Bargains, bargains everywhere...

Everybody likes a bargain. Especially me. It irks me to no end to pay for anything at full retail price. With the internet, there's no excuse for getting scammed and paying full price for practically anything. It doesn't take much to save a lot. And it's incredibly easy to do.

Contrary to popular belief, I don't spend every waking moment surfing the web looking for good deals. I do spend some time reading the news. And playing with the kids. Sometimes I even help clean up around the house. I even get through a few newspapers and magazines once in a while.

But hey, I don't watch much TV. There's no time. Time's ticking away on some awesome deal that's going to sell out shortly. So I've got to troll through those deal forums and wade through all those hot deal emails.

There's a lot of enjoyment browing through those hot deal websites where everybody and their mothers are posting the lastest and greatest deals to save you money. It's the thrill of the hunt they'd say, and I'd have to agree. It's quite the addiction to save a few dollars here, mucho dollars there. 10, 25, 50% off wheeeee! Of course, with any addiction, it takes more and more to get some satisfaction. Something's gotta be a least 50% off or it doesn't get my heart pumping, hands sweaty, and that intoxicating giddyness that comes with nailing that $15 DVD for only $3 - shipping included!

Ok, the little things in life do excite me. They bring a little satisfaction and cheap amusement for the day. At least it keeps me off the streets...

It's teacher appreciation week.

Here's a little joke that is making the rounds. It's actually more fact than fiction. Teacher appreciation week was last week, but I thought that it was still relevant.

>>>>

Being interviewed by the school administration, the eager teaching prospect said:

Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, and fill their every waking moment with a love for learning. And I'm supposed to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse and even censor their T-shirt messages and dress habits. You want me to wage a war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for weapons of mass destruction, and raise their self esteem. You want me to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship, fair play, how to register to vote, how to balance a checkbook, and how to apply for a job. I am to check their heads for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of anti-social behavior, make sure all students pass the mandatory state exams, even those who don't come to school regularly or complete any of their assignments. Plus, I am to make sure that all of the students with handicaps get an equal education regardless of the extent of their mental or physical handicap. And I am to communicate regularly with the parents by letter, telephone, newsletter and report card.

Uh huh.

And I am to do all of this with just a piece of chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin board, a big smile AND on a starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps?

Yep. That's it. Any questions?

>>>>

We trust our kids with our teachers every day. Please remember to take a moment to show your appreciation to your favorite teacher whenever you have a chance.

Searching for stuff in MS Outlook

If you use Microsoft Outlook (not Outlook Express) and have ever tried to find an old email from your long lost uncle, you know that the "find" or search tool that comes with Outlook really stinks. It's slow, clunky and it just may find what you're looking for.

I'm sure you all use Google for your web searches. Wouldn't it be nice to have something like that for searching for stuff on your computer? Well Microsoft bought out a company that makes a search engine for all your emails called "Lookout" (yes, there's also Google Desktop, but that's a post for another day).

Lookout is a lightning fast search tool that allows you look up any word or phrase in any of the gazillions of emails that you have stored up over the past years. It's one of those cool tools that ya gotta have. You may think you don't need it, but once you use it you'll see what I mean.

It only works if you're using MS Outlook version 2000 or later, and on Windows 2000 and later. It also requires MS .Net Framework version 1.1, and it will prompt you to download it if you don't have it already. Installation is pretty simple and straightforward. You can get Lookout here: http://www.lookoutsoft.com/Lookout/download.html

This is one of those "really cool tools" that I have on my computer, and you should too :)

The Travel Insider Newsletter

It you travel and like gadgets, or even if you don't travel much, but like gadgets - any kind of gadget (like me), then you'll like this guy's email newsletter. David M Rowell publishes a weekly newsletter that has some interesting commentary about the airlines and their industry, and talks about all kinds of interesting ways to make your travels easier and smarter.
You can sign up for his newsletter at his website: www.thetravelinsider.com

There are articles about using cellphones abroad, ways to save at airport parking, ways to get your golf clubs, skiis or baggage to your destination with few hassles, and lots of reviews about travelling gadgets.

He also posts some great deals on where to get stuff, like the current promotion for some noise reducing headphones. If you've heard about the Bose headphones, you know that they cost quite a lot. David has found a great alternative called Solitude noise reducing headphones. His review on is his website. You can get them Travel Essentials here: http://www.travelessentials.com for only $140 (30% saving) when you use coupon code "MAMA". I'm not sure how long this coupon will work, so get 'em while they last.

That's my plug for his newsletter. May the force by with you and your gadgets :)

Yet another scumbag virus/trojan/worm coming around.

As usual, I will remind you to NEVER click on any email attachment. I repeat, NEVER click or double click on any email link, attachment or picture that you receive via email. It doesn't matter if you have an anti-virus program running or not. It doesn't matter if the email is from me or your little old great grandmother. The surest way to infect your computer is to click on an email attachment. Paranoia is not an understatement.

Why not? 'Cause an infected email will surely come from someone you know. That's how the virus/worm works. The virus randomly goes through an infected person's computer and address book, sticks a name in the "from" line, sticks another name in the "to" line, then mass mails itself to everyone and everything it can. You can be sure that whoever's name is in the "from" address is definitely not the one the infected email came from. So don't bother emailing that person to tell them that they're infected. Chances are, they aren't.

So you're thinking, what do I do? Well, that's easy. Just right click on the attachment, click on "save as", then save it to a folder on your harddrive somewhere. I use a folder named appropriately enough, "scan first". Then open up Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer), go to the folder where you saved the file, right click on the file, then click on "scan this file" or something like that. Almost every virus program lets you right click on a file and scan it. If it's clean, and it's not a program (a file that typically ends in .com or .bat or .exe), then you're probably safe and can open it.

If it's a program, I'd think twice about clicking on it and opening it. Why? There are scumbags out there that write little programs that are little trojans. They may do something innocuous, but at the same time, load some worm/virus or worse yet, a "key-logging" software on your system. You'll never know, and if it's a key logger program, it will record every single keystroke that you type, take screenshots of your screen, then quietly send your bank username and passwords to some scumbag somewhere in the world, where they will proceed to wreak havoc on your life - steal your identity.

If your virus definitions aren't up to date, then there's a possibility that a new worm/trojan/virus can infect your computer. So always keep your anti-virus program up to date.

I'll talk about phishing emails and what anti-spyware, anti-virus, anti-scumbag programs to load on your computer later.

That's all for now.

My First Blog :)

OK. So now I have my blog all setup and nowhere to go. I guess I'll have to start posting stuff here.

So welcome to my little place on the net. I guess I'll start sharing my thoughts and insights on all things like computers, shopping, cars and gadgets.

Recommendations, rants and raves will henceforth spew from my brain onto this blog whenever I remember to write it, or whenever someone prompts me.

It's kinda odd, like I'm talking to myself, so we'll have to see who "listens" to what I have to say, and go from there.

So if you're here and reading this, hopefully I'll be adding more. Feel free to ask me about something, and I'll try to provide you with some free advice :)

Paul