat and take lots of breaks while you are gardening...

Okay, that being said, on to the gardening aspects...

Click on this link for a few summer gardening tips from Michael McGroarty - the author and owner of the popular gardening website Free Plants.

This next link is a bit more generic, but still worth reading nonetheless. Click here for an article from Ezinearticles.com.

Got vegetables, then you'll want to view this next site. And while the site is pretty basic (no flashing icons, no pictures, and lots of text), you'll want to click on this link for a brief intro on how to 'Grow Vegetables and Culinary Herbs in Summer'.

Click on this link from PlanetGreen.com - the link is to a site which is 'Your Complete Guide to Summer Vegetable Gardening'. The article discusses summer gardening for tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, eggplant, peppers and corn. Yum!

I've mentioned the Cornell Cooperative Extension in a previous post - but I'll mention it again since it is such a valuable resource. This is the link to Gardening which has other links to the following: Gardening news, Children's Garden, Horticulture Leaflets, Long Island Gardening Quarterly, Farmers Markets (yum) and Gardening Links.

Enjoy the free information and I hope your green thumb gets even greener!

Regards,
Stu

Brr...Cold Weather Records From Around the USA

Hi All,

Well, as you probably know, there has been a massive heat wave going on for the last 2 days all along the whole eastern 2/3 of the United States. Wow - that is hot, hot, hot...click here for a view of this massive weather pattern from Weather.com

Now you probably think I'm going to write about the heat wave and all the temperature records that have fallen...nope. I want to go a different route and talk about cold temperatures and those records.

For example, click on this link to New York Annual Temperatures and Extremes - a chart from a site called CoolWeather.com

Click on this link for an article from the Long Island Press from late January of this year - specifically it is from January 22nd and talks about a very, very cold weather pattern heading our way...I'm just starting to feel a bit cooler...

Now, click on this link to find out how to great ice cubes for summer drinks in your refrigerator - article is from a site called 'The Kitchen'. Click on this link for an explanation of how to make clear ice cubes for your favorites drinks.

Okay...now I'm starting to feel a bit cooler.

Click here for a link to find out how to clean your air conditioner so that it operates efficiently and effectively - site is the DIY Network; a well-known site for do-it-yourself maintenance and repair tips. Cool stuff.

Got an air filter in your air conditioner? Click here to find out how to clean it easily and quickly.

Okay! Now I'm feeling a bit chilly as I'm writing this entry. All this talk of things cool is definitely cooling me down!

Click here for some amazing photos of icebergs - photos came from Google Images; a favorite website of mine to find photos and images...you should try it! It is easy and free! Why do I say amazing photos of icebergs? Because of their myriad colors that go from white to red to blue to magenta and more....you've got to check it out.

Finally, click on this link for another link to Google Images - only this time I did a search for 'snow covered houses'. The pictures are idyllic and harken back to a simple, winter/snow filled period. I bet that after you see these photos and pictures you won't be able to wait until the winter and Christmas comes around. Click here for the link.

So there you have it - a few links that might help to cool you down during this swelteringly hot weather.

Enjoy the cool links :)
Stu

Weather Changes and Forecasting

Hi All,

I seem to write a lot about the weather in this blog. I wonder if it is because weather plays such a large part in our lives that I write so much about it...hmmmm. I guess that is something to think about during a rainy day....

Anyway, the next few days are going to be very warm in this area of the country. Click here for a 5 day forecast for Long Island and, in particular, Farmingdale.

But the real reason I wanted to write todays' blog entry was to discuss (or at least mention) some of the traditional (and unofficial) methods that people forecast weather.

For example, click on this link for Traditional Weather Signs from a website called Gardening Matters. The author talks about various animals and how there various activities and behaviors indicate weather trends...interesting.

Another website that talks about this can be found here - the name of the site is Traditional Weather Lore Sayings of Britain. There is a whole section of weather lore and various animals - birds, pigs, cats and dogs and what there various behaviors mean with respect to the weather.

To see how far weather forecasting has come from its beginnings, click on this link from Wikipedia that discusses weather forecasting.

Finally, to learn a bit more about weather forecasting today, click on this link from the National Weather Service website - aka Weather.gov.

Notice the tabs at the top of the page...you can find links to Graphical Forecasts, National Maps, Radar, Water, Air Quality, Satellite, Climate and Warnings. Click on any of the links above to go to that part of the Weather.gov site.

So you see...weather is more than just the local weather guy on either CBS or NBC or ABC television.

Finally, this might be a popular blog entry - if so, I'll revisit the topic in the future with another related post - and possibly more detail with the NOAA.gov website...

Enjoy - and stay cool for the rest of the week.

Regards,
stu

Knapsacks, Bookbags and Pouches

Hi All,

Now that summer is here I'd like to talk about something that lots of kids do: carrying knapscaks, bookbags and the like.

From CBS News.com comes this article about how 'Kids Book Bags Can Be Backbreaking'. Click here for the link and the full-text of the article that got me thinking about this problem - which made this entry possible. Also, click on this link for an article from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons entitled, 'Back To School Parents Earn an A+in Safety: Backpacks, Cheerleeding, and Football'. Essentially this article gives advice and statistics on how to limit the potential problems your child can have with backpacks for school and camp. Interesting stuff and it might just help you avoid a doctor appointment for you child.

Click here for an article from CNNHealth entitled, 'Avoid School Strain: Unstuff That Backpack'. This article discusses solutions that Pediatric Orthopaedic surgeons suggest for kids to do to limit possible back problems.

For example, the article discusses that parents should make sure that kids backpacks should fit - be the right size, have large straps, and to check for extra 'stuff' that kids pack in the backpack during the school year.

From Kidshealth.org comes this site - click here for the link that discusses backpack safety for children.

Finally, from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons comes this link that discusses backpack and bookbag safety from a doctors' perspective. The article discusses how to choose the correct backpack, how to prevent injuries and tips for parents.

Hope the links are useful and interesting.

Stu

D is For...

Hi All,

Another in a continuing set of blog entries that I started using the alphabet...previously I got up to C is For...we are now up to the letter D!

Dictionary - a great place to find out the meaning of a word!

Delta - airline website that lets you make airline reservations

Domino's - seriously, you can order pizza online - and you can track it also...

Disney - learn all about the Disney empire including cartoons, Disneyworld, Disney characters, parks, events and travel...

Dancing with the Stars - watch full episode of DWTS and learn more about the show and more...

Daily Show - full episodes and clips of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, get tickets, find guests and a forum to discuss the show

Dell - buy a computer from Dell.com or a laptop, or a tablet...for personal use, for small and medium size businesses and more

Derek Jeter - get the inside scoop on DJ - stats, inside info, learn about his Turn2 foundation and more

Directions - from mapquest.com

Download -find downloads of freeware, shareware, apps and game evaluations and more from this CNET affiliated website.

Dunkin Donuts - learn all about the donut chain - and find out about the donuts, shop online and find locations and more

Enjoy!

Stu

Summer Pool Safety

Hi All,

Welcome to the real summer season now! It is July and it is sunny, hot and hazy. Whew - give me a cold drink!

So now that it is summer lots of folks want to take a dip in a pool. Forthwith a list of sites that talk about pool safety for toddlers and children. It is a timely, interesting and hopefully, helpful post!

Click here for a link to Pool Safety from the government. The site is authoritative, current, unbiased and easy to navigate. There is a lot of information at hand, so take your time looking at the site. It won't go away so you can bookmark it and return again at a later date.

At the top of the page you'll see some really important links for readers. Take a look at the link for Parents and Families, News and Media Resources and Recalled Pool and Spa Products.

If you scroll a bit down on the homepage you'll find some links to Events, Tweets and Videos. Click on this link for interactive games for kids that talk about pool safety.

Click on this link for educational videos from PoolSafety.gov. Finally, click here for tools and resources on pool safety - this is almost like an index page - on topics as varied as fact sheets, brochures and tips cards, videos and more. Finally, on this same page you can browse for topics based on the audience who will be looking at the material. For example, you can search for material for parents and families, media and local officials.

Enjoy the summer -and, just as importantly - be safe in the pool and the water.

Regards,
Stu