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Search results for 'hints' returned 15 results: Main Blog

Posted by TJ on Friday January 9, 2009 @ 06:17 PM
[Tags: Business, web design, hints]

This is a courtesy reminder to all website managers. If not already done or automatically updated please take this time to update the year in your copyright in the footer of you web pages to 2009. Having a outdated copyright year (IE: Copyright ©1999) makes you look unprofessional, outdated, and old news.
    Sites on the Alexa Top 500 Sites who have outdated copyrights:
    (as of 01/09/09)
  • craigslist.org Online classifieds © 1995-2007 craigslist, inc
  • Hi5.com Social networking © 2003-2008 hi5 Networks
  • Ask.com Search engine © 2008 Ask.com (Are your search results old too?)
  • friendster.com Social networking Copyright 2002-2008 Friendster, Inc.
  • LiveJournal.com Blog community Copyright © 1999-2008 LiveJournal, Inc
  • USPS.gov United State Postage Service - Copyright © 1999-2005 USPS.

Jeez these site probably make thousands each day and they can't spend 5 minutes to update their site. If you need a web designer I have some free time.

Update:
Here is PHP code so your copyright year will automatically update each year.
Code:

<?php
///set year
$year = date("Y");
?>

<?php
///print copyright
print "© $year ";
?>




Posted by TJ on Wednesday October 15, 2008 @ 10:51 AM
[Tags: rant, internet, hints]

No, I'm not going to buy your product or service if you are emailing me from an @gmail.com, @yahoo, or @aol.com address.

I do not understand why people still try to conduct a "professional" business using a free email provider.

Your @aol.com or @gmail.com account should not be used to conduct a professional business. You can have your own domain (IE: yourname@yourlegitimatebusiness.com) for as low as $10/year. Get with the times.. this is 2008 not 1999.

/Rant





Posted by TJ on Monday October 13, 2008 @ 09:14 PM
[Tags: scam, internet, hints]

Note: This is part 2 of the Job Scam Series.

I just received an email offering a position with Advan LTD "Advan Group LTD". This is indeed another poor attempt at a scam.

How do I know this is a scam?
The senders address is different then the reply address provided in the email and the company has little history in a Google search.

Why am I writing about this?
Hopefully this blog will show up in search results and prevent potential victims. Since this is a new scam there were no search results for this company so I thought I should make some.

How does a scam have such a sophisticated website?
Anybody can create a professional looking website in a matter of minutes by copying an existing website. You can do this is Firefox by selecting File->Save as File->Webpage Complete. A scammer would then change the logo and text to coincide with the name of their fictional company.

What's the purpose of this scam
They want to get information from you... SS#(from application), bank account number (from direct deposit info), email address (for spamming), or they are going try get you to transfer your money to them using wires.

What are Common things to look for to spot a scam?
  • Are they using a free email provider (ie: @gmail, @hotmail, @aol)? Reputable and professional companies have their own domain and use it in their emails (IE: @thesitename.com).
  • Is the "reply to" address stated in the email? Is this different then senders email address? Scammers often distort the header to show different senders addresses so they get passed email filters
  • Does the email provide a link to the companies website? Look up the urls registry info by going to http://whois.sc/thesitename.com. Check to see when it the registration was created and if the registry addresses match the companies address. If the website domain was just registered then this means the sender probably created the website just to scam people.
  • Use Google and search for "the company scam" or that turns no results just search for the "company name with quotes".
  • Does the email offer a Work at home opportunity? It is very hard to find a legitimate work at home job online so these should require extra caution before replying to
  • Broken English, misspelling, poor grammar. Most of these scammers are foreigners and can not create a professional sounding email in english.
Here's a copy of the email I received:
Quote:

We have an opening position for your attention. This job offer is limited and can be offered for US citizens only. Our Company is looking for persons for part-time based vacancy. This is home based, online, part-time, fast-paced position. Part-time employees usually works over 4 hours every business day (from Monday through Friday) and typically do not work on weekends or regular holidays. During working process you will accept orders from our clients about purchase of tourist permit. Your starting salary will be from $3,500.00 (depending on employees plan), which will be paid to you in accordance with our standard payroll procedures. In addition, you will be eligible for bonuses. What we do? We buy/sell/exchange touristic tickets, tours, airline tickets, booking and etc. Our marketing management department decided to accept sales orders from international customers, that is why you are reading this job offer letter. During all working process you will be official representative of our company with full rights and standards. You will receive orders/payments/billing records/payment invoices/transactions from our clients, customers and investors Our part-time employees also receive an attractive benefits package. Please note that these opportunities are part-time only working approximately 16 hours per week. Actually we do not require any work experience or base requirements. This job if perfect for students, moms and those who are looking for good part-time/online job. This is a great chance to start your career with us, we are fast growing international company, don’t waste your time, start your career right now. Hurry up, this job opportunity is limited.

If you are interested in our offer, we shall send you detailed description of the vacancy. Write to me on e-mail: maloof.marcie@gmail.com
You will get a response in 2-3 days.

Thanks for your time and interest.

NOTE: This is original e-mail letter from ADVAN LTD. This not any kind of: MLM, scam, spam. We will never ask to you to provide any kind of investments.

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?
  1. Do not respond to further communications.
  2. If you sent bank Information: call your bank immediately and tell them what happened. They should be able to change your account number or cancel your account.
  3. You should consider signing up for automatic credit monitoring LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
  4. You can also file a claim with The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). They are probably overloaded with these types of claim though, so I would not expect an individual response.
  5. If the email you received was different then the one posted in this post paste it below (or explain the differences) so others will find this warning.

    If this post helped you I would appreciate if you left a comment so I know to keep posting these alerts. Thanks!



Posted by TJ on Sunday August 24, 2008 @ 12:44 AM
[Tags: internet, links, hints]

Upromise (upromise.com) promise is a one-stop college service provider that helps families earn, save and pay for higher education. With Upromise, families can automatically save money for college while making everyday purchases at grocery and drug stores, gas stations, restaurants, retail stores and online shopping sites.

It's so easy to start saving money all you need to do is create a FREE account and enter your bonus card numbers, credit card numbers into your account. That's it! Upromise will automatically track your cards for qualifying purchases and add money to your Upromise balance. You can check back with your account to see how much you saved.

I have been using Upromise for a while now and I saved almost $30. I currently don't even have any person to allocate my savings to either. I am just letting the funds accumulate for once I do have someone.

This is like getting extra cash back for a lot of your everyday spending and it's stupid to pass out on.

Worried about security.. paranoid about identity theft? Well the only comfort I can provide is this website has been featured on many popular websites: Cnn.com, Wall Street Journal, and NY Times to list a few.

Everybody create an account now:... it's free money:
Create a Upromise Account

_
Read More...




Posted by TJ on Wednesday June 4, 2008 @ 04:06 PM
[Tags: accounting, taxes, hints]

For all you home buyers out there Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is deductible for contracts signed in 2007 or after. This was enacted into law as part of the Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 as in effect on December 20, 2006. PMI is required for mortgage where less than 20% is put down on a home purchase.

Source: http://www.irs.gov/publications/p936/ar02.html#d0e1576

Also make have your lender cancel your PMI once your equity in the home is greater than 20%.
More: http://bankrate.com/brm/green/mtg/basics7-4a.asp?caret=38



Posted by TJ on Friday May 2, 2008 @ 11:04 PM
[Tags: review, business, hints]

XM satellite radio is great for music and in my opinion is definitely worth the price especially if you know how to bargain. I never had to pay full price for a subscription and just got my best deal yet... $69 for a full year.

Here is how I get this price: If your current subscription is coming to an end/or you're a new subscriber call them up and say you want to cancel your subscription because "the price is too high" and the customer rep will offer you a better deal to try and keep you as a subscriber... but don't accept this say the price is still too high... they should then offer you even a better deal. If it's not around $80 bucks tell them the most you'll pay is $80/year.. Now once you got an a good subscription price down they should offer you discount to switch to electronic billing, take that and you now got a great service at a great price. I was paying $15/month called up and was offered a deal for $119 and said no this is still too high "I want to cancel unless you have something under $80. The rep offered me a deal at $83/year then a $15 discount for switching to ebilling.

Kudos to XM radio for their great radio, good customer service, and good prices.

Big Band 125x125




Posted by TJ on Saturday April 19, 2008 @ 04:06 AM
[Tags: technology, ipod, hints]

Someone argued with me today that it's bad for the iPod if you shut down your computer with the iPod connected. I do not think this is the case as shutting down the computer properly ends the communications with the iPod just as if you hit eject in iTunes. However my friend said that the iPod says "Do not disconnect" just for this reason. But the real thing they are telling you not to do is disconnect the iPod when the computer is on by pulling the cord. I also heard from reliable sources that you can even pull the cord to disconnect as long as there is no file transferring going on. Well I searched the internet for a hard-core proof that shutting the computer down with the iPod connected is not harmful and could not find any so I figured I'd write the proof myself so here:

Shutting down the computer with the iPod connected is not harmful and should not cause any issues. What is harmful is disconnecting the iPod with out properly choosing to safely disconnect the hardware in the windows task bar or ejecting it in iTunes. Please any one who has had issues to contrary please discuss in comments.



Posted by TJ on Wednesday March 26, 2008 @ 01:17 AM
[Tags: links, hints]

The USPS website is very useful here is what it has to offer:

Address Validation: http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp - Want to make sure you sending something to a valid address use this form.

Free Shipping Supplies http://shop.usps.com/ - The USPS will send you boxes, tape, envelopes, completely free for priority and expedited shipping. Use the top menu bar, Express and Priority supplies will show up as "No Charge". Just make sure you only use this stuff for shipping or else you goto jail.

USPS.com said:
I understand that Express Mail, Priority Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International and Priority Mail International packaging is the property of the United States Postal Service and is provided solely for sending Express Mail, Priority Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International and Priority Mail International. Misuse may be a violation of federal law.




Posted by TJ on Sunday December 9, 2007 @ 10:51 PM
[Tags: internet, hints]

Most people don't realize that you can find the solution to most of your problems really easily by using search. The best thing to search for is the error itself. Make sure you copy it word for word and enclose it in "quotes". This will turn up any page that talks about the same error you are getting and you will skip a lot of garbage you'd other wise get. For instance if your explorer keeps shutting down automatically do not search for "Internet Explorer keeps shutting down" instead use the error you received "Windows explorer encountered a problem and needs to close". This tip can make anyone look like a technical support pro last week I solved two issues for my firm using this that the tech guy installing a new server had trouble fixing.

On the same topic I recently noticed that when using internet explorer it would not automatically add the "http:" or www. to a specific address in the address bar. The error was "Windows cannot find 'thesitename.com/bleh'. Check the spelling and try again." . It worked when I typed www.thesitename.com/bleh but usually explorer lets you leave off the "www." and it did for every other address. The problem? For some reason having that address as a favorite/bookmark was causing the issue. By deleting the page as a favorite I was able to omit the www. I don't know why this would be an issue but I prefer firefox and use it more anyway, so I just deal with it.



Posted by TJ on Friday October 12, 2007 @ 08:08 PM
[Tags: hints, guide, trends]

I don't really goto Halloween parties but I came up with this list in case I did...

2007 Original Halloween Costume Ideas

Amy Winehouse.
Ipod Guy Siloutte (from the commercials)
Geico Caveman
Claw machine (with stuffed animals)
Bob Barker
Indiana Jones
Chris Hansen (from to catch a predator)


Old Classics:

Where's Waldo
Tetris Pieces (works good for couple's)
Weekend at Bernie's
Michelin Man


Stupid Boring Gimmicks:

Baby
Hooker
Pimp
Doctor
Vampire
Witch
Crazy scientist
Pirate (jack sparrow)
Convict



Posted by TJ on Tuesday September 18, 2007 @ 10:26 AM
[Tags: humor, hints, work]

If you happen to be a office cleaner make sure you are following these steps to be the average cleaning professional.

  1. Fill up all soap/paper towel dispensers (and lock if available) and but make sure that you do not feed into dispenser.
  2. If you have to vacuum make sure to vacuum but only vacuum center of rugs to save time.
  3. Spray a lot of Lysol and put blue dye into toilets but never actually clean the toilets
  4. Empty all garbages, but don't pick up anything that fell out of garbage, that's too much work
  5. Wear a lot of perfume/cologne. Be like most cleaners and smell like you just knocked off the perfume display case at department store.
  6. Make sure you only clean after hours so no one else is there when you cleaning so they can't say you don't spend enough time.
  7. Either leave stacks and stacks of extra supplies in the bathroom so you do not need to comeback often or not enough so your clients are happy to see you each time.
  8. There's no need to clean every space every time. If you alternate missing spots people may never notice.




Posted by TJ on Tuesday September 4, 2007 @ 10:03 AM
[Tags: hints, accounting, google]

As an auditor you are responsible for knowing if something happens to your cleints that will affect their financial condition or subject them to legal issues. I am sure their a lot of professions where you have clients and want to know if they are in the news. Now most of the time you could just go to the companies webpages and click "news release", however the only problem is this will only give you the news the company wants you to hear. To get both good and bad news use google alerts. Google alerts will send you an email everytime a search term (such as your clients name) shows up in a new news stories. So far I've been alerted to a million dollar lawsuit and a death at one of my clients facilities just by reading the news.

link: Create a Google Alert

Select "News" as type to just get results in news stories only.



Posted by TJ on Wednesday August 29, 2007 @ 10:04 AM
[Tags: excel, hints, internet]

I use the following macro to save my timesheet using the filename and path in cell "A1"(ie:C:datafilename.xls).

You can also include today's date using concatenate by including the following in Cell A1
=CONCATENATE("c:datafilename_",MONTH(NOW()),"-",DAY(NOW()),"-",YEAR(NOW()),".xls")
Of course you can replace cell A1 in the following code with any cell you want as long as it contains a valid filename and path.
Sub 
savefile()
' SaveFile Macro
' Macro recorded 4/16/2007 by tmiller of tjshome.com
'save a copy of current spreadheet using filename in cell 'TimeFile'
TimeFile = Range("A1").Value
ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs Filename:=TimeFile, FileFormat:= _
xlNormal, Password:="", WriteResPassword:="",
ReadOnlyRecommended:=False _, CreateBackup:=False
End Sub




Posted by TJ on Monday August 20, 2007 @ 01:03 PM
[Tags: hints, software]

You can save trees and printing cost by simply changing your settings in adobe acrobat and Microsoft Word to print pages side by side. What will happen is the pages will print two pages per page instead of one. Of course, this hint is not for everyone, especially those with bad eyes.

To change your settings:

Adobe: File -> Print... -> Page Handling ->
Select "Multiple Pages Per Sheet" and Number of Sheets "2"

Office: File > Page Setup -> Options : Select pages per Sheet "2"

Internet Explorer: Same as for Office

(Unfortunately, the settings in office and IE do not save so you need set these each time you print.)

Another solution to greener printing is use software (for a fee) developed by Greenprint Technologies which automatically analyzes every print job and highlights unnecessary pages for deletion by you. Product Link.




Posted by TJ on Thursday July 12, 2007 @ 10:24 AM
[Tags: hints, web design, windows]

I absolutely hate website's that play sounds on page load, and avoid visiting them at all cost. Why web designers think it's a good idea to do this is beyond me. However, I think I found a simple solution to sounding off these sounds in both firefox and internet explorer 7.
    The solution:
  1. Open the Internet Explorer or Firefox installation folder.
        The default path for IE is “C:Program FilesInternet Explorer”
    and Firefox is C:Program FilesMozillaFirefox".

  2. Create an empty file in this folder with the name “msacm32.dll”. (IE: open Notepad and do save as msacm32.dll).

  3. Close all Browser windows and test it. EA Sports usually plays "EA Sports it's in the game" at page load.
If you need to enable sounds you have to delete or rename “msacm32.dll”.