[donspatch] 2009-09-15
- From: Don Crowder <dondashguitar@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Donspatch@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:23:45 -0500
#124 September 15, 2009 from http://www.don-guitar.com
Online version: http://www.don-guitar.com/currentissue.html
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First word, from Don:
I recently had to bite the bullet and buy new glasses.
I'm very hard on glasses so I find it more cost effective,
in the long run, to buy titanium frames but the same
glasses I bought at Walmart for $140 (US) ten years ago
have gone up to over $300 and that hurt my feelings. So
me and my pal google went looking for glasses. First I
found a handful of sites that sell glasses, then I googled
for consumer reviews on those sites. There are many sites
which allow consumers to review and rate web sellers.
Here are a few such:
http://www.resellerratings.com/
http://www.epinions.com/
http://www.consumerreports.org/
http://www.consumersearch.com/
http://www.consumerreview.com/
For more such sites, just google the string
consumer reviews
At any rate the company which got the best consumer
reviews was http://www.eyeglasses.com
They weren't the most economical but my new glasses
cost just under $200 and that's over $100 less than
they'd have cost me at Walmart. Here's what I bought.
http://www.eyeglasses.com/glasses/safilo-elasta/186.html
I had to learn how to read a prescription in order to
correctly enter data into the order form but it took
no more than ten minutes of research (via google) to
learn what I needed to know. Lisa, with a little
help from our trusty Bates National Rule (a ruler),
provided one specification which wasn't on the
prescription, my pupil-to-pupil measurement in
millimeters. I also had to fax them a copy of my
prescription so, even if I'd made any errors in
typing the prescription info, chances are they'd
have caught the error.
Also, I think it's foolish to get new glasses without
having an eye exam especially when it's been over a
decade since your last eye exam. The eye exam
cost $55. Ten years ago it cost me $40 for an eye
exam so both the exam and the glasses I bought went
up about 38% over what I paid ten years ago but
Walmart's price on the same glasses went up 222%
(yes Virginia, that's two-hundred twenty two percent).
Whatever happened to those falling prices?
See ya next time,
Don
Our feedback form and contact info:
http://www.don-guitar.com/contactme.html
Don at myspace.com http://www.myspace.com/donguitar
Don's blog.
http://don-guitar.blogspot.com/
Lisa at myspace.com. http://www.myspace.com/81825549
Lisa's blog.
http://thedirtgoddess.blogspot.com/
Section One by Don.
The low-down on toilet training your cat.
http://www.karawynn.net/mishacat/toilet.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVR8aczbUA4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p943wK0tSWQ
http://www.wikihow.com/Toilet-Train-Your-Cat
Android is an Open Source cellphone Operating System.
http://www.android.com/
Insofar as I know, T-Mobile was the first US
company to offer a phone which runs on Android.
http://www.t-mobilemytouch.com/
There seem to be plenty of folks excited about Android.
http://tmobilemytouch3g.blogspot.com/
http://androidcommunity.com/
http://phandroid.com/
http://www.androphones.com/
http://www.androidauthority.com/
http://www.topandroidphones.com/
http://androidandme.com/
http://www.androphonez.com/
A modest collection of geeky web-dev 'zones'
(sites). Commercial but filled with info too.
http://www.dmxzone.com/
http://www.flzone.com/
http://www.dnzone.com/
http://www.fwzone.net/
http://www.cfzone.net/
A science and technology portal.
http://www.brighthub.com/
For the second year in a row, on September 11th,
www.memotome.com has reminded me that September
19th is Talk Like a Pirate Day (and last year I
still forgot to mention it in the ezine)
http://www.talklikeapirate.com/ Arrr matey!
Speaking of memotome.com, I keep thinking I should
use them to help me remember all the birthdays of
my kids and grandkids but I know if I start actually
remembering birthdays my kids will be asking 'Who
are you and what have you done with our dad?'
End of Section One.
This publication is only mailed to verified
double opt-in subscribers, and is brought
to you by me, Don Crowder, my wife,
Lisa Miller, and //www.freelists.org
Section Two by Lisa
A webmaster friendly community.
http://www.webdigity.com/
I use this site extensively .
http://www.synonym.com/
Very usable art. http://www.clarkmade.com/urinals.html
Open source software for volunteer computing.
http://boinc.berkeley.edu/
Everybody's getting on the costless software
bandwagon. We just love it.
http://opensoft.notlong.com
Say this ten times; Tin Tabernacles.
http://metalchurch.notlong.com
Short stories to enjoy online.
http://www.readprint.com/
http://www.mysterynet.com/short-mystery-stories/
Porcelain poetry.
http://porpot.notlong.com
The world's most beautiful frogs.
http://biebape.notlong.com
http://ailahsh.notlong.com
and a fabulous video on rain frogs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh1tmzoynRk
End of Section Two.
At the time this issue was posted,
the current subscriber count for
this publication was 373.
This issue's collection of online news, blogs,
magazines, videos and/or other informational
sites. These are chosen for maximum diversity
regardless of 'spin' and in some cases may
have offensive or questionable content.
http://www.ruralrambler.org/
http://www.mixx.com/
http://www.moonbattery.com/
http://allworldcars.com/
http://jbruin.posterous.com/
http://souljerky.com/index.html
http://erikmednis.com/
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/
http://www.navysalvage.com/
http://www.vintagerotaryphones.com/
http://michigantelephone.wordpress.com/
http://www.bobsoldphones.net/Pages/index.htm
http://www.telephonearchive.com/
http://www.telephonesuk.co.uk/
http://www.porticus.org/bell/bell.htm
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/
http://www.kshs.org/index.htm
http://www.policesearch.net/
Section Three by Don.
A fun site for expectant mothers.
http://www.i-am-pregnant.com/
A geek's gaming portal. http://www.alex-soft.net/
What does your website look like at different resolutions?
http://snipurl.com/rs1oe [seotools-demo_trafficgeek_net]
http://www.webmasters-cavern.com/tools/resolution-viewer/
Geeky old stuff. http://www.retrothing.com/
A pair of young geek comedians.
http://rhettandlink.com/
Take a quiz, make a quiz. http://www.quizilla.com/
I can't figure out how to describe this one so I'll excerpt
their words 'shortText.com is a simple tool to post text
online, with minimum fuss. No sign ups, no sign in. Don't
have a website? Don't want a blog? Want to share a piece
of code...perhaps a recipe?' http://www.shorttext.com/
Sizes is about the quantification of quantifiable things.
http://www.sizes.com/indexes.htm
Songwriting tips and tools. http://www.musesmuse.com/
What would you like to know about Spaghetti Westerns?
http://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Main_Page
Worried about buying a used computer and getting stuck
with a lemon? No problem, just buy a warranty too.
http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/
In my estimation, this is the right way to rearrange
furniture. http://www.sweethome3d.eu/index.jsp
Minerals, gemstones, geology, photography and such.
http://www.theimage.com/index.html
Lisa and I have been trying to lose weight so this
site is really disgusting, I mean, really.
http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/
If you play the guitar and know how to read and write
tablature this is a site you will enjoy (I don't know
diddly about tablature but who knows, you might).
http://tinylick.com/Create.aspx
Heard of tumblr? Yeah, me too but what exactly is it?
Seems like a social media/networking site on steroids.
Here's what they say about themselves:
http://www.tumblr.com/why-tumblr
Do you have a question about volcanoes, earthquakes,
mountains, rocks, maps, ground water, lakes, or rivers?
http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/ask-a-geologist/
End of Section Three.
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Section Four by Lisa.
A variety of costless goodies.
http://frtempl.notlong.com
http://www.1freecart.com/
http://www.ausmall.com.au/freegraf/
http://no1themes.com/
http://www.ace-clipart.com/
I like to explore ESL sites, they
make me appreciate my own language.
http://www.usingenglish.com/
Tech news, reviews and resources.
http://tomuse.com/
Distinctive book covers.
http://covers.fwis.com/
What's a dropspot? http://dropspots.org/
The good news, every day.
http://www.happynews.com/
A beautiful interactive site featuring the
lives of Van Gogh and Gaugain.
http://www.vangoghgauguin.com/
Questions and answers about Judaism.
http://www.schechter.edu/
Remember The Ink Spots?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ink_Spots
http://www.theinkspots.com/
http://inkspots.notlong.com
The International Bond and Share Society.
http://www.scripophily.org/
End of Section Four.
We welcome all comments, suggestions, or
criticism. The form doesn't access your
email client (it's a CGI form), so your
privacy is assured. If you know of a
website that would be a good candidate
for this ezine, please pass it on via
our online feedback form.
http://www.don-guitar.com/contactme.html
Section Five by Don.
A search alternative. http://www.exalead.com/search/
A couple of web dev resources.
http://websitehelpers.com/design/
http://www.delorie.com/web/
A nice looking science resource.
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/
K-12 teaching resources. http://www.mii.org/index.html
Information about natural and alternative ways of dealing
with health problems. http://www.natmedtalk.com/
A real doctor, online. http://docforall.com/
I've discovered a pair of Indian singers I really like.
They call themselves the Colonial Cousins. If you have
a moment, give them a listen. I especially liked the
song that's entitled Krishna, it's very spiritual.
http://snipurl.com/rs77u [ww_smashits_com]
I don't recall what lead me to such a morbid inquiry but
this wikipedia page was very interesting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_meal
...what the cook (well, one of them) has to say about it.
http://snipurl.com/rsh3a [www_guardian_co_uk]
What's your learning style?
http://www.ldpride.net/learning-style-test.html
Never mind losing weight, exercise is good for your heart.
http://www.netfit.co.uk/hrlmen.htm
http://www.jackson.mccsc.edu/PE/exercises.html
A resource for artists. http://www.artistresource.org/
Can you be ready for work 5 minutes after you wake up?
http://www.bijooz.com/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=1127
IM (Instant Messenger) clients offer a good way to
communicate with friends and family but it's not really
necessary to download several different IM clients. Pidgin,
for example, can connect you with AIM, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ,
Google Talk, and many more. http://www.pidgin.im/
With a plug in, Pidgin can connect to facebook chat as well.
http://code.google.com/p/pidgin-facebookchat/
Of course it's not entirely necessary to have any sort of
IM client because many such services are available online.
AIM IM online: http://www.aim.com/aimexpress.adp
Yahoo IM online: http://webmessenger.yahoo.com/
MSN IM online: http://g.live.com/9wc9en-us/webim1
Google Talk IM online (look for the launch link):
http://www.google.com/talk/intl/en-GB/#
You can even connect to multiple services
at one time with meebo or eBuddy:
http://www.meebo.com/
http://www.ebuddy.com/
Communication tube is a little less versatile but
claims to be compatible with just about any browser.
http://www.communicationtube.com/
Isn't it time you got into recycling?
http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/materials/index.htm
http://earth911.com/
Um, paper. http://www.tappi.org/paperu/welcome.htm
College reviews by college students.
http://www.unigo.com/
Has some company treated you badly? Sound off!
http://www.my3cents.com/
End of Section Five.
Archives for this ezine are available online here:
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The current issue is also available on our website.
http://www.don-guitar.com/currentissue.html
RSS feed is available via this link.
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Section Six by Lisa.
The Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/
Sometimes called The Italian Julia Child,
Marcella Hazan has influenced American
cuisine for many years.
http://marcellahazan.notlong.com
http://marcellahazan2.notlong.com
Would you like to test your readiness for
marriage or your current marriage?
https://www.relate-institute.org/Home.aspx
Interactive music theory games and exercises.
http://www.emusictheory.com/interact.html
Lots of cool things to do here, don't pass
it by because it's intended for young folks.
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/interact.htm
What's your best bet for online storage service?
http://online-storage-service-review.toptenreviews.com/
Sometimes ya just needs ta rhyme.
http://www.rhymer.com/
A nice magazine for teen girls.
http://www.relatemag.com/
Articles on removing the stigma of mental illnesses.
http://baceer.notlong.com
http://ulexoo.notlong.com
http://yaojiek.notlong.com
End of Section Six.
The Linux Corner.
This article is a one-stop Linux learning portal.
http://snipurl.com/rsz6a [educhoices_org]
A blog about free and open source software.
http://tinytux.blogspot.com/
This computer news portal isn't OS specific.
http://webupd8.blogspot.com/
Here's a cool boot floppy that can be useful on
any platform. http://linux.simple.be/tools/sbm
Ubuntu Linux resources. http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/
Linux reviews. http://linuxreviews.org/index.html.en
The journal of a Linux Sysadmin. http://www.ducea.com/
A Little Humor.
Dog Haiku
I love my master;
Thus I perfume myself with
This long-rotten squirrel.
I lie belly-up
In the sunshine, happier than
You ever will be
Today I sniffed
Many dog butts. I celebrate
By kissing your face.
I sound the alarm!
Paperboy; come to kill us all
Look! Look! Look! Look! Look!
I sound the alarm!
Garbage man; come to kill us all
Look! Look! Look! Look! Look!
I lift my leg and
Whiz on each bush . Hello, Spot
Sniff this and weep
How do I love thee?
The ways are numberless as
My hairs on the rug.
My human is home!
I am so ecstatic I
Have made a puddle
I Hate my choke chain
Look, world, they strangle me! Ack
Ack Ack Ack Ack Ack!
Sleeping here, my chin
On your foot, no greater bliss, well,
Maybe catching rats
Look in my eyes and
Deny it. No human could
Love you as much I do
The cat is not all
Bad. She fills the litter box
With Tootsie Rolls
Dig under fence; why?
Because it's there. Because it's
There. Because it's there.
I am your best friend,
Now, always, and especially
When you are eating.
You may call them fleas,
But they are far more-. I call
Them a vocation
My owners' mood is
Romantic, I lie near their
Feet. I make a smelly one.
~~~
An Englishman, a Frenchman and a Russian are viewing a
painting of Adam and Eve frolicking in the Garden of Eden.
'Look at their reserve, their calm,' muses the Englishman.
'They must be British.'
'Nonsense,' the Frenchman disagrees. 'They're naked, and
so beautiful. Clearly, they are French.'
'No clothes, no shelter,' the Russian points out, 'they
have only an apple to eat, and they're being told this
is paradise. Clearly, they are Russian.'
Tips for This Issue.
Online dating tips.
http://www.onlinedatingtips.org/
http://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com/articles.html
http://www.topdatingtips.com/
http://www.perfectmatch.com/onlinedating/senior-dating.asp
http://snipurl.com/rt3z3 [ezinearticles_com]
http://snipurl.com/rt3zx [www_onlinedatingmagazine_com]
Financial management tips for students.
http://www.nelliemae.com/FinMan/index.html
Debt relief management tips.
http://www.bizymoms.com/debt/debt-help-management.html
Computer tips for Online learners.
http://www.virtualcollege.org/resource/computer_tips.htm
Contributions From Our Readers.
Links from readers are always
welcome and you can even write
your own link descriptions if you
like (just tell me when you send
them if that's what you intended).
Guidelines are available here:
http://www.don-guitar.com/descriptivetext.html
From our web-sibling Jo-Ann (Jo) Burton:
( Jo's site: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sharinglinks2/ )
An interesting blog with some humorous special features.
http://www.goingjesus.com/
Campaign for the American reader (blog).
http://americareads.blogspot.com/
Life in the fast lane (blog).
http://www.lifeinthefastlane.ca/
This blog makes me hungry. http://www.slashfood.com/
This blogger is addicted to the Food Network.
http://foodnetworkaddict.blogspot.com/
It's about books.
http://www.complete-review.com/main/main.html
A bloggish look at the book publishing industry.
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/
Noam Chomsky's website. http://www.chomsky.info/
Supporting U.S. troops.
http://www.heroes4heroes.org/Heroes4Heroes/Welcome.html
Competition for netflix?
http://www.lovefilm.com/welcome/beta.html
Spiffy web design, if slightly overdone, and really
good content. http://www.creators.com/opinion.html
Here's a joke from Jo Ann: The Bathtub test:
During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the
Director, “How do you determine whether or not a patient
should be institutionalized?” 'Well,' said the Director,
'We fill up a bathtub, and then we offer a teaspoon, a
teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to
empty the bathtub.' 'Oh, I understand,' said the
visitor. 'A normal person would use the bucket because
it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup.' 'No.' said
the Director, 'A normal person would pull the plug.
Do you want a bed near the window?'
Our web-sibling Vinette (Vi) DePhillipe says 'We all need
a tree". http://home.att.net/~soloshideaway/751/tree.htm
Web sibling Jerry Fox wonders if replacing old politicians
with new politicians will make a difference.
http://goooh.com/Home.aspx
From our web-sibling John Lepse.
( John's blog: http://hucknjim.blogspot.com/ )
John sent me a link to a site that enables you to check the
speed of your internet connection only the site wanted
visitors to register prior to using the service. Well, I
object to that because there are plenty of places where
you can get an accurate speed check without registering.
They're ad supported but I don't mind looking at a few
ads if it gives me access to a useful service.
http://www.speedtest.net/
http://www.bandwidthplace.com/
http://www.dslreports.com/stest
http://reviews.cnet.com/internet-speed-test/
Here's a video of an impressive card trick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5frj2No_nc
Personal finance and frugal living forums.
http://www.wisebread.com/
Survivors of 9/11.
http://snipurl.com/rthc9 [videos_komando_com]
Thank you Jo, Vi, Jerry and John.
Last word, from Lisa:
Once again, we've hit a small jackpot shopping online.
We've both been using a very mild glycerin soap from
the dollar store for a couple of years and enjoyed it
except for one thing; the soap is so soft that the
bar only lasts 3 days. At one time I got a sample
of olive oil soap from a friend and it was very
skin-friendly; the little tiny bar lasted a long
time.
Don did some research and found a pure olive oil soap
from a company that imports Greek products.
http://www.greekinternetmarket.com/
Their Papoutsanis olive oil soap is so pure that it
only contains 4 ingredients, and one of them is water.
http://www.greekinternetmarket.com/1950-03023.html
It's very competitively priced so we ordered 6-8oz.
bars. Well! Talk about a bargain. Two weeks later the
first bar isn't even half gone and our skin feels
wonderful. Added benefit; we use it as shampoo (well,
he does, I'm still shaving my head. It's a nice
shave cream.) and no longer need any moisturizing
lotion. Big savings!
Thanks, Google.
'Til next time,
Lisa
Our feedback form and contact info:
http://www.don-guitar.com/contactme.html
Lisa at myspace.com. http://www.myspace.com/81825549
Lisa's blog.
http://thedirtgoddess.blogspot.com/
Don at myspace.com http://www.myspace.com/donguitar
Don's blog.
http://don-guitar.blogspot.com/
Don Crowder and Lisa Miller
Monday, September 14, 2009
11:20 PM CST - Buchanan Lake Village, Texas, USA
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- » [donspatch] 2009-09-15 - Don Crowder
