Manuals Online

Hi All,

Have you ever needed to find the manual to your washing machine or dryer?  Or what about your refrigerator or a lawn mower or digital camera?  Well, have I got a solution for you!

There is a website called Manuals Online.com and it has all sorts of manuals for your use and for you to download. 

The site has owner manuals for thousands of products in the following categories: Baby Care, Car Audio & Video, Cell Phone, Communications, Computer Equipment, Fitness & Sports, Home Audio, Household Appliances, Kitchen Appliances, Laundry Appliances, Lawn & Garden, Marine Equipment, Musical Equipment, Outdoor Cooking, Personal Care, Photography, Portable Media, Power Tools, TV & Video, Video Games.

Once you pick a category there are further breakdowns until you get to the item you need.  Note that manuals open in PDF format.  Also note that manuals can be printed for your use at a later time. 

Another interesting feature of the site is that users can obtain 'customer support' for the product manual they are looking for.  This customer support option is somewhat fluky - so be prepared.

Other features of ManualsOnline that are notable include the fact that they have over 700,000 products and there is a search box on the homepage.  Click here for the link. 

There is also a robust community of people who help with product support questions and who help to provide answers to all your product and manual questions....signing in is free. Click here for more information about this part of the site. 

So there you have it a - a wonderful site to help you get your manuals when you need them!

Regards,
Stu

Hi All,

The end of the school year is coming and so is the end of the academic (college) year.  And that means...tests, term papers and Regents exams are coming up.

So, without further ado, a bunch of helpful websites that talk about study tips!

1. StudyTechniques.org - has articles on topics as varied as 'Preparing To Study'. 'Reading Styles and Strategies' and 'Preventing Procrastination'. 

2. Academic Tips.org - has articles on topics like 'Best Places to Study' (hint: library), 'Concentration Tips', 'Note Taking Techniques', and 'Time Management Tips'.

3.  StudyTips.org - has over 75 articles to help students study more effectively.  There are sections on Writing Help and Math Help, Science Help and links to college scholarships and study strategies.

4. COD.edu - Tips For Effective Study - a simple 2 page summary of how to study...'nuff said.

5.  Youth Central - Life From Every Angle - Study and Training - Top 10 Study Tips

6. BusinessInsider.com - 10 Study Hacks That Will Help You Ace Your Final Exams - a bit of 'non-traditional' study advice might help...this is it!  Off the cuff also...

7. U.S. News and World Report - Top 15 Hot Tips For Finals - good, solid advice even though the article is somewhat old...

Good luck on your exams and finals and term papers!  Hope the links help.

Regards,
Stu

Happy Anniversary William Shakespeare!!!

Hi All,

William Shakespeare died on April 23rd, 1616. Which makes tomorrow - Thursday - the 399th anniversary of his death.  Wow!

For a really, really brief overview of his life, works and context of his life, click on this link from Wikipedia.

Here is a list of some very helpful William Shakespeare links:
Internet Shakespeare Editions
Folger Digital Texts
Open Source Shakespeare complete works - with search engine and concordance.
First Four Folios - Miami University Library
Shakespeare Quartos Archive
Shakespeare's Words - online version of a very popular glossary
Shakespeare's Will
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Works by William Shakespeare at Project Gutenberg


Readers might want to click on this link which goes to the library card catalog on the subject of 'William Shakespeare'.  Readers will find Shakespeare plays, poems, literary criticism, books on CD, videos and more by clicking on the link. 

Enjoy the links and happy birthday to the Bard!

Regards,
Stu

Earth Day 2015

Hi All,

Did you know that Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015 is Earth Day?  Click on this link for a very comprehensive summary of what Earth Day is, how it started, and what it means to planet Earth.  For a bit of context, click on this History Channel link that talks about the history of Earth Day.

Readers would do well to take a look at the formal Earth Day website - which can be viewed here.
The site is chock full of facts, articles, links and more about Earth Day and the Earth day network. 

Even the US government has information about Earth Day - click on this link for the whole story.  There are links and activities, volunteer events for Earth Day, and a brief history of Earth Day.

Envirolink has an Earth Day 2015 calendar which can be found by clicking on this link.  Users can add their own events to the calendar, and view all Earth Day events here as well.

Finally, click on this link which explains 'why Earth Day is important' and this link as well.

Happy Earth Day 2015!

Regards,
Stu

Hi All,

So here we are! It's down to the wire because today is April 15th. Which means its tax time.  Your taxes are due by 11:59pm tonight.

Here are a few quick links that'll help you get through the next few hours:
IRS website
Automatic Extension of Time form from the IRS. 
Click on this link for an article that explains what you can do if you have to file an extension for your tax return for 2014. 

This next article is an interesting read. The title is 'Tax Day: Get Your Return in On Time'.  The article includes filing tips from the IRS that are common mistakes. 

Click this link if you can't pay your federal tax bill in full.  

Click here if you need an extension form for your New York State taxes.

For those of you who are still determined to file your taxes here are a few sites that will give you some tips and suggestions on how to make filing easier.

IRS Interactive Tax Assistant
2014 Federal Tax Rate Schedules
You and Your Taxes - from AARP
About.com/Money - Filling Out Your Own Tax Return
IRS - Filing Your Taxes

Good luck filing your taxes.

Regards,
Stu

Credit Reports

Hi All,

You've probably heard about something called a 'credit score' in the news lately.  Click here for a fairly recent article about credit scores. (Specifically the big three credit reporting agencies are overhauling their credit reporting practices.)

But what exactly does a credit score do for you?  Interestingly enough, this next article is from Wikipedia - and gives you a good summary of what is, and what is not, a credit score. 

This next link is from myFICO.com and has a section about credit scores.  What makes a good credit score you ask?  Read on!  Credit.com has a good summary of the credit score ranges for various credit agencies.

Note that there are 3 different major companies that generate credit reports: Experian, TransUnion  and Equifax.

How can you get a free copy of your credit report you ask? Great question - click on this link to a get a copy of your credit report.

Readers might want to click on this next link which is from Bankrate.com - an unbiased source for information related to mortgages, bank rates, credit cards, insurance, investments, taxes, retirement, financial planning and much more - titled 'How to Read a Credit Report'.  

You might want to click on this link from the FTC.gov which discusses credit reports in more detail. 

Finally, the library has 9 books on the topic of consumer credit.  Click on this link to see those titles that we have in the library. 

Hope this helps you get a credit score that you need or want or deserve!

Regards,
Stu

HistoryOrb.com

Hi All,

Long-time readers of this blog might realize that I have a 'thing' for history websites.  That's okay - we all have an interest way or another....

History Orb is a neat - and well organized - website that has links to Historical Events, Famous Birthdays, Weddings, Famous Deaths, Famous People, Events by Date, Events by Day and Events By Country.  There is also a search box at the top right part of the screen where users can enter the name of a person, an event, a place/location or a year...There is also a link for Today in History By Topic.

The site is nicely organized, easy to navigate and well, just fun to peruse!

Enjoy the site.
Stu

April Fools' Day 2015

 Hi All,

Happy April Fool's Day. Click on this link for a Wikipedia style article about April Fools' Day

And now, with that little ditty of an introduction out of the way....on to the meat of today's entry: lots of links related to the various hoaxes and practical jokes of all time!  Enjoy the article and enjoy the smiles and giggles and laughs and guffaws.

Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time

April Fools' Day on the Web - 2004-2015 - amazingly current and funny

Long Island.com April Fools' Day Pranks For Kids - safe and fun

Newsday - April Fools' Day Pranks For Kids

You Probably Fell For These Internet April Fools' Day Pranks 

10 Super Easy April Fools' Day Pranks to Play On Your Kids

Finally, click on this link - which takes you to the library card catalog.  Specifically this link goes to the card catalog for books on the subject of 'April Fools Day' in the Farmingdale Public Library.

Enjoy the site and the pranks and the laughs!

Stu