Government Gone Wild!:Watch this SHOCK video about our government's "cradle to the grave" entitlement society!
Tags: United States, government, freebies, land of freebies, enslaved, home of enslaved, Government Gone Wild, education, video, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
This is a guest post by Terri Huggins
Tags: election 2012, Our Moment, Our America, NRCC, video, Vote, Mitt Romney, Vote Republican for Congress To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. which shared this video!
Yes, we’ve all heard the rumors by now – Foxconn is apparently up to no good.
Foxconn, of course, is the Taiwanese subcontractor that makes a ton of electronics. Check out MakeITFair for reports on horrid Foxconn labor conditions in China, forced internships, riots, suicides, child labor and all sorts of awful things.
While most of the shenanigans in Foxconn’s Chinese factories are associated with the iPhone 5, singling out Apple isn’t entirely fair. Foxconn makes a lot of electronics for manufacturers all over the planet and, no, the company just doesn’t supply cheap labor for smart phones made by Apple.
Here’s the problem – is there such a thing as an “ethical” smartphone? You know – one that isn’t made by indentured servants under awful working conditions? That question is hard to answer.
Before I go farther, I’ve got to confess I’m a bit biased. I’ve had an iPhone 4. Hated it. I’ve got an iPhone 4S. I hate that one even more. The chances are very good that I’ll hate the iPhone 5, too – I’ve played with one, but not long enough to inspire that “I ought to throw this thing out of my car window” hatred that I’ve developed for every iPhone I’ve owned. In other words, searching for an ethical smart phone is easy enough for me. I’m not buying another Apple product when I’m due for a renewal with AT&T in a few months, so trying to find something that’s not put together by virtual slave labor isn’t a problem for me. I’m not tied into Apple by any means, so I’ve got some options.
By the way, there’s a certain irony in the fact that the most easily exploitable labor in the world appears to be in the largest communist regime on the planet, but I’ll leave that discussion for another time.
At any rate, finding that ethical cell phone is quite difficult as it seems electronics are manufactured by the cheapest labor available by most companies. Want proof? Have a look at this article and notice how virtually all of the companies listed seem to have a lot of evil in their supply chains. Apple scores horribly on the report referenced in that article while RIM (the failing manufacturers of Blackberry) comes out near the top of the heap. If you don’t want to be stuck with a dying line of phones, you’ll notice that HTC – which makes pretty solid lines of Android and Windows phones – comes out OK.
Yes, it seems that HTC – a Taiwanese company – is doing what it can to keep most of its manufacturing at home where labor laws are actually enforced by the government. There’s always the argument that Apple is an American company and, as such, buying from it is better for the U.S. economy. That’s a curious argument, to be sure, as it appears Apple seems to hoard its profits and dole out some cash to American employees and investors.
If Apple really wanted to boost the U.S. economy and dodge those nagging accusations of using easily exploitable labor, perhaps the company should take a page from HTC’s book and actually building the things in its home country. Yes, there’s always the argument that American companies would be forced to jack up the prices of their stuff if they used domestic labor, but there’s something curious about that claim.
Here’s the thing – according to this article, it costs Apple $167.50 to build a 16GB iPhone 5. While it costs a cell phone customer $199 to get that same iPhone under contract, bear in mind that the build of the phone is paid off throughout the length of that contract. Customers actually wind up paying $649 for the phone (that’s the cost you’d pay if you bought an unlocked one direct from Apple). That adds up to a profit for Apple of $481.50 per phone. So, here’s the question – that’s a lot of room for a solid profit. Why not pay some American workers a bit more and realize a profit of, say, $100 or $200 per phone?
Perhaps that old line about U.S. manufacturers having to resort to cheap, foreign labor in order to keep costs to consumers down is a bunch of nonsense. It may be more likely that they’re mostly interested in maximizing profits to an obscene degree at the expense of the U.S. economy.
Yes, the rumors are true – real estate markets are still in the doldrums (just like everything else in the current economy, seemingly).
Ah, but that does create some opportunities for both buyers and sellers in certain markets. Seaside Properties Group maintains that sellers are in good shape in the luxury market in south Florida due to a lack of supply and buyers are attracted by historically lower prices. Also, it seems that builders are struggling to keep up with demand for high end properties in the area – a sure sign that a housing market is improving. You can weight the facts for yourself about the market for luxury oceanfront condos at Acqualina by clicking the aforementioned link.
When you do head to that link, you’ll find a site that’s full of information about the luxury condo market in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas. Judge for yourself how things are going down there and whether this is, indeed, a good time to buy or sell waterfront, high dollar real estate. Check out, for example, some testimonials from customers who used the site to research upscale properties such as luxury oceanfront condos at One Bal Harbour.
You want more? OK. Let’s say you’re interested in luxury oceanfront condos at Bal Harbour. You’ll find a blog that is updated regularly that discusses the markets in south Florida at length and serves as a resource for people interested in real estate in that area. Pay it a visit – it’s free to visit and you just might find something you like.
Her Bunk: Barack Obama's fund raising efforts. Audio from the archives of the Rush Limbaugh Show.
Recalling murky Chicago politics. Thank you to the Obama campaign for pointing their fingers at the "man in the white suit." They reminded us that four fingers on each hand were pointing right back at them. I guess since they said it first, we can not cry FELON without fear of being called racists.&
So pencil in your own remembered examples of Obama's murky past and less than favored associations in the comment section. If Obama were not president, by now the FBI would be tracking his past activities because ...
AF "Tony" Branco:
Tags: AF Branco, political cartoon, Chicago politics, Barack Obama, felon, scandals To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
A.F. "Tony" Branco, Contributing Editorial Cartoonist:
Anthony F. Branco is the creator of politically incorrect cartoons addressing the events of today. He is a contributor to the ARRA News Service.
Tags: Obamacare, unemployed, road kill, disability, food stamps, Tony Branco, Political cartoons To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
If you haven't been following the Lum and Abner comic strip over at First Arkansas News, you're missing out on all the fun.
Who are Lum and Abner? They were a couple of Arkansas boys who made it big nationally in the 1930s through 1950s when old time radio (OTR) was king. Out of all the rural comedy acts, Lum and Abner stood head and shoulders above the rest (yes, that is an opinion -- I'm very biased here).
The Lum and Abner comic strip, penned by the skilled Donnie Pitchford and put together as a collaborative effort with First Arkansas News (yes, I do own that site), is a project we started in late May 2011. We've just bought the rights to use the characters for another year and are looking forward to year two of the series.
Do we get a lot of money out of it? Uh, heck no. We do it because it's fun and pays homage to a couple of legendary Arkansas performers (well, we hope it pays homage to them, at least).
Ready to wind that clock back about 80 years and take a trip down memory lane to rural Pine Ridge, Ark.? If so, click here and have a look at the strips we've posted so far. A new strip is posted every Sunday and you lucky folks who live in the Arkansas cities of Amity and Mena can check out the strip every Thursday in your local newspaper.
So, there you are – you’ve realized that the Yellow Pages section of the phone book doesn’t work anymore and you need to market your local business through the Internet.
So, how can you do that? Bear in mind that marketing a business locally is a bit of a challenge. It might seem like a bit of a paradox, but reaching those customers located within your local market online can be more than a bit difficult. How would a business owner just getting into the game of Internet marketing go about it? Do you have the skills to take on such a project that will either pay off very well for you or fail as your competitors cut into your customer base?
Fortunately, there is a company out there that is set up to help small to medium-sized businesses market locally on the Internet – RevLocal. What is that company? That bunch has spent the past 17 years (an eternity in “Internet years”) dealing with search engine optimization (SEO). What is SEO? Simply put, good SEO means that your business pops up in search engines ahead of competitors, making it easy for customers to find you first. What you need, precisely, is local SEO and RevLocal has the background to help you out in that regard.
Any local business owner out there needs to take advantage of the power of local search and many of them need help getting in front of customers. There was a time when getting in front of local customers simply meant taking out a decent phone book ad and waiting for customers to respond. If you business is still doing that, consider this – how much business is that tactic getting you these days?
The fact of the matter is that more and more people turn to the Internet first when looking for local businesses. If you’re not in front of them, one of your competitors will be. It was predicted in the 1990s that the Internet would change the way we do business. That forecast has come true and local businesses would be wise to adapt to the new landscape.
Yet another band that never got enough attention…
Being a professional in about any field – law, medical or etc. – means you’ve got to stay current on your skills set.
When I was a lawyer, that meant taking a lot of continuing education. Doctors go through a similar process, but there is one exception – law is comparatively static compared to medicine which is dramatically impacted later by new techniques, technologies, pharmaceuticals, etc. How can a doctor learn the new skills necessary to stay ahead of the pack? Oxford Medical has some programs in place that are well worth your attention. Not only can you learn some new techniques, you can learn some new disciplines that will help advance your career or extend it into other areas.
What will you find through Oxford Medical? You’ll find a one-day, consultant interview course, a medical teaching course and a medical management course. One of the more innovative offerings is a teach the teacher course which is a highly interactive way in which doctors learn to teach.
Sound interesting? If so, click one of the links in this article to check out what England’s premier medical training institution has to offer. You might fine a training session is just what the doctor ordered to advance your career. Good luck!
A lot of us are still cutting costs, building up our savings account and putting together budgets. Whether you’re comfortable with finances or not, things have changed over the past few years – we’ve learned the economy can take a dive and stay down for some time, so it only makes sense to be more careful with our money.
Now, cutting costs doesn’t always mean you have to give up something. Take Internet service, for example. You want to be careful about cutting too much there as a solid, reliable Internet connection has become a necessity in a lot of ways.
Ah, but there’s one company out there that can offer you the reliable access you want at a price that is certainly affordable. The company is Copper.net and how affordable is Internet access through it? How about dial-up Internet starting at $9.95 per month and broadband DSL starting at $19.95? Those prices are, clearly, very affordable and that makes Copper one of those companies to research whether you’re in the market for a new dial up connection or want a faster broadband one.
Who is copper? An American-owned company that offers Internet services throughout the United States and Canada. Want to see if the company has a service that will both save you money and give you the Internet access to which you are accustomed? Click one of the links in this article and find out more information. Who knows? You might just find your next Internet service provider.
It doesn’t have to be. Head to http://www.parkautomall.com for Tampa used cars. You can take a look at the inventory of everything from trucks to cars to SUVS, apply for credit and do just about everything online but pick up your new ride and take it home.
That’s a pretty good deal if you happen to live in Tampa, Fla. – how many sites feature an easy to browse selection of used cars, offer credit approval and even give shoppers the chance to see used car videos online?
Give it a look – finding that perfect car through your Internet browser is a snap with that site.
What’s a class of professionals authorized by the federal government to represent taxpayers on all administrative levels before the IRS? Enrolled agents are authorized to represent taxpayers in audits, collections and appeals. Tax laws are complicated, the IRS is always after someone and people who have the expertise to help people go through audits and such will always find find work.
How does one become an enrolled agent? Go through an enrolled agent course and pass an enrolled agent exam. It does take some work, but becoming an enrolled agent is probably more affordable than you think it might be. Click one of the links in this post for more information.
It’s a common story – Medicare is useful as far as it goes, but it doesn’t quite cover everything, does it?
When it comes to Medicare, there are almost always out-of-pocket expenses and other items that simply aren’t covered. What can one do to close that “gap” between what Medicare does and does not cover? One can either shell out some cash to make up the difference or invest in Medicare supplement insurance.
Such insurance has always made a lot of sense, but particularly in this day and age. Consumers are hit with escalating medical costs and a rotten economy – a one-two punch that can catch a Medicare recipient in a serious trap if a medical condition takes hold and proves to be costly.
The good thing about such supplemental insurance is that the costs are reasonable, particularly when one considers that “one size fits all” policies aren’t the rule. One can choose the level of coverage they need and pay only for the appropriate amount of coverage.
It all boils down to a simple cost-benefit analysis. While there are times that people spend years paying for insurance to protect against an emergency that doesn’t happen, that’s not the case with Medicare supplemental insurance. Typically, making an investment in that coverage will pay for itself sooner rather than later.
I'd love to be selling a Rolex right now because I heard that now is probably the best time to sell Rolex to consumers. The ever popular Black rolex submariner brand watches are extremely wanted right now in the market. Also in high demand include the stunning all black models.
One special type of Rolex brand watches include the pvd Rolex model. PVD stands for "physical vapor deposition" and is the process used when creating these PVD Rolex watches. It is a very thin coating bonded to the stainless steel of the watch and is unable to flake or be destroyed. The surface is even more scratch resistant than it's counterpart of pure stainless steel. Celebrities are often found wearing the high class PVD Rolex watches. This is very good for the brand considering that celebrities tend to be the ones who start or continue important fashion trends or movements. Rolex watches have consistently appeared on the wrists of celebrities and will continue to do so long into the future. Rolex is a household name and should not ever be taken for granted.
Once you own a Rolex watch, it most likely becomes your most prized possession. Considering how much you (or another person) spent on it, the actual value of the watches themselves, and the time and effort it takes to carefully craft one of these beautiful timepieces will make it extremely valuable and possibly your favorite item that you own. My friend's father bought a Rolex about five to ten years back and it is still his favorite item. The watch he bought has increased exponentially in value and although he gets plenty of offers for it, he refuses to sell it. He honestly loves it way too much.
I've always had a dream about getting a Rolex watch and after saving up for maybe five more years I will finally be able to have my own. I don't think I'd ever sell it either, just because of how much time and work I put into getting it. If you want something that you can cherish for years and years to come, look into getting a Rolex brand watch. My Rolex has become my favorite item that I own, and for a good reason. It was actually given to me by my son for a birthday present.
Yes, Metal Mike grew up in Little Rock, Ark!
ARRA News Service (Dr. Bill Smith) -
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| Pix Via Corona |
Cinco de Mayo wasn't even related Mexico's Independence Day which is celebrated by Mexico on September 16. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. So, what is the big deal in the USA. We liked the French support in our Revolutionary War, we liked buying the Louisiana Purchase from them, and American forces bled and died twice helping France in WWI and WWII. In fact, we like them up and until Gen. Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle kicked American bases out of France in 1966.
The Mexican – American War, also known as the Mexican War, or the U.S.– Mexican War, was an armed conflict (war) between the USA and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. American forces quickly occupied New Mexico and California, then invaded parts of Northeastern Mexico and Northwest Mexico; meanwhile, the Pacific Squadron conducted a blockade, and took control of several garrisons on the Pacific coast further south in Baja California. After Mexico would still not agree to the cession of its northern territories, another American army waltzed into and captured Mexico City, and the war ended in victory of the U.S. Although in our victory, we more than generous and paid Mexico $18 million dollars and forgave their debt. A big mistake was not keeping Baja.
So, again! Why are American stores and even schools (a day early) celebrating Cinco de Mayo? If we are going to celebrate another day, maybe it should on March 2, when Texas celebrates its Texas Independence Day. On March 2, 1836, The Republic of Texas defeated Mexico!
And since we are NOT going to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, I am going to celebrate not celebrating with one of my favorite American beers - a Corona. Just a minute - Yes - I know, I know, but the beer was made in "North" America :)
Tags: Cinco de Mayo, Corona, USA, Mexico, France
Back when I was a business writer for a daily newspaper, I learned one thing in a hurry – people really paid attention every time we announced a rate from a commonly used service was going to increase.
Yes, we could bang out stories about SEC filings by local corporations, cover shareholder meetings and do all of that stuff, but the phone calls and emails started flowing in when one of us wrote about utilities rates increasing. For the purpose of this post, just lump cable rates in with utilities and you get the idea.
Cable rates always seemed to be on the rise. During the conversion to digital, cable rates soared as the local provider was shelling out millions of dollars to lay in fiber optic cable. Cable rates, in fact, seemed to go up almost annually and sometimes on a whim. We put up with all of that because, at the time, satellite service was relatively new and we couldn’t get any local channels.
Well, folks, times have changed. When it comes to satellite television, Direct TV is certainly an established company that provides millions of customers with all the HDTV options they want and even the standard digital channels come in very clear. In my area – and most others – local channels have been offered in high definition for years. And, here’s the clincher – the rates are lower than you might expect.
Interested in switching from cable? Give dx3 Direct TV a look and see what packages you can start enjoying soon. Head over to www.dx3.net and start shopping. You’ll be glad you did.
From the ARRA News Service - Enjoy this parody by Duane Lester: Coming this fall (Nov 2012) to the USA ... hopefully!!!
Tags: Burn POTUS, POTUS, Barack Obama, 2012 elections, parody, Video, Duane Lester, ARRA News Service
Yes, if you poke around the Internet long enough, you’ll find a little something for everyone.
One of he handiest things about the Internet, indeed, is its inherent ability to put people in touch with companies that sell the products they want and need. That doesn’t work quite so well in local markets where supply is strictly limited by demand – that means those low-demand items might be hard to find in a given market. When it comes to the Internet, demand expands nationally and (at times) internationally, meaning there is the potential for the supply of less common items to be substantially greater online than it is in any given local market.
What’s the point of all this? Let’s say you’re looking for a hotel supply company. Your choices of available supplies might be low in a local area, but that’s not the case if you’re shopping on the Internet. Let’s face it -- hospitality supplies & hotel catering supplies aren’t exactly in high demand in most local markets, so the choices of people in the market for those items are probably limited.
On the other hand, an Internet retailer specializing in those items exclusively will find a large enough customer base to offer a good supply of those items, turn a profit and even offer pricing that will attract clients. Are you looking for such an Internet-based company? Visit PeachSuite hotel linen and laundry supply and see what that company has to offer.
Guest post written by MaryAnn Winifred
I'm not a very good cook, but I really am trying to learn! Now that I'm a little older I feel a little silly eating takeout all the time. So instead I'm going to try and learn how to cook for myself. Then maybe I can worry about trying to cook for other people. Right now for me a lot of it is about presentation because I'm a horrible cook at this point.
I thought I'd give myself some motivation by making a cute little apron for me to wear while I'm cooking and also to protect my clothes. When I was looking for a pattern that would give my clothes some more coverage from failed baking experiments, I saw the site debtcounseling.bankrupt.com/. I instantly knew that would help some too because I'm also in debt and need any help in that regard.
I did find a ruffled apron tutorial that I thought was simply too cute to pass up! So I didn't and I'm currently at work on piecing together some cheap dish towels into an apron.
Wow. Back from when punk rock was actually interesting and unique. Odd clip, but fun as heck. Enjoy!
It’s something I don’t admit often, but I – good ole The Hawg – used to be a lawyer. I learned at least one thing during the four fun-packed years I spent lawyering – attorneys are rarely the first in line when it comes to adopting new technology.
There are, of course, exceptions to that rule. While attorneys in these parts (and others) have been slow to utilize the Internet and market their services through social media, you’ll find some that have done that with gusto. One firm that has embraced the Internet and social media in an appealing way is the the Law Offices of Scott A. Rubenstein in Cincinnati.
Not only is that site full of useful information for people who might need an attorney, the “search engine optimized” side of thing is handled well so that the office gets in front of the public. If one fires up a search engine and types in terms such as “Cincinnati attorney,” “Cincinnati lawyer” or “Cincinnati DUI attorney,” the chances are good you’ll find the firm’s site, Google Plus page or Facebook page.
That’s all pretty sharp. Building an Internet site is one thing, but putting useful information on it and taking affirmative steps to drive traffic to it and related social media sites is quite another. Good job, there.
Yes, it’s spring and that means it’s time to take care of some of those “home beautifying” projects you’ve thought of during the winter.
One of the easiest things to do to improve the look of your home is to look at some custom address plaques and then select one you like. It seems that residential address plaques often get neglected on home, and that’s a shame as people do notice them when approaching homes.
I’m guilty of that one, for sure and certain. The address on my house looks awful – once proud bronze letters that are faded, tarnished and have clearly seen better days. Yes, I’d do well to look at some bronze address plaques or personalized address plaques to improve the look of my home and I may do just that.
Sure, one can go and shop locally for address plaques and deal with the downside of supply and demand. There aren’t just a whole lot of address plaques to choose from in my town, much less custom ones – I’m sure this Arkansas town isn’t the only one in the nation in which that is the case. Ah, but it’s easy to find plenty of address plaques on the Internet, and you can start that house-beautifying journey by clicking one of the links in this post.
Here’s one from a British sitcom I enjoyed as a kid. They used to run The Goodies on the local PBS affiliate and I used to watch that, along with other classics such as Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Fawlty Towers. Good times, and you couldn’t find that stuff on other networks in Arkansas, could you? Enjoy!
If you poke around on the Internet long enough and build a great looking site or two, you might get the notion of going into business setting those things up for other companies.
That’s all well and good, of course. Building a Website is one thing, but driving traffic to it is another. Think about how your Website building business could grow if you could also offer clients effective tools to market them and attract visitors.
If you’re rather at sea about how to put together a solid search engine optimized (SEO) campaign (or even what that means), you might consider outsourcing the marketing aspect of constructing a successful Internet site to an SEO reseller.
What’s that? Simply put, an SEO reseller is essentially a team of professionals who know how to get sites ranked highly in search engines, put together marketing campaigns and essentially find ways to connect Internet sites with people who will find them useful. In other words, they have the skills your clients want, you get some cash for outsourcing those services, you can offer more services to your clients and everyone’s happy.
Want to find out more about SEO reseller programs? Just click one of the links in this post and you’re on your way, ace.
So, you’ve got a great Internet site. The design is attractive, the content is great and everything is going well, right?
Here’s the problem with the Internet – there’s a lot of stuff out there. It’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. You can have the greatest site on the planet, but it won’t matter much if no one is visiting it.
How can you get some traffic? Through hiring a firm that offers great SEO consulting services. What is SEO – it’s short for search engine optimized. A site with great SEO is full of keywords that search engines like and generate traffic through the site.
Building a good SEO strategy is important, but how many people know how to do it? Building a site is one thing, but promoting it is another and that is a task best left to an SEO consulting services company.
The choice is yours – you can either plug along and try to build an SEO strategy in a “hit or miss” fashion, or leave it to a professional by hiring an SEO consulting services company. Good luck…
In short, we’re talking about transactions in which sensitive information is shared. Access to it must be controlled, so the information is generally stored in a physical data room where people can keep an eye on it.
The problems with a physical data room are somewhat obvious. They are expensive to maintain, require people to travel to them, are full of documents that must be categorized and watched like a hawk, etc.
The solution? A Merrill Virtual Deal Room. What’s that? Simply put, it allows for the same advantages of a physical data room with none of the disadvantage. A virtual data room is located on the Internet and offers 24-7 access to critical data while enabling parties to restrict access to that information and take measures to make sure the information is not copied and distributed outside the room.
In other words, you get all the control offered by a traditional physical data room (and then some), plus easier access and less cost. That makes sense. Check the aforementioned link to check it out.
By the way, Merrill offers more than virtual data rooms. It also offers certified translation services and medical translation. Good stuff.
One of the best bits from South Park. WARNING – there’s some rough language, but it’s South Park so what do you expect?
The phrase for the day is “criminally unappreciated.”
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What can you do if you live in, say, Arkansas, and you find yourself in need of some movers in Canada?
You turn to the Internet, of course, and do some research. That’s one of the great things about the Internet – if you’re not familiar with an area, it allows you to run a few searches, read a few authoritative sites and make informed decisions.
Researching can be fun, so I hope I’m not about to ruin an enjoyable evening for you by telling you where to look to find moving companies in Canada. Just click one of the links in this article and you’ll find all you’d ever want to know about Toronto movers, international movers and anything and everything having to do with moving companies in the Great White North.
Click away and remember to thank me later.
It’s tax season and the IRS does allow people to make a buck or two by becoming enrolled agents and assisting taxpayers in navigating the confusing maze of tax code regulations.
There’s a catch – those who become enrolled agents must meet certain educational standards. Also, they must maintain their certifications through enrolled agent continuing education.
Fortunately, there's one private provider up there that will help enrolled agents keep up with their continuing education hours as well as find out what’s new and required for all in need of EA continuing education.
Just click one of the aforementioned links and you’re on your way, pilgrim.
One of the greatest inventions of the past couple of years has to be the ever useful laptop.
They’re portable, powerful and their very existence means we aren’t chained to desktop machines in a rarely used rooms somewhere in our homes. We’ve got two laptops and a netbook here at my home and love the things. However, there’s a problem – laptop storage.
Desks were, obviously, made for desktop computers, but where does one store a laptop? In a bag like a fourth-grader? On the ground? Tossed on a coffee table?
Here’s an idea – how about a laptop cart made specifically for storing those expensive, handy computers? Indeed, laptop carts are to laptops what desks are to desktops – they allow for secure, safe storage of computers that cost a pretty penny.
Those are good for home users and even better for corporate users who have a lot of laptops that need to be stored safely so as to not “walk away” from an office. The very portability of laptops, after all, makes them good targets for people wanting to swipe one of the things.
Want to find out more about what laptop storage options are available to you? Click one of the foregoing links and have a look.
If you were to head down to your favorite local retailer and shop for a spice rack, what would you find?
The chances are good that your selection of spice racks will be decidedly limited. Sure, you might find a wall spice rack or two to choose from and maybe one for a countertop, but here’s the thing – the demand in any local market for kitchen spice racks probably isn’t that great, and the free market dictates that supply must be in line with demand.
The trick to shopping for a spice rack, then, is to make sure you find a store where the demand is high and supply follow suit. The Internet is great for that type of thing as it allows retailers to get in touch with a huge market.
If you’re in the market for a spice rack and you want plenty of choices and competitive prices to boot, just click one of the links in this post and you’re on your way.
Ah, good ole SCTV Network 90. Funniest sketch comedy series of the 1980s (or, at least one of the best).
Guest post written by my buddy Brian Workman
My daughter and her husband were friends with a couple in college that ended up being in their wedding. They are the sweetest people. They had to fly all the way from Oklahoma to participate in all the wedding activities. The boy had taken a job with a medical equipment company and took a transfer out there so he could double his income. His wife went back to school while living there and became a kindergarten teacher. They don’t have any children yet, but from looking at them on their Facebook page, I can tell they have two cute dogs. My daughter and her husband recently went out to Oklahoma to have a reunion of sorts with their friends. She told me that they stayed at their friends’ house and that it was so nice. Apparently they are doing really well financially which is very unusual in this economy. And, she told me that they are very frugal with their money. Gone are the days when they used to go out every night. Now they stay at home mostly, cook their dinner, and watch a lot of direct tv in oklahoma city.
Here's one thing I've learned from having children -- shopping for clothes for the little darlings can be a drag.
Any parent out there knows the drill. You’ve got to con the kiddies into getting in the car, then you’ve got to can them into going in a store, then you’ve got to chase them through the store (or stores) and reject one awful article of clothing after another. After all of that, the real fun begins – forcing them to accept the clothes you do find suitable and then paying your hard-earned cash on items the kids swear they hate.
Come on parents – we’re the ones in charge, aren’t we? Why not skip part of the more harrowing aspects of buying quality clothes for kids and turn to our old friend, the Internet, for help?
That’s right – you can find great clothes for your kids from the convenience of your own home and without the inconvenience of dragging reluctant children to the store. Interested? Sure you care. Just click the aforementioned link and start shopping, ace.
In my quest to convert most of my media to a convenient digital format, I’ve had to use a video converter or two.
For my purposes, I want to convert my DVDs to videos in MP4 format that are stored on a huge hard drive and then streamed to my Xbox 360 and iPhone. Why? DVDs take up a lot of space, get scratched and are generally inconvenient. Dumping them on a hard drive is the way to go – I can simply shove the DVDs in a closet and then select the movies I want on, say, my Xbox 360. A 2 terabyte hard drive, after all, is much easier to manage than stacks of DVDs.
Converting all of that video requires a reliable DVD ripper. If you’ve got a decent computer, you’re in luck as there is a good video converter for Mac (you can call it a DVD ripper for Mac if you prefer that terminology) out there as well as a solid iPad video converter for Windows PCs, too.
Just click one of the aforementioned links and you’ll be on your way to quickly converting all sorts of videos to iPads and other devices in a variety of formats.
Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
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One of the great things about the Internet is that you can find information regardless of what time it happens to be. Yes, that privilege can be used to find nonsense in the middle of the night, but it can also be used to find information that is important to your life and career.
Let’s say its 2 a.m. and you’re looking for a medical consultant interview course. Finding information about such a critter would have been impossible in the middle of the night just a few years ago, but it’s very possible now. Sticking with the medical theme, the same can be said of doctors looking to enrich their education through a medical teaching course or how about a medical management course? Or how about a teach the teacher course for doctors looking for getting involved in training.
All of those links, by the way, will guide you to courses offered by Oxford Medical. Clearly, that group is one of the most recognized in the medical field. The point of mentioning that is to point out that you don’t get just good information from the Internet, but you can find some of the best, most relevant stuff out there from groups that are at the top of their fields.
Technology can be great, huh?
What do people do when the economy is down? They start looking for ways to save money.
It’s important to point out that tactic works well for everyone these days regardless of income. After watching so many people lose jobs, watch investments decline alarmingly in value and observing the general lack of consumer confidence, being frugal is just a good move these days. Yes, a good number of us are making out just fine, but we should all be aware that can change in a hurry.
For both people looking to save cash immediately and those who just want to reduce expenses and save money for that rainy day that could come in the future, reducing expenses on more common items is a good move. Think about it for a second. Yes, it is very possible to refinance that mortgage or perhaps even reduce car payments by refinancing those loans or trading for less expensive vehicles, but we’re talking about going through a long, involved process to reach either of those goals.
It makes a lot more sense to start small – to take simple steps to reduce how much money we spend on more common items. A few small, simple steps can result in immediate savings, after all, so why not start there? If you want to reduce those mortgage and car payments, those are great long term goals and should be treated as such. Reaching those goals can take some time, but cutting smaller expenses can be done quickly.
Want proof? Just click the following link to watch what you spend on coffee. Just head to that site and you’ll find coupons and other ways to reduce your expenses in that area. You won’t give up a thing and you’ll save a buck or two. How’s that for a deal? Once you start to take a look at the smaller items such as coffee, you can reap the benefits immediately and then make those long range plans that will get you closer to your goal of cutting your expenses.
Starting with small ways to save money can also be a good psychological trick. Think about it – cutting expenses on large, expensive items is more than a bit daunting and complicated. It would be far too easy to get involved in such a project and then give up on the whole notion of economizing completely once realizing the work involved. Human beings, see, like to see immediate progress when they start a project. Taking care of the little things provides that progress, thus encouraging people to take on larger, more complex projects and save even more money.
Makes sense, doesn’t it?
The economy is a mess, but businesses are still expanding, right?
A major difference these days is that businesses are looking for the most bang for the buck. Extravagance may have been the name of the game a few years ago, but things have changed a bit.
How, then, can a business get the space needed to expand, save a buck or two and still get pretty much everything desired in a new building? Have a look at what’s available through Future Steel Buildings. That’s right – Future Steel Buildings.
What will you find over there? Buildings that will pretty well meet your wants and needs. They’ll be attractive, cost effective and durable, too. Click one of the aforementioned links and have a look. The chances are good you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
The homes sales numbers for 2011 are in for northwest Arkansas and the Jonesboro area (that’s Craighead County in northeast Arkansas).
First Arkansas News is the first media outlet in the state to have those numbers available to the public.
Click here to read the year-end housing market reports for those two areas of the state. Don’t worry – the central Arkansas numbers will be out before too much longer and First Arkansas News will also have those.
Stainless steel is one of those things that's just plain timeless.
It’s durable, attractive and decidedly utilitarian. It can be used on all manner of household items – fireplace accessories, kitchen appliances and, well, just an almost infinite number of things around your home. Of course, there’s good stainless steel and then there’s the stuff that is fair-to-middling or just plain rotten.
How can you find the good stuff? Look for a trusted name such as Blomus. Indeed, Blomus steel has a certain reputation for building quality items, ranging from Blomus kitchen appliances to Blomus fireplace accessories.
Click a link and see for yourself.
Here’s yet another example of why the Internet is such a great thing – it allows specialty stores to set up and thrive.
While some in larger cities might take specialty stores for granted, they’re somewhat few and far between in more rural areas. Those highly specialized stores often can’t get enough business to stay solvent as they have trouble finding enough people to support them.
An online presence, however, allows specialty stores to break away from regional markets and find national – and sometimes international – customers. That’s a good thing as general merchandise stores simply don’t offer the selection that specialty stores do.
Take lockers, for example. If you want steel lockers, employee lockers, school lockers, etc., where are you going to go? Even if you can find those items locally, what are the chances you’ll have a lot of items from which to choose? And what about prices? If there’s not a lot of competition, you just know those prices are going to be a bit high, right?
If you’re looking for a wide selection and competitive prices for highly specialized items such as lockers for sale, you’ll want to consider finding a store on the Internet that deals exclusively in those items. Click one of the links in this post to start your search, pilgrim.
The following was originally posted at First Arkansas News. We’re posting it here in hopes that more people will enjoy it. Why? Because old time radio (OTR) is more fan than a barrel full of monkeys and is well worth sharing.
Well, you lucky thing. It’s another weekend and that means it’s time for another fantastic show in our ongoing Weekend OTR series.
What show do we have on tap? It’s the Fabulous Mr. Tweedy, a comedy starring Frank Morgan. As usual, this week’s program is courtesy of our friends at OTRCat.com. So, listen to the show then pay The Cat a visit. Deal?
How do you listen to the show? Simply click the below link and you’re set, pilgrim.
My background is in journalism. To be precise, it’s on the editorial side of journalism.
What does that mean? I couldn’t sell advertising to save my life and I know it. When I worked in the newspaper business, advertising was sold by magical elves as far as I was concerned. When I started a site (not this one) that needed ad revenue, my approach was decidedly pitiful.
“Hey, uh. Like. You wanna buy an ad?”
“No.”
“OK.”
What’s the point of all this? Running an Internet site and raising revenue for it are two separate matters. One might be able to put up a great site that attracts a lot of traffic. There is a certain skill involved in doing that. However, that same person that is so brilliant in putting together a site with compelling content might not have the ability to attract advertisers. The ability to sell ads is also a skill and it’s a good idea to leave that task up to an advertising agency staffed with people who have that skill.
Go ahead and click the aforementioned link to find out about a firm with just that skill – it’s called “That! Advertising Agency” and specializes in mixed media advertising. What does that mean? It means the agency was born and bred on the Internet but realizes the importance of advertising through more traditional outlets, too. That’s right – the company seeks to reach your demographic through the channels most appropriate to it.
Sounds good, huh? Experience in various forms of media and the willingness to avoid a “one size fits all” solution in favor of a custom program sounds like a winner, doesn’t it?
Three boards of Realtors in northwest Arkansas voted down a proposal on Wednesday that would have resulted in the largest local Realtors association in Arkansas.
You can read all about the vote and such at First Arkansas News by clicking here.
Now, here’s the interesting thing – a person familiar with what went down on there said it appeared the proposal might pass until the full details of the merger weren’t released until right before the vote. Those details allegedly caused a lot of people to say “hell no” and vote against the merger.
What details was our source talking about? We’re investigating and will have more details in the near future. So, stay tuned to First Arkansas News and we’ll post that information when we get it.