Top 10 Lists

Hi All,

Okay, we have 10 fingers and 10 toes...we've got 10 digits in our number system and David Letterman has his famous 'Top 10 Lists'...so why not a blog post on Top 10 Lists?  Indeed - now we have one.

Readers can simply do a Google search for any number attached to 'Top Number List'. Users can find lists that range in amount from 2 to 100 (and probably a heck of a lot more).  For example, you can find a 'Top 16 List' by clicking on this link. Face it, lists are everywhere.  But where else can you find a public library blog that discusses 'Top 10 Lists'? 

Listverse - Top 10 Lists.  Some of the more interesting titles of the 'Top 10 Lists' at Listverse include '10 Reasons to Be Terrified of Robots', 'Top 10 Deadliest Countries For Journalists', 'Top 10 Widely Believed Political Myths' and '10 Incredible Recently Discovered Animals' and '10 Terrifying Downsides to Immortality'.

Other websites that have 'Top Number Lists' include: TopTenz.net, Top10Buzz, EndlessSimmer.com, and cnet.com.  There are other sites on the web, but you probably get the idea at this point.

Click on this link for a totally different take on Top 10 Lists...

Enjoy the links and the lists.

Stu

FREE US Government Publications

Hi All,

Just found this very educational and informational site about US Government Publications. I know what you are thinking: 'Is he serious?  How can he make this interesting enough for me to want to visit this website?'

Fair enough.  Give me a minute and I bet I'll be able to whet your appetite so you end up looking at the website.  Here goes...

Publications/USA Gov has sections on 'Animals', 'Cars', 'Employment', 'Family', 'Health', 'Money', and 'Travel'.  When a user clicks on the 'Family' link (for example), you'll find topics like 'Adoption', 'Disaster and Emergency Planning', 'Family Records' and 'Family Safety'.

And if you click on the 'Family Safety' link you'll find other resources like 'Know Your Rights: A Guide For Victims and Witnesses of Crime', 'Read the Label First, Protect Your Household', 'Super Sitter' and more.

Other interesting publications include: 'Taking Charge: What to Do If Your Identity is Stolen?'. 'Holiday Decoration Tips', 'Ask Questions: Questions You Should Ask About Your Investments'  There are many, many more publications with similarly helpful topics on the site!!! 

Interesting and educational stuff that's for sure.Enjoy.

Stu

Top Ten Richest...

 Hi All,

Just came across this very interesting - in a superficial, voyeuristic way - website called 'The Richest People'.

You know the drill - click on the link above and you'll go to the site. Basically the site has many different lists of 'the richest' people in various fields of endeavor.  For example, there are lists for 'The Top Ten Highest Paid NBA Players', 'The Most Expensive Motor Home in the World',  'Links to Celebrity Net Worth' 'Richest Authors (we are a library!)' and much, much more.

Lots of fun to peruse, easy to peruse and easy to read (simple interface and not too much happening on each page) make this a fun, bubbly-gummy type website. And it'll fill your inner financial voyeur. :)

Enjoy the site!
Stu

This Day in History

Hi All, 

Did you know?  That is the subject of today's blog post...So what did happen on November 29th through the ages?  Click on this link and you'll find out.

The link comes from History.com - a fairly unbiased, history based website.  Here are some of the headlines that came from History.com...U.N. votes for partition of Palestine (1947), Folies Bergere stage first revue (1886), Chunnel makes breakthrough (1990), Enron files for bankruptcy (2001), Streetcar Name Desire opens on Broadway (1947), Hostage Terry Anderson freed in Lebanon (1990), Aircraft squadron lost in the Bermuda Triangle (1945).

Click here for the New York Times website for a similar 'This Day in History' resource. Its similar but a bit different than the History.com site. 

Enjoy the sites, 

Stu

 

 

 

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Fun Post of the Day

Hi All,

The last bunch of posts have been - appropriately so, I might add - pretty serious and somewhat depressing.  After hurricane Sandy that is to be expected.

Today, I wanted to offer up a post that was at least a bit more upbeat with a lighter theme.

Check out Factropolis and you'll get a fun fact every day.  Kind of sort of...not a bad place to check out for a few minutes of entertainment.

Alternatively you might want to visit this site from Berro.com (???) for more interesting facts.

Finally, check out OMG-Facts for more interesting fun facts...

Enjoy the sites.

Stu

Free Credit Reports

Hi All,

You probably have heard about credit reports and how they can affect the various interest rates that you can receive when you buy a house or a car...

There is a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to credit reports.  Click on this link from the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) that discusses 'free credit reports'. 

Believe it or not, free credit reports do exist.

Click on this link - also from the FTC - that discusses ways to increase your credit score.  The basic rule of thumb is that the higher your credit score, the lower the rates will be when you purchase a house or lease a car.

Click on this link that goes into a lot of detail about the actual meaning of your credit score.   The article is from Debt.org...

Finally, click on this link to go to the Wikipedia entry for 'Credit Scores'. It has links, definitions and more information. 

Click on these links to go to each specific credit score company's website:

TransUnion
Experian
Equifax

Hope these links help you get a better credit score and help you understand your credit score.

Regards,
Stu

Steps For Applying For FEMA Assistance

Hi All,

More helpful - hopefully at least - links...

How to Apply For FEMA Assistance

Disaster Assistance Online.gov

FEMA Phone Number - Call 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY at 800-462-7585.

Hope this helps!
Stu

LIPA Outage Map

 Hi All,

LIPA Outage map...for those lucky enough to have a computer that isn't floating AND who have power!.

Article about LI and hurricane Sandra and what is/not being done. From the New York Times. 

Article about gas being delivered to New York...via the Daily News.

Regards,
Stu

More Sandy!

Hi All,

Might want to check out this link from Cablevision. No, I'm not trying to sell the service. This is a link that has lots of valuable storm preparedness information on hurricane Sandy all on one page.

You might want to check out this link from Wikipedia regarding hurricane Sandy as well.

Finally, here are some interesting charts from the National Hurricane Center that show more information about the hurricane.

Hope this helps - and here's to staying dry.   Regards, Stu

Sandy

Hi All,

As if you haven't heard already, it looks like a major hurricane is going to bear down on Long Island and the New York metro area early next week.  Here are a few good - authoritative and accurate and interesting - links that you might want to use to follow the storm.

Five Day Track of Sandra

New York Weather


Rainfall Amounts

Wunderground Blog - recap, so far... of Sandy

CBS News - recent article about Sandy

National Weather Service - National Hurricane Center

Hurricane Preparedness


Hope the links prove to be interesting and helpful.

Regards,
Stu

Top Personal Finance Blogs

Hi All,

I've never discussed them before - but now is as good a time as any to discuss them.  What am I talking about you ask?  Personal Finance Blogs.

Doing a Google search for the phrase 'personal finance blog' gets you some ridiculous number of hits (actually 324,000,000 - that's 324 million....) which is utterly useless.

However - the top result is the one I'd like to discuss today.  The link goes to a site called Wisebread.  That site has a ranking - always changing, always updated - of 100 Most Popular Personal Finance Blogs.  Bingo! Score! Ka'ching!

So, what exactly is Wisebread? It is a site that compiles ranking for the 100 Most Popular Personal Finance Sites.  And it compiles the rankings based on other websites popularity.  Other sites included are: mozRank, Linking Domains, Klout Score, Twitter Followers, Alexa rank and Facebook Likes.  All in all this is a fairly accurate to guage the popularity of these personal finance blogs.

So, what are the top 10 sites? Starting with number one and working down to the tenth most popular site they are....

1. Consumerist
2. Wise Bread
3. The Krazy Coupon Lady
4. Money Saving Mom
5. Get Rich Slowly
6. I Will Teach You to Be Rich
7. Deal Seeking Mom
8. The Simple Dollar
9. Money Crashers
10. Hey, It's Free!

Enjoy the sites - I hope they are interesting to you!
Stu

Election Day is Coming...Some Thoughts

Hi All, 

As you probably know, election day is right around the corner.  And with that thought in mind, you might want to prepare to vote.  Here are some important links for voters to use to answer a bunch of voting related questions that they might have...

Without further ado...

Enjoy the links!
Stu

When is the next election?

http://www.elections.ny.gov/

How can I see if I am registered to vote?

https://voterlookup.elections.state.ny.us/votersearch.aspx

What are the qualifications to register to vote?

http://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingRegister.html

Where can I find a Voter Registration form?

http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/download/voting/voteform.pdf

Where can I find an Absentee ballot?

http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/download/voting/Absentee06152010.pdf

What are the requirements to run for President?

http://www.elections.ny.gov/RunningOffice.html

Who are my United States Senators?

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=NY

Who is my United States Representative?

http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

Who is my New York State Senator?

http://www.nysenate.gov/senators/

Who is my representative in the New York State Assembly?

http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/

How can someone in the military vote?

http://www.fvap.gov/

When is the deadline for registering to vote?

http://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingDeadlines.html

Where may I apply in person to register to vote?

http://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingRegister.html

http://www.elections.ny.gov/CountyBoards.html

When are the polls open on Election Day?

http://www.elections.ny.gov/FAQ.html

Where do I go to vote?

https://voterlookup.elections.state.ny.us/votersearch.aspx

What does the word mean? Dictionary.com

Hi All,

I bet you've heard of and possibly have even used Dictionary.com.  If not, click on this link to view the page.  Not only does the website generate definitions of words that you enter, it has a a plethora of other features. And if you want to see Dictionary.com in action, click on the word 'plethora' in the prior sentence.  I've generated a link to the definition of the word at Dictionary.com

For example, there is a Hot Word, the Daily Crossword, Word Games, a Crossword Solver another cool interactive features that users can discover.

My favorite?  Word of the day and Word Games.  What's yours?

Enjoy the site!
Stu

TED: Ideas Worth Spreading

Hi All,

TED - yes, its a name.  But it is also a very, very educational website that hosts videos on a wide variety of topics.  The TED homepage has, as its tagline, 'Ideas Worth Spreading'.  Indeed they are.  The videos are dynamic, the topics are timely, relevant and sometimes a bit controversial.  For example, click on this link by a speaker who discusses terrorism in the context of advertising. 

Alternatively you can click on this link that discusses the Seattle's new public library.  Interesting stuff.  Finally, you can click on this link that is entitled 'Suddenly, My Body' - which is also a bit controversial.

Enjoy the links - but please don't come to the library telling me 'I told you so'.  These are very timely, relevant and thought provoking videos!

Enjoy!
Stu

And a shout-out to Natalie who actually has heard about - and used - this site!  Woohoo! Go Natalie.

Severe Weather Around the United States

Hi All,

Just wanted to share an interesting weather website called the 'U.S. Severe Weather Map' from the Weatherunderground.  Click here for the link. Users can use the tabs right above the map to choose various regions of the United States to locate severe weather.


Readers might want to visit the website Weather Underground for more weather forecasts, articles, maps, and more.  Click here for the site.

Enjoy the site.
Stu

This Day in History

Hi All,

Check out this site called 'This Day in History' from Historynet.com.  Neat site for quick and down/dirty events that happened on this day in history. Enjoy.

Stu 

Surprising Uses For Dishwashers

Hi All,

Found this article on alternative uses of the dishwasher back in June from  Shine at Yahoo!
 
So...what is on the list of items that you can put in the dishwasher to clean?  Baseball caps, action figures/small toys,tools with metal/plastic handles, ceramic cabinet knobs (didn't know they get that dirty), shin guards/knee pads/mouth guards, light fixture covers and much more. 

Interestingly, the article mentions some items that you wouldn't want to put in the dishwasher (pets, Salmon, candles...).  Finally, reader comments at the end of the article are almost as entertaining as the article itself.

Enjoy this lighthearted blog entry (its a Monday morning!)

Stu

CIA World Fact Book

Hi All,

The CIA World Fact Book is the subject of todays' blog post.  Who and what would be the right audience for this reference department staple in public libraries?  Political science students, government officials, politicians, political analysts,  political pundits, election officials, newspaper reporters, high school students, college students and graduate students specializing in history and politics and others!!

What makes the CIA World Fact Book so great?  Read on!

The CIA World Fact Book provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities. The books 'reference tab' includes maps of the major world regions, flags of the world, a physical map of the world, a political map of the world, and a standard time zones of the world map.

Digging deeper into the book yields awesome country profiles and country comparisons and much more. Click on this link for  user guide to the CIA World Fact Book - it is a very helpful, quick way to learn how to use the book online.   Click on this link for an FAQ concerning the book - very helpful as it answers questions like 'how often is the book updated?', why are there discrepancies with demographic statistics?, and 'can I access older editions of the CIA World Fact Book for trend analysis and statistics?' among other interesting questions.

Hope you find this resource interesting and helpful!  
Stu

Celebrity Net Worth

Hi All,

Here's a completely obsessive website: CelebrityNetworth.  Users can find the net worth of people in fields as varied as Actors/Actresses, Athletes, Businessmen, Celebrities, Politicians, Rappers and more.

On the same site users can view various Celebrity Homes - if posted.

Imagine how obsessive it would be to find out the net worth of Segei Brin, Michael Bloomberg, Barack Obama,  Jeremy Linn, Mitt Romney, Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, and other celebrities.  I bet readers could spend a lot of time on the site.

Enjoy!
Stu

Top Personal Finance Blogs

Hi All,

I don't regularly blog about finance topics - they are too complicated and rife with possible pratfalls and mistakes.  But....some time ago I came across a site called Wise Bread.  The Wise Bread FAQ describes the site 'as a community of bloggers...to help you live large on a small budget.'

Readers can subscribe to Wise Bread, become a fan on Facebook or visit the Wise Bread website.

One of the more impressive sections of the website is the 'Top Personal Finance Blogs' section. What is fairly unique about the site is that they rank personal finance blogs.  How do they do this you ask?  Excellent question. 

The ranking of the 'Top Personal Finance Blogs' is calculated sing six third party measurements that measure a blogger's influence and reach. Issues such as social media influence, link profile and traffic rank are addresed by the Wise Bread 'Wise Score'. 

That all being said, essentially the Wise Bread 'Wise Score' ranking can be thought of as 'the percentage of the Personal Finance blogosphere that a particular blog outranks'.  Click here for even more information.

So, what are the top 5 personal finance blogs according to Wise Bread?  Click on the link and you'll go to the summary page from Wise Bread for the particular personal finance blog.

1. Consumerist
2. Wise Bread (self serving - I'll go to number 6)
3. Money Saving Mom
4. The Krazy Coupon Lady
5. Get Rich Slowly
6. I Will Teach You To Be Rich

Enjoy the sites - hope they are helpful.

Stu

10 Things...

Hi All,

Just wanted to mention a simple, but very interesting link from SmartMoney (the financial and investment magazine). Actually its not so much an article as it is an ongoing set of articles entitled '10 Things XXX'.

For example some recent articles have titles like '10 Things the Olympics Won't Tell You' or '10 Things Pet Stores Won't Say' or '10 Things Divorce Attorney Won't Say' or '10 Things Law Schools Won't Tell You'...you get the idea.

Here is the link to the central repository of the '10 Things' webpage from SmartMoney.com

Enjoy the links.
Stu

Images of New York City

Hi All,

Earlier today (Thursday, July 12th) I had a reference question that morphed into this blog entry.  The patron had a really serious, deep, passionate interest in pictures of New York City.  I'm not talking about pictures of New York City from the last 10 or 20 years...no, I'm talking about picture that are over 70, 80, even 90 years old.  We're talking turn of the century pictures that are in black and white and mottled, and ancient and old and well, terrific to look at.

Lo and behold, the New York Public Library's Digital Gallery. Click the prior link and you'll go directly to the collection.  And oh, what a collection of pictures and photographs.  There are topics as varied as 'Arts & Literature', 'Cities & Buildings', 'Culture & Society', 'History & Geography', 'Industry & Technology', 'Nature & Science', and 'Printing & Graphics'.  Click any of the prior links and you'll go directly to that subject and find various library collections on the topics. 

Users can also find topics by clicking on the 'Subjects' link. And it is within this area that users can find historic photos and pictures of 'old' New York City.  Click here for the main link to New York City images from 1800-1899 - which I used as an example. Click on this link and scroll about halfway down the page to find the section heading entitle, 'New York (N.Y)' with the various dates that you might be interested in.  Note that the dates run from 1600 to 1929.  Note also that the dates are not inclusive - that is to say that some dates might be missing.  In any event, for the intrepid patron who is yearning for photos of old New York City this collection of material is a must see!  Amazing free material from the New York Public Library.  Go library!!

Enjoy the links and the collections.

Stu

EarthSky

Hi All,

Just came across a website called EarthSky.org.  Earthsky.org conducts interviews with the world's top scientists every day.  It is, to a large extent, a science advocacy website.  On the site there are links to blogs, interviews, FAQ's, and to Science Wire (which is a link to science media releases from around the world)

There are three main links at the top left part of the homepage entitled 'Earth', 'Space' and 'Human World'. 

Links from the 'Earth' category have recently included articles on the recent Russian floods, the Colorado Springs wildfire, rainbows, Earth as Art and more.  Links from the 'Space' category have recently included articles on magnetic portals between the Earth and sun, sunspots, medium sized black holes, looking at the center of the Milky Way galaxy and what causes the aurora borealis?  Links from the 'Human World' discuss has recently had articles like the role of women in the 21st century, did scientists recentlyfind the Higgs boson?, an article on anxiety and more. 

EarthSky partners and is supported by many scientists and scientific institutions including Fast Company, the National Science Foundation, NASA, Google, the NOAA and the Economist.  To say the sites' advisors are well qualified is an understatement.  

Oh, right...the articles are timely, clearly written and pretty darn interesting.  Science news junkies should definitely give the site the once over to see if it warrants bookmarking or visits during the day. 

Enjoy the site!

Stu

Hot, Hot, Hot...

Hi All,

Have any readers of this blog realized how many posts are dedicated to the weather?  Yep - I thought so.  Not many people realize that a good chunk of my entries discuss weather and weather related events.  Today's post is no different because of the ensuing hot weather for the weekend.

Can you say hot, hot, hot?

Well, click on this link for a forecast for Saturday and Sunday. Hot, hot, hot!

Click on this link from Verizon Fios for Senior Citizen cooling centers on Long Island. 

And from News12 Long Island, click on this link for more cooling centers on Long Island.

Finally, click on this link from the Mayo Clinic on how to stay cool during really, really hot weather.

Stay cool, hydrate and think cool thoughts.

Stu

Urban Legends, Myths and More: Snopes.com

Hi All,

What do the phrases, 'autos', 'business', 'cokelore', 'Disney', 'Frauds and Scams', 'Inboxer Rebellion','Old Wives' Tales', 'Travel' and 'Weddings'?

Why they are all subject headings at Snopes.com.  What is Snopes.com you ask?  Excellent question and the answer is that Snopes is the 'definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors and misinformation. 

Users can use the search box to type in a particular hoax or piece of misinformation to learn more about the topic.

For example, I typed in the word 'milk' and got over 100 results.  The first entry is titled, 'Doctor Operates For Free on Girl Who Years Earlier Gave Him a Glass of Milk'.

The entry has a 'glurge' - a word that describes the event that Snopes talks about.  As Snopes describes it, a 'glurge' is a word to describe the syrupy sweet e-mails that are mass-mailed to unwilling participants on the internet'.

Status of the urban legends is either 'true' or 'false'.

An example of when and how the urban legend was found is included.  Origins of the urban legend are discussed in detail (to the tune of over 1000 words) and and a 'Last Updated' time stamp is included in all entries.  Finally, a list of sources is included at the end of the entry!

Hack away and enjoy finding out about all those urban legends that you've been wondering about. 

Regards,
Stu

Science Daily - science news

Hi All, 

Just wanted to give readers a heads up on an interesting science news website called ScienceDaily.  Click here for the link. 

What does the site include?  Well, its current and timely news articles related to the sciences.  There are links for subjects like Health and Medicine, the Mind and Brain, Plants and Animals, the Earth and Climate, Space and Time, Matter and Energy, Computers and Math, and, finally, Fossils and Ruins.  Each of the aforementioned subjects can be reached by clicking the previous link.

Also available on the site are links to videos, images and articles.  There is also a search box at the top right side of the page which is very helpful for users who just want to type in a phrase that doesn't correspond to the subject headings that I previously listed. 

Users can also get all of ScienceDaily's headlines sent to them every day via the Science Daily RSS newsfeed or the Email newsletter.  Note that users will have to subscribe to a specific subjects' RSS feed or Email newsletter in order to receive the headlines.  Aka...users can't just get a summary of all ScienceDaily's articles on a daily basis.  

Site isn't as well designed as it could be - there are too many advertisements and the site is a bit cluttered. But...that's a small price to pay for a current, topical, relevant website that covers 'non-mainstream' topics like science and technology. 

Enjoy the site!

Stu

Manuals Online

Hi All,

Just found this very, very helpful website called Manuals Online.  Click here for the link to it. What is Manuals Online you ask?  Good question.  The website's tagline is very accurate and revealing.  Billing itself as the 'User Manual Site' - the site is a great repository of manuals on products as varied as Car Audio and Video, Cell Phones, Computer Equipment, Home Audio, Kitchen Appliances, Laundry Appliances, Lawn and Garden Equipment, Camera and Photographic Equipment, Power Tool Equipment and TV/Video Manuals.

The site also organized the manuals by brands.  For instance, Sony, Phillips, LG, Kenmore, Apple and other manuals are included. 

Users can use the search box at the top of the page to peruse over 600,000 products.  In addition, users can store manuals on the site, join a community of fellow owners to talk about various products.  Users can also search Manuals Online for popular products like Laptops, Power Tools, Digital Cameras, Refrigerators, Lawn Mowers, Television, Cell Phones and others. 

Finally, there is a link at the bottom of the page where users can find a list of Product Recalls.

To say that the site is easy-to-navigate is an understatement.  The site is updated frequently, easy-to-read and well organized.  Good stuff and handy!

Regards,
Stu

Buying Stuff Online - and Saving Money

Hi All,

Back again trying to save you some money (aka cash, moolah, greenbacks, dinero!)

Click here for a site called Ben's Bargains - its basically like Groupon - but different.  These are internet deals - often short-lived - on merchandise like computer equipment, cameras, small appliances, apparel and other items. Users have the option to 'Watch This Deal', share the information about the product to other folks using email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Users can also find a price history of the item in question.  Price history can go as far back as mid 2011 in some cases.  Your 'mileage' may vary based on the product that you are looking at.  Very interesting feature on the site.

Ben's Bargains also has a link to specific merchants like Amazon, Dell, Ebay, OfficeMax and Sony.  Their forum section has more subjects like Hot Deals, Freebies and of course, Reviews. Users have the option to create an account with a username/password as well.

Another good site for saving money on 'stuff' is Froogle. Site is also known as Google Product Search and you can find product categories DVD's, computer games, furniture (indoor and outdoor), household goods, cleaning supplies, tools, sewing machines, refrigerators and much, much more...

Reviews are included as are prices from multiple stores  that have the item. Seller ratings are also available as are maps and distance to the store.

Enjoy the sites and I hope you save money!

Regards,
Stu

The BBQ and Picnic Post For the Summer 2012

Hi All,

Yep - you know summer is on its way when you are sandwiched in between Memorial Day and Labor Day.  Click here for the true meaning of what a bbq really is.  Click here for the true meaning of what a picnic really is.

So, now that we have all these 'definitions' out of the way, click here for 'Secrets of How to Make a Great BBQ'. An alternative site has another link on what to do to make a great BBQ.

Click here for a few great bbq recipes. BBQ recipes from Allrecipes.com (I'm getting hungry already!)  And click on this link for still more bbq recipes (via the Food Network).  Click on this link to find out what to bring and what to do to make a great bbq that no one will forget!

For the aspiring picnicking crowd, click on this link to find out what makes for a great picnic (hint: keep it simple). Another link proposes that summer food makes for a great picnic.  Click here for that link.  Finally, click on this link to find out what to bring for a great picnic. 

Finally, readers would be well advised to visit this Pinterest page that one of our reference librarians designed. It is the reference department's Pinterest page for BBQ's and Picnic's.  Click here for the link. 

Enjoy the links and more importantly, enjoy the summer and the bbq's and picnic that are ahead of us!

Regards,
Stu

Amazon.com - Some Things To Note

Hi All,

Most likely you've heard of Amazon.com - the ubiquitous online seller of books, home goods, clothing, and other mainstay merchandise items...well, click on this link and you'll see a video discussing some things about the company that you never knew about it - very interesting stuff.

Now click on this link and you'll also find out 'stuff' about Amazon.com.  Only this time the information is '10 Things Amazon.com Doesn't Want You to Know'.

Finally, click on this link entitled, '10 Things We Didn't Know About the Kindle Fire'

Enjoy the links.
Stu

Translate This - Yahoo!'s Babel Fish

Hi All,

Check out this translation tool from Bing Translator.

It's called Babel Fish and you can translate from languages as varied as Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Korean, Russian, Spanish and more to the same languages (and others) just mentioned.  Very interesting tool!

Make sure the translation is correct before sending important documents in the translated language...

Enjoy the link!
Stu

Waterparks - For a Cool Summer!

Hi All,

Okay, its just about 95 degrees outside right now.  What do you need besides for a cold drink or iced tea or lemonade?  Yep - a dip in a very cool pool would be just great right about now.

Without further ado...click on this link for Waterparks.com.  The site has a tagline that it is 'Your Official Guide to Waterparks Around the World'.  Now that is ambitious! And a great idea.  Especially now that we in the midst of our first heat wave of the summer season.

Waterparks.com has links on the left side of the page for topics like, Finding a Water Park, What to Bring, General Water Park Tips, Sun Safety, Being Water Aware, Water Park Safety Links, Discount Information, Birthday Information, Fun Facts and Weather Information.

Waterparks.com is well organized and the links are easily navigated.  Oh, and the site is colorful and fun to use!

Enjoy the site - hope it helps to cool you off!

Regards,
Stu

Consumer Protection

Hi All,

We've all had the unlucky experience to have a bad auto mechanic, or bad awful gardener, or a bad experience with a hair stylists or other service business, right?

Well, you do have recourse.  Just click on this link from the New York State Department of State, Division of Consumer Protection.  You'll find videos on identity theft, how to hire an improvement contractor, and choosing/using credit wisely. 

Click on this link and you'll go to the Division of Consumer Protection - from which you'll be able to find out about scams, get product recall alerts and find more consumer protection videos.

Finally, click on this link for an alphabetical list of Consumer Topics from A to Z.  Included in this extensive list are topics like avoiding scams, electricity rate and related cases, Do Not Call Enforcement, Keep Your Child Safe, Internet Security, Playground Safety and much more.

Enjoy the links!

Regards,
Stu

Summer is Here - The 3 H's Are Back

Hi All,

It looks like summer is back with Wednesday and Thursday's temperatures expected to soar into the mid-90's.  Click here for an article from Newsday about this.

But what I really wanted to talk about in this post was, 'how to keep cool on those hazy, hot and humid' summer days.  Read on!

Click on this link from Men's Health - and no, the tips do not just apply to men...Another article entitled, 'Ten Ways to Keep Cool in Hot Weather' is also helpful. Read about tip number 7 especially.  Great advice - get those water bottles out folks. Finally, click on this article from ehow.com entitled, 'How to Stay Cool in Hot Weather'  (I'm a big fan of number 4 - now you want to read the article and see what it is, don't you :)   )


Eventually you'll have to sleep in the hot weather - you can't always be drinking cold liquids or taking a shower. It just can't happen.  So...click on this link entitled, 'How To Sleep Comfortable on a Hot Night'. 

Finally, click on this link to  Yahoo's Weather center.  Another good site to get weather information is Wunderground.

Enjoy the sites and links,
Stu