Backing up my data files used to be so simple. When I first learned how to back my data files up, I used a 5 1/4” floppy disk (remember those!?!). Then, I “upgraded” to the cool 3.5” disks that seemed to hold so much information they would never get full. Well, I worked for a local university at the time and the professors that I worked for gave me enough information to fill those 3.5” ten times over. So then, I started filling a box the equivalent of a small shoe box with disks.
While away from the use of computers for a while, I fell out of the “know”, only to return to using my computer and the new age of data which included using a CD! Now I just knew I would never fill up a full CD with over 700MB of space – and yet I was completely wrong! I filled more than one and since I didn’t use the RW (read, write) CD’s, it felt like such a waste! Every new backup meant creating a new CD, then I had to use more than one and looked for the nearest technologically, up-to-date person I could find to see how I could let my data grow, and my storage back up method with it.
Then, I was introduced to those cool little “thumb drives” or usb drives. I loved those things because they seemed to grow with my data. I went from 256k, to 512k to 1MB to 2MB (I stopped there) and now I have seen 8 and 16MB. Wow!
For the first time since I started using computers, I am going through information overload and need some help. Backing up data can be done remotely or locally or both. Remote services will even back up your data for you at intervals that you can set. Hence my dillemma, which do I choose? Are services like Mozy, GoDaddy file storage, etc worth using? Is an external hard drive any better to use than a 2-16MB usb drive? Now that we have services like Google Docs, how much information from our local drive do we need to back up? Oh, what to do -- any suggestions?
1. Do not give your social security number, banking information, credit card information, etc to anyone who comes to your door. Census takers have no need to ask for this information and should not be asking you to provide it for their records.
2. Do not invite anyone you do not know into your home. There is no need for these workers to come in, they are just collecting basic information. The information they need can easily be collected at your door.
3. Do not respond to any emails claiming to be from the U.S. Census Bureau. This is a prime opportunity for email hackers to start an online scam, so please only respond to mail, phone calls or "door knockers."
4. Do not give any donations. These workers are not coming to your home to collect money, only information.
Here is what you can do:5. Realize that these workers will have a badge, handheld device, canvas bag provided by the Census Bureau and confidentiality notice.
6. Cooperate with these workers by answering basic questions about those who live in your home.
7. Go to http://2010.census.gov/2010census/ for more info and a preview of the form being mailed.
BackgroundThe U.S. Census is taken as a requirement of the Constitution and must take place every 10 years. The data collected helps determine which communities need federal funding for public services like hospitals and schools, among many others. It is also used to help determine how many seats your state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Expect your residential census form to arrive in March 2010. It will include 10 brief questions that need to be answered and mailed back in a postage paid envelope. Those who do not mail the form back in a timely manner, might be visited by a census taker. At this time, the census can not be taken online, so the form must be completed.
OK, be honest. What was the first thing that came to your mind when you read the title of this post? Think about that as I continue my story…
There was terrible weather going through our city a couple of weeks ago, and I called home to let my husband know that there were reports of a tornado near our home, where he was with our daughters. We didn’t realize at the time that one of our daughters was on the phone, while I told him that a transformer was hit near our home and I was calling to see if they still had power.
After my husband and I hang up, my daughter tells her little sister that I told daddy there was a transformer near by our house and that they could lose electricity! If you don’t have children, or an interest in cartoons or action movies, than you might not know that “Transformers” is a movie about vehicles that “transform” into robots. There are techie names that explain good vs. bad, so which type of Transformer they thought would take out our electricity is probably pretty obvious.
My daughter spoke to me to verify my story and it took me a while to stop laughing and tell her that I was talking about the “power box” (for lack of a better explanation).
Man, now all I can think of are those commercials that used to come on all the time when I was young and my little brother was really into this cartoon. Does "more than meets the eye" sound familiar? Anyway...
I have been learning more about using Twitter lately and for those of you who don't use it at all, this post will make absolutely no sense. Twitter has been adding new features that make it much esier to use on the web. Rather than having to download an app to your computer or phone (which I have done, but don't find useful) they have some user friendly features on the website.
One of the latest features that I have found helpful is the fact that you can now make lists. In the past, all of your followers were lumped into one large group and you had to do a search on twitter to find them. Now, you can group them by lists (categories) so that you can read new tweets from those whom you follow that fall into different categories. It can be anything from news and celebrity tweets, to tweets on music and science and of course, tweets from your friends. I like using Twitter as my new search engine because the information is up to the minute and interactive. You can find anything discussed over the past two weeks on these searches.
Another feature that is now in the beta stage is the "retweet". My account has been chosen to use this new feature and I can't wait to find some good info to retweet. In the past, you had to enter RT in front of something you want to quote and then either copy and paste the tweet or re-type it (at least, that is what I was told. I'm no expert here). Now, you can just click "retweet" under that person and it will show that you are the referring tweeter! I think I'm gonna love this!
I was not too excited about the thought of starting in the new world of social networking because I thought it would be too much of an invasion of privacy. It is actually quite fun and I have learned a lot by using it. I am not big on social bookmarking yet, but that might be the next project I take on.
Today I went to Rocket Daddy Inc. to explore my career options. I learned about sprights and how to make web sites through person and video.
Today was a great day at Rocket Daddy. We got to meet a nice young man named Sean and show him how to make a video and load it onto YouTube. We also showed a few short videos on how to build a website. We hope to be able to teach Sean a few things he is interested in before the day ends.
Like everyone else, I go to the mailbox daily to check the mail. In the last few weeks, I noticed a new “web” in the mailbox and didn’t pay much attention to it, just continued to send and pick up mail. About a week ago, I saw the creepy spider that goes with the web and I decided that I didn’t want to run into him again (I say him for the effect, not because I know what sex this spider is, if they even have different sexes, anyway…) so I took a long stick from the yard and took the spider for a nice ride to the other side of our driveway. No big deal. I clean out the web and go about my business. Within days, this same spider is back in the mailbox! I chuckled to myself and found that same stick and took him out again. This time he somehow “flew” across the yard and I had the mailbox to myself again.
This morning, I go to get the mail and guess who? I am trying to be patient with this spider, but man, how do I get rid of him! Someone suggested that I throw him in the road this time and I just might do that – the mailbox does face a busy road and maybe that will solve my problem! I really prefer not to have this spider bite my hand (or the mail deliverer, or anyone else who uses the mailbox) so I need him to live elsewhere. I can’t kill it because the thought of “squishing” anything larger than an ant makes me too squeamish (I don’t want that on my shoe. I wear sandals, what if I miss and it retaliates) so I need an alternative. Obviously removing him won’t keep him from using whatever keen sense he has that connects him to that 1/1000 of a percent of web was left behind in the mailbox. And please, don’t be a pregnant spider (that I misjudged to be a fat, male spider) and have babies in our mailbox.
Oh, what to do. I’ll try posting a picture of it in the next few days. I have no idea what kind it is, but I am going on the assumption that it is harmless. In the meantime, beware of the mailbox!
I am not the type to poke fun at people, so please don’t take this post that way, but we have had a 55 year old male bicyclist that has been riding around Tallahassee for quite some time who has locally earned the name “Speedo Man”, because he rides in just a thong and he drives me absolutely insane! He apparently isn’t trying to offend anyone, riding his bike with no clothes on is just what he does. But come on…not everyone wants to see that! I didn’t even realize how popular he was and how long he had been around until I saw a news story about him. He has recently been arrested in violation of a city ordinance banning nudity in public and I must say, IT’S ABOUT TIME. They probably can’t hold him for long, and he apparently has more fans than not, but I don’t feel that I should have to be “exposed” to a person who shows up all over town with no clothes on. When you go to the beach, you expect thongs and bikinis. Not in the parking lot of the gym or at the grocery store or driving down a busy road! According to one of the local news stations, the recent arrest was prompted by an incident in which this man exposed himself to a business manager. I know he will probably be back out there soon, but now I know more about his story.
I recently attended a webinar for those who wanted to take precautions before the next predicted outbreak of swine flu. With predictions of severe swine flu outbreak as early as September, here are some tips that we can all use. The concern is not only with how severe swine flu is, but how highly contagious it is. These tips are helpful for work, home, shopping and travel.
How Can You Help Prevent It?
-Wash hands often (for at least 20 seconds)
-Use hand sanitizer, when soap is not available
-If you are sneezing, coughing or have runny nose, keep tissue available and throw them away after each use
-If no tissue is available, please cover your cough or sneeze (arm, sleeve, cup your hands, etc) to prevent spreading germs and then wash your hands immediately and prior to touching any of your surroundings
-Use disinfectant (like Lysol) for spraying keyboards, door knobs, light switches, etc. that are often touched
-Try to avoid handshakes
-Use email, phones, IM to converse with co-workers rather than going to each others desks
-Vaccines are expected to be shipped mid-October and they will be focusing on 6 month – 24 years and over 65 first, unless you are between 25-64 and have a chronic health problem or your immune system is compromised
-Vaccines will be offered for free in most cases, to those who fall in the eligible age category
-Where at all possible, avoid or restrict traveling
What If You Are Contagious?
-You can be contagious 1 day prior to and up to 7 days after the end of your symptoms. If you are sick, you were contagious prior to recognizing your symptoms.
-It is best not to return to work until at least 24 hours after your fever has been completely gone (without the use of medication) and then use the steps to prevent it while at work.
More information can be found at cdc.gov/germstopper/home_work_school.htm. This website also provides posters that can be printed and hung at your work place and even in your home.
I first heard of “web logs” or “blogs” for short, a few years back and I wondered who in the world would want to go online and write about everyday life or their job, on a regular basis. It sounded like so much more work than the traditional website, which is to the point – a place to offer your product or service to the public with a home page and maybe a few additional pages – about us, contact us, how it works, etc. Then, I decided to look into writing my own blog. My friends and family are still new to the concept, so I decided to show them a place where they can blog for free.
Now, here I am, doing the very thing I thought was so strange years ago – writing a blog. Why? Well, it is neat to be able to share thoughts and ideas with others who like the same topics you do. It is even more fun to read the blogs of those who write about subjects you like. You can do anything from sharing family pictures and updates with your friends and family, to updating your customers on your latest sales and products or services. You can also write about anything and nothing, which is my specialty. Actually, I find that I am most interested in writing about children and the latest news. Blogs have proved to be very helpful in finding websites that interest me (recipes, things for kids to do, online sales promotions, etc.)
Blogiversity.org offers a free community for bloggers. For those who are already members of this community, this post will seem strange. But if you are new to blogging, you can view the tutorial on how to get started. There are also free forums and it is a community that is growing nicely. Write about your favorite subject – from identity theft news to new and useful websites and gadgets to music, -- there is something for everyone. No need to have your own website for this community, just join and blog!
My husband and I decided to “get away from it all” and go on a family vacation for about 5 days. Just get some much needed R&R and enjoy being with the kids. It all started with a night out roller skating with friends, before leaving town for a little trip to Orlando. What a bad idea! I have loved to roller skate since I was at least 10 years old. I have always been good at it and it was my favorite way to exercise. Well, I’m not 10 anymore (far from it) and I rented some roller rink skates that didn’t feel quite right. I didn’t want to fall, so I traded them in for a new pair. This pair was worse than the first, but because the staff were so “unhelpful” with exchanging my first pair, I decided to ride them out and deal with it. So sorry that I did! I was trying to break them in and fell backwards. To avoid falling flat on my back, I extended my left arm out to break my fall and ended up fracturing my elbow. Oh, the pain! So many things went through my mind right then – is it broken, will this pass, why didn’t I take the skates off when I knew they weren’t safe to skate in, why didn’t I buy my own skates to wear? Anyway, for the first few hours it felt fine, so I thought I had just twisted it or something. Then, the pain and swelling kicked in. I waited it out for the weekend and saw the doctor on Monday who immediately told me there was definitely a problem. After seeing the specialist, I ended up in a sling. Just in time to go to Orlando---ugh! I couldn’t drive, it was hard to eat and I couldn’t write or type (yes, I’m a lefty, south paw, or whatever your term is). A mother of two on vacation with a swollen elbow and painful wrist and now I’m supposed to rest my arm – yeah, right. Well, we originally didn’t plan to do Disney, Sea World or Universal this trip so at least I didn’t have to worry about missing out on the rides.
Now I am adjusting to the fracture and doing exercises to help my elbow and it gets better every day. The wrist is a story of it’s own, but it feels like it will be a while before that will heal.
This blog post is a result of practicing typing with only my right hand, hence it took forever to write.
Why eat healthy snacks? This could make a huge difference in the way you feel and your mental disposition. This could make you a much healthier person. For those who are always on the go and work full time, it is so easy to just grab something convenient and go. This is why small food chains like McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Sonic and many more, do so well. This is why high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes are so common. This is why health care is so expensive. I do believe that each time I have visited these drive thrus, I have joined thousands who just need something “quick” to eat. (Also notice how many of them I was able to name in a matter of seconds – not good). When you miss breakfast and run to work and then lunch time arrives, you are starved and are willing to eat anything. With no healthy snacks available to hold you over, you get in your car and run to the nearest “artery clogging” drive thru to satisfy your craving and then run back to the office within the allotted 30 minutes to 1 hour break.
Time to try to change that bad habit. Yes, I do need to make a healthy lunch and bring it with me each day and yes, there are probably millions of healthy snacks out there to choose from. This list is just a start and I would love to see others add suggestions to the comment section to help this list grow, but for now, here are some that I wouldn’t mind snacking on. You can mix and match some of these to make your choices taste better (for example: yogurt & granola; carrots/celery with low fat dip). Maybe I will make healthy recipes the next journey of my blog. If nothing else, at least I can refer back to these when I get off track and want something to eat. I once told a coworker that I only buy from the produce section of the grocery store when I am getting breakfast, lunch and snacks. Unfortunately, that habit did not stick and I fell off the wagon. Does anyone want to start a food chain that only offers these items at the drive thru window? Will it be a hit or will people drive by and go for the burger and fries? Are these already out there and I just have not found them yet? Anyway, the following starts my list of healthy snacks:
Almonds
Apples
Bananas
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Carrots
Cashews
Celery
Granola
Grapes
Low fat dip
Oranges
Pizza (that’s right – use whole wheat pitas, low fat cheese, tomato sauce, veggie toppings)
Protein bars (watch sugar content)
Raisins
Trail Mix
Yogurt (low-fat)
When I saw the headline for this story, it immediately caught my attention. Before looking into the entire story, I had to wonder - Who could run over their family? Was it intentional? What were the circumstances? Would you accidentally run over your own family? Well, the details were much different than I had expected.
This is the story of a young family in Michigan. It took place yesterday at a state park. A 27 year old man actually ran over the tent that his family slept in while his wife and two small children were still in it! The family was camping outside at the state park. The man woke up quite cold at some point and needed to warm himself up, so he got in his SUV early yesterday morning and turned it on to run the heater. He fell asleep behind the wheel and the vehicle somehow went into gear and rolled forward over the tent. Let me clearly state that this was an accident, but wow, can you imagine how he must have felt at that moment? Waking up and realizing that he had just run over the tent where his wife and two young children are located?
The man’s wife and 2 year old daughter did not sustain any serious injuries, however, their 5 year old son was flown to a hospital in Grand Rapids with critical injuries. Hopefully, he will recover and be just fine.
It has been reported that this family has been camping at the state park since late June. This young father is an unemployed Iraq veteran and the family is homeless. To make the situation worse, protective services is investigating whether to take the children from this family due to the fact that they are currently residing outdoors, which is not appropriate.
I do hope that now this has made the national news someone, somewhere can help this poor family find shelter and stay together. What a tragedy!
There is no lack of websites out there that have advice on healthy eating. I have decided to begin my journey of research to see how I can develop a better diet to go along with my gym membership. Exercise and diet go hand in hand and one doesn’t work as well without the other. Although the following tips on healthy eating are quite obvious, it doesn’t hurt to have a few reminders:
-The best way to avoid unhealthy foods is not to buy them at all. This is a hard change to make for those who love having cookies and chips handy, however, you might be surprised at how easy it is to reach for a “convenient” piece of fruit instead. Keep plenty of fruit and nuts available for when you get munchy.
-You will crave your favorites, so find ways to eat them a little bit healthier (example: look for unsalted alternatives; lower calories; less fat).
-A diet balanced with the proper vitamins and minerals might cut down your cravings for sweets or salt and is necessary.
-An important part of healthy eating is being sure to eat a healthy breakfast. It really is the most important meal of the day because it starts your day, hopefully the right way. Starting your day with “junk” food will lead to other poor choices for snacks, lunch and dinner so try to eat foods that are high in fiber and protein. This can include foods like oatmeal or low-fat yogurt with granola.
-Go ahead and eat all your meals for the day! Many think that if they skip a meal, they will lost some weight by cutting out those calories. This only leads to extreme hunger and then eating too much later in the day. You might also lean more toward eating an unhealthy meal that contains a lot of fat and sugar, so try to eat light meals every 4 hours or so. Taking in low calorie meals throughout the day helps suppress appetite and keep your energy stable too.
-Healthy eating also includes drinking plenty of water! Water is so healthy for your body and it is recommended to drink at least 6-8 glasses daily to help your body function.
-Here’s a new one: brushing your teeth could suppress your appetite! If you feel a craving to snack on unhealthy foods, try brushing your teeth first. Leave a comment on here if it works for you!
Look for an upcoming blog post on some healthy snacks you can choose to eat at home, at work, at school or on the go!
Recent celebrity deaths in the news has been a bit overwhelming the past few days. Since last Thursday, almost 100% of the news that I came across was in relation to either the death of Farah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, or TV pitchman Billy Mays. While Farah was fatally ill, both the deaths of Michael Jackson and Billy Mays were unexpected, which made the news that much more to report. Many “theories” now abound in the news and of course, autopsy’s will bring the investigations into their deaths to a close and then the world will have more answers. While Michael’s fame has been in the forefront when it comes to recent celebrity deaths, and has overshadowed the stories of Farah and Billy, these past few days will certainly be remembered for a long time to come.
Majority of us did not know any of these people personally, so why are these recent celebrity deaths so disturbing? That is the power of the media. The more we see it in the news, the more we read it on websites, the more we hear it on the radio and the more we see it on the front covers of daily/weekly publications, the sadder we feel. It is catching the attention of many and it is definitely the subject of thousands of conversations.
It seemed that I remembered many celebrities/personalities dying recently and when looking into celebrities who died in 2009, there was a list of over 100 people. Although this list is not by any means all inclusive, here are some others that were sadly lost in 2009, just a few mentions from a long list of actors, singers, politicians, athletes, sports and newscasters and some family members of those who fall into these categories. You won’t find them all on this list, but here are some that were familiar to me.
-Ricardo Montalban (88): January 14th
Actor: “Fantasy Island”, “Star Trek” villain (Wrath of Khan)
-Ron Silver (62): March 15th
Actor: Tony Award winner
-Natasha Richardson (45): March 18th
Actress: “The Parent Trap”; Broadway
Wife of actor: Liam Neeson
-Dan Seals (61): March 25th
Singer: Seals & Crofts
-Bea Arthur (86): April 25th
Actress: “Maude”; “Golden Girls”
-Dom DeLuise (75): May 4th
Actor: “Blazing Saddles”; “Space Balls” “Smokey & The Bandit 2”
-Mark Landon (60): May 11th
Son of actor Michael Landon
-Wayman Tisdale (44): May 15th
Former NBA star; Jazz bass guitarist
-Carol Cole (65): May 18th
Daughter of Nat King Cole
Sister of Natalie Cole
-Exodus Tyson (4): May 25th
Daughter of Mike Tyson
-David Carradine (72): June 3rd
Actor: “Kung Fu” (1970s)
-Johnny Palermo (27): June 8th
Actor: “Just For Kicks” (Nickelodeon); “Everybody Hates Chris”
-Ed McMahon (86): June 23rd
TV personality: “The Tonight Show”
-Farah Fawcett (62): June 25th
Actress: Charlie’s Angels (1970s); several TV movies
-Michael Jackson (50): June 25th
“King of Pop”
-Billy Mays (50): June 28th
TV “pitchman” for OxiClean and other products
-Fred Travalena (66): June 28th
Las Vegas / impressionist
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